Student Engagement at NKU

1
Student Engagement at NKU

• Jennifer Stansbury-Koenig
• Curriculum, Accreditation and Assessment
• Fall 2007

2
Presentation Overview

• An Introduction NSSE Student Engagement
• 2007 NSSE Selected NKU Results
• Introduction to the BCSSE FSSE
• Using NSSE-BCSSE-FSSE Data
• Questions Discussion
• Contact Information

3

An IntroductionNSSE and the Concept of Student
Engagement
4

Foundations of Student Engagement

• Quality of effort (Pace, 1960-70s)
• Student involvement (Astin, 1984)
• Social, academic integration (Tinto, 1987, 1993)
• Good practices in undergraduate education
  (Chickering Gamson, 1987)
• College impact (Pascarella, 1985)
• Student engagement (Kuh, 1991, 2005)

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What Really Matters in College Student
Engagement

• Because individual effort and involvement are
  the critical determinants of impact,
  institutions should focus on the ways they can
  shape their academic, interpersonal, and
  extracurricular offerings to encourage student
  engagement.

Pascarella Terenzini, How College Affects
Students, 2005, p. 602
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The Student Engagement Trinity

• What students do -- time and energy devoted to
  educationally purposeful activities
• What institutions do -- using effective
  educational practices to induce students to do
  the right things
• Educationally effective institutions channel
  student energy toward the right activities

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National Survey of Student Engagement(pronounced
nessie)Community College Survey of Student
Engagement(pronounced cessie)

• College student surveys that assess the extent
  to which students engage in educational practices
  associated with high levels of learning and
  development

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NSSE Survey Content

• Student Behaviors in College

Student Learning Development
Institutional Actions And Requirements

• Student Reactions to College

Student Background Information
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NSSE Indicators ofEffective Educational Practice

Active Collaborative Learning
Level of Academic Challenge
Enriching Educational Experiences
Supportive Campus Environment
Student Faculty Interaction
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Why a National Survey?

• Refocus conversations about undergraduate quality
  to what matters most
• Enhance institutional improvement efforts
• Foster comparative and consortium activity
• Inform accountability efforts
• Provide systematic national data on good
  educational practices

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How Valid is Self-Reported Data?

• Research Confirms Self-Reported Data Validity
  When Following Conditions Exist
• Requested information is known to respondents
• Questions are clear and unambiguous
• Respondents take questions seriously and
  thoughtfully
• Answering does not threaten, embarrass, or
  violate privacy or compel a socially desirable
  response

• The NSSE survey instrument was designed to meet
  these conditions
• For more details, see NSSE Psychometric
  Portfolio at http//nsse.iub.edu/html/NSSE_Psychom
  etric_Portfolio.cfm

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NSSE 2007 Selected NKU Results
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NSSE 2007 Survey Population and Respondents

• More than one million students nationally were
  invited to participate in NSSE 2007, with 323,147
  responding
• 3,104 NKU students were invited to participate,
  and a total of 1,497 responded

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NSSE 2007 Survey Population and Respondents

• NKU participates as part of a consortium
  established by CPE in 2001 that includes
• Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky State
  University, Morehead State University, Murray
  State University, University of Kentucky,
  University of Louisville, Western Kentucky
  University
• NKU selected two new peer groups for comparison
  in 2007 including
• NKU Benchmark Institutions (California University
  of Pennsylvania, Florida Atlantic University,
  Indiana State University, Oakland University,
  Purdue University-Calumet Campus, University of
  Akron, University of Michigan-Flint, University
  of Southern Maine, Western Connecticut State
  University, Wichita State University, William
  Paterson University of New Jersey, Youngstown
  State University)
• SACS Level V Institutions (Appalachian State
  University, Prairie View AM University,
  Southeastern Louisiana University, Stephen F.
  Austin State University, Tarleton State
  University, The University of Texas-Pan American,
  The University of Texas at Brownsville,
  University of Alabama in Huntsville, University
  of North Carolina Wilmington, University of West
  Georgia, Valdosta State University, West Texas
  AM University, Western Carolina University)

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NSSE 2007 Institution Response Rates

• NKUs response rate 48
• Average Institutional Response Rates
• 36 for all NSSE 2007 institutions
• 22 for the Kentucky System
• 29 for NKU benchmarks
• 26 for SACS Level V institutions

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NSSE 2007NKU Results

• Thinking about your overall experience at this
  institution, how would you rate the quality of
  relationships with administrative personnel and
  offices?

17
NSSE 2007NKU Results

• Thinking about your overall experience at this
  institution, how would you rate the quality of
  relationships with faculty members?

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NSSE 2007 NKU Results

• Thinking about your overall experience at this
  institution, to what extent does the college
  encourage contact between students from different
  economic, social, and racial or ethnic
  backgrounds?

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NSSE 2007 NKU Results

• Overall, how would you evaluate the quality of
  academic advising you have received at your
  institution?

20
NSSE 2007 NKU Results

How would you evaluate your entire educational
experience at this institution?
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NSSE 2007 NKU Results

• If you could start over again, would you go to
  the same institution you are now attending?

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Selected Peer Comparisonwith NKU Results

• Which of the following have you done or do you
  plan to do before you graduate from your
  institution? Participate in a Learning Community
  (First-Year Students)

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Selected Peer Comparisonwith NKU Results

• To what extent does your institution emphasize
  providing the support you need to help you
  succeed academically? (First-Year Students)

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Selected Peer Comparisonwith NKU Results

To what extent does your institution emphasize
providing the support you need to thrive
socially? (First-Year Students)
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Selected Peer Comparisonwith NKU Results

• What percentage of our students (in comparison
  to selected peers) participated in community
  service or volunteer work?

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Selected Peer Comparisonwith NKU Results

• What percentage of NKU students spent more than
  5 hours per week participating in co-curricular
  activities?

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NSSE 2007 NKU and CPE

• What is the primary reason that you have taken
  on-line courses or would consider taking on-line
  courses (select only one)

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NSSE 2007 NKU and CPE

In addition to the undergraduate catalog or
course schedule, what has been your MAJOR source
of academic advising this year?
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NSSE 2007 NKU and CPE

• Do you plan to attend graduate school?

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Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement
(BCSSE) (CAA Office would like to administer this
survey annually)
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BCSSE Purpose

• Designed as companion to the National Survey of
  Student Engagement (NSSE) piloted in 2005 2006
• Measures entering first-year students
  pre-college academic and co-curricular
  experiences as well as their interest in and
  expectations for participating in educationally
  purposeful activities during college.

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BCSSE Survey Content

• High school academic and co-curricular
  engagement.
• High school academic preparation (e.g., AP
  courses).
• Expectations to engage in academically meaningful
  activities.
• Academic aspirations, efficacy, and persistence.
• Expected grades and intention to graduate.
• Financial aid, first-generation status, and other
  important characteristics.

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Example Questions

• During your last year of high school, about how
  often did you do each of the following? (Never,
  Sometimes, Often, Very often)
• Asked questions in class or contributed to class
  discussions
• Came to class without completing readings or
  assignments
• Prepared two or more drafts of a paper or
  assignment before turning it in
• Discussed ideas from your readings or classes
  with others outside of class (students, family
  members, etc.)

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Example Questions

• During the coming school year, how difficult do
  you expect the following to be? (Response range 1
  to 7 1-Not at all difficult, 7-Very difficult)
• Learning course material
• Managing your time
• Paying college expenses
• Getting help with school work
• Making new friends
• Interacting with faculty

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Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) (NKU
will administer the FSSE in Spring 2008)
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FSSE Survey Content

• Faculty perceptions of how often their students
  engage in different activities
• The importance faculty place on various areas of
  learning and development
• The nature and frequency of interactions faculty
  have with students
• How faculty members organize class time

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FSSE Administration Details

• Third-party administration
• IU Center for Survey Research
• Faculty surveyed in the spring
• Institutions choose faculty to be surveyed
• Faculty responses are kept anonymous
• Administered online as a Web-only survey
• Survey options
• Course-based questions
• Typical student questions

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Survey Option Typical Student

• Each faculty member responds to questions about
  student engagement based on the typical
  first-year student or senior taught during the
  current academic year
• Key Question During the current academic year,
  have you had more first-year students or seniors
  in your classes?

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Survey Option Typical Student Example Question
Items

• About how often has the typical first-year
  student, senior, student done each of the
  following? (Never, Sometimes, Often, Very often)
• Asked questions in class or contributed to class
  discussions
• Come to class without completing readings or
  assignments
• Received prompt written or oral feedback from
  faculty on his or her academic performance
• Had serious conversations with students of a
  different race or ethnicity than his or her own

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Sample FSSE Report
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FSSE 2007 Example Results

• What percentage of NKU students spent more than
  6 hours per week preparing for each of their
  classes?
• One-third (33) of faculty expect students to
  spend greater than 6 hours preparing for each
  class in a week
• Less than one-tenth (8) actually think that
  students spend this amount of time
• While slightly over one-tenth (11) of students
  actually spend this amount of time

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Using Your NSSE-BCSSE-FSSE Data
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Internal Campus Uses

• Gauge status of campus priorities
• Examine changes in student engagement between
  first and senior years
• Assess campus progressover time
• Encourage dialogue aboutgood practice
• Link with other data to test hypotheses,
  evaluateprograms
• Improve curricula, instruction, services

LearningCommunities
1ST Year and Senior Experience
EnrollmentManagement
InstitutionalResearch
AcademicAffairs
Institutional Improvement
LearningAssessment
StudentAffairs
FacultyDevelopment
PeerComparison
AcademicAdvising
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External Campus Uses

• Assess status vis-à-vis peers, competitors
• Identify, develop, market distinctive
  competencies
• Encourage collaboration in consortia (e.g.,
  statewide NSSE conference)
• Provide evidence of accountability for good
  processes (while awaiting improvement in outcomes)

GoverningBoards
FundRaising
Parents
ProspectiveStudents
Media
PublicAccountability
AccreditingBodies
Alumni
StatePolicyMakers
Focus on Right Things
PerformanceIndicators
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Student Faculty Interaction

• CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY - FRESNO
• Finding NSSE results showed that student-faculty
  interaction was lower than expected.
• Action Student success task force identified
  ways to improve student success. Participated in
  Building Engagement and Attainment for Minority
  Students (BEAMS) program to develop Mentoring
  Institute. Now 200 faculty members, staff and
  student mentors have been trained.

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Enriching Educational Experiences

• SIMONS ROCK COLLEGE OF BARD
• Finding NSSE results for out-of-class engagement
  were not as strong as results on pure academic
  measures.
• Action Student affairs staff members used NSSE
  results to guide discussions and develop new
  student activities and community engagement
  efforts. Have added a new professional position
  in Student Activities.

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Supportive Campus Environment

• TOWSON UNIVERSITY
• Finding Wished to examine and enhance experience
  of female students.
• Action Womens Center staff developed a
  narrative about the collegiate experience of
  women on their campus, strengthened programs that
  offer leadership opportunities and
  self-empowerment content and process.

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Improving Civic Engagement

• JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY
• Finding First-year student involvement in
  service-learning programs was lower than desired.
• Action Increased the number and quality of class
  presentations about service-learning increased
  the number of contacts with new faculty members
  regarding the importance of emphasizing
  service-learning.

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Improving General Education

• WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
• Finding General education courses provide
  foundation essential to numerous learning
  outcomes. A faculty-appointed committee defined 5
  objectives to enhance core education.
• Action Have begun developing a new first-year
  general education curriculum featuring
  interdisciplinary, inquiry-based seminars, better
  integration of the disciplines, and broader, more
  engaging introductions to major areas of study.

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Questions Discussion
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Contact Information

NKU Contact with NSSE Jennifer
Stansbury-Koenig stansburyj_at_nku.edu ext.
7574 http//access.nku.edu/oca/NSSE/NSSESurvey.ht
m
NSSE Web site www.nsse.iub.edu National Survey
of Student EngagementCenter for Postsecondary
ResearchIndiana University BloomingtonPhone
812.856.5824E-mail nsse_at_indiana.edu
.