National Survey of
Student Engagement

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) obtains, on an annual basis, information from hundreds of four-year colleges and universities nationwide about student participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development. The results provide an estimate of how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college. Survey items on The National Survey of Student Engagement represent empirically confirmed "good practices" in undergraduate education. That is, they reflect behaviors by students and institutions that are associated with desired outcomes of college.

Survey items from NSSE are grouped into five broad categories or benchmarks: Level of Academic Challenge, Active and Collaborative Learning, Enriching Educational Experiences, Student Faculty Interaction, and Supportive Campus Environment. Institutions can select groups of colleges and universities (peer schools) by which to compare either composite benchmarks or individual item scores.

Schools use the data to identify aspects of the undergraduate experience inside and outside the classroom that can be improved through changes in policies and practices more consistent with good practices in undergraduate education. This information also is used by prospective college students, their parents, college counselors, academic advisers, and institutional research officers interested in learning more about how students spend their time at different colleges and universities and what they gain from their experiences.

The links below are to 1) a summary of the key findings from Rhode Island College’s performance on the 2007 NSSE administration (Executive Snapshot), and 2) a more detailed analysis of the data, survey item by survey item, as compared with three groups of peer institutions (Means Comparison).  Rhode Island College faculty and staff can access the data by entering their RIC email/network username (preceded by ric\) and password in the dialogue box that appears after clicking on either link.  Contact Student Life at extension 8061 if you have any problems accessing the data.

National Survey of Student Engagement Executive Snapshot 2007

National Survey of Student Engagement Means Comparison 2007

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