Institutional Effectiveness

What is NSSE?

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is administered at IU Southeast every 3 years. First-year and senior students from across the country and internationally participate to provide data to:

• Assess and improve undergraduate education
• Inform accountability and accreditation efforts
• Facilitate national and sector benchmarking efforts (NSSE 2011).

Individual student responses are confidential and not identifiable in any reports.

The survey measures student engagement in two ways.

• The amount of time and effort students expend scholastically.
• How schools use resources and organize learning opportunities for students.

Sharing your thoughts can pay off BIG TIME!

Beginning Feb. 25, 2021, IU Southeast first-year and senior students will take a web version of the survey, which takes about 15 minutes to complete, making them eligible for a number of great prizes!

2021 Winners

Why NSSE?

As posted on the IU Southeast website, part of the mission of the school is to “provide high-quality educational programs and services that promote student learning”, while faculty “create opportunities for students to engage in applied learning.”

In addition, the IU Southeast core value of Holistic Learning states that the campus “provide a rich educational environment of academic excellence that extends beyond the classroom and supports students in reaching their full potential” while seeking “ways to improve upon the quality and service” provided to students.

The NSSE serves the purpose of measuring student engagement in educational opportunities that are associated with learning and development, providing data to schools so that they may improve student learning. Since its launch in 2000, the NSSE has prided itself on ensuring validity and reliability of results, minimizing both non-response bias and mode effects.

What can NSSE tell us?

The 2021 survey instrument is online and the 2021 Annual Results report is also available for download. IU Southeast results from the 2021 administration are available below and will be summarized and distributed monthly for the campus community.

In general, and among other things, the NSSE can tell us about:

• Service-learning and the First-Year experience
• Residence life
• Greek life
• Transfer students
• Career services
• Time spent on selected activities
• Being prepared for class
• Learning strategies by major category
• Learning strategies of First-Generation students
• Coursework
• Global awareness experiences
• Student participation patterns in career preparation (internships, clinical, etc.), reasons for participation, and student experiences
• Level of academic challenge
• Active and collaborative learning
• Student-faculty interaction
• Enriching educational experiences
• Supportive campus environments

Results are shared with IU Southeast upon completion of the survey. Campus officials want to create positive change based on the experiences of students, so the campus takes NSSE results seriously and attempts to act on the data to foster positive change.

Not only does the data tell IU Southeast much about the student experience that cannot be obtained from other surveys of its nature, but IU Southeast results are compared across similar campuses and the IU system to better understand the context of the results.

NSSE research—how to use NSSE

NSSE and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE) at IU Southeast believe firmly in communicating the results of the NSSE to the campus community to increase the understanding of the quality of our institution and that support institutional improvement. There are multiple ways in which the NSSE findings can be used:

• Regional accreditation and quality improvement
• Promoting service-learning and civic engagement
• Advancing advising and the co-curriculum
• Increasing retention and improving the first-year experience
• Enhancing opportunities for study abroad.

NSSE Reports

• 2009 - The Student Experience in Brief: IU Southeast
• 2012 - The Student Experience in Brief: IU Southeast
• 2012 - NSSE Benchmark Report for Student Engagement
• 2012 - NSSE Veteran Engagement
• 2015 - NSSE Academic Challenge
• 2015 - NSSE High Impact Practices Summary
• 2015 - NSSE Pocket Guide Report 
• 2018 - NSSE Civic Engagement Summary
• 2018 - NSSE Pocket Guide Report
• 2018 - NSSE First Look
• 2021 - NSSE Pocket Guide Report
• 2021 - Snapshot

REFERENCES:

• NSSE. (2011). Fostering student engagement campuswide—annual results 2011.
  Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research.
• “Mission, Vision, & Values” Web. 28 Nov. 2011.