Notes
Outline
NSSE 2001 Report
Improving the College Experience: National Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practice

St. Ambrose University
Master's Colleges and Universities I and II
What is the NSSE?
(pronounced “nessie”)
College student survey that assesses the extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development
NSSE is supported by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts
Co-sponsored by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and The Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning
Good Educational Practices
“Seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education” (Chickering and Gamson, 1987)
Student-faculty contact
Cooperation among students
Active learning
Prompt feedback
Time on task
High expectations
Respect for diverse talents and ways of learning
What Really Matters in College: Engagement
“The research is unequivocal: students who are actively involved in both academic and out-of-class activities gain more from the college experience than those who are not so involved.”
Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practice
NSSE developed five indicators, or benchmarks, of effective educational practices to represent the multi-dimensional nature of student engagement at the institutional, sector, and national levels
NSSE Benchmark Respondents
Race and Ethnicity
NSSE Benchmark Data
220 student respondents from St. Ambrose.
470 different four-year colleges and universities from surveys conducted in spring 2000 and 2001
Institutions from 49 states, Washington, DC & Puerto Rico
Data from more than 105,000 first-year and senior students
Level of Academic Challenge
Level of Academic Challenge
Level of Academic Challenge
 (St. Ambrose First-Year Students)
Level of Academic Challenge
 (St. Ambrose Seniors)
Active and Collaborative Learning
Active and Collaborative Learning
Active and Collaborative Learning
 (St. Ambrose First-Year Students)
Active and Collaborative Learning
(St. Ambrose Seniors)
Student Interactions with Faculty Members
Student Interactions with Faculty Members
Student Interactions with Faculty Members
(St. Ambrose First-Year Students)
Student Interactions with Faculty Members
(St. Ambrose Seniors)
Enriching Educational Experiences
Enriching Educational Experiences
Enriching Educational Experiences
 (St. Ambrose First-Year Students)
Enriching Educational Experiences
(St. Ambrose Seniors)
Supportive Campus Environment
Supportive Campus Environment
Supportive Campus Environment
 (St. Ambrose First-Year Students)
Supportive Campus Environment
(St. Ambrose Seniors)
Using Benchmark Data
Discover current levels of engagement (institution, major field, year in school)
Determine if current levels are satisfactory (criterion reference, normative or peer comparison)
Target areas for improvement
Modify programs and policies accordingly
Teach students what is required to “succeed”
Monitor student and institutional performance
Campus Uses
for Benchmark Data
Gauge status on campus priorities
Assess student growth (first to senior years)
Assess campus progress over time
Encourage dialogue about good practice
Link with other data to test hypotheses, evaluate programs
Improve curricula, instruction, services
How Do I Find Out More?