The National Survey of Student Engagement

(NSSE)

Updated January, 2001


 The National Survey of Student Engagement was administered during the second semester of the 1999-2000 academic year to randomly picked freshmen and seniors.

The questions asked students how and where they spent their time, the nature and quality of their interactions with faculty members and peers, and what they gained from their classes.

The following report compares data from Houghton College freshmen (N=98 and seniors (N=93 with freshmen (N=4,872) and seniors (N=4,681) from forty-three other Baccalaureate I colleges (such as Beloit, Bucknell, Colgate, Franklin & Marshall, Gordon, Juniata, St. Lawrence Ursinus, etc.).

Note: The number in ( ) after each question indicates the number of possible answers.
 
 

Level of Academic Challenge
 

Question Class Houghton Baccalaureate I Difference
Preparing for your class (studying, reading, writing, rehearsing, and other activities related to your academic program) (7) Freshman

Senior
3.97

4.12

4=16-20 hours per week
3.64

3.48
.33

.64
Campus environment emphasizes spending significant amounts of time studying and on academic work (4) Freshman

Senior
3.51

3.66

 
3.22

3.12
.29

.54
Coursework emphases: Synthesizing and organizing ideas, information, or experiences (4) Freshman

Senior
2.60

2.97
2.46

2.77
.14

.20

 

Active and Collaborative Learning
 

Question Class Houghton Baccalaureate I Difference
Made a class presentation (4) Freshman

Senior
1.92

2.65
2.23

2.89
-.31

-.24
Worked with other students on projects during class (4) Freshman

Senior
2.15

2.29
2.33

2.37
-.18

-.08
Tutored or taught other students (4) Freshman

Senior
1.74

2.25
1.68

1.96
.06

.29
Participated in a community-based project as a part of a regular course (4) Freshman

Senior
1.27

1.43
1.58

1.73
-.31

-.30 

 

Student Interactions with Faculty Members
 

Question Class Houghton Baccalaureate I Difference
Discussed grades or assignments with an instructor (4) Freshman

Senior
2.24

2.48
2.46

2.66
-.31

-.24
Talked about career plans with a faculty member or advisor (4) Freshman

Senior
2.03

2.55
2.27

2.56
-.24

-.01
Received prompt feedback from faculty on your academic performance (4) Freshman

Senior
2.34

2.80
2.57

2.81
-.23

-.01
Worked with a faculty member on a research project (4) Freshman

Senior
1.22

1.54
1.26

1.53
-.04

.01

 
 
 

Enriching Educational Experiences
 

Question Class Houghton Baccalaureate I Difference
Participating in co-curricular activities (organizations, publications, student government, sports, etc.) (7) Freshman

Senior
1.76

1.74
1.88

1.92
-.12

-.18
Had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity than your own (4) Freshman

Senior
2.31

2.67
2.49

2.45
-.18

.22
Campus environment encourages contact among students from different economic, social, and racial or ethnic backgrounds (4) Freshman

Senior
2.79

2.65
2.73

2.42
.06

.23
Used an electronic medium (e-mail, list-serve, chat group, etc.) to discuss or complete an assignment (4) Freshman

Senior
2.47

2.41
2.16

2.10
.31

.31

 

Supportive Campus Environment
 

Question Class Houghton Baccalaureate I Difference
Campus environment emphasizes providing the support you need to help you succeed academically (4)  Freshman

Senior
3.10

3.20
3.17

3.06
-.07

.14
Campus environment emphasizes helping you cope with your non-academic responsibilities (work, family, etc.) (4) Freshman

Senior
2.23

2.45
2.52

2.33
-.29

.12
Campus environment emphasizes providing the support you need to thrive socially (4) Freshman

Senior
2.43

2.59
2.73

2.59
-.30

.00
Quality of relationships with other students (7) Freshman

Senior
5.64

6.02
5.91

5.85
-.27

.17
Quality of relationships with faculty members (7) Freshman

Senior
5.58

6.21
5.69

5.91
-.11

.30
Quality of relationships with administrative personnel and offices (7) Freshman

Senior
5.01

4.84
5.18

4.98
-.17

-.14
If you could start over again, would you go to the same institution you are now attending (4) Freshman

Senior
3.32

3.57
3.47

3.43
-.15

.14