Missouri S&T’s Use of NSSE and FSSE Data for Student Success
By: Steven Feldman, NSSE Institute Graduate Assistant
Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is leveraging NSSE and FSSE data to enhance student success. Historically, Missouri S&T has maintained Undergraduate Education and Student Affairs within separate divisions. The Office of Undergraduate Education, housed under the provost’s office, managed academic support and advising functions, while Student Affairs handled campus life, Greek life, co-curricular activities, health, career services, etc.
Despite strong retention and graduation rates, the university recognized the need to further improve these metrics. Wayne Jones, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Institutional Effectiveness & Chief Institutional Research Officer at Missouri S&T, explained that they brought in a consulting group who conducted focus groups, surveys, and analyzed NSSE data from the 2023 administration. Jones shared that “One of the things that we found was that belonging was a big piece of where our students ended up dropping out of the institution.” To address issues related to student belonging, among others, Missouri S&T decided to merge these academic and student affairs roles into a unified Student Success Division. This reorganization aims to provide a holistic support system for students, addressing both academic and non-academic needs.
Missouri S&T plans to leverage NSSE and FSSE data to support student success initiatives. These surveys provide valuable insights into student engagement and belonging, helping to identify areas for improvement. For example, Jones shared that structural equation modeling of NSSE data has revealed the importance of quality interactions and supportive environments in fostering a sense of belonging among students. Jones elaborated, “What we did in 2023 with our data is, I took our first-year and senior-year student responses into a partial least squares structural equation model to try and find out how all these factors that we’re measuring are interrelated with our main two outcomes at Missouri S&T. We were wanting to look at belonging, which we’ve identified as one of our big issues on campus… And then also their perceived gains.”
To illustrate their findings, Jones shared this visual representation of engagement indicators and their impact on belonging among first-year student responses (see Figure 1). This visualization helps identify the relationships between different notable factors. For instance, quality interactions with advisors and faculty have been shown to positively influence students’ perceived gains and sense of belonging.
Figure 1: Structural Equation Model of Relationships Between Engagement Indicators and Belonging
By analyzing the direct and indirect effects of engagement indicators on belonging, Jones was able to determine that one way of improving belonging (and by extension, retention and graduation rates), Missouri S&T should work to improve the quality of interactions students have with advisors and faculty. This approach is not only data-driven but also aligns with the university’s strategic plan, which emphasizes promoting well-being and belonging as key measures of student success.
To better understand the relationship between advisors, faculty, and students, Missouri S&T will be utilizing both NSSE and FSSE. In addition to the data collected through their regular NSSE and FSSE administrations, they will also license the FSSE Academic Advising Topical Module to adapt and administer to professional advisors on campus. As Jones explained, “We can survey faculty all we want to, but if our first-year students are mainly interacting with professional advisors, getting advisors’ thoughts on the student engagement piece is what I think will add some depth and really give us the ability to separate out what student perceptions are, versus those of faculty and staff on advising.”
By triangulating data pertaining to professional advisors, faculty, and students, they hope to better understand students’ experiences and create plans for improving quality of interactions, which in turn should improve students’ belonging. For example, future initiatives could include training for faculty advisors to develop professional advising skills. Future analyses may also begin to consider expanding the definition of advisors to include career services and mental health advisors—all of which are key interactions in a supportive environment.
Feedback on these initiatives has been generally positive, with multiple stakeholders recognizing the potential for significant improvements in student engagement and success. The comprehensive approach Missouri S&T is taking, combining data analysis with strategic planning, sets a strong foundation for continuous improvement. Missouri S&T’s use of NSSE and FSSE data represents a proactive approach to enhancing student retention and graduation rates. By integrating academic and student affairs into a Student Success Division, the university aims to create a more supportive and engaging environment for students, where students feel a greater sense of belonging. The use of NSSE and FSSE data will play a crucial role in guiding these efforts and ensuring continuous improvement in student success.
Dr. Robin Gore, Vice Chancellor of Student Success, stated that NSSE and FSSE will help shape the strategic priorities of the newly established Division of Student Success. “While belonging is often viewed through the lens of social networks, our Division will place a strong emphasis on academic belonging and proactive, high-touch engagement with students,” Dr. Gore explained. “This includes early interventions for students facing academic challenges, intentional advising around course selection and modifications, and ensuring effective advisor alignment—all designed to support students before they reach the point of considering withdrawal, a major change, or transfer.” NSSE and FSSE will inform decisions related to the adoption and implementation of student support platforms.
