Midway University’s Use of NSSE Data in Accreditation and QEP Planning
By: Cheyenne Smith, NSSE Institute Graduate Assistant
Midway University has achieved meaningful accreditation outcomes through intentional data use, strategic planning, and a commitment to student success. At the center of this effort is Dr. Carrie Christensen, Assistant Vice President for Research and Training, whose leadership has helped shape how the institution approaches assessment and accreditation.
Midway has participated in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) for over a decade, but its integration into the institution’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) marked a turning point. “We received a commendation from SACSCOC on our final QEP report,” Dr. Christensen explained. “They were so impressed with how it was laid out and the information we provided that it’s now been used as an exemplar in their resource room for the past three years.”
Midway’s deliberate use of NSSE data to examine the first-year and senior-year student experiences created a consistent, longitudinal picture of student engagement. NSSE Data has been important for shaping future institutional goals. “Midway is a career-focused institution,” Dr. Christensen noted. “Even though we’re a small, private university, our mission is rooted in preparing students for professional careers, which sets us apart from many liberal arts-focused institutions.” Midway began to start using the Career and Workforce Preparation Module (CWP) and implemented the CWP module in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Midway has three full years of baseline data to inform their next QEP, which will launch officially in the fall of 2025.
The NSSE survey results became a catalyst, prompting the university to dig deeper through internal focus groups with students, faculty, and staff. “We started seeing areas where students reported lower engagement in things like internships, networking, and other experiential learning opportunities,” Dr. Christensen explained. “Those were red flags, especially for a career-aligned institution. That led us to conduct our own focus groups to better understand what students were missing and how we could respond.”
The NSSE survey insights led to a strategic shift in Midway’s 2025 QEP Career units are now integrated into three distinct courses throughout a student’s academic journey at the institution. “We’ve built into the plan starting from their first semester on campus, embedding those career conversations in that education as to why it’s important—even in your first semester—to be thinking about what an internship would look like?” The goal is to encourage students to think long-term. Dr. Christensen said, “A student now has five semesters to start building relationships, to start networking to obtain that internship in their junior and senior year.”
Midway is intentionally front-loading career development efforts into the curriculum and broader campus services. Going beyond just curriculum, the career focused agenda included reframing how faculty approach general education. Midway’s general education curriculum now aligns with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Competencies, ensuring students understand the value behind their coursework.
Midway also plans to embed Transparency of Learning and Teaching (TILT) to help students make meaningful connections between their coursework and real-world skills. “We really want to make transparent why we have students do these things… like that dreaded group project in your junior-level course.” Soft skills such as collaboration, negotiation, and accountability are often more valuable than the final product itself.
Midway eventually made shifts in attendance policies. As faculty engage in ongoing conversations about professionalism, some campus units have implemented common attendance guidelines. “Coming to class is preparing you for a career. If you don’t show up to your job, you’re not going to be in that job very long.”
Drawing these parallels reinforces the notion that academic experiences can serve as a foundation for long-term success. “This is where the NSSE data was so valuable,” Dr. Christensen emphasized. “It validated what we were hearing anecdotally, and it gave us a clear direction. It helped us not only identify the gaps but also build a plan to close them.”
As Midway prepares for its upcoming reaffirmation visit, the university has years of carefully collected and analyzed data and a clear vision for how that data will continue to drive student success. In a landscape where accreditation can often feel like a compliance task, Midway University has turned it into a moment of mission-driven opportunity.
