Reporting and Tracking Performance
The University of Massachusetts Lowell has administered NSSE numerous times since first participating in 2000, and the university triangulates findings from NSSE with their institutional research and registrar data. UMass Lowell constructed a new comprehensive strategic plan titled “UMass Lowell 2020,” organized around five pillars, (1) transformational education, (2) global engagement and inclusive culture, (3) innovative research and entrepreneurship, (4) leverage our legacy and our place, and (5) entrepreneurial stewardship.
To monitor progress toward their goals, UMass Lowell created a Report Card (see Figure 8) to track and evaluate performance, guide all decision-making on campus, and inform the Strategic Planning Commission. Mapped around the five pillars, quantifiable items are listed and tracked. UMass Lowell’s 2013 and 2014 NSSE results, specifically the overall student satisfaction item and High- Impact Practice results, serve as indicators for the transformational education pillar (see Figure 9). The institutional goal for 2020 is to increase overall student satisfaction and to achieve 70% of first years and 80% of seniors engaged in High-Impact Practices.
