The University of North Dakota (UND), a national public research university located in Grand Forks, ND, featured NSSE results in their 2013 Higher Learning Commission (HLC) self-study for reaccreditation. NSSE results were discussed in their presentation of evidence for several dimensions specified in HLC Criterion 3, Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support. For example, HLC Criterion 3.B.3 states, “Every degree program offered by the institution engages students in collecting, analyzing, and communicating information; in mastering modes of inquiry or creative work; and in developing skills adaptable to changing environments.” UND discussed how they address learning goals at the program level and undergraduate core curriculum learning outcomes, and then incorporated results from the following NSSE items in response to the criteria: a. During the current school year, about how often have you examined the strengths and weaknesses of your own views on a topic or issue? b. During the current school year, about how often have you tried to better understand someone else’s views by imagining how an issue looks from his or her perspective? c. To what extent has your experience at this institution contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in learning effectively on your own? d. To what extent has your experience at this institution contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in solving complex real-world problems?
Senior student results on several NSSE items were discussed in response to HLC Criterion 3.B.4, which states “The education offered by the institution recognizes the human and cultural diversity of the world in which students live and work.” Senior student scores on the educational gains item “understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds” were lower than UND desired, and these results were candidly discussed in the institution’s reflection on their effectiveness on this criterion. The full narrative contextualized results in several ways. First, they stepped back and reflected on the students’ responses to the diversity-oriented questions and the relative lack of racial and ethnic diversity found within the student population. Second, they recognized that student responses to these NSSE questions were collected before the changes to their general education diversity requirements were fully implemented. The university expects improved results once required courses and curricular adaptations are fully in place.
In response to the HLC Criterion 3.C.5, “Instructors are accessible for student inquiry,” UND paired findings from other campus assessment instruments with NSSE results to demonstrate the accessibility of faculty. Overall, their NSSE results demonstrated that the percentage of first-year students interacting with faculty inside and outside of the classroom had increased over time, while the percentage of seniors reporting interaction with faculty remained consistent since 2005. Again, the university thoughtfully resolved that although their NSSE results related to student-faculty interaction were consistent with peer institutions and other assessment results, their efforts to improve the quality of student-faculty interaction would continue.
NSSE results also informed UND response to HLC Criterion 5.C.3: “The planning process encompasses the institution as a whole and considers the perspectives of internal and external constituent groups.” In preparation for their self-study, UND launched an Undergraduate Learning Working Group to reflect on and review local data and national best practices, and created seven recommendations for action. One of the recommendations was to create a first-year experience (FYE) pilot course. This course was launched in 2011–2012, and information obtained from the pilot was used to plan for a long-term FYE program at UND. The pilot course program was assessed using a variety of data including student inputs including ACT scores; GPAs; retention outcomes; results from the College Student Inventory (CSI), the Student Information Questionnaire (SIQ), and the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE); end-of-semester course evaluation results; information from a reflective assignment completed by all students and scored by a faculty team; and more. NSSE results were then used to assess the impact of the FYE pilot course. By comparing NSSE scores for first-year students in the pilot FYE course to NSSE scores of both first-year students who did not experience the pilot and several past years of first-year students, UND concluded that the FYE pilot course made a positive contribution to student engagement in the first year.
In addition to employing NSSE results in the university’s successful reaffirmation and their quality improvement project, UND has also prepared brief reports to communicate key messages about student engagement for particular constituencies. For instance, UND presented results of questions related to the Effective Teaching Practices Engagement Indicator to demonstrate a need for clarity of communication between students and faculty, especially regarding feedback on assignments. As much as possible, UND drilled down into their data by creating dashboard reports for programs and comparing program-level data to the overall UND results. UND also mined students’ comments on NSSE to provide qualitative feedback to departments. By presenting NSSE data graphically and clearly, UND provided relevant results to academic programs with comparisons to its public peers and Carnegie classification group, uncovering opportunities for improving instruction. UND transformed their NSSE results into digestible, useable formats—exemplifying how an institution can selectively present NSSE results important to specific groups within their institution.
