Kalamazoo College Uses NSSE to Improve Support

Kalamazoo College’s NSSE results reveal consistently high results on items that reflect the hallmarks of the institution’s academic and experiential programs. However, when a downward trend was noticed on a particular NSSE benchmark, the institution planned specific action and sought more information through campuswide discussions. For example, student focus groups were conducted to better understand student perceptions of aspects of the supportive campus environment benchmark. Findings from both NSSE and the focus groups informed several policy changes and influenced how student space is designed on campus, including major renovation of the student center. One of the most effective uses of NSSE data has been to shine a light on the experiences of students. In response to SCE (Supportive Campus Environment) results that were lower than desired, Kalamazoo has had in-depth conversations with students in focus groups.