National Survey Reports


The Office of Institutional Effectiveness (IE) administers a series of national surveys, as an important measure of student engagement and an indirect measure of student learning. IE analyzes the survey results, creates specialized reports, and disseminates them to the campus community.

Additionally, IE works with academic and administrative offices with the creation of samples and the administration of external surveys. As needed, IE assists with the analysis of results and creation of reports. Please use the survey request form and survey calendar to coordinate survey administration and request assistance. This will minimize survey fatigue from desired survey populations and improve response rates.

Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE)

The BCSSE is administered to all incoming first-year students at summer orientation each year, is designed to gather information about entering college students’ academic and co-curricular experiences in high school as well as their expectations for their first-year academic experiences (BCSSE, 2015). From the BCSSE we are able to generate university-level reports, unit-level reports, as well as individual student advising reports meant to aid academic advisors and others in helping our new students acclimate to the university. When reviewing the report, please note that it provides self-reported data from students about their past experiences and future expectations.

National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

The NSSE can be thought of as a follow up to the BCSSE, and gathers information about first-year and senior students’ participation in programs and activities designed to aid in their learning and development. This information provides an estimate of how undergraduates spend their time and how they benefit from attending college. Every three years (the typical cycle, nationally, for the survey), the NSSE is administered in the spring to first-year students and seniors. Combined with the BCSSE data, this allows us to see the first-year students’ expectations of college (before they even begin), and then what their first year of college was really like. Likewise, we are able to see the expanse of the seniors’ experiences from first impressions through to graduation.

Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE)

The FSSE is a nationally administered companion survey to the NSSE, and is designed to gather information about faculty perceptions of student engagement, the importance placed on various areas of learning/development, student-faculty interaction, and how faculty organize their time (both inside and outside the classroom. Like the other surveys, FSSE reports (including a FSSE-NSSE comparison) are sent out to the units through the Associate Deans. The findings are also typically presented to the Faculty Senate and/or the Executive Committee.

      Faculty Survey of Student Engagement for Graduate Student Instructors (FSSE-G)

      The FSSE-G is a component of the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) tailored specifically for graduate students who teach undergraduates.