The NSSE can play a role in your college search and selection process. Don’t know what the NSSE is? The National Survey of Student Engagement is a yearly national survey which gathers information from 4 year colleges and universities: “The results provide an estimate of how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college. Survey items on The National Survey of Student Engagement represent empirically confirmed “good practices” in undergraduate education. That is, they reflect behaviors by students and institutions that are associated with desired outcomes of college.”
Colleges and universities use the NSSE to improve their programs and seek to improve the student experience both in the classroom and in student life. Colleges also post NSSE results on their websites (if they are good!) as points of pride. USA Today published information on the NSSE, and encourages students to use this survey in their college search and selection process.
The NSSE measurements fall into five categories, or benchmarks. They are: Level of Academic Challenge, Active and Collaborative Learning, Student Faculty Interaction, Enriching Educational Experiences, and Supportive Campus Environment. Every year surveys are sent randomly to college students at the participating colleges and universities. These results can help you in your search. Go to the NSSE website for the 2009 survey results and check out the colleges on your list. Here are the participating institutions for 2009.
