National Student Survey Shows UC Provides High Impact Education

The University of Cincinnati is on track with findings from a national survey that suggest that certain “high-impact” activities in college boost student performance in a number of key areas such as thinking critically, solving world problems and working effectively with others – all important skills as these students eventually compete in a global economy. UC is among the institutions reporting these benchmarks on a new USA Today college education Web site.

UC is included in the 2007 report from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE, pronounced Nessie), a survey of about 313,000 randomly selected first-year and senior-year college students at 610 four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada. NSSE explores what students are doing with their time and how they feel about their experiences both in and out of the classroom. The more students are engaged in their learning and their universities, the more likely they’ll continue on their pathway of success to graduation.

The report, titled “Experiences that Matter: Enhancing Student Learning and Success,” measures five key areas of educational performance

• Level of academic challenge
• Active and collaborative learning
• Student-faculty interaction
• Enriching educational experiences
• Supportive campus environment

The 2007 national report found that the one thing universities could do to increase student engagement is to make it possible for every student to participate in at least two high-impact educational activities, one during their first year and another as they proceed farther into their major.

The survey found UC leading its peers in involving first-year students in learning communities (37 percent), involving freshmen in classroom discussions (60 percent) and class presentations (33 percent), and discussing grades or assignments with an instructor (49 percent).

For seniors, UC scored above its peer urban institutions in undergraduate research with faculty (21 percent, compared with 14 percent for peer urban institutions); study-abroad experiences (11 percent, compared with 10 percent for peer urban institutions); and a culminating senior capstone experience (40 percent, compared with 30 percent for peer urban institutions).

UC uses data from NSSE in the UC|21 Report Card for measuring student satisfaction – a UC|21 goal of placing students at the center of the university. The NSSE data will also be used in the university’s two-year self study for re-accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission to demonstrate how UC is meeting the national standards that assure a high-quality learning environment. Lawrence J. Johnson, dean of the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services and co-chair of the self-study steering committee, says the data can support the self-study criteria regarding student learning and effective teaching, as well as student engagement and service.

UC Senior Vice President and Provost Anthony J. Perzigian says NSSE will also be key for a new ‘Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA),’ the result of a partnership between the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) – the nation’s oldest higher education association dedicated to supporting excellence in teaching, research and public service – and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). “NSSE will be one of the data elements in a new Voluntary System of Accountability that will provide consistent and comparable information about the undergraduate student experience to higher education stakeholders, lawmakers, faculty, staff, students and prospective students and their families,” explains Perzigian. “This Voluntary System of Accountability will provide valuable information to future college students as they decide which college is the best fit for them.”

The NSSE survey also turned up some key news for parents. The findings suggest that students who frequently talk with their parents and follow their advice participate more frequently in educationally purposeful activities and are more satisfied with their college experience. The more satisfied the student is with that experience, the more likely he or she will achieve that college diploma.

The NSSE 2007 Report is sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.