Student Learning at the First-Year and Senior Level: 2019 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Results

As reported in the 2019 National Survey of Student Engagement Summary of Key Evidence for UCORE (PDF), results from the 2019 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) indicate that nearly all WSU seniors responding to NSSE have considerable confidence in their ability to complete tasks requiring critical thinking (94%) and creative thinking (93%).

In addition to Critical and Creative Thinking, results from the 2019 NSSE also provide indirect evidence of student learning on Information Literacy, Communication, Quantitative Reasoning, Diversity, and Depth, Breadth & Integration of Learning at the first-year and senior levels for UCORE assessment—see the 2019 NSSE Summary of Key Evidence for UCORE (PDF) for more information. UCORE is bookended by a required first-year course [ROOT] and a senior capstone experience [CAPS]. Additionally, UCORE includes foundational courses, inquiry-based learning courses in the disciplines, and a diversity course requirement. See the UCORE website for more information.

“Results from NSSE help faculty and administration understand more about our students’ learning experiences and their perceptions of the educational opportunities WSU offers its undergraduates, particularly in relation to WSU’s Learning Goals of Undergraduate Education,” said UCORE Director Clif Stratton.  “We will be looking at NSSE results in combination with other assessments of first year students and seniors, as we consider the UCORE curriculum and make recommendations about faculty development initiatives and course design.”

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) annually collects information at hundreds of four-year colleges and universities about first-year and senior student participation in activities and programs that promote their learning and personal development. NSSE assesses the extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development. At WSU, NSSE is offered to all first-year and senior students on all WSU campuses every other spring. With the census administration, students are recruited via email (i.e., students receive a survey invitation and reminders by email). The Office of Assessment of Teaching and Learning (ATL), in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research (IR), coordinates the administration of NSSE at WSU.

In 2019, 1,427 seniors and 1,198 first-year students responded to the survey at WSU. The WSU response rate was 24% for seniors and 26% for first-year students, compared to the average national response rate of 21% for participating institutions with undergraduate enrollments of 10,000 or more.

For additional information, see UCORE’s National Survey of Student Engagement Key Assessment page.