National Survey of Student Engagement

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) (pronounced: nessie) is a survey mechanism used to measure the level of student participation at universities and colleges in Canada and the United States as it relates to learning and engagement. The results of the survey help administrators and professors to assess their students' student engagement. The survey targets first-year and senior students on campuses. NSSE developed ten student Engagement Indicators (EIs) that are categorized in four general themes: academic challenge, learning with peers, experiences with faculty, and campus environment. Since 2000, there have been over 1,600 colleges and universities that have opted to participate in the survey. Additionally, approximately 5 million students within those institutions have completed the engagement survey. Overall, NSSE assesses effective teaching practices and student engagement in educationally purposeful activities. The survey is administered and assessed by Indiana University School of Education Center for Postsecondary Research.

The initial idea of the National Survey of Student Engagement centers on providing an alternative metric of evaluation for colleges and universities to measure “quality” on a national platform and it is designed specifically to gauge the extent of student engagement. The NSSE was birthed in 1998 and financially supported by a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts. Much of the quality metrics according to the initial working group of higher education leaders that the Pew Charitable Trust organized concluded that there were few external incentives for institutions to partake in “meaningful quality improvement.” The quality concept as it relates to colleges and universities has largely been impacted by accrediting agencies, government regulations (e.g. licensure standards), and third-party rankings (e.g. U.S. News and World Report) that focus on student selectivity and faculty credentials. Nevertheless, these types of quality metrics do not give insight regarding the resources institutions invest to facilitate significant academic experiences/activities or effective instructional practices that demonstrate high-level of engagement and success in college

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