Institutional Research & Assessment

Executive Summary

Representative of SUU Students. An initial, key question is whether or not the sample is representative of SUU’s student population. Here are the major student characteristics of SUU’s respondents: 94% Caucasian/white, about 84% full-time, and among senior students 58% female. Among freshmen respondents, 69% were female. Of the total number of respondents, 40% were freshmen; 60% were seniors. At master’s peer institutions and national NSSE institutions, the percentage of female respondents ranged from 66-70%. In general, the sample is representative of SUU.

Satisfaction. SUU senior students were satisfied with their educational experience, and rated the experience higher than students at either master’s peer institutions or all NSSE institutions. Freshmen students at SUU were significantly less satisfied than either comparison group. SUU freshmen students were also less sure that they would attend the same institution if they had the chance to start over again. SUU students rated their relationships with students above the comparative averages, but relationships with faculty rated lower among freshmen. Senior students found relationships with faculty and administrative personnel more friendly, helpful and supportive than respondents at master’s peer institutions and NSSE institutions.

Freshman Year Experience. NSSE findings reflect poorly on the experience of freshmen at SUU. Not only are levels of satisfaction and faculty/staff relationships significantly below master’s peer and NSSE institutional averages, but the “effect size” or practical significance shows SUU lagging behind peer and national institutions persistently in a number of key areas, from academic rigor to interaction with faculty, from co-curricular involvement to learning outcomes.

Advising. SUU students rated the quality of advising at SUU as fair. Although SUU seniors’ ratings were similar to those at other peer institutions, SUU freshmen rated advising lower. In addition, SUU first-year students reported that they talked with faculty members or other advisors about career plans less frequently than students at master’s peer institutions.

General education outcomes. As in 2002, the general academic rigor of the learning experience at SUU lags behind that at master’s peer institutions. When students were asked, "To what extent has your experience at this institution contributed to you knowledge, skills, and personal development specific academic areas,” SUU students rate writing, speaking, critical/analytical thinking, analyzing and synthesizing, indeed general education, lower than students at master’s peer institutions. Senior students at SUU rate these items nearer the peer average, but still lower. SUU respondents indicated they vote more frequently than their peers at master’s and NSSE institutions.

Diversity. In general, SUU students reported having less frequent discussion with students who hold diverse religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values; or who are from diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds. SUU students cite diversity as a lagging opportunity in their collegiate experience.

Few SUU students planned to participate or participated in study abroad programs. As SUU’s study abroad program gets underway, this indicator may change in the future. Over half of first-year students planned to participate or participated in foreign language courses. SUU students were more likely than master’s peer or NSSE students to take a foreign language course. On the other hand, fewer SUU seniors than peer institutional seniors studied or planned to study abroad.

Community-based experiences. SUU seniors participated in community-based projects more often than other peer seniors did. In addition, SUU seniors reported participating in culminating senior experiences at similar rates as seniors at peer schools. This item has changed since SUU first participated in NSSE, as more capstone and senior-year experiences have been added to the curriculum.

| NSSE 2003 | Institutional Research |