Rankings? How college students really perceive their academic experiences

By John Hayek

Most students (79 percent) said their institution expects them to study a significant amount, but few students actually meet the expectation.

The first national survey of its kind set out to determine what colleges and universities contribute to that process.

Titled the “National Survey of Student Engagement” (NSSE), the survey report summarizes the views of 63,000 freshmen and seniors at 276 four-year colleges and universities about the extent to which they participate in classroom and campus activities that research studies show are important to learning.

Co-sponsored by the Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSSE is intended to be an annual survey of college quality. The survey is underwritten by a $3.3 million grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts to IU.

The research presents a different picture of college quality from that provided by some national news magazines, which rate colleges largely on the basis of the resources they have accumulated and the reputations they enjoy. By focusing on whether schools are using their resources to truly help students learn and get the most out of college, NSSE offers practical information to students and parents about what is important in selecting a college and gives campuses new insight into effective teaching and student learning.

“Students and parents should be asking colleges the kinds of questions NSSE asks,” said Russ Edgerton of the Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning. “How much do students study, and how rigorous are their assignments? How much writing is expected? How often do students interact with their teachers in meaningful ways? Policymakers and accrediting bodies should be asking these questions too.”

The results of the student survey provide the first set of comparative standards for determining how effectively colleges are contributing to learning. These benchmarks are: the level of academic challenge; active and collaborative learning; student-faculty interactions; enriching educational experiences; and supportive campus environments.

The survey found that:

• Colleges vary widely in the extent to which their students are involved in effective educational practices. Liberal arts colleges, as a group, scored higher than all other types of colleges in every area of effective practice that was measured.

• Similar kinds of colleges vary in their performance. For example, many small colleges provide very engaging environments, but many other small colleges do not.

• Colleges tend to be strong in particular areas rather than across the board. Of all the colleges and universities participating in the survey, only four scored in the top 20 percent on all five benchmarks.

“Looking across all the benchmarks to see how students and institutions are performing, most four-year colleges and universities have plenty of room to improve,” said Kuh. “The good news is that this new survey allows us to take stock of our performance and measure our progress.”

The report features both promising and disappointing findings.

Most students (79 percent) said their institution expects them to study a significant amount, but few students actually meet the expectation. Less than 15 percent come close to following the long-established convention of studying two hours outside class for every hour in class. More than half (55 percent) study only one hour or less for every class hour.

A commendable 63 percent of seniors participated in community service or did volunteer work. More than two-fifths (41 percent) were involved in a community-based project as part of a regular course.

Unfortunately, 19 percent of freshmen never made a class presentation and 46 percent never discussed readings or ideas with a faculty member outside class.

More than 45 percent of freshmen and seniors reported they often or very often had serious conversations with students of a different racial or ethnic group.

“The development of NSSE is a first step toward opening the ‘black box’ of higher education,” said Lee Shulman, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. “NSSE illuminates what students actually undertake and experience during their college years. As with any first step, such surveys should improve with further development and continuing research. Meanwhile, they provide educational leaders and policymakers with a perspective on the critical learning of college students as reported by students themselves.”