General
Information

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Surveys

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Sorority Assessment

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Assessment

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Survey

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Learning

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National Survey
of Student
Engagement
(NSSE)

University Park 2008 Administration

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) was administered during Spring semester 2008 to degree-seeking, first-year and senior students at University Park. Based on Fall 2007 enrollment, there were 7,273 first-year students and 9,675 senior students in the population¹. Students who were confirmed for graduation at the conclusion of the Fall 2007 semester were not eligible for inclusion in the sample.

For an institution of Penn State's size, the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research would select a standard random sample of 5,000 students to participate in the survey. In an effort to provide University Park colleges with a college-level analysis, however, Penn State decided to augment the standard random sample with an additional 5,000 students. Therefore, 5,000 first-year students and 5,000 seniors were randomly selected to participate in the survey. Overall, University Park had a 52% response rate. More first-year students (56%) responded than seniors (48%).

During the first week in February, 2008, students were invited to participate in the NSSE through a web interface. NSSE sent follow up emails to non-respondents on February 15, February 26, March 18, and March 27. While the nationwide data collection proceeded through June 2, Penn State effectively ended data collection by the beginning of April, 2008.

To provide internal comparison among the Penn State participating campuses, Penn State participated in the NSSE administration as a system. For the overall University Park report, University Park is compared to the other nine Commonwealth campuses that participated in the survey (Abington, Altoona, Berks, Brandywine, Erie - The Behrend College, Fayette - The Eberly Campus, Harrisburg, Worthington Scranton, and York).

Additionally, University Park is compared to the other participating Big Ten institutions (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin), as well as to other peers (Delaware, Florida, Florida State, North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Rutgers - New Brunswick, Texas - Austin, and Virginia).

For University Park college-level reports, students in each college were compared to those in similar majors at the other participating Big Ten institutions. Each University Park college selected institutions for their second and third comparison groups.

For more information or access to reports, you may contact Betty Harper.

¹ Undergraduate Enrollment by Class Standing (Fall 2007) in the Penn State Fact Book, as published by the University Budget Office.