Student satisfaction survey well under way
The university is keen to know what students think about their experience at Concordia — so keen that it is offering a semester’s tuition, among other incentives, to encourage students to participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).
The 20-minute online survey was developed to measure undergraduate student satisfaction in a range of areas, including facilities, academic rigour, access to professors, extracurricular activities and services.
To date, 900,000 students from over 1,000 institutions across North America have registered their opinions, according to a recent article in University Affairs. (See the Journal, Jan. 12, for more information on the survey.)
This is Concordia’s first time participating, and Brad Tucker, senior analyst for academic planning, is eagerly awaiting the results. “We will be able to use what students are telling us to prioritize planning for the future.”
Tucker said the comments from students will help direct short- and long-term planning on everything from classroom conditions to student-teacher ratios to training for front-line staff.
Tucker stressed the importance of receiving responses from as many of the 5,000 students randomly selected by the NSSE system as possible by the end of this semester.
Besides the tuition remission, three iPods, ranging from a 2 GB Nano to a 30 GB video model, courtesy of the university bookstore, will be given as prizes to participating students whose names are drawn.
Of course, all responses remain strictly confidential.
Since the survey was announced earlier this year, some students have contacted Tucker independently to participate and share their impressions of student life.
Tucker keeps a file of their comments, but he stressed that the NSSE’s credibility and usefulness depends on the random selection of students. The results would be compromised if participants were self-selected.
At the other extreme, Tucker heard from one student who was hesitant to respond because the student had negative experiences at Concordia.
“I said that it was precisely by knowing how we had been unable to meet that student’s expectations that we could ensure that future students had a more positive experience.”
In less than a month, over a third of those approached have responded. This is a higher participation rate than average at this early stage in the process. “We’re already past what most schools have done, but we can do better.”
Tucker said that delivering a quality education to students is the priority, and with the survey as a prime method of determining whether the goal is being met, “the whole university has a stake in encouraging participation.”