Student engagement refers to the amount of time and effort students invest in their studies and other educational activities, and how the institution applies its resources and organizes its learning opportunities to get students to participate in activities that are linked to student learning.
Instruments Tarleton uses to measure student engagement are the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) and the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE). Results and resources related to these assessments are reported here.
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
The NSSE is designed to assess student engagement in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development. It is administered biannually in the spring to first-time freshmen (less than 30 semester credit hours) and seniors who have filed for graduation.
Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE)
The FSSE is used in conjunction with the NSSE, and focuses on faculty perceptions of how often students engage in various activities, the importance faculty place on different areas of learning and development, the frequency and nature of faculty/student interactions, and how faculty members organize their time, both in and out of the classroom.
Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE)
The BCSSE is used to collect data about incoming college students’ high school academic and co-curricular activities and their expectations for participation in educationally purposeful activities during their first year of college. Administered prior to the start of their Fall semester, results from the BCSSE are paired with those from the NSSE, which is administered at the end of the first college year, to provide an in-depth view of first year student engagement.