Wednesday, Feb 15, 2017
All Rider freshmen and seniors will receive an email invitation from Provost DonnaJean Fredeen to participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement on Feb. 21. Each student who finishes the survey will be entered to win one of two Apple iPad minis or one of 100 Starbucks gift cards. The online survey can be completed at the student’s leisure through June 1, but must be completed by April 3 to be eligible for the prizes.
The survey asks students questions about how they spend their time inside and outside of the classroom, how difficult classes are, how much they engage with art or athletic events. The results of the survey help explain how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college.
Rider is one of nearly 550 colleges and universities participating in the National Study of Student Engagement (NSSE), now in its sixteenth year. Last year, more than 315,000 students across the country completed the survey.
"The student experience is very important to us, and we want to know our undergraduates' perceptions of their academic and social lives here at Rider," Assistant Director of Institutional Analysis Brad Litchfield says. "Data from this survey are used to inform the University about meaningful events encountered by freshman and seniors in several areas: academic challenge, learning with peers, experiences with their professors and the overall campus environment. In other words, the more we know about our students, the better equipped we are to place them in a position to succeed."
NSSE annually collects information about student participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development. Rider will receive a report that compares its student responses with those of students at comparable institutions throughout the nation.
Generally, colleges use the data to identify aspects of the undergraduate experience inside and outside the classroom that can be improved through changes in policies and practices. Data also informs colleges about the areas where they are performing well.
“Last year, in comparison to other institutions, we were pleased to see that our students scored highly regarding their interactions with diverse others," Litchfield says. "We were also happy to have had a strong response rate in 2016, and we are hoping that this year will be even stronger.
The survey takes fewer than 15 minutes to complete and is completely confidential. The results can impact the future planning for the University by giving a clearer picture of how students are spending their time. The survey also encourages reflection by the student on what has gone into their educational experience at Rider.
For more information, call the Office of Academic Affairs at 609-896-7435.