Institutions can leverage their NSSE survey data in ways both typical (summary survey responses presented in a report or dashboard) and less common (analysis of student comments or of specific student groups) to address the range of DEI-related assessment needs.

Demographic Profiles of Institutions Vary Considerably

And there is quite a range. Figure 1 plots the demographic variation of six institutions that participated in the 2021 NSSE administration. DEI concerns may look very different at small residential institutions (gold and plum) which serve a very high share of students between ages 15 and 25, compared to either of the for-profit schools (brown and navy) whose students tend to be older and the first in their family to pursue a postsecondary degree. The small, private not-for-profit, residential university serves a relatively small share of students of Hispanic or Latina/o background, but a fairly high share (nearly half) of first-generation students and those with a disability that impacts their learning, working, or living activities.

In a similar vein, DEI assessment at the very small, public, residential college (plum color in Figure 1) might consider the relatively high proportion of respondents having “Another gender identity” (Figure 2), as gender identity beyond the binary is not always captured in many student information systems or records (Kilgo, 2020; Linley & Kilgo, 2018).

An institution like the large, public residential university (blue in Figure 1) would make use of NSSE data in DEI assessments, perhaps comparing results between racial/ethnic groups or isolating responses of one group for a closer look. Centers or offices on campus dedicated to affinity groups (e.g., gay-straight alliance, LGBQ center, Black student union) could avail themselves of survey data to identify potentially unmet needs and refine programming for the students they serve (Figure 3).

Student characteristics like these and others drive (and sometimes confound) efforts to assess diversity, equity, and inclusion, and require an array of methods for data collection and analysis. In the feature entitled "Equity-Centered Methodologies Recommended When Examining Minoritized Student Experiences," we present a selection of methods for interrogating data toward these ends.

References

Kilgo, C. A. (2020). Supporting success for LGBTQ+ students: Tools for inclusive campus practice. University of South Carolina, The National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.

Linley, J. L., & Kilgo, C. A. (2018). Expanding agency: Centering gender identity in college and university student record systems. Journal of College Student Development, 59(6), 756-761.