Can Shorter Surveys Motivate Nonrespondents to Respond? A Randomized Controlled Experiment with College Students
Sarraf, Shimon
Atlanta, GA: , 2024.
During the spring 2023, NSSE conducted a randomized controlled experiment with nonrespondents to assess the impact of administering shorter surveys on response rates and question completion. This poster documents the experiment's major findings and concusions.

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Expanding our knowledge of LGBQ+ faculty
BrckaLorenz, A., Fassett, K., Merckle, R., & Chamis, E.
Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, , , 2023.
Most research about queerness at colleges and universities has been aimed at examining the student experience. Research on queer faculty often has quantitative limitations, has grown outdated, or is qualitative in nature, but from this work, we know that the experiences of queer faculty are often difficult. Through a large-scale, multi-institution, multiyear investigation of LGBQ+ faculty, this study gives an overview of the academic lives of these understudied academics. We investigate who they are, what institutions employ them, and different ways they contribute to undergraduate education. With this story, we hope to strengthen the voices of qualitative studies and encourage higher education to think more broadly about notions of diversity and identity.

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How do university faculty feel about grading? Insights from a control-value theory perspective
Schwab, C., Frenzel, A. C., BrckaLorenz, A., Jaeger, J., & Stupnisky, R.
Studies in Higher Education, , , 2023.
Research on faculty emotions is scarce, despite their evident relevance for faculty well-being, higher education quality, and student outcomes. The present studies aimed to investigate six discrete emotions (enjoyment, pride, boredom, anxiety, anger, frustration) faculty may experience during grading. Study 1 compared faculty emotions for grading with emotions for research and teaching (US sample, Nâ??=â??1226). Mean comparisons showed that grading generally elicited less positive and more negative emotions than research and teaching. Study 2 further examined faculty emotions for grading through the lens of control-value theory, by identifying emotion-specific appraisal patterns in two countries (US, nâ??=â??244 and Germany, nâ??=â??201). Multiple linear regressions revealed that the most consistent predictor for grading emotions across both samples was cost, in terms of the extent to which faculty perceived grading as a thankless task that kept them away from more meaningful tasks. Our findings further point to the important role of facultyâ??student relationships and faculty membersâ?? confidence in their grading ability for eliciting grading emotions. This study extends existing research on emotions in higher education by considering grading as a relevant emotion-inducing task, and by applying control-value theory to a new context in two countries, thereby contributing to the question of this theoryâ??s generalizability. Practical implications of our findings entail that universities should aim to improve the circumstances of grading and equip their faculty with the means to handle their grading duties well, to optimize their somewhat worrisome emotional experiences in this context.

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International studentsâ?? career preparation
Oktafiga, D., Zhu, Y. & BrckaLorenz, A.
In M. Mohamad & J. Boyd International Student Support and Engagement in Higher Education: Exploring Innovative Practices in Campus, Academic and Professional Support Services Routledge, 2023.
International students (ISs) are a significant and growing student group with unique needs. We use 2015â??2019 National Survey of Student Engagement data that includes over 4,000 ISs, senior undergraduate college students in the United States from other countries studying at more than 450 colleges and universities. We describe these ISsâ?? future career plans, how prepared they are in terms of career-related skills and abilities, and how internships and other career preparation experiences relate to these skills and abilities. Findings indicate that ISsâ?? country of origin, major, and participation in internships play an important role in understanding studentsâ?? confidence in the use of selected skills and abilities. We will provide detailed information about the IS landscape and the benefits that career services would bring to them, with implications for practice and future research that include finding effective ways to balance ISsâ?? academic and social lives.

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Teaching development opportunities & faculty teaching practice at four-year institutions
Fassett, K., Hiller, S. C., BrckaLorenz, A., & Nelson Laird, T.
College Teaching, 71(3), 165-175, 2023.
To contextualize the myriad of teaching development efforts available to faculty, this large-scale study of nearly 4,500 faculty at four-year institutions broadens our understandings of who participates in teaching development practices, how their participation relates to their institutional environments, and how their participation connects to their use of effective teaching practices. Results show some notable patterns by academic field, social identity, the type of courses taught, and institutional characteristics. The overview of educational development participation in this study gives strength to positive findings from smaller-scale research studies and provides a solid base for more specific studies of these practices.

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Understanding international student experiences and career preparation challenges through COVID-19
Zhu, Y., Gopal, K., & BrckaLorenz, A.
In A.W. Wiseman, C. Matherly, & M. Crumley-Effinger Internationalization and Imprints of the Pandemic on Higher Education Worldwide Emerald Publishing, 2023.
College support and career development are two significant challenges international students encountered during the pandemic, and these two factors have an enormous impact on the internationalization of higher education. The data for this study came from the 2020 to 2021 administrations of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) that includes over 500 international students enrolled at over 120 four-year colleges and universities in the United States. These students specifically responded to an open-ended item asking them what they think institutions should do better to assist their academic achievement and career goals. This study takes an in-depth look at international studentsâ?? qualitative responses about ways that institutions could better support their preparation for future careers. Using theories of cultural wealth and ecological systems to understand the unique experiences of international students during the pandemic offers an opportunity to help students not just in times of crisis but more holistically as they continue to pursue their higher education experiences in the United States. Ultimately, the authors provide recommendations for higher education professionals working with international students to better support their studentsâ?? career development and overall college experience.

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Delivering on the Promise of High-Impact Practices: Research and Models for Achieving Equity, Fidelity, Impact, and Scale
Zilvinskis, J., Kinzie, J., Daday, J., Oâ??Donnell, K & Vande Zande C.
Stylus, 2022.
Research shows that enriching learning experiences such as learning communities, service-learning, undergraduate research, internships, and senior culminating experiences â?? collectively known as High-Impact Practices (HIPs) â?? are positively associated with student engagement; deep, and integrated learning; and personal and educational gains for all students â?? particularly for historically underserved students, including first-generation students and racially minoritized populations. Delivering on the Promise of High-Impact Practices is to provide examples from around the country of the ways educators are advancing equity, promoting fidelity, achieving scale, and strengthening assessment of their own local high-impact practices. Its chapters bring together the best current scholarship, methodologies, and evidence-based practices within the HIPs field, illustrating new approaches to faculty professional development, culture and coalition building, research and assessment, and continuous improvement that help institutions understand and extend practices with a demonstrated high impact.

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Exploring the Influence of Course-Based Career Experiences and Faculty on Studentsâ?? Career Preparation
Kinzie, J. & Akuyz, F.
NACE JournalNACE Journal, 83(4), 23-31, 2022.
The effective preparation of college students for careers is an important college outcome. Yet, employers and the public increasingly feel that universities are not doing enough to prepare students for the workforce. This article features NSSE data to focus on courses, exploring the extent to which students are exposed to course-based career experiences using new evidence of college studentsâ?? career and workforce preparation. We explore facets of course-based career experiences, along with studentsâ?? perceptions of their career preparation outcomes, and the influence of interactions with faculty and advisers on their career plans.

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Centering Black women faculty: Magnifying powerful voices
Priddie, C., Palmer, D., Silberstein, S., & BrckaLorenz, A.
To Improve the Academy, 41(2), 96-127, 2022.
While much of the quantitative research on Black women faculty has taken a comparative approach to understanding their experiences, this study provides a counternarrative, centering their experiences as faculty. This large-scale, multi-institution glance at Black women faculty helps to give us an overview of these women across the country, looking at who they are, where they are, how they spend their time, and what they value in undergraduate education. This study allows us to strengthen various arguments made in qualitative studies of Black women faculty and amplify their perspectives and experiences. Furthermore, it reaffirms and reinvigorates the need for educational developers to practice intentional assessment of Black women facultyâ??s teaching, support the current teaching efforts of Black women faculty on their campus, and advocate for policy change centering the work of Black women faculty.

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Delivering on the Promise of High-Impact Practices: A New Resource for Assessment
Zilvinskis, J., Kinzie, J., Daday, J., Oâ??Donnell, K & Vande Zande C.
Assessment Update, 34(4), 1-2, 16, 2022.

Is a HIP Always a HIP? The Case of Learning Communities
Fosnacht, Kevin; Graham, Polly
Journal of Student Affairs Research and PracticeJournal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, , , 2021.
With the increasing adoption of learning communities, it is imperative to document their effectiveness. Using a large, longitudinal, multi-institutional dataset, we found that linked-learning communities positively impact studentsâ?? engagement and perceived gains. We also found that the estimated effect of learning communities varies widely across institutions on various measures. Some learning communities are very beneficial, while others have a negligible impact on students.

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Elevating Student Voice in Assessment: Approaches to Using NSSE's Student Comments
Kinzie, Jillian; Silberstein, Samantha; Palmer, Dajanae
Assessment Update, 33(2), , 2021.

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Linking Faculty Involvement in High-Impact Practices to First-Year Student Participation
Fassett, Kyle T. and BrckaLorenz, Allison
National Resource Center Research Brief, 2021(2), 1-4, 2021.
Tasked with developing, encouraging, and participating in highly impactful educational experiences, faculty serve in roles vital to first-year student success. Known for benefiting many students, high-impact practices assist institutions in promoting a variety of outcomes ranging from retention to civic engagement. Using data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), we investigated the relationship between faculty emphasis and participation in high-impact practices with first-year student participation at over 80 diverse four year institutions. We found that faculty values for participation are positively related to student participation, but faculty involvement in more high-impact practices could decrease student participation. Administrators should consider ways to support their faculty in providing these experiences and to assess potential barriers for providing equitable quality high impact practices.

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An Examination of Inclusivity and Support for Diversity in STEM Fields
BrckaLorenz, Allison; Haeger, Heather; Priddie, Christen
Journal for STEM Education Research, , , 2021.
The lack of diversity in STEM professions is an ongoing concern for the US both in terms of social justice and in having a globally competitive workforce. This study provides information for campus leaders to be proactive in considering a wide array of identities to meet the needs of students beyond attending to structural forms of diversity. Data from a large-scale, multi-institution study of studentsâ?? perceptions of inclusive coursework and institutional commitment to diversity in STEM fields furthers what we know about diversity in these majors. Results encourage campus leaders to additionally consider sexual orientation and disability status in conversations about diversity and to think about how culturally engaging and inclusive courses go beyond the content of the course.

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Assessing intersectional experiences: Where to begin?
BrckaLorenz, A., & Kirnbauer, T.
Assessment in Practice, , , 2021.

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Campus climate (college & university)
BrckaLorenz, A.
In K. K. Strunk & S. A. Shelton Encyclopedia of Queer Studies in Education Brill, 2021.

Expectations for and quality experiences in undergraduate research over time: Perspectives of students and faculty
Kinzie, J. & BrckaLorenz, A.
Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Special Issue on Undergraduate Research, 21(1), 35-56, 2021.
Attention to undergraduate research (UGR) is not surprising given its widespread appeal and evidence of educational benefit. Tracking participation and identifying equity gaps in UGR are important markers of access to and equity in educationally beneficial experiences. Information about studentsâ?? exposure to elements of quality in UGR and how this corresponds to faculty perspectives and instructional practice can help inform efforts to advance and improve UGR. In this article, we use 7 years of data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to explore the national landscape of UGR by examining the responses of 972,088 1st-year students who reported that they planned to participate in UGR before they graduated and the responses of 1,248,854 senior students who reported that they had done or were currently involved in a UGR experience. To complement our student perspectives, we present perspectives on faculty importance of and instructional practice in UGR with data from NSSEâ??s companion survey, the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement, by examining the experiences of 106,000 faculty respondents. Our presentation of descriptive statistics provides a national overview of UGR participation by a variety of salient institutional and student characteristics, a broad summary of faculty involvement in UGR, and baseline data about studentsâ?? exposure to elements of high-impact UGR.

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Honors college faculty support for high-impact practice participation
Miller, A., Silberstein, S., & BrckaLorenz, A.
Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 44(3), , 2021.
Much of the existing research on honors colleges or programs is focused on the student experience, with less information offered concerning the faculty perspective. This study presents findings from the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), comparing support for high-impact practices between faculty who teach honors courses and those who do not. Along with core FSSE items, this study uses responses from 1,487 faculty members at 15 institutions on two experimental items about teaching honors courses. A series of ordinary least squares and binary logistic regression analyses suggest that faculty who teach honors courses are more likely to supervise undergraduates on research and internships and to think that it is important for students to participate in learning communities, study abroad, and research with faculty. These findings are interpreted within the context of previous research and current theory, bridging knowledge from the fields of higher education and gifted education.

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Teaching honors courses: Perceptions of engagement from the faculty perspective.
Miller, A., Silberstein, S., & BrckaLorenz, A.
Journal of Advanced Academics, 32(1), 3-27, 2021.
Research suggests that honors students are more likely to be engaged in some, but not all, aspects of the college experience, although there is less information available from the faculty perspective. This study presents findings from the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), comparing various engagement-related practices between faculty who teach honors courses and those who do not. Along with core FSSE items, this study uses responses from 1,487 faculty members at 15 institutions on two items about teaching honors courses. A series of ordinary least squares regression analyses suggest that faculty who teach honors courses are more likely to encourage engagement in the areas of studentâ??faculty interaction, learning strategies, and collaborative learning, even after controlling for other demographic and institutional variables. These findings are considered within the context of existing research and theory, connecting knowledge from higher education and gifted education.

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The COVID Pivot and Quality of the Undergraduate Experience: NSSE Pulse Project Report

National Survey of Student Engagement, , 2021.

The coronavirus upended all aspects of education. The 2020?21 academic year required rapid adaptation to unprecedented and unpredictable circumstances. Amidst these circumstances, it was especially important to understand students' experiences and support educators working to implement effective educational practices. In response to these challenges, NSSE offered a special fall 2020 survey at no charge (NSSE 2021 registration not required). The short online survey—NSSE Pulse—included selected questions from NSSE critical to persistence to help colleges and universities take the pulse of the undergraduate student experience and use results to diagnose shortcomings and strengths and to inform campus action.

Approximately 1.2 million bachelor's degree–seeking students attend the colleges and universities that participated in NSSE Pulse. These institutions reflect the diversity of U.S. bachelor's–granting colleges and universities with respect to institution type, public or private control, size, region, and locale. Eight headline findings are discussed in the NSSE Pulse Report, along with implications and recommendations for colleges and universities.