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.
Full version

An Overlooked Factor? How Religion and Spirituality Influence Students' Perception of the Campus Environment
Fosnacht, K. & Broderick, C.
Journal of College and CharacterJournal of College and Character, 21(3), 186-203, 2020.
Postsecondary institutions are frequently forced to respond to discriminatory acts, including those against religious minorities. Such actions can create the perception of a hostile campus for students, which impinges on their learning and development. Research on the campus environment has traditionally focused on race and sex but has largely neglected other important aspects of students? identities like religion and spirituality. This study investigates how the religious/spiritual aspects of the campus environment influenced students? perceptions of the overall campus environment using data from a multi-institutional sample of first-year and senior undergraduates. The multivariate results show that the religious/spiritual dimensions of the campus environment account for a significant proportion of the variance in students? campus environmental perceptions.
Full version

The Relationship of First-Year Residence Hall Roommate Assignment Policy with Interactional Diversity and Perceptions of the Campus Environment
Fosnacht, K., Gonyea, R. M., & Graham, P.
The Journal of Higher Education, , , 2020.
A heterogeneous student body is valued in part because diverse interactions among students help create educated and competent citizens and promote learning and development. Campus housing is a primary setting for diverse interactions as students navigate living with individuals who differ from themselves. This study investigated how the roommate assignment process influences interactional diversity and perceptions of the campus environment for first-year students living on campus, and if these relationships differ by race/ethnicity and national origin. On average, students whose roommates were assigned by the institution (as opposed to choosing their own roommates) did not interact with diverse others more often. At the same time, however, Asian, Black and multiracial students who were assigned roommates by the institution perceived a substantially less welcoming campus environment than their same-race peers who chose their roommates. This difference was not observed for White students.
Full version

The relationship between residential learning communities and student engagement
Hurtado, S. S., Gonyea, R. M., Graham, P. A., & Fosnacht, K.
Learning Communities Research and Practice, 8(1), 5, 2020.
Residential learning communities (RLCs) are residence hall environments designed to deliver academic and social benefits. For decades, many have argued RLCs are an effective means for increasing student success. Yet substantial changes in the defining characteristics of campus housing and student diversity have led to new questions about the impact of living on campus and the benefits of RLCs in particular. Consequently, we investigated the continued efficacy of RLCs as an effective educational practice. Using data from a diverse, multi-institution sample of first-year and sophomore students, this study provides insight into the relationships between RLC participation, student engagement, and perceived gains in learning.
Full version

The relationship between residential learning communities and student engagement
Hurtado, S.S., Gonyea, R.M., Graham, P. A., & Fosnacht, K.
Learning Communities Research and PracticeLearning Communities Research and Practice, 8(1), , 2020.
Residential learning communities (RLCs) are residence hall environments designed to deliver academic and social benefits. For decades, many have argued RLCs are an effective means for increasing student success. Yet substantial changes in the defining characteristics of campus housing and student diversity have led to new questions about the impact of living on campus and the benefits of RLCs in particular. Consequently, we investigated the continued efficacy of RLCs as an effective educational practice. Using data from a diverse, multi-institution sample of first-year and sophomore students, this study provides insight into the relationships between RLC participation, student engagement, and perceived gains in learning.
Full version

Reassessing disparities in online learner student engagement in higher education
Paulsen, J., & McCormick, A. C.
Educational Researcher, 49(1 January-February), 20–29, 2020.
Online learning is the fastest growing segment in U.S. higher education and is increasingly adopted in public and private not-for-profit institutions. While the impact of online learning on educational outcomes is becoming more clear, the literature on its connection with student engagement is sparse. Student engagement measures identify key aspects of the learning process that can improve learning and outcomes like retention and achievement. The few studies investigating the link between online learning and student engagement found positive benefits for online learners compared to face-to-face learners in terms of perceived academic challenge, learning gains, satisfaction, and better study habits. On the other hand, face-to-face learners reported higher levels of environment support, collaborative learning, and faculty interaction. However, these studies did not effectively account for the differences in background characteristics like age, time spent working or caring for dependents, and enrollment status. Further, they did not consider the increasingly large population of students who enroll in both online and face-to-face courses. In our study, we used propensity score matching on the 2015 National Survey of Student Engagement data to account for the disparities in these groups? demographics variables. After matching, we found that some of the previous literature?s differences diminish or disappear entirely. This suggests differences in supportive environments and learning strategies have more to do with online student characteristics than learning mode. However, online learning still falls well below other modes in terms of collaborative learning and interaction with faculty.

Behavior-based student typology: A view from student transition from high school to college
Mu, L., & Cole, J.
Research in Higher Education, , , 2019.
Several recent studies have successfully identified college student typologies based on individuals‘ behaviors. One limitation of past studies has been their reliance on one-time cross-sectional assessments. As a result, we are left to ponder the stability of students‘ behavioral types as their academic years move forward. This study used longitudinal student data from high school to college, to investigate the stability of a behavior-based student typology. Guided by findings in behavioral consistency from personality psychology, this study explored the associations of higher education institution‘s structure, and supportive elements of the environment and the transition of students‘ behavior-based types. The results showed that, in high school and higher education settings, students‘ behaviors in a variety of activities classified students into four types. In the higher education setting, about half of the students were of the same behavioral type while the remaining students engaged in changes as compared with their behavior-based types in high school. Students‘ background characteristics and institutional environment demonstrated an association related to these shifts.
Full version

How does faculty research motivation type relate to success? A test of self-determination theory
Stupnisky, R., BrckaLorenz, A., & Nelson Laird, T. F.
International Journal of Educational Research, 98, 25-35, 2019.
Studies show institutional, demographic, and social-environmental factors to be incomplete predictors of professor research productivity; meanwhile, the effects of motivation on faculty research are relatively understudied. The current study tested the extent to which self-determined motivation served as a predictor of faculty research success. Analysis of 1,846 U.S. faculty from 19 institutions using structural equation modeling found autonomous motivation (enjoyment, value) positively related to self-reported research productivity and number of publications, beyond demographics and position details. The basic needs of autonomy and competence predicted autonomous motivation, and indirectly predicted achievement. External motivation (rewards) had relatively smaller positive relationships with research productivity, while introjected motivation (guilt) had no relationships. The results contribute to both the faculty development and motivation research literatures.
Full version

The within-group differences in LGBQ+ college students? belongingness, institutional commitment, and outness
BrckaLorenz, A., Duran, A., Fassett, K. & Palmer, D.
Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Advance online publication, , 2019.
Although scholars have examined how lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ +) students perceive their collegiate environments, few quantitative studies disaggregate data to see how populations within the LGBQ + community experience certain outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate how student subgroups within the LGBQ + community differed in their perceptions of belongingness, institutional commitment, and outness. Using large-scale, multi-institution data from thousands of first-year and senior undergraduates, we examined how these important affective outcomes differ by sexuality groups (e.g., gay/lesbian, bisexual, or queer) and when the intersections of sexual and racial/ethnic identities are considered. Findings suggest that within-group differences exist in LGBQ + student populations that are not necessarily visible when understanding these communities in monolithic ways. We then offer implications for research and student affairs practitioners.
Full version

The benefits of living on campus: Do residence halls provide distinctive environments of engagement?
Graham, P. A., Hurtado, S. S., & Gonyea, R. M.
Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 55(3), 255–269, 2018.
The changing landscape of on- and off-campus undergraduate residential options underline the need to reexamine the impact of on-campus living. Using multi-institutional survey data from first-year students, this study investigates the relationship of residential status with engagement and perceived gains in learning and development. Results indicate, after controlling for student and institution characteristics, that on-campus residence has small positive effects on some outcomes but not on others where effects might be expected.
Full version

The role of religion and institution type in seniors' perceptions of the religious and spiritual campus climate
Fosnacht, K., & Broderick, C.
Journal of College and Character, 19(1), 18-31, 2018.
This study investigated the correlates of two measures that capture students‘ perception of the religious and spiritual campus climate. It focuses on how the factors, religious identity and attending a religiously affiliated institution, influence students‘ perception of the respect for their beliefs and comfort in expressing their views on campus. The results indicate few differences by religious identity in students‘ perception of the respect for their beliefs, but significant differences by religion in their comfort in expressing their views. Additionally, attending a religiously affiliated institution was positively associated with students‘ comfort in expressing their beliefs.
Full version

Reimagining student engagement: How nontraditional adult learners engage in traditional postsecondary environments
Rabourn, K., BrckaLorenz, A., & Shoup, R.
Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 66(1), 22-33, 2018.
Adult learners are a growing population in U.S. postsecondary education who experience distinct barriers to academic success. However, higher education institutions continue to create and adhere to policies that favor traditional college students. Thus, adult learner experiences must be better understood to ensure this population is supported. This study used data from the 2013 and 2014 administrations of the National Survey of Student Engagement to identify characteristics of adult learners and compare their engagement with traditional-aged students. Our regression analysis revealed that adult learners were more likely to take their classes online, begin their education at another institution, and enroll part-time. Adult learners also were more engaged academically and had positive perceptions of teaching practices and interactions with others, despite reporting fewer interactions with faculty and peers and less supportive campuses. These findings challenge institutions to continue to seek a deeper understanding of how adult learners engage with postsecondary education.
Full version

Impact of the environment: How does attending a Hispanic-Serving Institution influence the engagement of baccalaureate-seeking Latina/o students?
Fosnacht, K., & Nailos, J. N.
Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 14(3), 191–297, 2016.
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) enroll the majority of Latina/o students in higher education; however, it is unclear how HSIs influence Latina/os‘ postsecondary experiences. In this study, we examined how the Latina/o student experience differed between students who did and did not attend 4-year HSIs. The results suggest that HSIs generally have positive, but modest, effects on Latina/o‘s student engagement and self-perceived gains. The differences were more pronounced for first-year students than seniors.
Full version

The who, what, and where of learning strategies
Dumford, A. D., Cogswell, C. A., & Miller, A. L.
The Journal of Effective Teaching, 16(1), 72-88, 2016.
Learning strategies have been shown to be an important part of success in the classroom, but little research exists that examines differences across major fields concerning the use and faculty emphasis of learning strategies. This study uses data from the National Survey of Student Engagement and the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement to explore whether there is congruence for academic disciplines between the student use and faculty encouragement of learning strategies. Patterns in the results suggest that are certain fields, including health professions, biology, agriculture, natural resources, and social service professions most frequently emphasizing and using learning strategies, while others, including engineering, physical sciences, mathematics, and computer science are less likely to do so. OLS regression models also suggest demographic and environmental predictors of student use of learning strategies, such as gender, enrollment status, cumulative college grades, Greek affiliation, and participation in a learning community. Potential reasons for and implications of these findings are discussed.

College seniors' plans for graduate school: Do deep approaches learning and Holland academic environments matter?
Rocconi, L. M., Ribera, A. K., & Nelson Laird, T. F.
Research in Higher Education, 56(2, Special Forum Issue), 178–201, 2015.
This study examines the extent to which college seniors‘ plans for graduate school are related to their tendency to engage in deep approaches to learning (DAL) and their academic environments (majors) as classified by Holland type. Using data from the National Survey of Student Engagement, we analyzed responses from over 116,000 seniors attending 499 four-year institutions. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between seniors‘ uses of DAL and plans for earning a graduate degree. Further, seniors majoring in Investigative and Social environments were more likely to hold higher degree expectations. Significant interaction effects by DAL and Holland academic environment were also found. The impact of DAL on graduate degree expectations was greater for seniors majoring in Artistic environments than otherwise similar students in Investigative, Enterprising, or Social environments. In addition, the impact of DAL on degree expectations was greater for seniors in Enterprising environments than otherwise similar students in Social environments.
Full version

Reflections on the state of student engagement data use and strategies for action
Kinzie, J., Cogswell, C. A., & Wheatle, K. I. E.
Assessment Update, 27(2), 1–2, 14–15, 2015.
Although the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) collects responses from hundreds of participating colleges and universities every year, its ultimate goal is not to collect data but to catalyze improvement in undergraduate education. Launched in 2000 by the Pew Charitable Trusts in response to growing national and local pressures for higher education to focus on measures of education quality and for colleges and universities to engage in meaningful improvement, the NSSE has become a leader in a campaign to focus attention on a number of relatively clear characteristics of effective environments for teaching and learning. The NSSE‘s process indicators related to good practices in undergraduate education provide diagnostic information about concrete activities that can guide interventions to promote improvement. By 2014, more than 1,500 institutions had participated in the NSSE, and over 4.5 million students had completed the questionnaire. In addition, the launch of two complementary instruments, the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) and the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE), have furthered efforts to encourage the use of data for improvement by equipping institutions with information about faculty perceptions and entering students‘ expectations for engagement. Given these noble goals and all the student engagement data, what impact has the NSSE had on the use of data for improvement on campuses? And what lessons does this work suggest for the improvement agenda in higher education?
Full version

Reconsidering the inclusion of diversity in the curriculum
Nelson Laird, T. F.
Diversity & Democracy, 17(4), 12–14, 2014.
As institutions seek to improve all students' success, the inclusion of people with diverse backgrounds, ideas, and methods of teaching and learning is an educational imperative. Such inclusion simultaneously (1) creates more equitable opportunities for students from marginalized groups to participate in higher education and (2) promotes the kinds of outcomes for all students that employers and society need, such as complex thinking skills, the ability to work across difference, increased civic participation, and decreased prejudice (see, for example, National Leadership Council 2007). Faculty members often recognize that inclusion is a key to learning. Even among students who have access to an educational experience, those who feel excluded from the full experience struggle to learn as well as those who feel included (Hurtado et al. 1999). To create an inclusive learning environment throughout the curriculum and in all fields, all faculty members should consider how they are incorporating diversity into their courses and how they can be more inclusive in their teaching. Incorporating diversity into one's teaching takes time and depends on the specifics of the situation (who is teaching which students, and in what context). Faculty members do not need simple solutions that may not work for their circumstances. Therefore, I offer the framework described below not as a prescription, but as a guide for faculty seeking their own ways of including diversity in their courses.

First-year students’ psychological well-being and need for cognition: Are they important predictors of academic engagement?
Cole, J. S., & Korkmaz, A.
Journal of College Student Development, 54, 557–569, 2013.
This study focused on the dispositions of entering first-year students, their perceptions of classroom and institutional environments, and their subsequent academic engagement. Total variance explained by variables included in the path model for academic engagement was 30%. The results of this study found evidence to support the theoretical model that environment does mediate the relationship between two personality constructs (Need for Cognition and Psychological Well-Being) and academic engagement. Results of this study provide additional evidence that the environment matters and that institutions should continue to focus on creating supportive, positive environments that foster engagement.

Refreshing engagement: NSSE at 13
McCormick, A. C., Gonyea, R. M., & Kinzie, J.
Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 45(3), 6–15, 2013.
Thirteen years ago, 276 bachelor's-granting colleges and universities inaugurated a new approach to assessing college quality by participating in the first national administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The timing was right. Policymakers were growing increasingly impatient with an ongoing yet unsustainable pattern of cost escalation, skepticism was building about how much students were learning in college, and regional accreditors were ratcheting up their demands on colleges and universities to adopt assessment for purposes of improvement. Meanwhile, higher education's leaders were frustrated by the crude metrics dominating the discourse about college quality. It's been said that a dean at one of those early-adopting institutions enthusiastically proclaimed: ?Finally, a test I actually want to teach to!?NSSE introduced a simple yet effective reframing of the quality question: ask undergraduates about their educationally purposeful experiences. It incorporated several important design principles: emphasize behaviors that prior research found to be positively related to desired learning outcomes; emphasize actionable information?behaviors and experiences that institutions can influence; standardize survey sampling and administration to ensure comparability between institutions; provide participating institutions with comprehensive reports detailing their own students' responses relative to those at comparison institutions, plus an identified student data file to permit further analysis by the institution. NSSE was administered to first-year students and seniors, opening a window on quality at these ?bookends? of the undergraduate experience. In addition to reporting item-by-item results, the project created summary measures in the form of five ?Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practice? that focused attention on key dimensions of quality in undergraduate education: level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences, and supportive campus environment. The new survey caught on fast. Annual participation now numbers 600?700 institutions, for a cumulative total of more than 1,500 colleges and universities in the US and Canada. What started as a bold experiment in changing the discourse about quality and improvement in undergraduate education?and providing metrics to inform that discourse?is now a trusted fixture in higher education's assessment landscape. High rates of repeat participation offer compelling testimony of the project's value. Of the first group of 276, 93 percent administered the survey in NSSE's tenth year or later. The Web-based survey is now offered as a census of first-year students and seniors, permitting disaggregated analyses by academic unit or demographic subgroup. In 2013, some 1.6 million undergraduates were invited to complete the survey, providing both valuable information for more than 620 participating campuses and a comprehensive look at student engagement across a wide variety of institutions. The 2013 administration marks the first major update of the survey since its inception. In the following pages, we summarize what we've learned over NSSE's first 13 years, why we're updating the survey, and new insights and diagnostic possibilities represented by these changes. Although NSSE's companion surveys, the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) and the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE), are incorporating parallel changes, here we focus on the changes to NSSE.
Full version

STEM/non-STEM differences in engagement at U.S. institutions
Nelson Laird, T. F., McCormick, A. C., Sullivan, D. F., & Zimmerman, C. K.
Peer Review, 13(3), 23–26, 2011.
A recent paper by one of us (Nelson Laird) and some colleagues brought some sobering news of differences between STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and non-STEM undergraduates with regard to approaches to learning that promote more complex, deeper understanding. Using data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), Nelson Laird and colleagues examined disciplinary differences in the extent to which students are exposed to educational environments that promote deep approaches to learning. These approaches to learning are important because ?[s]tudents who use deep approaches to learning tend to perform better as well as retain, integrate, and transfer information at higher rates than students using surface approaches to student learning? (Nelson Laird, Shoup, Kuh, and Schwarz 2008, 470). Nelson Laird and colleagues found?using models with extensive statistical controls?that, nationally, STEM faculty generally use pedagogies that encourage higher-order, integrative, and reflective learning significantly less than faculty in non-STEM fields and, not coincidently, STEM seniors experience ?deep approaches to learning? less than seniors in non-STEM fields (for descriptions of the three measures, see Nelson Laird et al. 2008). The differences were small for Higher-Order Learning, the scale that is concerned with analysis, synthesis, and judgment regarding evidence?relatively good news?but quite large for the Integrative and Reflective Learning scales. The study by Nelson Laird and colleagues is a part of a larger body of work about students engaging in educationally purposeful activities?those educational practices known to positively influence valued educational outcomes, activities such as active and collaborative learning and those that involve much student?faculty interaction, as noted in many of the articles in this issue of Peer Review. We know of the positive impact of pedagogies of engagement not only on general student learning, but also on STEM learning, from years of research. It is discouraging that, nationally, faculty in STEM fields tend to have lower expectations for integrative and reflective learning relative to other faculty, and that results from seniors reflect those differences. The Integrative Learning scale assesses how often students use ideas from various sources and courses, include diverse perspectives in class discussions or writing assignments, and discuss ideas from readings or classes with faculty members and others outside of class. The Reflective Learning scale is a combination of responses to questions about trying out different perspectives and thinking about one‘s own beliefs. The kinds of intellectual self-reflection skills these questions are about are surely as important in the STEM disciplines as they are in other disciplines, but we see that STEM majors have far fewer opportunities to develop these skills than students in other majors. Indeed, one might argue that it is especially in STEM that students should acquire these skills, given the way empirical evidence tends to be seen as harder in science than in other disciplines. Discovering a bad premise or assumption and being open to other interpretations are just as important in STEM disciplines as elsewhere. These results caused us to want to look more closely at STEM/non-STEM differences and to determine whether there are circumstances where STEM seniors buck the general trends and are as engaged or more engaged than their non-STEM peers.

Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter
Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J. H., & Whitt, E. J.
New York, NY: Wiley, 2010.
Student Success in College describes policies, programs, and practices that a diverse set of institutions have used to enhance student achievement. This book clearly shows the benefits to student learning and educational effectiveness that can be realized when these conditions are present. Based on the Documenting Effective Educational Practice (DEEP) project from the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University, this book provides concrete examples from 20 institutions that other colleges and universities can learn from and adapt to help create a success-oriented campus culture and learning environment.
Full version

How gender and race moderate the effect of interactions across difference on student perceptions of the campus environment
Nelson Laird, T. F., & Niskodé-Dossett, A. S.
The Review of Higher Education, 33(3), 333–356, 2010.
Relying on data from 37,122 first-year students and 42,285 seniors who participated in the 2006 administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement, this study illustrates how student interactions across difference positively affect student perceptions of the campus environment. The magnitude of the effect of these interactions varies meaningfully by racial/ethnic group, but not by gender.

Student engagement and learning: Experiences that matter
Kinzie, J.
In J. C. Hughes & J. Mighty (Eds.) Taking stock: Research on teaching and learning in higher education Montreal, Quebec/Kingston, ON, Canada: McGill-Queen?s University Press, 2010.
The author presents an overview of the current research on student engagement and learning. Taking into account decades of work on the subject, she concludes that ?engagement is . . . a robust proxy? for learning. More specifically, in a ?host of studies,? measures of student engagement correlate positively with measures of student learning. More plainly, when students are engaged, they are usually learning?and vice versa. The obvious pedagogical takeaway: We are encouraged to engage students more and to engage them more deeply. In other words, ?Engaging pedagogies matter . . .? (p. 151). In addition to this broad affirmation of efforts to engage students in the learning process, Kinzie proposes four specific propositions for how we should apply the research on student engagement and learning: 1. Expectations matter to student learning and success, particularly in the first year of university; 2. Stimulating educational experiences and certain ?high-impact? practices raise student learning and impart greater benefit to all students; 3. What faculty emphasize and think is important to learning and influences what students do; and 4. Educators must be concerned with the total learning environment, inside and outside the classroom.

What I hear you saying is... : Analysis of student comments from the NSSE
Chambers, T.
College Student Journal, 44(1), 3–24, 2010.
A major challenge of assessing students' experiences in postsecondary education is collecting an array of information that inform institutions about what students do and how they make meaning of their experiences during their time in particular educational environments. While the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is highly respected and broadly administered throughout higher education, most, if not all, of the analyses of NSSE data have been conducted on the quantitative responses to its survey items. Very little attention is given to students' responses to the open-ended question at the end of the NSSE survey, "Do you have any other comments?" This study explored the open-ended responses undergraduate students provided on the NSSE regarding their engagement with educationally purposeful activities at a large urban research institution. Content analyses were conducted on 739 coded responses from students, yielding 10 thematic categories organized into 4 experience domains. Additionally the study explored the distinctions among the categorical and domain responses across and among the nine colleges/faculties within the study institution. Potential implications, limitations and opportunities related to the study findings are discussed as well. (Contains 2 tables.)

Individual and environmental effects of part-time enrollment status on student-faculty interaction and self-reported gains
Nelson Laird, T. F., & Cruce, T. M.
The Journal of Higher Education, 80, 290–314, 2009.

Using NSSE in institutional research
Gonyea, R. M., & Kuh, G. D. (Eds.)
New Directions for Institutional Research, 2009(141, Special Issue), , 2009.
Full version

Independent colleges and student engagement: Do religious affiliation and institutional type matter?
Gonyea, R. M., & Kuh, G. D.
Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, 2006.
This study extends previous work on the relationships between student engagement in spirituality-enhancing activities during college and selected student and institutional variables. Using the same data set and many of the same dependent variables as an analysis performed for the Teagle Foundation, this study for CIC examined more extensively the influence of institutional variables including multiple categories of religious affiliation, Carnegie classification, and control (public/private). Block hierarchical regression models were used to estimate the relationships between institutional type characteristics and nine dependent variables. Religious affiliation explained the most variance on three dependent variables ? participating in spiritual activities (worship), gains in spiritual development (gnspirit), and gains in ethical development (gnethics). Students at faith-based institutions scored the highest on these dimensions, followed by Roman Catholic and Other Protestant-affiliated institutions. At the same time, students attending non-affiliated, private institutions did not differ in any appreciable way from their public school peers, with both groups generally engaging least often in spiritual activities. Although the effects were not as strong as with religious affiliation, students attending private institutions scored higher than their public school counterparts in certain areas such as participating in spiritual activities, engaging in deep learning, and in self-reported growth in spirituality, ethical development, personal and social development, and intellectual skills. The findings indicate religiously affiliated colleges and universities are not all alike and that there is more to learn about how institutional mission and environments influence student engagement and learning.
Full version

Relationship among structural diversity, informal peer interactions and the perceptions of the campus environment
Pike, G. R., & Kuh, G. D.
The Review of Higher Education, 29(4), 425–450, 2006.
Full version

Promoting student success: Small steps senior administrators can take
El Khawas, E.
Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, 2005.
Colleges and universities can increase the number of students who graduate by making a number of small, strategic changes in institutional policies and practices. Some schools have done this by focusing on effective educational practices and empowering faculty, staff and students to work together in new, productive ways. Others have improved the campus climate for learning by carefully assessing what students are experiencing or by realigning resources to induce students to participate in activities associated with persistence and other desired outcomes of college. Senior administrators play a key role in such efforts when they speak plainly and consistently about the importance of student success and make decisions congruent with this priority. The suggestions offered here are drawn from a study of 20 diverse four-year colleges and universities that have higher-than-predicted graduation rates and, through the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), demonstrated that they have effective practices for fostering success among students of differing abilities and aspirations. These institutions--called DEEP schools here because they were studied for the project on Documenting Effective Educational Practices--clearly communicate that they value high quality undergraduate teaching and learning, and provide effective, well-linked academic and support services. Despite constraints, they have found ways to create supportive learning environments, ensuring that students engage with course content, faculty and peers, inside and outside the classroom.
Full version

Promoting student success: The importance of shared leadership and collaboration
Kezar, A.
Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, 2005.
Collaborative, shared leadership among administrators, students, faculty, and staff is a key component to creating campus environments that foster student success. Collaborative work groups can be powerful vehicles for launching and institutionalizing student-friendly policies and practices and for developing complementary programs such as first-year initiatives, fresh approaches to general education curricular offerings, service- learning, and student leadership development programs among others. Such initiatives almost always result in richer learning opportunities for students when done collaboratively than when an individual unit develops them. But collaborative approaches to leadership and program development do not come naturally within higher education institutions that reward individualistic endeavors over collaboration. The guiding principles offered here for promoting shared leadership and collaboration are based on an in-depth examination of 20 diverse four-year colleges and universities that have higher-than-predicted graduation rates and, as demonstrated through the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), effective policies and practices for engaging their students.
Full version

Promoting student success: Using financial and other resources to enhance student success
Jacobs, B. A., & Schuh, J. H.
Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, 2005.
Howard Bowen (1996) wryly observed decades ago that colleges and universities raise all the money they can, and then they spend it. His point was that institutions have more good ideas than they can fully fund. As a consequence, they are constantly making choices as to how to best use their finite resources. Where and how resources are allocated reflect institutional priorities ideally guided by a deliberate planning process that values and supports student success. The principles that follow for using financial and other resources to enhance student learning are based on an in-depth examination of 20 diverse four-year colleges and universities that have higher-than-predicted graduation rates and, as demonstrated through the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), effective policies and practices for engaging their students. These institutions illustrate that it is not necessarily the amount of resources an institution allocates that is important to student success but how financial resources, faculty and staff time, and facilities are linked to create powerful, affirming learning environments.
Full version

Promoting student success: What campus leaders can do
Kuh, G. D.
Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, 2005.
Graduating more students and increasing the quality of their learning are national priorities. Every college and university can improve in these areas by focusing on the educational conditions that matter to student success. Decades of research studies show that a key factor is student engagement--the time and effort students devote to their studies and related activities and how institutions organize learning opportunities and provide services to induce students to take part in and benefit from such activities. The guiding principles offered here are based on an in-depth examination of 20 diverse four-year colleges and universities that have higher-than-predicted graduation rates and demonstrated through the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) that they have effective policies and practices for working with students of differing abilities and aspirations. These institutions value high quality undergraduate teaching, diversity and support for all students. They clearly communicate and hold students to high standards, provide timely feedback, and encourage students to actively engage with course content and faculty and peers, inside and outside the classroom. When they complement the institution‘s mission and values, these conditions can create powerful learning environments that lead to desirable learning outcomes that are generally independent of institutional resources or students‘ background.
Full version

Promoting student success: What faculty members can do
Kinzie, J.
Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, 2005.
What students do in college matters as much as anything else in terms of their educational success. Educationally effective colleges and universities--those that add value to the student experience--intentionally craft policies and practices that channel students‘ energy to the activities that matter to student learning. Students who participate in collaborative learning activities such as service-learning, coherent first-year programs, peer tutoring and senior capstone projects are more likely to persist and succeed--especially when these programs and practices are well conceived and delivered in an effective, coordinated manner. An essential ingredient is an unwavering, widespread commitment to enhancing student learning on the part of faculty members. The suggestions offered here are based on an in-depth examination of 20 diverse four-year colleges and universities that have higher-than-predicted graduation rates and demonstrated through the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) that they have effective policies and practices for working with students of differing abilities and aspirations. These institutions value high quality undergraduate teaching, diversity, and support for all students. They clearly communicate and hold students to high standards, provide timely feedback, and encourage students to actively engage with course content, faculty and peers, inside and outside the classroom. When they complement the institution‘s mission and values, these conditions can create powerful learning environments that lead to desirable learning outcomes that are generally independent of institutional resources or students‘ background.
Full version

Promoting student success: What SHEEOs and system heads can do
Ewell, P. T.
Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, 2005.
States benefit considerably when their stocks of ?educational capital? grow. From a workforce and tax revenue standpoint, state rates of return on baccalaureate education are far higher than those associated with any other educational step. Additional benefits attributable to higher education?ranging from enhancements in citizen participation to improved health and avoidance of public support?are equally easy to document. It is, thus, in every state‘s interest to increase the numbers of its citizens who attain a baccalaureate degree. And it is equally in every state‘s interest to ensure that those who do earn a degree have experienced the kind of high quality learning environments that yield levels of knowledge and skills that are nationally and internationally competitive. Every college and university can improve its graduation rates and enhance the quality of its undergraduate programs by creating the conditions that matter to student success. Decades of research studies show that one key factor is student engagement?the time and effort that students devote to their studies and related activities. Institutions can organize their classes and other learning opportunities so that students put more effort in and benefit more from such activities. SHEEOs and System Heads can do their part by ensuring that matters of undergraduate quality and student success remain central to the state‘s approaches to planning, resource allocation, and accountability. And while their direct responsibility remains largely confined to public institutions, they can increasingly establish policies that affect independent institutions as well.
Full version

Promoting student success: What student leaders can do
Magolda, P.
Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, 2005.
Student leaders reap many benefits and rewards as a result of their involvements with campus organizations. In addition to enjoying the respect of their peers, they have opportunities to meet a variety of faculty, staff and students, exposing them to a range of different personalities and cultures. They typically grow in self confidence and practical competence as they learn how to manage their time, energy, and their group‘s financial resources. In addition, the challenges they encounter in the course of these and other activities draw them out of their comfortable patterns of thinking and responding to situations, helping them to become more flexible, responsive, and reflective (Kuh, 1995; Kuh & Lund, 1994). In addition to these personal benefits, student leaders can contribute much to the quality of the learning environment, the experiences of their peers, and the larger campus community. Unfortunately, too often these potentially positive effects are not fully realized. Student governments get sidetracked on trivial issues. Social organizations inadvertently discourage participation by students from diverse backgrounds. Service clubs touch in relevant ways only a small fraction of those who need assistance. Established campus governance structures ignore or limit active, meaningful involvement by students.
Full version

The campus environment as viewed through the lens of the National Survey of Student Engagement
Belcheir, M. J.
(Report No. BSU-RR-203-01)Boise, ID: Office of Institutional Advancement, 2003.
Full version

The effects of entering characteristics and instructional experiences on student satisfaction and degree completion: An application of the input-environment-outcome assessment model
House, J.
International Journal of Instructional Media 26 no4 423-34, , 1999.

Strengthening assessment for academic quality improvement
Ewell, P. T.
In M. W. Peterson, D. D. Dill, L. A. Mets, & Associates Planning and management for a changing environment San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1997.

The influence of dominant race environment on students' involvement, perceptions, and educational gains: A look at Historically Black and Predominantly White liberal arts institutions
Watson, L. W., & Kuh, G. D.
Journal of College Student Development, 37(4), 415–424, 1996.

Individual and environmental predictors of adjustment during the first year of college
Brooks II, J.H. & DuBois, D.L.
Journal of College Student Development, 36 (4), 347-360, , 1995.

The college environment revisited: A review of research and theory
Baird, L. L.
In J. C. Smart (Ed.) Higher education: Handbook of theory and research New York, NY: Agathon, 1988.

Change in environmental expectations and perceptions
King, H. & Walsh, W.B.
Journal of College Student Personnel, 331-337, , 1972.

Education disrupted: Students beginning college during the COVID-19 pandemic
Kinzie, J. & Cole, J.S.
New Directions for Higher EducationNew Directions for Higher Education, Perspectives From the COVID-19 Pandemic: Students and Academic Life, 199, 27-40, 0.
In the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, students entering college in fall 2021 had an unprecedented culmination to high school and transition to college. This chapter explores the experience of entering college students following these unprecedented circumstances, examining high school disruptions, including changes in the learning environment and its relationship to instructional mode preferences in college, and documenting studentsâ?? sense of optimism for college, their mental and emotional health, and perceptions of academic difficulty. Results show that the educational impact of the pandemic was not uniform across student groups and will remain an important factor in these studentsâ?? educational journey.
Full version

Examining the relationship between faculty identity and their civically engaged teaching practices
Jin, Seonmi; Zhang, Xiaoxia; BrckaLorenz, Allison
Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN, 2024, November.
This study explores the relationship between facultyâ??s identity and their civically engaged teaching practices, applying the Diversity Learning Environment model (Hurtado et al., 2012). We used the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), which included 13,531 faculty responses from 65 participating institutions, and conducted a multi-level modeling analysis.
Full version

Examining campus support systems for LGBQ+ college students' mental health and well-being
Feldman, Steven; BrckaLorenz, Allison
Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN, 2023, November.
In this study, we explore LGBQ+ college studentsâ?? experiences related to mental health and wellbeing, using the Proud & Thriving Framework. Our research utilizes a large scale, multi-institutional, quantitative and qualitative data set that includes a variety of institutional types and geographic locations across the United States. We use a series of OLS regression analyses and descriptive analyses to explore LGBQ+ studentsâ?? difficulties, support networks, knowledge about institution-provided supports, and student-suggested ways that their institution has supported their mental health and well-being. We find that large portions of LGBQ+ students do not know how to get help with various difficulties and that students within the LGBQ+ community had differing relationships with risks and supports depending on their specific LGBQ+ identity such as asexual students struggling less with workload-related issues and pansexual students struggling more with health-related issues than their LGBQ+ peers. We conclude with suggestions for campus staff, faculty, and higher education researchers on tangible ways that they can work to improve campus environments and experiences for LGBQ+ college students.
Full version

Somewhere to Stay and Thrive: Relationships between Persistence and Environments for Diverse Faculty
BrckaLorenz, Allison; Christiaens, Roman; Feldman, Steven; Russell, Alethia; Wenger, Kevin
Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN, 2023, November.
As colleges and universities invest in efforts to cultivate diverse learning environments, a primary focus has been hiring and retaining faculty with underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds. Using data from a large-scale, multi-institution quantitative data set, we explore how faculty persistence relates to aspects of a faculty memberâ??s environment. We found that faculty perceptions of work-life balance and within-work balance were the strongest indicators of a faculty memberâ??s intentions to persist. Relationships between persistence and aspects of environment tended to be strongest for LGBQ+ faculty. Institutions interested in supporting and retaining diverse faculty can use these findings to better understand their institutionâ??s environment for faculty and pinpoint areas to implement change.
Full version

Faculty Feelings Matter: Environmental Experiences of Queer Faculty of Color
BrckaLorenz, Allison; Chamis, Ella; Feldman, Steven
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, 2023, April.
Despite an emphasis on diversifying the professoriate, higher education has failed to make significant progress in recruiting and retaining diverse faculty in the academy. Literature points to issues of campus climate, discrimination, and workplace stress as common reasons for diverse faculty to leave their positions. Using the College + University Teaching Environment framework, Quare Theory, critical methodological philosophies, and a large-scale multi-institution quantitative dataset, this study examines affective components of a faculty environment for queer faculty, faculty of color, and queer faculty of color. Results indicate strong relationships between perceptions of support, sense of belonging, mental health, and stress with faculty persistence in their role as well as additional stress for LGBQ+ faculty of color.
Full version

Institutional Environments for Diverse and Inclusive College Teaching: Exploring Disciplinary Variation
Hiller, Stephen C.; Hu, Tien-Ling; Nelson Laird, Thomas; BrckaLorenz, Allison
Association for the Study of Higher Education Conference, Las Vegas, NV, 2022, November.
This study examines the relationships of disciplinary cultures with three aspects of teaching environments: diversity in the curriculum, the use of inclusive pedagogies, and teaching autonomy. Using data from the College + University Teaching Environment survey, we found significant differences across disciplinary areas and Biglan dimensions.
Full version

Environments that Motivate Teaching Excellence: The College + University Teaching Environment Framework
BrckaLorenz, Allison; Brandon, Josclynn; Nelson Laird, Tom
Association for the Study of Higher Education, 2021, November.
Inequities and discrimination built into the systems and structures of higher education prevent faculty from doing and receiving recognition for their best work. The framework proposed here guides our understanding of faculty needs, motivations, and supports that are necessary for healthy teaching environments and the wellbeing of diverse faculty.
Full version

A multi-institutional study of teaching development opportunities and faculty practice
Fassett, K.; BrckaLorenz, A.; Hiller, S.; Nelson Laird, T.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, 2020, April.
Research on faculty teaching development is robust, with small-scale research studies on specific teaching development experiences or practices in particular fields. To contextualize the myriad of teaching development efforts available to faculty, this large-scale multi-institution study of nearly 4,500 faculty seeks to broaden our understandings of who participates in teaching development practices, how their participation relates to their institutional environments, and how their participation connects to use of effective teaching practices. Results show there are some notable trends by field, identity, the type of courses taught, and institutional characteristics. The overview of professional 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.
Full version

Examining the relationship between living environments and sense of community: A multi-institution study
Hurtado, S., Fassett, K., & BrckaLorenz, A.
Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference, Portland, OR, 2019, November.
This study seeks to expand the often-mixed results about college living arrangements. We examine differences between various on-campus and off-campus options as they relate to students sense of community and belonging. We specifically focus on students from marginalized backgrounds who have been historically underrepresented in college environment studies.
Full version

Does enjoyment, guilt, and/or rewards motivate faculty research productivity? A large-scale test of Self-Determination Theory
Stupnisky, R., BrckaLorenz, A., & Nelson Laird, T. F.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2019, April.
What motivates faculty to be productive researchers is largely unknown as institutional, demographic, and social-environmental factors explain limited variance. The current study tested the extent to which self-determined motivation served as a predictor of university faculty member‘s research productivity. Analysis of a large-scale USA sample of 1,980 faculty from 21 institutions using structural equation modeling found autonomous motivation (enjoyment, value) positively related to self-reported research productivity and number of publications, beyond time spent on research. The basic needs of autonomy and competence predicted autonomous motivation, and indirectly predicted achievement. External motivation (rewards) had a relatively small positive relationship with research productivity, while introjected motivation (guilt) had no relationship. The results contribute to both the faculty development and motivation research literatures.
Full version

The relationship between residential learning communities and student engagement
Hurtado, S., Gonyea, R. M., Graham, P. A., & Fosnacht, K.
American College Personnel Association Annual Convention, Boston, MA, 2019, March.
Residential learning communities (RLCs) are residence hall environments designed to deliver academic and social benefits. For decades, RLCs have been touted as an effective means to increase student success. Yet, substantial changes in the defining characteristics of campus housing and student diversity have led to new questions about the impact of living on campus and the benefits of RLCs in particular. Consequently, we investigated the continued efficacy of RLCs as an effective educational practice. Using data from a diverse, multi-institution sample of first-year and sophomore students, this study provides insight into the relationships between RLC participation, student engagement, and perceived gains in learning.
Full version

Bringing their perspective to campus: Students’ experiences with inclusive courses and diverse environments
Kinzie, J., & BrckaLorenz, A.
Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference, Tampa, FL, 2018, November.
How much do students experience courses that emphasize sharing their own perspectives or respecting diverse ideas? This study uses data from a multi-institution survey to explore student experiences with inclusive courses and perceptions of institutional commitment to diversity and discuss a dozen campus responses to their institutional assessment results.
Full version

The effects of the first-year residence hall roommate assignment policy on interactional diversity and perceptions of the campus environment
Fosnacht, K., Gonyea, R. M., Graham, P. A., & Hurtado, S.
Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference, Tampa, FL, 2018, November.
A heterogenous student body is valued in part because diverse interactions among students help create educated and competent citizens and promotes student learning and development. Campus housing is a primary area for diverse interactions as students navigate living with individuals who differ from themselves. This study investigates how the roommate assignment process influences interactional diversity and perceptions of the campus environment for first-year students living on campus, and if these relationships differ by race/ethnicity. On average, students whose roommates were assigned by the institution (as opposed to choosing their own roommates) had a trivial increase in interactional diversity, but perceived a less supportive campus environment. However, the latter relationship differed by race. In particular, Asian, Black, and multiracial students who were assigned roommates by the institution perceived a less welcoming campus environment than their same-race peers who chose their roommates. This difference was not observed for White students.
Full version

Creative coursework exposure: Enhancing college student engagement across disciplines
Miller, A. L.
Southern Oregon University Creativity Conference, 2018, August.
Previous research suggests that creativity training can be effective in academic settings and that teachers, in particular, can have an impact on creativity (Scott et al., 2004). Furthermore, incorporating creativity into classroom activities and assignments can encourage student engagement in the educational process (Halpern, 2010). This study extends research on creativity and student engagement in higher education, using data from the ?Senior Transitions? topical module of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). Responses from over 61,000 seniors at 266 different U.S colleges and universities were used to explore how exposure to creative coursework can predict student engagement in a variety of areas. NSSE‘s measure of creative coursework includes items on generating new ideas, taking risks without fear of penalty, evaluating multiple approaches to problems, and inventing new methods. Ordinary least squares regression models were conducted to determine the effect of creative coursework exposure on NSSE‘s established measures of student engagement: reflective and integrative learning, higher-order learning, use of learning strategies, collaborative learning, diverse discussions, student-faculty interaction, effective teaching practices, quality of interactions, and supportive environment. The results suggest that creative coursework is a significant positive predictor of student engagement, even after controlling for sex, transfer status, enrollment status, first-generation status, age, SAT/ACT, race/ethnicity, major, grades, percentage of online courses, control (private/public) and size. Potential reasons for these patterns of results will be discussed. These findings can help to inform curricular and programming enhancements for college students across all major fields, enriching their educational experiences through exposure to creative coursework.
Full version

Dimensions of expectations: How it breaks freshman myth
Mu, L., & Cole, J.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, New York, NY, 2018, April.
First-year college students often arrive with unrealistic academic and engagement expectations that typically result in many of their expectations going unmet. This phenomenon is referred to as freshman myth. Due to the gap between the expected and actual engagement, investigations about their association at the average level may conceal the true relationship. In the current study, we used longitudinal student survey data from a national sample to explore how the variation in expectations influences the association of the expected and actual engagement of first-year college students. The results revealed that, at the same expectation level, entering college students who had more varied expectations were more likely to fulfill their expected engagement in the first academic year. An institution‘s environment did not show significant mediation on the association of expected and actual engagement.
Full version

Student and faculty perspectives on the emphasis of inclusive and culturally engaging coursework
Silberstein, S. & BrckaLorenz, A.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, New York, NY, 2018, April.
Higher education provides opportunities for students from homogeneous backgrounds to be introduced to new concepts and experiences, and it has the potential to create environments that engage and include students from marginalized backgrounds. It is not enough to strive for structural diversity; institutions should intentionally create formal diversity experiences, such as coursework focused on inclusive and culturally engaging activities. This large-scale, multi-institution study of undergraduate and faculty perceptions of inclusive and culturally engaging coursework gives insight into the ways faculty create supportive environments in their classrooms and the students who are participating in these activities. This paper focuses on areas in which campuses are succeeding in creating more inclusive and culturally engaging classroom environments and areas that need improvement.
Full version

Biracial students’ collegiate interactions and perceptions of the campus environment
BrckaLorenz, A., Harris, J., & Nelson Laird, T.
Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference, Houston, TX, 2017, November.
The purpose of this research is to focus on the amount of and relationship between biracial students‘ collegiate interactions and their perceptions of the campus environment. Findings from this research explore an often understudied biracial student population and complicate the assumption that biracial students are a monolithic group.
Full version

Marginalization at the crossroads: Exploring the experiences of queer students of color
BrckaLorenz, A., & Clark, J.
Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference, Houston, TX, 2017, November.
Queer students of color present a unique combination of marginalized racial and sexual identities. In this large-scale multi-institutional study, we explore the engagement, perceptions of campus environment, and satisfaction of thousands of queer students of color. Results highlight some of the struggles and successes of this often-silenced group of students.
Full version

Religious intolerance on campus: A multi-institutional study
Broderick, C., & Fosnacht, K.
Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference, Houston, TX, 2017, November.
Incidents of religious intolerance and discrimination have become too common in American society and today‘s college campuses are not immune to these incidents. Previous research has shown the negative influence of perceived hostile campus cultures on students‘ overall learning and development. This study investigated the religious and spiritual discrimination experiences of college and university students. With particular attention paid to students‘ self-identified religious/spiritual identities, the study found that students who identify with a non-Christian, World faith tradition experienced a greater number of discriminatory acts than their Christian peers. Additionally, the results show that a greater respect for beliefs on campus was negatively correlated with experiencing acts of religious intolerance. In contrast, increased comfort in expressing religious and spirituality beliefs on campus was positively related to greater incidents of religious intolerance.
Full version

Viewing higher education as a sea of islands: The impact of student engagement on cultural validation of Native Hawai'ian and Pacific Islander students
Saelua, N., Ribera, A., BrckaLorenz, A., & Museus, S. D.
Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference, Houston, TX, 2017, November.
Knowing that culturally diverse students find validation to be a motivating factor for their success on college and university campuses, this large-scale multi-institution study of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) students examines their views on cultural validation and specific forms of engagement that can help NHPI students feel valued.
Full version

Typology of students: A view from student transition from high school to college
Mu, L., & Cole, J.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, 2017, May.
Several recent studies have successfully identified several college student types. One limitation of past studies has been their reliance on one-time cross sectional assessments. As a result, we are left to ponder the stability or consistency of student behaviors as the academic year progresses. This study uses longitudinal data of student engagement to investigate the stability of student engagement typology. Guided by behavioral consistency theory, this study explores the supportive elements of educational settings in order to find those under which students‘ behavior-based types are more likely to change. Results showed that there are generally four student types based on their engagement in a variety of activities. In higher education settings, most students stick to a pattern of behaviors while a small portion changed compared with their engagement types in high school. Students‘ background characteristics and institutional environment showed association with these shifts.
Full version

High-impact practices and student-faculty interactions for gender variant students
BrckaLorenz, A., Garvey, J. C., Hurtado, S. S., & Latopolski, K.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 2016, April.
The vast amount of research on student success and engagement in college focuses on a narrative for majority student populations that does not account for unique experiences across social identities. This paper examines the experiences of gender variant students (i.e., students who do not identify as either cisgender men or women) regarding engagement in high-impact practices and student-faculty interactions using a large-scale, multi-institution quantitative data set. Although high-impact practice participation was similar for gender variant and cisgender students, positive student-faculty interaction was found to be a significant predictor for increased high-impact practice participation for gender variant students. Results from this study may also point to chillier climates of certain major fields for gender variant students. Implications for these findings focus on increasing gender variant students‘ participation in high-impact practices, creating more safe and positive learning environments for gender variant students, and advocating for the inclusion of different gender identities in surveys, institutional data, and higher education research.
Full version

Understanding faculty experiences with discrimination: The role of intersecting identity and institutional characteristics
Hurtado, S., & BrckaLorenz, A.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 2016, April.
Understanding the experience of faculty members has been an important focus of higher education literature, particularly the prevalence of discrimination for underrepresented populations. Experiences with discrimination have the potential to negatively impact aspects of faculty overall experience, including satisfaction and retention and perceptions of campus climate. Most previous literature focuses on one or two specific identity characteristics (e.g. gender and race/ethnicity) and less attention has been paid to ways in which various identity characteristics intersect in one‘s experience. Using a large-scale multi-institution data set, this quantitative study examines faculty experiences with discrimination by identity and institutional characteristics, its impact on faculty ability to work, and perceptions of institutional support. Findings indicate nearly half of faculty who experienced discrimination indicated it was based on two or more identities and of the identities provided, academic rank was the highest reported reason for discrimination.
Full version

Livin' on a prayer: A quasi-experimental investigation into the efficacy of learning communities
Fosnacht, K., & Graham, P. A.
American College Personnel Association Annual Convention, Montreal, QC, Canada, 2016, March.
With the increasing adoption of learning communities by post-secondary institutions, it is imperative to document their effectiveness, as the existing research is not definitive. In this study, we found that learning communities have a positive impact on students‘ engagement and perceived gains using a quasi-experimental approach, confirming previous research; however, learning communities do not appear to drastically alter the student experience on average. Additionally, we found that the estimated effect of learning communities varies widely across institutions on a variety of measures. Consequently, it appears that while some learning communities are extremely impactful, others have a negligible impact on students.
Full version

Learning online: Unintended consequences for engagement?
Dumford, A. D., & Miller, A. L.
Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, HI, 2016, January.
A rapidly increasing number of colleges and universities are looking for ways to deliver course content online. This paper investigates the effects of taking courses through an online medium on students‘ engagement using data from the 2015 administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). A series of 10 OLS regression analyses, controlling for certain student and institutional characteristics, suggested several significant effects of taking online courses for first-year students as well as seniors. Students taking more courses using an online medium showed higher use of learning strategies and quantitative reasoning yet lower collaborative learning, student-faculty interactions, effective teaching practices, discussions with diverse others, and quality of interactions. The change in these engagement indicators based on the percentage of classes taken online reveals that the online environment might encourage certain types of engagement but not others.
Full version

What characteristics predict student-faculty interaction and important relationships with effective educational practice
Wang, R., BrckaLorenz, A., & Chiang, Y.-C.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, 2015, April.
Student-faculty interaction is significantly beneficial to college students‘ engagement and success. Past studies of student-faculty interaction (SFI) have focused on the relationship between student characteristics and SFI or between faculty members‘ qualities, skills, or approaches and SFI. This study uses a large-scale multi-institution data set to take a closer examination of the relationships between faculty characteristics, course characteristics, institutional characteristics, faculty course goals, and faculty values for campus support with SFI. Results suggest that several faculty, course, and institution characteristics predict increased SFI. Additionally, results also indicate that faculty who do more to structure their courses for student growth and development and more strongly value a supportive campus environment for students interact with students more frequently.
Full version

Financial stress and its impact on first-year students’ college experiences
Fosnacht, K., & Dong, Y.
Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference, St. Louis, MO, 2013, November.
This study examined the relationship between undergraduate engagement and financial stress coping strategies. The study found that students who evidenced financial stress perceived a less supportive campus environment, but tended to participate in more academically beneficial activities. The results indicated that magnitude of the impact of financial stress varied by the type of financial stress coping strategy used.
Full version

Senior leaders and teaching environments at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominately White Institutions
Cole, E. R., Nelson Laird, T. F., & Lambert, A.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2013, May.
Various scholars have entered the conversation on the educational effectiveness of HBCUs in comparison to PWIs. There is, however, an absence of research that examines the potential relationship between teaching practices and how faculty feel senior leaders (e.g., deans, provosts, presidents) contribute to fostering an environment that enhances their classroom effectiveness. This study uses data from the 2012 administration of the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) to examine the differences between faculty perceptions of senior leaders on HBCU and PWI campuses. The results add to our understanding of how much senior leaders support both faculty teaching practices and teaching-related resources.
Full version

Does college environment have the same effect on all students?
Dong, Y., & Cole, J. S.
Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum, Toronto, ON, Canada, 2011, May.

Full version

Engaging online learners: A quantitative study of postsecondary student engagement in the online learning environment
Chen, P. D., Guidry, K. R., & Lambert, A. D.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, 2009, April.

How gender and race moderate the effect of peer interactions across difference on student and faculty perceptions of the campus environment
Nelson Laird, T. F., & Niskodé, A. S.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, New York, NY, 2008, March.

Full version

The individual and environmental effects of part-time enrollment status on student-faculty interaction
Nelson Laird, T. F., & Cruce, T. M.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, 2007, April.
Based on over 55,000 responses from seniors at 224 public colleges and universities, this study focuses on the difference between full-time and part-time students‘ interactions with faculty, the effect of those interactions on self-reported gains in general education, and the differential impact of institutions with greater percentages of part-time students. We found, not surprisingly, that part-time students interact with faculty less and report slightly less gains in general education than their full-time peers. We also found that the proportion of part-time students is a negative predictor of full-time student interactions with faculty, suggesting that campuses with greater percentages of part-time students are negatively effecting the engagement of full-time students. The effect of student-faculty interaction on self-reported gains in general education was relatively strong for all students (in fact, slightly stronger for part-time students), which implies that campuses that can find a way to increase the student-faculty interaction of full-time and part-time students will see a beneficial impact on student outcomes.
Full version

The relationship between student engagement and selected desirable outcomes in the first year of college
Gonyea, R. M.
Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum, Chicago, IL, 2006, May.
This study examines the relationships between student engagement in the first year of college and three desirable outcomes of undergraduate education. Student engagement is a domain of constructs that measures both the time and energy students devote to educationally purposeful activities and how students perceive different facets of the institutional environment that facilitate and support their learning. The three outcomes represent a portion of what is meant by success in the first year experience, namely obtaining good grades, acquiring intellectual skills that are important for future academic achievement and success in the professional world, and gaining knowledge of a general nature in step with the commonly embraced liberal arts mission of the general curriculum. The study is a secondary analysis of existing data utilizing two primary data sources: student responses to the fourth edition of the College Student Experiences Questionnaire and student records maintained by Indiana University Bloomington. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to model the complex relationships between the students‘ precollege characteristics, engagement behaviors and perceptions, and the outcome variables. The findings point to four conclusions: (a) different forms of engagement are precursors to different outcomes, (b) different forms of engagement interact to contribute to desired outcomes, (c) high expectations coupled with adequate support are requisite conditions for learning and development in the first college year, and (d) grades do not necessarily represent how much students believe they have learned. Implications for research, policy and practice are also offered.
Full version

Options for Assessing the Faculty Practice in HIPs
BrckaLorenz, Allison
Community-Engaged Alliance Summit & Research Symposium, Bloomington, IN, 2024, April.
This session discusses options for assessing faculty involvement in engaging students in high-impact practices (HIPs). We will talk about assessing faculty use of effective, educational, high-impact practices as well as ways to create environments that support and motivate faculty to do their best work engaging students in HIPs.
Full version

Supporting and retaining faculty with diverse community, workload satisfaction, and feeling valued
BrckaLorenz, A., Chamis, E., Priddie, C.
AACU Diversity, Equity, and Student Success, Philadelphia, PA, 2024, March.
Higher education continues to struggle in efforts to hire, support, and retain diverse faculty. Using a conceptual framework that focuses on how environments contribute to facultyâ??s ability to thrive and do their best work as educators, we will explore how faculty structural diversity (a proxy for a diverse and inclusive community), satisfaction with work-life and within-work balance, and perceptions of being valued by their institution relate to their intentions to stay at their institution, the professoriate, or academia altogether. Join this session to discuss how these aspects of environment relate to faculty retention and to contribute to a growing collection of ideas about how to create community, workload satisfaction, and perceptions of institutional value for diverse faculty. Participants will leave this session with thoughts on how these issues manifest on their campus and ideas for how to assess and improve their own efforts to support and retain diverse faculty.
Full version

Faculty Members are Not the Problem: Improving Faculty Teaching Environments to Foster Teaching Excellence
BrckaLorenz, Allison; Nelson Laird, Tom
Assessment Institute, Indianapolis, IN, 2023, October.
Given challenges with technology, the pressures of the academy, political meddling in higher education, inequitable conditions, and students whose needs are complex and changing rapidly, faculty members find themselves struggling with workload, their own health issues, competing priorities, and how to be effective teachers in a challenging time. Using data from two large-scale multi-institution assessment projects, we invite you to examine with us aspects of faculty teaching environments that contribute to faculty members' success as educators. By using measures of, for example, institutional policies and processes, access to instructional resources, and institutional climates for diversity, we will illustrate how a better understanding of the teaching environment can improve faculty development efforts. Join us for an exchange of ideas about ways to foster environments that motivate teaching excellence and support faculty in both their work and personal lives.
Full version

Measuring studentsâ?? socioeconomic status using different frameworks and analyses
Hu, Tien-Ling; BrckaLorenz, Allison
Association for Institutional Research Forum, Cleveland, OH, 2023, June.
Different from the traditional measures of SES using proxies for economic capital such as low-income status and federal financial aid that do not include all the theoretical considerations of SES, this session compiles several SES and cultural capital-related frameworks, survey items, and data analyses and present several alternative ways to measure SES in the field of higher education. Audiences in this session will learn about several SES measures and data analyses. In addition to the presentation, an interactive discussion will be demonstrated to create a mutual learning environment between presenters and audiences. The session provides researchers with alternative ways to study student success for the low-income student population in higher education.
Full version

An Examination of Environments That Support and Retain Diverse Faculty
BrckaLorenz, Allison; Chamis, Ella
AACU Diversity, Equity, and Student Success, Henderson, NV, 2023, March.
Despite an emphasis on diversifying the professoriate, higher education has failed to make significant progress in supporting and retaining diverse faculty in the academy. In this session, we will present a conceptual framework grounded in empirical research that can guide our understanding of how institutions can create environments to support and retain diverse faculty as well as motivate teaching excellence. Join us for a discussion about the components of this framework, supported by qualitative and quantitative findings from studies that have used this framework as a guide. Participants will leave this session with thoughts on how these components manifest on their campus, ideas for how to assess the teaching environments of their faculty, and suggestions from other attendees about their efforts to support and retain diverse faculty.
Full version

Faculty Teaching Environments: Supporting & Retaining Diverse Faculty
BrckaLorenz, Allison; Chamis, Ella
AACU Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2023, January.
Despite an emphasis on diversifying the professoriate, higher education has failed to make significant progress in supporting and retaining diverse faculty in the academy. Literature points to issues of campus climate, discrimination, and workplace stress as common reasons for diverse faculty to leave their positions. In this session, we will present a conceptual framework grounded in empirical research that can guide our understanding of how institutions can create environments to support and retain diverse faculty as well as motivate teaching excellence. Join us for a discussion about the components of this framework, supported by qualitative and quantitative findings from studies that have used this framework as a guide. Participants will leave this session with thoughts on how these components manifest on their campuses, ideas for how to assess the teaching environments of their faculty, and suggestions from other attendees about their efforts to support and retain diverse faculty.
Full version

Gathering Evidence for an Assessment of Environments That Motivate Teaching Excellence
BrckaLorenz, Allison; Brandon, Josclynn; Hu, Tien-Ling; Priddie, Christen; Nelson-Laird, Thomas F.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, 2022, April.
Inequities and discrimination within the systems and structures of higher education prevent faculty from doing and receiving recognition for their best work as educators. The purpose of this study is to present the validation testing and overview of results from a new project designed to help institutions understand the teaching environments in their local context and for researchers to understand teaching environments in higher education. The assessment instrument examined here guides our understanding of faculty needs, motivations, and supports that are necessary for healthy teaching environments and the wellbeing of diverse faculty. Findings from this study add to our knowledge of faculty teaching cultures as well as provide an example of how to collect validity evidence for climate assessment instruments
Full version

Retaining Black women faculty: Cultivating an equitable teaching environment
Brandon, Josclynn; BrckaLorenz, Allison
, American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, 2022, April.
Current research on the experiences of Black women faculty often focuses on the challenges they face and the reasons why they leave the academy. Instead, this study examined the experiences and success strategies of Black women faculty who have successfully navigated the tenure and promotion process. Findings can inform new and aspiring Black women faculty in navigating the academy, advise institutional leadership who are looking to recruit and retain Black women faculty, and promote discussions and tangible action items to improve inequities within the professoriate. Themes from interviews revolved around policies and procedures that are problematic for Black women specifically, the importance of support networks, the failure of institutional programs, and their persistence as an act of caring.
Full version

Motivating Teaching Excellence: Identifying Supportive Environments for Diverse Faculty
BrckaLorenz, Allison; Brandon, Josclynn
, 2022, January.
Multitudes of theories, findings from scholarly work, and our everyday experiences show us that inequities and discrimination are built into the systems and structures of higher education. These systemic issues prevent faculty from doing their best work. We will present the groundwork for a conceptual framework that can guide our understanding of how institutions can create faculty teaching environments that motivate teaching excellence and support diverse faculty. Join us for a discussion about how the components of this framework manifest on your campus and leave with ideas on how to assess and improve your institution's teaching environments for diverse faculty.
Full version

Success of the Siloed: Strategies for Retaining Black Women Faculty
Brandon, Josclynn; BrckaLorenz, Allison
POD Network Conference, Virtual, 2021, November.
Despite diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, many Black women faculty still face difficulties - including hostile work environments, a lack of mentorship, and unfair critiques. We conducted a mixed-methods study that touched on these issues from the perspective of the strategies and support structures that allowed these women to persevere despite these difficulties. Our presentation will discuss these findings and provide suggestions to institutional leaders, faculty colleagues, and aspiring Black women faculty for how to create access to these paths of success, and more equitable spaces for these valuable members of the academy.
Full version

Belonging, teaching environments, & grading: An exploration of faculty emotion
Fassett, Kyle; Nelson Laird, Thomas; BrckaLorenz, Allison; Strickland, Joe
POD Network Annual Conference, 2020, November.
The session provides an overview of faculty members? sense of belonging to their institutions, their sense of supportive teaching environments, and their thoughts about grading. Findings from our large-scale, multi-institutional study help faculty developers and other administrators better understand faculty members and how these affective constructs vary by faculty sub-groups. Participants will be invited to join in a conversation about the results and how the study?s findings could lead to providing better support to faculty members in their varied roles on college campuses.
Full version

Lost at the crossing? Tips for assessing intersectional experiences
BrckaLorenz, Allison; Fassett, Kyle T.; Kirnbauer, Tom; Washington, Sylvia
Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum, 2020, May.
Faculty and administrators are often tasked with educating the whole student upon their arrival at college, so it is important to understand ways to assess the whole student. Often student demographics and characteristics are examined one at a time such as by examining differences by racial/ethnic, gender, or other known influences on the student experience. Disaggregating data in this way, allows us to better understand how different students understand and participate in their environment. This poster provides an overview of four different examples to better examine small populations with attention to intersections of identity.
Full version

Educational environments for faculty: Improving postsecondary teaching through assessment
Strickland, J., BrckaLorenz, A., Fassett, K., Nelson Laird, T.
Professional and Organizational Development Network Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, 2019, November.
This session focuses on understanding the relationship between faculty members' educational environments and their teaching practices. Results from a large-scale, multi-institutional study give insight into these environments by documenting faculty sense of departmental belonging, collegial commitment to quality teaching, and access to resources to meet high standards. Participants will engage in a conversation about how to best assess educational environments, differences across faculty characteristics, and how to create momentum for change.
Full version

Assessing environmental factors that promote quality collegiate teaching
BrckaLorenz, A., Nelson Laird, T., Fassett, K., Hiller, S., & Strickland, J.
Assessment Institute 2019, Indianapolis, IN, 2019, October.
As the need to improve undergraduate education intensifies, assessment of student and faculty practices should be complemented by information about the environmental conditions that help faculty members do their best work. This session focuses on understanding the relationship between faculty educational environments and their teaching practices. Results from a large-scale, multi-institutional study give insight into these environments by documenting faculty sense of departmental belonging, collegial commitment to quality teaching, and access to resources to meet high standards. Session participants will engage in a conversation about how to best assess educational environments, and how to create momentum for change.
Full version

The role of residence life in undergraduate persistence
Fosnacht, K., Gonyea, R. M., Graham, P., & Fassett, K.
ACUHO-I Annual Convention and Expo, Toronto, Canada, 2019, June.
For many decades, living on campus was believed to be a primary determinant of undergraduate persistence and success. However, more recent research must raise questions about expanding diversity and the experiences of underrepresented groups, changing living arrangements, new programs and learning opportunities, and the changing campus environment in general. This session will present results from a study supported by an ACUHO-I Sponsored Research Grant that examined residence life's contribution to the persistence of first-year and sophomore students at 76 institutions. It will also detail the role residence life programming and factors like perceptions of safety on persistence.
Full version

Comparison of the effects of campus environment and teaching practices on international students' perceived gains through reflective-integrative learning
Oktafiga, D. A., BrckaLorenz, A., & Nelson Laird, T. F.
Comparative and International Education Association Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, 2019, April.
This session presents findings from a study of international students' college experience that explored the relationships among self-reported perceived gains, reflective-integrative learning, supportive campus environment, and effective teaching practices by considering international students' geographical regions of origin.
Full version

Improving diversity and inclusion in college courses should account for varied faculty roles
BrckaLorenz, A. & Nelson Laird, T. F.
AAC&U Diversity, Equity, and Student Success Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, 2019, March.
Despite the overwhelming support for including diversity in coursework, experiences, and environments in higher education, our progress in creating diverse and inclusive curricula falls short. Through an interactive discussion of results from an empirical study of nearly 40,000 full-time faculty employed at over 400 four-year colleges and universities over the past five years, participants in this session will explore the relationship between how faculty approach their scholarly work and their inclusion of diversity in the curriculum. Discussion will focus on multiple aspects of courses (i.e., more than course content) and on what participants and their institutions can do to better to support how different types of faculty create inclusive and culturally engaging spaces.
Full version

Assessing for diversity: Evidence from NSSE’s Inclusiveness and Engagement with Cultural Diversity and Global Learning modules
Kinzie, J., & McCormick, A. C.
Assessment Institute, Indianapolis, IN, 2018, October.
The assessment of inclusivity and cultural responsiveness and of global learning are current imperatives for higher education. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) recently added two new Topical Modules asking students more about inclusive educational practices and perceptions of their global learning experiences. This session highlights findings from these question sets, examines common items for course-based learning and how results vary by institution and student characteristics, what results suggest about global learning practice and inclusivity, and includes a discussion about campuses' use of these findings to create environments that support all students and leverage the educational benefits of diversity and internationalization.
Full version

Support by any other name: Disaggregating supportive environments for faculty
Priddie, C., Silberstein, S., & BrckaLorenz, A.
Assessment Institute, Indianapolis, IN, 2018, October.
This session aims to provide a deeper understanding of the importance of disaggregating data to improve campus environments for minoritized faculty members. Responses from faculty members at approximately 30 institutions who participated in the Inclusiveness and Engagement with Cultural Diversity topical module of the Faculty Survey for Student Engagement will be used to examine how identity and discipline influence differing perspectives of supportive environments. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about approaches to working with disaggregated data and discuss ways in which supportive environments can be improved for different faculty populations.
Full version

Using evidence to promote effective educational practice and the success of all students
Hayek, J., Kinzie, J., & McCormick, A.
SHEEO Higher Education Policy Conference, Denver, CO, 2018, August.
Combining findings from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) with insights from a system-level chief academic officer, this session first provides an overview of public institutions‘ student engagement results by race/ethnicity and first-generation status, including results suggesting progress in American higher education in providing welcoming, supportive environments for all students and a positive association between participation in high-impact practices and higher levels of satisfaction and perceived support for all racial/ethnic groups. The presenters then highlight new evidence regarding students‘ experiences with a variety of inclusive and culturally engaging practices, showing?by student characteristics such as racial/ethnic identity, gender identity, and sexual orientation?the relationships of these activities to educational practices that promote learning and development and to students' perceived gains in areas such as informed, active citizenship and understanding people of other backgrounds. The session concludes by discussing how institutions and states can best promote equitable experiences and what the findings on inclusivity and cultural diversity suggest for preparing students to participate in a diverse workplace and a globally interconnected world.
Full version

Housing, student engagement, and persistence: A first look
Gonyea, R. M., Graham, P., Hurtado, S., & Fosnacht, K.
ACUHO-I Annual Conference and Expo, Denver, CO, 2018, July.
Through an ACUHO-I Foundation grant, National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) researchers are examining the relationship between students' living environments, engagement, and persistence. In Spring 2018, NSSE collected survey data about on- and off-campus living situations and perceptions from first-year, sophomore, and senior students at 75 bachelor's degree-granting institutions. This session provides a first look at results, including relationships between housing options and students' perceptions of safety and support, financial stress, and programming.
Full version

The NSSE/ACUHO-I living environment study: What questions should we put to the data?
Gonyea, R. M., Fosnacht, K., Graham, P., & Hurtado, S.
ACUHO-I Annual Convention and Expo, Denver, CO, 2018, July.
Senior housing officers (SHOs) are invited to provide meaningful input on the ACUHO-I-sponsored NSSE project, Campus Housing, Student Engagement, and Persistence: A Multi-Institutional Study. Researchers will discuss the surveys and other data collected from 75 institutions in 2018. SHO input will help researchers adapt analyses and reports to the needs of ACUHO-I institutions.
Full version

Assessing inclusiveness and engagement in cultural diversity and global learning: Lessons from NSSE’s Topical Modules
Kinzie, J., Cavallo, J., & Kenesson, S.
Higher Education Data Sharing Annual Conference, Spokane, WA, 2018, June.
The assessment of inclusivity and cultural responsiveness and global learning are current imperatives for higher education. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) added two new modules asking students more about inclusive educational practices and perceptions of their global learning experiences. Despite articulating goals to advance globalization and diversity, institutions have sometimes fallen short in the ways they have enacted these goals. Further, students‘ perceptions of institutional commitment to these goals vary and this in turn influences their experience. Therefore, it is important to understand the specific ways in which institutions enact their commitments and what influences students‘ perceptions of these commitments. This session highlights findings from these sets, examines how results vary by student characteristics, what results suggest about global learning practice and inclusivity. Discussion will then focus on campuses‘ use of these findings to create environments that support all students and to leverage the educational benefits of diversity and internationalization, including for example, to make the case for a more integrated campus diversity plan and a more comprehensive campus climate survey, and to spur further analyses of the impacts of students‘ perceptions of institution‘s emphasis on diversity and supportive environment on student success rates (e.g., academic standing, retention).
Full version

Learning strategies in high school and first year in college
Mu, L., & Cole, J.
Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum, Orlando, FL, 2018, May.
Due to the different academic demands on students between high school and college, high school students transitioning to college often experience unanticipated academic difficulty. One consistent factor for academic success in high school and college is an effective use of learning strategies. However, given the varying academic demands, it is not clear how consistently students engage in the effective use of learning strategies across these two environments. The stability of these learning strategies across these two domains is relatively unknown. The research questions for this study are 1. Does the use of learning strategies change from high school to the first year in college? 2. Do individual students change their learning strategy use after entering college? 3. Is an institution's academic environment associated with individual students' leaning strategy use?
Full version

Emerging research on queer-spectrum and trans-spectrum students in higher education
Greathouse, M., BrckaLorenz, A., Hoban, M., Rankin, S., & Stolzenberg, E.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, New York, NY, 2018, April.
Queer-spectrum and trans-spectrum students remain a significantly underserved population within higher education, despite the presence of significant disparities across measures of campus climate, academic engagement, and overall health. This paper explores the campus climate, overall health, and academic engagement of queer-spectrum and trans-spectrum undergraduate students attending four-year colleges and universities in the US through an analysis of seven national data sets, including the 2017 data sets of the National Survey of Student Engagement (Center for Postsecondary Research, Indiana University Bloomington), the 2016 Undergraduate Student Experience at the Research University Survey (SERU-AAU Consortium, Center for Studies in Higher Education, University of California-Berkeley and University of Minnesota Twin Cities), the 2016 American College Health Association--National College Health Assessment, and the 2016 data sets of four surveys conducted by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program, including The Freshman Survey (TFS), the Your First College Year Survey (YFCY), the Diverse Learning Environments Survey (DLE), and the College Senior Survey (CSS) (University of California-Los Angeles, Higher Education Research Institute).
Full version

Queer and gender variant students: Exploring civic engagement for increasingly diverse populations
BrckaLorenz, A., Greathouse, M., Kinzie, J., & Stolzenberg, E.
AAC&U Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Democracy 2018 Conference, San Diego, CA, 2018, March.
Colleges and universities offer students a significant opportunity to be exposed to issues of inclusion and diversity, including course-based diversity initiatives and inclusive environments. Yet, it is critical to know how much faculty include these initiatives in their practice and how they align with students‘ perceptions of their experiences and the environment. Workshop facilitators will highlight results from the 2017 National Survey of Student Engagement and Faculty Survey of Student Engagement Inclusiveness and Engagement with Cultural Diversity topical module to introduce participants to these new findings and the important relationship between course-based diversity experiences and perceptions of inclusive environments. Results will be disaggregated by various student demographic and institutional characteristics to strengthen discussion. Participants will consider a case study from an institution that administered the module and then engage in the identification of actionable ideas.
Full version

Assessing inclusiveness and engagement with cultural diversity: Assuring success for all
Kinzie, J., McCormick, A., Gonyea, R., & BrckaLorenz, A.
Association of American Colleges and Universities Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 2018, January.
Institutional support for diversity, inclusivity, and cultural responsiveness represents an imperative for higher education given demographic projections and the needs of a pluralist society. In 2017, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) added an optional question set asking students more about inclusive teaching practices in courses, intercultural learning, and perceptions of their institution‘s cultural responsiveness. This session highlights findings from this item set, discusses the relationship between these activities and other effective educational practices, examines how these relationships vary between traditionally marginalized students and more privileged students as well as by major field, and includes a discussion of the opportunities and challenges educators face as they seek to improve inclusion, engagement with diversity, and cultural responsiveness. Discussion includes how campus leaders can use these findings to create environments that more fully support students of all backgrounds, leverage the educational benefits of diversity, and promote transformative learning outcomes.
Full version

Sexual violence is everyone’s problem: Faculty roles and responsibilities
Hurtado, S., & BrckaLorenz, A.
Association of American Colleges and Universities Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 2018, January.
Ensuring all students have access to an equitable educational experience is an essential goal of higher education, and addressing the issue of sexual violence on campus is necessary for meeting this goal. Although efforts to eliminate sexual violence have proliferated across the country, little attention has been paid to faculty members‘ role and responsibility in this area. Given that faculty members maintain significant power and influence within institutions of higher education and regularly interact with students, their role in addressing the issue of sexual violence cannot be ignored. This session discusses the importance of dispersing responsibility as a means for creating equitable learning environments. Interactive conversations in this session will also explore individual and institutional barriers to faculty members‘ involvement and potential solutions to these barriers.
Full version

First-year college students' expected and actual engagement
Mu, L., & Cole, J. S.
Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum, Washington, DC, 2017, June.
Using longitudinal student survey data, the current study explored the relationship of new college students‘ expected and actual engagement, covering three aspects of student engagement: collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, and discussions with diverse others. The results support findings of previous studies about the positive correlations between freshmen‘s expectations and actual behaviors in relation to student engagement. In addition, we found, for students who had the same expected engagement level, those with more varied expectations for different activities better fulfilled their expectation of engagement. We also utilized a structural equation model to investigate the relationship of expected and actual engagement. The model further showed that students‘ perceived college environment significantly moderates the relationship of expected and actual engagement in collaborative learning and discussions with diverse others but not in interactions with faculty. Besides the structural measure, an institution‘s basic Carnegie classification did not have statistically significant moderation between expectation and actual engagement in all engagement aspects. The findings imply a caring campus environment promotes a higher level of realization of that expectation.
Full version

Living environments and engagement: Results from a multi-campus study
Gonyea, R. M., Graham, P. A., & Hurtado, S. S.
ACUHO?I Annual Conference, Providence, RI, 2017, June.
As housing professionals adapt to contemporary changes in on-campus living, we present a study by the National Survey of Student Engagement (in collaboration with ACUHO-I) about the relationship between facets of the living environment with engagement and perceived growth in learning, with an emphasis on programming, staffing, and perceived safety and support. Results will be disaggregated by underrepresented subgroups, and discussion will focus on how the results inform residence life practice.
Full version

Living environments and student engagement: Research findings and implications
Gonyea, R. M., Hurtado, S., & Graham, P. A.
American College Personnel Association Annual Convention, Columbus, OH, 2017, March.
While past research points to various benefits of living on campus, it is important for student affairs professionals to reflect on and adapt to contemporary changes in on-campus living. This session reviews findings from a set of questions that were developed in collaboration with ACUHO-I and appended to the National Survey of Student Engagement. Findings include the relationship between living environments (facilities, programs, staff, safety, etc.) with engagement and perceived gains in learning and development. The session encourages discussion on how these findings can inform practice.
Full version

Rising up: Responding to student demands for more inclusive campuses
BrckaLorenz, A., Mac, J., To, D., & Na, V.
American College Personnel Association Annual Convention, Columbus, OH, 2017, March.
In the past year, student groups released a list of demands at over 80 institutions. This session will highlight emerging themes of systemic and structural racism from those demands, in addition to exploring the various responses from these institutions. Through the use of data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) Model, participants will discuss and share strategies on intentionally supporting the needs of racially diverse students at their institutions.
Full version

Living environments and student engagement: Implications for research and practice
Hurtado, S. S., Graham, P. A., & Gonyea, R. M.
ACUHO-I Annual Conference, Seattle, WA, 2016, July.
While past literature documents a number of benefits of living on campus, it is important for housing professionals to reflect on and adapt to contemporary changes to the landscape of on-campus living. After recapping results from the NSSE/ACUHO-I collaboration study (reported in the earlier session entitled Living Environments and Student Engagement: Research Study Results) the presenters engaged the audience in a focused discussion of the meaning of the findings. Rationale from literature was presented as well as implications for practice. Participants were expected to deepen their understanding of the differences between varying types of living environments (facilities, programs, access to staff, safety, community issues, etc.) in order for practice to be informed and improved. We also brainstormed areas for future research.
Full version

Living environments and student engagement: Research study results
Hurtado, S. S., Graham, P. A., & Gonyea, R. M.
ACUHO-I Annual Conference, Seattle, WA, 2016, July.
While the benefits of living on campus are well documented, the changing landscape of living arrangements, programmatic efforts, and other factors underline the need to reexamine its impact. This study used experimental survey questions drafted by the National Survey of Student Engagement in collaboration with ACUHO-I. Data were provided by first-year and senior students attending 36 bachelor‘s degree-granting institutions. The researchers investigated the characteristics of on- and off-campus living environments (facilities, programs, access to staff, safety, community issues, etc.) and their relationship with engagement and perceived gains in learning and development. This session engaged the audience in discussion about the rationale and development of the experimental questions, research methods, and findings.
Full version

Direct and indirect effects of engagement on grades
Gonyea, R., Cole, J., & Rocconi, L.
Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum, New Orleans, LA, 2016, June.
Grades are perhaps the best predictor of a attaining a college diploma. Using NSSE data from nearly 20,000 first-year and senior students in 2012 and matched year-end grades from 42 participating institutions, the authors tested path models to determine the direct and indirect effects of student background, engagement, and campus environment on end of year grades. Total effects on GPA show that time spent studying, the use of learning strategies, and courses where faculty used effective teaching strategies had positive overall effects on grades. Coursework involving quantitative reasoning had a negative effect, probably due to the added rigor of STEM courses.
Full version

Connecting to improve faculty understanding and preparation for issues of sexual assault
Hurtado, S., & BrckaLorenz, A.
NASPA Annual Conference, Indianapolis, IN, 2016, March.
The prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses is a major concern. The purpose of this session is to understand the level at which faculty are prepared to address this issue on their campus. Results are examined from a multi-institution study of faculty‘s understanding of policies and procedures regarding incidents of sexual assault and perceptions of their institution‘s support for those who have experienced sexual assault. The session relies on participant discussion focused on the role of faculty in promoting a positive campus climate.
Full version

Faculty perceptions of campus safety and how to improve support
Hurtado, S., BrckaLorenz, A., & Nelson Laird, T.
Professional & Organizational Development Conference, San Francisco, CA, 2015, November.
The issues of campus safety and sexual assault are important to colleges and universities. As we continue making progress in these areas, it is crucial that we better understand the views of faculty and how they can contribute to this process. In this session, participants will learn about faculty perceptions of campus safety and support for crisis response and incidents of sexual assault at 16 institutions. Participants will be invited to share reactions and personal experiences as well as help generate ideas for ways faculty can help to make the environments at their institutions more supportive in these areas.
Full version

Socializing mammies? Examining graduate student engagement of Black women graduate instructors
Wheatle, K., & BrckaLorenz, A.
National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education, Washington, DC, 2015, May.
Existent research on Black women faculty suggest that student and colleague expectations of the roles these faculty should assume, including the stereotypical ?mammy,? create environments in which Black women are forced to overload advising, service, and mentoring, working themselves to exhaustion in lieu of producing research and publications (Griffin & Reddick, 2011). Yet, little is known about how Black women allocate their time to teaching, advising, and other professional development activities while they are graduate students. In this session, the presenters will describe findings from a large-scale sample of engagement survey data collected from graduate student instructors (GSIs) to explore self-perceptions of teaching experiences of Black/African American women GSIs. This session should benefit current and prospective graduate students, faculty, and practitioners who provide teaching and professional development resources for graduate student instructors.
Full version

Institutional environment, student motivation, and study abroad participation
Mu, L., & Borden, V.
American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, 2015, April.
Using national longitudinal data gathered through the National Survey of Student Engagement, this study explored the impact of student‘s intention and institutional environment on study abroad participation. Under Input-Environment-Output model and push-pull factors framework, the study systematically examined how student background characteristics, study abroad intention and institutional environment interactively affected study abroad behavior. The results showed that students who had study abroad plan in the first year were more likely to go abroad than those who didn‘t state a plan. Sophisticated institutional environment measures had varied effects. Among them, enriching educational experience displayed as a strong push factor, while active and collaborative learning acted as a pull factor. Practical suggestions were made to higher education institutions to promote study abroad participation.
Full version

Interventions for first-time students informed with mixed methods analysis
McCormick, E., Beck, C. N., & Cole, J. S.
Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience, Dallas, TX, 2015, February.
Using cognitive, non-cognitive and environmental factors, Montana State University developed a program to improve the persistence of at-risk first-time students. Cognitive factors include ACT and SAT scores and high school GPA. The Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement was used to assess non-cognitive factors. Environmental factors include engagement facilitated by the ChampChange program. Results indicate that students who engaged 20 or more times through the ChampChange program were retained 84% compared to 51% of students who engaged only 1-4 times. The aim of this presentation is to present the results of the study and discuss how implications for other campuses.
Full version

Assessing global learning to improve student learning and educational practice
Braskamp, L., Kinzie, J., & Reason, R.
Association of American Colleges & Universities Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 2015, January.
What college experiences are most influential in fostering elements of global learning? How can educators create a campus ethos and learning opportunities that encourage student global and holistic learning? Authors of three national assessment tools?Global Perspective Inventory (GPI), National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE),and Personal and Social Responsibility Inventory (PSRI)?will present assessment strategies that connect student experiences, engagement,and campus climate with specific student learning outcomes, especially those related to global learning and global citizenship. They will highlight evidence from the use of these tools that focus on environmental conditions such as student experiences and perceptions of the campus community that enhance global learning. They will engage the audience in considering the kind of evidence that would help them adapt curricula and co-curricular activities so that more students develop a deeper understanding of global cultures, developments, and interconnections, across a variety of majors and career goals.
Full version

The who, what, and where of learning strategies
Miller, A. L., Lambert, A. D., & Ahonen, C.
Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference, Washington, DC, 2014, November.
This study uses data from the National Survey of Student Engagement and the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement to explore whether there is congruence for academic disciplines in the student use and faculty encouragement of learning strategies. OLS regression models also suggest demographic and environmental predictors of student learning strategies.
Full version

Toward strengthening general education: Education environments designed for learning
Kinzie, J.
Appalachian College Association Summit, Abingdon, VA, 2005, October.

Full version

Creating learner-centered campus environments
Kuh, G. D.
Student Learning Institute, Harrisonburg, VA, 1999, June.

Do environments matter? A comparative analysis of the impress of different types of colleges and universities on character development
Kuh, G. D., & Vesper, N.
Annual Institute on College Student Values, Tallahassee, FL, February.

Inclusiveness and Engagement with Cultural Diversity
In Engagement Insights: Survey Findings on the Quality of Undergraduate Education—Annual results 2017, 3.
Full version

Putting Results to Use: Inclusiveness and Engagement with Cultural Diversity
In Engagement Insights: Survey Findings on the Quality of Undergraduate Education—Annual results 2017, 4.
Full version

New Insights on Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Engagement
In Engagement Insights: Survey Findings on the Quality of Undergraduate Education—Annual results 2017, 6.
Full version

Out on Campus
In Engagement Insights: Survey Findings on the Quality of Undergraduate Education—Annual results 2017, 7.
Full version

Faculty Incorporation of Diversity and Institutional Commitment
In Engagement Insights: Survey Findings on the Quality of Undergraduate Education—Annual results 2017, 12.
Full version

FSSE Topical Module: Inclusiveness and Engagement with Cultural Diversity
In Engagement Insights: Survey Findings on the Quality of Undergraduate Education—Annual results 2017, 13.
Full version

Perceptions of Safety and Belonging
In Engagement insights: Survey findings on the quality of undergraduate education—Annual results 2016, 7.
Full version

Faculty Perceptions of Safety and Support
In Engagement insights: Survey findings on the quality of undergraduate education—Annual results 2015, 10.
Full version

The Importance of Academic Advising
In Bringing the institution into focus—Annual results 2014, 13 - 14.
Full version

Supportive Environment
In A fresh look at student engagement—Annual results 2013, 18 - 19.
Full version

Positive Trends in Student Engagement: Updated Findings
In Promoting student learning and institutional improvement: Lessons from NSSE at 13—Annual results 2012, 13.
Full version

Introducing the Updated NSSE Survey for 2013
In Promoting student learning and institutional improvement: Lessons from NSSE at 13—Annual results 2012, 15.
Full version

Supportive Campus Environment
In Promoting engagement for all students: The imperative to look within—2008 results, 13.
Full version

Educational and Personal Growth
In Converting data into action: Expanding the boundaries of institutional improvement—2003 annual report, 14.
Full version

Transfer Students
In From promise to progress: How colleges and universities are using student engagement results to improve collegiate quality—2002 annual report, 22.
Full version

Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
In From promise to progress: How colleges and universities are using student engagement results to improve collegiate quality—2002 annual report, 22.
Full version

How and Why NSSE Differs from College Rankings
In Improving the college experience: National benchmarks of effective educational practice—NSSE 2001 report, 10 - 11.
Full version

institutional Size Can Be a Key Factor in Student Engagement
In Improving the college experience: National benchmarks of effective educational practice—NSSE 2001 report, 14.
Full version

Supportive Campus Environment
In Improving the college experience: National benchmarks of effective educational practice—NSSE 2001 report, 24 - 25.
Full version

Supportive Campus Environment
In The NSSE 2000 report: National benchmarks of effective educational practice, 20 - 21.
Full version