Did you know that 80% of first-year students feel valued by their institution? And that first-year students who indicated an intent to return to their institution scored notably higher on sense of belonging? These are just a couple of the findings from our first installment of NSSE’s Annual Results 2020.

In recent weeks NSSE released two of five data-informed stories in Engagement Insights—Survey Findings on the Quality of Undergraduate Education, an annual series detailing important and timely NSSE findings. The first story, Building a Sense of Community for All, examines the relationships between students' sense of belonging (an addition to the 2020 survey) with engagement, perceived gains, and persistence. The second, The LRC’s of Advising—Listening, Respecting, and Caring, looks at the benefits when advisors actively listen, respect identities and cultures, and care for students’ well-being. These findings are complemented by a public Tableau dashboard, free webinar, and examples from colleges and universities demonstrating their use of NSSE results in their improvement efforts.

Additional stories released in the coming months will focus on high-impact practices, institutional trust among undergraduates, and NSSE's 20-year impact on higher education. We encourage you to share these findings and resources with colleagues who can put them to good use.