The Benefits of the Summer Institute for Improving Undergraduate Education

How can campuses use evidence of students’ educational experiences to improve learning and success? Putting NSSE data to use to respond to this question was a key theme of the Teaching and Learning National Institute (TLNI), hosted by The Evergreen State College (renamed the National Summer Institute for Improving Undergraduate Education in 2020).

Teams of faculty, student affairs professionals, institutional researchers, and administrators from 29 two-year and four-year institutions focused on using evidence to identify areas of the student experience that could be strengthened and then—building on what is known about successful practices—to shape more effective approaches both in and outside the classroom.

The teams' uses of NSSE results were diverse, informing campuses’ plans to:

• align curriculum and co-curriculum
• strengthen a particular student learning outcome
• design faculty development programs tied to student learning goals
• reshape general education

Work by the campus teams was scaffolded with sessions that informed their action plans on topics such as shaping an effective professional development program, understanding the role of faculty in change initiatives, and creating an equity mindset. Cohorts of teams addressing similar topics worked with resource faculty who facilitated their processes and provided feedback on draft plans.

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