Grand Valley State University

Grand Valley State University

NSSE 2005

Executive Summary

Sep 29, 2005

As part of the Claiming a Liberal Education initiative, GVSU participated in the 2004-05 administrations of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE). The NSSE is a nationally normed survey designed to assess the extent to which students are engaged in educationally effective activities. The FSSE is a companion survey intended to measure faculty expectations of student engagement in those activities. Combined they are intended to measure how much the environment at a particular institution is conducive to higher learning.

Both questionnaires were administered in electronic form during the winter term of 2005. The NSSE survey is administered to both freshmen and seniors, while the FSSE is intended for all faculty who teach undergraduates. Following is a summary of our response rates:

Group	Number invited to participate	Number of participants	Participation Rate
Freshmen	1,794	820	45.7%
Seniors	1,542	626	40.6%
Faculty	690	393	52.6%

This report presents a synopsis of areas where significant differences exist between GVSU's student responses and those of students from peer institutions[1]. The most important themes are discussed in the following paragraphs, and greater detail is presented in the body of the report. "Importance" is judged in terms of differences between our students' responses and those from peer schools, not institutional priorities. Of course, the themes are interrelated and subjective -- this is merely one way of making sense of the data, and other valid interpretations are possible.

In general, our freshmen respond similarly to freshmen at the peer institutions. Of much greater concern are the many items for which our seniors' responses indicate less engagement and growth than their peers at the comparison campuses. Most of the themes that emerge from the data (with the possible exception of "Writing") are indications that improvements are warranted.

Gains from College

GVSU seniors report significantly less development in nearly all domains surveyed. Differences were greatest in:

Speaking clearly and effectively
Learning effectively on their own
Understanding themselves
Solving complex real-world problems
Working effectively with others

Advising

Both freshmen and seniors report below-average institutional support for students trying to cope with non-academic responsibilities and social life. The difference from peers is especially large for seniors. Faculty respondents also perceive a relatively low institutional emphasis on support in those areas of student life.
Students at both levels report fewer discussions with faculty and staff about career plans.

Peer Socialization

Students (especially seniors) report a low quality of relationships with other students.
Freshmen report above-average time spent working together in class, but both seniors and freshmen indicate that they spend less time working together outside class than their peers nationally.
Seniors report below-average development in ability to work with others

Faculty Involvement with Students

GVSU seniors indicate that they've done much less work with faculty outside class than seniors at our peer institutions. The difference seems to encompass both research and other work.

Academic Rigor

˙ Seniors report below-average expectations in their courses at all levels of Bloom's Taxonomy (memorizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating). The difference is largest for memorization tasks.

˙ Freshmen report above-average involvement in projects that require integrating ideas from multiple sources.

˙ Freshmen are more likely to come to class unprepared and report that they spend less time preparing for class, compared to freshmen at our peers. Seniors indicate lower institutional emphasis on time spent studying.

Co-curricular Activities

Our seniors report much less participation in activities outside class, and perceive lower institutional commitment to student attendance at campus events.

Speaking

GVSU students at both levels indicate lower expectations and less growth in speaking skills.

Practical Learning

Seniors report below-average participation in internships and similar experiences.
GVSU seniors are more likely to plan to participate in these but have not done it yet. The problem may be related to poor progress toward degrees. We may have more students who are seniors but are still more than 1 year from graduating than our peers.
Seniors indicate below average growth in solving complex real-world problems.

Writing

Our students are expected to write multiple drafts of papers more than national peers.
GVSU writing assignments tend to be in the middle-range (5 to 19 pages) with fewer short or long assignments.

Community Service

All respondents, but especially seniors, indicate less involvement in community service than students at peer schools.

Bearing in mind that the magnitude of the differences is small and the peer group is relatively ambitious, these results still depict a substantial amount of progress yet to be made. It is recommended that the data be used as a guide for institutional changes to improve student engagement and as benchmarks so that progress can be assessed using future administrations of the NSSE. Representatives from the Provost's office and the Claiming a Liberal Education initiative have already begun a process of translating these findings into actions that can improve the engagement and learning of our students. A widespread acknowledgement and appreciation of these NSSE results throughout the university is likely to be a critical step toward realizing improvements. These findings can stimulate productive discussion throughout the university about where we are and what it will take to get to where we want to be.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary. 1

Hints for interpreting the response data. 4

Academic Rigor. 5

Advising. 9

Capstone / Integrative Experince. 11

Co-curricular Activities. 12

Community Service. 13

Diversity. 14

E-media. 16

Ethics. 18

Faculty Involvement with Students. 19

Foreign Languages. 21

Gains from College. 22

Peer Socialization. 23

Practical Learning. 25

Speaking. 27

Spirituality. 28

Writing. 29

Hints for interpreting the response data

For each of the subject areas that follow, I have presented a bulleted list of the findings that I believe are particularly important. However, I have attempted to include all survey data pertinent to the subject, so that my interpretations can be evaluated and viewed in proper context.

Student data: For each student questionnaire item, an average score for GVSU freshman and senior responses is presented, followed by an average score for comparable students at our peer institutions, and indications of statistical significance and effect size. As a rule, a difference between GVSU and peer institutions is probably not important unless either

a) it is statistically significant and has an effect size of at least 0.20;

b) it is statistically significant and is supported by other significant findings on related survey items.

Bear in mind that responses are being evaluated in a relative context vis � vis a specific set of peer institutions. In most places where problems appear, the absolute interpretation of student responses reflects favorably upon Grand Valley -- we're doing well, but others are doing better. For example, consider the following item:

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[How much has your inst contributed to your growth in] Acquiring a broad general education	SR	3.18	3.33	***	-.21

The last 2 columns indicate statistical and practical significance for the difference between GVSU seniors and seniors at peer schools, so we have legitimate reason to target this as an area for concern and improvement. At the same time, it's worth pointing out that the scale for this questionnaire item is as follows:

"Very Little" = 1

"Some" = 2

"Quite a bit" = 3

"Very Much" = 4

Our average score of 3.18 translates to "somewhere between 'Quite a bit' and 'Very much.'" The concern is that we're closer to "Quite a bit" than other schools, so we want to improve, but this doesn't mean that we have failed to deliver a valuable education.

Also note that the effect sizes here are generally small. The largest effect reported is 0.37, which is generally regarded as a small effect. Values from 0.50 to 0.79 are typically considered "moderate."

Faculty data: We don't have national comparison data for the faculty responses, so we can't identify areas where our faculty responses differ from the norm. Faculty data are presented here only to give contextual information for the student responses. In some areas, the faculty data corroborate the student responses. In others there are clear differences in perception between student and faculty respondents.

Faculty respondents were asked to consider a single course that they have taught in the past year, and indicate whether that course is lower-division or upper-division. Then they are asked to answer several questions with reference to that particular course. Faculty responses are presented separately according to course level as an approximate parallel to the division of students into freshmen and seniors. Please bear in mind that this is a very rough approximation.

Academic Rigor

˙ Freshmen report above-average involvement in projects that require integrating ideas from multiple sources.

˙ Eighty-three percent of faculty reporting on lower-division courses said they expect students to study at least 5 hours per week for the class. Only 22% thought that their students actually spent 5 hours per week or more studying. For upper-division courses, the comparable numbers are 74% (expect 5+ hours) and 19% (believe students spend 5+ hours).

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[How often have you] Worked on a paper or project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources	FY	3.13	2.96	***	.21
	SR	3.29	3.35
[How often have you] Come to class without completing readings or assignments	FY	2.13	2.05	**	.12
	SR	2.14	2.11
[How often have you] Worked harder than you thought you could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations	FY	2.53	2.53
	SR	2.63	2.77	***	-.17
[How much does your coursework emphasize] Memorizing facts, ideas, or methods from your courses and readings so you can repeat them in pretty much the same form	FY	2.92	2.99
	SR	2.58	2.79	***	-.24
[How much does your coursework emphasize] Analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience, or theory, such as examining a particular case or situation in depth and considering its components	FY	2.98	3.05	*	-.09
	SR	3.13	3.24	**	-.14
[How much does your coursework emphasize] Synthesizing and organizing ideas, information, or experiences into new, more complex interpretations and relationships	FY	2.75	2.80
	SR	2.90	3.03	***	-.17
[How much does your coursework emphasize] Making judgments about the value of information, arguments, or methods, such as examining how others gathered and interpreted data and assessing the soundness of their conclusions	FY	2.70	2.77
	SR	2.85	2.96	**	-.14
[How much does your coursework emphasize] Applying theories or concepts to practical problems or in new situations	FY	2.96	2.96
	SR	3.12	3.21	*	-.12
To what extent have your examinations during the current school year challenged you to do your best work?	FY	5.37	5.49	*	-.11
	SR	5.33	5.46	*	-.11
[How often have you] Examined the strengths and weaknesses of your own views on a topic or issue	FY	2.48	2.52
	SR	2.75	2.65	*	.12
[How often have you] Learned something that changed the way you understand an issue or concept	FY	2.72	2.74
	SR	2.89	2.83
[How much time do you spend] Preparing for class (studying, reading, writing, doing homework or lab work, analyzing data, rehearsing, and other academic activities)	FY	3.86	4.05	**	-.12
	SR	3.99	4.08
[How much does your inst. emphasize] Spending significant amounts of time studying and on academic work	FY	3.12	3.17
	SR	3.09	3.18	*	-.12

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
[How much does your inst emphasize] Requiring student to spend significant amounts of time studying and on academic work	Very little	13	12%	24	13%
	Some	44	40%	77	43%
	Quite a bit	38	35%	56	31%
	Very much	15	14%	21	12%
	Total	110	100%	178	100%
[How many of your students] Frequently come to class without completing readings or assignments	None	2	2%	8	4%
	1-24%	49	45%	88	49%
	25-49%	32	29%	38	21%
	50-74%	18	17%	34	19%
	75% or higher	8	7%	11	6%
	Total	109	100%	179	100%
[How many of your students] Frequently work harder than they usually do to meet your standards	None	5	5%	4	2%
	1-24%	44	43%	59	34%
	25-49%	31	30%	53	31%
	50-74%	14	14%	31	18%
	75% or higher	9	9%	26	15%
	Total	103	100%	173	100%
In a typical 7-day week, about how many hours do you expect your students to spend preparing or your class (studying, reading, writing, doing homework or lab work, analyzing data, rehearsing, and other academic activities)	0	1	1%	0	0%
	1-2	3	3%	4	2%
	3-4	15	14%	42	23%
	5-6	43	39%	61	34%
	7-8	26	24%	34	19%
	9-10	10	9%	28	16%
	11-12	10	9%	5	3%
	More than 12	2	2%	5	3%
	Total	110	100%	179	100%
In a typical 7-day week, about how many hours do you think your students actually spend preparing for your class (studying, reading, writing, doing homework or lab work, analyzing data, rehearsing, and other academic activities)	0	2	2%	3	2%
	1-2	45	41%	74	41%
	3-4	38	35%	68	38%
	5-6	19	17%	21	12%
	7-8	1	1%	8	4%
	9-10	1	1%	2	1%
	11-12	3	3%	1	1%
	More than 12	0	0%	2	1%
	Total	109	100%	179	100%
[How important is the following in your course] Work on a paper or project that requires integrating ideas or information from various sources	Not important	16	15%	12	7%
	Somewhat important	20	18%	12	7%
	Important	30	27%	44	25%
	Very important	44	40%	108	61%
	Total	110	100%	176	100%
[How important is the following in your course] Examine the strengths and weaknesses of their views on a topic or issue	Not important	16	15%	11	6%
	Somewhat important	23	21%	29	16%
	Important	26	24%	52	29%
	Very important	43	40%	85	48%
	Total	108	100%	177	100%
Select the box that represents the extent to which your evaluations of student performance (e.g., examinations, portfolio) challenge students in your selected course section to do their best work?	Very Little	0	0%	0	0%
	2	1	1%	1	1%
	3	1	1%	1	1%
	4	14	13%	13	7%
	5	31	28%	45	26%
	6	49	45%	74	42%
	Very much	13	12%	42	24%
	Total	109	100%	176	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Memorizing facts, ideas, or methods from your course and readings so students can repeat them pretty much in the same form	Very little	35	32%	79	45%
	Some	50	45%	64	36%
	Quite a bit	19	17%	27	15%
	Very much	6	5%	6	3%
	Total	110	100%	176	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience or theory, such as examining a particular case or situation in depth, and considering its components	Very little	4	4%	0	0%
	Some	8	7%	22	12%
	Quite a bit	50	45%	61	34%
	Very much	48	44%	94	53%
	Total	110	100%	177	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Synthesizing and organizing ideas, information, or experiences into new, more complex interpretations and relationships	Very little	2	2%	4	2%
	Some	12	11%	14	8%
	Quite a bit	49	45%	61	35%
	Very much	47	43%	97	55%
	Total	110	100%	176	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Making judgments about the value of information, arguments or methods such as examining how others gathered and interpreted data and assessing the soundness of their conclusions	Very little	10	9%	13	7%
	Some	28	25%	32	18%
	Quite a bit	41	37%	52	29%
	Very much	31	28%	80	45%
	Total	110	100%	177	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Applying theories or concepts to practical problems or in new situations	Very little	7	6%	2	1%
	Some	18	17%	19	11%
	Quite a bit	35	32%	55	31%
	Very much	49	45%	101	57%
	Total	109	100%	177	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Thinking critically and analytically	Very little	1	1%	0	0%
	Some	8	8%	10	6%
	Quite a bit	35	33%	37	21%
	Very much	62	58%	128	73%
	Total	106	100%	175	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Learning effectively on their own	Very little	2	2%	3	2%
	Some	22	20%	28	16%
	Quite a bit	41	38%	83	47%
	Very much	44	40%	62	35%
	Total	109	100%	176	100%

Advising

Both freshmen and seniors report below average institutional support for students trying to cope with non-academic responsibilities and social life. The difference form peers is especially large for seniors. Faculty respondents also perceive a relatively low institutional emphasis on support in those areas of student life.
Students at both levels report fewer discussions with faculty and staff about career plans.
Most faculty (69%) report spending 1 to 4 hours per week advising students. Most (72%) say they've discussed career plans with less than 1/4 of their students.

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[How often have you] Talked about career plans with a faculty member or advisor	FY	1.95	2.07	***	-.15
	SR	2.37	2.52	**	-.15
[How much does your inst. emphasize] Providing the support you need to help you succeed academically	FY	3.04	3.04
	SR	2.89	2.92
[How much does your inst. emphasize] Helping you cope with your non-academic responsibilities (work, family, etc.)	FY	1.99	2.12	***	-.16
	SR	1.73	1.90	***	-.21
[How much does your inst. emphasize] Providing the support you need to thrive socially	FY	2.28	2.39	**	-.13
	SR	2.01	2.27	***	-.29
Overall, how would you evaluate the quality of academic advising you have received at your institution?	FY	2.90	2.98	*	-.10
	SR	2.68	2.85	***	-.18

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
[How much does your inst emphasize] Providing students the support they need to help them succeed academically	Very little	1	1%	2	1%
	Some	25	23%	31	17%
	Quite a bit	52	47%	97	54%
	Very much	32	29%	49	27%
	Total	110	100%	179	100%
[How much does your inst emphasize] Helping students cope with their non-academic responsibilities (work, family, etc.)	Very little	23	21%	38	21%
	Some	60	55%	100	56%
	Quite a bit	20	18%	33	19%
	Very much	6	6%	6	3%
	Total	109	100%	177	100%
[How much does your inst emphasize] Providing students the support they need to thrive socially	Very little	12	11%	20	11%
	Some	64	59%	105	60%
	Quite a bit	25	23%	40	23%
	Very much	7	6%	9	5%
	Total	108	100%	174	100%
[How much time do you spend] Advising undergraduate students (hrs/wk)	0	9	8%	12	7%
	1-4	81	75%	119	66%
	5-8	12	11%	36	20%
	9-12	3	3%	11	6%
	13-16	1	1%	1	1%
	17-20	1	1%	0	0%
	21-30	1	1%	0	0%
	More than 30	0	0%	1	1%
	Total	108	100%	180	100%
[How many of your students] At least once, talk about career plans with you	None	5	5%	7	4%
	1-24%	86	79%	109	61%
	25-49%	14	13%	29	16%
	50-74%	2	2%	21	12%
	75% or higher	2	2%	14	8%
	Total	109	100%	180	100%

Capstone / Integrative Experience

Our seniors are more likely than peers to have taken a capstone-type course, but no more likely to indicate that they've been asked to integrate learning from multiple courses.
Faculty members value the capstone courses highly, and indicate that they emphasize integrating learning from other classes in their upper-division classes.

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[How often have you] Put together ideas or concepts from different courses when completing assignments or during class discussions	FY	2.51	2.48
	SR	2.91	2.92
[Have you engaged in the following while in college?] Culminating senior experience (capstone course, thesis, project, comprehensive exam, etc.)	FY	.01	.01
	SR	.52	.43	***	.18

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
[How important is it to you that students at your inst do the following] Culminating senior experience (capstone course, thesis, project, comprehensive exam, etc.)	Not important	2	2%	3	2%
	Somewhat important	11	10%	19	11%
	Important	30	27%	61	34%
	Very important	67	61%	97	54%
	Total	110	100%	180	100%
[How important is the following in your course] Put together ideas or concepts from different courses when completing assignments or during class discussions	Not important	23	21%	10	6%
	Somewhat important	31	28%	52	29%
	Important	39	35%	59	33%
	Very important	17	15%	56	32%
	Total	110	100%	177	100%

Co-curricular Activities

Our seniors report much less participation in activities outside class, and perceive lower institutional commitment to student attendance at campus events.

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[How often have you] Attended an art exhibit, gallery, play, dance, or other theatre performance	FY	2.09	2.12
	SR	1.86	1.99	**	-.16
[How much time do you spend] Participating in co-curricular activities (organizations, campus publications, student government, social fraternity or sorority, intercollegiate or intramural sports, etc.)	FY	1.91	2.27	***	-.25
	SR	1.71	2.24	***	-.36
[How much does your inst. emphasize] Attending campus events and activities (special speakers, cultural performances, athletic events, etc.)	FY	2.75	2.81
	SR	2.43	2.68	***	-.28

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
[How much does your inst emphasize] Encouraging students to participate in co-curricular activities (organizations, campus publications, student government, social fraternity or sorority, intercollegiate or intramural sports, etc.)	Very little	10	9%	9	5%
	Some	44	41%	96	54%
	Quite a bit	43	40%	56	31%
	Very much	11	10%	17	10%
	Total	108	100%	178	100%
[How much does your inst emphasize] Encouraging students to attend campus events and activities (special speakers, cultural performances, athletic events, etc.)	Very little	11	10%	13	7%
	Some	39	35%	73	42%
	Quite a bit	44	40%	68	39%
	Very much	16	15%	21	12%
	Total	110	100%	175	100%

Community Service

All respondents, but especially seniors, indicate less involvement in community service than students at peer schools.

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[How often have you] Participated in a community-based project (e.g. service learning) as part of a regular course	FY	1.34	1.40	*	-.09
	SR	1.64	1.81	***	-.19
[Have you engaged in the following while in college?] Community service or volunteer work	FY	.33	.37
	SR	.61	.66	*	-.11
[How much has your inst contributed to your growth in] Contributing to the welfare of your community	FY	2.19	2.28	*	-.10
	SR	2.23	2.41	***	-.19

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
[How important is it to you that students at your inst do the following] Community service or volunteer work	Not important	11	10%	15	8%
	Somewhat important	41	37%	60	34%
	Important	38	35%	67	37%
	Very important	20	18%	37	21%
	Total	110	100%	179	100%
Participate in a community-based project (e.g., service learning) as part of your course	Never	85	78%	120	67%
	Sometimes	13	12%	38	21%
	Often	8	7%	7	4%
	Very often	3	3%	14	8%
	Total	109	100%	179	100%

Diversity

Seniors report slightly less engagement and development in the appreciation of diversity than peers.

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[How often have you] Included diverse perspectives (different races, religions, genders, political beliefs, etc.) in class discussions or writing assignments	FY	2.60	2.58
	SR	2.76	2.72
[How often have you] Had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity than your own	FY	2.47	2.52
	SR	2.49	2.62	**	-.14
[How often have you] Had serious conversations with students who are very different from you in terms of their religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values	FY	2.76	2.80
	SR	2.70	2.78
[How often have you] Tried to better understand someone else's views by imagining how an issue looks from his or her perspective	FY	2.71	2.67
	SR	2.85	2.80
[How much does your inst. emphasize] Encouraging contact among students from different economic, social, and racial or ethnic backgrounds	FY	2.55	2.53
	SR	2.20	2.35	**	-.16
[How much has your inst contributed to your growth in] Understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds	FY	2.48	2.47
	SR	2.42	2.52	*	-.10

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
[How much does your inst emphasize] Encouraging contact among students from different economic, social, and racial or ethnic backgrounds	Very little	21	19%	43	24%
	Some	58	53%	86	49%
	Quite a bit	21	19%	37	21%
	Very much	9	8%	11	6%
	Total	109	100%	177	100%
[How often do students in your course] Have class discussions or writing assignments that include diverse perspectives (different races, religions, genders, political beliefs, etc.)	Never	35	32%	34	19%
	Sometimes	29	27%	58	32%
	Often	21	19%	43	24%
	Very often	24	22%	45	25%
	Total	109	100%	180	100%
[How often do students in your course] Have serious conversations in your course with students of a different race or ethnicity than their own	Never	29	26%	60	34%
	Sometimes	58	53%	83	46%
	Often	17	15%	25	14%
	Very often	6	5%	11	6%
	Total	110	100%	179	100%
[How often do students in your course] Have serious conversations in your course with students who are very different from them in terms of their religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values	Never	23	21%	42	24%
	Sometimes	66	60%	81	46%
	Often	15	14%	38	21%
	Very often	6	5%	17	10%
	Total	110	100%	178	100%
[How important is the following in your course] Try to better understand someone else's views by imagining how an issue looks from that person's perspective	Not important	22	20%	21	12%
	Somewhat important	22	20%	24	14%
	Important	25	23%	54	31%
	Very important	40	37%	78	44%
	Total	109	100%	177	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds	Very little	44	41%	54	31%
	Some	26	24%	55	31%
	Quite a bit	16	15%	27	15%
	Very much	21	20%	40	23%
	Total	107	100%	176	100%

E-media

GVSU seniors report that they use electronic media for coursework less than their peers.
Students at both levels perceive less growth in technology skills that national peers.

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[How often have you] Used an electronic medium (listserv, chat group, Internet, instant messaging, etc.) to discuss or complete an assignment	FY	2.67	2.65
	SR	2.68	2.91	***	-.23
[How often have you] Used e-mail to communicate with an instructor	FY	3.03	3.00
	SR	3.32	3.33
[How much does your inst. emphasize] Using computers in academic work	FY	3.33	3.28
	SR	3.48	3.50
[How much has your inst contributed to your growth in] Using computing and information technology	FY	2.90	2.99	*	-.10
	SR	3.15	3.27	**	-.15

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
[How much does your inst emphasize] Encouraging students to use computers in their academic work	Very little	0	0%	0	0%
	Some	12	11%	9	5%
	Quite a bit	33	30%	60	34%
	Very much	65	59%	108	61%
	Total	110	100%	177	100%
[How many of your students] Occasionally use e-mail to communicate with you	None	1	1%	1	1%
	1-24%	44	40%	53	29%
	25-49%	32	29%	51	28%
	50-74%	20	18%	44	24%
	75% or higher	12	11%	31	17%
	Total	109	100%	180	100%
[How often do students in your course] Use an electronic medium (listserv, chat group, Internet, instant messaging, etc.) to discuss or complete an assignment	Never	26	24%	50	28%
	Sometimes	39	35%	53	30%
	Often	17	15%	37	21%
	Very often	28	25%	39	22%
	Total	110	100%	179	100%
[What percent of time in your class is spent on] Student computer use	0	65	63%	108	63%
	1-9	15	14%	36	21%
	10-19	10	10%	15	9%
	20-29	4	4%	4	2%
	30-39	5	5%	6	3%
	40-49	0	0%	2	1%
	50-74	1	1%	0	0%
	75 or more	4	4%	1	1%
	Total	104	100%	172	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Using computing and information technology	Very little	32	29%	57	32%
	Some	36	33%	58	33%
	Quite a bit	23	21%	43	24%
	Very much	18	17%	18	10%
	Total	109	100%	176	100%

Ethics

Students (especially seniors) report a below-average contribution to the development of a personal code of ethics.
Note that CIRP data indicate that our students tend not to expect spiritual dividends from college. Poor results here may indicate less development in values and ethics, or it may indicate that students attribute changes to other aspects of their life, rather than to GVSU. In the former case, our students may be more resistant to change driven by the university experience than national peers.

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[How much has your inst contributed to your growth in] Developing a personal code of values and ethics	FY	2.39	2.48	*	-.09
	SR	2.38	2.67	***	-.29

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Developing a personal code of values and ethics	Very little	39	36%	41	23%
	Some	34	32%	59	34%
	Quite a bit	25	23%	34	19%
	Very much	9	8%	41	23%
	Total	107	100%	175	100%

Faculty Involvement with Students

GVSU seniors indicate that they've done much less work with faculty outside class than seniors at our peer institutions.
The difference seems to encompass both research and other work.

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[How often have you] Worked with faculty members on activities other than coursework (committees, orientation, student life activities, etc.)	FY	1.40	1.51	***	-.16
	SR	1.61	1.92	***	-.33
[How often have you] Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with faculty members outside of class	FY	1.69	1.74
	SR	2.04	2.08
[Have you engaged in the following while in college?] Work on a research project with a faculty member outside of course or program requirements	FY	.02	.04	**	-.10
	SR	.14	.22	***	-.20
Quality of relationships with faculty members	FY	5.05	5.27	***	-.19
Quality of relationships with faculty members	SR	5.41	5.53

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
[How important is it to you that students at your inst do the following] Work on a research project with a faculty member outside of course or program requirements	Not important	14	13%	23	13%
	Somewhat important	34	31%	62	34%
	Important	37	34%	71	39%
	Very important	25	23%	24	13%
	Total	110	100%	180	100%
Quality of student relationships with faculty members	Unavailable, Unhelpful, Unsympathetic	0	0%	0	0%
	2	0	0%	4	2%
	3	5	5%	8	4%
	4	13	12%	27	15%
	5	43	39%	54	30%
	6	40	36%	68	38%
	Available, Helpful, Sympathetic	9	8%	17	10%
	Total	110	100%	178	100%
[How much time do you spend] Working with undergraduates on research (hrs/wk)	0	43	41%	67	37%
	1-4	45	43%	89	49%
	5-8	12	12%	17	9%
	9-12	2	2%	4	2%
	13-16	0	0%	1	1%
	17-20	0	0%	1	1%
	21-30	1	1%	0	0%
	More than 30	1	1%	1	1%
	Total	104	100%	180	100%
[How much time do you spend] Working with students on activities other than course work (committees, orientation, student life activities, etc.) (hrs/wk)	0	41	38%	72	40%
	1-4	60	56%	95	53%
	5-8	6	6%	10	6%
	9-12	1	1%	2	1%
	13-16	0	0%	0	0%
	17-20	0	0%	0	0%
	21-30	0	0%	0	0%
	More than 30	0	0%	1	1%
	Total	108	100%	180	100%
[How much time do you spend] Other interactions with students outside of the classroom (hrs/wk)	0	13	12%	24	13%
	1-4	84	78%	133	74%
	5-8	9	8%	16	9%
	9-12	1	1%	6	3%
	13-16	0	0%	0	0%
	17-20	0	0%	0	0%
	21-30	0	0%	0	0%
	More than 30	1	1%	1	1%
	Total	108	100%	180	100%
[How many of your students] At least once, talk about career plans with you	None	5	5%	7	4%
	1-24%	86	79%	109	61%
	25-49%	14	13%	29	16%
	50-74%	2	2%	21	12%
	75% or higher	2	2%	14	8%
	Total	109	100%	180	100%
[How many of your students] At least once, discuss ideas from readings or classes with you outside of class	None	11	10%	13	7%
	1-24%	69	63%	109	61%
	25-49%	20	18%	34	19%
	50-74%	8	7%	10	6%
	75% or higher	1	1%	14	8%
	Total	109	100%	180	100%

Foreign Languages

GVSU students report taking fewer foreign language courses.
Faculty appear to value foreign language education highly

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[Have you engaged in the following while in college?] Foreign language coursework	FY	.21	.30	***	-.20
	SR	.36	.48	***	-.25

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
[How important is it to you that students at your inst do the following] Study a foreign language	Not important	7	6%	5	3%
	Somewhat important	26	24%	53	29%
	Important	30	27%	70	39%
	Very important	47	43%	52	29%
	Total	110	100%	180	100%

Gains from College

GVSU seniors report significantly less development in nearly all domains surveyed than seniors at peer institutions. Differences

Speaking clearly and effectively
Learning effectively on their own
Understanding themselves
Solving complex real-world problems
Working effectively with others

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
How much has your inst contributed to your growth in...
Acquiring a broad general education	FY	3.14	3.19
Acquiring a broad general education	SR	3.18	3.33	***	-.21
Acquiring job or work-related knowledge and skills	FY	2.60	2.70	*	-.11
Acquiring job or work-related knowledge and skills	SR	2.94	3.11	***	-.20
Writing clearly and effectively	FY	2.92	2.92
Writing clearly and effectively	SR	3.08	3.12
Speaking clearly and effectively	FY	2.53	2.76	***	-.26
Speaking clearly and effectively	SR	2.80	3.06	***	-.31
Thinking critically and analytically	FY	3.05	3.11
Thinking critically and analytically	SR	3.27	3.35	*	-.11
Analyzing quantitative problems	FY	2.81	2.85
Analyzing quantitative problems	SR	2.95	3.01
Using computing and information technology	FY	2.90	2.99	*	-.10
Using computing and information technology	SR	3.15	3.27	**	-.15
Working effectively with others	FY	2.90	2.90
Working effectively with others	SR	3.06	3.26	***	-.24
Voting in local, state, or national elections	FY	2.45	2.38
Voting in local, state, or national elections	SR	2.16	2.28	*	-.11
Learning effectively on your own	FY	2.81	2.87
Learning effectively on your own	SR	2.85	3.08	***	-.28
Understanding yourself	FY	2.65	2.66
Understanding yourself	SR	2.62	2.87	***	-.26
Understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds	FY	2.48	2.47
Understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds	SR	2.42	2.52	*	-.10
Solving complex real-world problems	FY	2.46	2.53
Solving complex real-world problems	SR	2.53	2.74	***	-.24

Peer Socialization

Students (especially seniors) report a low quality of relationships with other students.
Freshmen report above average time spent working together in class, but both seniors and freshmen indicate that they spend less time working together outside class than their peers nationally.
Seniors report below-average development in ability to work with others

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[How often have you] Worked with other students on projects during class	FY	2.56	2.30	***	.34
	SR	2.56	2.51
[How often have you] Worked with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments	FY	2.31	2.39	*	-.10
	SR	2.66	2.91	***	-.30
[How often have you] Tutored or taught other students (paid or voluntary)	FY	1.58	1.66	*	-.10
	SR	1.85	1.89
Quality of relationships with other students	FY	5.41	5.61	***	-.16
Quality of relationships with other students	SR	5.33	5.74	***	-.32
[How much time do you spend] Relaxing and socializing (watching TV, partying, etc.)	FY	3.79	3.84
	SR	3.24	3.56	***	-.20
[How much has your inst contributed to your growth in] Working effectively with others	FY	2.90	2.90
	SR	3.06	3.26	***	-.24

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
Quality of student relationships with other students	Unfriendly, Unsupportive, Sense of Alienation	0	0%	0	0%
	2	1	1%	2	1%
	3	6	5%	9	5%
	4	25	23%	37	21%
	5	36	33%	53	30%
	6	37	34%	67	38%
	Friendly, Supportive, Sense of Belonging	5	5%	10	6%
	Total	110	100%	178	100%
[How important is the following in your course] Work with other students on projects during class	Never	13	12%	20	11%
	Sometimes	33	30%	47	26%
	Often	30	27%	55	31%
	Very often	34	31%	57	32%
	Total	110	100%	179	100%
[How important is the following in your course] Work with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments	Not important	30	27%	34	19%
	Somewhat important	35	32%	50	28%
	Important	33	30%	54	31%
	Very important	12	11%	39	22%
	Total	110	100%	177	100%
[How important is the following in your course] Tutor or teach other students (paid or voluntary)	Not important	49	45%	71	40%
	Somewhat important	33	30%	58	33%
	Important	18	17%	28	16%
	Very important	9	8%	20	11%
	Total	109	100%	177	100%
[What percent of time in your class is spent on] Small group activities	0	15	14%	33	19%
	1-9	21	20%	50	28%
	10-19	30	28%	50	28%
	20-29	20	19%	17	10%
	30-39	8	7%	10	6%
	40-49	3	3%	6	3%
	50-74	6	6%	8	5%
	75 or more	4	4%	3	2%
	Total	107	100%	177	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Working effectively with others	Very little	17	16%	25	14%
	Some	38	35%	53	30%
	Quite a bit	36	33%	49	28%
	Very much	18	17%	48	27%
	Total	109	100%	175	100%

Practical Learning

Seniors report below-average participation in internships and similar experiences.
GVSU seniors are more likely to plan to participate in these but to have not done it yet. The problem may be related to poor progress toward degrees. We may have more students who are seniors but are still more than 1 year from graduating than our peers.
Seniors indicate below average growth in solving complex real-world problems.

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[Have you engaged in the following while in college?] Practicum, internship, field experience, co-op experience, or clinical assignment	FY	.05	.05
	SR	.45	.63	***	-.37
[How much has your inst contributed to your growth in] Acquiring job or work-related knowledge and skills	FY	2.60	2.70	*	-.11
	SR	2.94	3.11	***	-.20
[How much has your inst contributed to your growth in] Solving complex real-world problems	FY	2.46	2.53
	SR	2.53	2.74	***	-.24

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
[How important is it to you that students at your inst do the following] Practicum, internship, field experience, co-op experience, or clinical assignment	Not important	9	8%	6	3%
	Somewhat important	21	19%	20	11%
	Important	30	27%	54	30%
	Very important	50	45%	100	56%
	Total	110	100%	180	100%
[How much time do you spend] Supervising internships or other field experiences (hrs/wk)	0	74	69%	112	63%
	1-4	29	27%	45	25%
	5-8	4	4%	10	6%
	9-12	1	1%	5	3%
	13-16	0	0%	4	2%
	17-20	0	0%	1	1%
	21-30	0	0%	1	1%
	More than 30	0	0%	1	1%
	Total	108	100%	179	100%
[What percent of time in your class is spent on] Experiential (labs, field work, art exhibits, etc.)	0	56	54%	105	61%
	1-9	13	13%	20	12%
	10-19	12	12%	18	10%
	20-29	10	10%	7	4%
	30-39	7	7%	9	5%
	40-49	2	2%	6	3%
	50-74	3	3%	3	2%
	75 or more	1	1%	4	2%
	Total	104	100%	172	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Solving complex real-world problems	Very little	17	16%	19	11%
	Some	31	29%	51	29%
	Quite a bit	34	32%	51	29%
	Very much	25	23%	55	31%
	Total	107	100%	176	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Acquiring job or work-related knowledge and skills	Very little	13	12%	13	7%
	Some	43	40%	50	29%
	Quite a bit	26	24%	57	33%
	Very much	25	23%	54	31%
	Total	107	100%	174	100%

Speaking

˙ GVSU students at both levels indicate lower expectations and less growth in speaking skills.

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[How often have you] Made a class presentation	FY	1.96	2.23	***	-.36
[How often have you] Made a class presentation	SR	2.75	2.92	***	-.21
[How much has your inst contributed to your growth in] Speaking clearly and effectively	FY	2.53	2.76	***	-.26
	SR	2.80	3.06	***	-.31

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
[What percent of time in your class is spent on] Student presentations	0	51	48%	57	33%
	1-9	36	34%	49	28%
	10-19	8	7%	38	22%
	20-29	5	5%	16	9%
	30-39	2	2%	5	3%
	40-49	0	0%	4	2%
	50-74	2	2%	3	2%
	75 or more	3	3%	0	0%
	Total	107	100%	172	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Speaking clearly and effectively	Very little	31	29%	29	16%
	Some	39	36%	53	30%
	Quite a bit	21	19%	54	31%
	Very much	17	16%	40	23%
	Total	108	100%	176	100%

Spirituality

Seniors report a below-average contribution by the college to their spiritual development.
As noted above under "Ethics", poor results here may indicate less development or it may indicate that students attribute changes to other aspects of their life, rather than to GVSU. In the former case, our students may be more resistant to change driven by the university experience than national peers.

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[How often have you] Participated in activities to enhance your spirituality (worship, meditation, prayer, etc.)	FY	2.09	2.00
	SR	2.18	2.10
[How much has your inst contributed to your growth in] Developing a deepened sense of spirituality	FY	1.93	1.96
	SR	1.65	1.85	***	-.20

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Understanding themselves	Very little	31	29%	39	22%
	Some	36	33%	49	28%
	Quite a bit	18	17%	43	25%
	Very much	23	21%	43	25%
	Total	108	100%	174	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Developing a deepened sense of spirituality	Very little	82	77%	123	70%
	Some	16	15%	31	18%
	Quite a bit	7	7%	11	6%
	Very much	2	2%	11	6%
	Total	107	100%	176	100%

Writing

Our students are expected to write multiple drafts of papers more than national peers.
GVSU writing assignments tend to be in the middle-range (5 to 19 pages) with fewer short or long assignments.

Student Questionnaire Item	Student level	GVSU	Peers	Sig.	Effect Size
[How often have you] Prepared two or more drafts of a paper or assignment before turning it in	FY	2.76	2.46	***	.31
	SR	2.53	2.40	**	.14
Number of written papers or reports of 20 pages or more	FY	1.16	1.18
Number of written papers or reports of 20 pages or more	SR	1.48	1.68	***	-.28
Number of written papers or reports between 5 and 19 pages	FY	2.29	2.26
	SR	2.73	2.63	*	.11
Number of written papers or reports of fewer than 5 pages	FY	2.94	3.17	***	-.23
	SR	3.11	3.17
[How much has your inst contributed to your growth in] Writing clearly and effectively	FY	2.92	2.92
	SR	3.08	3.12

		Lower Division		Upper Division
Faculty Questionnaire Item	Response	#	%	#	%
Number of written papers or reports of 20 pages or more in your course	None	93	91%	129	76%
	1	6	6%	31	18%
	2-3	2	2%	5	3%
	4-6	0	0%	2	1%
	More than 6	1	1%	3	2%
	Total	102	100%	170	100%
Number of written papers or reports between 5 and 19 pages in your course	None	40	38%	38	23%
	1	29	27%	57	34%
	2-3	26	25%	42	25%
	4-6	6	6%	20	12%
	More than 6	5	5%	11	7%
	Total	106	100%	168	100%
Number of written papers or reports of fewer than 5 pages in your course	None	24	22%	30	18%
	1	12	11%	23	14%
	2-3	27	25%	46	27%
	4-6	17	16%	39	23%
	More than 6	27	25%	32	19%
	Total	107	100%	170	100%
[How important is the following in your course] Prepare two or more drafts of a paper or assignment before turning it in	Not important	27	25%	33	19%
	Somewhat important	30	28%	36	20%
	Important	31	28%	56	32%
	Very important	21	19%	52	29%
	Total	109	100%	177	100%
[What percent of time in your class is spent on] In-class writing	0	52	49%	97	56%
	1-9	39	37%	58	33%
	10-19	8	8%	16	9%
	20-29	2	2%	2	1%
	30-39	2	2%	1	1%
	40-49	0	0%	0	0%
	50-74	0	0%	0	0%
	75 or more	3	3%	0	0%
	Total	106	100%	174	100%
[How much do you structure your course to emphasize] Writing clearly and effectively	Very little	11	10%	14	8%
	Some	33	30%	31	18%
	Quite a bit	25	23%	52	30%
	Very much	40	37%	79	45%
	Total	109	100%	176	100%

[1] Cal Poly -- San Luis Obispo; College of Charleston; CUNY Baruch College; James Madison U; Murray State U; Salisbury U; SUNY Oneonta; College of New Jersey; Towson U; Truman State U; UNC Wilmington.