National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

On February 14, freshmen and seniors received an email asking for their candid and confidential thoughts on their UW–Madison experiences by participating in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). NSSE is voluntary and confidential and takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. This survey explores what students think of their undergraduate experience, the kinds of activities in which they engage and how they are benefiting from their studies. As an incentive, students who complete the NSSE by April 10 will be entered in a drawing for one of 12 cash prizes of $200 each.* Areas of student engagement measured by the survey include:

• Academic challenge
• Learning with peers
• Experience with faculty
• Campus environment

The information collected in the survey gives the university insight as to what it is doing well and where it needs to improve, so student participation in the NSSE provides the university with invaluable data for planning efforts and resource allocations. Previous surveys, for example, identified the need for more academic and career advising on campus and additional resources for first-year students. Campus responded by hiring additional advisors and creating the Center for the First-Year Experience. Students who share their perspective in this year’s NSSE will help shape UW–Madison and the services it provides to students in the future. The NSSE is conducted by Indiana University for hundreds of campuses across the country, and is coordinated on the UW–Madison Campus by the Office of Academic Planning and Institutional Research. For more information on NSSE, please visit the NSSE website. * Prize money is reportable for income tax purposes.