[Chad]

Student Involvement Survey In The Works

As reported in the Daily News yesterday, McMaster students are being asked to rate how engaged they are at university, both academically and extra-curricularly, by participating in the National Survey on Student Engagement (NSSE).

"It consists of about 100 questions and takes about 15 minutes to complete. Sample questions include, "How often have you asked questions in class or contributed to class discussions?" and "How often have you made a class presentation?" Students can answer these questions by choosing one of four responses: never, sometimes, often or very often."

How can students participate in the survey? Well... there's no web link to fill it out. Apparently you need to be invited to participate. Also, half the participants will be students in their final year.

"NSSE will randomly select 5,000 McMaster students (2,500 first-year students and 2,500 students in their final year) to participate in the survey. They will receive an invitation via e-mail along with a letter from McMaster University President Peter George. Those who don't complete the survey will receive a follow-up letter from [Phil] Wood"

While I think it's great that a survey is being done to see student involvement on campus... especially extra-curriculars, which is the primary focus of MacInsiders, I find it slightly unfair that half of the students asked to participate will be in their final year, and that the 'middle' year students in 2nd and 3rd year have no say. In my own experience, and from the statistics here on MacInsiders, it's students in first and second year who get most involved in clubs and student activities. A reasonable explanation would be because students in their final years are understandably too busy with thesis's and school work; a small portion of them taking administrative roles in clubs and groups. Why not do a more even spread between all years? Don't questions like "How often have you asked questions in class or contributed to class discussions" apply equally to all of us?

*update*: RobL brought up the point that the survey is conducted country-wise and aims to compare engagement between the beginning and end of our university careers... hense the focus on just the first and fourth years. This makes sense, and you can view results from past McMaster years here.

Over 500 universities and colleges throughout Canada (31) and the United States take part in this survey.

Source: Daily News

[RobL]

The NSSE survey is conducted across the country, and only first and fourth years are invited at all institutions. It measures engagement in the first and last years of education for many purposes, and the results are very telling statistically.

A different survey body would be more than welcome to engage the middle years, but this survey has specific purposes used by University senates and other bodies.

[Chad]

I can see the usefulness behind it if the purpose of the survey is to compare the two years (first and fourth). But as you said, a more general survey of McMaster as a whole would be nice

[woodpe]

People who are interested in the NSSE survey should read my article in this week's Sil (page 2). There are links there for more information. If you have been sent a request to participate to your university e-mail address please consider replying, it doesn't take long. And yes the survey is only aimed at first and last years. The Globe and Mail survey will be done soon and it is for all years.
Phil Wood

[Chad]

Hi Dr. Wood! Thanks for your response!

I definitely think everyone should get involved in the survey if you're in first or fourth year. It helps provide McMaster with some valuable feedback.

Check out more information here:
http://www.mcmaster.ca/avppa/nsse.html

At McMaster, we find the NSSE results helpful in determining what is important to our students so that they get the most out of their university experience, where we’re meeting or exceeding those expectations, and where we need to focus to build on the student experience at McMaster. We also use the data to identify our strengths in areas of high institutional importance, such as providing students with experiential learning opportunities and creating a well-rounded experience for our students both inside and outside of the classroom.

Interestingly enough you can also check out the past year's results.

I look forward to the Globe and Mail's survey Dr. Wood. How can one be a part of that survey? Is there a website or contact information you can provide us to learn more about the Globe and Mail survey for all student years? Thanks.

[lorend]

I was one of the graduating students who got asked to fill it out. It's a pretty quick survey to complete.

[woodpe]

Chad, Requests will have gone out from the Globe and Mail by now to about 5000 students and will contain a letter from me encouraging them to participate. The Globe and Mail administers the survey although we generated the random list of students for them (trying to avoid students who had been requested by NSEE and also including 2nd and 3rd year students). I think that you need to be asked to participate in the survey. In the old days students could participate by going to the website studentawards.com. This was not a very scientfic way to do surveys however and so the Globe partnered with the Staegic Council a couple of years ago to develop a better methodolgy and asked for universities to help.

Phil Wood

[lorend]

Indeed, if you volunteer yourself to participate, you aren't doing true 'random' sampling. Although doing first and fourth year students is different than doing the student body as a whole (as it has a kind of sampling bias), it will give insight in different ways than if students from all years completed the survey.

Thank you Soc Sci 2J03, for teaching me about surveys. Shoutouts also go to Data Management.

I have a feeling the results are going to be interpreted in such a way that the results will display how how current first year students get involved, in comparison to how fourth year students got involved over the course at Mac.

[Chad]

Hi Dr. Wood! Thanks again for posting on the forum and giving us updates. I'm excited about the upcoming Globe and Mail survey, and was invited to participate.

I agree, if they want random sampling then it's best to give them a random base of students instead of students asking to participate.

I'm looking forward to the results, and I'll write something about the survey shortly - to encourage the 5000 people who did receive the e-mail to take advantage of the opportunity and complete the questionnaire about McMaster!

Thanks again