What is NSSE?

NSSE—or the National Survey of Student Engagement—is a nationally administered survey of first-year and senior college students; it measures students’ engagement in effective educational experiences that research shows are linked to deep learning, satisfaction with college and individual development. Along with other art and design colleges, Moore has participated in this survey twice—in 2006 and 2008—and will do so on a cyclical basis every 3 years. The College receives comparisons not only with other art and design colleges but also, in 2008, with other women’s colleges and with all NSSE respondents. NSSE groups the answers to their survey questions into 5 areas that measure Level of Academic Challenge, Active and Collaborative Learning, Student-Faculty Interaction, Enriching Educational Experience and Supportive Campus Environment.

Moore Students’ Responses in 2008:

Inasmuch as the benchmarks group together a number of items, it makes sense to look at several individual items that reflect Moore’s mission, some of which are from first-year students, some from seniors and some from both levels. In the 2008 NSSE, for items related to academic achievement, Moore had some of its highest scores for:

• Coursework that emphasizes analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience, or theory, such as examining a particular case or situation in depth and considering its components
• Coursework that emphasizes synthesizing and organizing ideas
• Coursework that emphasizes applying theories and concepts
• Preparing 2 or more drafts of a paper or assignment before turning it in
• Working on a paper or a project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources

When NSSE asks Moore women to rate their educational and personal growth, they gave high scores for growth in:

• Writing clearly and effectively
• Acquiring job or work-related knowledge
• Speaking clearly and effectively
• Thinking critically and analytically
• Working effectively with others

Moore students are also hard workers, as reflected in high scores for:

• Worked harder than you thought you could to meet an instructor’s standards or expectations
• Time spent preparing for class 

The data also reflects Moore’s commitment to a career-focused education, since 75% of Moore’s seniors report that they have had a “practicum, internship, field experience coop experience or clinical assignment.”  This percentage will go up in the future since now all majors require internships.

Moore’s close-knit collaborative environment is reflected in this data as well, as it relates to faculty and other students. There are high scores for:

• Discussed grades or assignments with an instructor
• Talked about career plans with faculty member or advisor
• Quality of relationships with faculty members
• Had serious conversations with students who are very different from you in terms of their religious beliefs, political opinions or personal values
• Tried to better understand someone else’s views by imagining how an issue looks from his or her perspective
• Quality of relationships with other students

In keeping with the purpose of NSSE and with Moore’s commitment to continually enhancing the student experience, a group of Moore’s faculty, staff and students look at data from NSSE and other surveys every year and make recommendations for improvement. We look forward to reporting additional high scores in 2011 when the College next participates in NSSE.