College students are full of opinions — just check in at the nearest social media site. When it comes to what students think about their UT experience, those free-ranging opinions can become the engine of genuine change through the National Survey of Student Engagement.
When universities need to collect, interpret and apply those opinions toward creating the best educational experience, the National Survey of Student Engagement, based at the University of Indiana, far outstrips social media — and it’s just about as easy to use.
“The National Survey of Student Engagement was created as a way of taking the pulse of university students nationwide,” said Dr. Kaye Patten Wallace, senior vice president for student affairs. “The UT Division of Student Affairs uses it to help us understand how students are spending their time in and out of the classroom, and that in turn helps The University of Toledo make decisions in every area of the student experience.”
A representative sampling of first-year students and seniors will receive emails starting Tuesday, Feb. 5, from Patten Wallace, inviting them to invest 15 minutes in taking the online survey.
In addition to offering students the chance to influence decision-making at UT, there are more immediate incentives: Students who complete the survey by March 27 are entered in a drawing in which they can win one of several prizes, including an Apple iPad and eight Barnes & Noble gift cards in $100 and $50 denominations.
“The prizes are great, of course, but the real incentive for taking this survey is to make your voice heard,” Patten Wallace said. “When the students talk, we’ll listen.”
She urged eligible students to check their emails; following the first notification, reminders will be sent weekly until March 12.
More information about the National Survey of Student Engagement is available at nsse.iub.edu.
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