[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/pencil.jpg” caption=”The National Survey of Student Engagement gives McMaster students a chance to speak up.”]McMaster University's first-year and fourth-year undergraduates are currently being polled by a North American-wide survey about their experience at McMaster.

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) asks students to assess their classes, faculty and friends. They are asked about their interaction with faculty, the quality and timeliness of the feedback, and whether expectations are communicated effectively. It asks whether a co-operative attitude exists among students, whether students are engaged in active learning and new ways of learning, and if there is respect for diverse talents. The results of the survey are used by institutions to see how they stack up against their peers in the delivery of student programs and services. The survey takes about 15 minutes complete.

“It's not a satisfaction survey, it's an engagement survey,” explains Phil Wood, associate vice-president, Student Affairs. “It asks the kinds of questions that are important to a university that strives to put learning and students above all else. We want to know if the relationship between students and teachers is effective; how often students interact with other students; do students from other cultures and background have a sense of inclusiveness at Mac? It gives us a chance to find out what students have gained from their experience here. We can then take this information and find ways to improve on teaching and on student life.”

About 500,000 students from more than 450 post-secondary institutions throughout Canada and the United States take part in the NSSE survey. This is the first time that all Ontario universities have participated in the NSSE survey. Questionnaires are issued in late January, and responses are collected until June 1. Results are tabulated, and published in the Fall.

In 2004, the last year McMaster participated, the University did very well, at times scoring higher than its U.S. counterparts. The only area where McMaster lagged was in student-faculty interaction, an issue for all of the Canadian schools that participated.

“We want to know more about the experience students have at McMaster so we hope students take the time to participate in the survey,” said Peter George, president of McMaster.

Students who are asked to take part in the survey will hear directly from NSSE via email from the address nsse2006@mcmaster.ca.

The full 2004 results are posted at www.mcmaster.ca/ua/opr/reports/nssebenchmark.pdf.