1. The Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)
Pilot Test Results (Fall 2001)
May 23, 2003
MayDaze

2. CCSSE (cessie)
Provides a new focus on educational practices that research shows are related to student success
Conducted out of the University of Texas at Austin
Supported by grants from The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Lumina Foundation for Education
Patterned after NSSE (nessie) conducted out of Indiana University

3. CCSSE Pilot Institutions and Numbers
Pilot Targeted Actual Response
Institution Sample Sample Rate
Butler County CC %
Cascadia CC %
CC of Denver 1, %
Central Piedmont CC %
Hocking College %
Johnson County CC 1, %
Kingsborough CC 1,125 1, %
Kirkwood CC 1,125 1, %
Montgomery College %
Richland CC 1, %
Schoolcraft College 1, %
Sinclair CC 1, %
Total ,800 8, %

4. Procedures CPCC sent UT our class schedule electronically
They selected sections including developmental courses and a variety of classes at each campus
They provided us a list of selected sections and an alternate list (in case the original list needed subs)
Planning and Research staff went to each selected classroom and distributed, monitored and collected the data over a three week period in Fall 2001
Data were returned to UT for analysis
UT returned the summarized data to the College in 2002

5. Findings - Demographics
CPCC Respondents University
Sample (all institutions) Students (NSSE)
Gender:
Male 41.2% 44.0% 44%
Female 58.8% 56% 56%
Race:
White 57.0% 61.5% 70%
Asian % % 6%
Latino % % 6%
Black 17.6% % 10%
Nat. Amer % % 1%
Int’l 11.1% % 3%
Other % % na
Enrollment Status:
Full-time 39.4% 31.5% 79%
Part-time 60.6% 68.5% 21%

6. What was learned from the entire group
Almost 80% have home computers with Internet connections
20% have access at work and 70% have on-campus access
Only 65% use the Internet at least weekly for class projects or assignments
47% use it several times a week
30% use it often or very often

7. Learned… continued 56% do not receive financial support from parents
55% do not receive grants or scholarships
75% have no student loans
40% claim paying for college is a significant issue
45% report that their colleges provide the financial support they need to afford their education

8. Students at-risk of not attaining their educational goals
Community college students are 3-4 times more likely to reflect the factors that research indicates put them at-risk. Those are:
Being academically under-prepared
Being a single parent
Being financially independent
Caring for children at home
Working more than 30 hours a week
Being a first-generation college student
Being a part-time student
Identifying the cost of attending college as a significant issue

9. At-risk Students
25% of CCSSE respondents fell in the low risk category (0-1 risk factors)
66% were moderate risk students (2-4 risk factors)
9% were high-risk (5 or more risk factors)

10. High-risk students
Are less likely to set transferring to a four-year institution as a primary goal
Are more likely to set completing their associate degree as a primary goal
Are exerting more effort to succeed (they are overcoming significant challenge to attend college)
Are much less likely to come to class prepared
More likely to ask questions and participant in class discussions
Are more likely to prepare two or more drafts of a paper or assignment before turning it in

11. High-risk students
Are more likely to report that they “work harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor’s expectations”
Are more likely to find exams challenging
Are more dedicated to studying
Are taking advantage of services offered by the college
Are more likely to give high ratings to the importance of tutoring, financial aid, career counseling, etc.
Are more likely to participate in study-skills classes, orientation and organized learning communities

12. At-risk Students
Community Colleges are doing a good job of motivating and serving these students
Ensuring the success of these students remains one of the critical challenges for community colleges
Assisting these students may be one of our most significant potential contributions to our community

13. Section I: Activities in the Classroom
Students were asked “how often” they participated in various activities in the classroom
Scale: 1 = never, 2 = occasionally, 3 = often and 4 = very often
Data for CPCC are compared to the CC sample and to the university sample (NSSE)

14. College Activities CPCC CC NSSE
1. Asking questions in class/contributing
to the discussion
2. Made a class presentation
3. Preparing two or more drafts of a
paper before turning it in
4. Working on a paper that requires
integrating ideas or information
from various sources
5. Coming to class without completing
reading or assignments
Comparisons: 981 CPCC students, 8,289 community college students and 33,000 first-year university students

15. College Activities CPCC CC NSSE 6. Working with other students on
projects during class
7. Working with classmates outside of
class to prepare assignments
8. Teaching/tutoring other students
9. Participating in a community-based
project as part of a regular course
10. Using list-serves, chat rooms or the
Internet to discuss or complete
an assignment

16. College Activities CPCC CC NSSE 11. Used email to communicate with
the instructor
12. Discussed grades or assignments with
an instructor
13. Talked about career plans with an
instructor or advisor
14. Discussing ideas from readings/lecture
with the instructor outside of class
15. Receiving prompt feedback from an
instructor on your performance

17. College Activities CPCC CC NSSE
16. Working hard to meet an instructor’s
expectation
17. Worked with instructors on activities other
than coursework
18. Discussed ideas from your readings or
classes with others outside of class
19. Having serious conversation with
students of a different race/ethnicity
20. Having serious conversation with students
of different religions, political opinions
or personal values

18. Students have multiple demands on their time and spend limited time on campus. Results indicate that most student-faculty interaction takes place in class. More than 80% of students do not participate in college sponsored extracurricular activities. Therefore, the most powerful engagement strategies likely will center around classroom and classwork.

19. Impact – Part-time Students
Part-time students are least engaged
45% of part-time students (and 29% of full-time students) never worked with classmates outside of class to prepare assignments
51% of part-time students (and 39% of full-time students never discussed ideas from readings or classes with an instructor outside of class.
Research shows that these interactions lead to improved learning and higher retention rates

20. Impact on Transfer Students
These classroom activities may impact the progress of our transfer students
Community college students rated their interaction with faculty both in and out of class higher than university students
However, they ranked interaction with other students lower than university students

21. College Activities - Developmental vs. Non-Developmental
Non-dev Developmental
CPCC Nat. CPCC Nat.
1. Asking questions in class/contributing
to the discussion
2. Made a class presentation
3. Preparing two or more drafts of a
paper before turning it in
4. Working on a paper that requires
integrating ideas or information
from various sources
5. Coming to class without completing
reading or assignments

22. College Activities - Developmental vs. Non-Developmental
Non-dev Developmental CPCC Nat. CPCC Nat.
6. Working with other students on
projects during class
7. Working with classmates outside of
class to prepare assignments
8. Teaching/tutoring other students
9. Participating in a community-based
project as part of a regular course
10. Using list-serves, chat rooms or the
Internet to discuss or complete
an assignment

23. College Activities - Developmental vs. Non-Developmental
Non-dev Developmental CPCC Nat CPCC Nat.
11. Used to communicate
with the instructor
12. Discussed grades of assignments
with an instructor
13. Talked about career plans with an
instructor or advisor
14. Discussing ideas from readings/lecture
with the instructor outside of class
15. Receiving prompt feedback from an
instructor on your performance

24. College Activities - Developmental vs. Non-Developmental
Non-dev. Developmental CPCC Nat. CPCC Nat.
16. Working hard to meet an instructor’s
expectation
17. Worked with instructors on activities
other than coursework
18. Discussed ideas from your readings or
classes with others outside of class
19. Having serious conversation with
students of a different race/ethnicity
20. Having serious conversation with
students of different religions,
political opinions or or personal values

25. Mental Activities in the Classroom
Students were asked about how often they participated in a list of mental activities in the classroom
Activities such as: memorizing facts, analytical skills, critical thinking, and application of new skills or information

26. Mental Activities by Comparison
(n/a)

27. Mental Activities by Comparison Developmental vs. Non-developmental

28. Mental Activities by Comparison 1-30 hours vs. 31+ hours

29. Student Opinions About School
Students were asked:
Does the college provide the support you need to help you succeed at this college, encourages contact among students from different economic, social, and racial or ethnic backgrounds, helps you cope with your non-academic responsibilities (work, family, etc.), encourages you to spend significant amounts of time studying and providing the financial support needed.
Scale: 1=very little, 2=some, 3=quite a lot, 4=very much

30. Student Opinions About School
(n/a)

31. How Students Spend Their Time
Community College students are older
They work
Have families
Take care of dependents
Don’t have a lot of time to spend on campus
Don’t spend as much time “hanging out” before and after class

32. Weekly Activities
Students were asked about how many hours in a typical 7-day week do you spend doing the following:
0 none
1 5 or fewer
hours
hours
hours
hours
hours
7 more than 30 hours

33. Student’s Weekly Activities
How many hours per week do you do the following:
CPCC CC Sample NSSE
Preparing for class
Working on campus
Working off campus
Participating in college
sponsored activities

34. Student’s Weekly Activities
How many hours per week do you do the following:
CPCC CC Sample NSSE
Relaxing/socializing
Providing care for dependents
Commuting to and from
classes na
Participating in community/
campus organizations na

35. Relationships at the College
How would you characterize the quality of relationships?
1=unfriendly, unsupportive, sense of alienation
7=friendly, supportive, sense of belonging
Quality of Relationships
CPCC CC Sample NSSE
With other students
With Instructors
With administrative personnel
and offices

36. Knowledge, Skills and Personal Growth
To what extent has your experience at this college contributed to your knowledge, skills and personal development in the following areas?
Scale: 1 very little
2 some
3 quite a bit
4 very much

37. Educational and Personal Growth
CPCC CC NSSE
Acquiring a broad general education Acquiring job/work-related knowledge/skill Writing clearly/effectively Speaking clearly/effectively Thinking critically/analytically Solving numerical problems n/a Using computing and information technology Working effectively with others

38. Educational and Personal Growth
CPCC CC NSSE
Voting in local, state or college elections
Learning effectively on your own
Understanding yourself
Understanding people of other racial/ ethnic backgrounds Developing a personal code of values/ethics Contributing to the welfare of your community Developing clearer career goals na
Gaining information about career opportunities na

39. Satisfaction with College Services
Students were asked questions so as to link frequency of service utilization with importance and satisfaction.
Frequency 1 = rarely/never
2 = sometimes
3 = often
Importance 1 = not at all
3 = very
Satisfaction 1 =not at all
2 = somewhat satisfied
3 = very satisfied

40. Academic Advising/Planning

41. Career Counseling

42. Personal Counseling

43. Job Placement Assistance

44. Peer or Other Tutoring

45. Skill Labs (Writing, Math, etc.)

46. Child Care

47. Financial Aid Advising

48. Computer Lab

49. Student Organizations

50. Transfer Credit Assistance

51. Services for People with Disabilities

52. Knowledge, Skills and Personal Growth
To what extent has your experience at this college contributed to your knowledge, skills and personal development in the following areas?
Scale: 1 very little
2 some
3 quite a bit
4 very much

53. Acquiring a broad general education 2.91 2.87
CPCC CC Sample
Acquiring a broad general education
Acquiring job/work-related knowledge/skill
Writing clearly/effectively
Speaking clearly/effectively
Thinking critically/analytically
Solving numerical problems
Using computing and information technology
Working effectively with others

54. CPCC CC Sample
Voting in local, state or college elections
Learning effectively on your own
Understanding yourself
Understanding people of other racial/
ethnic backgrounds
Developing a personal code of values/ethics
Contributing to the welfare of your community
Developing clearer career goals
Gaining information about career opportunities

55. Retention – What issues would force you to withdraw from this college?
Moving/relocating
Lack of finances
Change in career plans
Educational goals change
Working full-time
Caring for dependents
Academically unprepared
Mismatch w/ coll. obj.
All community college students

56. Student Engagement Critical to retention and student success
Occurs in student services (counseling, advising, financial aid, etc.)
Occurs in the classroom (class participation, bonding with students and faculty)
Occurs through process – policies that encourage students to stay and don’t make it easy for them to leave

57. Findings
CPCC as a whole, did better on the assessment than most of the community colleges who participated
This opened the opportunity for a Met Life grant for us
Looking at the differences between our classroom activities and those of the university may help us better understand transfer issues

58. What the Universities Learned from NSSE
Campus Climate
Students who report that their school encourages contact with peers from different backgrounds also see their school as supporting:
Their academic success
Their coping with other responsibilities
Their social needs

59. What the Universities Learned… continued
Supportive Faculty Members
Students who report that their faculty members are accessible and supportive perceive that their school:
Provides the support they need for their academic success
Helps them cope with non-academic responsibilities
Provides social support

60. What the Universities Learned…. continued
Good Academic Advising
Students who report getting high quality academic advising:
Are more likely than their peers to interact with faculty members
Perceive their institution’s environment is academically and socially supportive
Are more satisfied with their overall college experience

61. Two websites

62. The End A copy of this presentation can be found at:
And click on “studies and reports”