BCSSE, NSSE, FSSE
BCSSE, NSSE, FSSE administration cycle
BCSSE
Beginning College 
Survey of Student 
Engagement
NSSE
National Survey of 
Student 
Engagement
FSSE
Faculty Survey of 
Student 
Engagement
Topical 
Module
Topical 
Module
Each Year at the 
beginning of the 
fall semester to 
all new first year 
student
Every other year to 
freshmen and 
seniors during Spring
Every other year to 
Faculty during 
Spring
Topical modules can now be administered during NSSE off years
BCSSE Basics 
Purpose of BCSSE is to measure entering 
first-year students’ precollege academic 
and cocurricular experiences, as well as 
their expectations and attitudes for 
participating in educationally purposeful 
activities during the first college year.
BCSSE Basics
High School Experiences
Writing & Reading 
Hours Studying 
Learning Strategies
Quantitative Reasoning
Reflective Learning 
First Year Expectations
Hours Writing, Reading, Studying 
Student-Faculty Interactions
Discussion with Diverse Others
Collaborative Learning
Academic Perseverance
Academic Help-Seeking (NEW 2017)
Perceived Academic Preparation
Importance of Supportive Environment
BCSSE Basics
Academic Help-Seeking
BCSSE Reports
Four reports are provided: 
1.
BCSSE Advising Report (per individual 
student) (EAB?)
2.
BCSSE Report (institutional report)
3.
Grand Frequencies and Means 
1.
Overall 
2.
Institution types 
4.
4. BCSSE/NSSE combined report
The advising report provides important 
information for advisors, faculty, and staff 
that work one-on-one with first-year 
students. 
BCSSE: How to use the data (example)
Better understand financial stress and academic engagement
Faculty Development
Investigate college readiness
Linking first-year persistence with help-seeking behaviors and academic 
perseverance (new in 2017)
Retention and social engagement
Identify and Support Students with Low Confidence
Identifying and advising entering first-year students who expect a high 
degree of academic difficulty
NSSE Basics
NSSE annually collects 
information at hundreds of four-
year colleges and universities 
about first-year and senior 
students' participation in 
programs and activities that 
institutions provide for their 
learning and personal 
development. The results 
provide an estimate of how 
undergraduates spend their 
time and what they gain from 
attending college.
NSSE Reports
Snapshots
Engagement Indicators
High-Impact Practices
Frequencies and Statistical Comparisons
Multi-Year Report
Topical Module
NSSE, Middle States Standards
Standard III. Design and Delivery 
of the Student Learning 
Experience An institution 
provides students with learning 
experiences that are 
characterized by rigor and 
coherence at all program, 
certificate, and degree levels, 
regardless of instructional 
modality.
Standard IV. Support of the 
Student Experience Across all 
educational experiences, 
settings, levels, and instructional 
modalities, the institution recruits 
and admits students whose 
interests, abilities, experiences, 
and goals are congruent with its 
mission and educational 
offerings. 
Standard V. Educational 
Effectiveness Assessment. 
Assessment of student learning 
and achievement demonstrates 
that the institution’s students 
have accomplished 
educational goals consistent 
with their program of study, 
degree level, the institution’s 
mission
NSSE, Middle States Standards
Student engagement results provided by NSSE are one direct indicator of what 
students put into their education and an indirect indicator of what they get out of it.
NSSE items can be used to analyze the resources and appraise the effectiveness of 
the institution in fulfilling its mission. Two such measures included in the educational 
gains items are the extent to which students’ experiences at the institution have: 1) 
contributed to their knowledge, skills, and personal development in acquiring a broad 
general education; and 2) helped them develop a personal code of values and 
ethics. The measurement of these experiences could be used to demonstrate 
achievement of the institution’s mission and goals. 
NSSE data are actionable in that they point to aspects of student and institutional 
performance institutions can address related to the curriculum, pedagogy, 
instructional emphases, and campus climate. 
NSSE results also can demonstrate institutional effectiveness in responding to the 
increasing diversity in society through educational and co-curricular programs. 
NSSE Engagement Indicators and High-
Impact Practices Mapped to Relevant Units
Engagement Indicators
Relevant Units
THEME: Academic Challenge
Higher-Order Learning (HO)
Academic success center, Faculty development, CSS, 
Tutoring, Writing center/programs
Reflective & Integrative Learning (RI)
Academic advising, Academic success center, Retention 
committee/task force, Tutoring
Learning Strategies (LS)
Academic advising, Academic success center, Retention 
committee/task force, Tutoring
Quantitative Reasoning (QR)
General education, Literacy committee, Quantitative 
literacy/reasoning
Engagement Indicators and High-Impact 
Practices Mapped to Relevant Units
Engagement Indicators
Relevant Units
THEME: Learning with Peers
Collaborative Learning (CL)
Curriculum committee, Retention committee/task force, 
CSS, Student affairs
Discussions with Diverse Others (DD)
Area studies, Cultural centers, Diversity office, Equity 
committee, International office/student services, 
Multicultural committee, Retention committee/task force, 
Student affairs, Study abroad programs/office
THEME: Experiences with Faculty
Student-Faculty Interaction (SF)
Faculty senate, First-year experience, Retention 
committee/task force
Effective Teaching Practices (ET)
Center for teaching & learning, Dean of faculty, Faculty 
development, Promotion & tenure committee, Retention 
committee/task force
Engagement Indicators and High-Impact 
Practices Mapped to Relevant Units
Engagement Indicators
Relevant Units
THEME: Campus Environment
Quality of Interactions (QI)
Campus climate committee, Retention 
committee/task force, Student affairs
Supportive Environment (SE)
Retention committee/task force, Campus climate 
committee, Diversity office, First-year experience
High-Impact Practices (HIPs)
Relevant Units
Learning Community 
Service-Learning 
Research with Faculty 
Internship/Co-op/Field Experience 
Study Abroad 
Culminating Senior Experience
Retention committee/task force, Student affairs, 
Individual units or offices responsible for high-
impact practices
NSSE Topical Modules

Academic Advising (FSSE set) 

Career and Workforce Preparation (New 2021) (FSSE set) 

Civic Engagement (FSSE set) 

Development of Transferable Skills (FSSE set) (Updated in 2021)

Experiences with Information Literacy 

Experiences with Writing (FSSE set)

Experiences with Online Learning (New 2021)

First-Year Experiences and Senior Transitions (updated in 2021)

HIP Quality (New in 2022)

Inclusiveness and Engagement with Cultural Diversity (FSSE set)

Mental Health and Well-being (New in 2023)
Topical Module Mapped to Institutional Departments, Units, 
Committees, and Interest Groups
Module Name
Module Description
Relevant Units 
Academic 
Advising
students’ experiences with academic advising 
including frequency, accessibility, and types of 
information provided. It also asks students to 
identify their primary source of advice. 
Academic advising, 
Registration/ registrar’s 
office, Retention 
committee/task force 
Career and 
Workforce 
Preparation
This module represents a collaboration between 
NSSE and Strada Education Network to assess 
how the college experience prepares students 
for their future.
Questions address 
institutional contributions to 
students’ career plans, 
influences on their goals, 
confidence in work-related 
skills, career exploration in 
the curriculum, and use of 
career resources and 
services.
Civic Engagement
Asks students to assess their conflict resolution 
skills and examines how often students have 
engaged with local or campus and 
state/national/global issues
Community service, Cultural 
centers, Political/social 
science studies, Service-
learning office, Social justice 
studies, Town & gown 
committee 
Module Name
Module Description
Relevant Units 
Development of 
Transferable Skills
Examines the activities that develop useful and 
transferable skills for the workplace such as such 
as verbal and written fluency, critical thinking, 
creative thinking, problem solving, project 
management, and time management. The 
module complements questions on the core 
survey about higher-order learning, reflective 
and integrative learning, and students' 
perceptions of their development in a variety of 
areas
Career planning & services, 
Curriculum committee, General 
education, Integrative learning, 
Interdisciplinary studies 
Inclusiveness and 
Engagement with 
Cultural Diversity
examines environments, processes, and activities that 
reflect the engagement and validation of cultural 
diversity and promote greater understanding of societal 
differences. 
Cultural centers, General 
education, Student affairs 
Experience with 
Information Literacy
Updated for NSSE 2024, this module was 
developed in collaboration with college and 
university librarians from the Association of 
College & Research Libraries. Items focus on 
students' use of information sources, research-
based inquiry, and experiences traditionally 
associated with research libraries. It 
complements questions on the core survey 
about reflective & integrative learning, higher-
order learning, and assigned reading and 
writing.
Curriculum committee, General 
education, Library, Provost’s 
office 
Module Name
Module Description
Relevant Units 
Experiences with 
Writing
Touching on three aspects of good writing 
assignments— interactivity, meaning-making, 
and clarity—the questions complement those on 
the core survey about how much writing 
students do, the nature of their course 
assignments, and perceived gains in written 
expression. 
Academic success center, 
Integrative learning, 
Interdisciplinary studies, 
Tutoring, Writing 
center/programs 
Experiences with 
Online Learning
This module was developed in collaboration 
with Quality Matters, a leader in online 
instruction. Based in part on their Higher 
Education Course Design Rubric Standards (6th 
Ed.), the item set measures instructional aspects 
that experts consider to be ideal for online 
courses. The set also assesses how students 
engage in both online and hybrid courses, their 
degree of comfort with online learning and 
experience of support, and ideas about how the 
learning experience can be improved.
Curriculum committee, 
General education, Library, 
Provost’s office 
First-Year 
Experiences and 
Senior Transitions
This module includes a set of items only for first-year 
students and a set only for seniors (based on institution-
reported class level), with questions adapted from the 
Beginning College Survey of. The first-year items focus on 
academic perseverance, help-seeking behaviors, and 
institutional commitment, while the senior items explore 
post-graduation plans, links between the academic 
major and future plans, and confidence in skill 
development.
Area studies, Cultural centers, 
International office/student 
services, Study abroad programs/ 
office 
Questions asked to Seniors would 
complement the senior exit 
survey
Module Name
Module Description
Relevant Units 
HIP Quality
This module—originally developed for 
the Assessing Quality and Equity in High-Impact 
Practices project, supported by Lumina 
Foundation—explores the extent to which HIP 
experiences incorporate elements theorized to 
account for their educational benefits and 
enables participating institutions to examine 
quality and equity concerns related to high-
quality HIP experiences. Students who indicated 
on the core NSSE that they had done or are 
doing at least one HIP receive a set of 
questions—Questions for HIP Participants—
probing their experience, while those who have 
not done any of the HIPs receive an open-
ended item—Question for HIP Non-Participants—
to describe another powerful learning 
experience they may have had.
Academic success center, 
Integrative learning, 
Interdisciplinary studies, 
Tutoring, Writing 
center/programs 
Mental Health and 
Well-being
The Mental Health and Well-Being Topical Module provides colleges and 
universities an opportunity to understand and address current concerns about 
students’ emotional, psychological, and social wellness. Results will help 
institutions promote well-being by purposefully creating supportive environments 
and providing necessary resources for students to thrive. This module assesses 
students’ experiences related to a range of dimensions for mental health and 
well-being. It also examines sources of support and explores students’ 
perceptions about campus resources. Some components for this set were 
influenced by the Butler University Student Well-Being Institutional Support 
Survey (SWISS).
FSSE Basics

What is FSSE?

The Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) was designed to complement the 
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), which is administered to undergraduate 
students. This instructional staff version (for faculty, instructors, and graduate students who 
teach) focuses on:

Instructional staff perceptions of how often students engage in different activities.

The importance instructional staff place on various areas of learning and development.

The nature and frequency of instructional staff-student interactions.

How instructional staff organize their time, both in and out of the classroom.

Since 2003, more than 250,000 instructional staff from more than 800 institutions have 
responded to FSSE.
FSSE Reports
Snapshot
FSSE-NSSE Combined Report
Frequencies
Topical Module report
FSSE Results:
The Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) measures faculty 
expectations of student engagement in educational practices empirically 
linked with high levels of learning and development. Combined, NSSE and 
FSSE results can help identify areas of strength as well as aspects of the 
undergraduate experience that may warrant attention and stimulate 
discussions on improving teaching, learning, and the quality of students’ 
educational experience.
FSSE measures various aspects of how faculty spend their time both in and 
out of the classroom. The reports below give estimated averages of how 
faculty spend their professional time overall, and how they allocate class 
time to various activities.
Comparing NSSE-FSSE Results
High Impact Practices 
Course Evaluations 
Expectations: Hours per week students spend preparing for class
Perceptions: Supportive Campus Environments
Classroom Practices: Student participation in selected learning tasks
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