Steve, Thank you for having given us the information that we are able to disaggregate (what an interesting word) from the NSSE. I think that your work with NSSE offers great opportunity to learn how to serve our students better. I know we're short-staffed, but I'm so interested in data on our Music majors that I'd certainly be willing to help you sort out NSSE information by major if you think I could be helpful. Thank you, Janet Dr. J. Nepkie SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Professor of Music and Music Industry Music Department State University of New York College at Oneonta Oneonta, New York 13820 Ph. (607) 436 3425 Fax 607 436 2718 [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Teaching Breakfast List on behalf of Steve Perry Sent: Thu 4/2/2009 4:48 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Disaggregating NSSE Data Hi Janet and TBer's, As Patty noted this morning, a downside of not having an IR office is having the time and expertise to drill down into the data to answer some of the very interesting questions raised in these discussions. We'll try, however, to do this when we can. NSSE asks two relevant questions which speak to our ability to disaggregate data by department. The first yields the following breakdown for which we could disaggregate data: Primary Major Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Arts and Humanities 161 15.3 19.1 19.1 Biological Sciences 68 6.5 8.1 27.2 Business 69 6.6 8.2 35.3 Education 270 25.7 32.0 67.4 Engineering 1 .1 .1 67.5 Physical Science 38 3.6 4.5 72.0 Professional 35 3.3 4.2 76.2 Social Science 94 8.9 11.2 87.3 Other 96 9.1 11.4 98.7 Undecided 11 1.0 1.3 100.0 Total 843 80.1 100.0 Missing System 209 19.9 Total 1052 100.0 The second asks students to write in their major. While it would take some effort to do the analysis, here are the write-in responses (note 209 students did not write-in their major). NSSE staff recoded primary write-in major (majrprim) into one of 85 majors Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Art, fine and applied 44 4.2 5.2 5.2 English (language and literature) 18 1.7 2.1 7.4 History 22 2.1 2.6 10.0 Language and literature (except English) 6 .6 .7 10.7 Music 63 6.0 7.5 18.1 Theater or drama 7 .7 .8 19.0 Other arts & humanities 1 .1 .1 19.1 Biology (general) 38 3.6 4.5 23.6 Biochemistry or biophysics 4 .4 .5 24.1 Environmental science 23 2.2 2.7 26.8 Other biological science 3 .3 .4 27.2 Accounting 17 1.6 2.0 29.2 Business administration (general) 8 .8 .9 30.1 Other business 44 4.2 5.2 35.3 Elementary/middle school education 167 15.9 19.8 55.2 Secondary education 54 5.1 6.4 61.6 Other education 49 4.7 5.8 67.4 Chemical engineering 1 .1 .1 67.5 Atmospheric science (including meteorology) 6 .6 .7 68.2 Chemistry 7 .7 .8 69.0 Earth science (including geology) 7 .7 .8 69.9 Mathematics 11 1.0 1.3 71.2 Physics 6 .6 .7 71.9 Statistics 1 .1 .1 72.0 Law 1 .1 .1 72.1 Medicine 1 .1 .1 72.2 Allied health/other medical 31 2.9 3.7 75.9 Therapy (occupational, physical, speech) 2 .2 .2 76.2 Anthropology 4 .4 .5 76.6 Economics 6 .6 .7 77.3 Ethnic studies 1 .1 .1 77.5 Geography 4 .4 .5 77.9 Political science (including govt., internatl. relations) 9 .9 1.1 79.0 Psychology 52 4.9 6.2 85.2 Social work 1 .1 .1 85.3 Sociology 17 1.6 2.0 87.3 Communications 43 4.1 5.1 92.4 Computer science 7 .7 .8 93.2 Family Studies 18 1.7 2.1 95.4 Criminal justice 15 1.4 1.8 97.2 Other field 13 1.2 1.5 98.7 Undecided 11 1.0 1.3 100.0 Total 843 80.1 100.0 Missing System 209 19.9 Total 1052 100.0 Steve -----Original Message----- From: Teaching Breakfast List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Janet Nepkie Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2009 12:17 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Apologies to TB Group HI, Jim, Thanks for having scheduled a meeting with Steve and Patty to talk about the NSSE. Thanks, too, to Patty and Steve for having taken their time to talk to our group. I'm sorry that I had to leave early to attend another meeting so I didn't have opportunity to hear the discussion after the PowerPoint presentation. I went to our college website to view the entire Patty/Steve NSSE Power Point. I have several questions about NSSE data. If the questions were answered in the Teaching Breakfast discussion after I left, I hope some one will let me know what was said. If the questions were not asked, I would like to do so here. My questions are all based on the general premise that data will be a lot more beneficial to our institution if we can decide how to use them. If the generally held belief that higher levels of student engagement will produce higher levels of student academic accomplishment is accurate, how can we raise our student engagement? If we are at a certain level of student engagement, how can we improve it? Which areas of our curricula, what sorts of classroom behavior and leadership, result in higher levels of student engagement? We have seen INSTITUTIONAL data for our school. Can we break NSSE data down to the departmental level? If my department has any problems with student engagement, or student study habits, or class attendance, or any of the other engagement and success criteria studied in NSSE, I'd like to know that so I can seek to improve it at the departmental level. Similarly, if my department is experiencing success with specific NSSE criteria, I'd like to know that so I can be sure we continue whatever activities have been successful. Our INSTITUTIONAL levels of success have a better chance of improving if individual DEPARTMENTS know what areas of their programs may need attention. Although NSSE measures student engagement, the reason for measuring engagement is to improve academic performance, so perhaps this may be a issue that the College Curriculum committee may want to study. Are the NSSE student data generally reflective of the size of the departments on campus? In other words, if my department accounts for 11 percent of the SUNY Oneonta population, are the NSSE data taken from enough Music Industry students to make an actual reflection of the Music Industry cohort? If our NSSE data do not reflect our actual student population, can we be confident that our NSSE data give us an accurate picture of our actual student body? I am delighted that Steve pioneered the use of NSSE at Oneonta, and his work with Patty Francis gives us a strong and knowledgeable team that can be of immense value to us. Faculty are fortunate to have this high level of administrative support. I'm asking my questions because I'd like to be sure that I can use the data they gather and share with us effectively. Thanks Janet Dr. J. Nepkie SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Professor of Music and Music Industry Music Department State University of New York College at Oneonta Oneonta, New York 13820 Ph. (607) 436 3425 Fax 607 436 2718 [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Teaching Breakfast List on behalf of Jim Greenberg Sent: Thu 4/2/2009 8:33 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Apologies to TB Group My apologies to Steve Perry and to the Teaching Breakfast group for missing today's get together. Can someone let me know how it went (or didn't go). :-( My bad. Mr. James B. Greenberg Director Teaching, Learning and Technology Center Milne Library SUNY College at Oneonta Oneonta, New York 13820 blog: The 32nd Square at http://32ndsquare.blogspot.com wiki: The 32nd Square at http://32ndsquare.wikidot.com email: [log in to unmask] phone: 607-436-2701 fax: 607-436-3081 IM: oneontatltc Twitter: greenbjb "Ignorance is curable, stupidity lasts forever" P Think before you print! Please consider the environment before printing this email