University of Northern Colorado College Portrait

Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.

Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the College Senior Survey (CSS from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.

Group Learning Experiences

• 99% of seniors have discussed course content with students outside of class
• 97% of seniors have studied with other students
• 12% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week in student clubs/groups

Active Learning Experiences

• 55% of seniors reported challenging a professor's ideas in class
• 65% of seniors reported they had an opportunity to work on a research project
• 93% of seniors reported they had an opportunity to apply classroom learning to "real life" issues
• 46% of seniors performed community service as a part of a class
• 13% of seniors participated in a study abroad program
• 84% of seniors worked on an independent study program
• 45% of seniors participated in an internship program

Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success

• 67% of seniors were satisfied with tutoring or other academic assistance
• 71% of seniors were satisfied with academic advising
• 63% of seniors were satisfied with career counseling and advising

Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff

• 90% of seniors were satisfied with the amount of contact with faculty
• 95% of seniors reported they had an opportunity to discuss coursework outside of class
• 80% of seniors were satisfied with their ability to find a faculty of staff mentor

Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas

• 78% of seniors indicated they socialized with someone of another racial or ethnic group
• 71% of seniors indicated they often had meaningful and honest discussions about race or ethnic relations outside of class
• 80% of seniors stated that their knowledge of people from different races or cultures is stronger since entering college
• 66% of seniors stated that their ability to get along with people of different races or cultures is stronger since entering college

Student Satisfaction

• 91% of seniors were satisfied with the overall quality of instruction they received
• 86% of seniors stated they would choose to enroll at this college again
• 77% of seniors were satisfied with the overall sense of community among students
• 93% of seniors were satisfied with their overall college experience

Evaluation of Experiences

Survey Administration Process

Survey Information