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The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) annually assesses the extent to which undergraduate students are involved in educational practices empirically linked to high levels of learning and development. Schools from all across the country participate in NSSE. This year's analysis is based on more than 316,000 students at 610 colleges and universities that participated in the NSSE in 2007. The students represent a broad cross-section of first-year and senior students from every region of the country. The institutions are similar in most respects to the universe of four-year schools.

In an effort to make it easier for people on and off campus to talk productively about student engagement and its importance to student learning, collegiate quality, and institutional improvement, NSSE created five clusters or benchmarks of effective educational practice.

The benchmarks are made up of groups of items on the survey and are expressed in 100-point scales. Each year, NSSE calculates benchmark scores to monitor performance at the institutional, sector, and national level.

This benchmark report presents Earlham's benchmark scores and compares them to schools in our Carnegie Classification, along with the NSSE national norms. For the first time in 2007, we also have comparison data for a selected peer grooup. Colleges in this group include Centre, Franklin & Marshall, Hampshire, Lake Forest, Lawrence, and Scripps. The charts below reflect Earlham’s scores in the following areas:

Level of Academic Challenge

Challenging intellectual and creative work is central to student learning and collegiate quality. Colleges and universities promote high levels of student achievement by emphasizing the importance of academic effort and setting high expectations for student performance.

The following graph shows how Earlham College compares with our selected peer group, Carnegie peers and the NSSE national norms for the benchmark level of academic challenge.

Items from the survey used in determining our Level of Academic Challenge benchmark include the following:

· Preparing for class (studying, reading, writing, rehearsing, etc. related to academic program)

· Number of written papers or reports of 20 pages or more; number of written papers or reports of between 5 and 19 pages; and number of written papers or reports of fewer than 5 pages

· Coursework emphasizing analysis of the basic elements of an idea, experience or theory

· Coursework emphasizing synthesis and organizing of ideas, information, or experiences into new, more complex interpretations and relationships

· Coursework emphasizing the making of judgments about the value of information, arguments, or methods

· Coursework emphasizing application of theories or concepts to practical problems or in new situations

· Working harder than you thought you could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations

Students learn more when they are intensely involved in their education and asked to think about what they are learning in different settings. Collaborating with others in solving problems or mastering difficult material prepares students for the messy, unscripted problems they will encounter daily during and after college.

The following graph shows how Earlham College compares with selected peers, Carnegie peers and the NSSE national norms for the active and collaborative learning benchmark.

Items from the survey used in determining our Active and Collaborative Learning benchmark include the following:

· Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with other outside of class (students, family members, co-worker, etc.)

Students learn firsthand how experts think about and solve practical problems by interacting with faculty members inside and outside the classroom. As a result, their teachers become role models, mentors, and guides for continuous, life-long learning.

The following graph shows how Earlham College compares with selected peers, Carnegie peers and the NSSE national norm for the benchmark Student-Faculty Interaction.

Items from the survey used in determining our Student-Faculty Interaction benchmark include the following:

· Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with faculty members outside of class

· Worked with faculty members on activities other than coursework (committees, orientation, student-life activities, etc.)

· Received prompt feedback from faculty on your academic performance (written or oral)

· Worked with a faculty member on a research project outside of course or program requirements

Complementary learning opportunities in and out of class augment academic programs. Diversity experiences teach students valuable things about themselves and others. Technology facilitates collaboration between peers and instructors. Internships, community service, and senior capstone courses provide opportunities to integrate and apply knowledge.

The following graph shows how Earlham College compares with selected peers, Carnegie peers, and the NSSE national norms for the benchmark Enriching Educational Experiences.

Items from the survey used in determining our Enriching Education Experiences benchmark include the following:

· Participating in co-curricular activities (organizations, publications, student government, sports, etc.)

· Practicum, internship, field experience, co-op experience, or clinical assignment

· Culminating senior experience (comprehensive exam, capstone course, thesis, project, etc.)

· Serious conversations with students of different religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values

· Campus environment encouraging contact among students from different economic, social, and racial or ethnic backgrounds

· Participate in a learning community or some other formal program where groups of students take two or more classes together

Students perform better and are more satisfied at colleges that are committed to their success and cultivate positive working and social relations among different groups on campus.

The following graph shows how Earlham College compares with selected peers, Carnegie peers, and the NSSE national norms for the benchmark supportive campus environment.

Items from the survey used in determining the Supportive Campus Environment benchmark include the following:

· Campus environment provides the support you need to help you succeed academically

· Campus environment helps you cope with your non-academic responsibilities (work, family, etc.)

NSSE Benchmark Scores

		2007	2006	2004	2001
Level of Academic Challenge	First Years	57.2	58.7	59.5	58.6
Level of Academic Challenge	Seniors	62.9	62.6	63.5	62.7
Active and Collaborative Learning	First Years	46.2	47.9	48.1	49.6
Active and Collaborative Learning	Seniors	55.1	57.6	60.8	57.8
Student-Faculty Interaction	First Years	33.6	37.2	37.4	43.8
Student-Faculty Interaction	Seniors	50.6	48.7	54.8	54.5
Enriching Educational Experiences	First Years	32.8	33.7	34.0	*
Enriching Educational Experiences	Seniors	61.2	62.5	61.8	*
Supportive Campus Environment	First Years	64.4	63.8	67.6	68.1
Supportive Campus Environment	Seniors	61.7	62.5	67.7	65.7

*Due to changes in the response set for survey items that comprise the Enriching Educational Experiences benchmark, it is not possible to compare results of 2004, 2006 and 2007 with those of 2001.