Surveys

CCSSE and SENSE

Student Engagement Surveys

The Center for Community College Engagement provide surveys that "ask questions that assess institutional practices and student behaviors and experiences that are correlated highly with student learning and student retention. All are research-based tools appropriate for multiple uses, such as benchmarking and accreditation":

Understanding Survey Results - a guide to means, frequencies, benchmarks and more
CCSSE

Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) survey is a nationally normed survey that is a product and service of the Center for Community College Student Engagement, is a well-established tool that helps institutions focus on good educational practice and identify areas in which they can improve their programs and services for students. The CCSSE is one way to measure the quality of instruction and services provided to students attending Southwestern, allowing for staff to review results and implement continual improvement intiatives to better serve students. Visit the CCSSE website to view national and state data at: http://www.ccsse.org/survey/profiles.cfm

According to the website, the survey is known as "An Improvement Strategy for Community Colleges. The Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) provides a much-needed tool for assessing quality in community college education. CCSSE results help colleges focus on good educational practice — defined as practice that promotes high levels of student learning and retention — and identify areas in which community colleges can improve their programs and services for students. All our work is grounded in research about what works in strengthening student learning and persistence."

This survey was first administered in 2004 and in subsequent years based on grant participation and as of 2011 on a three year cycle as part of the Oregon consortium

(.pdf, 143K)
Download CCSSE Benchmark Comparison

Lists the questions within CCSSE that comprise the benchmarks.

(.pdf, 101K)
Download CCSSE Benchmark Questions

A report on the high impact practices for student success.

(.pdf, 11040K)
Download Matter of Degrees
SENSE

The Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE), a product and service of the Center for Community College Student Engagement, helps community colleges discover why some entering students persist and succeed while others are not retained. Visit the website for the benchmark survey elements.

This survey was first administered in 2009 with an administration cycle of every three years as part of the Oregon consortium.

2018 SENSE Key Findings

2018 SENSE Benchmark Overview

2018 SENSE Benchmark Peer Interactive Report

Benchmarks provide an overview of how the college compares on the normed survey for a specific survey administration.  Comparisons from survey to survey are not comparable given the differences in survey participants and survey questions.

(.pdf, 111K)
Download 2018 SENSE Benchmark Overview

Compares Southwestern to the Oregon consortium colleges, to Achieving the Dream colleges and to the other small colleges participating in SENSE.

(.pdf, 133K)
Download SENSE Consortium Benchmark Comparison
CCSSE 2014 Breakout Reports and Workshop Materials

The presentation was provided at a statewide workshop for consortium college participants by CCSSE staff on November 4, 2014.  Based on the presentation and other research referenced by the CCSSE website as well as Southwestern data, the key areas where large differences exist (5 points or more) are:

  • Support for Learners Benchmark: lower benchmark score compared to other small colleges and also very low at Southwestern
  • Enrollment Status - Full/Part-Time: scores varied more than 5 points from comparison colleges  (small colleges and/or Oregon consortium) and was consistently lower at Southwestern
  • Developmental Course Status - scores varied more than 5 points from comparison colleges (small colleges and/or Oregon consortium)
  • Gender: scores varied more than 5 points from comparison colleges (small colleges and/or Oregon consortium) and within Southwestern gender scores varied in some benchmark areas more than 5 points
(.pptx, 4035K)
Download Statewide Workshop Presentation