Recently, the administration issued a National Survey of Student Engagement in an effort to improve programs, services and the institution as a whole. The NSSE represents an evaluation of student experience throughout the undergraduate program, according to the Office of Planning, Research and Effectiveness.

The key to this survey and the overall improvement of the institution are students and their feedback, said Lei Wang, director of OPRE, the office in charge of the survey. “We encourage students to take the survey and give us as honest and accurate answers as possible,” she said.

Previous similar surveys opened up the door for OLLU to be acknowledged in a USA Today article last fall “for the high levels of student engagement across all categories,” said Executive Vice President David Estes.
Making the university experience better for students has advantages and rewards. Being mentioned in national papers is a good jumping off point, Dr. Wang said. She said seeing the university in the newspapers benefits students and the administration at the same time.

“Your success is our success,” states Wang.

Wang mentions that a university is a business and students are custumers. Every good business cares about its custumers and their opinions about the services provided, and that is why “we encourage students to tell us how we serve you, and how we can serve you better.”

According to the last NSSE report in 2006, 30 percent of students participated in the survey. This year, OPRE hopes for an increase to 50 percent. News about the survey is sent out to all freshmen and seniors via e-mail. The survey will be available until mid-March, after which it will take about six months to receive the results.

The Center for Survey Research at Indiana University administers the survey and analyzes the data.