Viterbo University's NSSE results

Institutional / Administrative Mission and Goals
Administrative Departments

Institutional Research and Assessment

 MISSION & GOALS (August 2007) 

THE OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND SPECIAL PROJECTS 

The mission of the Office of Institutional Research is to help focus the attention of the entire Viterbo University community on the advancement of the university’s mission, vision and values. This is done by supporting the University’s strategic planning and decision-making processes.  The Office of Institutional Research serves as a centralized resource to develop and provide timely, accurate, and consistent quantitative and qualitative information to internal and external constituents. 

Goals:

1. To provide data to administrative and academic units to support planning efforts, program reviews, outcomes assessment, and proposals for external funding. (To gather, analyze and interpret institutional data upon request from administration, staff and faculty.)
2. To assist administrative and academic units in areas such as, program reviews, retention analysis, enrollment projections, general education and special projects.
3. To respond to institutional survey requests; e.g. IPEDS, WAICU, NCA/HLC
4. To prepare the annual Information for Decision Making report for the Cabinet and department heads
5. To work with the Title III project, with regard to collection and analysis of baseline data and assessment materials
6. To serve as Co-Chair for the 2008 HLC/NCA visit.

 Viterbo performs well in NSSE

How do colleges and universities define success—by job placement rates, which are impressive? a high starting salary? graduates who secure positions of power? Or is there a more profound way to demonstrate meaningful achievement? These measures, however imperfect, are attempts to define the value of a college education.

At Viterbo, we are very proud of recently released results from the 2007 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) which indicate that Viterbo University students rate their college experience higher than that of their peers at comparable schools. The NSSE Survey measured how connected—engaged, that is—our students are to the university and our mission.

Each year the NSSE asks students at hundreds of colleges and universities to reflect on the time they devote to various learning activities. The topics explored are linked by previous research on student success in college. Results from NSSE can provide prospective students with insights into how they might learn and develop at a given college. The survey serves as a standardized guide to gauge the amount of student involvement and interaction with their respective school regarding learning, campus environment and personal development.

The institutions then use this data as a tool to review and improve the overall student experience and success through policies, practices and offerings at the undergraduate level.  The information gathered is valuable to prospective students, parents, counselors, advisors and researchers as an unbiased review of an institutions efforts to interact with students in their learning experience.

Viterbo's overall participation rate was outstanding. The freshmen participation rate was 51 percent, compared with 29 percent from all NSSE participants. Fifty-seven percent of our seniors participated, compared with 31 percent from all NSSE participants

See 2007 population chart – NEW 

See 2006 population chart 

The results are impressive and reveal that a Viterbo education is indeed a powerful influence in the lives of our students and their respective communities. Anyone wishing more details should contact Sr. Georgia Christensen at 608-796-3084 or gjchristensen@viterbo.edu.

See 2007 Charts and information 

See 2006 Charts and information

Click here for a interactive comparison on USA Today’s Web site of Viterbo and other schools that participated in the NSSE survey.