From Staff Reports

Students at UNC Asheville report a high degree of engagement and satisfaction, particularly when compared to peers, according to the results from the 2015 National Survey of Student Engagement. A total of 473 freshmen and seniors completed the survey in spring 2015. 

“The findings reinforce the central tenets of a liberal arts education at UNC Asheville,” said Michael Gass, director of institutional research, effectiveness and planning, which administers the survey. “Among these are what NSSE calls ‘high-impact practices,’ or enriching learning experiences that facilitate learning outside of the classroom. From study abroad and internships to undergraduate research and working side-by-side with faculty mentors, our students excel at these hands-on real-world experiences.”

NSSE is designed to assess the extent to which students are engaged in effective educational practices and what they gain from their college experiences. The responses of UNCA students were compared to peers at schools in the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, as well as other institutions in the UNC system, with UNCA students reporting a higher degree of engagement overall. The results are on par with schools sharing the Carnegie classification of baccalaureate arts and sciences institutions, as well. 

In particular, students at UNCA reported a higher degree of engagement in challenging intellectual and creative work; learning firsthand how experts think about and solve problems by interacting with faculty members inside and outside of instructional settings; support services and organizations that cultivate positive relationships among students, faculty and staff; and student internships, study abroad, learning communities, undergraduate research and other high-impact educational practices that are strongly predictive of success in the classroom and in the workforce.

Jessica Stowell, associate director of institutional effectiveness, concludes from her analysis of the survey results that “UNC Asheville emphasizes taking responsibility for the welfare of our community, understanding local economies and ecosystems and learning about sustainability more than other schools that participated in NSSE.” In addition, UNCA students responded that they are more likely to experience diverse perspectives (race, ethnic, political, economic, etc.) in the classroom, but that they would like to have more discussions with others from different races and ethnicities.

UNCA uses NSSE and other survey assessments to continuously assess educational quality. “We continue to look for ways to improve the student experience and strengthen our learning environment, preparing our students for the challenges of the classroom and those they will face in their careers. The survey gives us an opportunity to hear from our students and build upon those experiences that they value the most,” said Provost Joe Urgo.

More than 315,000 students attending 541 U.S. institutions were involved in this year’s survey. UNCA participates in the survey every three years.