First-Years and Seniors: Your Voice Matters!

Through its student survey, The College Student Report, NSSE annually collects information at hundreds of four-year colleges and universities about first-year and senior students' participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development. The results provide an estimate of how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college. NSSE provides participating institutions a variety of reports that compare their students' responses with those of students at self-selected groups of comparison institutions. Comparisons are available for ten Engagement Indicators, six High-Impact Practices, and all individual survey questions. Each November, NSSE also publishes its Annual Results, which reports topical research and trends in student engagement results. NSSE researchers also present and publish research findings throughout the year.

Take the NSSE Survey

What is the NSSE?

NSSE, the National Survey of Student Engagement, is a questionnaire for college students in schools across the country. Second-semester first-year students and second-semester seniors are invited to participate. The survey includes questions about your experience as an undergraduate at UMass Lowell and will take about 15 minutes to complete. Survey responses are confidential.

Why invest my 15 minutes?

The data from the survey gives key faculty and university administrators a snapshot of what the undergraduate experience actually is. We see cumulative results but not individual surveys.

We use the survey results to:

  • Compare actual student feedback to the university’s goals
  • See how first-year students view their campus experience compared to that of seniors
  • See how our students’ responses compare to the responses from students at hundreds of other participating colleges and universities
  • Help us see what we are doing well as a university and what we can improve in the future

Incentives and Prizes

In appreciation for participating, everyone will receive a $5 Starbucks voucher, redeemable at campus Starbucks locations. Vouchers may be picked up on-campus between March 1, 2019 and May 10, 2019. Details will be emailed to you within 5 days of survey completion.

Additionally, all students who complete the survey will be eligible to win a variety of prizes:

  • March 8: Two River Hawk gear baskets (worth over $150 each)
  • March 22: Lunch for you and two guests with Chancellor Jacqueline Moloney
  • April 19: Four pairs of extra graduation tickets (for senior survey participants) and four pairs of Showcase Cinemas tickets (for first-year survey participants)
  • May 15: Apple Watch Series 4, GPS (worth $399)
Your chances of winning a prize depends on how many complete the survey; the last time we administered this survey about 1,000 students responded.

How do I take the survey?

Check your email. All students eligible to take the NSSE received an email invite on February 14. Click the buttons above to visit the NSSE homepage or look up your username and password if you no longer have the email.

When can I take this survey?

The survey will be available from February 14, 2019 through May 15, 2019. To be eligible for all prize drawings you need to complete the NSSE prior to the first prize drawing on March 8, 2019.

Did you know?

The 2016 NSSE Feedback helped us:

  • Establish college-based professional advising because students said they wanted more advising resources
  • Create more opportunities to reflect on and integrate classroom learning into life outside the classroom