Geneseo continues its participation in NSSE to enhance higher-education experiences

As of Mar. 1, SUNY Geneseo will partake in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) headed by the Indiana University School of Education. By having students complete this survey, universities are able to better gauge the environment at their respective campuses and work to cultivate a better experience for current and future students attending their institutions.

Associate Professor of psychology and interim director of institutional research Matthew Pastizzo administers the survey here at Geneseo. In an interview conducted via email, Pastizzo detailed Geneseo’s history in participating in the survey and the importance of the NSSE in helping to make Geneseo a better place for all students. 

“We have participated in the NSSE every two or three years since 2002. We are currently on a three-year cycle with the most recent administrations [of the survey] in 2017, 2020, and 2023,” said Pastizzo. 

Due to his ongoing involvement in this study, Pastizzo was able to detail how the results of the survey have historically shown Geneseo to be successful in the many aspects the NSSE focuses on. 

“Overall, our NSSE results have consistently demonstrated that Geneseo excels in terms of high-impact practices such [as] research with faculty, internship/field experience, and study abroad,” Pastizzo said. “As we work toward our vision of becoming an equity-centered college, it will be critically important to ensure that all students have an opportunity to participate in high-impact experiences.”

With this in mind, there are certain areas of the survey that Geneseo carefully examines to make strides for the overall improvement of the institution:

“In terms of an opportunity for growth, the results from the topical module on advising included in the 2020 NSSE highlighted the importance of (and interest in) holistic advisement and contributed to the recent formation of the Academic Advisement Council,” said Pastizzo. “A group led by the Dean of Academic Planning and Advising, one of the goals of the advising council is to discuss, encourage, and support best practices in holistic advisement.”

While Pastizzo and the administration team at Geneseo are the ones who primarily study the results of the NSSE, the intention is to share the results with faculty members so that improvements can be made campus-wide. The students who take the opportunity to complete the survey inherently contribute to the growth of the campus both inside and outside of the classroom: 

“It is critically important for faculty and staff at SUNY Geneseo to hear our students' voices and to learn from their experiences,” Pastizzo said. “I view the 2023 NSSE as a complement to the recent campus climate survey. I believe (and hope!) that… explaining the general purpose and potential benefits of the NSSE can help encourage participation.”

Though Geneseo has participated in utilizing the NSSE for a number of years, the survey has evolved to incorporate a more inclusive perspective of the student experience. 

“In addition to the standard items, to increase the scope of the 2023 NSSE, we opted to include two topical modules: one on Mental Health & Well-being and the other on Career & Workforce Preparation. We hope to learn more about ways that our practices and policies can be improved to best support and serve students in these critically important areas. We also have included an open-ended question: ‘Please describe the most significant learning experience (curricular or co-curricular) you have had so far at SUNY Geneseo,’” Pastizzo said. 

All students are encouraged to complete this survey, which was sent to each student’s email from Pastizzo: 

“The 2023 NSSE is a great opportunity for students to share their experience,” Pastizzo said. “Survey results will provide really important information that will help guide our practices and policies to create the best possible experience for all students during each year at Geneseo.”