The University of Arizona Global Campus administers a variety of surveys, during various stages of the student life cycle, to assess students’ satisfaction with their educational experience at the University. Seeking feedback from students and using this feedback to improve the student experience is the cornerstone of the University’s efforts to provide high-quality, accessible education.
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
In the 2016 National Survey of Student Engagement, University of Arizona Global Campus Student First Year and Senior survey respondent scores were higher than the national respondent mean ratings on questions relating to relationships, diverse perspectives, ten questions concerned with educational and personal growth such as thinking critically and analytically, and writing.
Noel-Levitz
The University has participated in the Noel-Levitz student satisfaction surveys: the Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI), the Institutional Priorities Survey (IPS), the Priorities Survey for Online Learners (PSOL), and the Adult Learner Inventory (ALI). These surveys measure importance and satisfaction levels of students regarding University services. The surveys determine what matters most to students and the extent to which the University satisfies those priorities. While the student surveys measures students’ satisfaction with a wide range of college experiences, the IPS assesses the priority faculty, staff, and administrators believe students place on the same range of student experiences. The SSI is the original student satisfaction survey designed by Noel-Levitz. The PSOL is designed for students in distance learning programs and provides an opportunity to examine the priorities of online students as a unique population. The ALI is designed by Noel-Levitz specifically for adult students completing undergraduate programs.
By administering both the IPS and SSI or PSOL, an institution can determine the discrepancies (gaps) between a student’s perception of the importance of a service and his or her actual satisfaction with that service. The results not only provide colleges and universities with information about the areas in which they are performing well but also those areas that are in need of improvement in order to retain students. Noel-Levitz provides a Strategic Planning Overview to define institution strengths, challenges, and areas where satisfaction and importance are higher or lower than the national average. These data fuel the University of Arizona Global Campus assessment and continuous improvement processes.