National Survey of Student Engagement:
A Summary Report of Winthrop University Results for 2001
September, 2001

Profile of NSSE 2001 Respondents

Table 2 below shows selected respondent characteristics. The first column represents NSSE 2001 respondents, the second column shows the characteristics of students at the four-year schools that participated in NSSE 2001 as reflected by 1998-1999 IPEDS data, and the third column represents the national profile of students at four-year colleges and universities from IPEDS data.

Class. Of the 71,425 respondents, 47% were students in their first-year of college and 53% were seniors.

Gender. Women made up almost two-thirds (65%) of the respondents compared with 54% of the students enrolled at NSSE 2001 schools and 56% nationally (Table 2). The larger proportion of women respondents is consistent with the widely reported survey research phenomenon that women are more likely than men to return questionnaires. However, the percentages of women and men responding via the Web (57% women, 43% men) more closely matched the national profile.

Age. Students 19 years of age or younger compose the largest group (42%), reflecting the fact that half the students selected to receive the survey were in their first year of college. Thirty-nine (39%) percent were 20-23, 9% 24-29, and 10% 30 years of age or older.

Race and ethnicity. White students are over-represented and African American students are slightly under-represented (Table 2).

Enrollment status. About 88% of all students were enrolled full-time (Table 2). Approximately 28% of all students had attended one or more other institutions in addition to the one at which they were currently enrolled. Of this group of multiple-institution attendees, 51% had gone to a community college, 34% to another four-year college, 7% to a vocational-technical school, and 8% to some other form of postsecondary education.

Parents’ education. Forty percent of all respondents were first generation college students. More than one third (34%) had both parents graduate from college. 

Living arrangements. Forty-four percent of all students lived in campus housing (74% first-year students, 20% seniors). The remainder lived within driving distance (41%), within walking distance (13%), or in a fraternity or sorority house (2%).

Fraternity or sorority. About 12% of all students (13% of men and 11% of women) were members of a fraternity or sorority. 

Future teachers. About 17% of all students said they intended to teach at some pre-kindergarten through high school level within one to two years of completing their degree. Approximately 92% of seniors majoring in education plan to teach.

Table 2 Characteristics of NSSE 2001 Respondents, Students At NSSE 2001 Institutions, and Students at All Four-Year Institutions
	NSSE	All NSSE
	Respondents	2001 Schools	National
Gender
Men	35%	46%	44%
Women	65%	54%	56%
Race/Ethnicity*
African American/Black	7%	9%	10%
Amer. Indian/Alaska Native	2%	1%	1%
Asian/Pacific Islander	6%	5%	6%
Caucasian/White	80%	75%	70%
Hispanic	7%	7%	6%
Other	.4%	-	-
Multiple	5%	-	-
International	4%	3%	3%
Enrollment Status
Full-time	88%	83%	79%
Part-time	12%	17%	21%

*Notes: Students could check more than one racial or ethnic group so the percentages exceed 100%. The IPEDS and NSSE categories for race and ethnicity differ. Also, changes were made in the NSSE categories between 2000 and 2001 so use caution in making comparisons across the two years.

Source for All NSSE 2001 Schools and National: 1998-1999 IPEDS Enrollment Data File


Primary Major Field

Table 3 shows the percentages of students majoring in different fields broken down by class and gender.
More men are majoring in business, engineering, computer and information sciences, and physical sciences, while more women are pursuing degrees in education, health-related fields, and the social sciences.

Table 3 Primary Major Field of Study By Class and Gender
	1st Year Students		Seniors
Major	Male	Female	Male	Female
Business	17%	12%	19%	16%
Social sciences	9%	13%	12%	17%
Education	4%	14%	5%	15%
Biological/life      sciences	7%	9%	7%	7%
Engineering	14%	2%	14%	2%
Other	7%	7%	6%	7%
Health-related fields	3%	9%	3%	8%
Computer and      information sciences	11%	2%	9%	3%
Communications	4%	6%	4%	5%
Visual and      performing arts	4%	5%	4%	4%
Humanities	3%	4%	4%	5%
Undecided	6%	8%	-	-
Multiple Primary      Major	2%	3%	2%	2%
Physical sciences	3%	2%	4%	2%
Mathematics	2%	1%	2%	1%

Sample Response Rates and Characteristics for the National Sample and Winthrop

The overall average adjusted institutional response rate for NSSE 2001 was 42%. Winthrop’s response rate was 45%, or slightly above the national sample. However, it should be noted that this response rate indicates the percent of student sampled that responded, not the percent of the relevant student population. 

About 58% of the NSSE 2001 respondents completed the paper version of The College Student Report and approximately 42% completed it using the Web, which is up from 36% in NSSE 2000. The average adjusted institutional response rate for standard schools (institutions where students had the option of completing either the paper or the Web version of The Report) was 43%, with a range of 20% to 82% across schools. The average adjusted institutional response rate for NSSE 2001 Web-only schools (institutions where students only had the option of completing the survey online) was 41%.

Table 4 summarizes the characteristics of the Winthrop sample, the sample at other Master’s-granting institutions, and the NSSE national sample. It also includes the sampling errors for various samples. Please note that the margin of error for Winthrop first year students and seniors was approximately + 9%.

Table 4


Winthrop University Results

The following charts summarize the 2001 results for Winthrop students. Each chart/bar graph contains the mean (average) response for Winthrop first year students (n=103 students) and seniors (n=92 students), and the comparable means for other Master’s-granting institutions (i.e., those with the same Carnegie classification as Winthrop) and the NSSE national sample. The survey question to which students responded appears at the top of each chart. The response choices for the item appear on the left axis of each chart. 

In those instances in which the means for Winthrop first year and/or seniors differed significantly (at a statistical probability of less than .001) from the Master’s and/or NSSE national samples, a note appears at the bottom of the chart. In such cases, the effect size is provided. Effect size is a statistical measure of the magnitude of the difference. Generally, an effect size of .2 is considered small, .5 is considered moderate, and .8 is considered large. A positive effect size (e.g., .3) means that Winthrop’s mean exceeded that of one or more comparison samples. A negative effect size (e.g., -.3) means that Winthrop’s mean was below that of one or more comparison samples. 

Winthrop University Results Charts
(NOTE: Results are presented in the form of graphs. To view the graphs, click the tabs at the bottom of each page in the results section. Use the horizontal scroll bar to scroll across to additional graphs, which continue up to #12.)

Questions or comments regarding this report or Winthrop’s participation in the NSSE project may be directed to the Office of Assessment (phone:2341;
e-mail:prusj@winthrop.edu).