College-wide assessment by source of evidence

Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE)

Overview

The Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) elicits information from thousands of college-bound students around the country about their high school academic and co-curricular experiences, as well as their expectations of college.  It is designed to provide baseline data for the subsequent administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement to spring-semester first-years and seniors. 

National BCSSE Instrument
BCSSE has been administered at St. Olaf every two or three years since Fall 2007.  Response rates have generally been quite high, ranging from approximately 50-75%.

National BCSSE Website
BCSSE is a project of the Center for Postsecondary Research in the Indiana University School of Education.  Since it was first launched in 2007, over 250 colleges and universities have administered the instrument, and more than two-hundred thousand students have completed it.

St. Olaf BCSSE Results and Reports
Participating institutions receive a variety of reports that compare their students’ responses with those of students at self-selected groups of comparison institutions. Comparisons are available for each item on the questionnaire and for the five BCSSE scales:   high school academic engagement, expected first-year academic engagement, academic persistence, academic preparation and importance of campus environment

St. Olaf Uses of BCSSE Results
BCSSE results have been used at St. Olaf to inform faculty development programs, guide academic advising, and inform programs for incoming first-years.