Respondent Profile - NSSE 2003

A total of 159 first-year students and 149 seniors completed NSSE in 2003. The overall response rate was 32%, with 32% of first-year students responding and 31% of seniors surveyed responding. A basic demographic breakdown of respondents looks like this:

• 66% Female & 34% Male - First-year students
• 68% Female & 32% Male - Seniors
• First-year students were 84% White/Caucasian, 10% Black/African American, 3% Asian American/Pacific Islander, 2% American Indian, 3% Hispanic, 3% Multiracial, and 1% Other
• Senior students were 72% White/Caucasian, 17% Black/African American, 5% Asian American/Pacific Islander, 2% American Indian, 3% Hispanic, 4% Multiracial, and 0% Other
• 80% of first year students live on campus, while 88% of seniors live off campus

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is an annual survey administered at colleges and universities nationwide that assesses the extent to which students engage in educationally effective activities. The guiding premise is that student participation in these activities at reasonable levels is a meaningful proxy for collegiate quality.