Assessing Conditions to Enhance Educational Effectiveness The Inventory for Student Engagement and Success

by Kuh, George D.; Kinzie, Jillian; Schuh, John H.; Whitt, Elizabeth J.

• ISBN13: 9780787982201
• ISBN10: 0787982202
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-09-23
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

From the authors of Student Success in Collegethe book that describes the policies, programs, and practices of twenty colleges and universities that have created success-oriented campus cultures and learning environmentscomes the next-step resource to help an institution assess whether these conditions exist. The authors present the Inventory for Student Engagement and Success (ISES), a self-guided framework for conducting a comprehensive, systematic, institutionwide analysis. The process also can be applied to areas within an institution, such as a school or college within a university, an academic or student affairs division, or a department or program. The ISES includes sets of diagnostic queries that focus on the six properties and conditions common to high-performing schools as well as the five clusters of effective educational practices featured on the National Survey of Student Engagement. Suggestions are offered to illustrate how the information generated from the ISES process can be used for various purposes including accreditation self-studies, program reviews, staff development, faculty and governing board retreats, and strategic planning.

Author Biography

George D. Kuh is Chancellor's Professor of Higher Education and director of the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University Bloomington, home to the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), the NSSE Institute for Effective Educational Practice, and the College Student Experiences Questionnaire Research Program.

Jillian Kinzie is associate director of the NSSE Institute for Effective Educational Practice and project manager of the Documenting Effective Educational Practice (DEEP) initiative.

John H. Schuh is distinguished professor of educational leadership at Iowa State University.

Elizabeth J. Whitt is professor in the College of Education and coordinator of Graduate Programs in Student Affairs Administration at the University of Iowa.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
About the Authors	xi
PART ONE Student Success in College: Why It Matters and What Institutions Can Do About It	1	(16)
Why Focus on Student Success?	3	(1)
Student Engagement: A Key to Student Success	3	(6)
Project DEEP: A Window into Effective Educational Practice	5	(1)
Putting DEEP to Work	6	(1)
Are You Ready for ISES?	7	(2)
Guiding Principles for Using the Inventory for Student Engagement and Success	9	(8)
Context Is Everything	10	(1)
The Whole Is Greater than the Sum of the Parts	10	(1)
Evidence Is Essential: The More, the Better	11	(2)
Test Prevailing Assumptions	13	(1)
Cast a Wide Net	13	(1)
Use Outsiders to Ask Hard Questions	14	(1)
Focus on What Matters to Student Success	14	(1)
Stay the Course	15	(2)
PART TWO Inventory for Student Engagement and Success	17	(64)
Using ISES to Assess the Properties and Conditions Common to Educationally Effective Colleges	19	(24)
A ``Living'' Mission and ``Lived'' Educational Philosophy	19	(3)
Unshakeable Focus on Student Learning	22	(3)
Environments Adapted for Educational Enrichment	25	(3)
Clear Pathways to Student Success	28	(5)
Improvement-Oriented Ethos	33	(2)
Shared Responsibility for Educational Quality and Student Success	35	(4)
``Ultimately, It's About the Culture''	39	(4)
Using ISES to Assess Effective Educational Practices	43	(18)
Academic Challenge	45	(3)
Active and Collaborative Learning	48	(3)
Student-Faculty Interaction	51	(2)
Enriching Educational Experiences	53	(4)
Supportive Campus Environment	57	(4)
Using ISES for Institutional Improvement	61	(20)
Logistical Issues	61	(4)
Applications of ISES	65	(14)
A Last Word	79	(2)
References	81	(4)
Appendix A ISES: Suggested Interview Protocols	85	(6)
Appendix B DEEP Site Visit Report Timeline	91	(2)
Index	93