Student Experience in the Research University SERU: A New Resource for Studying UFs Undergraduates

1
Student Experience in the Research University
(SERU)A New Resource for Studying UFs
Undergraduates

• Marie E. Zeglen, Ph.D.
• Assistant Provost for Institutional Planning and
  Research

2
SERU Background

• Survey developed by UC Berkeley Center for
  Studies in Higher Education for whole U
  California System
• Berkeley, Santa Cruz, Davis, Santa Barbara,
  Irvine, San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside
• Collaboration between academic scholars and
  institutional researchers to create new data
  sources and policy relevant analysis
• Purposes
• Broadening understanding of the undergraduate
  experience
• Promoting a culture of self improvement
• Tailored to research universities
• Administered regularly since 2003 to UC Campuses

3
The SERU Research Consortium

• Invitation to AAU institutions to join the SERU
  Research Consortium in 2008
• A pilot group of AAUs signed up
• University of Florida
• University of Michigan
• University of Minnesota
• University of Oregon
• Rutgers University
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Florida will participate and survey
  its students in 2 of next 3 years 2008-09 and
  2010-11

4
Benefits of SERU

• Population survey of undergraduates NOT a
  sample
• Target response of 50
• Results specific to academic colleges and majors
• Wildcard module
• Data support many uses
• Program review
• College and department goal setting and tracking
• Program improvement
• VSA requirement

5
Customizing SERU

• Three basic modules
• Time, student development, academic engagement,
  campus climate, satisfaction, evaluation of the
  educational experience
• Background and personal characteristics
• Academic experience
• Two custom modules
• Consortium agreed on common module on
  globalization multi-university team will
  develop
• Our Wildcard ideas on sustainability, arts
  experiences, student services need to develop

6
Robust and Varied Data

• Institutional data
• FICE code
• College code
• Name
• Student data
• Demographics
• Prior educational data
• Performance data
• Contact data

• Academic program data
• Major codes
• Major names
• CIP codes

7
Response Strategy

• UC universities average between 40 and 50
• How do they do it?
• Incentives required 3K minimum
• Seven follow ups including summer
• Track and analyze what has worked prizes, email
  subject lines, publicity
• Involve the whole campus academic departments,
  colleges, advisors, student government, student
  affairs, news and PR groups
• Executive sponsors multiple voices
• Answer every student e-mail about the survey

8
UF Incentives

• Eligibility to participate in football lottery
• Buy One/Get One Free coupon for Museum of Natural
  History Butterfly Rainforest
• UF Bookstore - 50 coupons and gifts
• Recreation Center personal training sessions
• Gator Dining lunch coupons

9
How the Football Lottery Will Work

• Students eligible for survey must complete survey
  AND enter the lottery through UAA
• SERU has to be completed before the lottery
  deadline
• Students ineligible for SERU are NOT affected and
  just enter the lottery through UAA
• Undergraduates under 18 years of age
• Non degree students
• Correspondence study students
• Graduate students
• Professional students

10
Confidentiality of Results

• SERU results will be aggregated in reports
• No disclosure of any student identifiers without
  student approval for example, to publicize
  reward winners
• Safe, secure server for survey data
• New SERU ID established for all participating
  institutions to enable comparisons among AAU
  institutions

11
Launch and Follow Ups

• March 16 survey launch by email
• PR campaign around event Give Us Your 2 Bits
• Multiple follow ups from different people
• Executive sponsors President, Provost, VPs
• Undergraduate Studies leader
• Student government leader
• Summer follow up adds 10

12
Examples of Posters
13
Examples of Posters
14
Data Analyses and Reports

• By August provide link to additional student data
  on campus
• Analyses
• Query and report front end from Consortium for
  instance - all English majors, specific
  university comparisons
• Develop departmental reports for each major
• Develop college and institutional reports
• Develop student service and student life reports

15
How are UC Schools using Data?

• Academic program review and improvement
• Assessment indirect measures of learning
• Faculty Senate review on curriculum
• Identification of factors affecting retention and
  graduation of students
• Student life and student service improvements
• Research faculty publications and graduate
  student dissertations

16
Research

• As members of the consortium
• Research data from all participants available to
  us
• Obligation to present at annual research
  consortium meeting
• Our faculty and graduate students are welcome to
  do active research using the SERU data
• Must follow IRB rules and maintain
  confidentiality standards (similar to AAU)
• Be part of a community of scholars from all the
  participating schools

17
Next Steps

• Spread the word encourage students to take SERU
• Deans, Associate Deans, Chairs
• Advisers
• Student Affairs units
• Student Government
• Faculty Senate
• Monitor the survey results
• Distribute and publicize rewards
• Plan and carry out technical/analytic plan
• Plan how to use the data

18
Timeline

• February Module finalization
• March IRB approval
• March - SERU deployment
• April to July SERU follow-ups
• August SERU data links
• Fall 2009 SERU data report distribution