MPI

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MPI
Mission Perception Inventory
Institutional Characteristics and Student
Perception of Mission What Makes a Difference?
Ellen Boylan, Ph.D. ? Marywood University NEAIR
36th Annual Conference ? Baltimore, Maryland ?
Nov. 7 10 , 2009
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Whats in a mission?
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scope of research

• Purpose
• Develop an instrument to measure
• student perception
• of institutional
• mission.
• Test instrument reliability.
• Uncover constructs (factors).
• Observe constructs longitudinally.

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scope of research

• Purpose
• Develop
• an instrument
• Test instrument
• reliability.
• Uncover constructs.
• Observe constructs
• longitudinally.
• Develop a prediction
• equation.

• Research Questions
• 1. Is the Mission Perception
• Inventory (MPI) a valid and reliable
• reliable measure of student
• perception of institutional mission?
• 2. What are the factors in the MPI?
• 3. Do the factors recur in repeated
• administrations of the revised MPI?
• 4. Are the factors equally reliable over time?
• 5. Can a schools performance be predicted?

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• leaders of public and private institutions alike
  are thinking about spirituality these days, as
  the data suggest that's what their students are
  thinking about, too (Inside Higher Ed, 2009).
• There is strong connection between institutional
  programs and student learning environment
  (Pascarella, 2001).
• institutions influence levels of engagement on
  campus as a result of structural features,
  programs, policies, and organizational culture
  (Kuh et al., 2005).

background
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design

• Select the National Survey of
• Student Engagement (NSSE) as
• the vehicle for inserting research
• questions.
• Assemble a NSSE consortium to
• jointly engage in research to explore
• student perception of mission.
• Develop question items
• administer them to the consortium
• as a NSSE attachment.
• Test the questions reliability, factor
• analysis, and correlation analysis. Repeat
  annually.

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derivation of the MPI and subscales
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sense of mission (10 items ? .90)

• The mission of this institution is widely
  understood by students.
• Social and personal development is an important
  part of the mission.
• Ethical and spiritual development of students is
  important.
• This institution offers opportunities for
  volunteering and community service.
• This institution offers opportunities for
  developing leadership skills.
• There are opportunities for students to
  strengthen their religious commitment.
• This institutions religious heritage is evident.
• Professors here discuss the ethical implications
  of what is being studied.
• As a result of my experience here, I am more
  aware of my own personal values.
• The mission of this institution is reflected in
  course offerings.

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respect for diversity (5 items ? .878)

• The faculty, staff, and students here
• respect different religions
• respect different races and
• cultures
• Students feel free to express individual
  spirituality.
• Different sexual orientations are accepted.
• The environment encourages appreciation of
  diversity.

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administration
The NSSE survey with attached Mission Perception
Inventory (MPI) questions has been administered
182 times to close to 50,000 first-year and
senior students at 112 unique institutions across
the United States every year since 2004.
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Consortia institutions and respondents by year

Respondents Respondents
Institutions Institutions First Year Senior
2004 15 2,000 1,827
2005 16 1,279 1,332
2006 24 2,684 2,854
2007 36 4,533 4,331
Catholic 2008 35 4520 5063
Indepent 2008 19 6805 6970
  145 21,821 22,377
(112 unique institutions)

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Do the factors recur in repeated administrations
of the revised Mission Perception Inventory (MPI)
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Are the factors equally reliable over time?
Subscales 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Catholic 2008Indept
cronbach ? cronbach ? cronbach ? cronbach ? cronbach ? cronbach ?
Sense of Mission .87 .88 .88 .90 .91 .88
Respect for Diversity .85 .84 .87 .86 .88 .87
Individual Actions .67 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Religious Practice/Spirituality .62 .55 .54 .62 .62 .64
MPI scale .88 .89 .90 .91 .91 .90
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(MPI) Mission PerceptionInventory
Report
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Teagle Foundation Research Continues
2009

• Develop the Mission Engagement Index.
• Obtain NSSE 2009 consortia data
• Test using reliability analysis to
• produce factors
• Distribute MPI reports
• Compare consortia results
• Conduct regression analysis to create the new
  index
• Use the Mission Engagement Index (MEI) to assess
  performance.

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NSSE 2008 Benchmark Statistics by Consortia
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Does the Mission Engagement Index describe causal
relationships among variables that affect mission
perception?

• Dependent variable (Institution score)
• Mission Perception Inventory
• Sense of Mission scale
• Respect for Diversity scale
• Independent variables (2008 data need 15
  cases per variable)
• Selectivity 15 institutions
• Enrollment 30 institutions
• Urbanicity 45 institutions
• Resident 60 institutions
• Female 75 institutions
• Another? 90 institutions

a recommended ratio of subjects to IVs of at
least 15 to 1 will provide a reliable regression
equation (Stevens, 1992).
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Selecting IVs for regression analysis
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participating institutions by region
2008 2 consortia, 54 institutions
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urbanicity of participating institutions 2008
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MPI 2008 ScalesComparison of means by
institution type
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Correlation of regression variables with MPI mean
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Deriving coefficientsfor the Mission Engagement
Index (MEI)
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Correlation of regression variables with Mission
scale mean
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Predictive Equation

• Institution Predicted MPI Score
• (Beta1)(Value of setting)
• (-0.414)(1, 2, or 3)
• (Beta2)(Value of institution type)
• (0.345)(1 or 2)
• Constant
• (3.687)

Mortenson, T. (1997). Actual Vs Predicted
institutional graduation rates for 1100 Colleges
and universities. Opportunity, 58.
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ProposedMission Engagement Index

• The MEI will compare actual versus predicted
  scores on mission constructs.

• Progress on mission effectiveness can be assessed
  by comparing MEI outcomes to institutional goals.
  

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Sample Mission Engagement Index (MEI) by
Institution Type and Setting
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No rest for the weary

• For statistical regression, cross validation with
  a second sample is highly recommended

(Tabachnick, p. 153).
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References

• Inside Higher Education (2009). Spiritual
  accountability. Retrieved from http//www.insidehi
  ghered.com/layout/set/pri...assessment/01/02/2007/
  News
• Kuh, D. G., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J. H., and Whitt,
  E. J. (2005). Never let it rest lessons about
  student success from high-performing colleges
  and universities. Change, 37(4), 44-51.
• Mortenson, T. (1997). Actual Vs predicted
  institutional graduation rates for 1100 colleges
  and universities. Opportunity, 58.
• Pacarella, E. T. (2001). Identifying excellence
  in undergraduate education. Change, 33(3), 18-27.
• Stevens, J. P. (1992). Applied multivariate
  statistics for the social sciences (2nd edition).
  Hillsdale, New Jersey Erlbaum.
• Tabachnick, B. G. Fidel, L. S. (1996). Using
  multivariate statics, third edition. New York,
  NY HarperCollins.

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Discussion
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Institutional Characteristics Student
Perception of Mission What Makes a Difference?

• Ellen Boylan, Ph.D.
• Director of Institutional Research and Assessment
• eboylan_at_marywood.edu
• Office of Planning and Institutional Research
• http//cwis.marywood.edu/instresearch/activity.stm

Marywood University
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MPI
Mission Perception Inventory
Institutional Characteristics and Student
Perception of Mission What Makes a Difference?
Ellen Boylan, Ph.D. ? Marywood University NEAIR
36th Annual Conference ? Baltimore, Maryland ?
Nov. 7 10 , 2009