Last spring, undergraduate, day students were invited to complete the Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI). Through this assessment, students assign a level of importance and satisfaction to a variety of items related to the student experience. A 26% response rate was achieved. The SSI was also completed in 2014 and 2012.
Key Findings
- 78% believe their Wentworth experience has met or exceeded their expectations (84% in 2014 and 80% in 2012).
- 71% report some level of satisfaction with their overall experience on campus (77% in 2014 and 72% in 2012).
- 58% indicate they would enroll at Wentworth again, compared to the national average of 56% (60% in 2014 and 57% in 2012).
- Students report high satisfaction with items related to safety and campus security.
Strengths
Items that students evaluate as important and with which they attribute satisfaction are characterized as strengths of the institution. Overall, 13 items are listed as institutional strengths.
- The content of the courses within my major is valuable.
- Nearly all of the faculty are knowledgeable in their field.
- I am able to experience intellectual growth here.
- Major requirements are clear and reasonable.
- Security staff respond quickly in emergencies.
“The content of the courses within my major is valuable” is the top strength in 2016, 2014, and 2012. Students have also rated “nearly all of the faculty are knowledgeable in their field” and “I am able to experience intellectual growth here” as strengths of the institute in each iteration of the survey.
Challenges
Items that students evaluate as important but with which they are not satisfied, or the gap between importance and satisfaction is great, are characterized as the institution’s challenges. Eighteen (18) items were listed as challenges.
- The instruction in my major field is excellent.
- I am able to register for classes I need with few conflicts.
- The quality of instruction I receive in most of my classes is excellent.
- Tuition paid is a worthwhile investment.
- There is adequate support to find me a co-op.
Three items on the 2016 SSI were also noted as challenges in 2014 and 2012. These include “I am able to register for classes I need with few conflicts,” “the quality of instruction I receive in most classes is excellent,” and “tuition paid is a worthwhile investment.” With this consistency, additional research and action planning to improve these ratings may be considered.
Analyzing strengths and challenges in relation to each other provides an interesting perspective and/or leads to additional curiosity into the student experience. If students believe the content of the courses within their major is valuable, nearly all of the faculty are knowledgeable in their field, and they are able to experience intellectual growth on campus, why would they also rate the “instruction in my major field is excellent” as a challenge?
Most Important Items
The content of the courses within my major is valuable.
The instruction in my major field is excellent.
I am able to register for classes I need with few conflicts.
The quality of instruction I receive in most of my classes is excellent.
Tuition paid is a worthwhile investment.
Greatest Satisfaction
RAVE emergency notifications are timely and informative.
This institution has a good reputation within the community.
On the whole, the campus is well-maintained.
Library staff are helpful and approachable.
Security staff respond quickly in emergencies.
The results from the 2016 Student Satisfaction Inventory closely resemble results from the 2014 and 2012 data. There is strong confidence in describing what is important to students, how satisfied students are with their Wentworth experience, our institutional strengths, and the challenges that need further exploration.
Not surprisingly, items related to a student’s academic experience continue to be the most important parts of their experience. Students place a high value on both the content and the instruction of the courses within their major. Students clearly see the value of the course material in their major, yet interestingly identify tuition paid as a worthwhile investment as a challenge.
Assistance with the analysis of the 2016 SSI data was provided by the Office of Institutional Assessment and Accreditation. For more information on the Student Satisfaction Inventory, please contact Peter Fowler, Associate Dean of Students, at x4082 or fowlerp@wit.edu