President's Note to Faculty and Staff about CCSSE Project

January 28, 2013

This spring, Santa Fe has an opportunity to participate in a national survey focusing on teaching, learning, and retention in community colleges, the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). The project is part of the Center for Community College Student Engagement and the Community College Leadership Program at The University of Texas at Austin.

Research shows that the more actively engaged students are - with college faculty and staff, with other students, and with the subject matter being learned - the more likely they are to persist in their college studies and to achieve at higher levels. Identifying what our students do in and out of the classroom, knowing their goals, and understanding their external responsibilities can help us create an environment that can enhance student learning, development, and retention.

The survey will be administered in classes randomly selected by the Center to ensure a representative sample and to preserve the integrity of the survey results. Instructors whose classes are selected for survey administration will receive specific information from Lisa Armour, Vice President for Assessment, Research, and Technology.

Santa Fe is intent on being a leader in higher education. Analysis of CCSSE data is part of the assessment plan for "Navigating the College Experience," our SACS Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) for improving the rate of student persistence to the completion of their educational goals. To learn more about CCSSE visit www.ccsse.org, or contact the Center for Community College Student Engagement at 512-471-6807 or info@cccse.org.