Details for current survey:
2025 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
The Basics
What?
The NSSE is a student survey administered by a team at Indiana University's Center for Postsecondary Research in cooperation with campuses, particularly the Institutional Research and Analysis (IRA) Office at SUNY Cortland. The survey gathers information about first-year and senior students' participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development. The results will be used to identify areas of strength as well as areas in need of improvement at SUNY Cortland. Student feedback will help make our campus and community a better place to grow, live and learn.
Completing the NSSE should take 15 to 20 minutes. Respondents will be able to save their responses and return to complete the rest of the survey later.
Information regarding previous administrations of the NSSE, including results, are available.
When?
The 2025 NSSE will be administered from Monday, February 24, 2025 until Monday, May 12, 2025. Reminder emails will be sent periodically throughout the survey period from nsse@nssesurvey.org.
Who?
The survey will be administered to first-year and senior students. Class status was determined by credits at the end of the Fall 2024 term.
Where?
Invitations to complete the survey will be sent to students’ SUNY Cortland email address from nsse@nssesurvey.org.
The survey is not completed from a generic link to give respondents the opportunity to return to the survey, instead of having to complete it in one sitting, and prevent individuals from completing it multiple times.
Students also have the opportunity to complete the survey without the link in the emails. They can navigate directly to nssesurvey.org and can receive their unique link using an easy, one-step verification process by clicking "Don't know your login ID?" and then providing their email address.
Why?
Regular assessment is necessary to track progress toward institutional goals and to update goals as the needs of students evolve and change.
The results of the survey inform institutional planning and are used to improve student services. Results are shared with the President’s Cabinet, the Institutional Planning and Assessment Committee (IPAC), as well as having summaries posted on the IRA webpage.
Why Should Students Complete the 2025 NSSE?
To encourage and motivate students to complete the NSSE, in addition to their contribution to institutional improvement, those that are invited to and complete the survey by the end of Friday, March 14, will be entered into a random drawing to receive one (1) of the following:
- Tuition for a class at the in-state tuition rate to be used in Summer 2025, Fall 2025, or Spring 2026
- One (1) available
- Will cover tuition for a 3-credit course at the in-state rate*
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Recipient will be responsible for costs beyond in-state tuition**
*Current in-state tuition rate is $885.00. Tuition rate for Fall 2026 is not yet final, but the incentive will cover all tuition for up to a 3-credit course at the in-state tuition rate. Recipient will be responsible for the balance for out-of-state tuition. More information can be found on the Student Accounts webpages.
**For a 3-credit class, this includes College Fee ($5.10) and Program Service Charge ($99.50 for in-person classes and $55.25 for online classes).
- Additional May 2025 Commencement tickets
- Two (2) sets of two (2) available
- An exclusive SUNY Cortland branded Stanley water bottle (soon to be pictured below)
- Six (6) available
- Water bottle is specifically a Quencher H2.0 FlowState Vacuum Mug with Straw - 30 oz.
Additional Information About Incentives
Students who complete the survey before spring break (by end of March 14) will be eligible for incentives, even though the survey will remain open until May 12. Using an earlier deadline for incentives allows us to deliver or arrange them before the end of the term. A list of students that completed the survey before spring break will be used to randomly select recipients for each incentive. Students must complete the survey to be entered in the random drawing by selecting/clicking the button at the end of the survey to finalize their responses. Chances of winning will depend on how many students complete the survey by March 14; the last time we administered the NSSE, about 516 students responded and were eligible.
Students will only be able to receive one, which is not transferable.
Recipients will be contacted at their SUNY Cortland email address. They will be required to respond in a reasonable amount of time to claim the incentive. If not claimed, the incentive will be offered to another student who completed the survey. Specific details for obtaining or using the incentive will be communicated to recipients after being claimed.
Please direct questions to Stuart Daman, director of Institutional Research and Analysis.
Miller Building, Room 402
Phone: 607-753-5565
Fax: 607-753-5977
stuart.daman@cortland.edu
Special thanks to the following for making these incentives possible:
Division of Finance and Management
President's Office / Campus Event Management Office
Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness
Data Security and Confidentiality
Participation in the NSSE is voluntary. Responses are not disclosed or used to make any judgments or decisions concerning individual students.