NEWS

Louisiana Tech first-year, senior students highly rate overall college experience

Jan 6, 2017 | General News

Ninety percent of first-year students and 89 percent of seniors at Louisiana Tech University said they would rate their overall educational experience at the institution as “excellent or good,” according to the National Survey of Student Engagement’s (NSSE) “Engagement Insights – Annual Results 2016” survey report.
In addition to their feedback on their overall experience at Louisiana Tech, nearly 90 percent of both first-year students and seniors said that, if given the chance to start over in selecting a college or university to attend, they would “definitely or probably” choose Louisiana Tech again.
“Louisiana Tech’s commitment to creating an unparalleled educational experience for every one of our students is at the heart of our role and responsibility as a national research university,” said Louisiana Tech President Les Guice.  “Student engagement and leadership, and the impacts of their success are benefiting people and communities throughout the state.  The dedication and tireless efforts of our faculty and staff is clearly translating into student satisfaction, and it is something that continues to distinguish Louisiana Tech.”
The objective of the annual NSSE survey is to gauge student opinions and perspectives on all facets of academic and student life for the institution’s undergraduates.  Louisiana Tech plans to use this data and other interactions with students to improve the overall educational experience, supplement state accountability and accreditation efforts, and support the mission and vision of its Tech 2020 strategic plan.
“Through the collective efforts of our faculty, staff and students, Louisiana Tech has been successful in creating a campus where students are active participants in the growth and governance of our institution,” said Dr. Jim King, vice president for student advancement at Louisiana Tech. “They are partners with us in guiding our institution forward and have embraced the opportunity and responsibility to improve the Louisiana Tech experience for future generations of students.”
When evaluating the perceived gains that seniors made in their base of academic knowledge, skills and personal development during their time at Louisiana Tech, 85 percent considered the gains in thinking critically and analytically to be “very much” or “quite a bit.”  In working effectively with others, 76 percent said they had gained “very much” or “quite a bit.”  Nearly three in four seniors said they had also gained “very much” or “quite a bit” in learning experiences such as speaking clearly and effectively, writing clearly and effectively, and acquiring job- or work-related knowledge and skills.
The NSSE survey was administered online to Louisiana Tech first-year and senior level students during the 2016 spring quarter.  Students were sent a series of invitation emails soliciting voluntary participation.  Both segments of the student body received and responded to the same set of questions.
NSSE annually collects information from hundreds of four-year colleges and universities around the nation about student participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development. The results provide an estimate of how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college.