Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) Project and Consortium

SERU Advantage – Being True to the "DNA" of the Research University Experience

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SERU is designed to:

• Investigate the strengths and weaknesses of research universities as sites of undergraduate education. These investigations provide timely information to aid programs for improving the student experience.
• Meet the needs of major research universities through increased attention, specifically, to student research experiences.
• Provide information at the level of the academic major to support program review and valid comparisons with the same major at similar universities. Data are available from the nine undergraduate campuses of the University of California system, as well as Rutgers University, University of Florida, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, University of Minnesota, and University of Pittsburgh.
• Increase by an order of magnitude the precision with which student differences can be observed. A sample can tell us about STEM students, but only a census can describe women minority transfer STEM students.

What will you do if your NSSE scores are low? Tell the faculty to try harder? As a large research university, your NSSE scores will very likely be lower because you offer a greater concentration of math, science, engineering, and business programs. It is a fact that measures of student engagement and academic outcomes vary by field of study and the fields where research universities have more students tend to score lower. Unless the survey produces reliable results at the level of field of study, they are misleading and will be of no practical value. SERU gives the faculty valid comparable information at the level for which they are responsible, the major.

The SERU Survey provides a number of key advantages for research universities interested in both collecting data on the student experience and also, analyzing and systematically using such data for institutional self-improvement and quality assurance efforts, including:

• Broad Integration of SERU Data into Reports and Policy in Participating Campuses
  Within the University of California system, numerous studies have been conducted using the SERU Survey, incorporating SERU data into systemwide and UC Office of the President reports to the UC Regents’ Long-range Guidance Team, Mental Health Committee, Study Group on Diversity, and Accountability Task Force. Campus uses include accreditation reports and studies on such topics as transfer students, veterans, women in science, “the sophomore slump,” and students on Pell grants. SERU is approved as a measure of student educational outcomes in the Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA).
• A Proven Census Approach Tailored to Each Campus and Every Student
  The SERU Survey has been operating as a census, with high response rates, from the beginning. Mailings and data systems have a proven track record of success. Although centrally administered, SERU looks like a local administration because it uses campus-specific references, including email messages and login pages. Upper-division surveys are customized to display each student’s major(s) and to require verification of the student’s major(s) of record. Every inquiry and expressed concern about the survey is answered personally and promptly. Data collection continues into the summer to improve response rates.
• Superior Content for the Research University Context
  The SERU Survey asks multiple questions on campus climate, student research experiences, other study enhancement activities (such as Study Abroad), civic and social engagement activities, academic and non-academic time use, post-graduate plans, and expanded student demographic characteristics. SERU is true to the “DNA” of the research university experience.
• A Better Approach to Assessing Students’ Educational Experiences
  The SERU Survey provides both beginning college and current assessments in 15 skill areas. It includes separate assessments of majors, course variety, class size, teaching, advising, and student services. It also includes open-ended questions asking students about how best to improve undergraduate education and the sources of important personal changes during college.
• Support for Campus Efforts to Improve Undergraduate Education
  The Survey is based on a collegial model oriented to improvement of undergraduate education on each campus, not external rankings. This model includes support for research through provision of SERU Survey data to researchers, an annual research symposium, and regular consultation with campus offices of institutional research and undergraduate education
• Comparisons between Majors and Subgroups Using the “Academic Profile” Tool
  The “Profile” allows for instantaneous comparisons of student learning experiences between similar majors on the same campus and equivalent majors on comparison campuses. It also allows for subgroup comparisons. UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and UC San Diego use the “Profile” in undergraduate program review. Other campuses will likely follow.
• In-Depth Examination of Issues through Campus Modules
  A subset of respondents complete campus-specific modules that provide information on issues of high local interest. Past campus modules have examined issues ranging from campus policing to educational interactions on global issues.
• Easy-to-Develop Links to Entry, Exit and Alumni Surveys
  SERU Survey data can be readily appended to entry, exit and alumni surveys, allowing campuses to discover how the educational experiences of their students are connected to outcomes at graduation, in graduate education, and in the labor market. To help facilitate these linkages, we require submission of additional institutional data.
• Comparisons between UC Campuses and AAU Institutions
  As noted, a number of AAU institutions have joined the SERU Consortium to use the Survey in their own census administrations. These institutions include: Rutgers University, the University of Florida, the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota, the University of Oregon, and the University of Pittsburgh. Other AAU institutions are becoming aware of the SERU Survey Advantage.