Assessment Activities to Learn About Our Students

In the Department of Residence Life there is a continuing commitment to learning about the student experience at MSU. Through on-going surveys, conversations, focus groups and other methods, we are able to learn more about student life. Though every student has a unique experience, we also look at class level, racial-ethnic background, lifestyle, living-learning program membership, college or major, residence hall environment, and gender in order to increase our understanding.

The survey of incoming first-year students has been conducted for ten years. In these surveys students rate the likelihood that they will have a number of common college experiences. After their first semester, these same first-year students report on their actual experiences in the First-Time First-Year Follow-Up Surveys.

Floor Community surveys are conducted with all students in undergraduate residence halls and these surveys look at students' attitudes towards residence hall staff, and community life.

Other surveys are conducted on a less regular basis. Some of them are featured on the left. Additionally, each year general demographics are reported for the various living areas at MSU.