Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs for students
First- and fourth-year students (excluding those in BEd and Law) are asked to participate in NSSE. “First-year” refers to students who registered for their studies in Fall 2025. “Fourth-year” refers to students who are in their final year of study.
The NSSE survey will run from March 3 to April 3. All eligible students will receive a unique survey link from Vice Provost Students, Yvette Munro, on March 3, 2026. Additionally, you will receive reminders with your unique survey link until the end of the survey period.
We would love to hear from you! Share your feedback by completing an online form. Please note that only students who complete the survey are eligible for the contest.
See our Contest Rules & Prizes page for more information.
Yes, international students are eligible to participate in NSSE.
Once you complete NSSE, you will receive a confirmation email— hang on to that email! It is your proof that you completed the survey. Students who have completed NSSE can stop by the Welcome Desk on the third-floor of the Bennett Centre for Student Services to receive one of our giveaway items.
Check our Contest Rules and Prizes page for updated information.
Only students who complete the official NSSE survey are eligible to participate in the NSSE contest. Check our Contest Rules and Prizes page for updated information.
All students who complete NSSE can receive giveaway items. Students who are not eligible to complete NSSE, but provide feedback through our alternate feedback form, are also eligible to receive giveaway items. You will receive a confirmation email when you complete the survey/form— hang on to that email! It is your proof that you’ve submitted your feedback. Find out if you’re eligible to complete NSSE or our alternate feedback form using the Eligibility Tool.
FAQs For Faculty and Staff
NSSE stands for the National Survey of Student Engagement. It is conducted by the Indiana University Survey Research Centre on behalf of the NSSE Institute and is widely recognized as a pre-eminent tool for measuring undergraduate student engagement. NSSE defines engagement as:
- The amount of time and effort students put into their studies and other purposeful activities, and
- How well an institution uses its resources and organizes its curriculum to get students involved in educationally meaningful activities.
Results from NSSE are used to inform strategic planning decisions at York. Read more about NSSE on the Office of Institutional Planning and Analysis website.
NSSE groups answers to questions into four themes and ten indicators. NSSE also measures and compares participation in six High Impact Practices.
| Theme | Indicators |
|---|---|
| Academic Challenges | Higher-order learning Reflective and integrative learning Learning strategies Quantitative reasoning |
| Learning with Peers | Collaborative learning Discussion with diverse others |
| Experiences with Faculty | Student-faculty interactions Effective teaching practices |
| Campus Environment | Quality of Interactions Supportive Environment |
| High Impact Practices | Learning Community Service Learning Research with faculty member Experiential learning Study abroad Culminating senior experience |
As part of the comprehensive print and online communications campaign we’ve launched to promote participation, we’ve created a Communications Toolkit everyone can use to help promote NSSE. This Toolkit is designed to support conversation between peers as well as between faculty/staff and students. To learn more about this toolkit, contact yorknsse@yorku.ca.
Contact Us
If your question isn't covered in our FAQs, reach out to the NSSE team at York.
Connect with York University