Institutional Results by Instrument

The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness gathers evidence every year on college-wide student learning outcomes, such as critical thinking, quantitative literacy, writing, and research proficiency. The sources listed below provide indirect evidence concerning students’ experiences, perceptions and values.

CIRP Freshman Survey (TFS)

Administered by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) out of the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA, the CIRP Freshman Survey collects extensive information that allows for a snapshot of what incoming Harvey Mudd students are like. Administered to all incoming students during orientation, key sections of the survey examine: established behaviors in high school; academic preparedness; admissions decisions; expectations of college; interactions with peers and faculty; student values and goals; student demographic characteristics concerns about financing college.

Core Survey

A Harvey Mudd-designed questionnaire that examines students’ learning experiences in the Core Curriculum. Administered to first and second year students over the winter break.

National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

Administered by the Center for Postsecondary Research in the School of Education at Indiana University-Bloomington, this questionnaire that examines how students spend their time in college, the nature and scope of the work they are asked to do, and their perceptions of their institution’s contributions to their learning and personal growth and development. Administered to first year and seniors in the spring semester. Information about the NSSE Module and Consortium cycle can be found here.

Harvey Mudd College Summer Research Practices Survey (SRPS)

A Harvey Mudd designed pre-post questionnaire to evaluate the benefits of Harvey Mudd summer research experiences, including growth in disciplinary knowledge, scientific and quantitative literacy, oral and written communication and social and emotional self-confidence. Administered week before summer research starts and again the week summer research ends.

CIRP College Senior Survey (CSS)

Also administered by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) out of the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA, the College Senior Survey focuses on a broad range of outcomes and post-college goals and plans. It pairs with the TFS (see above) to provide longitudinal data on students’ growth during their undergraduate experience which can be used to measure the impact of college. Administered to seniors in the spring semester.

Harvey Mudd Office of Career Services Senior Survey (OCS)

This Harvey Mudd-designed questionnaire compliments the CSS (see above) by providing more detailed information on post-graduation plans of the senior class. Administered to graduating seniors in the spring semester.

COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey

Administered by the Collaborative on Academic Careers (COACHE) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey captures the faculty experience with teaching, service, and research; tenure and promotion; engagement and collegiality in the department; appreciation and recognition; faculty and administrative leadership; academic governance; interdisciplinary work, collaboration, and mentoring; personal and family policies; and other known drivers of faculty satisfaction. Harvey Mudd College adds custom questions specific to our culture.

Staff Engagement and Work Life Survey

Administered by HMC’s Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, the first Staff Engagement and Work Life Survey collects information that allows for a snapshot of work life of HMC staff. Two separate versions of the questionnaire (one for Exempt staff and one for Nonexempt staff) will be administered to all staff during February of 2020. The Staff Engagement and Work Life Survey has been designed to provide insight into 5 specific areas of staff engagement and work life (Workload; Control; Reward Systems; Community; and Fairness & Values) and to complement workload data from faculty and students.

Results from this survey will be combined with information we already have for faculty and students to inform discussions about workload, work life balance and wellness at HMC. Summary information and preliminary actions will be included in our WSCUC reaffirmation self-study report due in the Fall of 2020.

Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE)

Also administered by the Center for Postsecondary Research in the School of Education at Indiana University-Bloomington this questionnaire is a companion to NSSE (see above, and examines the importance faculty place on various areas of learning and development, the nature and frequency of faculty-student interactions, and how faculty members organize their time. Administered to all faculty during spring semester.

Alumni Survey

The Higher Education Data Sharing (HEDS) Alumni Survey gathers information from alumni about the quality and impact of their Harvey Mudd educational experiences, including co-curricular activities such as internships, study abroad, and community service. It also asks alumni to evaluate the impact of their Harvey Mudd education on their postgraduate critical thinking, problem solving, and other learning outcomes and to evaluate the impact of their Harvey Mudd education on their postgraduate experiences, employment, and satisfaction. Harvey Mudd administers this questionnaire to all alumni 1, 5, 10 years out, and a sample of alumni 10+ years out in the fall semester.

National Study of Voting, Learning and Engagement

The National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) is housed at the Johnathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. It offers colleges and universities an opportunity to learn their student registration and voting rates as well as a closer examination of their campus climate for political learning and engagement and correlations between specific student learning experiences and voting.