One item on the graduating senior survey asks students if they would choose again to attend UWM. The percentage responding affirmatively rose from 77 percent in 1995 to 88 percent in 1999, but then decreased to 76 percent in 2003. It is reassuring to note, especially given the focus over the last two years on efforts to understand and address student issues, that the percentage of respondents reporting that they would choose again to attend UWM rose to 87 percent in 2004. This positive trend was supported by many student comments that referenced improvements they’ve noted recently in UWM’s attention to students. The quality of instruction was rated positively by 88 percent of the respondents to the 2004 senior survey—the highest percentage in the past 10 years. And the percentage of students reporting a sense of commitment to and involvement with UWM was 56 percent in 2004; the previous high was 42 percent, in 2000.

From all three administrations of the NSSE, UWM students report very similar assessments of overall satisfaction with the university, advising and instruction to benchmark comparisons with similar universities. However, UWM students report lower participation rates in measures of student engagement such as critical thinking, preparedness for college and courses, participation in a culminating senior experience, academic challenge, and conducting research with faculty (See Figures 22 and 23). The FSSE provides some interesting additional perspective on these issues. For example, there is a decided difference in perception between faculty and students of what constitutes timely feedback. Forty-eight percent of students report receiving prompt feedback often or very often, while 87 percent of instructors report providing prompt feedback. The University is closely examining how timely feedback is being provided to students, and especially to students who need intervention to succeed, and these survey results are quite helpful in that work. Reports of the results of the 2004 FSSE and NSSE are being shared with the campus community through workshops, presentations, and publication on the web.

The 2003 and 2004 administrations of the Cooperative Institutional Research Program instrument for new freshmen yielded very helpful information that informs and supports our retention and student learning assessment development. For example, we learned that UWM was the first choice of 69.3 percent of new enrolled freshmen respondents. It is also apparent that entering freshmen do not have much confidence in their academic abilities as compared with students at peer institutions. This is significant to our efforts to build a common and supportive first year experience for all new freshmen.