For the first time, the University of Arizona will participate in the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE). Nationally administered through the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University, FSSE (pronounced “fessie”) measures instructional staff expectations for student engagement in effective educational practices that are linked to high levels of learning and development. The University of Arizona has participated in NSSE for several years since 2006 and is excited to include FSSE for the first time.
FSSE results will be examined alongside results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE, pronounced “nessie”) to assess alignment between faculty expectations and student experiences. Together, these surveys provide a comprehensive view of undergraduate engagement and inform institutional efforts to strengthen teaching, learning, and student success, in alignment with the University of Arizona’s academic success goals. Results and analyses will be shared with the campus community in Fall 2026. All responses are anonymous and reported only in the aggregate.
The FSSE will be administered this Spring 2026 between March 17 to May 11 to all individuals who teach undergraduate classes. The NSSE survey will concurrently be administered to first-year and senior students.
The survey takes approximately 15 - 20 minutes to complete. FSSE survey invitations with links to the qualtrics survey will be sent via email from FSSE during the administration period of March 17 to May 11.
Survey Goal and Results
FSSE is designed as a complement to NSSE and focuses on faculty perceptions of student engagement, providing an important counterpart to student-reported experiences.
FSSE will measure instructional faculty, graduate student and staff experiences and expectations in areas including:
- Course Structure & Curriculum
- Effective Educational Practice
- Career and Workforce Preparation
- Instructional Staff Workload
- Teaching Professional Development
Frequently Asked Questions
The information from faculty, staff, and graduate students at the University of Arizona can be used to identify areas of strength, as well as aspects that our campus may decide deserve further attention. The results are intended to catalyze productive discussions related to teaching, learning and the quality of our undergraduates’ educational experience.
The FSSE survey is administered to all individuals (e.g. faculty, graduate students, staff, DCCs, administrators) who have taught or/and teach at least one undergraduate course during Fall 2025 or Spring 2026. Eligibility is determined based on a snapshot of the population as of January 9, 2026.
The FSSE survey is distributed through the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University. If you are included in the survey, you will receive an email invitation on or after March 17 from FSSE containing a personalized Qualtrics link to complete the survey online. Please also check your spam folder, just in case it has been filtered out of your inbox. Your personal link should not be shared with others.
Yes, your responses will be confidential and no identifying information will be provided to the University of Arizona. More information can be found here.
The Qualtrics survey takes approximately 15 - 20 minutes to complete.
FSSE helps four-year colleges and universities collect information from the instructional staff related to effective teaching practices and contributions to undergraduate engagement. More information can be found here.
Visit this website to learn how the results are used and to view findings once they are available. Results are expected to be posted in the fall of 2026.