Mapping the Ruffalo Noel Levitz Satisfaction-Priorities Surveys to the MSCHE Standards for Accreditation
Many institutions rely upon the Ruffalo Noel Levitz suite of satisfaction and priorities survey results to demonstrate the fulfillment of institutional accreditation requirements. In the region served by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) – Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands – MSCHE-accredited colleges and universities are responsible for showing fulfillment of the Standards of Accreditation as revised in 2014 to be effective in 2017-18. Ruffalo Noel Levitz student surveys can help!
The PDF documents available via the links below show the survey items mapped to the MSCHE requirements, tailored specifically to each survey version.
RNL survey items mapped to the MSCHE Standards of Accreditations
Download the appropriate document(s) based on the survey version(s) you are using on your campus:
Make note of the following
- MSCHE requirements are stated in the publication, “Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education” (copyrighted in a 13th edition in 2015). The requirements are stated in 7 overarching standards. Each standard, though, is further described by characteristics or qualities that encompass the standard; these numbered statements are called the criteria. Some criteria elaborate detailed expectations via an outlined numbering, such as 1. a, 1. b, 1. c, etc. Users of these mappings should consult the MSCHE “Characteristics of Excellence” to interpret them in full context.
- In order to simplify print formatting in the PDF available for download, the text of some MSCHE requirements has been lightly edited and/or truncated, especially if the original text is more than 20 words. Key words and phrases from the original have been preserved and with Standard numbering will lend itself to quick recognition. Please see the original text from MSCHE to understand any given requirement in its entirety.
- Not all MSCHE Standards refer to processes that students can experience, so not all MSCHE standards have been listed with a survey item affiliated. In particular, it is not evident that students can observe or understand the processes of administrative planning and resource allocation, so no survey items have been mapped to that Standard VI (“Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement”).
- The documents reflect the Ruffalo Noel Levitz survey item and the text of the item as it appears on the survey instrument. Survey items are clustered based on the Standards they support. Only the Ruffalo Noel Levitz survey items which students rate for “Importance” and/or “Satisfaction” appear in these mappings. Some survey items may be associated with multiple standards, while others may relate to only one.
- Most relationships in these mappings should be self-evident. Mapped relationships between a survey item and MSCHE requirements may be either direct or indirect. For example, not only do students experience instructional and support services directly, but also, the institutional training programs for faculty and staff indirectly affect the quality of the services that students experience. The mappings are meant to be illustrative, not comprehensive and definitive.
- The final section of the document lists survey items which may be related to MSCHE requirements at the discretion of the survey user (especially, the campus-created survey items).
- Questions about these documents or the survey instruments? Please contact Ruffalo Noel Levitz.
Additional Assessment Tools
Within this family of surveys are instruments for various populations:
- Student Satisfaction Inventory, the instrument for traditional students, available in versions for four-year colleges and universities, community colleges and career schools;
- Institutional Priorities Survey, the companion to the Student Satisfaction Inventory, assesses campus personnel;
- Adult Student Priorities Survey, used by many graduate and adult undergraduate programs;
- Priorities Survey for Online Learners, for students in online distance learning programs;
- Parent Satisfaction Inventory, a companion to the four-year Student Satisfaction Inventory, for the parents of currently enrolled students.
You receive the data in an organized tabulation report that you can use right away. Of particular interest:
- College Employee Satisfaction Survey, which measures satisfaction of faculty, staff, and administrators in areas such as institutional mission and planning, level of support, resources to accomplish objectives, campus communications, and work environment;
- Alumni Outcomes and Loyalty Survey, which measures institutional success and alumni engagement;
- Employer Satisfaction Survey, which measures employers’ satisfaction with your institution’s graduates;
- And many other tools for particular populations.
Our custom research projects can include such elements as telephone and written surveys; in-depth interviews; predictive modeling; geodemography; focus groups; environmental scans; awareness and opinion measurement; research-based publications and websites; and audits of current practices, programs, and communications. We have experience conducting small, medium, and large market research projects that are highly customized to each institution, campus, and system. Our research has helped institutions take the actions they needed to be more competitive.
