Overview
CEA is in the process of developing the Community Perception Survey in collaboration with the Center for Postsecondary Research (CPR) at Indiana University Bloomington. This proprietary assessment tool is designed to capture community partners’ perceptions of:
- The quality and impact of an institution’s community-engaged work
- The authenticity of an institution’s commitment to community engagement
- The reciprocity and value of campus-community partnerships
This tool fills a crucial gap in current assessment practices by incorporating the voices of external stakeholders. It complements instruments like the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) to create a more complete picture of how institutions are living out their civic and community mission.
Why The Community Perception Survey Matters
Student and faculty perceptions of their institution’s engagement work are essential, but they don’t tell the full story. This survey ensures that the perspectives of community partners—those most affected by campus outreach and collaboration—are also heard.
When the Community Perception Survey is used alongside NSSE and FSSE, institutions will be able to:
- Understand the strengths and opportunities for improvement in their civic and community engagement efforts
- Strengthen strategic planning and institutional accountability
- Create a deeper sense of trust between the institution and their partners by showing a commitment to listening and improving
- Tell a more complete, data-informed story of their civic mission
Our Role in the Community Perception Survey Administration
CEA is currently supporting the development, piloting, and future use of this instrument at no cost to our member campuses. Our team is working closely with a small sample of our member campuses and the CPR to ensure the survey is valid, useful, and responsive to the needs of both our member institutions and the communities in which they operate.
We view this as a valuable opportunity to develop a tool that supports campuses in their continuous improvement efforts, generates new insights into meaningful community-engaged work, and strengthens the field of community engagement across Indiana.
Pilot & Timeline
We are currently inviting CEA member campuses to participate in the pilot phase of the survey. Institutions participating in this pilot will have a short consultation meeting with CEA so that we can better understand the institution’s goals for administering the survey. Next, they will compile a list of potential respondents and send out the IRB-approved language to let their community partner know they will be asked to complete the survey. Finally, CEA will collect survey responses, synthesize the data collected, and create a report that will be presented to the pilot institution.
If you’re interested in participating in the pilot phase of this initiative, please contact us at contactus@engagedalliance.org.
We anticipate the pilot phase will run through Fall of 2025 and Winter of 2026, allowing time for thoughtful testing, analysis, and final adjustments. A full-scale launch of the survey is expected in Spring 2026, at which point it will be broadly available to all CEA member campuses as a new resource for evaluating and enhancing their community engagement efforts.
Looking Ahead
Long-term, CEA envisions the Community Perception Survey as a proprietary tool that can be offered widely to help institutions:
- Conduct meaningful self-assessments
- Inform community engagement strategy
- Center external partner feedback in institutional decision-making
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Compliment, support, and help prepare institutions for the Carnegie Community Engagement Elective Classification
Ultimately, this tool has the potential to strengthen community-campus partnerships and elevate CEA’s role in promoting data-informed engagement across Indiana and beyond.