Overview
Community-Engaged Alliance believes that assessment is a key lever for advancing civic learning and democratic engagement. That’s why we are offering financial support for our member campuses to utilize two powerful tools: the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE). These surveys offer valuable insights into how students and faculty experience and promote civic learning within higher education. What are NSSE and FSSE?
NSSE is a widely used tool that collects data on student participation in practices linked to learning and development. It is administered by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research (CPR) to first-year students and senior students. The insights gleaned from NSSE administration help institutions elevate the quality of their undergraduate education experience through student self-reporting.
FSSE (also administered by CPR) complements NSSE by capturing faculty perspectives on student engagement, teaching practices, and other ways institutions support learning. Together, NSSE and FSSE provide a holistic picture of the academic and civic landscape on campus.
Support for FSSE Administration
FSSE allows institutions to collect actionable faculty insights tied to engagement, civic learning, and student success. It also allows campuses to benchmark against peer institutions statewide and nationally. To make FSSE administration more financially feasible, CEA is offering to reimburse our member campuses up to $1,500.
To qualify for CEA reimbursement a member campus must:
1.) Administer FSSE in 2026 under the new base-cost model which includes four topical modules.
2.) Select both the Civic Engagement topical module and the new CEA consortium set. Selecting other modules is optional, but four are included in the base cost.
3.) Complete the reimbursement form via the button below.
| Sample Size | Base Cost | Additional Module Cost* |
| 100 or less | $1,440 | $180 |
| 101 - 200 | $1,800 | $225 |
| 201 - 300 | $2,000 | $250 |
| 301 - 500 | $2,320 | $290 |
| 501 - 1,000 | $3,000 | $375 |
| 1,001 - 2,000 | $4,480 | $560 |
| More than 2,000 | $5,520 | $690 |
*only applies if you elect more than four modules
Reimbursement
This is a first-come, first-served opportunity with limited funds available. If you are interested in receiving financial support from CEA to administer FSSE, you should first email Mark Pike to confirm funding is available and reserve your reimbursement. Next, you should register with FSSE, making sure to select the Civic Engagement Module and the CEA Consortium set as two of your topical modules. Finally, use the button below to complete the reimbursement form. As part of the submission, you will need to provide proof of payment and module selection, such as a screenshot or photo of the itemized invoice or receipt.
The deadline to register for FSSE is January 12, 2026.
Support for the NSSE Civic Engagement Module
Institutions administering NSSE have the opportunity to add one topical module at no additional cost, with the option to include a second module for a $250 fee. To encourage participation in the Civic Engagement Module, CEA will reimburse the $250 fee when our member campuses choose to include this module in their NSSE administration.
We recognize that many CEA member campuses consistently use two non-civic engagement modules to maintain continuity in their longitudinal data collection. CEA partnered with CPR to offer an off-cycle administration of the Civic Engagement Module for both students and faculty. This partnership allows all member campuses to retain their traditional module selections while still accessing the civic engagement data at no cost to the institution.
Reimbursement
To be eligible for reimbursement, institutions must add the Civic Engagement Module to their administration of NSSE.
If your institution is already using two other modules and wishes to conduct an off-cycle administration of the Civic Engagement Module at no cost, please contact your assigned support team for your NSSE administration.
To request reimbursement, simply complete the reimbursement form linked below. As part of the submission, you will need to provide proof of payment, such as a screenshot or photo of the itemized invoice or receipt.