COVID Times & Student Engagement: Using and Interpreting NSSE 2021 Results 

NSSE results confirm that the coronavirus pandemic continued to have an impact on higher education and students in academic year 2020-21. For example, as students shifted to mostly remote instruction, participation in high-impact practices such as internships and study abroad understandably declined. Students also had fewer of the usual opportunities for collaborative learning and interactions with faculty, but some may have spent more time in academic preparation. While AY2021 may forever be marked by an asterisk, it is nonetheless important to explore results longitudinally, determine the appropriateness of comparison groups, examine differential impact on student subgroups, and share insights about how the disruption affected student engagement.