NSSE 2020 at UH Mānoa:
From Record High Response Rate to Innovative
NSSE Data Tools

“MIRO’s efforts demonstrate the importance of a comprehensive effort to increase access to data, and to integrate data with assessment and plans to improve student success.”

Jillian Kinzie, Associate Director, National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Institute

Yang Zhang is the Director of Institutional Research, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, and she has administered and analyzed NSSE surveys in three institutions. Her approach while conducting the NSSE project was to seek the highest NSSE response rate through an optimized marketing plan, to make NSSE data accessible to all levels through innovative data tools, and to engage the campus in using NSSE data through best practices. She is especially interested in creating high efficient and UX-oriented IR offices, as well as effective data communication strategies.

Kelly Jung-ts Lin is the IR Analyst at University of Hawai’i at Manoa. She has supported NSSE administration, analyzed NSSE data, and conducted campus-wide NSSE training in Mānoa’s two recent NSSE cycles. She has expertise in both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Kelly has presented at national and regional conferences to demonstrate MIRO’s innovative data tools and strategies for running a highly efficient IR office.

Melissa Martinez is the NSSE Coordinator at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. She helped to design and execute a nine-month NSSE marketing plan that helped the university to achieve a record-high NSSE response rate. She also plays a key role in preparing NSSE data tools’ video tutorial and various video presentations to help MIRO efficiently communicate data and tools with Mānoa’s faculty and staff.

Bryson McFeeley is the IT specialist in the MIRO office at University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. He is instrumental in creating MIRO’s data web app tools and transforming raw survey data to online reports that are customizable and easy to digest.

Yao Hill is the Associate Specialist at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa (UH Mānoa) Assessment and Curriculum Support Center. In her efforts of supporting program-level curriculum reflection and action-planning and coordinating program and institutional assessment activities, she has offered over 100 workshops, conducted over 200 consultations, and authored/co-authored 15 book chapters or journal articles on the topic of assessment, evaluation, and curriculum development.

Wendy Pearson currently serves as the Senior Advisor to the Provost and the UH Manoa Accreditation Liaison Officer. She supports the Provost on a number of campus-wide initiatives, including the post-pandemic budget planning, strategic planning, and WASC accreditation. Prior to serving in the Provost Office, Wendy managed the academic program review process, professional accreditation, and program and course actions in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Atina Pascua is a tenured Assistant Professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and serves as both the Director of the Office of Civic and Community Engagement and the Executive Director of Hawai‘i Pacific Islands Campus Compact. On the UH Mānoa Campus her office works with both undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and more than 200 non-profit organizations in Hawai‘i to the needs of our communities and provide opportunities for civic engagement. She has received numerous grants to support the University of Hawai‘i System in providing service learning, civic and community engagement initiatives and has served as a Grant Principal Investigator on over 30 Projects/Grants.

Jessie Chen has been a Program Coordinator for the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program since June 2018. Her interest in working with students stems from her own background as a first-generation college student, and she looks forward to helping undergraduates receive a quality education. Her approach to this is a personal emphasis on providing access to the types of learning opportunities that translate into critical real-world skills.