Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) 2019: Key Findings from CSUN First-Time Freshmen

The goal of the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE; http://bcsse.indiana.edu) is to obtain information about entering students’ academic and co-curricular engagement, as well as their expectations of the upcoming college year. A total of 1,306 new first-time freshmen at CSUN responded to the BCSSE in Summer of 2019 through an online portal. Here, we highlight some of the findings from this survey.

Ranking CSUN:

Out of 950 students, 82% of students ranked this institution as their first and second choice for school.

Financial Aid for CSUN:

72% of first-year students are planning to use grants or scholarships to pay for academic expenses (tuition, fees, books, room & board, etc.).

Employment:

52% of students expect to work for pay (on or off campus) at least 11 hours in a typical week.

Campus & Community Involvement During Last Year of High School:

• 73% of students said they were involved in a performing or visual arts activity (band, chorus, theater, art, etc.).
• 50% were involved in at least some athletic team activity (club sports, JV, varsity, etc.).
• 76% of students were involved in at least some community service or volunteer work.

Importance of Resources at CSUN:

• 95% placed a mid-to very high level of importance on their institution’s capacity to provide support for student academic success.
• 87% placed a mid-to very high level of importance on the university’s capacity to help manage their non-academic responsibilities (work, family, etc.).

Want to get involved?

Academic First-Year Experience
https://www.csun.edu/undergraduate-studies/academic-first-year-experiences

Student Success
https://www.csun.edu/student-success

CSUN with A Heart
https://www.csun.edu/heart