Student Faculty Interaction (SFI)

What does NSSE have to say about Student Faculty Interaction (SFI)?

“Students learn firsthand how experts think about and solve practical problems by interacting with faculty members inside and outside the classroom. As a result, their teachers become role models, mentors, and guides for continuous, life-long learning.”

What types of questions determine the Student Faculty Interaction Score? 

• Discussed grades or assignments with an instructor
• Talked about career plans with a faculty member or advisor
• Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with faculty members outside of class
• Worked with faculty members on activities other than coursework (committees, orientation, student-life activities, etc.)
• Received prompt written or oral feedback from faculty on your academic performance
• Worked with a faculty member on a research project outside of course or program requirements

How can Wofford improve by examining these data?

The institution is committed to using NSSE data to improve the overall educational experience of students, not just to pat itself on the back. Here are a few things the college has learned (or decided to investigate further) based on results from the individual questions that comprise the SFI index.

• Wofford seniors showed a dramatic increase in the level of student faculty interaction from first-year students. The institution is investigating ways to replicate the experiences of upperclass students earlier in a students’ four-year stay at Wofford.
  
• Wofford seniors responded that they “often” discussed career plans with a faculty member or advisor.