Running head: STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 1

Student Engagement Assessment on the NIU Huskie Link Platform: Final Report

Cristian Baeza, Felix Castillo, Ethan Clardy, Johnna Gerona, and Xavier-Thomas Mendoza

Department of Counseling and Higher Education, Northern Illinois University

HESA 573: Applied Assessment Methods in Higher Education

Dr. Jacqueline Mac

December 15, 2020

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Abstract

This paper is an assessment project focusing on a better understanding of student

engagement at Northern Illinois University (NIU) through the Huskie Link platform. Huskie

Link is an online platform students use to get involved within the NIU community and manage

student organizations. For this project, we took a quantitative approach by sending out surveys to

the NIU community's student leaders. Students answered questions regarding their usage with

Huskie Link and rated their experiences with the platform to better understand areas that need

improvement. Our findings indicate that undergraduate students within fraternities, cultural

organizations, and sororities are the ones that are predominantly using the platform for an array

of reasons. Students are using the forum to access campus forms, discover new students'

organizations, and learn about upcoming events on campus. Our main objective of this

assessment project is to provide the OASIS with valuable information on the Huskie Link

portal's effectiveness further to increase student engagement at NIU in the near future.
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Introduction

Conducting assessment work on student involvement through the Organizations and

Student Involvement Suite (OASIS) at Northern Illinois University (NIU) helps illustrate how

and why students are getting involved on campus. One of the main components of this

assessment project will be to assess student engagement on the Huskie Link platform, a platform

used to serve students and student groups. In order to see where and how students are engaging,

along with better understanding what is driving current students at NIU to utilize this new

platform. Some of the questions that come to mind in conducting this assessment include:

1. Why are students deciding to get involved?

2. What kind of students are getting involved (First-year students, Transfer students,

different majors, etc.)?

a. Are most students using the Huskie platform?

3. How can we ensure that students are engaging more on campus?

Although this assessment project will not entirely answer all questions regarding student

involvement at NIU, identifying existing and new practices to better support student involvement

using digital platforms and virtual engagement is a main objective. This topic is important to

investigate because we often gather data around the impact of student involvement, but rarely do

we ever gain information on how and why students got involved in the first place. Overall,

conducting this assessment while being impacted by COVID-19 will possibly also allow the

department to see the impact of virtual programming and student involvement amidst such

difficult times.

Our focus is on assessing student engagement on NIU’s Huskie Link platform. We will

identify practices that offer support to student organizations by utilizing digital platforms and
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engagement methods. By collecting new data and incorporating existing data, we will analyze

the level of student engagement and what drives students to utilize Huskie Link. The collected

information will be used to create recommendations on how to increase engagement among the

student population at NIU.

As a team, we think it is critical to include literature of existing studies to help provide

our group with a foundation of knowledge on the topic we will be studying. For this project, we

will be taking a closer look at the level of student engagement on Huskie Link. We will review

literature in multiple areas to assist us in our assessment. It is important to understand student

engagement in general and why it is important for students to get involved when at an institution.

We will also be taking a closer look at student engagement in a virtual environment. Considering

how education has evolved over time, and with the current COVID-19 pandemic, student affairs

professionals need to understand the importance of providing involvement opportunities for

students. Lastly, another area to be reviewed is in theories focused on student development

through engagement in college life. Becoming familiar with these theories will allow us to have a

better understanding of why and how students are choosing to get involved on their college

campus. In addition to student engagement being increased outside of the classroom, we hope to

review recent literature and develop a greater understanding of approaches we need to consider

when looking to increase student engagement on Huskie Link. Reviewing this literature will

allow us to consider new factors to help increase engagement in a virtual environment.

Literature Review

As we assess and identify practices that support student involvement through digital

platforms and virtual engagement, it is essential to understand aspects of student engagement and

the reasons why students decide to get involved. By understanding the impact of virtual student
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engagement and its challenges, we understand the importance of cultivating an engaging virtual

environment to benefit students. Additionally, exploring student development theories such as

transition theory and the psychosocial theory, accompanied with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs,

offer insight on how students transition and engage in new environments.

Student Engagement

Research surrounding student engagement has grown over the years, primarily focusing

on what institutions can do, to support student success. There is a wide range of definitions to

define engagement. According to Hu and Kuh (2002), engagement is defined as “the quality of

efforts students themselves devote to educationally purposeful activities that contribute directly

to desired outcomes” (p. 555). If students take full advantage of the opportunities provided by

the institution to get engaged, it is the hope that they are learning something beneficial to

contribute to their success. Students choose to get involved for many reasons. Some of these

reasons may include finding a sense of belonging, connecting with their cultural background, or

growing in their personal development. Some students may choose to get involved in

organizations where they have the opportunity to learn and develop within their leadership skills

and give back to the community, and other students may choose to get involved through

attending programs led by an organization they are looking to engage with and learn from. It is

critical that institutions provide the opportunities for students to get engaged within the campus

environment. There may not be enough research founded on the importance and benefits of

engagement for upperclassmen; however, there is considerable amounts of literature focused on

the important role that engagement plays in first-year students. As stated by Webber et al.

(2013), studies show that student engagement has academic benefits beyond college grades.
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Understanding student engagement is critical if we are to fully assist students in their

engagement on campus.

Gaining a better understanding of student engagement and its effects are pivotal when

trying to comprehend and translate the involvement experiences of college students. In other

words, grasping the reasoning for what students gain out of their involvement along with better

understanding why students get involved in the first place is extremely fundamental— to further

assess and identify practices that better support student involvement. For instance, Webber et al.,

(2013) (as cited in Astin, 1993; Bauer & Bennett, 2008; Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley, Bridges, &

Hayek, 2007; & Pike, Kuh, & Massa-McKinley, 2008) mentioned the following: “many scholars

report that when students actively participate in curricular and cocurricular events, they make

friends, become oriented to campus quickly, get to know faculty members, and make important

gains in critical thinking” (p. 591). Thus, it is evident that there are multiple positive

consequences to getting involved in extracurricular activities while balancing academic

responsibilities.

Understanding the reasons students choose to get involved will allow for student affairs

practitioners to become more proactive in better understanding and assisting the students that

they serve. Doan (2011) states that, “Similar to the role that multicultural student centers play in

providing a safe space for students, ethnic student organizations positively contribute to the

adjustment and attitude of students of color” (p.36). This idea applies to many student

organizations and spaces catering to students of color. Ethnic students’ organizations are very

similar to that of multicultural student centers because they both assist students of color with

their transition, adjustment, and attitude as they arrive at college. This ensures that they are

providing students with a safe space where they can gain a sense of belonging on campus (Doan,
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2011). It is salient to not judge a student's involvement experiences without familiarizing oneself

with the student holistically. Although the benefits of student engagement have been covered

widely in literature, a critical emerging dimension is engaging students over virtual platforms.

Virtual Student Engagement

Within the last decade, virtual platforms have progressed beyond leisure needs and have

become integrated into modern society (Christopoulos et al., 2018). Martin and Bolliger (2018)

suggest that by integrating opportunities for student engagement through virtual platforms, the

levels of student satisfaction, willingness to learn, and overall academic performance are

enhanced. With student engagement as the key solution to issues such as feelings of isolation and

decreased retention and graduation rates (Martin & Bolliger, 2018), integrating online

engagement opportunities is essential for student success. Examples of engagement strategies

include collaborative group work, student-led discussions and presentations, shared resources,

concrete course assignments, case studies, and lesson reflections (Martin & Bolliger, 2018). A

study by Gray and DiLoreto (2016) showcased the importance of online learning environments,

including course structure, learner interaction, and instructor presence, and its effects in relation

to students’ level of learning and satisfaction. By integrating these essential aspects, online

learning environments provide students with a positive outlook if they are met with effective

engagement strategies.

Educational technology offers the tools for students to succeed academically and

professionally. Bond et al. (2020) stated that relying on technology may lead to disengagement

and interfere with productivity and motivation. Not all students have access to technology or the

internet which results in disengagement and anxiety of falling behind in academics or receiving

lower grades (Bond & Bedenlier, 2019). Additionally, educators must be mindful of the learning
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methods they are offering to students. According to Bond et al. (2020), utilizing resources such

as text-based tools and multimodal production tools is highly recommended while website

creation tools, social media tools, and assessment tools may potentially lead to disengagement.

Educators must be cognizant of some students’ desire to separate academic and personal lives, so

the decision to utilize certain platforms must be made conscientiously.

Transition Theory

Each person experiences transitioning to a new environment differently. Schlossberg’s

Transition Theory explains a transition as, “any event, or nonevent that results in changed

relationships, routines, assumptions, and roles,” (Evans et al., 1998). This theory is applicable to

higher education because, for students, moving away from their parents, making new friends,

getting a chance to make their own decisions is a big step. All of these experiences can be

categorized as a transition. The transition theory mentions four factors that affect a student

ability to cope during transition: situation, self, support, and strategies (Evans et al., 1998). In

terms of student engagement, students look for a sense of belonging and to find friends and their

own support system. Student engagement can fall under the support factor. This factor notes how

an individual’s transition to a new environment can be impacted by intimate relationships,

networks of friends, and community. This factor impacts each student’s level of student

involvement because as students start their collegiate experience, the question of if they can

make new friends and be part of a community can be nerve wracking. And without friends and a

community, going through a new environment can be overwhelming. Which means many

students gravitate towards student organizations to make new friends and find people with

similar interests.

Psychosocial Theory
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In helping to understand student engagement on college campuses, Chickering’s

psychosocial student development theory can assist in the understanding of how students engage

in student organizations, as well as engage in virtual environments. Chickering’s theoretical

framework of student development has been adopted widely and used by student affairs

practitioners (Kodama et al., 2002). Chickering presents seven core issues or challenges that

college students encounter which include developing competency, managing emotions, moving

through autonomy toward interdependence, developing mature interpersonal relationships,

developing identity, developing purpose, and developing integrity (Kodama et al., 2002).

Kodama et al. (2002) notes limitations presented in the theory, in that, racism is often overlooked

in terms of its influence on an individual’s psychosocial development. Asian American students,

for example, face racism and stereotypes that may influence the way they see themselves

(Kodama et al., 2002). Additionally, Asian Americans are often reported having encounters that

create a sense of otherness (Kodama et al., 2002). These seven vectors build on each other and

provide a foundation that allows students to further develop their sense of purpose and sense of

integrity as the theory suggests.

The experience of meeting new people inside and outside the class will stimulate

interpersonal competence (Chickering & Reisser, 1993). When leaving home for the first time,

students will face loneliness, anxiety, frustration, and conflict, and students will be required to

make decisions, set goals, and develop greater autonomy (Chickering & Reisser, 1993). Getting

involved on campus through student organizations or attending various events can assist students

in developing within their interpersonal competence, as they set out to build new friendships and

develop a strong sense of self through newly found autonomy. Chickering and Resisser (1993)

notes that many students will discover interests and people they care deeply about and will make
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lasting commitments, as well as will expand their awareness of who they are and how valuable

they are. In this era of COVID, it is more important than ever to provide students with

meaningful virtual programs so students can continue to meet new people, develop important

skills, and develop their sense of self.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

A theory that ties both Schlossberg’s transition theory and Chickering’s psychosocial

theory is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Although this theory is not higher education based, this

theory connects both theories together using its five-tier model. The five tiers of needs are

physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. This theory states that

individuals must satisfy lower-level deficit needs before progressing on to meet higher level

growth needs (Maslow, 1943). The third step for love/belonging states that interpersonal

relationship motivates behavior. This step ties in transition theory and psychosocial theory

because a positive experience of transitioning into a new environment with the idea of

understanding student engagement can help meet this need. Being a part of a community, a new

group of friends, and being involved can give students the sense of belonging and help them take

one step closer to self-actualization.

The growing literature on in-person and virtual student engagement allows researchers to

understand different aspects of student engagement and why students decide to get involved

during college. Student development theories help researchers understand how students adjust

and engage in different environments and situations. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, most

institutions have found themselves transitioning to virtual learning and engagement on various

online platforms, making it essential to understand these areas of literature and assess virtual

student engagement.
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Methodology

Data for assessments and research can be collected in multiple ways. After talking to

Alex Pitner, Director of Student Organizations at NIU, one of those methods will potentially be a

focus group. Pitner shared in an initial meeting that our group would possibly be able to speak

with some students that form part of student organizations in a focus group. If provided with this

opportunity, it would allow us to obtain a more accurate student perspective, such as how Huskie

Link/Presence operates, how effective it is with taking in demographics of students participating

in events, and which organizations are participating in Huskie Link. Other practices/methods that

can possibly be utilized to gather additional data from students could be surveys, interviews, and

observations. These methods would provide accurate data by obtaining each student’s

perspective on the current systems, as well as their opinions and feedback on how to improve the

current system. This type of assessment should ideally be handled with a mixed-methods

approach so that we can analyze both qualitative and quantitative data. It would allow us to

observe the total impact of how organizations are currently functioning, as well as how the

system can be improved for the students in the near future.

Data Collection

While there are a number of research methods to attempt when discussing data collection

for student involvement on a college campus, a quantitative research approach was utilized for a

variety of reasons. The use of a quantitative method allowed for better informed decisions,

efficient methods for summarizing and interpreting information, and ensured that information

was presented and transcribed accurately throughout the entire data collection process (Biddix,

2018). Specifically, the data collection tool that was utilized for this project was a survey. Data

was collected through a survey because it was simple to administer online, offered an option to
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use direct measures, and included highly focused content that included questions aligning with

the topic at hand (Biddix, 2018). The survey included demographic questions, questions around

the type(s) of student organization(s) that students are involved in, the benefits and challenges of

using the Huskie Link portal, and even questions on the layout and utilization of Huskie Link

itself (See Appendix A). Taking a quantitative route ensured that the data being analyzed was

effectively translated through standard practices that were not inconsistent.

In regard to creating the survey instrument, we made it certain to provide details and

instructions inside the email that students received along with incorporating the information into

the Qualtrics survey as well. Details included: Estimated time to complete survey, point of

contact for any questions or concerns, and a statement letting students know that the collected

data would be anonymous, to mention a few. When creating the survey questions, we were very

intentional by not adding any type of bias questions to the survey. We were able to accomplish

this by creating questions with possible answers like, “Strongly Agree”, “Strongly Disagree”,

“Disagree”, “Yes”, or “No”. In addition, when asking a “Yes” or “No” question, students were

then able to expand on their answer through a written response. This provided us with more

information pertaining to why they selected their response instead of leaving their response to

translation. We also decided to keep many of the questions short to not overwhelm the students,

especially since a great number of questions were involved in the survey. In addition, before

adding the questions into the Qualtrics platform, the entire team and campus partner were able to

analyze and make any changes to the questions. Then, students were able to expand on their

ideas and responses if they preferred to, along with having the opportunity to share feedback and

recommendations at the end of the survey. Last but not least, students were provided with
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information regarding the possibility of their participation in future focus groups/interviews in

the near future.

In respect to the process of collecting the data for this project, the platforms that we used

consisted of the NIU Qualtrics program to create the survey and Outlook to send out the emails.

Due to confidentiality and us conducting the survey anonymously, the staff in the OASIS

forwarded our email to student leaders in hopes of them participating in our survey. Since we did

not ask students to identify their Z-ID or their name, we were able to ensure that they could

respond as honestly as they wanted to. We were able to collect the data for the span of

approximately three weeks. Thus, we started to collect the data on Monday, November 2nd and

stopped collecting it for this report on Thursday, November 19th of 2020.

Participants

For this study, our sample consisted of students who attend NIU and identify as a student

leader and executive board member within at least one student organization. Executive board

member positions included president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and committee chair.

Additionally, we included undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students as survey participants.

Although we targeted executive board members of student organizations, general members of

these student organizations also participated in the survey.

Data Analysis

We started our data analysis by studying the results from our Qualtrics survey. To

critically analyze the data, we distributed the questions and their responses into five different

categories: 1) Demographics: Who participated? How many organizations are they involved in?

What kind of organizations? 2) Huskie Link Usage: What are students using the Huskie Link for?

What are they not using it for? How long are they on it? Do they utilize notifications within
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Huskie Link? 3) Benefits of Huskie Link: Portal benefits, event registration, organization

registration, etc. 4) Challenges of Huskie Link: Challenges portal, event registration, organization

registration, etc. 5) Huskie Link Layout and Navigation: Portal layout, discovering upcoming

events, finding student orgs, and information on student orgs. By using these categories, we were

able to analyze and make meaning of themes that were arising.

We utilized percentages to illustrate data sets which allowed us to be concise and specific

in our interpretations as well as showcase a visual representation of our collected data. By

breaking down our collected data, based on the information provided by participants, the data

was able to assist us in reporting accurate results. Additionally, we were able to see how students

utilize Huskie Link and its features, as well as any specific benefits and issues the student has

faced. This collected information was useful for future changes and improvements. Nonetheless,

this research would highly benefit from focus groups to record a student’s experience with the

portal, in detail, resulting in more significant feedback and critique to improve the Huskie Link.

Assessment Ethics and Team Epistemology

As we facilitate our assessment and evaluation, we must follow procedures and present

guidelines to our participants to ensure confidentiality so that the data we receive is reliable,

valid, and to avoid the counterfactual. Before a participant starts, we should provide them with a

statement in regard to the study details, similar to that of a contract. This will be helpful for

participants to understand the nature of the project, why we are facilitating this study, what the

data will be used for, and most importantly their consent for the survey overall. We will respect

any participant’s decision if they become no longer interested in our research. While we may

lose participants and data, this is not something that is within our realm of control. Overall, our

goal is to survey as many students as possible that currently use or have used the platform.
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Although we do not have the data of how many students use this platform, Huskie Link is used

by many student organizations and university departments for their programs. Although the

survey will not reach the whole student body, data will provide us with a good indication of how

students perceive the system. This may lead us to believe that we are to facilitate a non-

discriminatory study and a fair evaluation (State University, n.d.).

Henning and Roberts (2016) define Epistemology as how people come to know

something and how knowledge is confirmed. How we come to know something can be shaped

by our worldview, which is the conceptualization people make of their relationship to the world,

and is centered on beliefs of human nature, the environment, time, social relationships,

responsibilities, and control (Hays & Mcleod, 2010). Worldviews influence the views

researchers have on research, and as researchers, our unique perspectives influence how we

navigate the assessment of Northern Illinois University’s student engagement platform, Huskie

Link. As a collective, we compared and contrasted our epistemologies to reflect on our

individual perspectives.

As a team, we share many experiences which include our involvements in student

organizations as undergraduate students. With our unique experiences, we all draw varying

perspectives into our assessments. Although some of us believe that objectivity is a goal in

research, some believe that it is difficult to reach complete objectivity due to different biases.

Additionally, another member believes that one of the main objectives of research is focusing on

a topic with limited activity and findings. This perspective highlights the gaps in research that are

slowly closing and the significance of every research piece, no matter if it is able to be duplicated

or not. Collectively, we believe that every individual holds knowledge based on different factors

such as experiences and societal structures. Considering the differences and similarities of our
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epistemologies, we will be able to view research in different ways and gain an understanding of

how varying background knowledge influences our approach.

Initial Findings

In order to understand how student leaders at NIU are engaging with Huskie Link, a

quantitative research approach was utilized to execute the survey and to collect the data. A total

of 66 executive board student leaders who are currently registered and involved among an

organization(s) on the NIU campus completed and submitted our Huskie Link survey. After

gathering and transcribing the survey results, it was evident and clear to understand who is

currently getting involved on the NIU campus. The survey results indicated that from all students

surveyed, 43.94% identified as Male while 56.06% identified as Female. In addition, the

majority of the students that took the survey fall in the age range of 21-23 years old (51.52%),

identified as Caucasian (50.00%), and are working towards obtaining a bachelor’s degree

(92.42%). Furthermore, most students (33.33%) indicated that they are currently in their fourth

year of college; however, there were also large amounts of students who indicated that they were

either completing their second (27.27%) or third year (24.24%) at NIU.

In regard to the type of organizations that students are involved in, it is quite clear that the

top three type of organizations that students are involved in are the following: Fraternity within

Fraternity and Sorority Life (16.79%), Cultural (10.69%), and Sorority within Fraternity and

Sorority Life (9.92%). In addition, based on the gathered data, the average student is involved in

two student organizations and the longest period of time of involvement with a student

organization at NIU has been a total of two years. Last but not least, the most common kind of

positions that have been held or are currently being held by students are President (23.30%),

Other: Fundraising, Public Relations, Historian, Sisterhood, Marketing, Philanthropy Chair, New
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Member Education, etc. (22.33%), and Secretary (19.42%). To sum it up, a diverse population of

students from different backgrounds, organizations, and positions are engaging with the Huskie

Link portal.

Huskie Link Usage

At this time, it is important to address how students are using the Huskie Link portal in

regard to the number of times they access it, along with the type of resources that they are

engaging with over time. After asking students how often they log on to Huskie Link on average,

the most common answer was one to three times a month (33.87%) followed by less than once

per month (25.81%). In regard to the actual utilization of the portal, there was an outstanding

number of students that claim to use the portal to register their organization (21.18%) along with

using it to register their organizations’ events (19.41%). It is important to keep in mind that in

order to have an active organization on campus, students have no other choice but to register

their organization on Huskie Link. Moreover, organizations have to ensure that they have their

events register on Huskie Link. Thus, this action is also a requirement and not necessarily an

option.

Subsequently, it was discovered that the majority of students do not utilize notifications

within Huskie Link (87.10%). From the 12.90% that stated that they do use the notifications

settings, it was mentioned that they do so for emails, for the safe app and classes, and to get

notified of event and invitation approvals via email. Above all, even if not at the same rate as

other choices, students are also using the Huskie Link to access campus forms (14.71%),

discover other student organizations (11.18%), and to discover upcoming events hosted by other

organizations (10.59%). Even though these areas along with other areas (To update self on news

around campus, to connect with NIU through other social media platforms, etc.) have the
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potential of having higher percentages in regard to utilization, it is still evident that students are

able to benefit from Huskie Link for a variety of reasons.

Benefits of Huskie Link

A majority of respondents indicated that Huskie Link was meeting student needs. When

asked how well the platform met student needs, 37.10% of respondents said somewhat well,

20.97% said very well, and 1.61% said extremely well.

With this, over half of participants are finding that Huskie Link is meeting their needs.

62.90% of respondents have found that the registration process has been beneficial to them.

When asked how the organization registration process has been beneficial to respondents and

their organization, almost a third of 37 responses commented on Huskie Link’s user-friendly

software and information accessibility (member tracking, contact info, event advertising), three

responses found that being recognizable on campus is beneficial, and a couple respondents found

obtaining funding to be beneficial. 44.07% of respondents did not face issues when registering

their organization on Huskie Link. 49.12% of respondents have found the registration process to

be beneficial. With 19 respondents, approximately 26% of respondents found the centralization

and efficiency of the event registration process to be beneficial, approximately 42% of

respondents found it beneficial to get the word out about their events and increase participation,

and approximately 10% of respondents found it beneficial to learn something new about the

registration process.

Challenges of Huskie Link

When asked if Huskie Link was beneficial for their respective organization, 37.10% of

the respondents said no. With this, respondents were asked how the organization registration

process has not been beneficial for their organizations. With only 19 respondents, approximately
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21% of the respondents experienced that the registration process was not time friendly and in

fact took too long for the organizations to receive approval. 15% of the respondent said that they

were facing issues with getting their members on the organization roster. Respondents were

asked if they have faced any issues when registering their organization on Huskie Link, 55.93%

of respondents claimed that they did experience issues. When asked what types of issues

respondents were facing, with only 28 responses; 8 respondents said that they were facing issues

with the software (log-in difficulties, information getting deleted, etc.). Five other respondents

expressed having issues with the time span on when they would receive feedback to their

submission from staff. Only 21 respondents provided input on how the event registration process

has not been beneficial for their organization. Approximately 47% of the respondents said they

currently do not use that feature of the portal for several reasons.

Huskie Link Layout and Navigation

Moving on, after participants were prompted with the following statement, “The layout of

the Huskie Link is clean and well-organized”, the majority selected that they somewhat agree

(37.04%). Thus, even though some individuals decided to choose other options as their answer,

the majority of participants did not feel like they could either strongly agree/agree or strongly

disagree/disagree with the statement that was provided. Then, when individuals were prompted

with the following, “I am able to easily navigate Huskie Link”, a great number of individuals

selected the somewhat agree (29.63%) and agree (20.37%) options. Nonetheless, 16.67% of

individuals disagreed with this statement, followed by 14.81% strongly disagreeing.

Students were then asked how easy it was to find various student resources through

Huskie Link along with being able to learn more about other student organizations through the

portal itself. About nineteen students somewhat agreed (35.19%) that it was easy to find various
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student resources through the Huskie Link; however, 20.37% students simply agreed and 20.37%

somewhat disagreed. Making it a bit complex to understand the results for this question.

Fortunately, when students were asked about learning about other student organizations, a great

deal of students did get to learn more about other organizations aside from their own. A 33.33%

stated that they strongly agreed that they were able to learn about other student organizations

through the Huskie Link. While an additional 27.78% decided that they somewhat agree. All in

all, students are able to navigate Huskie Link for the most part and continuously learn about new

resources and other organizations at NIU.

Recommendations for Practice

Taking into consideration the survey results, we propose 6 recommendations for future

practice. First, with the majority of students logging on Huskie Link 1-3 times a month or less

than once a month, we recommend identifying new ideas on how to increase traffic to the portal

would be beneficial. By introducing the portal to the student body through emails, newsletters,

and Blackboard notifications, students will have the opportunity to be familiarized with Huskie

Link through everyday interactions with other university platforms. Additionally, the social

media pages for NIU can promote Huskie Link. For instance, the official NIU instagram page

can create an instagram story highlighting what Huskie Link is and what the platform offers to

students.

Second, students reported difficulty with finding assistance for technical issues,

registration and navigation issues, and site confusions. To combat this issue, we recommend

creating a Huskie Link portal manual and possibly appointing a main contact person for issues

can provide students with direct assistance when issues arise.

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Third, we recommend developed a specific event approval timeline for students and

administrators, which will offer both parties with ample time to submit and review events

Students expressed some frustrations with not hearing back for event approvals in a timely

manner; specifically, 50.88% of participants reported issues with the event registration process

and expressed frustration with the time it takes to receive a response for approval. By having a

set deadline for event registration and submission, students are giving administration an

appropriate amount of time to review the event. Administration should respond to the students in

a timely manner in order for students to have enough time to promote and execute the event.

Fourth, students expressed that they would like to create personalized pages to showcase

their organizations. Utilizing photos, collages, videos, and social media links on each

organization’s page will increase traffic and entice students to update their page.

Fifth, we echo students’ suggestions that the portal layout could be more organized and

accessible for users. By creating a portal that is more accessible and open to creativity, the

student body will have an easier time navigating Huskie Link while admiring the creativity of

student leaders’ and their abilities to aesthetically showcase their organizations.

Finally, administrators should seek to create training sessions focusing on how to

navigate and utilize Huskie Link. Although, it is likely that all student leaders may not be able to

attend training sessions due to busy schedules and lack of free time. By creating and publishing a

pre-recorded training session, students can view the training session at their own time. In

addition to pre-recorded training videos, workshops on navigating and utilizing Huskie Link for

non-student leaders would be beneficial. If the student body is aware of how to navigate and

utilize Huskie Link, administration can offer incentives to students who regularly use Huskie

Link.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 22

Recommendations for Research

When conducting assessment and research, there is always opportunity for additional

research recommendations. First, researching additional literature on various digital engagement

platforms can give insight on what other institutions are utilizing. Additionally, our group found

copious amounts of research on first-year students and their level of involvement. Finding

literature on students in varying class ranks and their level of involvement offers data on

upperclassmen, transfer, non-traditional, and post-undergraduate students.

Second, it would be beneficial to conduct focus groups. By having personalized

interactions with individual student leaders, future researchers can discover the unique

experiences and struggles of different organizations. To accompany focus groups, additional

literature on the contrasts of engagement across different types of student organizations would be

beneficial. This literature will bring insight on how different types of student organizations (i.e.,

Greek life, cultural, social, religious, etc.) function, interact, and execute organizational

responsibilities.

Third, extending the time for students to complete the survey would be beneficial due to

the probable increase of responses. To accompany a time extension, broader survey distribution,

potentially posting on social media platforms with the survey link, would provide more students

with the opportunity to complete the survey. Offering incentives, such as gift card raffles for

participants, would further entice students to take the time to complete the survey.

Finally, creating a survey or conducting a focus group that is also applicable to non-

student leaders would be beneficial to gauge the level of Huskie Link engagement and awareness

from students who are not involved in an organization. There should be a focus on both student

leaders and non-student leaders because the Huskie Link portal was created for the entire student
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 23

body. The department could create an entirely separate assessment for non-student leaders or

create questions that are applicable to both parties. For instance, if a Qualtrics survey is

implemented in the future, the “skip logic” feature can be utilized to separate questions

specifically catered for student leaders from questions specifically for non-student leaders.

Conclusion

Although we were not able to answer all of our initial questions around the involvement

of NIU students and their utilization of the Huskie Link portal, we were able to gather a great

amount of data through our survey work which will now be very helpful moving forward. Thus,

there is great potential for this research to be expanded in the near future. This expansion could

take the form of repeating the same survey in Spring 2021 to see if there are any major

differences between a Fall and Spring semester; or it could take the form of reaching out to

students that completed the survey and showed interest in forming part of potential interviews or

focus groups to expand on their initial responses. A strong foundation was created for this

research project and we were able to come to the solid conclusion that the Huskie Link portal is

serving an overall positive purpose; nonetheless, there is still a lot of room for improvement

based on the collected responses. All in all, we were able to gain a better understanding of who is

getting involved on the NIU campus along while also learning more about the type of

organizations that students are joining. Consequently, it is now ideal to expand on the results of

this semester by moving forward in studying more the actual reason(s) for why students decided

to get involved at NIU in the first place. This can potentially happen by modifying or applying

new literature review research, student development theories, and data collection methods to the

current research.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 24

References

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Bond, M., Buntins, K., Bedenlier, S., Zawacki-Richter, O., & Kerres, M. (2020). Mapping

research in student engagement and educational technology in higher education: a

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pp. 34-52). Jossey-Bass.

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Upcraft, M., Gardner, J., and Barefoot, B. (Eds.). (2004). Challenge and support: Creating

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STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 27

Appendix A

Huskie Link Survey

1. To which gender identity do you most identify? Male, Female, Non-Binary,

Genderqueer, Gender fluid, Two-Spirit, Prefer not to answer, or Other (please specify).

2. What is your age range? 18-20, 21-23, 24-26, or 27+

3. Please specify your ethnicity (select all that apply): Asian- American, Black/African-

American, Caucasian, Latinx or Hispanic, Native American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific

Islander, Other (Please specify), Unknown, and/or Prefer not to say.

4. What type of degree are you working towards: Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, Other

(please specify)

5. What year at NIU is this for you? First year, Second year, Third year, Fourth year, or

Fifth or more.

6. What organization(s) are you a part of this year (2020-2021 academic year)?

(Written Response)

7. What category/categories does your organization(s) fall under? (select all that

apply) - Campus Department, Community Service, Cultural, Fraternity within Fraternity

and Sorority Life, Governing Bodies, Honor Society, Military, Political, Professional,

Programming and Performing, Public Media and Communication, Recreational and

Sports, Religious, Social Justice, Advocacy, and Support, Sorority within Fraternity and

Sorority Life, Special Interest, Other (Please specify)

8. How many different organizations are you a part of? (Written Response)

9. What kinds of positions have you held or currently hold? (select all that apply)

President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Committee Chair, Other (Please specify)
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 28

10. What has been the longest period of time of involvement with a student organization

at NIU? (Written Response)

11. How often do you log on to Huskie Link on average? More than 3 times a week, 1-3

times a week, 1-3 times a month, Less than once per month, or never.

12. What do you utilize Huskie Link for? (select all that apply) To register my

organization on Huskie Link, To register my organization’s events, To access campus

forms, To find student resources, To discover the student organizations, To discover

upcoming events hosted by other organizations, To update myself on news around

campus, To connect with NIU through other social media platforms, and/or Other (please

specify).

13. Overall, how well does the Huskie Link portal meet your needs? Extremely well,

Very well, Somewhat well, Not so well, or Not at all well.

14. Do you utilize notifications within Huskie Link? Yes or No.

15. How do you utilize notifications within Huskie Link to manage the needs of your

organization? (Written Response)

16. Has the organization registration process been beneficial to you and your

organization? Yes or No.

17. How has the organization registration process been beneficial to you and your

organization? (Written Response)

18. How has the organization registration process not been beneficial to you and your

organization? (Written Response)

19. Have you or your organization faced any issues when registering your organization

on Huskie Link? Yes or No.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 29

20. What issues have you or your organization faced? (Written Response)

21. Has the event registration process been beneficial to you? Yes or No.

22. How has the event registration process been beneficial to you? (Written Response)

23. How has the event registration process not been beneficial to you? (Written

Response)

24. The layout of Huskie Link is clean and well-organized. Strongly agree, Agree,

Somewhat agree, Disagree, or Strongly disagree.

25. I am able to easily navigate Huskie Link. Strongly agree, Agree, Somewhat agree,

Disagree, or Strongly disagree.

26. I am able to discover upcoming events hosted by other student organizations

through Huskie Link. Strongly agree, Agree, Somewhat agree, Disagree, or Strongly

disagree.

27. I am able to easily find various student resources through Huskie Link. Strongly

agree, Agree, Somewhat agree, Disagree, or Strongly disagree.

28. I am able to learn more about other student organizations through Huskie Link.

Strongly agree, Agree, Somewhat agree, Disagree, or Strongly disagree.

29. What features are missing that you think Huskie Link needs to ensure that your

organization is successful? (Written Response)