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DASA Assessment

Student Success Assessment

Student Success Assessment is a DASA initiative to improve student success at NC State.

Communicating with Students

In 2025-2026 Student Success Assessment focused on communicating effectively with students. Over the course of the academic year, a team of division faculty and staff explored this topic in three stages: Literature Review, Data Collection, and Implementation.

Literature Review

In fall 2025, a committee of faculty and staff within DASA convened to explore existing scholarship related to communicating effectively with students. This work resulted in the literature review. 

Key Takeaways

Student Training

Students will use the communication tools they are trained and expected to use.

Complexity Matters

Questions that are easy to answer work well for websites. Context-specific or complex questions work well for person to person communication.

Please Help!

Make it easy for students to identify a support person who is able to answer their question.

Data Collection

Existing Data

Based on the themes of the literature review, the committee analyzed data from across DASA and NC State. This effort led to the creation of the Quantitative Data Report.

Students at NC State open their email

Emails with essential information or required tasks have the highest open rate.
Newsletters that students opt-into have the highest click rate. 

Websites are critical sources of information

Most frequented DASA websites include New Student Programs and University Housing.

In-person and virtual communication matter

When both forms of communication reinforce one another, engagement increases.

Focus Groups

During the spring 2025 semester, DASA Assessment hired four Pack Assessment Ambassadors. Pack Assessment Ambassadors support SSA by facilitating focus groups to gather qualitative data on the selected topic. Ambassadors presented their focus group findings to division and university stakeholders as well as present at the Undergraduate Research Symposium.

“Ever since one, applying, and two, actually being here… it’s just kind of known that [email is] where the best information is going to be.”
“Most of the emails from individuals aren’t really related to me or I’m not really interested in. I just read, the ones from departments or NC State in general.”
“I think I follow like a thousand accounts… NC State’s probably gonna be at like the very end. And so I’m probably never gonna see it and never know that’s happening or find out too late.”

Recommendations

In May 2026 the “Communicating with Students” team met weekly to identify strategies to share the findings, recommend changes to division practices, and provide guidance for implementing relevant strategies.

  • Shorten and simplify email messages to improve readability and draw attention to the “action items.”
  • Use office generic accounts for mass communication to emphasize the brand and recognition.
  • Conduct routine audits of websites to ensure accessibility and updated information.
  • Make contact information easily accessible so students know who to contact with questions.