SENSE captures students’ earliest experiences at the point of entry, from the decision to attend through the first weeks of enrollment. The survey examines onboarding processes such as registration, orientation, and financial aid; early relationships with instructors, advisors, and peers; and students’ access to advising, academic supports, essential services, and opportunities to explore career and transfer pathways. The instrument also includes expanded measures of basic needs security, mental health–related barriers to persistence, learning modality preferences, early academic disruption indicators, and external commitments that may affect students’ ability to persist during the first weeks of enrollment.
Survey instruments available:
SENSE Special-Focus Modules
SENSE includes standard modules that allow colleges to explore issues most relevant to their students and institutional priorities.
Beginning with SENSE 2026, all participating colleges receive access to standard modules at no additional cost, supporting early holistic student success.
Standard Modules:
- Holistic Advising – Students’ experiences with integrated academic, career, financial, social, and basic needs support
- Basic Needs – Students’ ability to meet essential needs and express related concerns
- Mental Health & Well-Being – Access to mental health supports and the impact of mental health challenges
- Culture of Caring – Whether students experience the institution as welcoming, supportive, and responsive
Each administration includes up to two 12-item modules, one selected by CCCSE and one selected by the college. All colleges participating in SENSE 2026 will receive the Holistic Advising module and can opt to choose one other standard module.
Colleges may also develop a custom module for institution-specific priorities (additional fee). Please review the SENSE survey to avoid overlap in items. Please visit the Options and Rates section of the website for more information.
