Assessment & Reports

National College Health Assessment 

Developed by the American College Health Association and administered in conjunction with the CSU Chancellor’s Office, the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) survey provides students with a confidential opportunity to share their behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions related to a broad range of relevant health topics. Topics include, but are not limited to: sleep, exercise, nutrition, alcohol and drug use, sexual health, basic needs, and utilization of campus services.

NCHA survey results inform campus programs and services, and provide valuable insight into the social determinants that impact our students’ academic success and well-being. 

The National College Health Assessment is happening from March 11-March 30, 2024, and 20,000 students have been randomly selected to participate in it. If you’re selected to participate, this is your opportunity to share your perspectives on your health and well-being and be entered into an opportunity drawing!

All students who submit a survey will be automatically entered into a drawing to win a one of twenty Spartan GoldPoints card valued at $25 each. Winners are randomly selected by the American College Health Association. Winners will be notified by the Student Wellness Center to claim their prize 2 weeks after the survey closes. The odds of winning a prize is 0.1%.

• How can I access the survey?

  • If you’ve been selected, you will receive an email from National College Health Assessment <ncha-web@acha.org> with a unique URL for the survey. Click on the survey link in your email invitation to participate in the survey.  

• Is the survey confidential?

  • The ACHA-NCHA web survey standard implementation protocol is confidential. Only the Response ID number for any given student is recorded with their survey responses. The ACHA-NCHA survey is set to PREVENT the collection of a student’s name, email address, and IP address with their survey submission. Any reports or publications based on this research will use only group data and will not identify you or any individual as being affiliated with this project.

• How long does it take to complete the survey? Do I need to complete the survey in one sitting? 

  • The ACHA-NCHA survey takes about 20-30 minutes to complete. You do not have to complete the survey in one sitting. You can take a break and return to complete the survey in another session. Your responses are saved and will remain populated the next time you use the survey link. 

• Can my friend take the survey if they weren't chosen as part of the 20,000 randomly selected students?

  • No. A unique survey link is generated for each student who has been chosen to participate in the survey. 

• Can I choose not to take the survey or answer only certain questions?

  • Participation in the survey is completely voluntary. You may answer only some questions, or you may choose not to participate in the survey at all. 

• Can I participate in the opportunity drawing if I was not selected to participate in the survey?

  • If you would like to enter the drawing, but do not wish to participate in the survey, please email anna.ang@sjsu.edu by March 31, 2024. You will be added to the pool of eligible students who have submitted the surveys before random winners are drawn.

• Whom should I contact if I experience personal discomfort with the content of certain questions?

  • There may be some personal discomfort with the content of certain questions. For example, there are questions regarding illegal substance use, interpersonal violence, and sexual behavior. If you’d like to talk with someone about issues addressed in the survey, you may visit SJSU Student Wellness Center for campus resources. 

• Where can I borrow a laptop to complete the survey?  

  • Laptops will be available at various NCHA Drop-In Survey Stations throughout the survey period.  

     

Campus Partners - Help us Cross-Promote! 

• Promote the survey during the Rollout Season
• Include it during your classroom announcements, meeting announcements, or individual 1:1 sessions with students
• Download the NCHA toolkit below to access consistent messaging and flyers for your announcements
• Print and post the NCHA flyer at your Front Desks
• Share our social media posts on Instagram from @sjsuwellness

Download the NCHA Toolkit

How you can use the data

• Increase understanding of factors that impact health, wellbeing and academics
• Inform programs, services and policies to ensure students’ needs are met
• Establish a baseline for SJSU health trends
• Evaluate the impact of prevention efforts on campus
• To view the results from the NCHA Spring 2021 survey, please download a copy of the Executive Summary [pdf]

Questions

For survey questions, please contact:

Lezlee Matthews, Ph.D., Director of Co-Curricular Learning, Educational Equity, and Assessment 

studentwellnesscenter@sjsu.edu

For media inquiries, please contact: 

Michelle Smith McDonald, Senior Director of Media Relations

michelle.smithmcdonald@sjsu.edu 

Robin McElhatton, Assistant Director of Media Relations 

robin.mcelhatton@sjsu.edu