The Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE), based at The University of Texas at Austin, conducts research and administers nationally recognized surveys that help community colleges understand and improve student learning, persistance, and completion. CCCSE focuses on student engagement, defined as the amount of time and effort students devote to educational practices shown to be linked to positive outcomes.

CCCSE administers multiple surveys, each designed to capture student experiences at different transition points:

• Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) is administered to enrolled students and examines how students engage in effective educational practices, including active learning, academic challenge, student‑faculty interaction, and institutional support. It is widely used for benchmarking, institutional effectiveness, and accreditation support. Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (CCFSSE) is a companion to the CCSSE student survey, eliciting information from faculty about their perceptions regarding students' educational experiences, their teaching practices, and the ways they spend their professional time—both in and out of the classroom.

• Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE) focuses on the earliest weeks of the college experience, collecting information from entering students about onboarding, early academic expectations, advising, and support services. The survey helps institutions strengthen entry‑point practices that influence retention and early momentum.

• Dual Enrollment Survey of Student Engagement (DESSE) gathers feedback on instructional practices, academic support, and learning experiences specific to the dual enrollment student experience of high school students enrolled concurrently in college coursework.

Lamar Institute of Technology participates in the Community College Survey of Student Engagement to assess student experiences and inform institutional planning and improvement efforts. LIT’s Executive Summary's provide insight into student engagement behaviors and perceptions, allowing the institution to compare its performance with national and peer benchmarks, to support data‑informed decision‑making.