Abstract
The purpose of this study was to describe self-re¬ported grades, scores on 10 academic engagement indicators and satisfaction of senior Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences (AFLS) students (n = 144) at a mid-south land grant university and to determine the rela¬tionship between grades, academic engagement and student satisfaction. Students were satisfied with their experiences at the university. They reported being often engaged in 8 of the 10 indicators, but only sometimes engaged in indicators measuring Quantitative Reason¬ing and Student-Faculty Interactions. All engagement indicators except Reflective and Integrative Learning and Quantitative Reasoning were significantly (p < 0.05) related to student satisfaction; there was no significant correlation between self-reported grades and satisfac¬tion. Two faculty-related engagement indicators, Stu¬dent-Faculty Interaction and Effective Teaching, had low positive correlations (r = 0.25) with satisfaction. A linear combination of three engagement indicators, Quality of Interactions, Supportive Environment, and Learning Strategies, explained a significant (p < 0.05) percentage (30.0%) of the variance in student satisfac¬tion. These results confirmed the importance of posi¬tive interpersonal relationships, quality study habits, and student support services to student satisfaction. Further research is needed to examine the relationship between financial stability, family and work responsibilities, and academic and career goals and student satisfaction.