Benedict College Received Favorable Rating on the National Survey of Student Engagement
Benedict College received favorable ratings from their freshmen and seniors on The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). This national survey is conducted through the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning co-sponsor this research initiative with NSSE.
Last year (2003) was the first year that Benedict College participated in the study. The NSSE survey was designed to assess how colleges and universities enhance students level of learning and overall development. NSSE administered the survey with the assistance of Benedict College officials and NSSE analyzed the data and provided all colleges and universities with summary statistical reports for their institution. NSSE results fall into five key clusters (i.e., benchmarks) of activities that research studies show are linked to desired outcomes in college.
|
Benchmarks |
Level of Academic Challenge |
Challenging intellectual and creative work is central to student learning and collegiate quality. Colleges and universities promote high levels of student achievement by emphasizing the importance of academic effort and setting high expectations for student performance. |
Active and Collaborative Learning |
Students learn more when they are intensely involved in their education and are asked to think about and apply what they are learning in different settings. Collaborating with others in solving problems or mastering difficult material prepares students to deal with the messy, unscripted problems they will encounter daily during and after college. |
Student-Faculty Interaction |
Students learn firsthand how experts think about and solve practical problems by interacting with faculty members inside and outside the classroom. As a result, their teachers become role models, mentors, and guides for continuous, life long learning. |
Enriching Educational Experiences |
Complementary learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom augment academic programs. Experiencing diversity teaches students valuable things about themselves and others. Technology facilitates collaboration between peers and instructors. Internships, community service, and senior capstone courses provide opportunities to integrate and apply knowledge. |
Supportive Campus Environment |
Students perform better and are more satisfied at colleges that are committed to their success and cultivate positive working and social relations among different groups on campus. |
Benedict College was one of approximately 649 four-year colleges and universities that participated in this survey. Approximately 185,000 students at these colleges and universities were randomly selected for the analysis, focusing only on freshmen and senior students from every region of the country. Across the board, Benedicts freshmen and seniors rated the College more favorably in regards to these benchmark areas as compared to how students rated their colleges and universities nationally.
Reported in the first table below are national comparisons of Benedict College freshmen and freshmen enrolled at other institutions throughout the United States. The results revealed that Benedict Colleges freshmen scores were significantly higher than other freshmen nationally for all five benchmark areas. Benedict Colleges percentile ratings were among the highest. The percentile ratings ranged from 78 to 99. The benchmark areas of active and collaborative learning and student-faculty interaction were ranked at the 99-percentile level. Only 1 percent of other colleges and universities received higher percentile rankings by their freshmen for those two benchmark areas. Also, 96 percent of Benedict Colleges freshmen believed that their educational experiences were enriching during the time in which the survey was conducted. Furthermore, 89 percent of Benedict College students reported having a supportive campus environment and 78 percent reported favorably in regards to their level of academic challenge. National Comparison of Benedict College (BC) Freshmen and Freshmen Enrolled At Other Institutions Throughout The United States
|
Benchmark Areas |
BC Freshmen Benchmark Score |
National Freshmen Benchmark Scorea |
Score Difference |
BCs Percentile Ratings |
Percentages of Colleges or Universities that Rated Higher than BC |
|
Active and Collaborative Learning |
55.6 |
41.8 |
13.8 |
99 |
1 |
|
Student-Faculty Interaction |
54.2 |
37.2 |
17.0 |
99 |
1 |
|
Enriching Educational Experiences |
71.0 |
57.7 |
13.3 |
96 |
4 |
|
Supportive Campus Environment |
68.8 |
61.8 |
7.0 |
89 |
11 |
|
Level of Academic Challenge |
57.4 |
53.9 |
3.5 |
78 |
22 |
Note. aThe analyses were based on approximately 185,000 randomly selected students at 649 four-year colleges and universities.
The next table shows the national comparison of Benedict Colleges seniors and seniors enrolled at other institutions throughout the United States. Seniors enrolled at Benedict rated these benchmark areas significantly higher than seniors that were attending other colleges and universities. Less than 6 percent of other colleges and universities seniors percentile ratings were higher than those of Benedict College for the benchmark areas: active and collaborative learning (99), student-faculty interaction (98), enriching educational experiences (98), and supportive campus environment (95). Seventy-two percent of Benedict Colleges seniors rated the level of academic challenge favorably.
National Comparison of Benedict College (BC) Seniors and Seniors Enrolled At Other Institutions Throughout The United States
|
Benchmark Areas |
BC Seniors Benchmark Score |
National Seniors Benchmark Scorea |
Score Difference |
BC Percentile Ratings |
Percentages of Colleges or Universities that Rated Higher than BC |
|
1 |
Level of Academic Challenge |
59.4 |
57.3 |
2.2 |
72 |
28 |
|
2 |
Active and Collaborative Learning |
61.4 |
50.1 |
11.3 |
99 |
1 |
|
3 |
Student-Faculty Interaction |
58.1 |
44.2 |
13.9 |
98 |
2 |
|
4 |
Enriching Educational Experiences |
64.8 |
49.1 |
15.8 |
98 |
2 |
|
5 |
Supportive Campus Environment |
69.2 |
58.8 |
10.5 |
95 |
5 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note. aThe analyses were based on approximately 185,000 randomly selected students at 649 four-year colleges and universities.
Compared to some of the other colleges and universities percentile ratings, Benedict Colleges rating on these five benchmark areas was among the highest in the country.
Benedict College will use the results:
- To benchmark performance against peer institutions
- To compare first-year and senior student experiences
- To contribute to performance indicators requested by governing boards and oversight agencies
- To focus conversation related to general education and curricular reform
- To emphasize effective educational practices in self-studies, accreditation, and accountability efforts
- To guide strategic planning
- To guide and monitor institutional improvement
- To contribute to the national effort to improve undergraduate education
For further information regarding the study, contact Dr. Michael Boatwright, Director of Assessment and Research, Tanya Bolton, Research Associate, or Jesse Bellinger, Research Associate, at Benedict College at (803) 253-5226 or by e-mail.
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