Dr. Caroline Whitson, president of Columbia College, has announced that the College's recently released scores on the 2004 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) exceed the averages of all 472 participating four-year colleges and universities across the country in all five categories.
The purpose of the national survey is to provide higher education administrators and faculty with substantive, qualitative information on how well students are learning and what they put into, and get out of, their undergraduate experience.
The NSSE questions both first-year students and seniors at participating institutions about the quality of their college experience in five areas:
"Engagement is a critical factor in the educational process," says George Kuh, NSSE director, "because the more time and energy students devote to desired activities, the more likely they are to develop the habits of the mind that are key to success after college, including participating in civic affairs. In addition, engagement is linked to grades and graduation -- outcomes that everyone agrees are important."
"We believe that this year's NSSE results continue to confirm what we know about the strengths of Columbia College," says Whitson. "One of the primary reasons for our success is the engagement of our students in the learning process, both in and out of the classroom."
Specifically, students are asked a series of questions such as, "How often have you contributed to class discussions?"; "How often have you included diverse perspectives in writing assignments?"; "How much has your coursework emphasized analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience or theory?"; and "What is the quality of your relationships with other students, faculty members, and administrative personnel at your institution?"
The survey is co-sponsored by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning.
