PELLA — Results of the 2007 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) provide evidence that Central College students are highly engaged. Students reported that Central provides a supportive campus environment that helps students succeed academically and prepares them to contribute to the welfare of their communities.
Higher education is expected to track student progress beyond grades and retention rates. Central is committed to measure the development of its students through a comprehensive 10-year assessment plan designed to look at how students do compared to their peers in Iowa, in the Midwest and across the country. Central students complete the NSSE every three years.
In 2007, 610 colleges and universities across the United States participated in the spring 2007 administration of the survey. The survey continues to gain in national recognition as over 1,000 schools participated in 2008. Each year, NSSE gathers information from hundreds of four-year higher education institutions nationwide about student participation in programs and activities that colleges and universities provide for their learning and personal development. The results provide an estimate of how students spend their time and what they gain from attending college.
In the category of Enriching Educational Experiences, responses from seniors at Central placed the college in the top 10 percent of all 2007 NSSE institutions. Items in that category measures participation in: internships/field experience, community service/volunteer work, foreign language coursework, study abroad, independent study, culminating senior experience, co-curricular activities, and learning communities.
“This is a very important report card for the college,” said President David Roe. “The NSSE helps us gauge how we are doing nationally and how well we are preparing our students for life beyond Central. To be in the top 10 percent in the nation is incredible and I’m proud of our faculty, staff and students and the hard work they put into higher education.”
For example, in this category Central provides a value added component to its students’ education where 87 percent of Central seniors reported participating in community service, while 59 percent of all NSSE senior participants reported doing so. Only 53 percent of all NSSE seniors reported completing an internship, practicum, field experience or clinical assignment, while 76 percent of Central seniors gained valuable hands-on experience. First-year students at Central are more engaged in co-curricular activities than their counterparts with 51 percent participating more than five hours per week in co-curricular activities.
“It’s not surprising such a large percentage of seniors indicate that they have participated in community service,” said Cheri Doane, director of community-based learning. “Commitment to community aligns perfectly with the college’s values and we are intentional about incorporating service-learning into our courses as well as providing many other opportunities for community involvement.”
In the area of Active Learning and Collaboration, Central seniors reported a higher mean score than similar institutions. Questions asked include topics on: asking questions or contributing to classroom discussions, presenting in class, working with others during class projects, tutoring students, participating in community-based project as part of a regular course, and discussing ideas from readings outside of class.
Central seniors report having participated in active and collaborative learning at a statistically significant higher level than students at all other comparison institutions. Compared to first-year students at Central College, seniors report a strong likelihood their experience at Central contributed to their knowledge, skills and personal development in acquiring a broad general education that includes writing and speaking clearly and effectively and thinking critically and analytically. This finding suggests Central students experience substantial growth in the areas of general education during their college years.
Other positive gains include the finding that Central freshmen say they write more papers and complete more foreign language coursework than their counterparts at benchmark institutions.
“I attribute much of my success at Central College to my involvement within student organizations, para-professional roles and my off-campus experiences,” said recent graduate Jeremy Siefken. “It was through these quality activities and learning experiences where I felt the most enhanced as an individual, a global citizen, and of course, as a Central College student.”
