DATE: December 15, 2006
MEDIA CONTACT: Melanie McDonald, director of media relations
PHONE: 574-284-4579
E-MAIL: mmcdonal@saintmarys.edu

Students More Engaged at Saint Mary’s College

NOTRE DAME, Ind.—A report recently released by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) shows that Saint Mary’s College students are more engaged, on average, than those at peer institutions (as classified by Carnegie) and those at other women’s colleges.

Student engagement is a vital component to the success and retention of college students. A key finding from the 2006 NSSE report states that “Student engagement is positively related to grades and to persistence between the first and second year of college.”
Another key finding shows that first-year students at liberal arts colleges, like Saint Mary’s, “more often participate in class discussions and view their faculty more positively than students at other institutions.” Survey results for Saint Mary’s align with that finding.

Each of the 523 participating schools was measured against five benchmarks of effective education practice: 1) level of academic challenge; 2) active and collaborative learning; 3) student-faculty interaction; 4) enriching educational experiences; and 5) supportive campus environment. In each of those categories, Saint Mary’s scored higher—sometimes significantly higher—than its peers.

“This survey measures things that truly matter to student learning and, therefore, our effectiveness as a teaching institution,” says Dr. Carol Ann Mooney, president of Saint Mary’s College. “The benchmarks used by NSSE are associated with many desired outcomes of college.”

Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. “U.S. News & World Report” ranks Saint Mary’s #1 among Midwest Comprehensive Colleges offering bachelors degrees. Sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, the College was founded in 1844 and now enrolls approximately 1500 students.

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