Augie, SAU students give schools guidance
Some students at Augustana College and St. Ambrose University gave their schools mixed performance marks on a recent survey.
Participating students at Augustana gave their school marks that exceeded the national average in five areas examined by the survey.
The college received particularly high scores for course rigor and student interaction with faculty, which were highlighted as weak areas when Augustana last administered the survey three years ago.
However, student responses showed the campus lacks racial diversity and needs to expand opportunities for studying abroad.
At St. Ambrose, freshmen graded their school slightly lower than its peers on its level of academic challenge and active and collaborative learning environment. At the same time, seniors thought the college did better than its peers in those areas.
“Engagement is much higher for seniors than first-year students,” said Paul Koch, St. Ambrose associate vice president for assessment and institutional research. “It’s something we are going to look at and ask, ‘Why is that the case? What can we do to ensure our level of academic challenge is where it should be?’”
About half the first-year students and graduating seniors at the two colleges took the National Survey of Student Engagement last spring, allowing them to grade their schools in five areas: active and collaborative learning, academic challenge, student-faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences and a supportive campus environment.
Administrators said their input will play a large role in changes to how the colleges do business.
The results, which were recently released, give administrators a gauge on the quality of education students receive during their time at the schools. That comes at a time when education leaders at the federal level are calling for greater accountability at the postsecondary level.
Some officials have called for colleges to use the survey, conducted by Indiana University and funded with money from the Pew Charitable Trust and participating colleges, among others. Pew Charitable Trust is a nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia that works to inform the public on issues such as education. In 2006, more than 550 schools voluntarily took part, according to Indiana University.
Augustana typically administers the poll every three years so officials can track students’ experience from their first year through their senior year. This is the second time St. Ambrose participated and, Koch said, the school plans to start giving it every three years, as well.
Results from the two schools can’t be compared to each other, because they are classified differently under the survey because of the type of colleges they are.
Because St. Ambrose hasn’t regularly administered the survey, officials haven’t been able to use the results to shape changes in how the school operates. But, Koch said, these results will be used.
Augustana officials also have changes in the works to boost weaker areas. The college is beefing up its efforts to recruit minorities by tapping charter schools in Chicago, as well as alumni and local organizations to help it gain visibility. Currently, about 8 percent of incoming freshmen are minority students. Officials would like to see that increase to 15 percent by 2010.
Also, an office for study abroad programs gained a director to help expand opportunities for students looking to study in other countries, said Jeff Abernathy, vice president and dean at Augustana. He said 32 percent of students at the school study abroad, but officials would like to see 40 percent to 50 percent do so.
“Students have said through the survey that Augustana needs more attention there,” said Steven Bahls, president of Augustana. “Students recognize the world is becoming a global village. The economy and culture is internationally driven. Students cherish that diversity.”
Sheena Dooley can be contacted at (563)383-2363 or sdooley@qctimes.com.
About the report
About half the first-year students and graduating seniors at two Quad-City colleges took the National Survey of Student Engagement last spring. The students graded their schools in five areas:
Active, collaborative learning
Academic challenge
Student-faculty interaction
Enriching educational experiences
A supportive campus environment
National Survey of Student Engagement breakdown
More than 550 colleges, including Augustana College and St. Ambrose University took part in the National Survey of Student Engagement last spring, in which first-year students and graduating seniors answered questions about their educational experiences. Those questions pertained to five areas, including the level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences and a supportive campus environment.
Level of academic challenge: time spent preparing for class; number of assigned textbooks; number of written papers of 20 pages or more, number between five and 19 pages and number of fewer than five pages; coursework emphasizing synthesis and the organization of ideas, information or experiences into new, more complex interpretations; coursework emphasizing the making of judgments about the value of information; and working harder than you thought you could to meet an instructor’s expectations.
Augustana: 60 percent of first-year students, 64 percent of seniors
St. Ambrose: 50 percent of first-year students, 60 percent of seniors
All participating colleges: 52 percent of first-year students, 56 percent of seniors
Active and collaborative learning: asked questions in class, made a class presentation, worked with other students on projects, tutored or taught other students, participated in a community-based project as part of a course, discussed ideas from readings with others outside of class.
Augustana: 45 percent of first-year students, 57 percent of seniors
St. Ambrose: 42 percent of first-year students, 41 percent of seniors
All participating colleges: 41 percent of first-year students; 50 percent of seniors
Student-faculty interaction: discussed grades or assignments with an instructor, talked about career plans with a faculty member, discussed ideas from your classes with faculty members outside of class, worked with faculty on activities other than coursework, received prompt feedback on academic performance, worked with faculty on a research project outside of course requirements.
Augustana: 34 percent first-year students, 55 percent seniors
St. Ambrose: 35 percent first-year students, 45 percent seniors
All participating colleges: 32 percent first-year students, 41 percent seniors
Enriching educational experiences: participating in co-curricular activities, internships or clinical assignments, community service or volunteer work, foreign language coursework and study abroad, independent study or self-designed major, culminating senior experience, serious conversations with students of different religious beliefs or personal values, serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity.
Augustana: 30 percent first-year students, 51 percent seniors
St. Ambrose: 29 percent first-year students, 40 percent seniors
All participating colleges: 27 percent first-year students, 40 percent seniors
Supportive campus environment: provides needed supports to succeed academically and socially, helps students cope with non-academic responsibilities, quality of relationships with other students and faculty members.
Augustana: 63 percent first-year students, 61 percent seniors
St. Ambrose: 62 percent first-year students, 59 percent seniors
All participating colleges: 59 percent first-year students, 57 percent seniors