March 9, 2001

Loyola scores high in national survey

The benefits of Loyola’s unique combination of academic excellence and ideal size that fosters a positive learning environment were apparent in statistics from the recent National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), according to Dr. Lydia Voigt, associate provost. Loyola scored high in a number of areas in the project which involved 276 participating four-year colleges and universities comprising 151,910 first-year and senior students who were randomly selected from electronic data files provided by the participating institutions.

Sampling procedures called for an equal number of first-year and senior students with standard sample size determined by the number of undergraduate students enrolled at the institution. The NSSE survey included over 60 student background, engagement, and satisfaction questions. The premise underlying the results suggests that those institutions that more fully engage their students in a variety of activities that contribute to valued outcomes of college experiences can claim to be of higher quality in comparison with similar types of colleges and universities.

On more than a dozen items in the inventory, Loyola students placed Loyola in a position of distinction. For example, our seniors indicated that they discussed ideas from their readings or classes with faculty members outside of class significantly more often than their counterparts from institutions across the nation. They also indicated that they more frequently used e-mail to communicate with an instructor and other students. "These results indicate that our students have more opportunity to interact with faculty and peers outside the classroom and this qualitatively differentiates Loyola from many competitors," Voigt emphasizes.

A significant proportion of our freshmen and seniors also said that they regularly had serious conversations with other students whose religious beliefs, political opinions or personal values differ from theirs. They indicated that they had greater opportunities to have serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity than their own. They felt that the Loyola community encourages contact among students from different economic, social, and racial or ethnic backgrounds. This data strongly supports the premise that Loyola provides a diverse community and an ideal learning environment.

Regarding knowledge, skills and personal development, Loyola’s first year students indicated that they felt they were acquiring a broad general education. Seniors reported that they feel that they have learned to think critically and analytically. For example, our students also scored higher with regard to their overall satisfaction with their college experience. Seniors indicated that if they would start over again, they would choose the same institution.

"It is very exciting that our students, in comparison to students across the nation, are more satisfied with their college experience especially when it comes to the quality of education they are receiving," Voigt summarized. "Loyola really is an ideal size for students to have access to high quality instruction with optimal personalized student/faculty interaction as well as a large range of courses, activities, and service and leadership opportunities to choose from."

The NSSE project was co-sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Pew Forum for Undergraduate Learning and supported by a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts. The research was conducted by Indiana University Center for Post Secondary Research and Planning.

Click here for a detailed summary of these results. A full set of the results is available by request from the Office of Institutional Research.