Newswise — Senior and freshman students at Misericordia University gave the institution of higher education significantly higher marks in several important categories than other colleges and universities in MU’s peer group, according to the 2010 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).
Students at Misericordia University overwhelmingly reported that the university provides a supportive campus environment and also supports active and collaborative learning. “Students perform better and are more satisfied at colleges that are committed to their success and cultivate positive working and social relations among different groups on campus,’’ the NSSE report states about the importance of a supportive campus environment, and active and collaborative learning.
“Students learn more when they are intensely involved in their education and are asked to think about and apply what they are learning in different settings,’’ the report adds. “Collaborating with others in solving problems or mastering difficult material prepares students to deal with the messy, unscripted problems they will encounter daily and during and after college.’’
The students also rated their educational experience as positive, felt their institution’s intellectual and creative work was academically challenging and felt they completed a significant amount of service to humankind in the greater community, according to the survey.
NSSE is designed to obtain information from colleges and universities nationwide about student participation in programs and activities. More than 393,000 randomly selected first- and fourth-year students from 595 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada participated in 2010. The results help institutions confirm “good practices” in undergraduate education and provide a benchmark by which schools can determine an accurate measure of quality education. Results include comparisons to similar colleges and all schools participating in the survey. This year’s survey included 534 Misericordia students.
“Perhaps the best measure of a university is what its own students say about it,” said Michael A. MacDowell, president of Misericordia University. “This prestigious national survey confirms what students and their parents have told us anecdotally for years, namely that Misericordia provides a caring environment inside and outside the classroom with both challenging academics and solid career preparation.”
In the study, 89 percent of Misericordia University first-year students said the university provided the support they needed to succeed academically compared to 80 percent at all other schools surveyed. Freshman respondents also stated they forged quality relationships with other students (92 percent) and faculty members (95 percent). Overall, 92 percent rated their educational experience as good or excellent and 86 percent said they would choose Misericordia again.
Ninety-five percent of MU seniors rated their educational experience as good to excellent, while 89 percent said they would choose Misericordia again if they could start their college career over again. Both marks are considerably higher than the national NSSE average. Ninety-one percent of MU seniors reported acquiring job or work-related knowledge and skills at Misericordia, compared to 75 percent nationally. Survey results also stated that 98 percent of seniors formed quality relationships with fellow students and 97 percent said faculty members were very available and helpful.
The supportive environment at Misericordia University extends outside the classroom as well. The university was ranked 12 percentage points higher by freshman, and 22 points higher by seniors in the area of helping students cope with non-academic responsibilities, including family and work issues. As many as 79 percent of seniors gave the highest rating available when asked about the quality of the relationships they have forged with other students, saying they are friendly, supportive and offer a sense of belonging. By the time they were seniors, 41 percent of Misericordia students participated in a community-based project as part of a regular service-learning course, compared to 19 percent nationally.
“The survey results provide a snapshot of how we are performing in the eyes of our students,’’ commented President MacDowell. “It also shows that students believe our commitment to personal attention, challenging academics and service to others is a winning combination for them. As these characteristics of a student’s college education are very important to us, we are pleased that independent sources suggest we are doing an excellent job in providing them.’’
The survey also showed the highest benchmarking ratings in numerous categories and proof of systematic improvement over five years for the university which began participating in the national survey in 2003. Including diverse perspectives in class discussions or writing assignments has increased 14 percent and providing support to thrive socially has increased 15 percent over that time period.
For more information about Misericordia University, please call (570) 674-6400 or log on to www.misericordia.edu. For more information about the student satisfaction data, contact the university’s admissions office toll free at 1-866-262-6363.
Founded and Sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy in 1924, Misericordia University is Luzerne County’s first four-year college and offers 32 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in three colleges in full- and part-time formats.
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