In its first year in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), Doane's students indicated Doane excels in some of the most powerful contributors to learning and personal development.
The NSSE survey is a comprehensive assessment of effective practices in higher education. In 2006, 523 colleges and universities participated. Nearly 275 Doane seniors and first-year students completed the survey.
The survey measure five benchmarks:
- Level of academic challenge
- Active and collaborative learning
- Student-faculty interaction
- Enriching educational experience
- Supportive campus environment
Among these five categories, first-year students scored Doane significantly higher than other schools in three areas:
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Active and Collaborative Learning
 | | Student-Faculty Interaction
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Enriching Educational Experiences
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Among seniors, Doane scored significantly higher in four of the five categories:
Click on the charts below to view a larger image. |
Active and Collaborative Learning
 | | Student-Faculty Interaction
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Enriching Education Experiences
 | | Supportive Campus Environment
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Within these five categories, students were asked 42 key questions. Several responses from students to the individual questions scored Doane statistically higher than the national average:
- Participated in community service or volunteer work (first-year)
- Worked with other students on projects during class (first-year; seniors)
- Wrote more than 10 papers or reports of fewer than 5 pages (first-year)
- Talked about career plans with a faculty member or advisor (first-year)
- Spent more than 5 hours/week participating in co-curricular activities (first-year)
- Asked questions/contributed to class discussions (seniors)
- Completed a culminating senior experience (capstone, thesis, comp. exam) (seniors)
- Positively rated their relationships with other students (seniors)
- Positively rated their relationships with faculty members (seniors)
Overall first-year students scored higher on the impact of the Doane experiences on understanding persons of other racial and ethnic backgrounds.
The results provide an estimate of how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college. Students and parents may use the information in the college search process. Campuses gain insight into effective teaching and student learning.
For Doane, survey results connect to the emphasis the college places on its four core values of excellence, experience, empowerment and impact. With this pride in performance also comes a commitment to the students and a continued focus on these critical areas.
Full details of the report can be found at: www.doane.edu/NSSE