Lawrence Today magazine, Spring 2004
Lawrence University ranks among the top
schools in the nation when it comes to providing a high-quality undergraduate
educational
experience,
according
to a recent national study of effective educational practices.
The 2003 Report of the National Survey
of Student Engagement (NSSE), co-sponsored
by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Pew Forum
on Undergraduate Learning, details the results from a nationwide survey of
185,000 first-year students and seniors at 649 four-year colleges and universities.
The student engagement survey was developed by education assessment experts
as an alternative to the U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” rankings, which
have been criticized for placing too much weight on institutional reputation
and selectivity in admissions rather than on actual educational outcomes.
The survey annually provides comparative standards for determining how effectively
colleges and universities are contributing to student learning, based on five
measured benchmarks: level of academic challenge, active and collaborative
learning, student-
faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences, and a supportive campus
environment.
Lawrence scored high on all five benchmarks, regularly outscoring the composite
mean for the national comparison group of all colleges and universities participating
in the survey. Lawrence placed in the top 20 percent of all institutions in
all but one instance and in the top 10 percent for both the “level of
academic challenge” and “enriching educational experiences” measures.
The NSSE benchmarks assess the extent to which undergraduate students are involved
in educational practices empirically linked to high levels of learning and
development. Research over the past 30 years has shown that student engagement
is critical to successful educational outcomes at the undergraduate level and
that colleges and universities that encourage close student-faculty interaction,
student involvement in collaborative learning and research, and active engagement
in extra-curricular activities offer the most effective educational environment
for student learning.