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National
Survey of Student Engagement |
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Hampden-Sydney College scored well ahead of peers and national averages in the 2003
National Survey of Student Engagement. The NSSE annually assesses the extent to which undergraduates are
involved in educational practices empirically linked to higher levels of learning and development.
Level of Academic Challenge
Challenging intellectual and creative work is central to student learning and
collegiate quality. College
and universities promote high levels of student achievement by emphasizing the importance of
academic
effort and setting high expectations for student performance.
Hampden-Sydney College is rated higher by our freshmen and seniors than peer
baccalaureate-granting liberal arts institutions are rated by theirs and
above the national norms.
Active and Collaborative Learning
Students learn more when they are intensely involved in their education and asked to think about what they
are learning in different settings. Collaborating with others in solving problems or mastering
difficult material prepares students for the messy, unscripted problems they will encounter daily during and after college.
Although equal to national norms, Hampden-Sydney is below peer liberal arts
institutions in the opinion of freshmen, although not in the opinion of seniors.
This may result from a more structured curriculum, including the Rhetoric
Program, in the first year. Hampden-Sydney believes that greater academic
structure is important in the freshman year and compatible with a traditional approach to the liberal arts.
Student-Faculty Interaction
Students learn firsthand how experts think and solve practical problems by interacting with faculty members inside
and outside the classroom. As a result, their teachers become role models, mentors, and guides for continuous, life-long
learning.
Hampden-Sydney College is above both peers and national norms.
Enriching Educational Experiences
Complimentary learning opportunities in and out of class augment academic programs. Diversity
experiences teach
students valuable things about themselves and others. Technology facilitates collaboration
between peers and instructors. Internships, community service, and senior capstone courses provide
opportunities to integrate and apply knowledge.
Although above national norms, Hampden-Sydney is rated by both freshman and
seniors below peer institutions. This is an area of concern to the College
which, over the last several years, has been steadily expanding opportunities
for internships and study abroad. The College has also set goals for
increasing the diversity of the student body.
Supportive Campus Environment
Students perform better and are more satisfied at colleges that are committed to their success
and cultivate positive working and social relationships among different groups on campus.
Again Hampden-Sydney College is above both peers and national norms.
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