Catawba College News Service

SALISBURY — Thinking critically and analytically, working effectively with others, writing clearly and effectively, and building a personal code of values and ethics were just some of the areas where Catawba College seniors said they made significant gains during their college careers.

Catawba College seniors recently participated in the 2017 National Survey of Student Engagement.

According to responses, by the time Catawba College students reach their senior year they have participated in high-impact practices at rates higher than their peers at other private institutions in the Southeast.

This trend is documented in the 2017 and 2016 student engagement surveys.

Catawba’s undergraduate students were asked in their first and final years of college to assess their levels of engagement and other information about their college experience.

In operation since 2000, the survey has helped Catawba College and other institutions gauge how effective they are in getting students to participate in practices shown to enhance student learning and retention. High-impact practices include learning communities, service-learning, research with faculty, internships, study-abroad opportunities and a senior capstone experience.

In the 2017 survey, Catawba seniors reported participation in two or more high-impact practices at a rate 12 percent greater than their peers at other Southeastern private institutions. In 2016, Catawba seniors reported that same participation at a rate 15% percent greater than their peers at Southeastern schools.

Catawba seniors in 2017 also reported they were engaged at higher rates than their peers in reflective and integrative learning, quantitative reasoning, collaborative learning, discussions with diverse others, student-faculty interaction and a supportive environment.

Catawba first-year students in 2017 only reported higher rates in collaborative learning and student-faculty interactions.

In 2017, 84 percent of responding Catawba seniors said their institution emphasized spending a significant amount of time studying and on academic work. And, Catawba seniors said they also had been assigned an average of 103 pages of writing during the 2016-17 academic year, more than their peers at other Southeastern schools.

“What year after year of NSSE data tells us is that we as an institution continue to move the needle in very positive ways that benefit our students,” said Catawba Provost Michael Bitzer. “We are delivering on our mission of providing an education rich in personal attention that is grounded in liberal studies combined with career preparation. We are graduating students with the skills that employers want, but who are more than adequately prepared to meet the challenges of their first and subsequent jobs.”

Ninety-four percent of first-year students at Catawba rated their overall experience at the institution as good or excellent, and 89 percent of Catawba seniors reported the same.