SXU scores high on academics, campus diversity in National Survey of Student Engagement Report

Chicago (Feb. 2, 2012) The 2011 National Survey of Student Engagement's (NSSE) report, titled "Fostering Student Engagement Campuswide," showed Saint Xavier students give the University high marks for academic rigor and enriching experiences through diversity on campus.

The 2011 annual report is based on a survey of more than 410,000 students at 673 colleges and universities in the United States. It focused on how much time students devote to various learning activities.

The study examined 522 randomly selected SXU students (first-year freshmen and graduating seniors) and found the following:
• 85 percent (7 points above the national average for first-year students) of first-year students said SXU places "substantial emphasis on academics."
• 71 percent (11 points above the national average) of first-year students said that they frequently asked questions in class or contributed to class discussion.
• 78 percent of seniors (nine points above average) said they "worked harder than [they] expected to meet an instructor's expectations."

SXU outperformed other Catholic colleges and universities in terms of campus diversity as follows:
• 70 percent of first-year students (six points above average) said SXU "substantially encourages contacts among diverse peers."
• 60 percent of first-year students (11 points above average) and 65 percent of seniors (14 points above average) reported having "serious conversations with students of another race or ethnicity."
• 57 percent of first-year students (six points above average) and 62 percent of seniors (10 points above average) reported having "serious conversations with other students of other religious and political values."

SXU has participated in NSSE since its inception in 2000. University leaders utilize NSSE to make continuous improvements to academic programs and student services in order to prepare SXU students for successful 21st Century careers.

For more information about the 2011 Fostering Student Engagement Campuswide report, please visit http://nsse.iub.edu/.


-SXU-

Media Contact:
Karla Thomas, Executive Director of Media Relations
(773) 298-3937 or kthomas@sxu.edu