Release Date: January 26, 2007

MONMOUTH, Ill. — More than ever, Monmouth College is using the term “student engagement” as it describes the many ways its students can use their time on campus to fully experience “what college was meant to be.”

So when the figures for the 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement were recently released, Monmouth had one of the higher levels of interest among the 523 participating institutions.

Designed to measure “how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college,” the survey queried 260,00 first-year and senior students at institutions in the United States and Canada. The survey is divided into five benchmark categories, which include: level of academic challenge; active and collaborative learning; student-faculty interaction; enriching educational experiences; and supportive campus environment.

“Our faculty and staff offer a myriad of programs that engage students, from a marching band to the ScotSpeak speech and debate teams to athletics,” said vice president for academic affairs Jane Jakoubek. “We find that students who are engaged have a much more successful college experience. When students engage in learning in the classroom and out of the classroom, they are demonstrating the abilities that the outside world demands.”

Among comparable institutions, Monmouth’s seniors excelled in several areas, including asking questions in class or contributing to class discussion, working with classmates outside of class, and talking about career plans with a faculty member or adviser. A culminating senior experience, implemented recently under a new curriculum, also helped Monmouth students stand out.

For first-year students, Monmouth received high marks in areas such as the quality of relationships with other students and learning to speak clearly and effectively. Both classes of students excelled in foreign language coursework and participating in co-curricular activities.

“There are many ways that Monmouth College students are engaged, and that list is ever-changing,” said Jakoubek, who cited as one example the political science department’s recent efforts to network its students with law schools and practicing attorneys.

Other shining examples of engagement, she said, include science students working closely with their professors on research and a surge in internship and off-campus experiences for Monmouth students.

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