How do we know what our students are thinking? We ask!

Here’s what they say about Hastings College.

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

How good is the HastingsCollege Experience, in and out of the classroom? All first-year students and seniors are invited to tell all and complete the NSSE.

Our scores are compared with those from more than 600 other colleges and universities from all across the country. And you know what? Hastings College placed in the top 10 percent in “providing a supportive campus environment.”

Our seniors are especially happy, placing Hastings College well above the national average in all five benchmark categories: level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, supportive campus environment, student-faculty interaction and enriching educational experiences.

Hastings College got high marks in the quality of student relationships with other students, faculty members and administrative personnel. We also excelled in providing support for academic success, for thriving socially, and helping you cope with non-academic responsibilities (like work and family).

"I was a biopsychology student and I’m now a business consultant—only at a liberal arts school could I do that and know I’m ready for the real world!" Lauren Walker ’08, Leawood, Kan.

"Hastings College has given me many opportunities. Within the biology department, I have been able to conduct my own undergraduate research and present it at a national conference. I know I will be able to get an amazing job or go to a great graduate school because of my Hastings College education." Jeff Hartman ’09, Columbus, Neb.

"I have grown as a student and a person. The liberal arts education gives me the opportunity to take classes I would have never thought of taking. It has opened my eyes to the possibilities beyond Hastings College." Megan Arrington ’09, Centennial, Colo.

The Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI)

The SSI covers student satisfaction over an enormous range of college life, telling us what issues are most important to Hastings College students and measuring how well we meet their expectations. Our results go head-to-head with a national group of private, four-year colleges and universities.

And THE survey says...Hastings ROCKS!

Hastings College students express greater satisfaction than the national comparison group 70 out of 73 items!

Want to know what surveyed items Hastings students ranked as most important? Here is our Top 10:

• The instruction in my major field is excellent.
• My academic advisor is knowledgeable about requirements in my major.
• The content of courses within my major is valuable.
• Nearly all of the faculty are knowledgeable in their field.
• My academic advisor is approachable.
• The quality of instruction I receive in most of my classes is excellent.
• Tuition paid is a worthwhile investment.
• It is an enjoyable experience to be a student on this campus.
• There is a commitment to academic excellence on this campus.
• I am able to register for classes I need with few conflicts.

"Throughout high school I loved playing baseball and playing in the band; and everywhere else I was considering going to college made it seem as if I would have to choose between the two, but here I have been encouraged to participate in as much as I want to." Justin Goettsch ’11, Pierce, Colo.

Others say it, we live it.

The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA)

One hundred first-year students and 100 graduating seniors get to sound off on the CLA. This survey measures the effect of the Hastings College learning experience on critical thinking skills, analytic reasoning, problem solving and written communication. The CLA uses a series of complex problems to compare expected results (based on ACT or SAT scores for entering first-year students) with their performance as seniors. According to the CLA, the greater the difference between the expected and actual results, the more value a college has added to a student’s thinking skills.

So what’s the value of a Hastings education? Hastings College performed better than 80 percent of the 115 participating institutions!