Central Methodist University • Fayette, Mo.
Vol. 141 • No. 9
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December 11, 2013
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www.centralmethodist.edu
Central Methodist University’s difference A message from CMU President Roger Drake
In this country, we are fortunate to have a robust and vibrant system of higher education. Students can choose the type of institution in which they prefer to live, learn, and grow. At Central Methodist University, we suggest that we are unique, providing opportunities that cannot be found elsewhere in the higher education arena. During the presidential search process, the phrase, “Central Methodist University is a special place,” was a recurring theme. Again and again, the can-
didates heard about “the Central Methodist University difference.” This “difference” was explained in terms of a caring and talented faculty. It was once described as a faculty that is so caring that students cannot get lost on the CMU campus. Since arriving on campus, I have heard students describe Central in a number of favorable ways. The vast majority of those descriptions involve the embedded phrase, “a caring and talented faculty,” somewhere within the explanation.
Our students reported positive interactions with faculty far more frequently than did students at comparable institutions.
In the 2013 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), Central Methodist University students
Student work now on display at Ashby-Hodge Gallery
Work by students in the CMU photography and drawing classes is on display through Thursday. Among these is “Orange Crisp” (above) by James Graham and “Tin Woman” by Katelyn Witte.
gave extremely high praise for their teaching faculty. On the construct of Student-Faculty Interaction, our first-year students ranked Central’s faculty among the top 10 percent in the country. The survey does not further distinguish institutions within the top 10 percent. The information in the table shows that our students reported positive interactions with faculty far more frequently than did students at comparable institutions. The differences in the means were statistically significant at the p.<.001 level. In other words, the results from the survey were simply off the charts. Our students recognize the commitment and dedication of the Central Methodist University faculty. Because of our faculty’s willingness and ability to interact with students on a personal level, the CMU student can literally have it all. At some institutions,
students must make choices about involvement and engagement opportunities. At Central Methodist, the faculty go the extra mile to ensure that students have every opportunity to live, learn, and grow during their time on campus. In the business world, leaders often speak of sustainable, competitive advantages. What does a business do better than their competitors? What advantages does a business have that cannot easily be duplicated or reproduced? Perhaps, those are both the most essential and the most difficult questions that organizations must ask of themselves. At Central, we know where our sustainable competitive advantage lies. Our students spoke loudly in the recent survey, affirming what we already knew. A caring and talented faculty - that is the Central Methodist University difference.