BENCHMARK 4: ACTIVE AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING With an average Quest class size of fifteen, peer discussion and debate are the norm. Students from around the globe learn how to solve problems, work on group presentations, and communicate their experiences with their peers. Since all students live on campus at Quest, the academic community is constantly abuzz with ideas and discussions that have carried over from the classrooms to the residences.
Ranks #1 Among Canadian Institutions By The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
• 84% of Quest seniors report they “very often” ask a question in class or contribute to class discussion versus an average of 26% of seniors at other Canadian universities. • 91% of Quest first-year students gave in-class presentations “often” and “very often”, versus 17% at other Canadian universities. For seniors, the fraction for other Canadian universities was just under half, whereas 100% of Quest seniors reported such participation “often” or “very often”.
“Taking one class at a time engages me in my subject in a way I’ve never experienced before. I continue discussing things with my fellow students even when class ends, so the learning never really stops.” Brad Klees (Fourth-year student from Bellingham, WA, USA)
BENCHMARK 5: SUPPORTIVE CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT To best support the student’s academic pursuits, much attention has been placed on creating a supportive and positive campus environment at Quest. The Learning Commons is a place where all students are able to receive assistance for their academic needs and the Student Services Team works with students to offer workshops on a variety of topics. With fewer than 500 staff, faculty, and students, the Quest community is tight-knit and all members are valued, appreciated, and respected. • 70% of Quest first-year students report the university provides the support they need to succeed academically “very much” with 97% reporting “quite a bit” or “very much”, whereas only 24% of first-years and 17% of seniors report “very much” support at other Canadian universities. Quest University Canada | 3200 University Boulevard Squamish, BC V8B 0N8 | Phone: 604.898.8000 | Fax: 604.815.0829 | Email: admissions@questu.ca
Visit www.questu.ca/NSSE for more info.
The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) was developed at the Indiana University School of Education and was first administered in 2000. In 2011, more than 280,000 students at 67 Canadian universities and 673 US institutions participated in the survey. The results, published this year in Maclean’s Magazine, show that, for both first-year and senior students, Quest University Canada is on top in all five of the survey’s benchmark measures of excellence. Quest’s first class graduated in April 2011and we are proud to rank first in Canada in undergraduate educational quality. At Quest, 90% of first-year students and 94% of seniors completed the NSSE survey. Our results thus accurately reflect the experience of all Quest students. At other universities, the average participation rate was 32%—presumably the most engaged one-third of the students who were voluntarily willing to fill out a long survey. The graphs thus substantially understate Quest’s margin over other schools. What is student engagement? According to NSSE, student engagement represents two critical features of collegiate quality. The first is the amount of time and effort students put into their studies and other educationally purposeful activities. The second is how the institution deploys its resources and organizes the curriculum to promote engaging and effective learning.
Visit www.questu.ca/NSSE for more info.
BENCHMARK 1: LEVEL OF ACADEMIC CHALLENGE This category examines how academically challenging the university’s curriculum is and the level of academic effort students put forth toward their education. Quest University Canada’s curriculum is rigorous and intensive, preparing students for the challenges of the twenty-first century. Students immerse themselves in a topic by taking only one course at a time for three and a half weeks, a system called the Block Plan.
• 58% of Quest seniors report their education “very much” equipped them to “solve complex, real-world problems” versus 21% of other Canadian seniors. • 51% of Quest seniors also expected to use their education to “contribute to the welfare of their community” “very much” versus 13% for other Canadian seniors.
“The courses I took at Quest not only satisfied my intellectual curiosity, but also supplemented my study of political science. With a solid background in history, philosophy, and literature, I now understand more deeply the historical and intellectual roots of political ideologies and theories of international politics.” Hai Feng Hu (Durgen) (Fourth-year student from Hulin, China)
BENCHMARK 2: STUDENT-FACULTY INTERACTION Quest faculty are experts in their fields, innovative educators, willing mentors, and lifelong learners. On the Block Plan, Quest faculty teach only one class of no more than twenty students. This allows meaningful academic relationships to develop between students and faculty. In addition, all students at Quest have a faculty advisor with whom they meet regularly throughout their four years to discuss their academic progress and career aspirations. • 62% of Quest seniors reported receiving “prompt written or oral feedback from faculty on assignments” versus only 11% at other Canadian universities. • 41% of Quest seniors “discussed ideas from their readings and classes with faculty members outside of class” compared with just 6% who did so at other Canadian universities.
Visit www.questu.ca/NSSE for more info.
“It’s amazing how Quest tutors seem to facilitate classes where it’s impossible to stay quiet! Everyone’s opinions are voiced and there are never scary repercussions for participating. The amount I’ve learned from fellow students rivals how much I’ve learned from our tutors.” Regina Markle (Second-year student from Waterdown, ON)
BENCHMARK 3: ENRICHING EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE To obtain a Quest degree, it is compulsory to take one to four Experiential Learning blocks. These blocks are designed to meet each student’s academic and career interests and can include varied experiences such as volunteering with an international NGO, interning with a governmental organization, working for a business, assisting with a community group project, doing research with a faculty member or at a national laboratory, and more. In addition, many blocks at Quest require work outside of the classroom in “real world” situations, both locally and globally. • 53% of Quest seniors had already studied abroad, whereas only 11% of seniors at other Canadian universities reported having done so. • Quest focuses on creating a diverse campus that celebrates the globalized world of the twenty-first century. These efforts were reflected in the response to the question asking how often students “had a serious conversation with students of different race or ethnicity than your own”. 52% of first-years at Quest had such conversations “very often” versus 26% at other Canadian universities. Only 6% of Quest seniors said they had either never, or only “sometimes” had such conversations, compared with 43% of students at other Canadian campuses. “One of the things I was looking for in a university was the same level of student-faculty interaction that I had at my high school. A common experience I have heard from students at other universities is that their professors seem to avoid interaction with students because they have other things to do. At Quest, I have never felt that I am wasting a faculty member’s time. It is a really humbling experience for anyone to learn how to ask for help, but the tutors at Quest are so approachable, kind, and interested in the questions you are asking that it makes the learning process a lot smoother.” Emily Heer (Second-year student from Calgary, AB)
Visit www.questu.ca/NSSE for more info.