What We Do Best, according to faculty and staff
The following information lists the comment notes developed during the table conversations in response to the question, “What we do best?” The comment notes were clustered into the areas identified below.
Personal Attention and Caring (11)
- Personal Attention
- Faculty meets with prospective students, low drop rates, RAs meet with RDs
- Faculty availability: home phones, mod parents, open door, first name basis
- Every prospect gets a visit to their area, personalized admissions, etc.
- Student satisfaction, surveys are high in their experience.
- Caring mod parents, one-on-one attention
- Faculty willing to work after hours
- Special attention to needs of first two years of college
- Ph.D.s and advanced degrees teaching freshmen and sophomores
- RA training and student life, Ambassadors
- Personal touches to students
- International student orientation
- Strengths
- Students meeting mission of college as evidenced in surveys, anecdotal evidence
- Students feel validated here
- Evidence is the wide geographical mix of the student body
- Also the student satisfaction survey which indicates a high level
- Leadership development and opportunity
- Testimonials from other colleges
- Recruiting our graduates for extra-curricula’s
- Relationship building at many levels
- Evidence: exit surveys, alumni giving, recruitment
- Student Oriented
- Facility development, food service changes, ACCESS, exit survey results
- Caring about the students
- ACCESS labs
- Campus activities
- High satisfaction ratings
- Collective, strong support services
- Ground keeping, beauty
- Learning lab
- Food service, variety in food available
- Strong support, accessibility and resourcefulness of financial/business office.
Employees Dedicated to the Mission of Hesston College (9 notes)
- Longevity of faculty/staff
- Time given above and beyond call
- Dedication and calling that bring faculty and staff to work here and that they bring to their work
- Trust in each other
- Flexibility
- Efficiency
- Commitment of faculty/staff to mission of the college
- Strong academics means students are well qualified for jobs or transfer
- Faculty/staff go the extra mile
- Strengths such as hard work, dedication, service and quality as evidenced in Strategic Planning and execution
- Faculty and staff believe in the mission of the college
- Long term commitment of service
- High percentage of Hesston grads on staff and faculty
- Faculty and staff giving time and resources beyond expectations
- Dedication
- Longevity
- Beyond expectations, long hours
- Cadillac product on Chevy budget
- Connectedness/commitment to Hesston College
- Percentage of faculty/staff who are alumni
- Longevity of faculty/staff service
- Monetary support from alumni and donors
- Employee strengths
- Invested in students
- Committed to students and mission of HC
- Available
- Fun!
- Faculty/staff community
- Flexibility and responsiveness to communications
- Look around this room!
Academic Excellence (8 notes)
- Academic Excellence
- Teacher quality – higher degree
- GPA of transfers increases
- Low drop rate
- ACCESS Lab
- Program excellence – employees seek our vocational graduates
- Liberal Arts Education
- Specializing in Freshmen/sophomores
- Educating the whole person
- Satisfied Graduates
- Evidence in surveys, referrals and personal testimony
- Hesston 2 year experience
- Feedback from alumni, retention and transfer students
- Reputation
- Professional networks, employers requesting HC grads
- Donors and alumni
- Academic success of students
- Alumni survey/grad survey high level of satisfaction
- Nursing students success on state boards
- Volleyball team earned national team academic award (one of eight 8 two-year schools)
- Students taught/prepared well for next steps of life
- Exit surveys, enrollment, quotes from students, quotes from parents
- Talent
- Evidenced in plays, performances, art exhibitions
- Graduates in these fields
Create an Environment that Supports Student Growth and Change ( 7 notes)
- Teacher/student ratio (1:14), relationships, approachability
- Collaboration
- Newton Medical Center/Nursing Department
- Homeschool Science/Math Camp/ Science and Admissions
- Event Planning/ Facilities
- From prospect to student to alumni
- Our missions, as evidenced by:
- Bel Canto Singers
- Lifelong Education and Development (LEAD)
- Aviation and missions
- Science Department (S/M Camp)
- Pastoral interns
- Students to CASAS
- Creative expression
- Math/Science Camp
- Charlotte Mennonite Church USA conference
- Partnership with Schowalter Villa
- Bible Department’s flyer/invitation to community/churches to take classes
- Support, community, relationships
- Alumni returning to work here
- Long working tenure for faculty and staff
- Learning lab (Deb Roth, Rosie Jantz)
- Vision as in new programs (Disaster Management)
- Continuing renovations/buildings
- Academic support as in Access Lab, new Library, Advising
Connect to the Larger Mennonite Church (6)
- Connected to larger Mennonite Church
- Anabaptist Vision and Discipleship Series, Know Jesus (Jr. High Event), President and others speaking, Youth Ministries website (ymroadtrip.org)
- Thanksgiving Weekend
- A positive image in the community and church
- Growing freshmen enrollment
- Alumni involvement
- Number of contributors
- Satisfied graduates
- Comments of parents and pastors who see this as a spiritual and safe place
- Diverse geographical student population
- Evidence is that the average HC student travels 750 miles to attend Hesston College
- The value we place on spiritual life and Christian walk
- Evidenced by graduate survey results and how they have grown as people of biblical faith and understanding
- New ideas within the HC mission
- Tony Brown’s outreach
- Disaster Management
- Links with Schowalter Villa
- ACCESS program
- Developing biblical understanding and faith of students
- Student response on survey
- Anecdotal evidence gathered from parents/alumni
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