Hesston College ranked No. 2 two-year college in the United States

Hesston College

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"Washington Monthly" magazine released its national College Guide and Rankings on Aug. 23. Hesston (Kan.) College is ranked number two on the list of two-year colleges in terms of the overall service provided to the local community and student success rate. The schools ranked in the category are comprised of both private and public two-year institutions.

The "Washington Monthly" first started releasing rankings in 2005 in response to the annual "Best Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report. Instead of asking the question, "What can college do for you?" the magazine asks, "What can college do for the country?" The purpose of the rankings is to highlight colleges that have a history of spending energy and resources on encouraging students to give back to the community and nation, not just themselves.

"We're grateful for this recognition," said president Howard Keim. "This is a tribute to the fine work our faculty and staff do day in and day out to create a positive learning experience for our students."

The rankings for the two-year college category are compiled from The Community College Survey of Student Engagement or CCSSE. Hesston College is a two-year liberal arts college affiliated with Mennonite Church USA which distinguishes it from a community college, but the two-year factor qualifies it for the survey and the resulting rankings. The number one ranked two-year college is St. Paul (Minn.) College.

Hesston conducts the CCSSE survey every third year, the most recent being 2009. 663 institutions of varying size across 48 states with student populations as large as 15,000 or more participated in the 2009 CCSSE. Hesston's population is about 440 students.

The benchmarks that the CCSSE measures are active and collaborative learning, student effort, academic challenge, student-faculty interaction and support for learners.  Hesston College ranked at the 97th and 98th percentile in every area except student effort, where it ranked in the 67th percentile. All benchmarks increased from the last time the survey was conducted in 2007.

In response to the ranking, faculty members Nelson Kilmer and Bonnie Sowers, who analyze and interpret Hesston College's survey data, released the following statement.

"The survey results were a tremendous affirmation that the Hesston College academic environment is doing exactly what we intend it to do: challenging students while ensuring that the learning comes alive by engaging students with each subject they are studying, encouraging students through positive relationships with faculty, and offering active and effective academic support."

CCSSE officials have issued a statement that they are not supportive of Washington Monthly's methodology, but the Hesston College campus community sees the recognition as a testament to the excellent work faculty and staff do to create learning opportunities that lead to student success.

Hesston College's vice president of academics Sandra Zerger is excited that the effort to raise the results from the 2007 survey to 2009 is paying off in a tangible way.

"Assessment isn't viewed as a dirty word here," Zerger said. "We conduct these surveys to highlight the areas that we are doing well in and to see where we need to make improvements. Then we find ways to improve in those areas."

Zerger has consciously worked with the faculty to get away from the "sage on the stage" method of classroom teaching, focusing instead on collaborative and hands-on learning among students.

"Students learn more when they are able to process the information with each other, whether it is through collaborative projects or classroom discussion," said Zerger.

The full "Washington Monthly" article and rankings can be found online at washingtonmonthly.com.