Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Statement of Educational Effectiveness

Transcription

1 Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Statement of Educational Effectiveness Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PTS) is committed to providing high-quality graduate programs to prepare women and men for leadership in the church. As part of that commitment the Seminary regularly conducts a variety of assessments to determine how effective we are in achieving the outcomes of the academic programs as well as other goals of the institution. This report provides information to demonstrate educational effectiveness as it pertains to achieving the desired outcomes of the Seminary. There are three areas of effectiveness which are addressed: Academic Effectiveness, Overall Satisfaction with Preparation and Experience, and Program Completion and Placement. Academic Effectiveness The academic programs of the Seminary are designed to prepare leaders to serve the church in a broad variety of ministry situations. Some of our graduates are completing their first professional degree while others are expanding their education through second degrees or the Doctor of Ministry program. Each year graduates are asked to complete the Graduating Student Questionnaire (GSQ) which is produced by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). For this report we have chosen to only focus on those items which are most clearly related to outcomes and educational effectiveness. Summary information from those items is reported below: GSQ Table 13 (MDiv Graduates): Level of Satisfaction with Progress in Skills Related to Future Work This table provides information which indicates student perceptions about how their academic programs and overall experiences in the Seminary have prepared them for future work. Presented in the two tables below are results for the last three years of the survey. In the first table the year byyear results for Pittsburgh Theological Seminary are presented. This representation shows trends in each of the components. The second table provides weighted averages for both PTS and all ATS institutions. The weighted averages are determined by accounting for the sample sizes for each instance of the survey. 1 P a g e

2 5-Very satisfied 4-Satisfied 3-Neutral 2-Dissatisfied 1-Very dissatisfied Level of Satisfaction with Progress in Skills Related to Future Work (PTS) Ability to preach well Ability to use and interpret Scripture Knowledge of church policy/canon law PTS Ability to give spiritual direction Ability to teach well Knowledge of church doctrine and history Ability to lead others Ability to conduct worship/liturgy Knowledge of other religious traditions Knowledge of my own religious traditon Ability to relate social issues to faith Ability in pastoral counseling Ability to administer a parish Knowledge of Christian philosophy and ethics Ability to think theologically P a g e

3 Level of Satisfaction with Progress in Skills Related to Future Work (PTS vs. ATS) Ability to preach well Knowledge of church policy/canon law Ability to teach well Ability to lead others Knowledge of other religious traditions Ability to relate social issues to faith Ability to administer a parish Ability to think theologically Ability to use and interpret Scripture Ability to give spiritual direction Knowledge of church doctrine and history Ability to conduct worship/liturgy Knowledge of my own religious traditon Ability in pastoral counseling Knowledge of Christian philosophy and ethics PTS OVERALL ATS 3 P a g e

4 PCUSA Ordination Examination Students who seek positions in the PCUSA are required to complete and pass ordination exams. The results of these exams provide a measure of overall program effectiveness. Presented below are charts which give the exam results for both PTS and overall national scores. The first chart shows the results over a 6-year period. These results are based on weighted averages determined by the sample size of the number of PTS students who take the exam in either January or August of any calendar year. The following charts show results for the four components of the exam over a 6-year time frame and give a sense of trends both in PTS and nationally. 6-Year Weighted Average - All Exams 0.30 PTS National Theology Polity Worship Exegesis 6-Year Weighted Average Theology PTS Theology Nat Theology 4 P a g e

5 Year Weighted Average Polity PTS Polity Nat Polity Year Weighted Average Worship PTS Worship Nat Worship Year Weighted Average Exegesis PTS Exegesis Nat Exegesis P a g e

6 Overall Satisfaction with Preparation and Experience Each academic program has specific outcomes and general program goals. While these are very important there are other factors that contribute either directly or indirectly to educational effectiveness. Again, the Graduating Student Questionnaire (GSQ) provides useful information in this area. For this report we have chosen to only focus on those items which are most clearly related to outcomes and educational effectiveness. Summary information from those items is reported below: GSQ Table 18 (MDiv Graduates Selected Items): Level of Satisfaction with School s Services and Academic Resources This table provides information which indicates student perceptions about how the Seminary s services and academic resources contributed to their overall success. The overall numbers in the last two columns are computed using three year weighted averages based on sample size. Level of Satisfaction with School's Services and Academic Resources Very Satisfied 4-Satisfied 3-Neutral 2-Dissatisfied 1-Very Dissatisfied PTS ATS PTS ATS PTS ATS PTS ATS OVERALL Quality of teaching Writing and research support Adequacy of library collection Spiritual formation Career/vocational counseling Financial aid P a g e

7 GSQ Table 19 (MDiv Graduates Selected Items): Overall Experience during Theological Program This table provides information which indicates student perceptions about their overall experience as a student at PTS. These data are a mixture of both academic and non-academic areas and were chosen based on the relationship to outcomes and educational effectiveness. The overall numbers in the last two columns are computed using three year weighted averages based on sample size. Overall Experience during Theological Program Very Satisfied 4-Satisfied 3-Neutral 2-Dissatisfied 1-Very Dissatisfied PTS ATS PTS ATS PTS ATS PTS ATS OVERALL Satisfied with academic experience Field education/internship helpful Grown spiritually Able to integrate theology/ministry School has tried to be inclusive Know students from other ethnic groups I would still come here P a g e

8 Program Completion and Placement The final area reported as part of our Statement of Educational Effectiveness relates to program completion and placement. Presented below is information concerning cohort graduation rates and average time to completion. Average time to degree completion for all Master s of Divinity Graduates Time to Degree Completion < 2 years to < 3 years to < 4 years to < 5 years to < 6 years years Cohort Graduation Rate for all Master s Program Students All Master s Students Number Graduated Number Graduated Start Year Cohort # in 2-3 Yrs % in 4 Yrs % This report has been prepared by PTS using both internally and externally provided data. All effort has been made to present accurate information. Any errors in reporting in this statement are the responsibility of PTS. 8 P a g e