All of us in the Office of Academic Affairs wish you all the blessings of this
holy season, and we hope you will experience a restful and refreshing break between
the end of exams and your return to normal academic activity in January. Although
we are of many religious faiths, I’m sure that the Christmas message of love and
peace provides comfort and inspiration to all Villanovans.
It’s been a busy semester, and here are a few of the highlights. Previous issues
of this newsletter, can be found on the
Academic Affairs site.
The 2007 senior survey results are in, and the results are strongly positive
– and in almost every category noticeably above those of 2000. For example, overall
student satisfaction with their education was 93 per cent; 91 per cent were satisfied
with lectures and speakers. Study abroad programs received 89 per cent satisfactory
ratings; classrooms and facilities scored a 90. Satisfaction with first year and
major advising was up dramatically. There were similar gains over 2000 in self-reported
skill enhancement areas. Disappointing results were few, the most notable of which
would be that only 49 per cent of seniors thought that their undergraduate experiences
enhanced their understanding science; 47 per cent said they learned to appreciate
art; and only 35 per cent believed that their college experiences enabled them to
speak or read a foreign language. Overall, however, the senior’s assessment of their
college experiences were very positive.
Once the new Academic Affairs web page is up and running, we intend to post a
number of student and faculty surveys for your review.
Two more new programs join the ever-growing list of academic initiatives of recent
years: a minor in the Ethics program and a new Center for Real Estate in the Business
School.
Kudos across the board! Our Nursing College once again was named a Center of
Excellence for Nursing Education by the National League of Nursing; and Nursing’s
Continuing Education program was again accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing
Center for a full six year term. The Business School received two more honors from
Business Week. VSB’s undergraduate program ranked twelfth nationally; its part-time
MBA program was eleventh; and the EMBA was awarded 25th place worldwide. U.S. News
listed Villanova’s Engineering College ninth among non doctoral-granting schools.
And, as mentioned in August, Liberal Arts and Sciences continues to innovate with
a host of new programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Lastly, the Institute
for International Education ranked Villanova fifth nationally among master’s-degree
schools in the number of students studying abroad..
The latest version of the academic strategic plan “scorecard” can be found on
the VPAA website at http://www.villanova.edu/vpaa/.
We continue to make steady progress across the board..
You probably have seen several messages concerning the Faculty Handbook. In cooperation
with the Faculty Congress, the Committee on Faculty, and the Academic Policy Committee,
we are taking a hard look at the Faculty Handbook to bring it up to date, eliminate
inconsistencies, and improve a number of provisions. All faculty are invited to
participate in this effort. Feel free to send your insights and suggestions to one
of the three faculty groups mentioned above or directly to me
The 2007-2009 edition of the Undergraduate Catalog has arrived from the printer this week and is being delivered across campus. Thanks to the many Villanovans involved in revising, printing, and distributing the catalog. Full-time members of the faculty will receive an undergraduate catalog via campus mail. Departments will receive additional copies from their Deans offices. We will update the on-line (official) version of the undergraduate catalog as part of the redesign of the VPAA's home page currently underway.
Keeping Up. Don’t forget to stay current with University events and notices. The minutes from the Senate and its many committees are posted on the web. You can find these minutes at
www.unisenate.villanova.edu.
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