Inspire, Fall/Winter 2008

2 fall/winter 2008 what’s abuzz your source for what ’ s new and exciting at C edarville U niversity Student Satisfaction at an All-time High Let’s face it — we live in a time of unrest and dissatisfaction. We’ve all heard the complaints: “Stocks are too low,” “The earth is too warm,” and “My DVR will record only two shows at a time.” There seems to be a lot of grumbling going on these days. But not at Cedarville! And no, that’s not just an opinion. It’s cold, hard facts from the 2007–08 Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory. Out of 98 individual items, Cedarville outranked average scores for schools in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities on 97 of them. Of course, this is no accident, and it was no surprise. According to Dr. Carl Ruby ’83, vice president for student life, one word describes the University’s approach to student satisfaction: intentional. “We have a culture here that values quality,” shared Dr. Ruby. “We’ve made a deliberate effort to listen to our students’ input.” For organizational communication major Hali Buck ’09, it’s all about that personal touch. “The staff and faculty give up their time to help us in our education,” she said. “Cedarville definitely has a family atmosphere.” English major Asheritah Oana ’10 said, “My two years at Cedarville have only confirmed what I felt the first day I walked on campus: When you come here, you’re not merely enrolling in a school — you’re joining a family.” Nevertheless, “being intentional about student satisfaction isn’t just about being market-driven,” Dr. Ruby said, “and it doesn’t take away from the unique dynamics of the academic enterprise. It’s about modeling a quest for excellence in all we do, even in the way we provide services like housing, health care, or advising.” “When you come here, you’re not merely enrolling in a school — you’re joining a family.”