Torch, Fall 2000

CAMPUS NEWS A team of Cedarville engineering students took first place recently in the annual Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) SuperMileage Midwest competition. Achieving 632.21 miles per gallon, the Cedarville vehicle showed the highest mpg in the collegiate division, topping the performance of schools such as the University de Sherbrooke (Quebec, Canada) and the University of California at Berkeley. C edarville University kicked off its academic year on September 18 with a record enrollment of 2,850 students. This marks the University’s tenth consecutive record enrollment. Enrollment has increased 39 percent in the last decade, and application volume for entry to the institution has increased 83 percent during the same period. The school’s fall enrollment marks the 22nd record enrollment in the 23 years that Dr. Paul Dixon has served as Cedarville’s president. Another Record Enrollment at Cedarville SuperMileage Team Places First T he National Survey of Student Engagement, a study conducted by the Indiana University Center for Post-Secondary Research and Planning, has rated Cedarville University among the best institutions of higher learning in the nation. The survey is, according to its authors, “the first national survey that focuses on the contributions that colleges and universities are making to student learning.” The study, formally titled “National Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practice,” was supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts and co-sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Pew Forum. Factors considered included students’ perceptions on the academic challenges they faced, active and collaborative learning opportunities, student/faculty interactions, the presence of enriching educational experiences, and the level of support they experienced on their campuses. “In each of the areas surveyed,” said Dr. Carl Ruby, Cedarville’s vice president for student services, “Cedarville ranked at or above the median established for all colleges and universities represented in the study. In most cases, Cedarville’s rankings were much higher than the national norm. That means the institution is providing students the support they need to effectively engage in those activities most directly related to learning.” Ruby was most pleased with the rankings Cedarville polled in the area of providing a supportive campus environment. “Our ratings were among the highest in the nation in areas such as helping students cope with non-academic responsibilities and providing support they need to thrive socially. “In fact,” Ruby emphasized, “Cedarville’s rating from first-year students on providing a ‘supportive campus environment’ was the highest in the nation. Our approach at Cedarville has always been one of ministering to the whole person; we want to have a positive affect on students at every level, not just provide them with information. It’s gratifying to know students are aware of and value that kind of effort.” A complete description of the survey, including a copy of the survey instrument and a listing of all the participating institutions, is available online at www.indiana.edu/~nsse. National Survey Ranks Cedarville Among Nation’s Best Students returned to campus in record numbers for the tenth straight time. Dr. Larry Zavodney with team members Jeff Barrons (Caro, Mich.), R.J. Bouwens (Wayland, Mich.), Steve Page (Machesney Park, Ill.), Jonathan Fuge (Landisville, Pa.), and Andy Vargo (Grapeville, Pa.) Computer Science Design Team Ranks Internationally A Cedarville University design team recently ranked among the top 20 of more than 180 teams from around the world at the first IEEE Computer Society International Design Competition (CSIDC). The CSIDC 2000 Health Care Information-Appliance Project challenged undergraduate students to create a compact, special-purpose computer-based device which would help people become more involved in their own health care. The information appliance (also called a medical data device) developed by the Cedarville team allows patients, doctors, and medical personnel to quickly retrieve any part of a person’s medical history, including physical features, contact information, allergies, and existing medical conditions. Additionally, with the proper authorization, the handheld device allows access to a complete summarized medical history or complete medical records for any particular day. As one of the top 20 teams, Cedarville University ranked alongside institutions from Bulgaria, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, India, Lebanon, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, and the U.S. in the competition.