Statement of Educational Effectiveness 2022
Newman Theological College is a Roman Catholic School of Theology committed to theological education and missionary discipleship. The college prepares laity, religious, and ordained ministers for Christian service and leadership in Western Canada and beyond. We share a vision to develop life-long disciples and ministers of Christ through the formation of minds and hearts.
The Board of Commissioners of the Association of Theological Schools requires accredited schools to publish a statement regarding the school’s educational effectiveness. Newman Theological College is committed to ongoing assessment and continuous evaluation of our programs in order to accomplish our mission and vision. We use a variety of qualitative and quantitative assessment tools to determine the extent to which our degree programs are accomplishing our student learning outcomes, and how our graduates are engaged in their chosen vocations after graduation. These tools include course evaluations, graduating student surveys and exit interviews, and alumni surveys. The 2022 Association of Theological Schools [ATS] Graduating Student Questionnaire findings show:
Student/Degree Learning Outcomes
· Graduates were asked to measure educational effectiveness and their personal growth during study. Overall our graduates ranked us as effective in every area. The top area in which our graduates felt they were stronger was once again: "Respect for my own religious tradition." New to the top three this past year was: “Ability to live my faith in daily life.” Joint second place was: “Trust in God,” and this option ranks in the top three in most years. For those students who were online only, they cited a top 5.0 (very effective) for: “Enthusiasm for learning,” “Self-discipline and focus,” and "Respect for my own religious tradition.”
· Graduates were asked to indicate their satisfaction with educational effectiveness in facilitation of skill areas. The top areas of satisfaction were: “Ability to use and interpret Scripture,” “Ability to work effectively within my own religious tradition,” and “Ability to relate social issues to faith.” Online only students cited joint top choices of: “Knowledge of church doctrine and history,” and “Ability to work effectively within my own religious tradition.”
· Graduates cited the following as the three most important influences on their educational experience at our institution: “Personal life experiences,” "Introduction to different perspectives,” and "Interaction with students." These are not surprising results as they have ranked highest for the past eight years.
· The percentage of our M.Div. graduates who rated their field education or internship experience very important was: 100.0%.
· When asked how satisfied graduates had been with a variety of college services and academic resources, the top rated choices of our graduates were: “Class size,” “Upkeep of campus,” and, new to the top three, “Adequacy of library collection.”
· A list of sixteen statements was presented to graduates to explore their satisfaction with their college experience. The two new joint most important sources were: "Individuals of other faith traditions have been respected," and “My personal faith has been respected.”
2022 Graduation and Placement
100% of M.Div. graduates in 2022 achieved vocational placement
100% of M.R.E. graduates in 2022 achieved vocational placement
Often students at NTC on our graduate theology programs will be engaged in additional commitments over and above their program, such as formation at seminary and taking extra courses needed for ordination requirements, being concurrently employed full-time as teachers in our Catholic School Districts, or being employed in another profession. As such, they may take longer than a typical timeframe to complete their degree programs. We allow 6 years to complete a M.Div., 4 years to complete a M.T.S., and 10 years to complete a M.R.E. Enabling our students to complete their program of studies whilst engaging in seminarian formation or putting their education into practice in schools and the world is necessary for NTC to successfully accomplish its mission.
Master of Divinity (within 6 years) 47.37%
Master of Arts (professional) (within 4 years) 43.75%
Master of Arts (academic) (within 4 years) 100.00%