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Students Bash School in Surveys

By Jesse McLean

News Editor

More than 20 per cent of first-year students are dissatisfied with their overall experience at Ryerson, two major student surveys say.

The school’s position is seven per cent higher than the average for Canadian and U.S. schools.

“It’s a startling high figure,” said Bob Gonyea, an associate director at National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), who performed the study.

The results from the Canadian Undergraduate Survey Consortium (CUSC) and NSSE’s surveys show that while students are satisfied with teaching quality and available co-ops, they are displeased with their school experience. When asked if they would choose Ryerson again if given the chance to start over, 23 per cent of senior-year students said probably not.

But Gonyea said the number could result from Ryerson’s high population of commuters and part-time students who are traditionally less engaged than students living on campus.

“These are students who are less invested into the campus because of the relative importance of [university] in their life,” he said.

Ryerson President Sheldon Levy said the results shouldn’t be used as a ranking figure, but rather as a method to “reflect upon your performance and to consider strategies for improvement.”

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