"What I like about the Mount are the faculty and the smaller class sizes" - Cory White, psychology major

Cori White has found her niche. A native of Lima, Ohio, she transferred to the Mount where she is a psychology major, secretary of the Black Student Union and a co-op student.

“What I like best at the Mount are the faculty and the smaller class sizes. It is a lot easier to have interaction with the professors here. We have a lot of discussion in class, not just lectures,” she says. Cori is working with Lynda Crane, Ph.D., professor of psychology, in research studying self-actualization in the workplace. “Dr. Crane is just awesome. She is always willing to help.”

As an active member of the Black Student Union, Cori hopes to help the organization serve students of color and promote diversity on campus. “I like getting involved. It feels good to make a difference for the students.”

She lives on campus and likes the camaraderie in the Residence Hall. Favorite places include the Harrington Center where she studies in the lounges. Cori is gaining career experience through her co-op position at the Sisters of Charity Eldermount Program in marketing and development “where I am learning all kinds of new skills,” she explains.

Many Mount students would identify with Cori’s experiences. In the latest National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) on American college campuses, students rated the level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, and a supportive campus environment higher at the Mount than at similar colleges and universities.

When it comes to academics, students give the Mount high marks for challenging classroom experiences. They say that Mount professors have “high standards that most students accept and work hard to reach.”

Matt Murtland, who just graduated with a degree in English, agrees. ”They want you to succeed. They are here to help you and as long as you put forth the effort, you will succeed.”

Students also give high marks for the Mount’s class environment where they join in discussions and work with other students on assignments. In comparison to other colleges and universities, more Mount students get involved in community-based projects as part of the curriculum. “I have worked with students from Texas, California, New York, and from around country through service opportunities,” says Joseph Kasper, who is majoring in biology/chemistry. “Part of being at the Mount is using your gifts to help others.”

The national survey notes that students perform better at colleges with supportive campus environments. Students give the Mount high marks for services, facilities and staff who help them outside of the classroom. Michele Gris, a biology major, lives on campus in the new suites. “It’s great to have a roommate as well as space of my own,” she says. “I like the sense of independence but I also feel secure because the Mount is a close-knit campus.”

David Ruhe, an accounting major who commutes to campus, likes how the Cooperative Education Office worked with him to match his studies with a co-op position at Milacron. “I’ve discovered that I really like corporate accounting. After working outdoors in the summers in the past, I thought I wouldn’t like an office environment. But I was so well prepared for this co-op job with the classes I’ve already taken. I found that I really like this field — it’s so interesting to me.”

Edgar Garner, a social work major who is also the Mount’s popular mascot, Joe Lion, adds, “The friendliness and togetherness that I have learned at the Mount — I hope to take that with me into the work environment.”