Educational Effectiveness — St. Augustine's Seminary of Toronto

Featured

History

Governance

STATEMENT OF EDUCATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

The Board of Commissioners of the Association of Theological Schools requires accredited schools to publish a statement regarding the school’s educational effectiveness. St. Augustine’s Seminary of Toronto is committed to providing quality theological education in conjunction with our formation programs for the candidates to the Diocesan Priesthood, and the candidates to the Permanent Diaconate (STB/MDiv/DTS).

Our theological degrees in education ministry and general theological knowledge (MRE/MTS) and diplomas in lay ministry and foundational theological education (DLM/DTS) provide a variety of choices and course delivery methods for our lay students, both men and women, and are complemented by our Lay Spiritual Formation Program which offers opportunities for personal spiritual formation.

The Association of Theological Schools [ATS] Graduating Student Questionnaire findings for the last three years indicate that our degree graduates are consistently satisfied with the educational effectiveness in facilitating the following skill areas, as specifically related to program outcomes:

GRADUATING STUDENTS: 2017 - 2020

1 - Not at all effective 2 - Not very effective 3 - Somewhat effective 4 - Effective 5 - Very effective

  
    Level of Satisfaction
    Average
 Master of Divinity 
    Average
 MRE/MTS 
     Average 
ALL
  

     Ability to preach well
    4.0
    4.2
    4.2
  

     Knowledge of church doctrine and history
    4.4
    4.4
    4.4
  

     Ability to lead others
    3.9
    4.6
    4.1
  

     Ability to conduct worship/liturgy
    4.5
    4.3
    4.3
  

     Ability to interact effectively with those of religious 
 traditions other than my own
    3.5
    4.2
    4.3
  

     Ability to work effectively within my own religious 
 tradition
    4.1
    4.5
    4.3
  

     Ability to interact effectively with those from 
 cultural and racial/ethnic contexts other than my own   
    3.6
    4.4
    4.1
  

     Awareness and appreciation of the globalized 
 context in which ministry is practiced
    3.6
    4.4
    4.1
  

     Ability to work effectively with both women and men
    3.9
    4.4
    4.2
  

     Ability to relate social issues to faith
    4.0
    4.5
    4.2
  

     Ability in pastoral counseling
    4.0
    4.5
    4.2
  

     Knowledge of Christian philosophy and ethics
    4.4
    4.4
    4.3
  

Level of Satisfaction	Average Master of Divinity	Average MRE/MTS	Average ALL
Ability to preach well	4.0	4.2	4.2
Knowledge of church doctrine and history	4.4	4.4	4.4
Ability to lead others	3.9	4.6	4.1
Ability to conduct worship/liturgy	4.5	4.3	4.3
Ability to interact effectively with those of religious traditions other than my own	3.5	4.2	4.3
Ability to work effectively within my own religious tradition	4.1	4.5	4.3
Ability to interact effectively with those from cultural and racial/ethnic contexts other than my own	3.6	4.4	4.1
Awareness and appreciation of the globalized context in which ministry is practiced	3.6	4.4	4.1
Ability to work effectively with both women and men	3.9	4.4	4.2
Ability to relate social issues to faith	4.0	4.5	4.2
Ability in pastoral counseling	4.0	4.5	4.2
Knowledge of Christian philosophy and ethics	4.4	4.4	4.3

To further measure program success and cohesiveness, St. Augustine’s Seminary has monitored the average grades in our capstone courses for the Master of Divinity and Master of Religious Education, and the in-depth area/thesis and summative exercise for our Master of Theological Studies graduates. The 2017-2020 three-year averages are:

  
    Degree Program
    Capstone Course
     Grade Point 
Average
  

     Master of Divinity
     Theological Integration
    3.43
  

     Master of Religious Education   
     Religious Education Practicum   
 and Globalization
    3.70
  

     Master of Theological Studies
     Intensive/Thesis/Summative
 Exercise
    3.68
  

Degree Program	Capstone Course	Grade Point Average
Master of Divinity	Theological Integration	3.43
Master of Religious Education	Religious Education Practicum and Globalization	3.70
Master of Theological Studies	Intensive/Thesis/Summative Exercise	3.68

*The University of Toronto grading scheme in which 4.0 is the highest rank and 3.7 is considered “excellent”.

STUDENT SATISFACTION

Course evaluations conducted from 2017 to 2020, with a combined total of 1279 responses, determined that 96% (1227) of students were satisfied that their course contributed to the degree outcomes of their program. In Winter 2020, out of 133 responses, 95% (127) responded that their course contributed to the degree outcomes of their program.

Characteristic feedback on the value of our courses is evident in following testimonials:

Lecture courses:

“Very informative, it provided an excellent overarching view of the degree”

“The study of homiletic's that we covered dove into the historical and cultural context of the particular preachers we studied and we also discovered each of their deep spiritual heritages. This naturally helped grow our own appreciation for our own historical context, and the tools and techniques we can apply to our own homilies.”

Online courses:

“I now have a better understanding of the Catholic Church's relationships with other religions and am better prepared to teach the grade 11 world religions course.”

“I have gained profound theological knowledge of my Catholic faith that is valuable in my professional career as spiritual care professional.”

As part of its commitment to the Commissioners of the Association of Theological Schools,
St. Augustine’s Seminary has refined and deepened its approach to program assessment and student learning outcomes by creating a three-year assessment cycle to determine the effectiveness and coherence of our program outcomes.