From its inception, the mission of Hampden-Sydney College has been to "form good men and good citizens." Good citizenship involves the development of many things, including "a comprehension of social institutions as a basis for intelligent citizenship and responsible leadership in democracy." We want our students to graduate with the ability to apply themselves and their knowledge of social, political, and philosophical differences responsibly in a global society. Our students have responded well to NSSE questions we think reflect the development of good men and good citizens.

Good Men and Good Citizens

Summary:  In those indicators of citizenship and contributions as citizens, Hampden-Sydney students outperform their counterparts at other baccalaureate-granting arts and sciences colleges as well as from all of the NSSE-reporting schools, both as first-year students and as seniors. Moreover, we see greater gain from first-year to senior-year among the Hampden-Sydney students than in the other comparison groups.

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Citizenship survey

NSSE survey items that address these citizenship issues include the following:

  • Experience at the institution has contributed to voting in local, state, or national elections.
  • Experience at the institution has contributed to solving complex real-world problems.
  • Experience at the institution has contributed to developing a personal code of values and ethics.
  • Experience at the institution has contributed to contributing to the welfare of your community.
  • The degree to which you have done community service or volunteer work.