It’s the last week of our spring horse race. No, I’m not referring to the Preakness (although that horse race was run this weekend and the most poignant reason yet to run a spell-checker won again). I’m referring to the horse race that we all feel at the end of the year, thundering around the final turn (some great horse race calls here or Spike Jones epic spoof here) to finish classes, deal with students, turn in grades, and send our graduates off to the next phase of their lives – all so that we can get out to our own summer pastures.  In the midst of trying to slog through all of this end-of-the-term slop (not unlike the muddy track at the Preakness on Saturday), it’s easy to let our cranky side get the best of us.

So in honor of the end-of-the-year horse race, those wonderfully quirky horse names, and the warm fuzzy that we could all use right about now, I thought it would be a perfect time to share some data fresh from our 2015 senior survey that is worth smiling about – maybe even worth a solid pat on the back.

Here are three years’ worth of results from three senior survey questions that, if I were forced to cut the survey down to a handful of items, these would be among the questions I’d keep. Read ’em and smile!

• I felt a strong sense of belonging on campus. (response options scored from 1-5: strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, or strongly agree)
  • 2013 – 72.1% agree or strongly agree
  • 2014 – 66.8% agree or strongly agree
  • 2015 – 75.4% agree or strongly agree!

• I am certain that my post-graduate plans are a good fit for who I am right now and where I want my life to go. (response options scored from 1-5: strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, or strongly agree)
  • 2013 – 75.5% agree or strongly agree
  • 2014 – 76.7% agree or strongly agree
  • 2015 – 81.2% agree or strongly agree!

• If you could relive your college decision, would you choose Augustana again? (response options scored from 1-5: definitely no, probably no, not sure, probably yes, and definitely yes)
  • 2013 – 80.6% agree or strongly agree
  • 2014 – 72.3% agree or strongly agree
  • 2015 – 83.0% agree or strongly agree!

When three items are all moving in the same positive direction over time, I think we can put aside our wonky skeptical stuff for a few minutes and enjoy it.  That’s right – kick back, relax for a moment, and smile a big toothy grin.

You worked hard to make Augustana a better place for our students this year.  It just might have paid off.  Now let yourself enjoy it – you deserve it.

Make it a good day (and a great summer),

Mark