Accountability of Mission and Ongoing Assessment
During its 178-year history in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, Saint Mary Seminary has been committed to its primary mission of preparing men for the Priesthood. It is this ecclesial mission that gives specific shape to the work of Saint Mary Seminary and defines the parameters of its Master of Divinity degree program and the program of priestly formation. The rigorous academic and pastoral formation of men for the priesthood likewise serves the secondary mission of the Seminary as a center for graduate theological education for ecclesial service and pastoral leadership. Men in formation for the permanent diaconate earn the newly approved Master of Arts in Diaconal Ministry. The integral connection between the Catholic intellectual tradition and the Church’s pastoral ministry also provides the framework to prepare men and women collaborators through the Master of Arts and Doctor of Ministry degree programs. The highly credentialed faculty and engaged student body form a learning community centered on deepening intellectual knowledge of Catholic Theology and linking that knowledge to its pastoral goals in ministry
To assess its primary mission, the Seminary is committed to ongoing evaluation of its priestly formation program (MDiv degree program) in view of the changing demands of diocesan and parish ministry as well as the varying intellectual and emotional needs of succeeding generations of seminarians. Assessment takes place on a yearly basis through such instruments as course and instructor evaluation, faculty and peer reviews of student formational growth, exit interviews and bi-semester committee meetings to discuss and review policy and programmatic structures. In addition, an Institutional Assessment Committee was established in 2005 to collect data and facilitate discussion among the faculty and students for the ongoing review of degree programs and their relationship to the mission of the Seminary. This committee guides the faculty in assessing institutional outcomes and convictions. Such supervision includes the development of syllabi and rubrics that correspond to degree outcomes, the monitoring of criteria used in student assessment, and the coordination of faculty assessment workshops. The committee also reviews degree programs, monitors the MDiv Portfolio that provides data for yearly seminarian evaluations, reviews with the Academic Dean the course evaluations, and synthesizes data for the Fall and Spring faculty workshops. Every year graduates complete an exit interview and every five years are mailed questionnaires to provide feedback from the field in order to update and enhance constituent needs.
With regard to the accountability of leadership and mission, every three years the Board of Directors reviews the President-Rector and evaluates its own work as a board. The Seminary also conducts focus groups with pastors who have worked with our recent graduates in the field of ministry to assess how the Seminary might continue to address the needs of the local Church.
Institutional Outcomes as the basis of Program Assessment
These valued traits cultivated with our learning community define our reflective identity and serve as desired outcomes across all degree programs.
Christian Discipleship — We value the transformation of each person into the image of Christ in response to the word of God and the Church’s tradition.
Formation — We value the renewal of the mind and heart for personal, professional and ecclesiastical growth.
Theological Thinking — We value the ability to think with the Church through the skills of analysis and critical reflection.
Communication — We value the ability to articulate theological ideas.
Collaboration — We value the development and use of personal and interpersonal skills, shared gifts in ministry, for the service of community building.
Statement of Educational Effectiveness (updated 11/20/2024)
The mission of Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology–priestly formation and advanced theological education for ecclesial service–cannot be seen merely in terms of academic programs, as valuable as they are. All aspects of Saint Mary Seminary–the fraternal community, the rigorous intellectual programs and resources, the rich spiritual and liturgical grounding, the challenging experiences in pastoral ministries, the stable financial and physical resources–challenge the students to bear fruit, to grow in Christian discipleship, to allow themselves to be formed by the Word they have heard, to plumb the depths of the Catholic intellectual tradition, and to be equipped to communicate that Word in collaboration with others in the mission of the New Evangelization. Assessment results are a time-lapsed record and one measure of institutional effectiveness.
Institutional outcomes are regularly assessed using multiple strategies that include both direct and indirect measures of student learning. The assessment program indicates that Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology degree programs produce their intended outcomes and that they are educationally effective.
Student Outcomes Data
Total unduplicated enrollment of degree-seeking students over the past five years in all four degree programs indicate that students at Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology are 77% men and 25% women. Of these, 28% are full-time, and 92% are white, 3% Hispanic, 2% Black or African American, and 4% Asian. Forty-two percent (42%) are enrolled in the Master of Divinity degree program, 28% in the Master of Arts program, 21 % in the Master of Arts in Diaconal Ministry, and 7% in the Doctor of Ministry degree program, and 7% are Continuing Education students. The average age of continuing education (non-degree seeking) students is 55 years of age, with “senior scholars” (ages 66-86) accounting for 50% of this cohort. (96% white, 3% African American) The average retention rate for all programs over the past 5 years is 88%.
Within the past six years, 92% of those enrolled in the Master of Divinity program and eligible to graduate received degrees with an average GPA of 3.36. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of those who graduated were given assignments in parish ministry by the Diocese, and 11% were appointed to ministry in a religious congregation.
Forty-eight percent (48%) of those enrolled in the Master of Arts Degree program are part-time students (2 or 3 courses per semester) and generally complete the program in an average of five to seven years. Over the past five years 84% of those eligible to graduate completed the program and were awarded degrees with an average GPA of 3.45. (Persistence over 3 consecutive semesters: 82%.) Most lay MA students who enroll in the program already have ministerial positions within the Diocese: Nineteen percent (19%) served in educational ministries; and 71% in parish, diocesan, or pastoral ministries. Graduates either had positions at the time of graduation or obtained ministerial positions within a year after graduation.
Within the past five years, 83% of those enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry program were awarded the degree with an average GPA of 3.78. The DMin degree program requires that applicants are in full-time ministry for at least three years prior to admission. Thirty-nine percent (39%) of the graduates serve in ordained ministries, 23% in educational ministries, and 38% in parish, diocesan, and pastoral ministries.
The Master of Arts in Diaconal Ministry Degree was fully implemented and approved in 2020. The first graduating class in this degree are in their final year and 18 permanent deacons are expected to receive their degrees in May 2025 (94% retention over the course of the 5-year program). All permanent deacons receive an assignment in a parish of the diocese, and most also have a professional occupation.
Continuing Education students, while not enrolled in a degree program, display a 100% persistence rate over 2 consecutive semesters, and 60% over three semesters.
Graduate Testimonials
- I found the entire experience at SMS to be one that fulfilled me. It enhanced my life as a total person and gave me insight that I couldn’t have achieved otherwise. (MA (Theology) and DMin)
- It was a life-changing and wonderful experience. I grew in faith and knowledge — and realized how much more there is to learn about our Catholic faith. (LEM, MA (Theology))
- My education/formation from SMSGST was incomparable! Every course is applicable to my position in parish ministry. The professors were not only brilliant in their fields but encouraging and compassionate to the students. The administration was incredibly supportive in addition to spurring us on towards our goal of graduating. (Lay person in ministry; MA (Theology))
- I found this a great and enriching experience. I especially enjoyed learning with young people so dedicated to ministry. The camaraderie and the friendly environment are outstanding. This was so encouraging to me. Like most education, I am more in awe of how much more is out there to learn and understand. Overall, I really enjoyed the experience of studying and earning a degree here. (MA (Theology) Lay person not in formal ministry)
The effectiveness of an institution cannot be easily quantified. It must ultimately be measured in the generous, competent, committed lives of its graduates. The statistics given here seem to indicate that over the course of each degree program students grow personally and professionally. Further, they are eagerly welcomed as colleagues into the broader ministries of the Diocese of Cleveland and beyond. A 178-year tradition is a confirmation of the effectiveness of Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology and a commitment to its future.
To learn more about the assessment plan and the effectiveness of the degree programs, contact Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology, Director of Institutional Assessment.