Dehne then compared the opinions of what he called “ideal students” (those currently enrolled who had a high GPA and described themselves as “enthusiastic” about Hamilton) with “ideal alumni” (those who said they were “very positive” about Hamilton and had graduated with a GPA of at least 87). When asked about the “essential characteristics” of a Hamilton education (Table 2), there is general consistency among “ideal” students and alumni.
Differences appeared for “ability to individualize one’s education” and “gaining a liberal arts education.” In the case of the former, alumni who attended Hamilton in the 1980s and 1990s studied under a curriculum with distribution requirements and, therefore, had fewer opportunities to individualize their education. The latter discrepancy about the importance of the liberal arts can probably be explained in light of the pressure many students feel to attend college so that they can find a job. Indeed, according to data reviewed by Gordon Hewitt, Hamilton’s director of institutional research, only about 3% of students nationally attend a four-year liberal arts college.
The “ideal” alumni and students also shared similar levels of satisfaction with the essential characteristics of a Hamilton education (Table 3) and were in agreement, for the most part, in their attitudes toward Hamilton (Table 4).
In his report to the College, Dehne noted that the percentage of ideal alumni increased from the 1990s to the present. He also observed, “There is remarkable consistency among the graduates and undergraduates who came to the College for all the right reasons and took (are taking) advantage of its strengths.”
“The degree to which alumni and students valued the same attributes of a Hamilton education was an important finding,” said Vice President for Communications and Development Dick Tantillo.
