Newman Catholic Campus Ministry

Program Evaluation
Final Capstone Portfolio
May 24, 2016

Introduction
The Newman Catholic Campus Ministry (NCCM) at Western Washington University is a
community that is open to all students on campus but especially to students who identify as
Catholics. According to their website, westerncatholic.org (2016), their mission is, to create an
environment for young adults to encounter and imitate Christ through the Sacraments,
evangelization, community, and servant leadership in order to form leaders in the Church. They
provide a variety of different programs for students to grow in their faith, which include: retreats,
Mass, social justice/community service events, fellowship, and much more.
Objective Statement
Throughout the past year NCCM has undergone many changes. There was a complete
turnover of staff, including the Campus Minister, who is the director of the entire ministry. With
these changes, came many frustrations and throughout the year, the staff has found that the
programs NCCM is currently providing may be insufficient for the needs of the students.
Therefore, in collaboration with the leadership staff, we would like to determine the needs of the
students and ways in which current programs are not correlating with those needs. They will use
these findings to decide what changes must be made in the programs, or ministry as a whole, to
help better serve the student population.
Program Evaluation Design
In understanding the timeline for the evaluation, we decide that a survey would be the
most efficient way to receive feedback from the students. To begin the process, I e-mailed the
leadership staff and asked them to write down questions, in a collaborative Google document,
that they believe are important to understand the needs of students. After this, I created a survey
through the Qualtrics program. The survey featured both quantitative and qualitative questions to

have a broader understanding of the topics being asked and to gain more direct input from the
students. You can find the survey questions in the attached document here.
After creating the survey, I sent it off to the Chaplain of our ministry (equivalent of
executive director) to be approved. After it was approved, I created flyers to be handed out at
Mass, created a Facebook event with the link to my survey, and also announced me project at
Mass.
Findings
The survey had a total of 49 respondents. Of these 49 respondents 22% had been a part of
the Newman for 0-1 year, 44% for 1-2 years, 16% for 2-3 years, 13% for 3-4 years and 4% for 5
or more years. 27% were male, 67% were female, 2% were transgender, 2% preferred not to
respond and 2% defined as other.
Overall, the findings from the survey were positive, but there were many themes
embedded throughout that stuck out the most. Below you can find graphs, tables, and lists of the
data found but I will be giving in an overview in this section. The main themes I found come
from reoccurring comments students expressed. These themes are:
1. Reaching out more investment in others genuine relationships
2. More opportunities (events) to grow in community fellowship, have fun, less
structure
3. More classes to gain knowledge of faith can be classes on a variety of subjects, but
create a safe space
4. Overall more openness
a. Open hearts and minds
b. Honest conversations

c. Less judgment, more listening

d. More love and trust
5. Being on fire for Christ positive attitudes
6. Understanding the diversity of students and their needs taking it into consideration
when creating events
7. More opportunities and openness for students to take on leadership roles
8. More Christ-centered

Question: What programs (new or old) would you like to see implemented at the
Newman Center?
Keep

Bible Study
Relationship Class
Prayer Partners
BBQs
Food After Mass
Discipleship Gathering
Daily Mass
Through the Catholic Lensdiscussions about hard topics
New/Bring Back
More fellowship gatherings (more fun, less structured) dances, movie nights,
game nights
Classes to gain more knowledge about the faith Theology of the Body,
apologetics, Church theology
XL groups (15 people wrote) to be more communal presence in dorms is crucial
Volunteer coordinator
o Migrant Food Bank: breakfast together at Newman rather then Dennys
Get back to the basics, too much going on
Prayer experiences

Question: In connection to the statement "The Newman Center has helped foster my
relationship with God/Jesus" In what ways has this been true for you? In what ways
has this not been true for you? In what ways can the Newman Center help with this?

True
Have examples (role models) who demonstrate what this looks like
o they seem almost like role models for the faith because they seem so sure
of their faith, but if you ask them, they are just as lost as you and that is one
of the most comforting things I have ever heard
Peer Ministers, and others, reaching out, investing in people, developing
meaningful relationships support, guidance
Gained knowledge of the importance of this
Many opportunities to get involved (fellowship)
Retreats, RCIA, bible studies (Focus)
Mass, Fathers homilies, Adoration
Welcoming community
Honest conversations
Not True
Dont talk about Jesus enough, a lot going on but doesnt help with this, no
connection shown
Not enough open hearts and honest conversations
Focus has turned them off from Jesus in many ways
Peer ministry has taken away from prayer life
Help
Space/Events to have open & honest conversations
Classes on prayer techniques
Continuation of communion with other ministries
Overall a greater sense of openness (of mind & heart)
Small group community building
Understanding that people are at different stages with relationship with Christ

Question: Did you have specific Catholic cultural practices/traditions you did at your home
parish?
If cultural/ethnic groups are willing to lead their feasts and coordinate a small event that would
be great, but I would not appreciate people from another culture trying to put on a cultural event
for the sake of having it.

Fundraisers that let students play a

role
Potlucks
May Crowning Rosary procession
in different languages with different
Marys from across the world
Incoporating more traditional
liturgical practices, maybe once a
month
Simbang Gabi

Feel we under-celebrate Advent

Advent calendar, music at Mass
1st of the month birthday blessings
Traditional chant/hymns
More culturally diverse events
Celebration of Our Lady of
Guadalupe

Question: Do you feel part of the Newman Center?

Yes
Sometimes
Majority
Feel like an outsider
Welcomed since the
Hard to distinguish
beginning
those who really care,
and those who do it
Reached out to
just because it is their
Encourage by those
job
around me
Initial meeting of
Made genuine
people is tough
connections
because of friend
Consider it home
groups/exclusivity
Friendly
Surface level
There is so much love
relationships
at the Newman
Made to feel not
Very involved
Catholic enough to
be part of community

No

Dont feel supported

by leadership
I used to before this
year. Now I plan to
detach myself because
of the chronic
frustration and
negative energy from
this year
Community doesnt
seem to care about one
another
Dont feel like an
interwoven part of it
Dont feel comfortable
being fully themselves

Question: in what ways can the Newman Center be more welcoming/inclusive?

More investment in people, reach out to new people (especially at Mass), make them
feel welcome
Greater recognition of gender, race, and queer issues maybe working/standing in
solidarity, with groups on campus
More trust
Co-Ed events
Treat others equally listen and not argue
Leadership having knowledge of Churchs stance on social issues and following them
Make it clear it isnt about the numbers (cause that what it seems like)
Move out of friend groups, be more open to others, meet new people

Question: In what specific ways can the Newman Center better support you?
Talk more about overcoming doubts
Grief support group
Better communication between leadership and students
Empower students to put on events more open to student input for more leaders to
emerge
Gender-inclusive events
Loving instead of judging, acceptance rather than rules and guidelines
More event advertising
More gathering space at the Newman Centerdining space, caf, study desks,
meeting rooms
Need to be ON FIRE for Jesus, positive attitudes esp. in leadership because attitudes
rub off on people
Resources on how to live on a liberal campus as a Catholics
More emphasis on Newman house and why it is there
Menistry events that feel inclusive
More open to non-Catholics

Question: Do you believe the Newman Center holds true to their mission statement? Why
or Why not?
For the most part, people agreed and said that it holds true to some but not all of the
mission.
I don't actually like the mission statement. I don't think the "in order to form leaders in the
Church" aspect should the main goal. Rather, I think a relationship/continuous encounters with
Christ that lead to transformation within and outside of the Church should be the intended
impact
Yes

No
People come searching and they do
encounter Christ
Outreach
Opportunities to grow in faith/ practice
faith
Sacraments & Evangelization
Many programs/events that make this
true
Try very hard to be true to mission

Lack in community and servant

leadership help create leaders but
not servant leaders. There is a definite
hierarchy more opportunities to
volunteer in leadership roles
Investment in more students
Individualizing programs to better suit
diverse needs
Not many encounters or imitations of
Christ
Mission statement too long, doesnt
inspire students to do anything
Focus more on adult aspects of our
lives rather then young student aspect
Need to have leadership that doesnt
make me feel terrible and angry if I
disagree with them about something
Can get burnt out being involved in so
much

Question: Have you been on a Newman Center Retreat? If so, how can the Newman Center
make retreats more effective?

More interactive activites, skits, guest speakers in place of so many talks

More prayer (individual) and worship
Take into account exam seasons when planning the dates for the retreats so more students
can come
Retreats are catered more towards extroverts, how can it be more inclusive?
Less Catholic-y and more focused on faith as a whole, so that it is more inclusive
remembering that not everyone is a Catholic buff
More opportunites to grow in community
Switch up experiences, try new things so retreats dont feel the same every year
More organic conversations

Better themes that actually mean something and that every aspect of the retreat can
connect to, to make it more impactful (ex. Love, all talks can relate back to love)

Question: Is there anything else you would like us to know?

This is an amazing community I am blessed to be apart of
Emphasize building relationships and welcoming new members
Improve social media presence, may reach more people
Better signage for the building, especially the street side
Some of my Newman peers have used the vulnerability I expressed during retreat
later to be manipulative and try to bring about a strictly friends with sexual benefits
relationship. This was upsetting, to put it mildly. I don't feel like I can trust a number
of my peers with my struggles because I don't feel loved and protected by them.
Limitations
The most prominent limitation of this study is that we were only able to reach a small
portion of the students served at NCCM. What is found is that most of the students who
completed the survey are very involved in the ministry. Unfortunately, many students who may
only come to Mass or who are on the margins did not have as much access to the survey because
we dont have many of them on our e-mail lists or Facebook groups. This means that our data
may only represent a small number of students, and not everyone as a whole.
Another limitation is that many students opted not to give their feedback because they
have been too hurt by NCCM, or felt that they would be too mean. Students who did not
respond because of these reasons make it harder for NCCM to make changes because they will
not know fully the negative impact they have had on students lives and how to change that in
their program implementation for next year.
Recommendations
When analyzing the eight main themes from the findings noted previously, I noticed
something very interesting. Although these themes do speak towards specific ways programs
should change, most of the themes reflect a change that needs to occur in the people who are a

part of the community. Many of the themes speak to ways in which people must change, such as
having a greater open heart and mind, to create an environment that better meets the needs of the
students it serves. I think that understanding this is crucial when looking at ways to change
NCCMs programs. It is determining how can NCCM create an environment where these changes
in perspectives, or ways of being, can flourish and be accepted.
One of the first things that I would recommend is to re-think the mission of NCCM.
Many students feel that NCCM needs to be more Christ-centered and open to the ways of being
and knowing of those within it. I believe that revamping the mission to be something clearer, that
students are passionate for and can relate to, can help in creating a more sincere and joyful
environment. The mission statement should be something that all other programs look to for
guidance. I would recommend creating a mission statement that connects more simply to what
NCCM represents and then build around that.
Another recommendation I have is in relation to theme 2 and 3. Many students want more
opportunities to grow in community and friendship with one another. Examples of this are fun
and less structured events like movie nights, bowling, fort-making, hiking, etc. These events, that
are less structured and more fun, can help in creating meaningful, trusting relationships. NCCM
has a great opportunity to provide students with mechanisms to get to know one another and
grow in fellowship so I encourage NCCM to have a fun fellowship event every 2-3 weeks.
Creating a safe environment in this way can lead into creating classes that talk about more
serious subjects. More students will want to go to classes on Theology of the Body, church
teachings, Through the Catholic Lens, etc. if they feel that the space they are entering is full of
friends they trust. All of these events can connect to one another and help in students journeys in

their faith. These experiences should be happening in community, but it is NCCMs job to make it
accessible.
Finally, my last recommendation for theme 7, comes from the recommendation above. So
many students expressed wanting the opportunity to become leaders. They want to share their
gifts with their peers! They all have passions and NCCM has the power to give them the space
needed to share these gifts and passions with others. I think that teaching students what it means
to be a servant leader, through example and also maybe a class, can be a good way of opening
this door for students to walk through. You can also ask for suggestions from students at the
beginning of the quarter of what they would like to see and ask if they would be willing to lead
something that they suggested. This gives the leadership to invest in students and learn about
them, while also giving students the opportunity to invest in their community.
Conclusion
From all the data received, one can easily see that NCCM plays a large and important
role in the lives of those they serve. Overall, NCCM, gives students an opportunity to have a
community, feel loved, and to gain knowledge about their faith and relationship with Jesus.
Although NCCM continues to be a wonderful place for many students, they must recognize that
some students are being left in the margins or have been hurt by some things NCCM has done. In
realizing these things, and being open to them, NCCM can really re-vamp their programs to meet
the more diverse needs of the students. I hope that this will help them in recognizing what
changes need to be made, to create an even more inclusive space that reflects the love of Jesus
more fully.