Standard Four: The Academic Program
Description
SCSU's academic programs are organized and offered under four academic schools: Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; and Health and Human Services. In addition, the School of Graduate Studies serves as the administrative office for the oversight of admissions, progression, graduation, and program reviews. SCSU offers 59 undergraduate and 38 master's degree programs as well as nine sixth year professional diploma programs, four graduate certificate programs, and one doctoral program (Ed.D.) in educational leadership. Two degree programs are pending approval: an Ed.D. in nursing education (collaborative with Western Connecticut State University) and an M.S. in Applied Physics.
All programs at SCSU are designed to provide "exemplary graduate and undergraduate education in the liberal arts and professional disciplines," the very heart of the Mission Statement. To effectively plan, implement, and evaluate its academic programs, SCSU functions through the model of shared governance between the administration and faculty as previously described. The Undergraduate Curriculum Forum (UCF) and the Graduate Council are the institution's two faculty bodies evaluating proposals for new and revised courses and programs, guiding curriculum development, and conducting regular reviews of programs as described in the assessment of learning section of Standard Four. These bodies provide the academic oversight of university programs, in conjunction with the division of Academic Affairs led by the Provost.
All undergraduate and graduate programs have established policies and procedures for admission, retention, and graduation that are consistently applied to facilitate the achievement of learning outcomes. The institution has a systematic approach for the assessment of student learning to promote academic excellence and improve academic program quality. Assessment activities are coordinated through the university's Office of Assessment and Planning. The office assists academic units with all aspects of the assessment process, from data gathering to data interpretation, conducts institutional-level assessments, and prepares assessment reports for external constituencies. Further details about the assessment process are provided later in this chapter.
Faculty governance bodies have developed and approved policies and procedures for review of degree programs. Faculty are integrally involved in the development of policies and procedures and ensuring curricular quality through assessment of student learning and program review. Review of undergraduate programs is coordinated by the Program Review and Assessment Committee (PRAC), a standing committee of the Undergraduate Curriculum Forum (UCF). Review of graduate programs is coordinated by the Academic Standards Committee, a standing committee of the Graduate Council. Policies and procedures for program review have been distributed to academic departments and posted on the committees' Websites. Data from undergraduate and graduate program reviews demonstrate that programs are meeting or exceeding the established standards.
Overall learning outcomes for undergraduate and graduate programs have been identified and published on the university's Website. In addition, each program has developed and published specific learning outcomes that reflect the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors expected of students. Learning goals are appropriate to the level of student and academic discipline or profession. (Links to departmental Websites are provided in the "E series" forms.)
The Liberal Education Program (LEP), described in more detailed elsewhere in this chapter, serves as the framework for the structure of learning experiences at the undergraduate level and provides students with broad knowledge in the liberal arts and sciences as a foundation for more advanced disciplinary or professional coursework. Within each major, the curriculum is similarly organized to expose students to the more fundamental concepts of their discipline/profession in beginning courses and then progress to more specialized courses. For example, at the undergraduate level, students are expected to "Demonstrate an appropriate depth of understanding of at least one academic discipline," while at the graduate level students are expected to "Demonstrate mastery of knowledge and skills of the discipline."
Generally, course sequencing is structured so that students progress from more introductory to more advanced content; however, the sequential order of courses varies, depending upon the major. For example, in the sciences or science-based majors, such as chemistry and nursing, course sequencing at the undergraduate and graduate levels is much more structured than in majors such as English, where there is no prescribed sequential order of courses. Many programs at the undergraduate level offer capstone experiences that enable students to synthesize the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the program; for example, the philosophy and geography programs require senior seminars to synthesize major issues in the discipline.
At the graduate level, all programs have a specified plan of study. Most programs have specific core requirements that provide a basis for more in-depth study in the discipline or profession. All programs require students to complete a capstone experience to demonstrate synthesis of learning. Each program determines the capstone experiences available to its students from the following options: comprehensive exams, special project, or thesis. Students select a capstone experience from the available options in their department.
The institution recognizes that the integration of information resources and information technology into academic programs is essential for the personal and professional success of graduates. To ensure that all students demonstrate competency in accessing information resources and using contemporary and emerging technologies, information literacy and technological fluency have been identified as two competencies that undergraduate students must develop as part of the new LEP requirements described in more detail later in this document. More details regarding the availability of resources and the support and training available to students is provided in Standard Seven.
All students completing an undergraduate degree at SCSU have demonstrated college-level skills in English composition and the study of literature in English. Undergraduate students demonstrate college-level composition skills in two ways. First, students must pass the 100-level required English composition course. Second, students are required to complete three "W"-designated courses upon completion of English composition. "W" courses, which can be from any academic discipline, are writing-intensive classes in which students complete a minimum of 20 pages of writing, including revisions. The number of "W" courses required for transfer students varies based on the number of credits students transfer from other institutions as described in the undergraduate catalog. For students completing a graduate degree, the demonstration of college-level skills in English are embedded into assignments in individual courses, ranging from research papers to lab reports to the completion of a master's thesis.
To enhance its overall planning process, the university is finalizing an Academic Program Plan to ensure that the addition or deletion of academic programs is consistent with and enhances the university's mission. The draft Academic Program Plan, developed by the Provost and deans, in consultation with department chairmen and faculty, establishes both clear goals for academic programs and priorities for new and existing programs. Academic planning and expenditures are closely aligned with the strategic plan. The First-Year Experience (FYE) program and, in fact, the entire LEP are part of this planning. Academic planning also takes into account workforce needs (e.g., the proposed Ed.D. in nursing education and proposed M.S. in applied physics, with specializations in optics and nanotechnology).
SCSU has undertaken the initiation of a higher-level degree since its last self-study. The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership was licensed by the Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education in 2002 and accredited in 2006. A substantive change proposal to NEASC was approved in 2003. Another terminal degree, the M.F.A. in creative writing, was approved in 2008. In recognition of the increased demands of graduate programs, SCSU allocates additional resources, including reassigned time for faculty members to oversee the admission and advisement of graduate students and smaller class size for graduate courses. When programs are eliminated, provisions are made to permit all currently enrolled students to complete the program. For example, when the Emergency Management Certificate and M.S. in foreign languages programs were discontinued, appropriate arrangements were made to enable currently enrolled students to complete requirements. In the event that program requirements are changed, currently enrolled students are provided the opportunity to complete their program according to the requirements in place when they initially enrolled in the program.
Description
Undergraduate programs introduce students to broad areas of human knowledge, their theories, and methods of inquiry through a common core of requirements previously known as the All University Requirements (AUR) and now known as the Liberal Education Program (LEP), which was approved in 2009 via faculty referendum. The LEP replaces the AUR and represents a significantly different model as described later in this document.
The rationale for each program is typically presented in the Undergraduate Catalog, as well as on the department's Website. As part of the university's comprehensive undergraduate program review process, all undergraduate majors have defined student learning outcomes. The details of each major are presented clearly in the Undergraduate Catalog, as well as through access to the Banner Degree Evaluation form, which provides undergraduates with an online mechanism to obtain current information on their progress in completing degree requirements.
Most undergraduate programs have a major requirement. These majors encompass a minimum of at least 30 credits of intermediate and advanced undergraduate work sometimes clustered in concentrations or cognates. The exceptions to the major requirement are B.A. and B.S. degree programs in liberal studies, which require two and three minors respectively, of 18 credits each. The number of unrestricted electives that students may pursue varies according to the degree programs as follows: B.A. in liberal arts, a minimum of 28 credits; B.S. liberal arts and professional degree, a minimum of 12 credits.
Appraisal
The current undergraduate degree programs, all of which utilize the AUR, provide a sound education for both B.A. and B.S. students. Some drawbacks to the AUR are its overreliance on introductory-level courses with no progression in level of difficulty, as well as its failure to formally integrate the courses into a cohesive program. Curricula for the current AUR were set up in such a manner that students could complete the AUR with all 100-level (introductory) courses with the exception of the literature requirement, which must be at a 200 level or above, and the health requirement for education majors, which is also a 200-level course. While this ensures that students will sample courses with sufficient breadth, it does not ensure that students will attain depth in subjects other than in their chosen major. These weaknesses are addressed in the LEP, which provides a philosophical foundation for general education, a progression in level of difficulty that demands proficiency in one level before another level can be attempted, and the opportunity for students to experience courses that are broad enough to serve as a foundation for more in-depth study in the major.
Currently, curricula for all the majors include substantial intermediate and advanced undergraduate-level requirements with appropriate prerequisites and articulated guidelines for course levels. Curriculum is under the purview of faculty; a comprehensive review process exists through the UCF, the committee that handles all undergraduate curricular issues on campus. The review process is multi-tiered from departments to schools to the UCF and contains appropriate checks and balances, yet is set up in a manner that is practical and efficient in order to facilitate curricular innovations, as well as to monitor and assure the quality of the courses and programs.
The B.A. degree programs allow for a greater selection of free elective courses than the B.S. degree programs due to the greater demands of the latter in course work, internships and professional applications; nonetheless, the B.S. degree programs aim to provide for a minimum of 12 credits of free elective courses. Although the merits of free electives are recognized, it would be impossible to increase the number of free electives in the B.S. programs without substantially increasing the length of time in the programs. In fact, with increased requirements in certain majors, notably nursing, education, and the accounting concentration in business administration, there remains little room for electives. It is planned that when the LEP is fully implemented, the number of free electives will remain approximately the same for most students.
Projection
The Academic Program Plan will be finalized in fall 2011 following review and feedback from faculty. The UCF will address the issues of electives.
General Education
Description
SCSU is in the midst of its most sweeping reform to general education in 40 years. Adopted in the early 1970s, the All-University Requirements (AUR) system was a loose-distribution model based partially on academic discipline. While the AUR system contained the merit of exposing students to a breadth of content, it lacked a stated, coherent rationale and has only been slightly modified since its development. The AURs consumed between 41 and 46 credits, depending on which health and natural science courses a student was required to take for a particular major. Apart from additions to the menu of courses fulfilling an individual AUR, the only significant modification to the AURs occurred in the mid-1980s, when the university began to require that students take three writing-intensive courses, currently termed "W" courses, as part of their general education. The writing program was again substantially modified to reflect current research and pedagogy. This revised Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program, implemented in 2006, represented the first phase of our recent general education reform. A committee of faculty members, the Writing Across the Curriculum Committee (WACC), oversees the writing-intensive program.In the 1990s, some faculty members began calling for reform of the AUR system. In 1999, the UCF commissioned a study of general education reform at SCSU. This led in 2002 to the formation of a General Education Task Force with two charges: first, to articulate coherent goals for general education, which the faculty ratified in 2005, and second to develop a bold new program that reflected best practices in general education nationwide. The result was the new Liberal Education Program (LEP), which the UCF and Faculty Senate endorsed prior to its approval through a second referendum in spring of 2009. Full implementation of the LEP starts in September 2011 with the entering class of first-time, first-year students and freshmen transferring in fewer than 15 credits. During a transition period lasting until 2015, the university will simultaneously administer the AUR system of general education for undergraduates matriculating prior to September 2011 and the LEP system for students matriculating since September 2011.
Parallel to the development of LEP, the university also developed its First-Year Experience (FYE) program, which represented a collaboration between the divisions of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs. The FYE program is multi-faceted; it is intended to introduce freshmen to intellectual and creative inquiry through a course, INQ 101, and to expand upon new student orientation in that course so that freshmen have a clearer sense of how to navigate the university. FYE instructors serve as academic advisers to their students throughout the freshman year. Peer mentors, selected through the Office of Student Life, also are available to work with FYE instructors in INQ 101 classrooms. The university implemented its FYE program in fall 2007. Institutional assessment findings indicate that the FYE program has contributed significantly to increased retention rates. By fall 2009, first-year retention rates reached an 18-year high of 79.7%. Even two-year retention rates reached 62.6%, the highest rate since SCSU began tracking these numbers nearly a quarter-century ago.
While the 48-credit LEP incorporates both an intensive writing curriculum (WAC) and FYE program into general education, it articulates a conception of general education that is brand new to this institution. The LEP is built on three tiers. Tier 1, all of which must be completed within the first three semesters, emphasizes the development of specific competencies for college readiness, such as quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and technological fluency. While Tier 2 courses reinforce these competencies, they are primarily oriented around non-discipline specific areas of knowledge, such as Global Awareness, Cultural Expressions, and the Natural World. Finally, a capstone experience that revolves around a discussion of values - Aesthetic Sensitivity, Civic Engagement, Environmental Awareness, Ethical Judgment, Human Diversity, and Rational Thought - constitutes Tier 3 of the LEP. The new program emphasizes depth and sequencing of learning throughout the program, representing a significant innovation to SCSU's approach to general education. Additionally, unlike the AUR system, a program director and faculty committee oversee the LEP. Finally, a primary feature of the LEP is the integration of assessment into all aspects of the program.
The Honors College is a four-year program designed for a small group of exceptionally well-prepared students. Students enrolled in the Honors College complete eight Honors College courses, which together replace the almost all of the all-university/LEP requirements.
Appraisal
All undergraduate programs continue to provide students with a strong foundation in the liberal arts, sciences, and the social sciences and require students to demonstrate competencies in oral and written communication in English, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and information literacy. The implementation of an expanded FYE program has significantly enhanced retention rates.
The LEP framework provides guidelines for the design of all general education courses and includes criteria for its evaluation. The LEP has specifically been designed as a program that will break down the typical barriers in subject matter that exist among departments in higher education. The General Education Task Force recognized this as a weakness in the current AUR Program, in which departments typically had ownership over certain subjects, making it difficult for other faculty members to teach these subjects. A LEP retreat held in June 2010 resulted in the creation of 10-12 new courses in the arts and sciences (e.g., geography, computer science, anthropology, history). Curriculum development also has been supported through grants from the National Science Foundation (critical thinking in physics), a Curriculum Innovation grant from the Davis Foundation, and a SENCER grant for engaged student learning in the sciences. Currently, 23 new LEP courses have been approved by the UCF, and more than 70 AUR courses have been approved for use during the transition period. Perhaps its greatest strength is that all LEP courses reinforce Competencies and focus on at least one contextual Area of Knowledge and one Discussion of Values, bringing recursiveness to this multi-tiered general education program. The new LEP will be more assessment-driven, enabling data-driven decisions to continuously improve student learning. The LEP director is facilitating the full development, implementation, and evaluation of the LEP program.
All departments have reviewed their programs to determine how the LEP will interface with current requirements and how the programs may need to be modified. The outcome of performing these reviews has resulted in the revision of some programs. In some cases, this has provided the impetus for a program to make changes that have been desired for a period of time while in others it may provide an opportunity for revision and improvement that had not previously been considered.
While there was widespread agreement among faculty regarding the overall goals and framework of the LEP, there was considerable debate and concern regarding the specifics of implementation. In April 2011, these concerns were expressed in a call for a faculty referendum to delay implementation of the program. However, the referendum failed to pass, and implementation is proceeding following some modifications to the program.
Projection
The implementation of the LEP will be challenging, time-consuming, and demanding of resources; however, both SCSU's faculty and administration have demonstrated a commitment to the program. There is a clearly articulated time frame, including a three-year transition period in which both the AUR and the LEP will operate in parallel, sharing some courses on a temporary basis while the new and revised courses are created, approved, and phased in. To meet the needs of students, a sufficient number of second-level LEP courses (Tier 2) will be developed by fall 2012.
Developing appropriate assessments for LEP competencies and areas of knowledge that transcend department boundaries is a challenge. This work will be ongoing; more details are provided later in this chapter.
The Major or Concentration
Description
Undergraduates have the opportunity to develop disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge in both introductory and upper-division courses. For the most part, upper-division course sequencing is strictest in the natural sciences, the professional programs, and, to a lesser extent, the fine and performing arts. Typically, upper-division course sequencing in the humanities and social sciences is less structured. The English major, for example, requires students to take course work in a variety of fields, but not in any particular sequential order. The chemistry major, on the other hand, requires students to take courses in a strict, sequential order.
Learning outcomes for programs provide a basis for the curriculum that includes knowledge and methods pertinent to the area of study. Some departments (e.g., education, media studies, psychology, and recreation and leisure studies) offer methods and theory courses for their majors, while others (e.g., philosophy and geography) require senior capstone courses. In some departments (e.g., physics, history, and political science), both methods courses and capstone courses are required. In addition, many majors require undergraduates to take cognate courses in related disciplines. For example, physics majors are required to take Calculus I, II, and III as well as Differential Equations in the Mathematics Department, plus two semesters of General Chemistry.
The professional programs have developed a curriculum that substantially connects the classroom with contemporary clinical practice. In the School of Education, for example, students must perform hundreds of hours of field experience, divided between various courses in the School of Education and culminating in student-teaching in "a variety of diverse settings," namely both high-needs and moderate-needs schools as defined by percentage of students eligible for free lunch and other demographic factors. In the School of Health and Human Services, all programs include mandatory fieldwork, practica, or clinical experiences. The School of Business offers internships as elective courses at this time. A new initiative, the Business Student Resource Center, is being launched in fall 2011, and a priority is the creation and oversight of new mentoring, internship and job placement opportunities for the School's students, further enhancing the School's involvement with the regional business community
Appraisal
SCSU offers a wide array of undergraduate programs that afford students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in specific disciplinary areas as well as the opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary studies. All degree programs have identified requirements. At the undergraduate level, students have access to program requirements through the electronic degree evaluation, available through Banner.
Projection
Although departments have established learning outcomes, not all departments had made these electronically accessible. As a result, SCSU has taken steps to correct this by requesting that all departments publish their learning outcomes in the catalog and/or department Websites.
Graduate Degree Programs
Description
As noted in the university's graduate catalog, "the purpose of graduate studies is to provide for advanced and specialized learning under the direction of scholars and practitioners in full command of their disciplines" (SCSU 2011-2012 Graduate Catalog, p. 2). The university currently offers 38 master's degree programs, ten sixth year professional diploma programs, four certificate programs, and one doctoral program. A second doctoral program (Ed.D.) in nursing education has been developed in collaboration with our sister institution, Western Connecticut State University, to address the critical shortage of nursing faculty. The program proposal has been approved at both universities and by the CSUS BOT and is currently pending approval by the Connecticut Department of Higher Education.
As outlined in the Graduate Council's Academic Standards Committee Handbook, to be approved for initial and continuing approval, all programs must have a clearly stated mission, philosophy, goals, and student learning outcomes that are appropriate to the degree and clearly reflected in course syllabi and student learning experiences. Student learning objectives/outcomes are primarily focused at the application, analysis, and synthesis levels and reflect more complex and specialized learning than is typically expected at the undergraduate level (see sample graduate program reviews). Program purpose and objectives are included in relevant program publications and also can be accessed electronically through the School of Graduate Studies Website or directly through the departments' Websites.
The internal criteria used to review proposed or established graduate programs reflect the expectation that the resources available (e.g. faculty, space/equipment, library holdings) and program requirements are appropriate to facilitate graduate learning outcomes. These criteria are outlined in the Graduate Council's Academic Standards Handbook. All new or established graduate programs are reviewed using these criteria and are not recommended for initial or continuing approval if these criteria are not met.
To fulfill the teaching and administrative responsibilities required by graduate programs, resources allocated to these programs exceed those provided to undergraduate programs. For example, all graduate programs have a faculty member who is given reassigned time to serve as the program coordinator. Faculty who direct theses are awarded 0.5 workload credits when the student completes the thesis proposal and 0.5 credits when the student submits the final thesis. Faculty who direct doctoral dissertations receive 1 credit each semester that the student is enrolled in the dissertation seminar (EDL 800). Lower teaching loads have been negotiated by faculty in select graduate programs to enhance the teaching learning experience and/or adhere to national accreditation standards (e.g., computer science and library science). The specific terms negotiated by these select programs are appended to the CSU-AAUP Collective Bargaining Agreement as Sideletter agreements. In addition, smaller class sizes are supported for graduate courses (typical cap for graduate courses is 20 vs. up to 40 for undergraduate courses). In the past three years, average class size for graduate courses has been 12 to 13 in contrast to the average for undergraduate courses, which has been 24 to 26 in lower-division courses and 18 in upper-division courses.
All graduate programs are required to have at least three full-time faculty who regularly teach in the program. Faculty who teach in graduate programs must have a terminal degree or comparable professional experience that qualifies them to teach at the graduate level and be designated as a member of the graduate faculty. In addition, graduate faculty must demonstrate that they are actively engaged in scholarship, service, or practice related to their discipline (see Graduate Faculty CVs).
As noted in the School of Graduate Studies' catalog, minimum standards for acceptance into a graduate program include a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution and a GPA of at least 3.0. Individual programs may have additional admission requirements; these are clearly outlined in the graduate catalog and on the program's Website. Applicants who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement, but who in the opinion of the program faculty demonstrate potential for success in the program, may be conditionally admitted to the graduate school. Over the past five years (2005-2010), admission to the Graduate School has averaged about 1466 students per year. Of these, approximately 6% on average have been admitted on a conditional basis. Students admitted on a conditional basis receive an acceptance letter from the School of Graduate Studies clearly describing the conditions they must meet to remain in the graduate school, and the graduate school tracks their academic progress each semester. In consultation with program faculty, those who do not meet the stated conditions may be dismissed from the graduate school. Over the past five years, an average of 13 students per year were dismissed from the graduate school. Graduate students develop a plan of study with their academic adviser, typically at the beginning of their program. In addition to meeting specific program requirements, all graduate students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to earn a degree from the university. The successful completion of a capstone experience is required in all graduate programs. Students choose one capstone experience from the options available in their department (departments may offer one or all three of the following options: comprehensive examination, special project, or thesis). Comprehensive examinations are administered and evaluated by the program faculty. Special projects and theses are directed by graduate faculty, approved at the department level, and then submitted to the School of Graduate Studies for review and final approval by the dean of graduate studies.
Graduate programs are designed to provide students with advanced knowledge and skills in their chosen discipline or profession. Students are required to demonstrate mastery of a specialized area of knowledge, apply the theory and methodology of their fields, and understand the role of research in advancing the discipline. The learning objectives and program requirements challenge students to expand their knowledge base beyond that acquired at the undergraduate level. For example, at the undergraduate level students are expected to acquire broad-based knowledge of the liberal arts and sciences, demonstrate understanding of at least one academic discipline, and develop skills in communication, critical thinking, and quantitative reasoning (see Undergraduate Learning Outcomes). In contrast, at the graduate level students are expected to demonstrate mastery of disciplinary knowledge and make contributions to their chosen discipline through scholarly inquiry (see Graduate Learning Outcomes).
Degree requirements reflect program purposes, goals, objectives, and outcomes. For example, disciplinary master's degree programs, such as the Master of Arts in English and Master of Arts in Psychology, are designed for individuals who intend to pursue doctoral studies in the discipline (see Graduate Catalog, p. 183). These programs typically include core courses related to the fundamental concepts and theories of the discipline as well as courses related to research methods. For example, students in the Master of Arts in Psychology program are expected to demonstrate an understanding of research methods in the discipline of psychology and demonstrate the ability to conduct psychological research by completing a thesis.
The university offers a number of professional or practice-oriented master's programs, sixth year professional diploma programs, and one doctoral level program (Ed.D.) program in educational leadership. Professional or practice-oriented master's programs in business, education, and health and human services include the core knowledge, concepts, and theories of the respective fields, and research methods appropriate to the field, as well as an emphasis on the application of that knowledge through fieldwork, internships, or clinical experiences. The sixth year professional diploma program in educational leadership is designed to prepare organizational leaders. The program provides students with classroom and focused internship opportunities that will qualify them, upon successful completion of the program, to become certified as intermediate administrators. The sixth year professional diploma in school psychology provides advanced professional study and training in school psychological services and prepares graduates for certification as a school psychologist. The Ed.D. program is designed to prepare reflective educational leaders who possess in-depth knowledge of educational theories and practices and have a mastery of application-oriented research methodology to inform their practice and lead reforms to advance the profession. Specific requirements of professional programs can be found in the Graduate Catalog.
Graduate programs that include both research activities and professional practice provide students with an appropriate balance of discipline-specific content, research activities, and practice opportunities through fieldwork, internships, and clinical experiences. These requirements are clearly evident in program objectives and incorporated in individual course syllabi. For example, students in the graduate nursing program are expected to conduct and/or use research that contributes to the development of the discipline and also provide leadership in the practice setting to improve patient care. Students in the family nurse practitioner track must complete at least 660 hours of clinical practice and complete either a master's thesis or special project related to a nursing practice issue. In addition, students are expected to synthesize, analyze, and incorporate research findings in planning, implementing, and evaluating patient care.
A differentiation in student learning outcomes exists in programs that offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees. For example, undergraduate students in the social work program are expected to demonstrate knowledge and application of social policy to address particular problems. In contrast, graduate students in social work are expected to demonstrate leadership ability within an agency and professional context of practice. The Center for Communication Disorders (CCD), an on-campus, full-service speech and hearing clinic managed by the Department of Communication Disorders provides direct client experiences for undergraduate and graduate CMD students. In addition to providing services for the community, the primary purpose of the center is to serve as a training mechanism by which graduate students obtain clinical clock hours (hands-on clinical training).
Undergraduate students obtain a minimum of 25 observation hours but are not directly involved in providing diagnostic or therapeutic clinical services. The relationship and interdependence of undergraduate and graduate programs in disciplines that offer both is assessed as part of the program review process required for every program.
Program faculty use data obtained through the assessment process to implement curriculum changes as needed. For example, as a result of assessing the curriculum in the school counseling field experience course, faculty implemented a field project requirement. The field project is a measurable, data-based initiative that is generated from an identifiable need within the school community at the field site: for example not enough students taking advantage of scholarship monies for post-secondary education, or, a significant increase in bullying behavior within a middle school grade. The practicum student then creates an initiative to address this issue, collects pre-data, implements the initiative, collects post-data, and evaluates the project. The project must be something that is sustainable after the practicum student leaves so that the school is left with the project in place for the future. In the master of arts in psychology program, the time frame for completing all sections of the comprehensive exam was altered based upon examination of student work and feedback. In addition, a new thesis seminar course was developed to create a thesis cohort and provide students more structured guidance and support through the thesis writing process.
To successfully complete a graduate program, students are required to demonstrate achievement of program objectives through a variety of assessment and evaluation methods used throughout their program of study and to complete a capstone experience (i.e., comprehensive exams, special project, thesis) that demonstrates mastery of content and skills in their discipline. All programs have established methods of evaluating student performance and measuring overall program outcomes.
Appraisal
The university offers rigorous academic programs that advance the students' knowledge and skills beyond that acquired at the undergraduate level. A wide array of graduate programs is offered, each providing students with the opportunity to develop specialized knowledge and skills in a particular discipline or professional field. Professional graduate programs are nationally accredited with most being recognized as the leading programs in SCSU's geographical area. Individuals admitted to graduate programs are qualified for advanced academic study. As noted above, almost all students admitted meet the minimum admission criteria, with few being admitted on a conditional basis.
Resource needs are carefully reviewed whenever a new program is proposed to ensure quality. As part of the state's new program licensure and accreditation process, adequacy of resources, including faculty, administrative support, technology, library, and space are carefully considered.
Based on the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement, there is no differentiation at the university between undergraduate and graduate faculty. All faculty are expected to demonstrate competence in teaching, engage in creative activities, and participate in university and community/professional service. Faculty are selected to the graduate faculty by their academic department, and their selection is forwarded to the Graduate Council along with the faculty's CV. The Council reviews the departmental selections to ensure that the faculty's credentials meet the established criteria. Over the past three years, 80 faculty have been added to the graduate faculty roster for a current total of 322 in 2010, representing 75% of the full-time faculty.
Degree requirements include specific learning experiences and outcomes appropriate to the discipline or profession. Students are expected to demonstrate mastery of a specialized area of knowledge through coursework and capstone experiences. Although faculty in programs that offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees are expected to assess the interdependence of the two programs as part of their graduate program review, this assessment is not consistently done across all programs. Although systematic processes to assess undergraduate and graduate programs have been developed and used regularly to review programs, existing graduate program review criteria do not include the expectation that programs demonstrate how assessment data are used to improve programs. In addition, graduate program review criteria do not call for external reviewers as is the case with undergraduate program reviews.
Projection
To ensure that programs receive sufficient resources, program needs will be identified on an individual basis as needed. Policies and procedures will also be developed to ensure that the Graduate Council and PRAC meet regularly to discuss program review information and to formulate recommendations for improvement. This process will allow for better assessment of the relationship and interdependence of undergraduate and graduate degree programs across the institution and assist programs and SCSU to use the data to improve programs.
The graduate program review criteria will be revised in fall 2011 to require evidence that data are being used to improve programs. Criteria and procedures for external review of non-accredited programs will be developed in fall 2011. In addition, by spring 2013, the Graduate Council will address the issue of differentiated expectations for course work at the graduate level.
Integrity in the Award of Academic Credit
Description
SCSU offers the following degree programs: B.A., B.S., B.S. (required for certification), M.A., M.F.A., M.S., M.S. (with certification), M.B.A., M.L.S., M.S.N., M.P.H., M.S.W., M.F.T., sixth year professional diploma, sixth year professional diploma (with certification), and Ed.D. SCSU's certificate programs are appropriately named. Degree programs follow conventions used at most American universities and are consistent with the NEASC policy on credits and degrees. Like many undergraduate programs across the country, the B.A. and B.S. degree programs require a minimum of 120 credits and should be completed within four years if students beginning their programs do not need substantial developmental course work. Although credit requirements for master's degree programs vary by discipline, SCSU's graduate programs conform to practices common among American institutions of higher education. For example, the M.S.W. degree requires 60 credits, the same number as the M.S.W. program at the University of Connecticut. Similarly, the Master of Library Science program is a 36-credit degree; in comparison, the University of Alabama's M.L.S. program is also a 36-credit program. No graduate program at SCSU requires fewer than 30 credits.
The university's catalogs and its Website are publicly available and describe all required and elective courses. Each school within the university has a course rotation plan designed to guarantee that courses will be offered with sufficient availability to enable students to graduate in a timely manner. Some academic departments, however, do not strictly follow their rotation plans to the letter. Departments are in the process of updating their rotation plans.
The UCF's Program Review and Assessment Committee (PRAC) evaluates programs' self-studies, which include site visits from external evaluators, on a seven-year cycle. Externally accredited programs submit a modified self-study. The Graduate Council plays a similar role in evaluating graduate programs, but currently graduate program review is conducted on a five-year cycle. As a way to ensure the quality of the instructional programs, faculty are regularly evaluated. The CBA outlines faculty evaluation guidelines for reappointment, promotion, tenure, and professional assessment (post-tenure review). These guidelines are further explicated in Faculty Senate Documents.
The Associate Vice President for Academic Student Services, supported by the Enrollment Management Council, oversees the admission, advisement, registration, and retention of students, as well as evaluation of transfer credits and other previous learning. The Associate Vice President for Assessment, Planning, and Academic Programs also oversees the aggregate assessment of student learning. Although SCSU does not yet offer any joint degree programs with other institutions, the CSUS BOT has approved the proposed collaborative Ed.D. in nursing education with Western Connecticut State University. The program is pending approval.
The UCF and the Graduate Council formulate and oversee policies regarding the award of academic credit, subject to the approval of the Provost. Established criteria exist for the award of credit earned through coursework at the university, study abroad, internships, and experiential learning activities. Study abroad programs entail either an SCSU faculty member leading a class in another country or students enrolling in classes at an overseas university under the auspices of the Office of International Programs. Students earn credits directly from SCSU if the study abroad is led by SCSU faculty or the credits are transferred in from the sponsoring institution. SCSU also has a robust internship program in many disciplines. Academic departments and programs sponsor internships with a pre-determined amount of faculty supervision. In political science, for example, all majors are required to take between 6-15 credits of supervised internship. Many of these students work as legislative aides in the state capitol. Both supervision by a faculty adviser and scrutiny of internship requests by the relevant department chairman/ program director and academic dean ensure that these experiences are comparable to more conventional classroom educational experiences and merit the award of academic credit. While some programs in the School of Health and Human Services include service learning opportunities, the university has no central clearinghouse for the review of service learning.
The university offers remedial course work (i.e., pre-collegiate) in English composition and mathematics, namely ENG 097 "Tutorial in Basic English" and MAT 095, "Elementary Algebra." ENG 097 is a non-credit course. Credits from MAT 095 count toward the determination of GPA, but not towards graduation. Neither of these courses counts toward either all-university requirements or toward any major.
Students can earn credit for prior experiential or non-collegiate sponsored learning in a variety of ways. In addition to earning at least a "3" or "4" (depending on the academic discipline) on Advanced Placement exams, students may waive a course and earn credit through the College Level Exam Program (CLEP). Veterans may earn credit for military experience through the Registrar's Office. Students may earn up to 12 credits through the cooperative education program, which integrates academics with workplace experience. Some academic departments accept credit for life/work experience awarded by Charter Oak State College's Portfolio Assessment Center. These policies and procedures are clearly outlined in both the catalog and on the SCSU Website.
The catalog explains the conditions under which students may continue in its academic programs as well as the conditions for termination. Undergraduates may continue to be matriculated at the university provided they maintain a 2.0 GPA. Some majors, such as nursing, social work, psychology, and sociology, have higher minimum GPA requirements for admission to and/or continuation in their particular programs. Undergraduates whose GPA falls below a 2.0 are either placed on academic probation or removed from full-time status, depending on the number of total credit hours the student has earned. Students may apply for re-admission if they were in good academic standing when they withdrew from the university. Students who were academically dismissed, however, need to attain probationary status at a minimum before the university will consider admitting them for full-time status. For undergraduates who had a weak academic beginning, the university offers the Fresh Start Option, under which SCSU re-admits students and does not take their previous record into consideration in determining GPA.
The undergraduate and graduate catalogs explain requirements to continue in and graduate from all programs. Undergraduates can also access an online degree evaluation to determine what courses they need to take in order to graduate. No online degree evaluation exists for graduate students at this time. Graduate students whose GPA is below a 3.0 are placed on academic probation. If after taking nine more credits a graduate student's GPA remains below 3.0, the student is dismissed from the program. A dismissed graduate student may reapply for admission after a period of one semester.
As the CBA states, "the determination of grades is the responsibility of the instructor of the course" (Article 4.2.2.2). In the event of a demonstrable "palpable injustice," a faculty member's grade can be overturned by the Department's Grade Appeal Committee (DGAC) or, if the department chairperson does not convene the DGAC, the University-wide Grade Appeal Committee (UGAC). If either the student or affected faculty member appeals the decision of a DGAC, the UGAC will make a final decision.
Of the 23 specific offenses mentioned in the student Code of Conduct, the very first mentioned are "acts of dishonesty," including "academic misconduct, including all forms of cheating and plagiarism." The university endeavors to educate students about the problems of cheating and plagiarism through the Student Handbook and the First-Year Experience program. The Director of Judicial Affairs, who reports to the Dean of Student Affairs, administers the judicial procedures that ensue from an alleged violation of the Code of Conduct. A newly proposed academic misconduct policy calls for a database to be maintained by the Office of Judicial Affairs to document all allegations of academic misconduct and to document multiple offenses by a student. This new policy will also clarify the appeal policy.
SCSU offers courses in a compressed format during three summer sessions, a four-week winter session, and a spring break session. The university schedules occasional eight-week courses during the regular fall or spring semester. Academic deans and the Registrar's Office ensure that the amount of contact time in such courses is consistent with standard classes.
Some deans require documentation to demonstrate that specialized courses, particularly writing-intensive courses, meet the university's stated expectations for such classes. Course evaluations are not consistently administered during abbreviated sessions. Faculty members teaching shorter courses use a variety of methods to enable students to reflect on their learning and analyze subject matter. For example, some faculty notify students in advance about course reading in order to provide students with the needed time to master works that could not readily be digested in an abbreviated session.
SCSU currently has one off campus location in East Lyme, Connecticut. A M.S. in Special Education has been offered at this location (and previously in Lisbon, CT) since 1995. SCSU faculty originally designed the program and recently updated it in collaboration with the on-site coordinator. Students enrolled in this cohort program have access to the same resources as on-campus students and are expected to meet the same program requirements. The Assistant to the Dean of the School of Education, who is also a special education department faculty member, oversees the program, participates in student orientation and performs on-site advisement. Beginning in fall 2011, graduate programs in educational leadership and reading will also be offered at the site.
Although SCSU currently offers only one fully online degree program (the MLS), a number of programs regularly offer online and/or hybrid courses. An analysis in fall 2010, however, revealed that only 108 of the approximately 2,124 sections (5.1%) university-wide were either online or hybrid sections. Nearly all of these online or hybrid sections were in eight programs: Information and Library Science, Management, MIS, School Health, Social Work, Special Education, Sociology, and Theatre. To ensure that students who register for online/hybrid courses are actually completing the course requirements, usernames and passwords are required to log into e-learning Vista, our current learning management system (LMS).
Evening and weekend courses are treated no differently than traditional weekday courses. SCSU strives to ensure that most programs offer courses in the evenings in order to serve students who have daytime commitments.
The university sponsors graduate certificate programs in the following areas: family nurse practitioner, nurse educator, clinical nurse leader, and women's studies. The department of Nursing and the Women's Studies program oversee and ensure the coherence and academic rigor of all of these programs. Certificate programs, as all graduate programs, are reviewed and approved by the Graduate Council prior to their implementation to ensure that they adhere to requirements for graduate curriculum.
SCSU has two transfer articulation agreements with Connecticut's community colleges to help ensure smooth transition from the two- to the four-year institution. One agreement guarantees admission and at least 60 credits in transfer to students with earned associate degrees. The other, called the Transfer Compact, allows students to be enrolled at any of the 12 Connecticut community colleges to be dually admitted and academically advised by staff at both the community college and the university. Additionally, a number of individual program-level articulation agreements are also in place, for example in nursing and early childhood education.
Undergraduates are permitted to earn no more than 90 of the required 120 overall credits at other institutions. The Office of Admissions oversees the integrity of undergraduate transfer credits, although a student may petition a department chairman if he or she believes a course taken elsewhere is equivalent to a course at SCSU. The acceptance of transfer credits does not reduce the amount of upper-division coursework required. Students are able to access information on course transfer equivalencies at SCSU on the university Website on the Transfer Articulation Request page, which enables students and faculty to search to determine whether or not a course taken at a feeder institution during a particular semester can be counted in lieu of a particular course at SCSU. This online database includes all 12 Connecticut community colleges, the other three CSUS universities, and nine other nearby institutions of higher learning.
The university imposes a far stricter limit on the proportion of credits a graduate student may transfer into a program than an undergraduate. While undergraduates may take up to three-quarters of their 120 credits at other institutions, graduate students may transfer no more than one-quarter of their credits to SCSU.
Appraisal
The university offers a wide array of undergraduate and graduate degree programs that conform to common practices in American institutions of higher education in terms of length and name of degree. All degree programs and requirements are described in the appropriate catalog, and each school has a planned rotation of courses. However, even if courses are planned to be offered on a pre-determined schedule, this does not guarantee that SCSU will necessarily have sufficient seats to accommodate student need in any given term. The university is in the process of finding ways to accommodate student need for seats, particularly in closed sections of courses that meet all-university requirements. In addition, not all departments follow their published course rotation plan, which may prevent students from completing a program within the expected time frame.
The university has taken steps to assure its compliance with the credit hour requirements. In spring 2011, the UCF and the Graduate Council each passed guidelines for syllabi language that specifies to students that the course will require at least two hours of work outside of class for each hour spent in class. A review of 998 course syllabi revealed that 74% of courses clearly demanded at least two hours of work outside of class. However, only 4% explicitly detailed to students that there would be a significant amount of work to be performed outside of class.
Clear policies exist for the award of credit through traditional courses, internships, independent study, and study abroad. These policies are developed and overseen collaboratively by faculty and academic administration. Although students may earn credit for some pre-collegiate level or remedial courses (MAT 095) and the grade earned in this course is used to calculate the GPA, credits for this course are not counted toward the degree.
Although an online degree evaluation for undergraduate programs is available through Banner, the current version has several limitations. The degree evaluations explicitly state, "This is NOT an official evaluation" (original emphasis) and that "Transfers of Exercise Science and W Courses for Transfer Credits are not reflected in the online degree evaluation." The university will work to refine the degree evaluation so that it is accurate and comprehensive. Online degree evaluations for graduate students would also be useful.
The requirements for admission, continuation, termination or readmission to academic programs are clearly described in the university's catalogs and on program Websites. Faculty are responsible for evaluating student work and awarding grades. As stated in the graduate catalog, "the integrity of scholarship is the cornerstone of the academic and social structure of the university;" (p. 38) as such, the university makes every effort through its published policies and course requirements to prevent cheating and plagiarism. Based on established policies, it is the responsibility of the faculty to address instances of cheating and/or plagiarism with students and determine a course of action. It is also up to the faculty to report instances of cheating and plagiarism to the appropriate personnel. A new proposed policy on academic misconduct will bring consistency to the reporting and appeal process. Although the university has improved policies and procedures to deal with academic dishonesty, it is agreed that the focus should be on prevention rather than punishment. Thus, academic honesty is addressed with students beginning with the FYE and New Student Orientation programs. Additional details are provided in Standards 5.
Off-campus and online courses are bound by the same academic standards as courses offered on campus. To ensure that online courses reflect best practices in online education, an ad hoc committee consisting of representatives from the UCF and Graduate Council has been established to create guidelines for online course development to be used by faculty and curriculum review bodies.
While evening courses adhere to the same academic standards as others, instructional support is more limited during the evening and weekend hours, although efforts have been made to expand support. For example, IT Help Desk hours have been expanded Monday to Thursday to better serve the needs of students and faculty engaged in evening classes. Due to recent severe budget cuts, further expansion of services may not be feasible at this time. Clerical support is also limited at night or on weekends, as are academic student services, such as Academic Advising.
Through articulation agreements among SCSU, community colleges, and other Connecticut institutions, students are able to transfer many courses completed at these other institutions to satisfy program requirements. Transfer equivalency information is available online and is updated regularly. The current transfer system calls for admissions staff to determine course equivalency based on information submitted by academic departments; students may appeal to the department chairperson. This process has sometimes led to students failing to receive appropriate credit. With the advent of the new LEP, more of this responsibility will rest with the Academic Advisement Center, and petitions will be directed to the director of the LEP rather than department chairmen.
Projection
To maintain and enhance the academic integrity of the degrees awarded, SCSU will improve its academic advisement processes; enhance its processes to monitor and prevent academic dishonesty; and ensure that courses offered in abbreviated sessions are comparable to those offered during the traditional academic semester. All departments will develop up-to-date course rotation plans and follow them closely so that students can plan their schedules and faculty can provide students with accurate academic advisement. The academic deans will ensure that such plans are developed, implemented, and regularly reviewed /revised to better meet student demand. To ensure that condensed courses (summer, winter session, spring break) are comparable to traditional offerings, faculty will compare course syllabi regularly, and evaluation of these courses will be conducted consistently. Compliance with the credit hour requirement will be monitored through syllabi reviews and faculty and student feedback.
To meet the needs of our students, the university intends to increase the number of online and weekend offerings. Thus, appropriate and adequate support for these areas is critical. SCSU plans to enhance the level of instructional support for evening and weekend classes, particularly in the area of information technology. Discussions are underway as to how best to accomplish this given the current resource limitations. The ad hoc committee studying best practices in online pedagogy will present its recommendations at the end of the 2011 fall semester.
The catalog will be corrected to include information on transfer equivalency, especially with respect to the new LEP, and how to appeal decisions related to transfer of credits. The undergraduate Admissions Office will ensure that transfer equivalency and LEP information is provided to community college students by working more closely with community college personnel. To strengthen the undergraduate academic advisement process, the Registrar will review and revise the online degree evaluation by fall 2013 so that it is accurate and comprehensive.
Assessment of Student Learning
Description
SCSU has a systematic approach to the assessment of student learning to promote academic excellence and improve academic program quality. Assessment is guided by clear statements of student learning outcomes, and assessment activities are coordinated through the university's Office of Assessment and Planning. The office assists academic units with all aspects of the assessment process, from data gathering to data interpretation, conducts institutional-level assessments, and prepares assessment reports for external constituencies. A variety of quantitative and qualitative as well as indirect and direct methods are used to measure student learning experiences and outcomes at the institutional, program, and course levels.
At the institutional level, SCSU participates in national initiatives such as the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA). Institutional-level assessment also includes the university's new First-Year Experience (FYE) program. Results of these and other institutional level assessments can be found on the Office of Assessment and Planning Website. Results of these assessments are analyzed and used to improve the quality of education across the institution. The Office of Assessment and Planning regularly provides the university community with the results of these assessments, and the implications of results are discussed at the institutional and program levels. For example, since 2007, SCSU has made a number of changes to the FYE program, all of which are based on analyses of the assessment data. Significant changes have also been made to New Student Orientation based on student survey data and faculty and staff feedback. A Peer Mentoring Program for the INQ courses has been developed, and a Common Read program instituted for all first-year students. Since 2008, all first-year students have been in learning communities, but in 2010, more intentional linkages were made between the courses in those communities. For instance, five of those communities were themed on environmental and sustainability issues, and the students and faculty in those communities worked with related projects across the campus.
Assessment of student learning is built into the LEP, at both the program and course levels. Each competency (Tier 1), area of knowledge (Tier 2), and discussion of values (Tier 3) has identified outcomes. New and revised course proposals for the LEP are submitted to the UCF for approval and must specify which outcomes are addressed in the course and how student learning with respect to the outcome (s) will be assessed. Each area will have an assessment process to collect and analyze program-level data regarding student learning. To date, Tier 1 areas of Written Communication, Quantitative Reasoning, and Multilingual Communication have developed assessment measures and have collected pilot data to use as baseline information and to refine the process and associated rubrics. Written Communication and Quantitative Reasoning have developed course-embedded assignments/tests with accompanying rubrics while Multilingual Communication is using a standardized assessment for student demonstration of world language proficiency.
At the program level, faculty governance bodies are responsible for ensuring curricular quality and are integrally involved in assessment of student learning and program review. A new process for undergraduate program review was initiated in fall 2008 that is coordinated by the institution's Program Review and Assessment Committee (PRAC), a standing committee of the university's UCF. Each undergraduate program is reviewed on a seven-year cycle using a set of 17 standards to assess program quality. Standards 3 and 4 specifically focus on assessment of student learning and the use of data for program improvement activities.
Graduate programs are reviewed by the Academic Standards Committee (ASC), a standing committee of the university's Graduate Council. Each graduate program is reviewed on a five-year cycle using a set of 17 criteria. Criteria 2 specifically relates to the identification of learning outcomes and methods of assessment.
Assessment of student learning at the undergraduate and graduate levels is faculty driven. Program faculty develop assessment measures, collect assessment data, and implement strategies to improve programs. Faculty play key roles in preparing self-study documents for the internal review of programs that includes assessment of student learning. The institution supports the program review process by providing departments with reassigned time credits to conduct assessment activities and technical support to collect and analyze assessment data. Departments are provided .5 workload credits per semester for undergraduate program review and assessment activities. These credits may be assigned each semester to a faculty member or accumulated over several semesters to be used for preparing the program's self-study. Assessment at the graduate program level is supported by providing each department with reassigned time for a graduate program coordinator. In terms of technical support, Tk-20 software was purchased to assist the School of Education in its assessment efforts and will be made available to other programs for assessment and accreditation data collection and analysis.
Program reviews at the undergraduate and graduate levels require that feedback be obtained from students, faculty, and alumni to provide program faculty with multiple perspectives regarding student learning. Some programs (e.g., Public Health, Computer Science, Communication Disorders) use advisory boards for additional external perspectives. Admittedly, the level of feedback received from alumni varies across programs. Nonetheless, efforts are made to gather and use information from multiple internal and external stakeholders.
At the course level, all syllabi include student learning outcomes and methods to evaluate these outcomes. A review of 998 course syllabi confirmed that faculty use a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods to measure learning outcomes, including exams, papers, group projects, presentations, field and practicum experiences.
The institution is committed to using appropriate methods and procedures to assess student learning and to using assessment data to improve programs and services. To that end, the university uses multiple points of assessment to determine the effectiveness of programs. For example, when assessing the FYE program, the institution uses self-assessment surveys administered to students at multiple points during the semester and NSSE survey data.
Appraisal
The institution has made a significant investment in the assessment of student learning as evidenced by assessment activities conducted at the institutional and program levels. The Office of Assessment and Planning supports assessment activities, and faculty are highly involved in the process. Data to assess student learning are collected at the institutional, program, and course levels. Given that a new process to review undergraduate programs was implemented in fall 2008, programs are at various stages in the process of using assessment data to make program improvements. However, the institution continues to make significant gains in this area.
All programs are reviewed regularly based on an established schedule. Currently, undergraduate programs are reviewed every seven years, while graduate programs are reviewed every five years. There has been discussion among faculty to extend the review of graduate programs to a seven-year cycle to more effectively use resources needed for programs to conduct internal assessment reviews as well as national accreditation reviews required for most of our professional programs. Although all graduate programs provide learning outcomes and methods of assessment as part of their five-year review, current review criteria do not explicitly require programs to describe how assessment data are used for improvement. However, many of the programs do include this type of data in their self-studies.
In addition to reporting assessment findings in self-studies for program review, each department completes an annual "Assessment Update" that summarizes the department's assessment activities and progress for the year, including any changes in learning outcomes or assessment methods, data collected and analyzed, and examples of how data were used in program-level decision making. An annual assessment report is submitted to the BOT and published on the SCSU Website. As documented in the "e series" forms, all undergraduate and graduate programs have clearly defined student learning outcomes that reflect the university's mission and are appropriate for the academic program. In addition, all undergraduate and graduate programs have developed methods to assess learning outcomes. Currently, 73% of programs have provided evidence of using assessment data to improve programs. For example, assessment data collected in the Geography Department resulted in more emphasis being placed on designing research and collecting data in two courses. In the Theatre Department, more emphasis was placed on genre, style, and literature and less on physical forms as a result of collecting and analyzing assessment data.
Assessment of learning outcomes includes surveying alumni and employers (for some programs), but the quality and quantity of data gathered from these sources has been uneven across programs. Externally accredited professional programs have been more successful in surveying alumni and employers; however, lack of a centralized university employer database makes this quite difficult for individual programs, especially in the arts and sciences, as their alumni may be employed in a wide variety of business and agency types.
A meta-analysis of alumni surveys administered over the past two years (undergraduate N=88; graduate N=119) indicated that the majority of alumni were very satisfied with their educational experience at SCSU. In terms of their interactions with faculty, the vast majority of students agreed or strongly agreed that faculty showed interest in their professional development, encouraged open discussion, used a variety of teaching and evaluation strategies, and were up-to-date in their field. With respect to program expectations, the vast majority of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that program requirements were made clear and that their program of study was well organized. However, approximately 30% of respondents (about equally divided between undergraduate and graduate students), disagreed or strongly disagreed that a sufficient number of courses were scheduled each semester to permit them to follow their plan of study.
The assessment process for the new LEP still needs to be fully developed and implemented. Although student learning outcomes have been established and built into program development, specific data collection methods and scoring protocols have not yet been finalized for all areas. Composition and selection of assessment committees for each Tier needs to be completed. Although some Tier 1 competency demonstrations have been established (for Written Communication, Multilingual Communication, and Quantitative Reasoning); others have yet to be done (e.g. Critical Thinking and Technological Fluency). Rubrics need to be developed for assessment in Tiers 2 and 3, as well as guidelines for composition and selection of faculty to collect student work. Results will be reported by course instructors or committees of instructors to the LEP Committee and LEP Director. Improvements will be made as needed by faculty committees in each Tier, Competency Coordinators in Critical Thinking and Technological Fluency, in consultation with the LEP Committee and the LEP Director.
Projection
To ensure that all graduate programs are using assessment data to improve student learning, program review criteria will be reviewed and revised as appropriate to reflect this requirement. A process and timeline for the implementation of external reviews for non-accredited programs will be developed by the Graduate Council this academic year. To streamline the program review process, the review cycle for graduate programs will be revised to be consistent with the undergraduate program review schedule. In addition, the institution will develop and implement strategies to enhance the collection of assessment data from alumni and employers.
As previously stated, all departments will develop up-to-date course rotation plans and follow them closely so that students can plan their schedules and faculty can provide students with accurate academic advisement. The academic deans will ensure that such plans are developed, implemented, and regularly reviewed /revised to better meet student demand.
Assessment processes for the remainder of Tier 1 competencies will be finalized by the end of fall 2011 and piloted during the spring 2012 semester. Data collection methods and rubrics for Tier 2 areas will be developed by fall 2012 and piloted during spring 2013.
The ad hoc joint committee of the Graduate Council and UCF on online education will develop guidelines for review of online courses/programs which will be incorporated in program reviews by end of fall 2012.
Institutional Effectiveness
As indicated in the undergraduate and graduate program review criteria, the primary purposes for conducting periodic evaluations is to ensure that quality, integrity, and effectiveness of academic programs are maintained or enhanced. As mentioned in the assessment of student learning section, graduate program review criteria currently do not include criteria related to program effectiveness; however, the criteria will be revised to include this expectation. Given that periodic review of undergraduate programs began in the fall of 2008 and is being phased in systematically, evidence that assessment data are being used to improve programs is not available yet for all programs. At the institutional level, the university has made a significant commitment to regularly assessing student learning and analyzing data to improve programs such as the First-Year Experience and the Liberal Education Program. At the program level, review criteria will be revised to ensure that departments are using evaluation data to improve their programs. At the undergraduate level, program improvement will be monitored regularly as the program review process is fully implemented.
