Establish a schedule for small and whole group faculty data analysis and program improvement meetings. An important part of the assessment plan is to have an opportunity for faculty to discuss and evaluate where changes might need to be made based on the results of the assessment. These conversations and resulting adjustments probably already occur regularly, but the process of program assessment makes those efforts more intentional and allows those changes to be documented.

 

Adding more Real-World Scenarios

Program: AAS in Photonics and Laser Technology

Program Learning Outcomes: Graduates will apply knowledge with laser systems, electronics, optics and electro-optics.

Data Source: Key 2nd Year exams

Results and Closing the Loop: Based on the lower than expected lecture final scores for the 2nd year courses, the program faculty are implementing out of class projects called “Workplace Scenarios” into the 2nd year photonics courses, These workplace scenarios are example problems that a graduating student would see in the industry and thus gives the students real-world scenarios that help tie lecture theory to the work they will be doing in industry and also exercises the skills they are learning during lecture.

Program: Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology MS and PhD

Program Learning Outcome: Attain research expertise, including grant writing experience, and complete original research that advances a specific field of study within one of three broad subject areas represented in the department.

Results and Closing the Loop:The Department addressed an issue identified from previous assessments, which involved the need to offer opportunities for graduate students to improve their written communication skills with respect to writing grant proposals and preparing manuscript for peer-reviewed journals. This resulted in a special topics course offering, Graduate Writing and Professional Development, during Fall Semester 2019, which was taught by Drs. Ryan Thum, Jennifer Lachoweic, and Mac Burgess. This course had an enrollment of 15 graduate students and in the end had high student evaluations. It will become part of the regular course offerings so that PSPP graduate students have the opportunity to hone writing communication skills. The reason for maintaining this graduate student course offering is that “graduate students need to develop research ideas into compelling proposals. This course offers a formal structure and support system for graduate students to develop and articulate their research ideas, conceptual and theoretical frameworks, and methodologies.” (quoting the course syllabus and the related CIM document).

Making change in program standards

Program: AAS in Interior Design

Program Learning Outcome: Employ up-to-date industry methods to create presentations and information organization for a wide variety of applications by using hand and/or computer drafting, rendering and modeling programs.

Assessment Result: There was a consistent pattern of difference in drafting/graphic standards from the students. The feedback that was provided by the students was that some instructors liked to have info presented in a certain way or they had not been shown the information that was required for the lighting.

 Action: The faculty got together and redrew the Graphic Standards. This allows [the faculty] to agree on format but also for students to use the pages throughout their years at Gallatin College to refer to a solid standard that is used by all. It is being rewritten each year to provide the needed reference points for lighting, construction, and deviations.