TIPS on Comprehensive Examination
Dr. Cintrón
Months before the test
· Review syllabi and class notes. What topics are repeated? Develop your set of references/citations. Remember to include the textbooks used in these courses. Make a list of the scholars who have been prolific and have produced a robust literature on various topics.
· Compare class notes with another student. Consider establishing a small study group (4-5 students). If you are studying in a group, remember to check or verify any information you get. That is, ultimately you are responsible for your own learning. Another tip, stop the group meetings two weeks before the test. Use this time to intensify your independent learning, memorize citations, facts, etc.
· Talk to students who have taken the examination.
· Discuss test expectations with faculty.
· Comprehensive examinations usually test your ability to integrate. That is, how is the information from this course related to another course or issue? How do you apply ‘x’ to ‘y’? What are the major issues, enduring enigmas and/or future trends in American Higher Education? What is the context of higher education (number of students? Institutions? Etc). It is also best to start studying for this type of test several months in advance. Studying for it the night before or even the weekend before will not ‘do it.’
· Confirm your Grad Audit; especially ‘electives’ or any other deviations from the Plan of Study.
· Questions about time, room, date? Contact COE/Student Affairs Office. By the way, you should receive an official letter from this office informing you on all these details. NO Letter? Call immediately the Student Affairs Office: 407-823-3723. This office is located in the Education Complex, Rm. 110.
The night before the test
· Go to bed early. Decide on a time you will stop studying and reviewing. Stop!
· Do not drink lots of liquids the night and morning before the test. Use your time writing not in the bathroom.
The day of the test
· Manage your time. Provide time at the end to review/revise
· Read the instructions:
EdD Comps: see handout
MA Comps: see handout
· Answer the question asked and NOT your own question. Answer it in the order it was presented; discuss each of the issues asked; introduce your answer by paraphrasing that part of the question you are answering.
· Use proper sentence construction and language (avoid slang).
· Be aware of the presentation of your work (neat, few mistakes or erased material, holes, etc)
· Be clear, organized and logical in the development of your answer. For example, if you say that you will discuss three major issues-discuss each one completely and do not mix issue 3 with 1—unless you explain to the reader how these issues are related/or not.
· Get to the room early. Do not get into debates about information or facts at this time. Anxiety is contagious; stay away from it. Who will be in the testing room? Many other students from other disciplines (usually with different requirements; thus, they may be leaving the room earlier/later than you!).
· The Golden Rule applies to this part of your education. Cheating, plagiarism and other dishonest behavior are not allowed and can cause your dismissal.
Additional resources:
http://www.uwc.ucf.edu/Grad%20Gateway/grad_level_writing/tips_comps.htm
This list comes from a compilation of resources from many universities which I found on Google under the subject: Comprehensive Examinations.
These are very preliminary ideas…YOU and only you are responsible for your learning.
DRAFT DRAFT Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership DRAFT DRAFT
Student Personnel Administration
ORGANIZATION AND CONTENT OF THE EXAMINATION
Part I. Specialization: College Student Personnel Administration is focused on Foundation Studies. Foundation Studies pertain to the historical and philosophical foundations of student affairs. It also includes issues related to the organization, management, practice and functions of student affairs. Students are expected to demonstrate an in-depth body of knowledge of theory, practice and scholarly literature reflecting unique specialization.
Part II. Specific Understanding of Higher Education poses questions that pertain to the historical and philosophical foundations of American colleges and universities. The emphasis areas include, but are not limited to, student development theory, student characteristics, the effect of college on students, the organization and administration of higher education, variables related to access and attrition, budgets and financial management. Students are expected to demonstrate a comprehensive and integrated understanding of theory, practice, and scholarly literature.
Part III. General Understanding of Higher Education. This part includes questions of, but is not limited to, professional issues, ethics, standards of practice, diversity of sectors and among students, staff, and administrators, advocacy for student learning, career development, major forces (issues, events, law or acts, leaders, etc) which promote democratization in higher education, classical and contemporary documents of the discipline, program and intervention design and assessment, prominent research (including a variety of methodologies and the necessity of adhering to a human subject review), value of practica and internships, and the relevance of current practices and trends. Students are expected to demonstrate a comprehensive and integrated understanding of theory, practice, and scholarly literature.
READING THE EXAMINATION
Responses to each question on the comprehensive examination will be evaluated by a professor who is particularly knowledgeable in the area. Other possible faculty-readers may be assigned by the program coordinator.
SCORING THE EXAMINATION
All examination questions are scored using a five-point scale with three (3) being the minimum passing score. If the faculty-readers disagree as to whether the question has been passed or failed, another reader will be assigned. Answers to examination questions will be evaluated using the following criteria:
1. Conceptual knowledge
2. Factual knowledge
3. Application
4. Supportive Research
5. Reasonability
6. Communication skills (Written and Organization)
GRADING THE EXAMINATION
The final decision as to the student’s ‘Passing,’ ‘Passing on Condition,’ or ‘Failing’ is reached
by faculty involved in preparing and evaluating the examination. If the faculty determines that the student has attained a ‘Passing on Condition,’ the student will be required to demonstrate competency in the area of deficiency. This could require completing additional written work or an oral examination or rewriting that portion of the examination within a prescribed time frame.
Source:
-Informational Handbook Master’s Degree Programs in Educational Leadership
-Web site: http://education.ucf.edu/edleadership. Search under ‘Handbooks’
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
Student Personnel Administration
Fall 2007
Part I. Specialization: College Student Personnel Administration
Instructions: Answer questions 1 and 2. Support your response by citing scholarly research, literature and effective practices.
1.According to Nuss (2003) the ‘development of student affairs parallels that of American higher education…An understanding of this evolution provides an essential context for understanding today’s student affairs programs, services, events and tensions…(p. 65). Nonetheless, we can trace the development of student affairs as a unique profession from the role of in loco parentis to the creation of specialized functions to the organizational patterns seen in student affairs today.
Assume that you are Dr. Sullivan (VP/Student Affairs) who has been invited to present to a group of international colleagues the unique history of student affairs in the United States. Your presentation must cover these areas: (1) The roots of today’s comprehensive student affairs programs (2) legislation and forces that impacted its growth and diversification, and (3) the emergence of the profession, with special mention of (a) professional preparation and (b) the Student Personnel Point of View.
2. President Donna Colbert, along with her colleagues at other state universities, was faced with a major funding crisis. The reality of retrenchment, recycling and reallocation of resources became a specter on campus. The state legislature asked each university president to find areas for cutbacks or elimination. Pres. Colbert immediately called an emergency meeting of the Executive Council which included the VP/Student Development and Enrollment Services, Dr. Pickard. Each member of the Council was directed to come up with a plan for cutbacks in faculty and staff positions and to prepare for funding cuts of 5 to 25 percent. Due to a decentralized decision making process, cutback recommendations were made in the various operating units. Public hearings were held to gain views from all members of the university community. VP Pickard, her staff, as well as faculty members, went through agonizing meetings about which programs to cut back or eliminate. In university-wide meetings, some faculty leaders (many members of Faculty Senate) called for ‘shared poverty’ to save jobs. In other platforms some other faculty leaders were calling for support of the idea to put money behind the hiring of younger stellar and national prominent faculty in areas promising federal grants and significant funding from private foundations. In the midst of these excruciatingly painful and sensitive decisions, President Colbert, with the support of the board of trustees, offered top salaries exceeding $200, 000 to internationally renowned scholars in their respective fields in order to maintain the prestige of the university.
As Dr. Pickard, how would you respond to hiring these scholars during a period of economic downturn? What are the dilemmas or competing interests presented by this case study? Are there ethical issues in this case study--Explain? Her decisions will be based on two options, only: (1) shared poverty or (2) hiring stellar faculty. Discuss the pros and cons of such decision making with special emphasis on the perspectives from the various stakeholders for the Division of Student Affairs (e.g., staff, students, and parents).
BEWARE: there may be different permutations of the format appearing on the next pages: answer 2 out of 4; 3 out of 8, etc.
Part II. Specific Understanding of Higher Education
Instructions: Answer one question from each specific area (A-B-C). Support your response by citing scholarly research, literature and effective practices.
A. History and Philosophy of American Higher Education
1. Discuss the development of the American State University. Include in your discussion notions of democratization; past and future trends, and the major contributions of this sector.
2. Discuss the historical development of cathedral church schools to universities. Include in your discussion notions such as teaching guilds, curriculum, a description of a typical day of a medieval student and the contribution of the medieval university to contemporary colleges and universities.
B. The College Community and the Student
1. Discuss two cognitive college student development theories. Identify (a) the scholars associated with each and elaborate on (1) the theoretical constructs (2) strengths and criticisms of these theories, and (3) future areas of research.
2. One of the most widely cited college student development theorists is Arthur Chickering. Discuss this theory by (a) presenting each of the vectors (b) providing a brief example on how 2 of the vectors apply to a first-year student, and (c) presenting the strengths and criticisms of this theory.
C. Finance in Higher Education
1. Debate the pro and cons of free public higher education.
2. List, explain, and give examples of three broad sources of financial support for student enrolled in American public colleges and universities.
Part III. General Understanding of Higher Education
Instructions: Answer two of the following questions. Support your response by citing scholarly research, literature and effective practices.
1. Select one of the traditional functions of college student personnel and discuss how it serves students, why it is important to a Division of Student Development, and how it supports the academic mission.
2. The ‘new’ theories of career development are evolving on the basis of criticisms of earlier models. Discuss the nature of these criticisms and how these are being addressed.
3. You are invited to give a speech on two major historical highlights of American Higher Education. Write your brief introductory remarks.
4. Compare and contrast the organization and administration of a public college or university in the 1930s and 2007. What changes in higher education and in our country best explain these similarities and/or differences?
DRAFT DRAFT EdD Degree in Educational Leadership DRAFT DRAFT
EdD - Higher Education Specialization - EdD
ORGANIZATION AND CONTENT OF EXAMINATIONS
The Educational Leadership Core Examination is focused on the five (5) courses comprising the Educational Leadership Core. It is a five-hour examination typically administered on Monday of the scheduled examination week. Students are expected to demonstrate a comprehensive and integrated core of theoretical and practical knowledge in each of the core areas.
The Specialization Examination is a three-hour examination usually administered to students on Tuesday of the scheduled examination week. This examination poses questions that call on students to demonstrate their ability to write in area(s) of specialization. This requires that students integrate content from various courses as well as requiring them to relate the area of concentration and/or specialization to other aspects of the students’ preparation (course work and experiential base). Students are expected to demonstrate an in-depth body of concentrated knowledge that reflects unique preparation.
The Research and Statistics Examination (competency certification) is completed as part of the research and statistics sequence of courses. Students are required to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and skill in the area of research and statistics. (Research Competency Certification form can be obtained in COE/Student Affairs Office.)
READING THE EXAMINATION(S)
Responses to each question on the Educational Leadership core examination will be evaluated by professors who are particularly knowledgeable in the area. Additionally, each specialization examination will be read by the student’s advisor. Readers will be assigned by the program coordinator. Should there be marked variability between the evaluations of a question; additional evaluators may be assigned to read the student’s response.
SCORING THE EXAMINATIONS
Students are assigned numbers and remain anonymous during the scoring process. All examination questions are scored using a five-point scale with three (3) being the minimum passing score. If the faculty-assigned readers disagree as to whether the question has been passed or failed, another reader will be assigned. Answers to examination questions will be evaluated using the following criteria:
1. Conceptual knowledge
2. Factual knowledge
3. Application
4. Supportive Research
5. Reasonability
6. Communication skills (Written and Organization)
GRADING THE EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP EXAMINATION
The final decision as to the student’s passing or failing the doctoral examination is reached in a faculty meeting attended by those persons involved in preparing and evaluating the examination. The student’s name and all scores for each student will be available to Educational Leadership faculty members prior to the final decision on each student. If the student fails the doctoral examination, the entire examination will be rewritten no sooner than the next test administration. The student may retake the entire examination only two times.