APPENDIX III

College (Undergraduate/Graduate), Department, Major, Use of Results (Improvements Made)

College of Business and Organizational Leadership
The College of Business and Organizational Leadership made the change to a 7-week, 4 credit standard for all cohort classes this past year, which required all programs to redesign their curriculum.
In CBOL, ethics and practical application have been assessed in all programs, undergraduate, graduate, traditional, and cohort for the past 3 years and recorded in eLumen. The results show that CBOL students are generally very strong on practical application. They can take theoretical concepts and apply them aptly to practical situations in organizations. While this has always been a hallmark of the adult-learner oriented cohort programs, even the traditional students are able to apply their knowledge as they engage in part-time work and internships. The assessment of ethics demonstrates the strides that can be made through focused integration of ethics throughout the curriculum. Every program in CBOL has ethics components in varied places throughout the curriculum map, and as ethics are taught, the students improve. Assessment data now shows 90% of CBOL students scoring at an accomplished or exemplary level in ethics by the end of their programs.
This past year, each major developed and captured in eLumen one Student Learning Outcome (SLO) specific to the major. In the coming year, a second one will be added along with at least one university outcome in each program. Adjuncts were trained in the use of eLumen this year, and further training will allow more adjunct faculty to enter data into eLumen as the assessments take place.
Department / Major / Use of Results
Undergraduate
Traditional / Accounting (BB.A.)
Finance (BB.A.)
Marketing (BB.A.)
Business Management (B.A.BM) / The ETS, a national field test for business majors was administered in the final semester of the students’ senior year. CSP students scored in the 86th percentile this year, ranked against 438 colleges and universities nationally. The results show a great improvement over previous years, where Concordia consistently scored close to or slightly above the 50th percentile for over a decade. The improved scores are attributed to 1. Better sequencing of courses in the majors, 2. Preparation for the test in their capstone course, and 3. Several exceptionally bright students this year.
Sequencing of courses has improved through more consistent advising, allowing students to take courses throughout the program in a logical order, and ensuring that most students in any given course have had the prerequisites needed to succeed. Getting the transfer students and those who declare their major in their junior year to take courses in the proper sequence continues to be a scheduling challenge.
Assessment of student learning is done throughout the programs, revealing weak results in ethics, oral presentation skills and quantitative reasoning in the initial courses, but improving by the senior year. Increasing the time spent on teaching oral presentation skills has proven successful in bringing the caliber of student presentations to a higher level than in previous years. Final projects in each of the majors focused on integration of skills and concepts. The Accounting majors produce a detailed budget, the Finance majors have a project requiring multinational financial analysis and risk assessment, the Marketing majors produce a strategic marketing plan, and the Business Management majors build and manage teams for a term project. Most students achieve an accomplished or exemplary level of competence in their major project. Increased emphasis on internships is recommended to give students confidence in applying specific theoretical concepts to real situations.
This was the first year the B.A.BM created an assessment report and the first time in several years that assessment reports for each of the majors was written. Assessments captured with eLumen include the CBOL outcomes of ethics and practical application as well as at least one outcome specific to the major. In the coming year an additional program-specific assessment will be recorded in eLumen for each of the majors.
CBOL Graduate Cohort
Management
& Leadership / M.A. in Leadership & Management (MALM)
M.A. in Human Resource Management (HRM) / Students in MALM and HRM produce Action Research Projects/Papers (ARPs), which are culminating works integrating concepts learned throughout the program and presented in the final capstone course. HR faculty indicated that students begin the program at a developing level in area of action research, but 80-90% finish at the accomplished or exemplary level, although few are actually exemplary. To improve this area further, faculty believe Action Research should be introduced, reinforced, and measured at the beginning, middle and end of the program. MALM faculty noted that while students score at the accomplished or exemplary level in ethics, a gap exists between what students know to be right and what they are willing to risk to do the right thing. Ethics has been embedded in each course to further emphasize the importance of applying the Stewardship Principles to managerial decisions.
A shift to seven-week courses from five-week courses has improved students’ mastery of concepts and skills.
MBA / Master of Business Administration (MBA) / The culminating project for MBA students is the Managerial Application Portfolio (MAP), which integrates concepts from various courses in the program. Many students achieve exemplary results, and the students have developed a more global and strategic orientation to commerce. “While we have made progress on better integrating the learning from course to course, there is still work to do to fit academic content and course deliverables to the final MAP. We have met several times formally as a faculty and had numerous informal conversations on this subject. We have adjusted course assignments in a couple of courses but still have not found the perfect formula. A clear goal for this next year is to create a logical and seamless build for the MAP.”
“Our developing students with greater analytical skills have also been cited. Last year, we wanted to be more intentional in preparing students with a greater strategic thinking perspective. In our modifications of all of our syllabi we worked diligently and successfully to that end. We are now openly sharing, discussing, and building assignments, DB’s, and other learning outcomes towards CBOL Stewardship Principles.”
Criminal Justice / M.A. in Criminal Justice Leadership (MACJ) / Students create an e-folio in their capstone course, which enables them to synthesize their work, reflect, and assess their own learning. Leadership, law, writing, and research are assessed in the e-folio. More scenario-based exercises are being planned for inclusion in the assignments and discussion boards for next year to improve practical application of the material. Uniform grading rubrics were developed this year for all courses and are shared with the students. This provides for more faculty consistency in grading and gives students a better understanding of instructor expectations.
CBOL Undergraduate Cohort
The undergraduate cohort model underwent significant changes this past year in moving to a consistent 7-week/4-credit structure for every course in the program.
Management & Leadership / B.A. in Organizational Management & Leadership (OML)
B.A. in Information Technology Management (ITM) / The Applied Synthesis Project in OML and the Applied Research Project in ITM are the culminating deliverables in these programs, demonstrating a high level of writing, ethics, and practical application in most students. Writing is taught and reinforced in early courses since many students enter the program with inadequate writing skills. Reflection and practical application are noted as strengths, although in ITM, moving students to make strategic plans based on their reflection continues to be a challenge. Faculty are using the new 7-week/4-credit structure to better align courses and reconfigure their curriculum maps. Consistency in adjunct grading has improved due to increased training and use of rubrics.
Marketing / B.A. in Marketing Management (MKM)
B.A. in Food Retail Marketing (FRM) / Good practical application and disciplined time management are hallmarks of the marketing students, especially the FRM majors. All marketing students produce a business plan as a culminating project at the end of the program. Marketing strategy, writing, and practical application are assessed through this capstone activity. While the FRM students tend to be more mature and experienced than the MKM students, they struggle more with writing. Cohesiveness in the program and more integration of technology in the teaching are goals for the coming year. As courses are rewritten for the 7 week model, curriculum maps will be redesigned to ensure that writing, critical thinking, and ethics are reinforced and measured throughout the programs.
Criminal Justice / B.A. in Criminal Justice (CJ) / The current portfolio handbook is being reviewed. Student project changes are being considered for the Portfolio course to enhance student involvement and better evaluate their program learning outcomes. Ethics and practical application are strengths of the program, with over 95% of students assessed at accomplished or exemplary levels. Writing has improved but is being addressed earlier in the program to bring the achievement of the students to a higher level. Syllabi have been modified and standardized in order to facilitate student navigation of the syllabus.
College of Arts and Sciences 2011-12
Art / B.A. – Art / The Art department acknowledges the challenge of designing specific assessment rubrics and applying them to a) a small body of students (small data sample) and b) a somewhat subjective discipline that focuses on the development of the art/artist and not on a finished product.
Designing clear, specific rubrics that will yield clear assessment information continues to be a goal. Current rubrics do not seem effectively evaluate student performance. Faculty are concerned that knowing the wording of the rubrics not might be helpful as they may result in “teaching to a test” or stifling creativity.
A specific strength of the program and demonstration of student learning is the opportunity students have in presenting their work in a professional gallery space.
Biology / B.A./B.S. / Learning outcomes for the major have been reviewed by the department for possible revision, and revisions have been made based on the results of previous assessment.
Multiple assessment activities are used to assess learning outcomes across the program with assessment activities intentionally and systematically coordinated across the program.
The department has worked to achieve consistency between faculty in scoring assessment data in order to have the clearest picture of student achievement.
The department continues to emphasize research, internship experiences and problem solving skills rather than having the goal to be about simply learning content. They have begun to shift the focus more towards applied learning and are incorporating additional research and problem based learning into classes. Assessment is heavily focus on evaluating applied skills.
Communication Studies / B.A. - Communication Studies / Strengths of the program include linking theory with practice, particularly in the area of service learning and multicultural experiences. Intercultural communication skills and experiences have improved, partially based on integrating classroom activities into campus life. Goals of the department include: to continue learning more and implementing more social media strategies into courses, to possibly include a “communication of civility” focus into COM 103 to address a general decline in “courteous communication” in the current generation of students, and to develop an eLumen professionalism rubric for internships
The department aspires to “shore up” their overall assessment activities across the major, which has been greatly impacted by a reduction in full time faculty and a reliance on (temporary) adjunct faculty.
English and Modern Languages / B.A. - English / The English Major was redesigned in 2010-11. The department noted the need to revisit SLOs to reflect the newly designed major, specifically in the area of writing assessment. A recurring theme of the department’s assessment noted difficulty achieving student compliance in completing assignments. Pedagogical solutions include distributing the weighting of course assignments more evenly to acquire more consistent student compliance and gradual assessment of student learning. Knowledge of literature, the retention of knowledge of literary movements (Goals #1 &#5) are of particular concern. Particular emphasis in the areas of literary movements, genres and theory (traditionally weak areas) will be pursued. The department also discussed ways to improve teaching the “nuts and bolts” of writing, including grammar rules.
Child and Family Education / B.A. - Family Life Education / Learning outcomes for the program are clear, specific, and measurable, and the number of learning outcomes is manageable for the program. Formal assessment currently occurs at the end of a student’s progression through the program. As there were no graduates in the major in 2011-12 the department reported insufficient data regarding student learning.
History / B.A. - History / The history department has been focusing on four primary areas of learning: research skills through use of technology and online databases, more intensive written work, content knowledge and a global and civic focus. Minors in Political Science, Hmong Studies, and International Studies have broadened the options available to students. As a result, more courses with specific specific global and international focus are being offered. Many students (especially in Political Science) complete community projects to help satisfy civic engagement learning goals. The department recognizes the need for more detailed learning outcomes which they plan to develop, and improving the collection of assessment data.
Math / B.A. – Math / Assessment across the curriculum is clearly designed in the math major. The department plan to share new technologies and teaching strategies within the department (faculty) demonstrates a commitment to improving student learning and teaching. Department faculty proactively pursue adjunct faculty training re: assessment procedures and outcomes expectations. The department notes some trouble with measuring the outcomes at the highest levels, and that content (retention of specific content) is challenging for Seniors.
Music / B.A. – Music
B.A. – Music
Education
B.A. – Church Music / Seven main learning outcomes are clearly identified, many of them having subcomponents. A variety of assessment activities were reported that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge, skill, and understanding in various ways. The assessment results were extremely detailed for each outcome including specific percentages. The department assessment report includes recommendations for improvement where needed.
Social and Behavioral Sciences / B.A. - Criminal Justice / Emphasis on use of ETS scores to demonstrate consistent and positive student learning. While there is a disconnect between Student Learning Outcomes achieved and SLOs listed as goals for the major students are completing the ETS test with scores slightly above the national mean. Primary assessment of student learning (reported) occurs in final outcomes exams at the end of collegiate study. The department will look at incorporating assessment of student learning earlier in the curriculum in order to monitor student learning prior to a final outcome. There is a strong theory to practice emphasis via the department’s internship program.
B.A. - Psychology / Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) and activities are spread across the curriculum at various levels, leading students to achievement in upper level courses and capstone activities. The department has precise data indicating student’s strengths and areas of weakness. The department is being more intentional in sharing the learning outcomes and rubrics so students have better understanding of the course expectations.
B.A. - Sociology / Assessment data and ETS scores indicate strong student learning. Sociology students continue to score above the national average on overall knowledge about sociology. Linking theory to practice is always a challenge for students. One proposed curriculum change is making the sociology internship required for all majors. The department also noted the challenge of mentoring sociology students and majors without any fulltime faculty to spearhead the program.
Theatre & Dance / B.A. - Theatre / The theater department demonstrates a clear effort to assess the wide variety of skills and outcomes involved in a theatre major across their curriculum and to offer courses that integrate skills (when possible) and offer a balance of educational opportunities. Areas to improve in student learning are noted (written analysis; increased activity/exposure to the technical aspects of theatre production).
The department has seen an increased sense of craftsmanship from their majors. The data and course work show a high appreciation for the fundamentals of the art form – history, theory, and aesthetics. A greater desire on the part of students to become better performers is demonstrated by an increase in quality of the capstones, as well as by the overall quality of student performances.