HMS Graduate Faculty Meeting

September 22, 2017

Agenda

1)HMS Graduate Student PLOs

Coordinators’ meeting with John Callihan. Paradigm shift in assessing our programs. What do we want from our students? We are not confined to the existing PLOs with 2 assessment methods for each. Do not have 2 assessment methods for each PLO. Assessment does not have to occur yearly and does not have to be assignment related. Anything that assesses quality of learning. We are doing the same thing over and over; JC challenges us to select 1-2 things that are important. The assessment does not have to be longitudinal. Are there student-performance deficit trends?

Rachel’s input: if students achieving 75% or whatever the marker of success, then perhaps a new goal or PLO.

Substituting can occur in the HMS core. Cannot substitute courses where a PLO is measured. HMS 500, 502, and 540 is the general core. Where are we going to move our PLOs, if needed. PLO does not have to be assigned to a class (but how would it be measured?).

  • Do not sub 500; it is the intro to HMS.
  • Do not sub research tools (SOC 550 and 551).

540 is cross-listed, and LM does not think it is a good course because it is an undergrad course with an additional assignment/paper. It is not a true grad course.

2)HMS Core/Graduate Degree plan

If a core course needs to be dropped per a special student situation, then 502 makes the most sense. It is the one to drop. (There are 3 PLO assessment methods currently on the books from 502).

Causin distributed a list of campus face-to-face research methods and statistics classes.

Kang shared a list of campus online research methods and statistics classes: Public Administration 505 and 507; Sociology 550 and 551.

Causin recommends HMS faculty develop an HMS methods and stats course. Martin commented that we need to develop our content courses first because there are not 18 hrs available in any HMS major.

HMS 575, 520, and 526 are courses to remember.

Proposal: reduce HMS core to 9 hrs.

Donna: Collaborate session with her students. Lots of questions about theses. Six of students changed their mind from non-thesis to thesis. All are nervous about the thesis. They should select a research thread early on in the HMS grad classes and then pull it all together in HMS 589 and 590.

It is the student’s choice who he/she wishes to serve on the thesis committee. The student selects the topic; the committee helps them to fine-tune and shape the topic.

The core can be substituted…except 500 and 502.

3)Thesis timeline

Graduate advisors are directed to see the HMS Graduate Handbook.

4)Other issues

Next Graduate Faculty meeting scheduled for Friday, Oct. 13, 2017.