SACSCOC Fifth Year Interim Report
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Assessment : 2011 - 2012 : Educational Programs :
Agriculture BS (Animal Science)
Agriculture BS (Animal Science)
2 Goals 2 Objectives 2 Indicators 2 Criteria 2 Findings 2 Actions
| GOAL: Knowledge Of Key Concepts And Skills |
| Objective |
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Students will be able to demonstrate competency in key areas of animal science leadership. |
| Indicator |
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All students enrolled in the program must complete an advanced animal production course in their final year of enrollment. Advance animal production courses address key concepts and skills relevant to the field of agriculture. Each semester seven randomly selected student assignments from advanced production courses will be reviewed by faculty members with expertise in the field of agriculture. Faculty members will score the assignments using a scale of 1 - 5 with 3 "meets expectations," 4 "exceeds expectations," and 5 "far exceeds expectations." |
| Criterion |
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There will be a general consensus among Animal Science Faculty members that at least 70% of the students enrolled in the advanced production course will perform at an acceptable level with a score of 3 (meets expectations) or higher, especially in the areas of scientific information and documentation as well as grammar, weakness that emerged in 2010-2011 assessment. Although we averaged a 4.1 last year, and average includes those below that point although they still might "meet expectations." Thus, the standard will remain at 3 (meets expectations) for now. |
| Finding |
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Students evaluated in AGRI 4380 averaged a 3.8 on their evaluation rubric. Weakness included: order of material, information provided and clarity. Grammar was improved from previous assessment. The projects were also neat with relative conclusions. AGRI 4389 averaged a 4.0 on their evaluation. The rubric revealed weaker areas of scientific documentation and grammar. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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Writing exercises will be an expectation from the Advanced Production Animal Science courses. Projects will emphasize: scientific knowledge, grammar, clarity and proper documentation. The writing center will be a recommended activity. Prerequisites of technical writing will be considered by faculty. |
| GOAL: Develop Professional Skills |
| Objective |
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| Students completing the BS in Animal Science will demonstrate skills necessary to compete in the professional marketplace. |
| Indicator |
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| All students seeking a degree in Animal Science will be required to complete AGRI 4120 during their senior year. The course addresses essential skills necessary to compete in the market place for agriculture employment - resume preparation, interview skills, and employment opportunities. Faculty will review student assignments and access student performance on selected assignments using a faculty-developed rubric. |
| Criterion |
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| Faculty evaluations will indicate that at least 70% of the students enrolled in AGRI 4120 will perform at an acceptable level and score a 3 (meets expectations) or higher on a scale of 1-5. Organization, grammar and content were identified as areas needing improvement in 2010. We averaged 4.1 but will leave the standard at 3.0 for this assessment period. |
| Finding |
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| Resumes and cover letter were assessed for selected Animal Science students. Average score was 4.0 of selected students: students resumes and letters were clear and concise yet slight grammatical errors were observed with wordiness concerns. Faculty will emphasize these weaknesses. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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Though the students exceeded the expected outcome of 3.0, faculty are concerned with information provided (wordiness) and grammatical errors on letters and resumes. The standard will remain for now. |
| Closing the Loop |
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Numerically on average the student outcomes exceeded the projected mark. Faculty will assess scientific writing assignments within the curriculum and review curriculum prerequisites of technical writing skills. The writing center will be included as an objective to utilize. To enhance marketing skills and professionalism, students will be encouraged to utilize the placement center and other professionals for assistance in business writing and resumes.
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