SACSCOC Fifth Year Interim Report
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Assessment : 2011 - 2012 : Educational Programs :
Statistics MS
Statistics MS
2 Goals 2 Objectives 2 Indicators 5 Criteria 5 Findings 2 Actions
| GOAL: Deliver A Curriculum With Appropriate Discipline Specific Skill Sets |
| Objective |
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| Students will have a working knowledge of the foundational topics including regression analysis, design of experiments, multivariate analysis, and mathematical statistics (Bayesian analysis, biostatistics, quality control, nonparametric statistics, sampling theory, and statistical computing). |
| Indicator |
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A comprehensive oral examination, given by a committee of four faculty members, will be administered to candidates for the degree of M.S. in Statistics which will examine the candidate's knowledge of the primary areas of concentration within the program, as well as the candidates own communication abilities. The committee will then judge the candidates' knowledge of the material according to a previously agreed upon rubric with three levels of comparison: High Pass, Pass, and Fail. |
| Criterion |
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| All candidates will receive a mark of either "High Pass" or "Pass" for the Multivariate Analysis component of the comprehensive oral exam. The rubric used is the same one shown in the "Mathematical Statistics" criterion. |
| Finding |
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| Seven students received a "pass" in multivariate analysis. A common issue seemed to be lack of a strong knowledge base. |
| Criterion |
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| All candidates will receive a mark of either "High Pass" or "Pass" for the Regression Analysis component of the comprehensive oral exam. The rubric used is the same one shown in the "Mathematical Statistics" criterion. |
| Finding |
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| Seven students received a "pass" in regression analysis. While there were some small, correctable statistical errors, most candidates displayed an adequate knowledge of the material. |
| Criterion |
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| All candidates will receive a mark of either "High Pass" or "Pass" for the Mathematical Statistics component of the comprehensive oral exam. |
| Finding |
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| All seven students received a "high pass" in mathematical statistics. |
| Criterion |
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All candidates will receive a mark of either "High Pass" or "Pass" for the Design of Experiments component of the comprehensive oral exam. The rubric used is the same one shown in the "Mathematical Statistics" criterion. |
| Finding |
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| Seven students received a "high pass" in design of experiments. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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| All seven candidates were able to receive "high pass" or "pass" on their comprehensive examinations. Because students seemed to struggle somewhat in regression and multivariate statistics, the faculty will re-examine the course material. It has not been an issue in the past, so it may well be that this was a one-time occurrence. |
| GOAL: Deliver A Curriculum That Emphasizes Communication Skills |
| Objective |
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Students will be able to prepare and deliver oral presentations of mathematical material based on a statistics practicum. Students will develop the ability to critique problems, and provide their own solutions based on statistical analysis. |
| Indicator |
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| A statistics practicum, under the guidance of one of the faculty members, and assessed by a committee of four faculty members, will be administered to candidates for the degree of M.S. in Statistics which will examine the candidate's knowledge of the primary areas of concentration within the program, as well as the candidates own communicative abilities. The committee will then judge the candidates' ability to effectively communicate mathematical ideas according to a previously agreed upon rubric with three levels of comparison: High Pass, Pass, and Fail. |
| Criterion |
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All candidates will receive a rating of either "High Pass" or "Pass" by the members of the examining committee during the practicum assessment according to the attached rubric. |
| Finding |
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| Seven students completed their practicum this academic year. All seven received a "high pass." |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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| The results this year were very encouraging in light of the fact that all of the students doing the practicum this year were international students. They have made great progress in their written and oral English skills. |
| Closing the Loop |
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Last year's summary was:
The main goals of the MS program in statistics are to make sure our students have the appropriate knowledge to design statistical experiments and analyze the results and put them in their proper context. This has to be done while using appropriate statistical tools (software) as well as with the ability to explain what has been done. The statistics faculty believes the MS program's emphasis on communication skills and discipline-specific knowledge provides the students with ample opportunity to demonstrate their competencies. At the moment, the four broad areas of discipline-specific skills are designed to prepare students for jobs in industry or to advance to graduate school. What skill sets may be needed in the future may become a topic for discussion. The statistics faculty still believe this applies this year. They are constantly examining their program to make sure it reflects current trends and needs in their area. At this time, the only changes that have been made have been in the suggested MS Stat minor requirements. Students with a graduate minor in statistics are required to take two foundational courses in the theory of probability and statistics, followed by options related to regression, multivariate statistics, and experimental design. This aligns the coursework more closely with the MS Stat majors and should make our students more marketable. Finally, we will more intensely work with students in the areas of regression and multivariate statistics so that their minor mistakes will be corrected. |