SACSCOC Fifth Year Interim Report
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Assessment : 2013 - 2014 : Educational Programs :
Spanish MA
Spanish MA
2 Goals 3 Objectives 1 Indicator 1 Criterion 1 Finding 3 Actions
| GOAL: Graduate Student Scholarship |
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The Department of Foreign Languages will build a program of regular graduate student external scholarly activity. |
Actions for Objective:
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Foreign Languages will encourage--and fund--one scholarly paper presentation at a professional conference per year per Teaching Assistant and up to two other graduate students. |
| GOAL: Graduate Student Scholarship |
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| The Spanish Graduate Faculty will formalize policies for admission to the MA program in order that students are adequately prepared to undertake graduate-level study initially. |
Actions for Objective:
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| Faculty will establish formal policies and standards for admission to the MA in Spanish program during the first months of fall 2014 semester and publish same for admissions beginning spring 2015. |
| GOAL: Demonstration Of Breadth Of Knowledge |
| Objective |
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| Spanish language students will demonstrate that they have a graduate-level breadth of knowledge in literature, language, linguistics and methodology and that they can express that knowledge in writing and orally. |
| Indicator |
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In their last semester, Spanish language students will demonstrate that they have a graduate-level breadth of knowledge in 1.linguistics and methodology, 2. Spanish literature and 3. Spanish American literature, as well language useage through written and oral comprehensive exams. This has been done on the basis of required course content that each individual student has taken and grading according to the individual professor (individual rubrics). |
| Criterion |
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| All MA in Spanish candidates for graduation will achieve pass or high pass on written and oral comprehensive exams during their last semester in residence. These exams cover the three content areas, Linguistics & Methodology, Spanish Literature and Spanish American Literature. The Department will direct particular attention to evaluation of the exam preparation and performance among on-line students. |
| Finding |
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AY 2013-2014 (9) MA candidates took the three written and oral comprehensive exams during their final semester in residence (2013-14) ; (2) passed on the first attempt (2) passed on the second attempt, (2)passed on their 3rd attempt. (2) of these students were predominantly on-line students and (7) were predominantly face-to-face. In all, (27) components of the comprehensive exam were complete. (1) of the (2) on-line students took and passed the written and orals on the 3rd try, and (1) of the (2) online students failed the second try. (2) of the (7) face to face students took and passed the written and the orals on the 1st try, and (2) of the (7) face to face students took and failed a portion of the written and orals on the 1st try. (2) of the 7 face to face students took and passed the written and the orals on the 2nd try, and (1) of the (7) face-to-face students took and passed the written and orals on the 3rd try. Of those (2) on-line students who made a second attempt, (0) passed. Of those (2) online students, (1) made a 3rd attempt and passed. Of those (7) face-to-face students who made a second attempt, (2) passed. Academic Year 2013-2014: 12 administered (7 new, 5 retakes): 2 passed 1st attempt/ 5 of those who failed 1st attempt: 2 passed 2 attempt / 2 passed 3rd attempt / 1 failed 2nd attempt In the summer of 2014, the Spanish department administered 4 comprehensive examinations to prospective MA graduates. Of those examined, 1 passed a previously failed section (3rd and final attempt) and completed all the requirements to graduate with a MA Spanish degree. 2 students failed one or more portion of their exams and may repeat the section the following semester. 1 student failed 2 sections that were being retaken (2nd attempt) from a previous semester. In total, 1 student graduated that term. In the spring of 2014, the Spanish department administered 5 comprehensive examinations to prospective MA graduates. Of those examined, 2 passed all sections on their first attempt. 2 students passed the section that was previously failed and one student failed at least one section and is required to retake it during a later semester. In total, 4 students graduated that term. In the fall of 2013, the Spanish department administered 3 comprehensive examinations to prospective MA graduates. Of those examined, 1 student retook a previously failed portion for the 3rd and final attempt and passed. 2 students failed one section of the exam and was required to retake it during a later semester. In total, 1 student graduated that term. Academic Year 2012-2013: 9 administered: 3 passed 1st attempt / 2 passed 2nd attempt / 4 failed 2nd attempt 9 students took the comprehensive exams for the first time during the 2013-2014 Academic Year. Of these 7 students, 1 of them was a predominantly on-line student and 6 were predominantly face-to-face. In the summer of 2013, the Spanish department administered 2 comprehensive examinations to prospective MA graduates. Of those examined, 1 passed all sections on his first attempt. 1 student failed all portions and quit the program. In total, 1 student graduated that term. In the spring of 2013, the Spanish department administered 7 comprehensive examinations to prospective MA graduates. Of those examined, 2 passed all sections on their first attempt. 2 students failed at least one section on the second try, 3 students failed at least one section on 2nd try. Of those 3 who suffered failed portions, 1 student quit the program and 2 applied for a 3rd try during a later semester. In total, 4 students graduated that term. |
Actions for Objective:
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The sections with which the students most frequently did not perform to the professor's standards were linguistics and methodology, sometimes face-to-face and sometimes on-line. Why students do/do not pass is unclear except for individual factors about student preparation/faculty expectations. We have instituted extensive reviews by student by professor during the semester of, but prior to, the exams. The Spanish graduate faculty will meet monthly to examine best practices and how we do the exams overall, why the results are so uneven, devise a rubric for each of the three required area exams and ways to coordinate content among those courses taught by more than one professor, plus policies on consensus about standards for fail, pass and high pass. |
| Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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The Spanish Graduate faculty and tenured/tenure-track and appropriate lecturer/coordinator will meet monthly beginning in August in order to hone the aspects of the MA in Spanish experience, especially the formulation of the exam and its basis.
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| Update on Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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The graduate faculty did meet at least monthly. We are now voting on all admission applications, have standardized the written exam submissions from faculty, instituted a "review" course, SPAN 5060, in which all candidates for graduate enroll, though they review individually with individual faculty. We have not come to consensus on or instituted policies about other aspects of the MA program.
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| Plan for Continuous Improvement |
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The Spanish Graduate Faculty will establish best-practices admissions standards during fall 2014 for spring 2015 application, including possible requirement of the Graduate Record Exam without necessarily a specific score, continued use of the essay, requirement of an undergraduate degree in Spanish or specific remedial requirements in terms of undergraduate classes (at least audit) prior to admission.
The same group will reexamine the written and oral comprehensive exams, re-entertaining the best-practices, like the use of a reading list for written and oral exams rather than by classes taken in the program, graded independently by individual professors. We conduct a format review of past comprehensive written and oral exams formats in view of the numbers of students who must retake these exams. In whichever case, a rubric for each exam and a consensus on consistency of application of same for fail, pass and high pass standards are priorities. The same group will establish best-practices comparable-experience standards for those courses taught both on-line and face-to-face and coordinate content of same. The program will compile asssessment data spreadsheets for all of the above in order to evaluate the effectiveness of same for on-going improvement. |