SACSCOC Fifth Year Interim Report
Spacer
Assessment : 2013 - 2014 : Educational Programs :
Agriculture BS (Agricultural Engineering Technology)
Agriculture BS (Agricultural Engineering Technology)
2 Goals 2 Objectives 2 Indicators 2 Criteria 2 Findings 2 Actions
| GOAL: Knowledge Of Key Concepts And Skills |
| Objective |
|
||||
| During their enrollment in the program students will be required to complete assignments that require students to demonstrate competency in key STEM areas (physics, math, and technology) associated with Agricultural Engineering Technology (AET). |
| Indicator |
|
|||
|
All students enrolled in the AET program must complete a capstone course (AGRI 4381) course. The course addresses key concepts in AET and STEM skills (technology, math, and engineering - physics) relevant to agricultural engineering technology. Seven randomly selected student assignments and projects will be reviewed by faculty members with expertise in the field of agricultural engineering technology. 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 |
|
|||
|
At least 70% of the students enrolled in an advanced AET course will perform at an acceptable level with an assessed score of 3 (meets expectations) or higher. |
| Finding |
|
|||
|
STEM is emphasized in the curriculum for the AET Program along with safety and AET knowledge and concepts. After extensive review of projects and assignments the reviewed student outcomes exceeded the goal with 80% achieving a 3.0 or higher. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
|
|||
|
Reviewer comments for improvement were more outside reading to broaden student knowledge in technical concepts and their application, increase problem solving exercises to improve mathematic and engineering processing. Offer more "open" labs for students to practice the application of STEM skills. |
| GOAL: Develop Professional Skills |
| Objective |
|
||||
| Students completing the BS in Agricultural Engineering Technology will demonstrate soft skills necessary to compete in the professional marketplace. These skills include professional writing and communication. |
| Indicator |
|
|||
| All students seeking a degree in Agricultural Engineering Technology 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 - professional writing and communication. Faculty will review student assignments and access student performance on selected assignments using a faculty-developed rubric. |
| Criterion |
|
|||
| 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. Emphasis of improvement in grammar and organization. |
| Finding |
|
|||
|
Only 4 students were enrolled in AGRI 4120 during the assessment period, due to the low enrollment all documents from all four students were assessed, eliminating randomization. Therefore, validity of outcomes could be skewed. Rubric assessment was 3.2 which met the expectations for this population, however, neatness and cohesiveness and conciseness of writing was lacking and needs improvement. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
|
|||
| Faculty will continue with the writing exercises to promote improvement of professional writing. Emphasis will continue with concise and cohesive writing. |
| Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
|
STEM will continue to be included as technical skills achieved. Mathematical skills will be a primary area of emphasis. Faculty will provide more time in lecture on math and calculations with demonstrations in labs.
|
| Update on Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
|
The AET program is one of the smaller degree areas and due to the low number students that cycle through the 4120 course, it is difficult to accurately assess strenghts and weakness. However, writing skills is an important skill for all students and will continue to be assessed.
|
| Plan for Continuous Improvement |
|
Professor will continue to emphasize the use of the writing center and AET faculty will continue to implement writing across the AET courses.
|