SACSCOC Fifth Year Interim Report
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Assessment : 2013 - 2014 : Educational Programs :
Agriculture BS (Horticulture And Crop Science)
Agriculture BS (Horticulture And Crop 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 Horticulture and Crop Science including plant science and properties of soil. |
| Indicator |
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All students enrolled in the program must complete the advanced horticultural course in their final year of enrollment. Advanced horticultural courses address key concepts and skills relevant to the field of agriculture. Each semester seven randomly selected student assignments from advanced horticultural 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 Plant Science Faculty members that at least 70% of the students project outcomes will meet an expectation of 3.5 or higher. |
| Finding |
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Assessment review revealed only 1 plant science student was in the course during the assessment period. The outcome though not valid was a 3.3 on key concepts outlined in the rubric. Other students in the course were non majors. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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Soil water concepts continues to be an area of concern. Faculty will provide more in-depth explanation in lecture and lab on key elements. Improve demonstrations on Soil Water concepts and different practice problems to enrich the learning process. Teaching assistants for the lab will receive additional instruction from the faculty on record for continuous improvement. Goal will remain the same. |
| GOAL: Develop Professional Skills |
| Objective |
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| Students completing the BS in Plant and Soil Science will demonstrate necessary writing skills to compete in the professional marketplace. |
| Indicator |
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| All students seeking a degree in Horticulture and Crop 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 3.5 (meets expectations) or higher on a scale of 1-5, especially in clarity and organization which were areas assessed as weakness the previous year. |
| Finding |
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Assessed documents were well written with excellent demonstration of writing for the professional field. Neatness could be improved. Due to low number of majors only 4 students were enrolled in the course. Therefore, reliability could be question since there was no random selection. Average score was 3.4 which was slightly short of the 3.5 goal. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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| No change in action will be addressed. Neatness and concise writing will continue since there was a small number of assessments. |
| Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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Faculty will continue to emphasis previous objectives and maintain a focus on scientific knowledge, professionalism, oral and written communication. These objectives will be across the Horticullture curriculum.
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| Update on Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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The assessed course was changed this cycle to include more science concepts. |
| Plan for Continuous Improvement |
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Soil water concepts continues to be an area of concern. Faculty will provide more in-depth explanation in lecture and lab on key elements. Improve demonstrations on Soil Water concepts and different practice problems to enrich the learning process. Teaching assistants for the lab will receive additional instruction from the faculty on record for continuous improvement. Goal will remain the same.
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