SACS Reaffirmation
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Assessment : 2007 - 2008 : Educational Programs :
Political Science MA
4 Goals 4 Objectives 7 Indicators 7 Criteria 7 Findings 4 Actions
GOAL: Academic Program Improvement
| Objective | Student Satisfaction | |
| The Department of Political Science will improve students' overall satisfaction with the MA program. Associated Goals: Academic Program Improvement |
| Indicator | Student Satisfaction Student satisfaction will be measured using an anonymous exit survey. All graduate students will complete the survey prior to graduation. |
| Criteria | Student Satisfaction At least 80% of our MA graduates will provide a positive answer to question 6 of the exit survey. Respondents answers will be considered positive if they describe their overall experience with the program met or exceeded their expectations. |
| Finding | Student Satisfaction The goal was not met and a change is in process. Of the three MA graduates in 2007-08, none submitted the on-line survey. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action | Change in Method of Administering Exit Survey Since no graduating students submitted the on-line survey even after receiving an e-mail from the Director of Graduate Studies, we determine that we need a new method of reaching students. We will administer the survey when students sit for comprehensive examinations. Hopefully this will increase the response rate from the dismal 0% from 2007-08. |
GOAL: Increase The Number Of MA Graduate Students
| Objective | To Increase MA Enrollment By 10% | |
| To compare enrollment data from 2006-7 to 2007-08 to see in enrollment increased or decreased. Associated Goals: Increase The Number Of MA Graduate Students |
| Indicator | Compare Enrollment, Applications, And Number Of Students  The study will compare the number of students enrolled, taking courses, or applications to the MA program in Political Science from 2006-07 to 2007-08. |
| Criteria | compare data on student enrollment and admissions Three criteria will measure changes in enrollment from 2006-07 to 2007-08 data. First it will compare the number of students taking courses. Second, it will compare the number of applicants to the MA program. Third, it will compare the number of students enrolled in political science courses. There must be a 10 percent increase in at least one category for the goal to be met. |
| Finding | increase enrollment in MA program The data show the goal was met for increasing enrollment in the courses. The number of MA students enrolled in MA courses increased from 63 in 2006-07 to 70 in 2007-08, an increase of 10%. The enrollment in the program rose from 12 students to 13 students, an increase of just under 10%. The number of applications actually decreased from 10 to 6. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action | Increase Recruitment Activity The graduate director attended 6 recruitment functions, but this did not impact the number of applications received. She has scheduled appointments to make presentations to two professional groups in August and November 2008. She also will make a better effort at making follow-up contact with prospective students after they have made contact with her. |
GOAL: Revamp Comprehensive Examination Process
| Objective | Revamp The Comprehensive Examination Process | |
| The comprehensive examination process requires a written examination for all MA students and an oral examination for non-thesis students. Revamping the process would provide more fairness to the students by having more readers, and by linking the examination more to the literature than in the past. Associated Goals: Revamp Comprehensive Examination Process |
| Indicator | Develop A Reading List For Each Field The faculty for each field will meet to develop a reading list of pertinent literature in the field and present it to The Graduate Committee. The Graduate Committee will develop a recommendation that the reading lists be adopted by the department. The faculty will vote to adopt the reading lists during the Fall 2008 semester. The comprehensive examination will test students on the material. |
| Criteria | Develop a Reading List for each Field A reading list developed and developed by the faculty for each field and approved for the entire faculty at a departmental faculty meeting. |
| Finding | Develop a Reading List for each Field The expectation was met and implementation is in progress. The Director of Graduate Studies reports that the faculty for each of the fields have developed a reading list. However, the final proposal has not been approved by the department faculty. The Graduate Committee is preparing a comprehensive proposal to be presented to the faculty by October 2008 that includes developing a reading list, providing an overview course, and revamping the comprehensive examination process. |
| Indicator | Develop An Overview Course For Each Field Each field will designate one course that will overview the main elements of the mandatory reading list of relevant literature. This course will be required of all students studing the field and will be tested on the comprehensive examination. This course and the subsequent testing will eliminate the problem of course specific comprehensive examination questions that were identified as problematic in 2006-07. |
| Criteria | Develop an Overview Course for Each Field Overview courses were developed by the faculty of each field. The use of overview courses will be approved by the entire faculty at a departmental faculty meeting. |
| Finding | Develop An Overivew Course for Each Field The expectation is met and implementation is in progress. The faculty in each field have selected an overview course for the field. However, the list of courses have not been submitted to the faculty for their approval. The Graduate Committee is preparing a comprehensive proposal that includes developing a reading list, providing an overview course, and revamping the comprehensive examination process. This proposal will be presented to the faculty early in October, 2008. |
| Indicator | Increase Examiners For The Oral Comprehensive Examination The two readers assigned to grade each comprehensive questions will be the examiners for the oral defense of the comprehensive examination. |
| Criteria | Increase Examiners for Oral Comprehensive Examinations The two graders assigned to grade the written comprehensive examination will also serve as examiners for the oral defense of the written comprehensive examination. |
| Finding | Increase Examiners for Oral Comprehensive Examinat The goal was not met and is in process. The Director of Graduate Studies reports the increasing the number of comprehensive examination examiners has not been met because the full faculty has not approved the change. However, the Graduate Committee is preparing a comprehensive proposal to be presented to the faculty by October 2008 that includes developing a reading list, providing an overview course, and revamping the comprehensive examination process. |
| Indicator | Provide Two Readers For Comprehensive Questions The covener of each field will assign two readers for each questions answered by a student in the field. The covener will evaluate the grade submitted; including high pass, pass and fail; and then submit them to the Direct of Graduate Studies. |
| Criteria | Provide Two Readers for Comprehensive questions Each questions answered by a student on the comprehensive examination will be assigned two faculty graders by the field covener. |
| Finding | Provide Two Readers For Written Comp Examinations The expectation was not met and is in process. The faculty has not voted to approve the changes in the comprehensive examination process. The proposed chaanges will be submitted to the faculty no later that October 2008 for their approval; thus, this goal is in process. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action | Continue progress toward revamping comp exams Part of the self study was to reassess the comprehensive examination process that is currently in place. This has proved to be more complicated than originally thought. The graduate committee will continue to review the current practice and make recommendations to the faculty for changes by October, 2008. Once approved by the entire faculty, the faculty of the various fields can choose a field covener, write the examination questions, and assign faculty to grade the written and oral examinations. |
GOAL: Students Must Demonstrate Competency Before Graduation
| Objective | Students Must Pass Comprehensive Examination | |
| Students must demonstrate competency in the core areas of political science. these areas include political theory and two of the following fields: American government, public administration, comparative politics, international relations, or a third related field outside the department. Associated Goals: Students Must Demonstrate Competency Before Graduation |
| Indicator | Pass Comprehensive Examination MA students must show competency in the field by passing a comprehensive examination prior to graduation. Currently, each student is assigned a panel of 3 to 5 faculty members who write and grade questions for the comprehensive examination. Each faculty member grades one or more questions ins his or her field assessing students with a high pass, pass, or fail grade. all students must pass the written comprehensive examination to graduate. Non-thesis students must also pass an oral defense of the written comprehensive examination. thesis students must pass an oral defense of the thesis. |
| Criteria | Students must pass a comprehensive examination prior to graduation. One-hundred percent of students must pass the comprehensive examination prior to graduation. Twenty percent of students should achieve a high pass in at least one field. |
| Finding | Students Demonstrate Competency in the Field The expectation is exceeded. One-hundred percent of the students passed the comprehensive examination and 67% received a high pass in at least one of the three fields tested. However, only three students took the MA comprehensive examination in 2007/08. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action | Assess Student Competency Although the goal is met because students are currently passing the comprehensive, a review of the comprehensive examination process is continuing to meet the actions established in 2006-07. |