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Assessment : 2012 - 2013 : Educational Programs :
Agriculture BS

2 Goals    2 Objectives    2 Indicators    2 Criteria    2 Findings    2 Actions


GOAL: Knowledge Of Key Concepts And Skills

Objective  
Development Of Students' Knowledge And Skills
Students will be able to demonstrate competency in key areas of agriculture leadership.


Indicator  
AGRI 4388 Assignment Rubric  
All students enrolled in the program must complete AGRI 4388 in their senior year. AGRI 4388 addresses key concepts and skills relevant to the field of agriculture and leadership. Each semester seven randomly selected student assignments from AGR 4388 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  
At Least 70% Rated As Meeting Expectations  
Faculty in the Agriculture Department will assess the knowledge of agriculture from students enrolled in AGR 4388.  At least 70% of the students will be expected to perform at an acceptable level (meets expectations) or higher.  Specific focus will be in the areas of clarity and grammar.

Finding  
Student Achievement  
Faculty randomly reviewed selected student assignments in AGRI 4388 with an average total score of 3.5.  Over 70% of the students met the expectations of the assessed activity.  Yet, students under achieved areas in grammar and writing skill, while, oral communication of the evaluated students exceeded expectations.  As in previous evaluation periods students again excelled in professionalism and professional dress.

Actions for Objective:

Action  
Performance Improvement  
Grammatical errors and writing skills continue to be low achieving areas on the rubric and a concern for faculty.  Writing skills and the use of the writing center will continue to be resource utilized in class.



GOAL: Develop Professional Skills

Objective  
Development Of Marketplace Skills
Students completing the BS in Agriculture will demonstrate skills necessary to compete in the professional marketplace.

Indicator  
AGRI 4120 Assignment Rubric  
All students seeking a degree in Agriculture will be required to complete AGRI 4120 during their senior year.  The course addresses essential skills necessary to compete in the marketplace 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  
70% Of Students Rated As Meeting Expectations  
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. Grammar and content will continue be a focus area.

Finding  
Professional Writing Skills  
Students continue to make grammatical errors; however, the overall score for selected students exceeded minimal standards with an average score of 4.2.   Grammar, organization, word selection continues to be areas of concern and improvement.

Actions for Objective:

Action  
Professionalism  
Though the overall score was slightly lower from the previous year, the students have met faculty expectations.  Faculty will continue to emphasize writing skills in professional context and continue assessing student progress.




Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement"

Expectations were achieved; however, importance of professional presentation and grammatical accuracy will remain an emphasis to enhance marketability of students and increase their success after graduation.

Update on Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement"

No challenges were noted for this evaluation season.

Plan for Continuous Improvement

Faculty will emphasize professional writing skills in lower level courses to enhance their writing skills.  Organization, grammar and wordiness will be emphasized across the discipline.



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Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX 77341
(936) 294-1111
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