SACSCOC Fifth Year Interim Report
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Assessment : 2012 - 2013 : Educational Programs :
History MA
History MA
2 Goals 2 Objectives 2 Indicators 3 Criteria 3 Findings 2 Actions
| GOAL: Advanced Knowledge And Skills In History |
| Objective |
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| M. A. History students will demonstrate competence in applying research methodologies; qualitative and quantitative analysis; literature review; and use of traditional and digital resources. The History Department will prepare its graduates to publish in their respective fields. |
| Indicator |
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All M.A. History graduates will demonstrate depth and breadth of knowledge by successfully completing written and oral exams in three field areas. This will be assessed by a survey of written examinations and oral examination reports. A panel of at least three graduate faculty will assess the quality of the written examinations to determine student mastery of the major historical themes and historiography within each of the three field areas. Students failing to demonstrate the required level of content mastery will be allowed, after consultation with the graduate committee and history chair, to retake the written exams. A second failure will result in termination from the program. Students successfully completing the written examinations will then take an oral examination before a panel of three graduate faculty members who will assess student mastery of the history and historiography in each of the three field areas. Students must pass or pass with distinction each content area. Students who fail to demonstrate sufficient competency in any of the three field areas will be allowed, after consultation with the examination committee and the departmental chair, to retake that portion of the oral examination that was not satisfactorily completed. A second failure will result in termination from the program. |
| Criterion |
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All M.A. graduates will achieve passing or passing with distinction ratings on a written and an oral examination covering three content areas. The department will direct special attention to evaluating comprehensive exam preparation and performance among on-line students. |
| Finding |
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In 2012-13, 26 masters candidates took the written and oral comprehensive examinations. 18 passed on the first attempt and 3 on the second. Five students failed and are preparing to take the exams again. In each case, the examination committee convened to discuss the performance of the students, taking into particular account those students whose program had been predominantly online. The ratio of students predominantly online to those not who failed on the first attempt was 75% (6 of 8). 85% of our graduate students in total are predominantly online. Based on this small statistical sample, members of the department concluded that there is no statistical pretext for presuming that our predominantly online students are coming any less prepared to their comprehensive exams than the predominantly on-campus students. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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| In 2012-13, the M.A. program in History underwent an external evaluation. Documents associated with this review were a preliminary report from the Department, a report from the evaluator, and a Departmental Response. The are attached and indicate the program of action the Department intends to embark upon in the next year. |
| GOAL: Teaching Skills And Classroom Management Competence |
| Objective |
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| M. A. students indicating career interests in teaching positions at junior and community colleges or in other post-secondary education will demonstrate enhanced abilities in lecture formulation and delivery, test generation, and evaluation of their students. |
| Indicator |
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| M. A. students expressing a desire to seek post-secondary teaching careers will show improved performance in lecture and classroom management skills by completing one or more of the following prepatory exercises: in-class teaching workshops and/or webinar presentations on college teaching. |
| Criterion |
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| The Graduate Director will coordinate with faculty to make available to M. A. students teaching opportunities in live classes currently ongoing in an academic term. The M. A. students will prepare and deliver critical thinking workshops based upon the departmental history learning outcome assessment rubric and an appropriate syllabus topic to the class. The exercises will occur under the observation of the teacher of record and/or the Graduate Director. Post analysis will include a formal evaluation by observing faculty including consideration of feedback by students enrolled in that class. |
| Finding |
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| In the fall of 2012, History Teaching Assistants conducted in-class teaching exercises for just over 470 undergraduates. As part of the assessment process, the undergraduates were surveyed. More than 90% agreed that the historical critical thinking skills workshops helped them improve both analytical and writing skills. Full results of student survey data are attached. |
| Criterion |
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| The Graduate Director will arrange for web-based teaching instructional material to be available to M. A. students expressing interest in post-secondary teaching careers. Such web-based material will include: podcast discussions of teaching strategies; documentary and other media demonstrations of classroom management such as assignment generation or test generation; documentary or other media presentations on grading/evaluating students; documentary or other media support materials. The department will solicit graduate student assessment of the availabilty and suitability of these materials in a manner similar to student evaluation of classes (IDEA form). At least 50% of student responses rating this web-based support as "satisfactory" or better will indicate success. |
| Finding |
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| These were tabled on account of a change in the Director of Graduate Studies as of October 1, 2012. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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| We have significantly expanded our Teaching Assistants' exposure to online undergraduate teaching. In addition, we are considering dedicating one of our graduate seminars to the area of pedagogy and course construction. Further actions in this regard are laid out in the reports referenced in the Research and Analysis Objective. |
| Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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In the current environment of the History PhD crisis of overproduction, institutions focused on granting the MA are on the front lines of market trends. The American Historical Association has called professional historians to take a new look at the degree in all its aspects. Additionally, Bender et. al in _The Education of Historians for the Twenty-first Century_ have found that enhanced history teaching training will continue to grow in importance to the marketability of degree holders. The History Department through its review of comprehensive exams, through its review of graduate student formation and especially teaching assistant experience, is moving to address these growing concerns of the profession at large.
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| Update on Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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In 2012-13 the program went through a comprehensive external review (reports attached above) that laid out the way forward given current and prospective market and pedagogical trends.
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| Plan for Continuous Improvement |
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The plan for 2013-14 is to begin the judicious application of the findings of our 2012-13 comprehensive review.
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