Assessment : 2012 - 2013 : Educational Programs :
Spanish MA
4 Goals 4 Objectives 1 Indicator 1 Criterion 1 Finding 4 Actions
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GOAL: Recruitment/Enrollment
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Objective
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Foreign Languages will publicize the Spanish MA via our departmental website, Facebook site, informational posters and recruitment events.
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Actions for Objective:
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FOL has used all manner of publicity avenues as listed in the objective.
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Objective
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Collaboration by Graduate Faculty in Spanish to formulate MA exam questions which reflect student classroom experiences.
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Actions for Objective:
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Each faculty member submitted questions each semester for each individual according to the individual's course history.
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Objective
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Chronological Comprehensive Recommended Reading List
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Each Graduate Faculty member in Spanish will compile a list of recommended readings for MA students, according to the faculty member's scholarly/teaching specialty.
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Actions for Objective:
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While the individualized MA exams have been prepared by each professor with whom a student took courses, this format will be reexamined in view of uneven results in evaluation. A reading list-based exam will be considered instead.
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GOAL: Student Learning Attainment
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Objective
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Student Mastery Of Content.
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Student will demonstrate mastery of the MA in Spanish reading list and of the content of courses completed
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Indicator
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Each MA in Spanish student will complete an exam during the final semester of classes that measures mastery of the reading list and of courses content in courses taken.
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| Criterion |
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MA In Spanish Final Exam Measure Of Success
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Each MA in Spanish students will score 75% or better on the final MA exam during the final semester of classes.
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| Finding |
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MA exams were evaluated at fail, pass and high pass as dictated by the Graduate School, rather than by percentage overall.
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Actions for Objective:
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Only the course-based questions were included on the MA exam. That was not a particularly satisfactory basis, since evaluation by individual professors was widely divergent. A redesigned exam is being formulated.
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Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement"
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Our enrollments have increased enormously, initially beyond our preparation to meet the need. We are now offering at least four-five grad courses with at least one-two on-line, all limited-enrollments classes. We are authorized to hire two new tenure-track professors during 2012-13 to help meet the need.
We have found, however, that many (a majority?) of our students are not prepared for graduate work in tems of previous experience, especially in literary analysis skills. Their writing skills in English and Spanish are seriously lacking in many cases as well. We plan to raise admission standards.
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Update on Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement"
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While growth in enrollment is better than satisfactory, admitted students' preparation is uneven. Higher admittance standards are being considered.
The use of individualized questions from course work for the exam has yielded very uneven results and is quite limited in terms of overall student learning attainment. A reworked exam more tied to a reading list/general required overall knowledge is indicated and will be acted upon at the fall 2013 grad faculty mini-retreat before the semester begins.
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Plan for Continuous Improvement
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The Spanish Graduate faculty and tenured/tenure-track and appropriate lecturer/coordinator will meet monthly beginning in August in order to hone the aspects of the MA in Spanish experience, especially the formulation of the exam and its basis.
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