SACSCOC Fifth Year Interim Report
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Assessment : 2012 - 2013 : Educational Programs :
Dietetics MS
Dietetics MS
4 Goals 8 Objectives 8 Indicators 8 Criteria 4 Findings 4 Actions
| GOAL: Knowledge And Skills Development |
| Objective |
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| Students will demonstrate the knowledge and skills associated with the standards of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). |
| Indicator |
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| Graduates who take the National Registration Examination for Dietetics (RD Exam) will pass it on the first time it is attempted. This indicator is consistent with the requirements of the Commission on Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the accrediting body for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. |
| Criterion |
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| The report from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics will indicate that 80% of first-time test takers on the National Registration Examination for Dietetics (RD Exam) who graduated from the Combined Master's and Dietetic Internship Program pass the exam. |
| Finding |
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The entire cohort of 9 students that graduated in December of 2012 took the Registration Examination for Dietetics (RD Exam) within 3 months of graduating. The first time passage rate for the 2012 cohort is 88.9%, exceeding the 80% goal. The finding was based on the official RD exam report for those that took the exam between January 1, 2013 and June 30, 2013 which was received in August 2013. The report shows our students averages in two areas (Food and Nutrition and Foodservice Systems Management) as well as the national average. For the students that took the exam in 2012, they were below the national average for Food and Nutrition and above in Foodservice Systems Management. However, the 2012 mean scores were higher for both areas when compared to the averages from the students in 2011. The 2013 scores show that the students that just took the test improved in the area of Food and Nutrition and were above the national average. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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At this point, this criterion has been met for 2012-2013. For the past three years, the pass rate has improved substantially over the rate for the graduating class of 2009. The two faculty members most directly involved with the program have continued to encourage students to take the exam in a timely manner. Maintaining this level of excellence will require continued vigilance on the part of these two faculty members as they direct dietetic interns in this program. This goal (of at least 80% passage rate) must continue to be met for continued program accreditation, and the program's reputation for excellence is closely tied to the high pass rate that has been achieved. The DI Director and faculty is continuing to provide case studies and class discussions/lectures specific to the area of Medical Nutrition Therapy, Food Service Management, and Community Nutrition to help increase knowledge and application of material. In addition, incoming interns must take an approved RD exam review course prior to graduation. |
| GOAL: Knowledge And Skills Development |
| Objective |
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Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills as they participate in internship/field activities that prepare them for entry-level positions as dietitians. |
| Indicator |
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Embedded assessments are found in courses such as FACS 5379, 5330, 5383, 5375, and SOCI 5414. For example, as each student completes a semester of FACS 5379, the supervised practice portion of the program, the Registered Dietitian supervising the student completes a check sheet indicating which skills of the entry-level dietitian have been met with that semester's work. A portfolio of activities in the courses FACS 5383, 5375, and 5379 will be used to measure student learning as they progress through the Combined Master's and Dietetic Internship Program. An example of a portfolio is available in the Dietetic Internship Director's office but portfolios for this program generally are much too large to attach to this document. |
| Criterion |
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| 90% of students' portfolio evaluation (the evaluations of the Registered Dietitians with whom the students were working is part of this) will show successful completion of 80% or more of the competencies for an entry-level dietitian. |
| Finding |
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100% of students in this cohort demonstrated successful completion of at least 80% of the competencies for an entry-level dietitian based on portfolios and portfolio assessment. Even though the interns met the targeted score, they were weaker in the area of clinical nutrition. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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The DI Director will address program standards with incoming interns at orientation and mentor interns in portfolio development throughout the program. A pre-practicum exam is now given to incoming interns to evaluate their current knowledge base in clinical, food service management, and community. When competencies are not met, the DI Director and other faculty will mentor and guide the intern to meet the standards either through course assignments or additional rotation experiences. These assignments can be tailored based on the needs of the individual and group as evidenced by the pre-practicum exam and evaluation feedback from preceptors. The portfolios are not accepted until the standard is met. The standard is based on requirements for an entry-level dietitian and is formed by regular attendance at and participation in AND-sponsored workshops and webinars regarding expectations of the profession. |
| GOAL: Knowledge And Skills Development |
| Objective |
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Students will demonstrate entry-level knowledge and skills to provide dietitian services. |
| Indicator |
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The Mock RD Exam, developed by faculty, has proven, over the past four years it has been used, to be an excellent diagnostic tool as well as a predictor of whether or not the student will pass the National Registration Examination for Dietetics (RD Exam) on the first attempt. |
| Criterion |
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| 90% of students who exit the program will score a passing grade on the Mock RD Exam of 80% or higher (a passing grade on the Mock RD Exam is required before a Letter of Verification will be issued; the Letter of Verification must be issued before a student can sit for the National Registration Examination for Dietetics). |
| Finding |
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The 9 students in the cohort passed the Mock RD Exam with a score of 80% or better and earned their Verification Statement. The exam showed that the students clinical nutrition base can be strengthened and was comparable to the previous intern group. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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If an area identified on the Mock RD exam is less than satisfactory (80%), the DI Director will provide study/review material specific to that area to increase intern knowledge. The DI Director will also review the program to identify and modify the program as needed to strengthen the student skills identified by low results on the Mock RD Exam. The Mock RD Exam will continue to be used as a method of determining whether students are ready and prepared to take the Registration Examination for Dietetics (RD Exam). Students who do not pass the Mock RD Exam will not be issued the Letter of Verification that is required in order to take the RD Exam. |
| GOAL: Supervised Practice |
| Objective |
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| Students will demonstrate practical and critical thinking skills from each scheduled rotation and research activity. Rotations are in various clinical, community, food service, and research settings and total 1,200 hours over three long semesters. Content and activities in the rotations are designed to meet the requirements of the accrediting body, the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. |
| Indicator |
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| End of rotation exams developed by faculty will be used to measure students' progress toward knowledge and skills demonstrations. |
| Criterion |
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| Over 90% of the students will indicate on an exit survey completed at the end of the program that, through program goals, they have acquired practical and critical thinking skills and provide a rating of satisfactory or higher on the survey |
| Finding |
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100% of the 9 students graduating in December of 2012 successfully completed their rotations and the exit survey. 66.7% of the interns indicated that all the rotations were satisfactory for achieving their goals and acquiring appropriate skills. The highest satisfaction was with the clinical rotation. The students had lower satisfaction with their food service rotations. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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All 9 students of the cohort did complete the program by December 2012. After two years of student feedback and reflection, the DI Director will shorten the length of time spent in food service management from 15 weeks to 10 weeks. The activities and projects completed at these rotations will be revised to improve the experience the intern receives. If the site is unable to meet the standards of the program, then the site will no longer be used by the program. In addition, incoming interns will create goals they want to achieve throughout the program at orientation. The DI Director will review the goals with each intern and provide feedback on whether or not the goals are realistic and in the scope of the program. The DI Director will help the interns set achievable goals. |
| GOAL: Knowledge And Skills Development |
| Objective |
|
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| Students will demonstrate the knowledge and skills associated with the standards of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). |
| Indicator |
|
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| Graduates who take the National Registration Examination for Dietetics (RD Exam) will pass it on the first time it is attempted. This indicator is consistent with the requirements of the Commission on Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the accrediting body for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. |
| Criterion |
|
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| The report from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics will indicate that 80% of first-time test takers on the National Registration Examination for Dietetics (RD Exam) who graduated from the Combined Master's and Dietetic Internship Program pass the exam. |
Actions for Objective:
There are no actions for this objective.
There are no actions for this objective.
| GOAL: Knowledge And Skills Development |
| Objective |
|
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|
Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills as they participate in internship/field activities that prepare them for entry-level positions as dietitians. |
| Indicator |
|
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|
Embedded assessments are found in courses such as FACS 5379, 5330, 5383, 5375, and SOCI 5414. For example, as each student completes a semester of FACS 5379, the supervised practice portion of the program, the Registered Dietitian supervising the student completes a check sheet indicating which skills of the entry-level dietitian have been met with that semester's work. A portfolio of activities in the courses FACS 5383, 5375, and 5379 will be used to measure student learning as they progress through the Combined Master's and Dietetic Internship Program. An example of a portfolio is available in the Dietetic Internship Director's office but portfolios for this program generally are much too large to attach to this document. |
| Criterion |
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| 90% of students' portfolio evaluation (the evaluations of the Registered Dietitians with whom the students were working is part of this) will show successful completion of 80% or more of the competencies for an entry-level dietitian. |
Actions for Objective:
There are no actions for this objective.
There are no actions for this objective.
| GOAL: Knowledge And Skills Development |
| Objective |
|
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|
Students will demonstrate entry-level knowledge and skills to provide dietitian services. |
| Indicator |
|
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The Mock RD Exam, developed by faculty, has proven, over the past four years it has been used, to be an excellent diagnostic tool as well as a predictor of whether or not the student will pass the National Registration Examination for Dietetics (RD Exam) on the first attempt. |
| Criterion |
|
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| 90% of students who exit the program will score a passing grade on the Mock RD Exam of 80% or higher (a passing grade on the Mock RD Exam is required before a Letter of Verification will be issued; the Letter of Verification must be issued before a student can sit for the National Registration Examination for Dietetics). |
Actions for Objective:
There are no actions for this objective.
There are no actions for this objective.
| GOAL: Supervised Practice |
| Objective |
|
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| Students will demonstrate practical and critical thinking skills from each scheduled rotation and research activity. Rotations are in various clinical, community, food service, and research settings and total 1,200 hours over three long semesters. Content and activities in the rotations are designed to meet the requirements of the accrediting body, the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. |
| Indicator |
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| End of rotation exams developed by faculty will be used to measure students' progress toward knowledge and skills demonstrations. |
| Criterion |
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| Over 90% of the students will indicate on an exit survey completed at the end of the program that, through program goals, they have acquired practical and critical thinking skills and provide a rating of satisfactory or higher on the survey |
Actions for Objective:
There are no actions for this objective.
There are no actions for this objective.
| Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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This stringent, professional graduate program, with the benchmark measure (pass rate on the RD Exam at the first attempt) at 100% for this cohort, continues to do well. The DI Director continues to work with the DPD Director to ensure that all of the accreditation requirements are being met.
A new cohort of 10 students has been matched with the program for Fall 2012. The GRE scores for the new cohort are comparable with the group that graduated December 2011. The GRE score continues to be an excellent predictor of successful passage of the RD Exam. To continue to strengthen the program and retain high passage rate on the RD Exam at the first attempt, the DI Director and DPD Director will strengthen the student’s knowledge in the area of nutrition (including clinical, food service, and community) through case studies and assignments at rotation sites and in the classroom. The DI Director is also closely assessing the interns' portfolios throughout the program to ensure that all competencies are met. When competencies are lacking or missing, the DI Director will mentor and guide the intern to completing the competencies either through course assignments or additional rotation experience. |
| Update on Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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During the past year, the competencies for the registered dietitian were updated to reflect the new 2012 guidelines. Feedback from past interns were used to help update the competencies and adjust for new technology and procedures. A new clinical site was added to strengthen the student's experiences and knowledge in the area of clinical nutrition. |
| Plan for Continuous Improvement |
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This stringent, professional graduate program, with the benchmark measure (pass rate on the RD Exam at the first attempt) at 100% for this cohort, continues to do well. The program continues to exceed the 80% first time pass rate for the RD exam. A new cohort of 10 students has been matched with the program for Fall 2013, and all of them have been formally accepted into the program. The GRE scores for the new cohort are comparable with the group that graduated December 2012. The GRE score continues to be an excellent predictor of successful passage of the RD Exam.
New sites are also planned for clinical and community rotations for the upcoming year. Finding a new site and getting a contract signed takes 6 to 12 months. New preceptor sites allows for more diverse experiences for the interns. To continue to strengthen the program and retain high passage rate on the RD Exam at the first attempt, the DI Director will meet with the interns every two weeks and provide additional education in the areas of clinical nutrition, community, and food service management through assignments and case studies. The DI Director is also monitoring the intern’s portfolios every semester to ensure that all competencies are being met. If the intern does not successfully complete a rotation, then additional assignments and/or additional rotation experience will be required. |