Biology and Marine Biology

(Axel Boer) #1

be able to do upon
completion of the program?
What UNCW Learning Goal
Does it link to?


be used? implementation; who will
be assessed; what is the
schedule?

collection and analysis of
data for student learning
outcomes?

because of what you
learned?

SLO 1a: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Inquiry.


Prospectus is successfully
completed and defended to
student’s committee. The
student’s committee
evaluates prospectus with a
form.

Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on
prospectus quality, depth
and breadth are collected.
Implementation of the
assessment of this SLO was
planned to begin in the
2009 - 2010 year.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010- 2011
to improve faculty
participation.

We are slow to collect data
on this SLO, with 6
respondents in 2012- 2013
and 2 in 2013-2014.
Students that are assessed
are performing well on this
SLO (100% performing at
levels 4 or 5 for all elements
of this SLO!). Given the size
of the student body, we
should have more data for
this SLO (i.e. more than one
or two students per year
should be completing their
prospectus). Either
students are not on time
with completion of this SLO,
or the Graduate Secretary is
not being made aware of
completion of the
prospectus. This is an issue
for both of our M.Sc.
programs (see next
column).

The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2014 retreat and
decided that our students
are meeting our
expectations in this SLO and
that no action will be taken.
However the Graduate
Assessment Coordinator
plans to work with the
Graduate Secretary to
determine why there are so
few data points for this SLO.
A total of 3 students
(combined for both M.Sc.
programs) were identified
as having completed their
prospectus documents this
year, which explains why
the responses are low. Yet
at this point we do not
know if this reflects low
numbers of prospectus
documents or students not
bringing their prospectus
forms to the Graduate
Secretary in a timely
manner.
SLO 1b: A graduate student
should be able to present
and defend a research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Thoughtful expression
and Information literacy


Prospectus is successfully
presented to the
department. Form used for
this assessment is our
Graduate Student
Prospectus Symposium

Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the Graduate
Student Prospectus
symposium. Data on each

During 2013-2014, we had a
total of 162 respondents for
this SLO. Faculty evaluated
students in both M.Sc.
programs as continuing to
perform well on this SLO,

The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2014 retreat and
decided that our students
are meeting our
expectations in this SLO and
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