Biology and Marine Biology

implemented a peer

monitoring system for

untenured, tenure-track

faculty

Student Learning Outcome

UNCW-wide Learning Goal

Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

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

What tools or measures will

be used?

Who will be responsible for

implementation; who will

be assessed; what is the

schedule?

What was learned from the

collection and analysis of

data for student learning

outcomes?

What changes were made

because of what you

learned?

SLO 1a: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: creative inquiry
(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 for the 2009- 2010

year.

No data were available for

the 2009-2010 year as of

July 19 2010.

The faculty discussed the

results of assessment to

date at the 2010 retreat and

decided that the Graduate

Assessment Coordinator will

explore options for online

assessment form reporting,

rather than the return of

paper forms, in the 2010-

2 011 year with the hopes

that this will improve faculty

participation in the

Assessment process.

N/A

SLO 1b: A graduate student
should be able to present
and defend a research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).

Prospectus is successfully

presented to the

department. Form used for

this assessment is our

Graduate Student

Prospectus Symposium

Evaluation form. Our

assessment tool will be

question #5. This SLO was

Each student in the program

is assessed by all faculty

members in the department

attending the Graduate

Student Prospectus

symposium. Data on each

student’s project in terms of

quality, design and

significance are collected.

At the fall and spring 2010

Prospectus Symposium, we

collected 261 data points.

The faculty determined that

98% of the students were

performing well in this SLO,

with 36% of projects rated

as “commendable”, 62% as

“satisfactory” and only 2%

The faculty discussed the

results of assessment to

date at the 2010 retreat and

decided that our students

are meeting our

expectations in this SLO and

that no action will be taken.