department takes a course with a graduate TA instructor. As stated above, the graduate program is
increasingly dependent on TAs to provide financial support to our graduate students, and TAs therefore are
the prime driver of our research productivity. Teaching assistants therefore fill an invaluable role to our
educational and research missions.
g. PROGRAMMATIC ASSESSMENT
We recognized early the importance of evaluating the overall performance of our students from a
broad program perspective, and had been measuring student performance in several of the program
elements informally for several years, through solicitation of faculty input after major milestones (student
prospectus symposia, departmental seminars, thesis defenses). As part of the UNCW focus on assessment
that was spurred on by SACS requirements for undergraduate programs, we formalized our assessment
process for our graduate programs in 2007. This process required: the formation of a graduate program
assessment plan, including development of desired student learning outcomes; the creation of associated
assessment tools and rubrics for each degree program; the appointment of a graduate assessment
coordinator (Dr. Heather Koopman); the compilation and evaluation of assessment data to detect trends in
student performance over time, and to identify any areas within the programs in which students were not
meeting departmental expectations and where actions could be taken to correct the problem; and finally,
evaluation of whether any programmatic changes made led to increased student performance (“closing the
loop”).
Each year, graduate program assessment data are tabulated and compared to previous years’ data
by the graduate assessment coordinator and discussed at the annual department retreat in August.
Motions/suggestions for required action (programmatic changes, continued monitoring, or no action
required) are approved by the faculty, and implemented during that academic year. Formal assessment
reports are provided to and evaluated by the Director of Assessment, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
and General Education in the fall of each year.
The stated learning objectives (SLOs) for each program are provided below, each linked to the appropriate
UNCW learning goals.
M.Sc. Biology and M.Sc. Marine Biology Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1a: A graduate student should be able to develop a research plan. Link to UNCW Learning Goal:
Inquiry.
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.
SLO2: A graduate student should be able to independently answer questions regarding their research field.
Link to UNCW Learning Goal: Information literacy, critical thinking, thoughtful expression.
SLO3: A graduate student should be able to communicate his or her research to a broadly-trained public
audience. Link to UNCW Learning Goal: Thoughtful expression.
SLO 4: A graduate student should be able to write up his or her research in the form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific journal. Link to UNCW Learning Goal: thoughtful expression, information
literacy, critical thinking, inquiry.
Ph.D. Marine Biology Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1: A graduate student should be able to develop a research plan. Link to UNCW Learning Goals:
inquiry and thoughtful expression.
SLO2: A graduate student should be able to independently answer questions regarding their research field.
Link to UNCW Learning Goals: information literacy, critical thinking, and thoughtful expression.
SLO3: A graduate student should be able to communicate his or her research to a broadly-trained public
audience. Link to UNCW Learning Goals: thoughtful expression.