University of North Carolina Wilmington
Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(PhD Program, Biology & Marine Biology –October 2014)
Assessment Plan Report for 2013-2014 (July 1 to June 30)Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, Biology & Marine Biology, [email protected]
Program Outcome
UNCW Strategic GoalTools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions TakenPO 1: Graduation of PhD
students within 5-6 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:- solicitation of information
from alumni - meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs - review of programs at
other institutions - monitoring of time to
graduation - periodic outside review
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.PhD students are taking 4.5
years to graduate, well
within our expectation.
Financial concerns have
previously been identified
as a significant concern for
time to graduate. Based on
student comments and
comparisons with other
programs, a need to make
the curriculum more flexible
was identified. For M.S
students in the department
wishing to change to the
PhD program, a need for an
easier transition was
identified.In previous years, the
Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. The
PhD core curriculum was
revised to be more flexible.
The progression from the
M.S. program to the PhD
program was made easier
through a Master’s bypass
option. Given our results
we feel that these actions
have been successful.PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:- solicitation of information
from alumni - meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs - review of programs at
other institutions - periodic outside review
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.Data from 2012- 2013
indicate that program
enrolment is steady. In
2010 - 2011 we had 22 PhD
students, in 2011-2012 we
had 20, in 2012-2013 we
had 18, and in 2013- 2014
year we accepted 2 new
students into the program.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern forThe Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. The
PhD core curriculum was
revised to be more flexible.
In addition, in fall 2012 the
Graduate Coordinator,
working with the graduate
students and the Graduate
advisory committee, drafted
a long-term PhD course
offering plan that will better