Departmental Assessment Update - Arts and Humanities Report

Department: Religion
Program: BA
Level: Undergraduate

1. Has your program developed learning outcomes? If yes, please list.

1. Students acquire basic knowledge and understanding of the history, scriptures, doctrines, rituals and other practices of the major world religious traditions.
2. Students become acquainted with major themes in the study of religion.
3. Students read and analyze primary source material, including scriptures, faith statements, etc.
4. Students read and analyze scholarly articles and monographs in the field.
5. Students begin the process of learning to write scholarly materials in genres appropriate to the field of Religious Studies, including research papers, exegetical essays, etc.

2. If your program has learning outcomes, where are they published (e.g., department web page)?

Department webpage:http://www.hawaii.edu/religion/major-minor.html

3. Do your faculty list course learning outcomes on their syllabi?

Required beginning Spring 2009.

4. Does your program have a curriculum map that links course outcomes to program outcomes? If so, please include.

Not available in map format.

5. Does your program benchmark or have goals for student performance? (e.g. 70% students will graduate within 5 years)

No

6. Other than GPA, what data/evidence is used to determine that graduates have achieved stated outcomes for the degree? (i.e. capstone project, class assignment)

Undergraduate assessment is based on three types of data:

1) Assessment of papers and exams collected from REL 300, a course limited to majors and minors. Conducted every other academic year. Last done 2006-2007.

 

2)Assessment of papers and exams written by senior majors and minors from other upper division courses. Last done 2007-2008.

 

3) Qualitative data from exit surveys conducted at the end of REL 300. Conducted annually.

7. Who interprets the evidence of student learning?

Department procedures include:

1) The Assessment committee determines the procedure for the academic year and arranges for the collection of data in the Fall semester.

 

2) Other faculty participate on a rotating basis to evaluate the papers and exams in the Spring semester. All faculty participate over a three to four year cycle.

 

3) Data is reported to the entire faculty at the September and May department meetings.

8. How are the assessment data/results used to inform decisions concerning the curriculum and administration of the program?

Assessment data is presented at Faculty meetings in September and in May. Proposals for curriculum changes are based on the discussions initiated at these meetings.