Unit: Pacific & Asian Studies, School of
Program: Student Services/Advising
Date: Fri Oct 28, 2011 - 11:58:06 am

1) List your program's student outcomes.

The Asian Studies undergraduate program provides the student with a broad interdisciplinary approach to Asian national and cultures. Upon receiving an area studies degree, the student should have the following skills:

  1. Students possess basic skills in at least 1 Asian language. Demonstrate college-level fluency in reading, writing, speaking at basic and intermediate levels.
  2. Students can demonstrate a basic understanding of the interrelationship of economy, politics, literature, religion, the arts, history of Asian countries.
    1. Demonstrate an understanding of major themes in Asian history and cultural development.
    2. Be able to explain how Asian Studies is constituted in the West.
    3. Be able to explain the ways in which global forces have interacted with the Asian regional context in shaping the character and course of societies in Asia today.
  3. Students can demonstrate an advanced understanding of two Asian countries or regions (example Southeast Asia)
    1. Be able to explain Asian world views
    2. Be able to explain intra-Asian as well as West vs Asia differences
    3. Be able to analyze and interpret specific issues in research projects
  4. Students can find and evaluate sources of information about Asia
    1. Be able to use the library to find appropriate sources of information for a research project
    2. Be able to evaluate the probable quality sources found on the web
  5. Students conduct and communicate research findings
    1. Be able to outline, organize and present a research project
    2. Be able to design and deliver a presentation that communicates key findings of their research
  6. Students gain a greater appreciation of the variety of human experience.
    1. Make students open to different and creative ways of seeing the world.
    2. Foster a spirit of inquiry so that received mainstream knowledge is never accepted uncritically.

2) Where are your program's student outcomes published? Mark all that apply and include URLs when appropriate.

Program's Website. URL: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/asianstudies/undergrad.html
Student Handbook. URL, if available online:
Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure. URL, if available online: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/asianstudies/ugrad_require.html
UHM Catalog. Page Number: Page 309-313
Other: postcard passed out at fairs
Other:

3) Provide the program's activity map or other graphic that illustrates how program activities/services align with program student outcomes. Please upload it as a PDF.

No map submitted.

4) For the period June 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the student outcomes that were targeted, if applicable.

We continue to conduct exit interviews with both our BA and MA candidates to help us reassess our curriculum requirements, course relevance as well as to re-examine shortfalls in curriculum that may delay students in completing their educational goals. 

During this assessment period, the program made a concerted effort to enforce enrollment in ASAN 201/202 through mandatory advising. 

Asian Studies is a multidisciplinary degree program and our students are able to select courses from various disciplines to complete their major requirements.   Student feedback helps formulate future course offerings and eliminate courses that are not effective in meeting student expectations or departmental goals.  Mandatory advising for all majors also allow us to gauge incoming student interests in terms of area study and discipline and helps to enhance our flexibility in course offerings.

Enforcing the ASAN 201/202 pre-requisite for upper division ASAN courses for our major has with the help of student feedback, aided the program in reassessing the cohesiveness in our course progression.  Professors noted that students who took the ASAN201/202 courses were better equipped to handle the course requirements in the upper division classes.  

5) State the type(s) of evidence gathered to answer the assessment question and/or meet the assessment goals that were given in Question 4.

Questionaires are administered to students finishing both the BA and MA programs at the tie of the graduation check.  Each semester there are between 12-16 undergraduates completing their BA and  between 8 and 10 graduates completing their MA program.

In the addition, the usual intake of new undergraduate majors per semester is anywhere between 8 -12 students.  This Fall however, Asian Studies had 35 incoming freshman and transfer students.  Of the 35 new students coming into the program, 27 participated in mandatory advising. 

Finally 26 students who are anticipating graduating in Spring 12 or Fall 12 also came in for graduation checks.  These students were also polled regarding course availability, course requirements and graduation requirements for the major.

6) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.

see answer for5

7) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected. Check all that apply.

Program faculty/staff
Faculty/staff committee
Ad hoc faculty/staff group
Director or department chairperson
Persons or organization outside the university
Students (graduate or undergraduate)
Dean
Other

8) How did he/she/they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence? Check all that apply.

Compiled survey results
Used qualitative methods on interview, focus group, open-ended response data
Scored exams/tests/quizzes
Used a rubric or scoring guide
Used professional judgment (no rubric or scoring guide used)
External organization/person analyzed data (e.g., Social Science Research Institute)
Other:

9) For the assessment questions/goals stated in Question 4, summarize the actual results.

Many of the students completing the BA program exceed the 4 semester requirement for an Asian language.  A majority of the students have done either an International Exchange or Study Abroad in the country of their area focus.

Several students graduate with a concurrent degree or an additional minor.  Students feel their time is well spent in the program and appreciate the ability to diversify into other disciplines in order to complete their major requirements.

Asian Studies also has a disproportionate number of Phi Beta Kappa candidates.  Last year, 6 out of the 8 candidates nominated from our campus were Asian Studies majors.

In addition, student exit interviews revealed that the majority of majors did not find the 60 credit upper division requirement burdensome.  Many felt that the requirement pushed them to work at a higher level that prepared them for graduate work.  

10) What was learned from the results?

11) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.

The exit interviews and advising sessions with students enable us to identify short falls in course offerings.  It helped us identify the lack Korean and South Asian courses.  We have been able to work with various departments to increase course offerings with a Korea focus and continue to work towards strengthening our South Asia focus.

Student comments have also resulted in our re-examining of our course progression and cohesiveness.  In addition, professors continue to examine course content for relevance and have been examining ways to rework course syllabi to fit within the parameters of some of the focus requirements ie. Hawaii Asia Pacific Issues, Oral Communication, Ethical Issues and Writing Intensive.

  1. Data is used to create new courses or eliminate others
  2. Data is used to enchance the flexibility of course offerings  suchas the topics driven courses.
  3. Needed courses are provided by viting faculty supported by endowed Chairs or external funding such as the U.S. Dept. of Education and other grants when possible.
  4. Data is used to streamline the administration of the area certificate programs
  5. Enhances advising of graduate students by crafting a better program that includes the use of courses and seminars found in other departments and programs within the University.

12) Reflect on the assessment process. Is there anything related to assessment procedures your program would do differently next time? What went well?

We do an assessment of the program and much of the data is taken not only from class results but during interviews with students in advising sessions.  Would like to develop an advising survery to see how we can improve academic surveys.

13) Other important information

none