Degree Program Assessment Reports : View Reports

Unit: Law
Program: Law (JD)
Degree: Doctor, Juris
Date: Mon Nov 26, 2018 - 8:10:53 am

1) Program Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and Institutional Learning Objectives (ILOs)

1. Understand ethical responsibilities as representatives of clients, officers of the court, and public citizens responsible for the quality and availability of justice

2. Obtain basic education through a curriculum that develops: (a) understanding of the theory, philosophy, role, and ramifications of the law and its institutions; (b) proficiency in legal analysis, reasoning, problem solving; oral and written communication; legal research; (c) fundamental professional practices necessary to participate effectively in the legal profession; (d) mastery of substantive law regarded as necessary to effective and responsible participation in the legal profession through a completion of a curriculum of required and elective study;

(1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge in one or more general subject areas related to, but not confined to, a specific area of interest., 2. Demonstrate understanding of research methodology and techniques specific to one’s field of study., 5. Proficiently communicate and disseminate information in a manner relevant to the field and intended audience., 6. Conduct research or projects as a responsible and ethical professional, including consideration of and respect for other cultural perspectives., 7. Interact professionally with others.)

3. Understand the law as a public profession calling for performance of Pro Bono legal services

(3. Apply research methodology and/or scholarly inquiry techniques specific to one’s field of study., 5. Proficiently communicate and disseminate information in a manner relevant to the field and intended audience., 6. Conduct research or projects as a responsible and ethical professional, including consideration of and respect for other cultural perspectives., 7. Interact professionally with others.)

4. Promote the development of students' critical thinking skills and other intellectual tools that will serve their life-long learning needs, and enable them to provide leadership in law through contributions in research and practice

(1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge in one or more general subject areas related to, but not confined to, a specific area of interest., 2. Demonstrate understanding of research methodology and techniques specific to one’s field of study., 3. Apply research methodology and/or scholarly inquiry techniques specific to one’s field of study., 4. Critically analyze, synthesize, and utilize information and data related to one’s field of study., 5. Proficiently communicate and disseminate information in a manner relevant to the field and intended audience., 6. Conduct research or projects as a responsible and ethical professional, including consideration of and respect for other cultural perspectives., 7. Interact professionally with others.)

5. Understand and respect law as a social institution in the context of a diverse state with a unique and important history

(3. Apply research methodology and/or scholarly inquiry techniques specific to one’s field of study., 4. Critically analyze, synthesize, and utilize information and data related to one’s field of study., 5. Proficiently communicate and disseminate information in a manner relevant to the field and intended audience., 6. Conduct research or projects as a responsible and ethical professional, including consideration of and respect for other cultural perspectives., 7. Interact professionally with others.)

6. Recognize our global connectedness, especially to the Asia and Pacific regions

2) Your program's SLOs are published as follows. Please update asneeded.

Department Website URL: https://www.law.hawaii.edu/

Student Handbook. URL, if available online: https://www.law.hawaii.edu/student-handbook

Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online: https://www.law.hawaii.edu/about-us

UHM Catalog. Page Number:

Course Syllabi. URL, if available online:

Other:

3) Please review, add, replace, or delete the existing curriculum map.

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2018:

File (03/16/2020)

4) For your program, the percentage of courses that have course SLOs explicitly stated on the syllabus, a website, or other publicly available document is as follows. Please update as needed.

1-50%

51-80%

81-99%

100%

5) Does the program have learning achievement results for its program SLOs? (Example of achievement results: "80% of students met expectations on SLO 1.")(check one):

Yes, on some(1-50%) of the program SLOs

Yes, on most(51-99%) of the program SLOs

Yes, on all(100%) of the program SLOs

6) Did your program engage in any program learning assessment activities between June 1, 2015 and October 31, 2018?

Yes

No (skip to question 17)

7) What best describes the program-level learning assessment activities that took place for the period June 1, 2015 to October 31, 2018? (Check all that apply.)

Create/modify/discuss program learning assessment procedures (e.g., SLOs, curriculum map, mechanism to collect student work, rubric, survey)

Collect/evaluate student work/performance to determine SLO achievement

Collect/analyze student self-reports of SLO achievement via surveys, interviews, or focus groups

Use assessment results to make programmatic decisions (e.g., change course content or pedagogy, design new course, hiring)

No (skip to question 17)

Investigate other pressing issue related to student learning achievement for the program (explain in question 7)

Other: Re-accreditation by the American Bar Association and American Association of Law Schools (granted Spring 2018)

8) Briefly explain the assessment activities that took place.

Two years of preparation for re-accreditation by the American Bar Association and the American Association of Law Schoolʻs site visit (Spring 2017). 10 year reaccreditation approved in Spring 2018. Major faculty self-evaluation resulted in self-assessment; course evalutions review; syllabi review/

9) What types of evidence did the program use as part of the assessment activities checked in question 7? (Check all that apply.)

Artistic exhibition/performance

Assignment/exam/paper completed as part of regular coursework and used for program-level assessment

Capstone work product (e.g., written project or non-thesis paper)

Exam created by an external organization (e.g., professional association for licensure)

Exit exam created by the program

IRB approval of research

Oral performance (oral defense, oral presentation, conference presentation)

Portfolio of student work

Publication or grant proposal

Qualifying exam or comprehensive exam for program-level assessment in addition to individual student evaluation (graduate level only)

Supervisor or employer evaluation of student performance outside the classroom (internship, clinical, practicum)

Thesis or dissertation used for program-level assessment in addition to individual student evaluation

Alumni survey that contains self-reports of SLO achievement

Employer meetings/discussions/survey/interview of student SLO achievement

Interviews or focus groups that contain self-reports of SLO achievement

Student reflective writing assignment (essay, journal entry, self-assessment) on their SLO achievement.

Student surveys that contain self-reports of SLO achievement

Assessment-related such as assessment plan, SLOs, curriculum map, etc.

Program or course materials (syllabi, assignments, requirements, etc.)

Other 1:

Other 2:

10) State the number of students (or persons) who submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.

All faculty participated in the self-study process (40 people). Students (over 30) were interviewed by the accreditation team.

11) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected? (Check all that apply.)

Course instructor(s)

Faculty committee

Ad hoc faculty group

Department chairperson

Persons or organization outside the university

Faculty advisor

Advisors (in student support services)

Students (graduate or undergraduate)

Dean/Director

Other:

12) How did they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence? (Check all that apply.)

Used a rubric or scoring guide

Scored exams/tests/quizzes

Used professional judgment (no rubric or scoring guide used)

Compiled survey results

Used qualitative methods on interview, focus group, open-ended response data

External organization/person analyzed data (e.g., external organization administered and scored the nursing licensing exam)

Other:

13) Summarize the results of the assessment activities checked in question 7. For example, report the percentage of students who achieved each SLO.

Survey Monkey of the Faculty (30 respondents) - Nov. 2018

(% achievement based on faculty response)

Q1 Understand ethical responsibilities as representatives of clients, officers of the court, and public citizens responsible for the quality and availability of justice. 89%

Q2 Obtain basic education through a curriculum that develops: (a) understanding of the theory, philosophy, role, and ramifications of the law and its institutions; 83%

Q3 (b) proficiency in legal analysis, reasoning, problem solving; oral and written communication; legal research; 85%

Q4 (c) fundamental professional practices necessary to participate effectively in the legal profession; 81%

Q5 (d) mastery of substantive law regarded as necessary to effective and responsible participation in the legal profession through a completion of a curriculum of required and elective study; 87%

Q6 Understand the law as a public profession calling for performance of Pro Bono legal services 90%

Q7 Promote the development of students' critical thinking skills and other intellectual tools that will serve their life-long learning needs, and enable them to provide leadership in the law through contributions in research and practice 87%

Q8 Understand and respect the law as a social institution in the context of a diverse state with a unique and important history 91%

Q9 Recognize our global connectedness, especially to the Asia and Pacific regions 85%

Q10 Please indicate which outcomes you feel most proud of in terms of our students achievement and indicate how we can continue our success: - see other document

14) What best describes how the program used the results? (Check all that apply.)

Assessment procedure changes (SLOs, curriculum map, rubrics, evidence collected, sampling, communications with faculty, etc.)

Course changes (course content, pedagogy, courses offered, new course, pre-requisites, requirements)

Personnel or resource allocation changes

Program policy changes (e.g., admissions requirements, student probation policies, common course evaluation form)

Students' out-of-course experience changes (advising, co-curricular experiences, program website, program handbook, brown-bag lunches, workshops)

Celebration of student success!

Results indicated no action needed because students met expectations

Use is pending (typical reasons: insufficient number of students in population, evidence not evaluated or interpreted yet, faculty discussions continue)

Other:

15) Please briefly describe how the program used the results.

Will be discussed at Faculty Meetings and in Committees

16) Beyond the results, were there additional conclusions or discoveries? This can include insights about assessment procedures, teaching and learning, and great achievements regarding program assessment in this reporting period.

Here are the responses to the open ended questions that will be forwarded to faculty for further discussion:

Mānoa Assessement

Nov. 2018

Law School SLO Survey

Two Open-Ended Question Responses

(1) Please indicate which outcomes you feel most proud of in terms of our students’ achievement and indicate how we can continue our success:

- Number 8 [Understand and respect the law as a social institution in the context of a diverse state with a unique and important history]

- the practical ones; we are a professional school

- pro bono commitment

- professional practices necessary to participate effective in the legal profession

numbers

- reinforcement across the curriculum

- critical thinking and problem solving

- all of our graduates vigorously do pro bono work, the vast majority of work is in Hawaii

commitment to pro bono service as a hallmark and highlight of our school

- more writing expectations

- students learn to analyze "what's really going on" in legal process beyond formal dogma

- commitment to public service

- I feel proud of the opportunities we are providing to Native Hawaiian students to prepare themselves for careers in which they can serve Native Hawaiians.

- Development of sense of civic responsibility, respect for the rule of law, duty to address social and economic justice through law, obligation to employ legal skills to develop a better quality of life in Hawaii, development of student comprehension and freedom expression on political social events as in current events, development of a global awareness particularly towards Pacific Asian and Developing countries and strengthening and developing skills, values and ability of reflection necessary for the appropriate practice of law.

- their ability to perform basic legal skills

(2) Please indicate which outcome is our greatest concern and what kind of curriculum enhancements we might consider to address that concern:

- pro bono clinical

- preparation for practice clinical experiences student mentoring

- add faculty

- incorporate into core courses along with PALS, KHA, ELP related material

- grasp of influence of procedure on sustaining outcomes enriching small sections on first plan causes

- practice is hard to teach given change in env. broaden social context - can get more emphasis

- Outside of our three specialization areas, I do not feel that we are adequately preparing most of our students for careers as thoughtful, self-reflective, innovative lawyers prepared to enter the practice of law in the 21st century. We focus far too much on preparing our students for certain positions in local practice: the public defenders office, the prosecuting attorney's office, for a small segment of our students, service in non-profits and government agencies, and for an even smaller segment of our students, jobs at local law firms. But our core courses are stuck in the 1990s. Students are not getting the broad, interdisciplinary perspectives, or the understanding of fundamental professional practices that they will need to thrive in a rapidly changing legal profession. We need a major updating of our core J.D. curriculum and teaching methods, including education in the uses of modern law-related technologies.

- My greatest concern is that we enrich our program and offerings with attention to current political and legal events: such as the confirmation of supreme court justices, decisions of state and federal courts, the presidential use of power, the values of the first amendment and freedom of the press, the chilling effect of certain speech, as to the rights of women, persons of all genders, minorities, aliens within and without the United States, native american persons and persons who are citizens by means of conquest and wrongful acquisition and occupation. These issues are often given insufficient attention and sacrificed to coverage of basic survey classes. Students have become accustomed to a division in which the main interests in law school, in terms to what they are taught, is a so-called neutral curriculum in which personal opinions, whether of faculty or by students, are deemed in appropriate. Such silence is often seen as demanded by the need to provide a "safe classroom." The law school, above all other departments and colleges, is the very space wherein such discussion must take place. These are issues that law graduates will face in their daily practice and leadership within the community.

- 3b and 5d - Increase the number of required legal research classes and hours by including a practice legal research course; 2 to 3 hours basic legal research because of information overload; get rid of advisory grades in the first semester - make them work; get rid of the curve and go with uncurved grades. Limit the number of "clubs" 1L students can join. Foster excellence through hard work that is rewarded.

- legal analysis

- #8 ... my concern is to enhance our bar pass rate by further development of critical thinking and writing skills.

1) Program Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and Institutional Learning Objectives (ILOs)

1. Understand ethical responsibilities as representatives of clients, officers of the court, and public citizens responsible for the quality and availability of justice

3. Understand the law as a public profession calling for performance of Pro Bono legal services

4. Promote the development of students' critical thinking skills and other intellectual tools that will serve their life-long learning needs, and enable them to provide leadership in law through contributions in research and practice

5. Understand and respect law as a social institution in the context of a diverse state with a unique and important history

6. Recognize our global connectedness, especially to the Asia and Pacific regions

2) Your program's SLOs are published as follows. Please update asneeded.

3) Please review, add, replace, or delete the existing curriculum map.

4) For your program, the percentage of courses that have course SLOs explicitly stated on the syllabus, a website, or other publicly available document is as follows. Please update as needed.

5) Does the program have learning achievement results for its program SLOs? (Example of achievement results: "80% of students met expectations on SLO 1.")(check one):

6) Did your program engage in any program learning assessment activities between June 1, 2015 and October 31, 2018?

7) What best describes the program-level learning assessment activities that took place for the period June 1, 2015 to October 31, 2018? (Check all that apply.)

8) Briefly explain the assessment activities that took place.

9) What types of evidence did the program use as part of the assessment activities checked in question 7? (Check all that apply.)

10) State the number of students (or persons) who submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.

11) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected? (Check all that apply.)

12) How did they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence? (Check all that apply.)

13) Summarize the results of the assessment activities checked in question 7. For example, report the percentage of students who achieved each SLO.

14) What best describes how the program used the results? (Check all that apply.)

15) Please briefly describe how the program used the results.

16) Beyond the results, were there additional conclusions or discoveries? This can include insights about assessment procedures, teaching and learning, and great achievements regarding program assessment in this reporting period.

17) If the program did not engage in assessment activities, please justify.