Unit: Oceanography
Program: Oceanography (Phd)
Degree: Doctorate
Date: Sat Oct 10, 2020 - 9:13:35 am

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

1. Define, explain and summarize the basic principles of Oceanography, including the basic tenets of the sub-disciplines, and to explain complex phenomena in their own discipline

(1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge in one or more general subject areas related to, but not confined to, a specific area of interest.)

2. Evaluate the hypotheses, methods, results and conclusion of published scientific literature and apply conclusions to their own work

(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., 6. Conduct research or projects as a responsible and ethical professional, including consideration of and respect for other cultural perspectives.)

3. Present and defend their scientific findings in front of public audiences

(5. Proficiently communicate and disseminate information in a manner relevant to the field and intended audience., 7. Interact professionally with others.)

4. Write a scientific thesis which contributes to the field

(5. Proficiently communicate and disseminate information in a manner relevant to the field and intended audience., 7. Interact professionally with others.)

5. Comprehensively synthesize, evaluate, and interpret the fundamental knowledge in their subdiscipline and how it relates to the other subdisciplines

(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.)

6. Independently construct scientific hypotheses and design and carry out research to evaluate them

(2. Demonstrate understanding of research methodology and techniques specific to one’s field of study.)

7. Critically analyze and synthesize the results of their research to derive conclusions which advance the field and are of a quality suitable for publication in the peer-reviewed literature

(4. Critically analyze, synthesize, and utilize information and data related to one’s field of study., 6. Conduct research or projects as a responsible and ethical professional, including consideration of and respect for other cultural perspectives.)

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

Department Website URL: http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/oceanography/SLO-2016-02.pdf
Student Handbook. URL, if available online: http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/oceanography/GradHandbook20.pdf
Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online:
UHM Catalog. Page Number:
Course Syllabi. URL, if available online: www.soest.hawaii.edu/oceanography/courses.html
Other:

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

Curriculum Map File(s) from 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.

0%
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):

No
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 November 1, 2018 and October 31, 2020?

Yes
No (skip to question 17)

7) What best describes the program-level learning assessment activities that took place for the period November 1, 2018 and October 31, 2020? (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)
Investigate other pressing issue related to student learning achievement for the program (explain in question 8)
Other:

8) Briefly explain the assessment activities that took place since November 2018.

The Department requires annual Division Symposiums (presentations given by the graduate students) that are evaluated by the faculty using a form and rubric. 

Course evaluations are completed every semester to gauge whether the course and instructor is achieving SLOs.

Exit interviews continue to be conducted for every graduate student that graduates from our program.

The Department collects input from Alumni through surveys distributed every other year.

This year a new Graduate Student Check-In Survey was created that provides all current students the opportunity to assess the Department, programs, advisement, etc. annually.

Exit interviews have recently been created for students who leave the program before graduating (i.e. withdraw from the program).

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.

7 students graduated with M.S. degrees in Oceanography during December 2018 through August 2020.
Exit interviews were conducted for all of them.

All students (approximately 40) gave a formal annual presentation at their respective Division Symposium, and were evaluated under a form and rubric. 

Alumni were contacted, and 48 completed a departmental survey to get their response regarding the program's success.

All students (approximately 40) completed course evaluations at the end of every semester.

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 from the evaluation, analysis, interpretation of evidence (checked in question 12). For example, report the percentage of students who achieved each SLO.

All 7 graduating students met all program SLOs, as required by the departmental Degree Requirements.

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 its findings/results.

Exit interviews and Alumni surveys are used to assess what changes and improvements can be made to course offerings, degree of advisor or program assistance, how best to provide opportunities to equip our students when they finish school.

Evaluation forms completed during the Division symposiums are distributed to the student for feedback and personal improvement.

Results of the course evaluation forms are reviewed by the Undergraduate and Graduate Chairs of the Department, the Oceanography Teaching Evaluation Committee, and the instructors to assess whether improvements are needed of each course and instructor.

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.

This year our graduate students have become a lot more involved in the assessment of the program and suggestions for improvement. While still in the works, the graduate students are taking part in several new committees to create the new Graduate Student Check-In Survey, Exit Interview Survey (for students who do not graduate from the program), and revise the Graduate Student Handbook. We believe much improvement will be made, in large part to the graduate student input, with the method the Department has been conducting the program for years.

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

Not applicable