Program: Food Science (MS)
Degree: Master's
Date: Fri Oct 15, 2010 - 1:44:13 pm
1) Below are the program student learning outcomes submitted last year. Please add/delete/modify as needed.
Students will:
a. Demonstrate mastery of fundamental knowledge in the field of food science.
b. Demonstrate advanced scholarship in their specialty area in the field of food science.
c. Communicate both orally and in writing at a high level of proficiency.
d. Conduct and interpret food research.
e. Function as a professional in their chosen discipline.
2) As of last year, your program's SLOs were published as follows. Please update as needed.
Department Website URL: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/hnfas/degrees/grad/FSHN.html Student Handbook. URL, if available online: NA
Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online: UHM Catalog. Page Number: Course Syllabi. URL, if available online: Other: Other: 3) Below is the link to your program's curriculum map (if submitted in 2009). If it has changed or if we do not have your program's curriculum map, please upload it as a PDF.
- File (03/16/2020)
4) The percentage of courses in 2009 that had course SLOs explicitly stated on the syllabus, a website, or other publicly available document is indicated below. Please update as needed.
0% 1-50% 51-80% 81-99%
100%5) State the assessment question(s) and/or goals of the assessment activity. Include the SLOs that were targeted, if applicable.
a. Candidacy examination. The candidacy examination is used to evaluate whether the student has a mastery of fundamental knowledge in their discipline and related fields, and can express this knowledge orally in a professional manner.
b. Seminar presentations. At least two seminar presentations focusing on research literature are required during the student’s program. These presentations are used to evaluate the students’s ability to interpret research literature and present literature reviews in a professional format (e.g. Powerpoint) using appropriate oral communication skills. These presentations are used by the seminar instructor and the student’s advisor to evaluate the student’s proficiency and any needs for further development.
c. Teaching assistant experience. All students are required to assist a faculty member with instructional-related work for at least one semester during their MS program. At the end of the semester, the instructor evaluates the student’s performance in writing with a copy forwarded to the graduate chair. This teaching experience is used to evaluate the student’s ability to work in a professional educational context.
d. Thesis defense/final examination. This culminating experience evaluates the student’s ability to conduct research at the MS level, write a research report in publication format, and orally present research findings in a professional manner. The final examination committee evaluates these abilities by reading the written report, listening to the oral presentation, and conducting and oral examination covering all aspects of the written report and presentation.
6) State the type(s) of evidence gathered.
1) Transcripts and GPAs.
2) Results of the candidacy exam.
3) Evaluation of the student's performance in required seminar classes.
4) Evaluation of the student's performance in their instructional experience.
5) Results of the student's thesis defense/final exam.
6) Career paths of our graduates.
7) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected?
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: 8) How did they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence?
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: 9) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated.
If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.
Data on four current students and ten graduates were collected from Food Science graduate faculty.
10) Summarize the actual results.
1) Transcripts and GPAs: All students in our program maintained at least a 3.0 GPA.
2) Results of the candidacy exam: 3 students took the exam. All passed.
3) Evaluation of the student's performance in required seminar classes: All students in our program received a B grade or better in our Seminar class.
4) Evaluation of the student's performance in their instructional experience: 4 students were teaching assistants. All were favorably evaluated by their mentors.
5) Results of the student's thesis defense/final exam: 1 student took his final exam/thesis defense and passed.
6) Among ten students who graduated in the last five years (2006-2010), five are now working as Operations Manager, Research and Development personnel, or Quality Assurance personnel for food companies. Two of our graduates are working for governmental agencies, including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Hawaii Department of Health. Two are pursuing a Ph.D. degree at Cornell University and University of Delaware.
11) How did your program use the results? --or-- Explain planned use of results.
Please be specific.
The results were discussed by the Graduate Coordinator, the student's advisor, and where appropriate the student's candidacy exam committee and thesis committee. A plan to remedy any problems was created, discussed with the student, and implemented by the advisor and graduate coordinator.
Our students have been well trained. They have succeeded in finding employment or pursuing further postgraduate studies after graduation. But we need to recruit more students into our program.
Results are presented to the faculty in department meetings. We would like to use research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and tuition waivers to attract more applicants.
12) Beyond the results, were there additional conclusions or discoveries? This can include insights about assessment procedures, teaching and learning, program aspects and so on.
We would like to have a post-graduation, retrospective evaluation of our program by our graduates in the future.