Unit: American Studies
Program: American Studies (MA)
Degree: Master's
Date: Thu Dec 09, 2010 - 2:36:03 pm

1) Below are the program student learning outcomes submitted last year. Please add/delete/modify as needed.

  1. ·        Broad knowledge of U.S. history, society, and culture.
  2. ·        Understanding of several key disciplinary methods to U.S. history, society, and culture.
  3. ·        Critical analysis and writing skills.
  4. ·        Independent research skills involving primary sources.

2) As of last year, your program's SLOs were published as follows. Please update as needed.

Department Website URL: http://www.hawaii.edu/amst/grad.htm
Student Handbook. URL, if available online:
Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online:
UHM Catalog. Page Number:
Course Syllabi. URL, if available online: NA
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.

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2010:

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.

·        How well are we teaching students to write both short and longer essays?

·        How well are we preparing them to think critically in a variety of contexts?

·        How well are we mentoring student research and engagement with primary sources?

·       How well are we doing on student advising and mentoring through all stages of the program?

HHow efficiently are students moving through the program, what bottlenecks exist? 

Do students feel they are being properly prepared for each stage of the curriculum? 

6) State the type(s) of evidence gathered.

Exit interviews

Syllabi collection and evaluation

Online survey

Intake interviews with assigned faculty advisor

CAFE evaluations

MA theses and written exams

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.

40 total (MA & PhD) students replied to online survey

4 exit interviews

7 intake interviews

30 student advisor sessions for annual reports

10) Summarize the actual results.

Students want more help preparing for thesis and exams

Students need more help conducting original research

11) How did your program use the results? --or-- Explain planned use of results.
Please be specific.

Planning to offer AMST 640, Writing for Publication, regularly, as resources allow

Organizing workshops on stated areas of student concern

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.

No. 

13) Other important information:

Note variety of changes made before 2009 report, all of which we are continuing.