Unit: Languages & Literatures of Europe and the Americas
Program: Spanish (BA)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Thu Oct 13, 2011 - 4:11:31 pm

1) Below are your program student learning outcomes (SLOs). Please update as needed.

SLO 1a. Analyze, evaluate and critique the literature of Spain and Latin America.

SLO 1b. Write research papers using appropriate MLA citation guidelines.

SLO 2a. Analyze, evaluate and critique cultural issues of Spain and Latin America.

SLO 2b. Describe and explain Latin American and Iberian roles within sociohistorical movements (e.g., conquest, modernity, nation building).

SLO 2c. Evaluate Hispanic culture’s relevance to notions of indigenism, multiculturalism and immigration.

SLO 3. Use writing and research in Spanish to meet your goals.

SLO 4. Use oral skills in Spanish to meet your goals.

SLO 5. Distinguish between major dialect features of the Spanish of Spain and Latin America.

SLO 6. Read and comprehend texts in Spanish from a variety of genres and contexts.

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

Department Website URL:
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(s) to your program's curriculum map(s). If we do not have your curriculum map, please upload it as a PDF.

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2011:

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

Assessment questions:

1-How many Spanish heritage speakers enroll in the Spanish program?

2- What are the needs of Spanish heritage students compared to the regular language learners?

3- What are students’ plans after graduation?

4- What are students’ long term personal and career goals?

5- Are our graduating students satisfied with the program (courses, institutional resources, etc)?

6- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the program?

7- Have the SLO’s been fulfilled?

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

1- Needs analysis conducted among 300 level students (surveys & interviews)

2- A new placement exam was set in place to identify Spanish heritage speakers coming into the program

3- Exit survey for graduating students

4-  Students’ course and faculty evaluations

5- End of semester projects and exams

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

100- Needs analysis conducted among 300 level students

35- New placement exam was set in place to identify Spanish heritage speakers coming into the program

12- Exit survey for graduating students

All students- Students’ course and faculty evaluations

All students-  End of semester projects and exams

8) 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:

9) 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:

10) For the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goal(s) stated in Question #5:
Summarize the actual results.

The results of the needs analysis conducted among 300 level students pointed out the high number of Spanish heritage students in the program. The results suggest that these students have very different needs for the traditional language students. They already have a command of the spoken language but lack social and academic registers, and their grammatical and written skills need much improvement. On the other hand the traditional language learners reported to be intimidated by the heritage speakers and this prevent them from participating in the class, which was in great detriment of the development of their communicative skills.

From the new placement exam- Approx 35 students took the new placement exam to identify whether they were Spanish heritage speakers. The diagnostic test accurately identified the target students.

The exit survey results also identified several Heritage speakers in the program. In addition the results suggest that 36% of the students will pursue a career in the health industry while other 36% will continue into graduate school. In general students were very satisfied with the program except that they found few training and research opportunities and not enough extra-curricular activities. And several of them would have liked to be able to take some courses that are not offered so often because of a lack of faculty. As for the strengths of the program students pointed out the friendly, passionate, and knowledgeable professors as the main asset of the program.  Finally, the results of the self-assessment of the LOs indicate that students thought the program had fulfilled them well.

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

The results of the 300 level analysis and the new diagnostic exam was used to propose a new course for the program- SPAN 310- Spanish for heritage speakers, which was approved last semester and it is being taught this semester for the first time.

From the exit survey results and the finding that 36% of the students are thinking about a career in the health industry a new course is being developed and will be proposed for approval next semester.

From the exit surveys also, the frequency of courses offered is being considered and some of the more popular courses will try to be offered more often.

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.

From administering the new diagnostic exam we realized all students at a higher level need to have close advising of what courses to take, especially since we know that we cannot offer courses as frequently as we wished because we do not have enough faculty members for the students' demand. We are trying to do the best advising possible so that students take the courses that will be more beneficial for them when these are offered.

13) Other important information.
Please note: If the program did not engage in assessment, please explain. If the program created an assessment plan for next year, please give an overview.