Program: Asian Studies (MA)
Degree: Master's
Date: Fri Oct 12, 2012 - 11:31:52 am
1) Below are your program's student learning outcomes (SLOs). Please update as needed.
A. We expect the student to:
1. Possess an advanced understanding of at least one (1) Asian language. This means college-level fluency in reading, writing, speaking at the 5th year level of Japanese, 4th year level Chinese and Korean, and 3rd year level Southeast and South Asian languages.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of issues and problems in the arts, humanities, and social sciences as related to Asia.
3. Demonstrate the ability to understand research and conduct research using at least one of the methodologies of various disciplines i.e. humanities, arts and social sciences.
4. Demonstrate ability in integrating all of the above factors in a final major research project (either Plan A or B).
2) Your program's SLOs are published as follows. Please update as needed.
Department Website URL: Asian Studies website is being updated 
Student Handbook. URL, if available online: Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online: see above UHM Catalog. Page Number: Page 313-314 Course Syllabi. URL, if available online: Professors post their course syllabus on their Laulima Site Other: program requirements are here:http://manoa.hawaii.edu/asianstudies/grad_requirements.html Other: 3) Select one option:
- 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.
0% 1-50% 51-80%
81-99% 100%5) Did your program engage in any program assessment activities between June 1, 2011 and September 30, 2012? (e.g., establishing/revising outcomes, aligning the curriculum to outcomes, collecting evidence, interpreting evidence, using results, revising the assessment plan, creating surveys or tests, etc.)
Yes No (skip to question 14)6) For the period June 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the SLOs that were targeted, if applicable.
We continue to conduct exit interviews with both our BA and MA candidates to help us reassess our curriculum requirements, course relevance as well as to re-examine shortfalls in curriculum that may delay students in completing their educational goals.
The assessment questions we ask have not changed as our mission has not changed but the following continue to be what we ask generally: Are our graduates at a level similar to those with the same degree in the best universities in the country with an Asian Studies Program?
Are our graduates accepted into highly regarded PhD programs that offer Asia related tracks?
Do our graduates enter the work field with some measure of success?
We work with UH Foundation and the Alumni offices to track our graduates and receive updates from our graduates through professors on our faculty who acted as their mentors.
Student concerns regarding employment opportunities and career preparedness has led us into discussions regarding graduate internship programs with the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies.
7) State the type(s) of evidence gathered to answer the assessment question and/or meet the assessment goals that were given in Question #6.
As in the BA program, the MA program is a multidisciplinary degree program and our students are able to select courses from various disciplines to complete their major requirements. Student feedback helps formulate future course offerings and eliminate courses that are not effective in meeting student expectations or departmental goals.
In the graduate program assessments are made through:
a. Written and oral projects in lectures and seminars
b. Independent and/or culminating projects (theses, performances, capstone courses (ASAN 750), etc,
c. Successful oral defense of both thesis and no-thesis written by MA students before a panel of three professors and peers as a culminating experience for the degree.
d. Papers presented or performances given at graduate student conferences or national professional conferences. Going forward, Asian Studies MA candidates will be encouraged to participate in the SPAS graduate student conference.
e. Publication of student research in student journals such as the Center of Southeast Asia's Explorations or other professional journals.
More emphasis was made this year for graduate students to work closely with their academic advisor as well as Asian Studies academic services to insure students do not fall between the cracks and allow us to better gauge student concerns and needs.
8) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.
Questionaires are administered to students finishing both finishing both the BA and MA programs at the time of graduation check. Each semester there are between 12-15 undergraduates completing their BA and between -10 graduates completing their MA program.
In addition, Asian Studies admits between 15-20 new graduate students each Fall and a smaller number in the Spring. Students admitted in the Fall attend a mandatory orientation in which departmental expectations are outlined. Students also meet with the advisors in their area centers as well as with academic services. In an effort to improve advising and provide a consistent student experience, Asian Studies has moved towards including Spring admission students in the Fall orientation.
9) 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: ASP Curriculum Committee/ Graduate Chair10) 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: exit interviews with advisors11) For the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goal(s) stated in Question #6:
Summarize the actual results.
As in our BA program, many of the MA candidates often exceed the language requirement. Some are able to add an additional language relevant to their research.
Students are advised that if the plan to go on to a PhD program, they should opt for Plan A(thesis). We do require an oral defense of the Plan B option and as a result, many of our graduate students who opted for Plan B have been accepted into PhD programs.
The exit interviews and advising sessions with students enable us to identify short falls in course offerings. It helped us to identify the lack of korea and South Asian Courses in both the BA and MA programs. We have been able to work with various departments to increase course offerings with a Korea focus and continue to work towards strengthening our South Asia focus in close collaboration with the Center for South Asian Studies.
The addition of Hindi and Urdu languages at UHM allows us to look more closely at adding more South Asia courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
12) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.
Data is used to create new courses or eliminate others.
Data is used t enhance the flexibility of course offerings, such as "topics" courses.
Needed courses are provided by visiting faculty supported by endowed Chairs or external funding such as the U.S. Dept. of Education and other special grants when possible.
Data is used to make more efficient the administration of area Certificate programs.
Date is used to enhance advising of graduate students and pointing them in the directions best suited to their talents and abilities by crafting a better program that includes the use of courses and seminars found in other departments and programs within the University. Focusing a students interests in order to formulate a thesis/research topic.
Assessment results are also used in formulating graduate student recruitment programs with schools both with in the United States and overseas.
13) Beyond the results, were there additional conclusions or discoveries?
This can include insights about assessment procedures, teaching and learning, program aspects and so on.
In reviewing assessment data, it is clear that departmental and programatic plans often take longer to materialize and patterns do not appear immediately. Three year assessments might be more appropriate.
The program maintains a list of graduates which is available online and alumni are invited to give presentations to current graduate and undergraduate students.
Individual faculty members also maintain contact with students and track their progress particularly in academic disciplines as well as in government service. Whenever possible, faculty include former graduate students on professional conference panels.
The new Asian Studies website has enhanced our recruitment efforts and we continue to modify the site to be more user friendly.
14) If the program did not engage in assessment activities, please explain.
Or, if the program did engage in assessment activities, please add any other important information here.
none