Program: Asian Studies (BA)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Wed Oct 09, 2013 - 11:01:41 am
1) Below are your program's student learning outcomes (SLOs). Please update as needed.
Student Learning Outcomes
A. We expect the student to:
1. possess basic skills in at least 1 Asian language by demonstrating “intermediate” level proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking
2. demonstrate a basic understanding of the economics, politics, literatures, religions, arts, and histories of those regions of Asia that are the student’s foci. This includes the following:
a) the major socio-economic, conceptual, and historical themes in Asian studies and articulate what "Asian Studies" as an academic field means
b) the ways in which exogenous forces (art, literature, ideas) have interacted with indigenous Asian contexts in shaping the character and course of societies in Asia today
3. possess a basic understanding of at least two Asian countries
4. be open to and articulate “the view from Asia” by understanding critical differences between Asia and “the West” as well as amongst Asian societies
5. have basic research and analytical skills commensurate with class level and to present and communicate in a classroom setting those skills
7. possess a spirit of healthy skepticism and desire for inquiry particularly with regard to conventions about Asia
8. experience a genuine liberal arts education
2) Your program's SLOs are published as follows. Please update as needed.
Department Website URL: Website is difficult to navigate and currently updating site to be more user friendly
Student Handbook. URL, if available online: Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/asianstudies/undergrad.html, http://manoa.hawaii.edu/asianstudies/ugrad_require.html UHM Catalog. Page Number: Page 312-313 Course Syllabi. URL, if available online: Course syllabi available in departmental office. Other: 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, 2012 and September 30, 2013? (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, 2012 to September 30, 2013: 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 BA and MA candidates. These interviews help us to assess our curriculum requirements and course relevance. This year in particular, we were interested to get feedback from our undergraduates regarding the 60 upper division requirement we have maintained though UHM requires only 45 upper division credits. Students going on to advanced degrees did not see this as an onerous requirement but rather an enhancement to their continuing education. Students going out into the workforce mentioned that the additional credit requirement allowed them to explore other disciplines giving them a more well rounded educational base and much more attractive to potential employers.
Our past goal for undergraduates was the enforcement of enrollment in ASAN 201 and 202 at the start of a students curriculum. Students must pass these required courses with a C or better. This years goal was to ensure students were able to complete these courses successfully. Faculty teaching these courses monitor students underachieving in this class and alert the advisor to potential problems particularly if the student is an Asian Studies major. Many of the students having problems understanding the material either work closely with the professor and can also sign up for tutoring sessions with the graduate assistant.
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.
Student evaluations for both the course and the instructor are conducted in every Asian Studies class. Departmental goals are measured against student feedback and helps formulate future course offerings as well adjustments in curriculum particularly in the required introductory courses ASAN 201 and ASAN 202.
Asian Studies can be flexible in course offerings through our ASAN 491 series of topics based classes. Student evaluations and discipline based requirements can often influence whether a topics based course should be moved into the permanent curriculum as we did with our Anime/Manga couse.
Enforcement of the ASAN 201/202 pre-requisite and monitoring Asian Studies majors in these classes has resulted in a higher success rate for students passing this course as well as achieving a higher level of understanding when enrolling in ASAN 300/400 level classes. Student and professor evaluations of the required ASAN 201/202 courses as well as ASAN 310/312 courses help the program reassess course content to more closely align with departmental goals.
8) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.
Incoming freshmen and transfer students participate in mandatory advising usually between 25-30 new students each fall semester with a smaller number in the spring. Students are polled as to why they have chosen Asian Studies as a major as well as what they hope to accomplish in their 4 years.
In addition, because Asian Studies has retained the 60 upper division credit requirement for graduation, majors particularly those focused in finishing within 4 years come in each semester to go over course requirements. Generally a third of the 150 or so Asian Studies majors make a practice of doing this each semester.
Exit interviews with graduating students generally between 12-16 per semester are also conducted. Exit interviews are conducted during their final graduation check. Students also have the option to fill out a written exit interview after meeting with the advisor.
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: 10) 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: 11) For the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goal(s) stated in Question #6:
Summarize the actual results.
Asian Studies has always had a 60 upper division credit requirement as opposed to the 60 non-intro requirement of other departments. Students were asked to comment on this requirement in view of the university lowering the standard to 45 upper division credit requirement with Asian Studies maintaining the higher credit requirement. Students going on to advanced degrees appreciated having to work at a higher level and did not feel the requirement onerous. Students moving into the work force felt having the higher requirement allowed them to do a concurrent degree or minor which many felt improved their job prospects. Very few felt the requirement onerous and those that did mentioned the rising cost of tuition.
A large number of our students participate in study abroad programs with many opting for the International Exchange option because it allowed them to be more flexible.
Students entering the program as well as exiting the program all expressed the attraction of the major was the ability to build their own course of study within given parameters and within multiple disciplines.
Many of our students continue to have a high level of language skill with several going beyond the university requirement of 4 semesters of language study. A few have proficieny in two languages.
12) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.
Survey data is used to create new courses to meet student demand or eliminate courses that do not meet either student expectations or departmental program goals.
Exit inteviews and student advising sessions enable us to identify short falls in course offerings. As a result, we were able to identify short alls in Korea course offerings as well as a scarcity in couses dealing with South Asia. Hiring new facultyin slots vacated by retirement has enabled us to bolster oour Korea component as well as South Asia. Working closely with our Area centers and working collaboratively with other disciplines has enabled us to bolster shortfalls within our own curriculum offerings.
Student evaluations and requests during advising sessions have encourage Asian Studies faculty to bolster departmental course offerings with WI, E, O and HAPs designations as well as development of honors sections. Student comments have also encouraged the program to develop on line courses which are currently being closely monitored.
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 exit interviews, it became apparent that doing a more formal entrance interview with incoming freshmen and transfer students can also be an important tool. Students polled upon entry to the program often stated the ability to build their own program according to their area or discipline interest as a particular draw. Some students pointed to the fact that when researching topics in their area of interest, often faculty members within our program were cited as being experts in the field.
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.
As in previous years, we continue to assess the relevance of our course offerings through student evaluations. We also review course progression and cohesiveness. It also allows us to re-evaluate our mission as a program in a rapidly changing society and how to best prepare our students to either go on to advance degrees or entering the work force.