Unit: Asian Studies
Program: Asian Studies (MA)
Degree: Master's
Date: Wed Oct 09, 2013 - 11:12:10 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: Printed information sheets are available but not on line. Asian Studies website currently being updated to be more user friendly.
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:

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2013:

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.

Graduating MA candidates like our undergraduate students go through an exit interview.  These interviews help us to reassess our curriculum requirements, our course relevance as well as  provide a continuing examination of shortfalls in our curriculum that could contribute to the delay of students completing their educational goals.

The assessment questions we ask have not changed as our mission has not changed.  We continue to ask the same important three questions: 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?

Student concerns regarding employment opportunities and career preparedness has led to discussions regarding graduate internship programs.  We continue to explore internship options with the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies .  Both our Futures Committee and our Curriculum Committee have explored a career track option for graduate students.

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.

The Asian Studies MA program is a multidisciplinary degree program and our students are able to select courses from various disciplines to complete their major requirements.  As in our BA program, 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 a thesis for Plan A candidates.  Plan B students are also required to defend their papers before a committee of their selection.  The oral defense before a panel of three professors and their peers is considered a culminating experience in attaining a masters degree.

d.  Papers presented or performances given at graduate student conferences or national professional conferences. Asian Studies MA candidates are also encourage to participate in the SPAS graduate student conference both as presenters and organizers.

e.  Publication of student research in student journals such as the Center for Southeast Asia's Exploration or other professional journals.

We continue to encourage students to work closely with their Academic Advisors as well as Asian Studies Academic services to insure students do not fall between the cracks.  Closer collaboration between Area academic advisors and academic services in Asian Studies allow us to better guage 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 MA students finishing their programs at the time of their final graduation check.  The number of students graduating with their MA degree varies between 6 and 10 each semester.  

Each Fall Asian Studies admits between 15 and 20 new graduate students.  These students attend a mandatory orientation in which departmental expectations are outlined.  Students also meet with academic advisors in their area centers as well as with Asian Studies academic services where students can voice their expectations of the program and outline their goals. 

In an effort to provide a consistent student experience, students admitted in Spring semesters are invited to attend the Fall orientation.  The number of students admitted in the Spring is significantly lower.  These students still meet with area center academic advisors as well as academic services in the semester they are admitted.

Every student submits a faculty evaluation each term for each course.  These are tabulated and their results are sent to each individual faculty and Chair.  Chair assesses  the evaluations and determine what policies, if any, need addressing, at the appropriate faculty meeting. 

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: exit interviews with advisors

11) For the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goal(s) stated in Question #6:
Summarize the actual results.

Many of our MA candidates have significant language skills and often add an additiional language study while they are here to aid in their research.

Students planning to go on to a PhD program are advised to do Plan A(thesis) however, our Plan B students have been successful in applying to PhD programs.  As in our Plan A program, Plan B candidates must present their papers before a faculty committee and their peers.  The Plan B option in Asian Studies does require passing an oral defense.

We also have an 18 month program for Foreign Area Officers(military personnel who will eventually be stationed in one of our embassies around the world).  These candidates must fulfill all the same requirements of  our candidates who normally take two years to finish their programs.  Exit interviews have shown that the majority of our FAO's would have preferred being able to take the full two years at UHM in order to take further advantage of courses and programs offered by the university.

Exit interviews with MA candidates also enable us to identify short falls in course offerings in specific geographic areas or disciplines.  Working in collaboration with our area centers and making effective use of visiting scholars, Asian Studies can offer our students a wide range of topics based seminars.

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 to enhance the flexibility of course offerings, such as "topics" based courses.

Needed courses are provided by visiting faculty supported by endowed Chairs or eternal funding such as the U.S. Dept of Education and other special grants when possible.

Data is also used to make the administration of area Certificate programs more efficient.

Data 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.  Data is also used to focus student interests in order to formulate a thesis/research topic.

Assessment results are also used to formulate graduate student recruitment programs with schools both 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.

Reviews of assessment data has shown that departmental and programatic plans often take longer to materialize and patterns may not appear immediately.  Programatic changes  may also take longer to formulate beyond the yearly assessment period.

Assessment data has shown that both undergraduate and graduate students benefit from closer ties to the program, faculty and their peers.  As a result, undergraduates are encouraged to participate in the Asian Studies Culture club.  Additionally, undergraduates are encouraged to participate in the Asian Studies graduate conference as volunteers enabling them to collaborate with Asian Studies graduate students.

Graduate students are encouraged to work closely with their academic advisors and to participate in Graduate student organizations.  Graduate students have expressed a desire to meet with other Asian Studies graduate students outside their area concentrations.  As a result, the Asian Studies graduate assistants have organized Pau Hana Friday events which are also open to graduate faculty.

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