Unit: Chemistry
Program: Chemistry (PhD)
Degree: Doctorate
Date: Fri Oct 11, 2013 - 10:19:15 am

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

The program aims to develop scientists capable of performing research at the frontiers of the science in any of the subdisciplines of chemistry. The SLO's for this program are:

a)   complete course work at the frontier of the science;

b)   independently perform a significan piece of original research at the frontiers of the science;

c)   prepare and defend an original research proposal at the frontier of the science;

d)   present background of research and results of original research in an open forum;

e)   publish research results in peer reviewed international journals.

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

Department Website URL: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/chem/index.php?s=Graduate-Program
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:
Other:
Other:

3) Select one option:

No map submitted.

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.

Assessment during this period focused on identifying issues that negatively affect the performance of our first year graduate students with the goal of creating a graduate level course to better address these problems during their first semester of study.

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.

Review of past assessments and focus groups consisting of our MS and PhD students were used to make these changes. Review of past assessments and discussion with focus groups consisting of our MS and PhD students were used to make these changes. Faculty input was also considered.

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

25 students and faculty participated in the focus groups.

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.

  The focus groups identified several issues common to all our first-year graduate students. These included a need for safety training to be completed earlier, formalized TA training, and a formalized introduction to research ethics and research instrumentation.

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

In response to past feedback, the department created a  class that functions as an orientation to the department, research, and teaching.  The SLOs this class targeted are:

        1) Laboratory and Chemical Safety at a level appropriate for graduate work

2) Proper Waste Disposal Procedures

3) Be familiar with the research interests of the faculty in the chemistry department

4) Appropriate Research Conduct

5) How to use and access basic instrumentation and resources needed for chemistry graduate studies

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.

The department recognized the need to implement an Exit Survey for our students to be completed when they petition for degree.  In addition, we will continue our focus group discussions between the department and the students.

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.

N/A