Archived Assessment Report
| Program | American Studies Degree |
| Assessment Reporter | [email protected] |
| Theme | Practicing Community |
| Review Year | 2024-2025 - Final Report |
| Learning Outcome (or Gen Ed Essential Skill) | Focus Area |
|---|---|
| 5. Effective Communication | What percentage of students demonstrate effective communication at the excellent, satisfactory, and needs improvement levels. |
| 6. Demonstrate organization and/or coherence of ideas, content, and/or formulas | What percentage of students are demonstrating effective communication strategies, such as organization and coherence of ideas and content at the excellent, satisfactory, and needs improvement levels. |
| 7. Produce communication appropriate to audience, situation, venue, and/or context | What percentage of students produce communication appropriate to audience, situation, venue and/or context at the excellent, satisfactory, and needs improvement levels. |
| Learning Outcome (or Gen Ed Essential Skill) | Description of Assessment Tool | Population or Courses Assessed | Hypothetical Analysis/Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. Effective Communication | Course reading assignments/discussion boards/exams | AMST 1130, AMST 1140 | Based course outcome on course learning outcomes. Threshold would be 80% or more that will meet expectations. |
| 6. Demonstrate organization and/or coherence of ideas, content, and/or formulas | Course reading assignments/discussion boards | AMST 1130, AMST 1140 | Based course outcome on course learning outcomes. Threshold would be 80% or more that will meet expectations. |
| 7. Produce communication appropriate to audience, situation, venue, and/or context | Course reading assignments/discussion boards | AMST 1130, AMST 1140 | Based course outcome on course learning outcomes. Threshold would be 80% or more that will meet expectations. |
| Learning Outcome (or Gen Ed Essential Skill) | Summary of Results | Reflection on Focus Area | Intepretation of Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. Effective Communication | 80% of students did meet requirements. | The results were met. However, having part time faculty design their own course shells and select the rubric for different assignments makes it harder to capture whether or not we are assessing the correct assignments. | Based on the results, it was suggested that these courses could be streamline in terms of readings and the final project. |
| 6. Demonstrate organization and/or coherence of ideas, content, and/or formulas | 80% of students met this requirement. | The results do suggest support our focus area. | Are we as a program grading effectively? Is our rubric assessing correct measurements. |
| 7. Produce communication appropriate to audience, situation, venue, and/or context | Student met 80% of the threshold. | Course readings assignments and discussion boards have been the best way to assess these courses. | Discussion posts have been most effective in creating community participation amongst students. |
| 5. Effective Communication | |
|---|---|
| Describe the change that was implemented. | Hope is to integrate more streamline readings, culturally responsive assignments, and assess the final project. |
| Type of Change |
|
| Change in Assessment Approach or Tools? | Most likely -- it would be wonderful to see how AI is impacting our teaching and students. |
| What data motivated the change? | Spring 2026 |
| Hypothesis about the effect the change will have? | Hope is that the data will give us a bigger picture of how our students are meeting learning outcomes. Now that CBE will be implemented, how will this change the outcomes, if at all. |
| 6. Demonstrate organization and/or coherence of ideas, content, and/or formulas | |
|---|---|
| Describe the change that was implemented. | Revisit data and see what gaps are being excluded. For example, accessing SASS. |
| Type of Change |
|
| Change in Assessment Approach or Tools? | Yes, we should consider final projects for assessment. |
| What data motivated the change? | Fall 2025/Spring 2026 |
| Hypothesis about the effect the change will have? | How are students engaging and applying course materials to their own experiences. |
| 7. Produce communication appropriate to audience, situation, venue, and/or context | |
|---|---|
| Describe the change that was implemented. | One of the things that has come up is how to asses in-person vs. online courses and if this has been a fair assessment for each. |
| Type of Change |
|
| Change in Assessment Approach or Tools? | Maybe if we decide not to do discussion posts for the assessments. |
| What data motivated the change? | Fall 2025/Spring 2026 |
| Hypothesis about the effect the change will have? | Perhaps we can capture a higher audience. |
| Learning Outcome (or Gen Ed Essential Skill) | Description of Assessment Tool | Population of Courses Assessed |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Effective Communication | Still in revision | 1130. 1140 |
| 6. Demonstrate organization and/or coherence of ideas, content, and/or formulas | Rubric -- assignment/discussion | AMST 1130, AMST 1140 |
| 7. Produce communication appropriate to audience, situation, venue, and/or context | Rubric - assignments/discussion post | AMSt 1130, AMST 1140 |
| Learning Outcome (or Gen Ed Essential Skill) | Summary of Second Round Results | Intepretation of Results, Pre- and Post-Change | Follow up questions, possible next steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. Effective Communication | We need to refine some of data collection process and possibly the methodology. It has been difficult to get all or most faculty to add the assessment tool adopted into Brightspace. | Change type of assignments that would reflect more accurate pedagogy strategies. Faculty training and professional development. Better data interpretation. | |
| 6. Demonstrate organization and/or coherence of ideas, content, and/or formulas | Limited data since majority of faculty did not add rubric to their assignments. | Faculty workshops that would guide them through data. Faculty training/development. Perhaps think about learning objectives/teaching approaches and grading policies. | |
| 7. Produce communication appropriate to audience, situation, venue, and/or context | Limited data to determine conclusion. We will strive to do better at collecting data from both these classes. It will be beneficial to revisit our assessments with more streamlined and consistent approaches. | Faculty training/workshops. |
Describe any change in student achievement observed as part of this assessment process, and what led to those changes.
Yes, however, one of the questions that has come up is the use of AI.
Describe long-term changes in the program(s) that the assessment process led to, and what motivated those changes?
In a way, the assessment has contributed to long term changes. However, it has been hard to bring together all faculty to discuss some of the changes.
What did you learn about the teaching and learning of "Practicing Community" in your programs?
Most of the courses in American studies did incorporate and reach the learning outcomes. The diverse options in assignments and rubrics.
Describe any external factors affecting the program or affecting assessment of the program.
Mostly part time faculty that do not always reply back to emails or come to faculty meetings.