University of Nebraska Assessment
2004 Annual Assessment Report

Attachment 5: Analyses of Assessment Topics Addressed in the North Central Accreditation Team Final Report

Graduate Program Assessment

Analysis:

The Final Team Report submitted by the North Central Association accreditation visiting team indicated that assessment in graduate programs would be a focus of the follow-up visit. It stated that faculty ownership was just now emerging. In order to gain a better understanding of what may need to be done to enhance assessment at the graduate level it is necessary to examine the previous and present status of assessment by the graduate programs. The following review indicates that departments that are involved with graduate education as their primary responsibility have long been in compliance with assessment of students. The major problems focus around departments that have undergraduate education as a main area of focus. The assessment web site can also be revised to clarify graduate assessment and assist with more through monitoring as well.


1994-2000:

The College of Business and Technology offered the Master of Business Administration degree. The archival records indicate that this program submitted assessment reports each year during this period.

The College of Education offered graduate programs in the following departments: Communication Disorders; Counseling and School Psychology; Educational Administration; Elementary/Early Childhood Education; Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Leisure Studies; Special Education; and Professional Teacher Education. The following departments submitted assessment reports each year during this period: Counseling and School Psychology; Educational Administration; and Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Leisure Studies. The Department of Elementary/Early Childhood Education submitted reports from 1993-98. The Special Education and Communication Disorders Departments were combined and then separated during this period. Assessment was not consistently reported from them during this time period.

The College of Fine Arts and Humanities offered graduate programs in the following departments: Art and Art History; English; Modern Languages; and Music and Performing Arts. The Modern Languages Department, Art and Art History, English, and Music submitted assessment reports each year that they had students during this period.

The College of Natural and Social Sciences offered graduate programs in the following departments: History; Mathematics and Statistics. The History Department submitted assessment reports each year.


2000-2002:

The UNK ad hoc Assessment Committee began its work on revising the assessment process to reflect an emphasis on student outcomes-based assessment. During this period of time departments were not asked to submit reports. Efforts were expended on developing new assessment plans for each program.


2002-2003:

Assessment reports utilizing the new assessment format were to be submitted beginning with data collection during the 2002-03 academic year. It should be noted that some programs were still developing assessment plans during that year. The following departments (or programs) submitted graduate assessment reports for 2002-03:

The following departments submitted a report stating that they did not have students to evaluate at that point in time.

The History Department only had one student eligible for assessment and was in the process of collecting data on that student.

The Art and Art History Department had placed assessment plan development on hold (with my agreement) while trying to decide whether or not to keep the program.

The Biology Department has two degrees. The Master of Science in Biology was reported. However, the Master of Science in Education was not reported. The assessment plan on file makes no distinction between the two programs.


2003-2004:

Assessment reports are in the process of being reviewed at this time for the 2003-04 academic year. We are in the process of reviewing reports from the following programs.

Analysis:

It is very clear that those departments or programs that are exclusively graduate level in nature have a track record of long-term assessment dating across the past decade. When there are problems of consistent assessment being implemented the problems occur in departments that have a split undergraduate and graduate program offering. Some departments do not have a consistent record of assessment because they have very few students on a regular basis. Other departments place most of their effort on assessment of undergraduates for accreditation purposes rather than upon assessment of their graduate students. It does not appear that the NCA accreditation team made a distinction between programs when making its assessment of graduate level student assessment. Those programs that are exclusively graduate in their role and mission have an exemplary record of conducting student assessment and reporting it. The problems occur in the other programs. There are a number of possible solutions.

Ideas:

  1. Encourage departments with undergraduate and graduate programs to become more consistently engaged in the assessment of graduate programs.
  2. Address the problem that a number of programs simply do not have students enrolled in order to effectively assess them. A long-term assessment cycle may need to be implemented in order to more effectively assess students in low enrollment programs.
  3. Address potential view of inconsistency by revising the Department Assessment web site to be more specific in regard to identification of graduate programs on the chart.
  4. Require reporting of data collection or that no students are available that year in lieu of report with analysis (when appropriate) to demonstrate that assessment process is in place.
  5. Recommend that the Graduate Council require that new programs have an assessment plan that has been approved by the Coordinator and Director of Assessment prior to approval action by the Council.
  6. Recommend that program revisions present a rationale that is based on data collected from assessment of program outcomes for students.
  7. Recommend that revisions in program objectives be accompanied by an explanation of how they will be assessed as part of the approval process.


Go to Attachment:

  1. Assessment Program at UNK
  2. Agenda of Activities for Assessment Program
  3. Assessment Training Fall 2004
  4. Assessment Communications-Fall 2004
  5. Analyses of Assessment Topics Addressed in the North Central Accreditation Team Final Report
  6. Revised Plan for General Studies Assessment