Achievement and Assessment of Psychology Department Objectives
Subject area: Degree to which departmental objectives or ends sought are met across the psychology curriculum as well as the courses in which these objectives are met.
Format: Grid format with departmental objectives in the first column, and each course listed in the first row. Students rate the degree to which each learning objective was met in each course.
Implemented: All students majoring in Psychology in 1999 and in 2003. Departmental objectives reviewed by faculty members in 2005.
Data summary:
Psychology students see the stated departmental objectives as important
The curriculum is meeting the bulk of the Department's objectives to at least a moderate degree
Objectives needing the greatest intervention:
- Developing clear, practical career goals
- Developing realistic means for achieving these goals
- Understanding and making plans regarding graduate education
What evidence does our department have that our department objectives are being met?
- Major Field Test: Psychology
- Students performing well on tests in these areas
- Alumni in graduate school who report to being as prepared or more prepared than their peers
- Alumni surveys (PSAS) that support the above
- Internship supervisors who report that our students' work exceeds expectations (from surveys of internship supervisors)
- Seniors who participate in the Minnesota Undergraduate Psychology Conference, where they are producing projects comparable or exceeding those from other universities
- Graduates who are in a variety of different professions and functioning well
- Graduates who attend a variety of different graduate schools
- Present students and alumni strongly identify with the Assemblies of God and its values
- Students are able to use IRC databases
- Students who go on missions trips in diverse cultures
- Seniors producing poster presentations of Senior Project work
- Senior Projects published every year
What changes and improvements have occurred since 1997?
- Added a third full time faculty member
- Visit career prepration in sophomore year and revisit the issue in senior year
- Academic quality improvements
- Psi Chi national honor society
- Budget increased
- Administrative assistant
- Formalilzed internship evaluations
- Department web site
- Formal method of gathering alumni information
What were the causes or what was the impetus for making these changes?
- Alumni responses
- Student feedback
- Review of other institutions' psychology departments
- Ideas/vision from professors
- Advisory board ideas
For more information on the assessment of objectives, see Nelson, D., & Nelson, K. (2001). Enlisting student aid in assessing department objectives. Assessment Update, 13(6), 4-5. Also see Nelson, D., & Nelson, K. (2004). Enlisting student aid in assessing department objectives (pp. 46-60). In Banta, T. (ed.). Hallmarks of Effective Outcomes Assessment. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
For more information, contact the Assessment Coordinator