Lander University
Institutional
Effectiveness Summary 2004
According
to Section 59-101-350 of the SC Code of Laws, 1976, as
amended, each public institution in the state of South Carolina must submit an
Institutional Effectiveness Report annually to the South Carolina Legislature
and to the people of the state of South Carolina. Lander University’s assessment procedures are
very much a part of our mission. Lander
University has been an institution dedicated to providing higher education to
the people of South Carolina, particularly in the upstate region, from its
inception, and we want to show the taxpayers of South Carolina, to whom we are
accountable, that our institution is both extremely effective and
cost-efficient. At Lander University,
each unit establishes its program goals and assessment measures to be
consistent with both the university’s mission statement and each unit’s unique
area of expertise. Lander University
assesses its effectiveness continually, and we strive to maintain educational
excellence while working to improve in any area that demonstrates a need for
improvement.
The 2004
Institutional Effectiveness Report for Lander University reports on the
assessment of educational effectiveness for the following areas, following the
Commission on Higher Education’s established uniform schedule for reporting:
Majors Under Review
Full Reports
·
Music
Interim Reports
·
Nursing
·
Spanish
Other Areas Under Review
·
Policies and Procedures for Preparing a Technologically
Skilled Workforce: Pursuant to the
2001 legislative amendment to SC 59-101, we include a statement on Lander
University’s policies and procedures for preparing a technologically skilled
workforce.
Majors Under Review
The various
academic units employ a broad array of assessment techniques in their program
evaluation, each using multiple measures tailored for the specific qualities of
the discipline. During the 2003-2004
academic year, majors in Chemistry, Music, and Visual Arts reported assessment
findings through the CHE Program Reviews, and interim reports were submitted
for majors in Business Administration, Nursing, and Spanish. The table below summarizes the assessment
measures used by the majors under review.
Assessment Measures of Majors under
Review
|
Assessment Measure |
Full Reports |
Interim Reports |
||||
|
Chemistry |
Music |
Visual Arts |
Business Administration |
Nursing |
Spanish |
|
|
Alumni Surveys |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
Questionnaires |
|
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
Content area exams |
X |
|
|
X |
X |
|
|
Juried Exams/Exhibitions |
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
|
Recitals/Concerts |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Exit interviews |
X |
X |
|
|
X |
X |
|
Student Interviews |
|
|
X |
|
|
X |
|
Auditions |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Portfolios |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
Pre-registration meetings |
|
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Evaluation of curriculum |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Physical inspection of facilities |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accreditation |
|
|
X |
X |
X |
|
|
Study Abroad |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
Program Assessment Summary for Chemistry
Program Goals
Goals for the program are that all students majoring in
chemistry will:
1. have been
conveyed a body of knowledge and provided experiences with the tools and
techniques used by a chemist, including the use of modern technology and
instrumentation, and communication skills appropriate to the Discipline.
2. be able to
successfully enter and perform in either graduate school or the job market.
3. have been effectively advised.
4. have been offered a variety of courses
exposing students to all areas of chemistry.
5. have been
provided a safe environment for the instruction and learning of chemistry.
Means of
Assessment
Senior
Exit Interview: The Senior Exit
Interview consists of two sections. The
first section provides quantitative assessment information regarding student
perceptions of the adequacy of the number of courses offered and required,
scheduling of courses, the senior seminar, laboratory experiences, the qualifications
and quality of the faculty, and the quality of advising. The second section is used to gather
qualitative information regarding student satisfaction with the program and as
a tool to assess needed changes in the program.
The Exit Interview consists of multiple choice questions, short answer
questions, and a comment section where safety concerns and other issues can be
expressed. It is administered annually.
Lander
Alumni Survey: This survey is
administered by Lander University and sent to all Lander alumni. The Lander Alumni Survey provides a snapshot
of student satisfaction with a comprehensive range of services and activities
that are important to each student’s Lander experience. This survey, in effect, allows each student
respondent to give Lander a report card grading the effectiveness with which
Lander faculty, staff, and programs satisfy that student’s perceived needs and
aspirations. It is administered
biennially.
Departmental Alumni
Survey: The Departmental Alumni Survey provides
chemistry alumni perceptions of the levels of satisfaction with the program,
professional preparation at the undergraduate level, information on current
employment, information on acceptances to graduate school, and graduate
degrees. The Departmental Alumni Survey
consists of multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and a comment
section where safety concerns and other issues can be expressed. It is administered at least every four years.
Professional Knowledge
Exam: The Department designed and implemented its
own Professional Knowledge Exam in 1996.
The Professional Knowledge Exam consists of 50 multiple choice
questions. Incoming freshmen and
transfer students are given the exam.
The same exam is given to the graduating seniors. This exam provides the means to evaluate any
increase in knowledge from the freshman to senior year. It is administered annually.
Evaluation of
Curriculum: Evaluation of curriculum is an ongoing
process throughout the academic year in Departmental meetings in consultation
with the College Dean. Also, each course
is evaluated annually for course content to ensure that it is current. It is administered annually.
Inspection According
to the Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP): The Departmental CHP
is periodically revised and updated.
Periodic inspections occur as required by the CHP. It is administered at least annually.
The data collected are subjected to analyses and discussions
at the Department of Physical Sciences meetings throughout the year. Each of the specific goals will be assessed
individually.
Program Goal 1: All students majoring in chemistry will have
been conveyed a body of knowledge and provided experiences with the tools and
techniques used by a chemist, including the use of modern technology and instrumentation,
and communication skills appropriate to the Discipline.
This goal is assessed by: Senior Exit Interviews, Departmental Alumni
Survey, Professional Knowledge Exam, and Evaluation of Curriculum.
Grades in coursework and lab
experiences are a means of continually assessing the body of knowledge conveyed
to chemistry students.
How well the Chemistry Discipline exposes students to modern
technology and modern instrumentation is assessed by the written Senior Exit
Interview. In the interim assessment
report for Chemistry in 2000, students gave consistently negative marks for the
multiple choice question #6, “The Department has up-to-date equipment”. Since 2000, more than $175,000 has been spent
for new laboratory equipment. With the
addition of new and more modern equipment, recent graduating students have
given much improved marks for question #6.
The Professional Knowledge Exam, which is required of
chemistry majors when they enter and exit the program, is used to assess an
increased knowledge of chemistry. From
August 1996 to April 2004, the average exit score compared to the average entry
score has increased an average of 34%.
This increase in score indicates an increased body of chemical knowledge
conveyed to the students. Starting in
the fall of 2004, the Chemistry Discipline has adopted a new Professional
Knowledge Exam. The original exam
weighed too heavily on general chemistry and did not adequately cover all areas
of the chemistry curriculum, such as organic chemistry, physics, analytical
chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and physical chemistry. This new exam will allow the Chemistry
Discipline, not only to assess our students overall knowledge of chemistry, but
also assess the knowledge in specific areas of the chemistry curriculum.
The written and oral communication skills of the chemistry
students are evaluated in several required courses in the chemistry
curriculum. For example, students turn
in formal lab reports in all upper division chemistry courses. Several upper division courses including CHEM
311 (Advanced Organic Chemistry), CHEM 420 (Environmental Chemistry), and CHEM
381 (The Environment, Technology and You), require oral presentations as
well. Also, CHEM 407-410 (Student
Undergraduate Research) is required to be presented orally at the South
Carolina Academy of
The Department also uses a Departmental Alumni Survey to
assess program goal #1 from the student’s perception. The Department mailed alumni surveys to all
chemistry alumni from 1996-2004 and had a 43% return. The Departmental Alumni Survey is mailed out
at least every four years. The survey
revealed 89% of alumni are in a position related to their chemistry degree and
14% hold a graduate degree related to the chemistry field. Alumni responses for the relevant questions
from the Departmental Alumni Survey were:
1. The number of
required courses was appropriate for the major.
(77% Strongly Agree, 23% Agree)
2. The content of the
required courses was appropriate for the major.
(81% Strongly Agree, 19% Agree)
6. Time spent in the
laboratory was a worthwhile educational experience.
(71% Strongly Agree, 24% Agree)
7. Lander University
prepared me well for my chosen career path.
(76% Strongly Agree, 10% Agree)
8. The science
faculty were well qualified to teach.
(86% Strongly Agree, 14% Agree)
9. The science
faculty were enthusiastic about teaching.
(86% Strongly Agree, 14% Agree)
10. The Department of
(90% Strongly Agree, 10% Agree)
11. The lab equipment and
instrumentation used in my courses were adequate and up-to-date.
(57% Strongly Agree, 33% Agree)
Goal #1 is also addressed by the
Evaluation of Curriculum. The curriculum
is evaluated every year in Departmental meetings and in consultation with the
Dean and any necessary changes are made.
One recent example of a change in the curriculum was the addition of an
Environmental Chemistry course (CHEM 420).
Likewise, course content is reviewed and updated to keep up with
advances in chemistry. Each faculty
member evaluates their course and introduces any new advances in chemistry into
their course for the following year.
Undergraduate research courses have become a more integral part of the
chemistry major. With more and more
companies looking for research experience, the Department has seen an increase
in the interest of students for undergraduate research. Previously, the Department had at most one
student per year involved in undergraduate research. In the past few years that number has grown
to be approximately 5 students per year involved in an undergraduate research
project. Evaluation of the curriculum
and course content is a means to ensure that the students are prepared to enter
graduate school or the work force.
Program Goal 2: All students majoring in chemistry will be
able to successfully enter and perform in either graduate school or the job
market.
This goal is assessed by: Senior Exit Interviews, Lander University
Alumni Survey and Departmental Alumni Survey.
Examining the Senior Exit Interview since 1996, the
perspective of the graduating seniors on the relevant questions was:
8. I feel well
prepared for my chosen career path.
(3.37/4.00)
9. I would recommend
this program to others interested in this field.
(3.69/4.00)
11. My advisor was
helpful in the selection of classes and providing career guidance.
(3.81/4.00)
Written
responses on the surveys were consistent with these scores; “I feel I have been
well prepared for the next step in my education”, “The professors are very well
educated and have done and will continue to do an excellent job in preparing
students for the future”, “I feel that my advisor helped me out more than
anything”, and “Wherever I go, I will always promote Lander and the Chemistry
Department as a wonderful environment to learn”. In addition, the written responses also
reveal that participation in the Lander student chapter of the American
Chemical Society was very helpful for them to realize what jobs were available
to them and how best to prepare for those careers. One student’s comment was “The student
affiliate chapter of ACS rules!!” An
area of improvement suggested by the students before the interim report in 2000
was to increase the number and quality of contacts between Lander and local
chemical companies. The Chemistry
Discipline has increased the number of industrial trips substantially to
include companies like Fuji, Solutia, Capsugel, Amoco, Isopoly Films, and South
Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
The Chemistry Discipline expected to get useful information
from the Lander Alumni Survey. The
Lander Alumni Survey did not provide the expected information since the
collected data was general in nature for all sciences and not specific to
chemistry.
The Department also uses a Departmental Alumni Survey to
assess program goal #2 from the student’s perception. Alumni responses for the relevant questions
from the Departmental Alumni Surveys from 1996-2004 were:
1. The number of
required courses was appropriate for the major.
(77% Strongly Agree, 23% Agree)
2. The content of the
required courses was appropriate for the major.
(81% Strongly Agree, 19% Agree)
6. Time spent in the
laboratory was a worthwhile educational experience.
(71% Strongly Agree, 24% Agree)
7. Lander University
prepared me well for my chosen career path.
(76% Strongly Agree, 10% Agree)
10.
The Department of
(90% Strongly Agree, 10% Agree)
Program Goal 3: All students majoring in chemistry will have
been effectively advised.
This goal is assessed by: Senior Exit Interviews, Student Survey on
Program Advising, and the ACT Student Opinion Survey.
After examining the Chemistry Senior Exit Interviews, the
perspective of the graduating seniors on the relevant question #11, “My advisor
was helpful in the selection of classes and providing career guidance”, was a
3.81/4.00 from 1996 through 2004. Some students
offered additional comments such as “was always willing to help”, “very
approachable”, “really cares about my future”, “very generous with his time”,
and “provided good explanation for course requirements”.
The Student Survey on Program Advising is given each year to
an advisee during the advising and registration period. Advisors are
rated in three categories: availability for advising, answering advisement
questions, and explaining program requirements. In the period from 1996 to 2003
students rated their program advisors as excellent (90%) or satisfactory (9%).
The response rate to this survey has been 100%.
The ACT Student Opinion Survey is administered by the Office
of the Dean of Students annually and compiles data by academic major. Data was collected from 1996 through
2003. Students rate satisfaction in
three areas: academic advising by
advisor, availability of advisor, and value of information provided by the advisor. The information was compared to a national
comparison group made up of students in 77 public four-year undergraduate
institutions in 30 states. From
1996-2003 on the academic advising question, Lander students rated the
chemistry faculty an average of 4.00/5.00, while the national average was
3.70/5.00. On the availability of
advisor question, Lander students rated the chemistry faculty an average of
3.95/5.00, while the national average was 3.71/5.00. On the value of information provided
question, Lander students rated the chemistry faculty an average of 3.88/5.00,
while the national average was 3.66/5.00.
Program Goal 4: All students majoring in chemistry will have
been offered a variety of courses exposing them to all areas of chemistry.
This goal is assessed by: Senior Exit Interviews, Departmental Alumni
Survey, and Evaluation of Curriculum.
Examining the Senior Exit Interview
since 1996, the perspective of the graduating seniors on the relevant questions
was:
1. The number and
content of required courses was appropriate for the chemistry major.
(3.57/4.00)
2. The number of
chemistry electives available is adequate.
(2.56/4.00)
4. Current topics in
chemistry were adequately incorporated in the courses taken.
(3.40/4.00)
The Department also uses a Departmental Alumni Survey to
assess program goal #4 from the student’s perception. Alumni responses for the relevant questions
from the Departmental Alumni Survey were:
1. The number of
required courses was appropriate for the major.
(77% Strongly Agree, 23% Agree)
2. The content of the
required courses was appropriate for the major.
(81% Strongly Agree, 19% Agree)
3. The frequency of
required course offerings in the major was adequate.
(48% Strongly Agree, 33% Agree, 19%
Disagree)
4. The frequency of elective courses offerings in the major
was adequate.
(33% Strongly Agree, 67% Agree)
5. The number of
electives available in the major was adequate.
(43% Strongly Agree, 43% Agree, 14%
Disagree)
The Evaluation of Curriculum is an ongoing process. The curriculum is structured so that all
chemistry majors are required to take: General Chemistry (CHEM 111-112),
Organic Chemistry (CHEM 221-222), Analytical Chemistry (CHEM 330), Chemical
Instrumentation (CHEM 331), Inorganic Chemistry (CHEM 341), Physical Chemistry
(CHEM 401-402),and Chemistry Seminar (CHEM 411). In addition, students select at least two of
the following chemistry electives:
Advanced Organic Chemistry (CHEM 311), Introduction to Chemical
Engineering (CHEM 351), Biochemistry (CHEM 301), Technology, the Environment,
and You (CHEM 381), Environmental Chemistry (CHEM 420), Undergraduate Research
(CHEM 407-410).
Improving the variety and availability of upper level
chemistry elective classes is directly related to the need for additional
faculty. The Chemistry Discipline does
not have enough faculty members to cover the classes that are currently being
taught without hiring part-time lab instructors or by the current faculty
members taking teaching overloads. A
tenure track position was eliminated by the administration in 1998 due to
budget constraints. The variety and
frequency of chemistry electives will be improved when this tenure track
position is restored.
Program Goal 5: All students majoring in chemistry will have
been provided a safe environment for the instruction and learning of chemistry.
This goal is assessed by: Senior Exit Interviews, Departmental Alumni
Survey, and an Annual Inspection According to the Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP).
Students are encouraged to respond to safety issues in the
comment section of both the Senior Exit Interview and Departmental Alumni
Survey. No safety concerns were
expressed.
The provision of a safe environment for the learning of
chemical experimentation is a priority of the Chemistry Discipline. To provide such, faculty, students, and
work-study students are trained in safety regulations and precautions. Prior to 1996, the chemistry program was
housed in a small, one story building with unsafe ventilation and inadequate
laboratory and storage areas. The new science facility is three stories, has
much more square footage, and serves the Discipline well. The ventilation in the building was designed
by a consultant from California where pollution standards are very strict. The air in our current facility does not
re-circulate any inside air, but outdoor air is instead exchanged at a rate of
ten times per hour when laboratories are occupied. All laboratories were designed with a pre-lab
area that is used to convey safety information to students before each laboratory. A separate prep-room was also incorporated to
provide an area for the preparation of materials for a laboratory. Each faculty member also has a separate
research laboratory for conducting undergraduate research. Ventilation hoods are monitored automatically
and provide an instantaneous readout with an alarm should a hood drop below a
safe face velocity. All chemistry majors
view the American Chemical Safety video “Starting with Safety”.
Periodic inspections play an important part in maintaining a
safe environment. Faculty members inspect laboratories more frequently than the
once a year inspection required by the CHP.
Students have participated in building safety inspections of the
laboratories. Twice a year testing and
maintenance are performed by trained personnel on the ventilation hoods, safety
showers, eye washes, and fire extinguishers.
A new building is not without problems.
During an inspection, problems with the floor tiles were noted and
monitored during subsequent inspections.
The tiles on the floor became progressively worse in the halls and
laboratories, and began to come off or peel-up on the corners, presenting a
serious safety issue. In the summer of
2003, the flooring on the third floor was removed and replaced with a seamless epoxy
coating. The replacement of the flooring
on the second floor is currently under way and will be completed during the
summer of 2004.
Work-study students in the Chemistry Department are
familiarized with the Departmental Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP), Material Safety
Data Sheets (MSDS), storage of chemicals, and proper treatment of chemical
waste. Hard copies of MSDS sheets are
kept bound and students are instructed on how to access MSDS information on the
internet. Chemicals are stored in the
laboratories in safety cabinets.
Explosion proof refrigerators are available. A larger locked chemical stockroom on the
third floor is ventilated, periodically inventoried and old chemicals removed
to a separate room in the basement which provides storage for waste chemicals
until an amount accumulates that warrants pick-up for disposal by an outside
vendor.
The CHP has under gone periodic revisions to add
sections. Blood-borne pathogen training
has been instituted. Chemistry faculty
members are offered hepatitis shots by the University. Additional sections have been added on
building evacuation plans and boating safety since many faculty members are
doing research projects on area lakes.
The Chemical Hygiene Plan has been added to the Department’s webpage for
easier accessibility by faculty and students.
Also, two faculty members attended a “Chemical Laboratory Health and
Safety” course in 2004 offered by The Laboratory Safety Institute.
Satisfaction with safety in the laboratory facilities was
addressed by the ACT Student Opinion Survey. Students rated Lander University
at 3.93/5.00, while the national average was 3.66/5.00.
A more specific question will be added to the Senior Exit
Interview and the Departmental Alumni Survey that will help the Chemistry
Discipline to better assess student and alumni perceptions of laboratory safety
issues. The question that will be added
will read, “The Department of
Program Assessment Summary for Music
Overview
The
National Association of Schools of Music accredited Lander’s Music program for
Membership in 1997 and subsequently approved Lander’s renewal of Membership in
good standing in 2004. Thanks to these detailed accreditation procedures, the
Music Department has been compelled to assess its strengths and weaknesses, to
improve existing structures, and to make advancements where necessary and
possible.
Program
Goals
Students
graduating from Lander University with a degree in music follow a program
designed:
1. To
provide the student with a foundation of theoretical knowledge and analytical
skills.
2. To
provide the student with a thorough foundation of music theory and analytical
skills, including the common practice period as well as jazz and the
avant-garde.
3. To
increase the musical and technical abilities of the student in performance,
both solo and ensemble.
4. To
heighten the student’s musical awareness and sensitivity to the broadest
possible spectrum of music.
5. To
provide the student with sound preparation for graduate study in music.
6. To
provide hands-on experience in computer music/MIDI technology.
7. To
develop a sense of professionalism within the discipline to include the highest
possible performance standards, performance practice, stage deportment, and
production.
Assessment of Goals
1. a. Measure: Auditions. Prospective students are required to perform
an on-campus audition and to complete a Theory Placement Exam for entry into
the Music program. Students who have
made exceptional progress in applied music are asked by their applied teachers
to audition in the fall for the Student Honors Recital held annually each
spring.
b. Outcomes: 92% of those prospective students who
auditioned were admitted to the program, and 73% enrolled at Lander as Music
majors or minors. The average on the
Theory Placement Exam is 41% correct. The entrance audition and theory exam
provide vital information to instructors, applied and theory, concerning the
musical backgrounds of prospective students and their potential for success in
the music field. On average, 85% of the students who audition for the Honors
Recital are selected to perform. The Honors audition has served as a checkpoint
to insure the highest level of performance on a recital showcasing Lander’s
best musicians.
c. Action
taken: The Department has developed
a new entry-level assessment tool, including questions from both theory and
music history, which will subsequently be used as an exit exam for graduating
seniors. The first exam will be administered to freshmen during Expo I this
summer. The Concert Band Soloist
audition is no longer employed. Current
conductors of the large ensembles prefer to handpick student soloists.
2. a. Measure: Juried Exams. Faculty members in voice, piano, and
instrumental areas continue to monitor student progress through the use of
written comments on jury sheets.
b. Outcomes: Juried performances are assessed according to
such criteria as tone quality, intonation, style, and interpretation, and
grades are awarded, ranging on average from A – C. In this setting, students
are afforded the chance to receive constructive comments from another faculty
member whose approach to music may be slightly different from that of their
applied teacher. During the current
reporting period, 50% of students received a jury grade of A, 17% a jury grade
of B, and 33% a jury grade of C.
c. Action taken: No new action has been taken. These juries
continue to serve the faculty and students well as indicators of progress made in
the private studio each semester. Discussion is ongoing regarding the addition
of a jury before the full Music faculty for students completing MUS 251 (the
end of the sophomore year of applied study).
3. a. Measure:
Recitals and Concerts. Public performance
is the ultimate benchmark for assessment of a musician’s technical and
interpretive aptitude. All departmental
recitals, solo recitals, and performances by larger ensembles are videotaped,
providing conductors and students an opportunity to view, listen to, and assess
such performance criteria as tone quality, pitch and rhythmic accuracy,
dynamics, intonation, phrasing, and style
b. Outcomes: Annual videoing of Opera Scenes, Piano Showcase,
Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and University Singers gives evidence to the fact
that each performing ensemble has made great strides toward producing high
quality, pre-professional concerts
Analysis of videotaped solo and ensemble performances has enabled
students and conductors to pinpoint performance techniques which need to be
improved (primarily tone quality, accuracy, intonation, and style) and
ultimately to refocus rehearsal time to include specific drill in these
technical and interpretive areas.
Comparison of videotaped concerts and recitals indicates a marked
improvement, tonally and stylistically, during the last four years
c. Actions taken:
Over the last 4 years, the Department has chosen to supplement its
performing schedule to include an extra Wind Ensemble Concert each semester, an
annual Collage Concert featuring faculty and student soloists, chamber
ensembles, and large ensembles, and a traditional Holiday Concert. This effort
not only provides several other venues for student performance and assessment,
but more importantly exposes students to a vast amount of new repertoire. Each of these additional concerts has been of
high quality and has been popular with audiences as evidenced by the increase
in attendance for these genre concerts.
The Old Main Singers continues to perform around the state, and the Jazz
Ensemble enhanced its annual recruitment tour this past year by appearing at a
jazz club in Columbia.
4. a. Measure: Alumni Survey. The Lander University Alumni Survey administered
by Career Services tells us whether or not Lander’s undergraduate programs
adequately prepared graduates in Music for their chosen field or for further
study in graduate school.
b. Outcomes: The survey yields a response rate on average
from 18% of all Music graduates, a very small minority indeed. The resulting data distributed to College
Deans is reported in such a way that details of the survey are vague.
c. Actions taken: NASM has suggested that the Music Department devise its own Alumni Survey specific to Music. The Music faculty continues to discuss the possibility of developing a tool for surveying Music graduates. Though the faculty agrees that this is the ideal action, no such action has been taken due to budgetary shortfall and staff overloads.