Graduates from biology graduate program should be scientifically literate, academically competent, and intellectually competitive.
Objective
Instruction
Provide rigorous instruction in our graduate courses allowing students to develop competence in their area of specialization.
Indicator
Course Offerings
Increase the number of graduate courses offered each semester.
Criterion
Course Offerings
Encourage new tenure-track faculty to submit curriculum requests for graduate courses in their area of specialty.
Finding
Graduate Courses
No new faculty joined this academic year, however one new graduate course (Advanced Genetics) was added in Spring 2008, which also serves the Masters in Forensic Science program. In Fall 2007, four graduate courses were offered, with 6 offered in Spring 2008.
Indicator
Primary Literature Component
Include a primary literature component in all graduate syllabi
Criterion
Primary Literature Component
All graduate course syllabi should have a current literature component.
Finding
Scientific Literature
All graduate courses include analysis of the primary scientific literature. In addition, in the required BIO520 Professional Aspects of Science course, all graduate students are taught how to retrieve and evaluate literature.
Indicator
Mastery Of Knowledge
All graduate students will demonstrate mastery of graduate course content through a graduate comprehensive exam.
Criterion
Success at Oral Exam
Ninety percent of graduate students should pass their oral exam on their first attempt
Finding
Oral Exam Results
6 of 8 students (75%) passed the comprehensive exam on the first try. One of the remaining 2 passed on the second attempt, the other is in progress.
Action
Instruction
In progress.
Action
Literature Component
No further action needed.
Objective
Assessment Of Success
Qualitative assessments of how well our graduate programs have successfully transitioned graduate students to Ph.D programs or the workforce will be solicited through questionnaires distrubuted in our annual newsletter.
Indicator
Alumni Survey
This questionnaire will be included, for the first time, in the fall 2007 Department of Biological Sciences newsletter.
Criterion
Alumni Survey
Any deficiencies in our curriculum or graduate student preparation noted by at least three or more respondents in a given year will be evaluated by the Department''s Graduate Committee.
Finding
Survey Findings
Questionnaire data not yet accumulated.
Action
Alumni Action
Departmental Assessment Committee will gather data and analyze.
Objective
Scientific Literacy And Critical Thinking Skills
Build scientific literacy, enhance critical thinking and communication skills by involving graduate students in the scientific process from proposal development through publication in peer review journals.
Indicator
Research Engagement And Academic Progress
Graduate students should taken an active role in their own adacemic progress and should actively engage in research early in their graduate program.
Criterion
Selection of Research Advisor
Graduate students seeking the MS degree will select a faculty research advisor by the end of their first semester after entering the graduate program.
Finding
Major Advisor
All new students selected a research advisor by the end of their first semester.
Criterion
Formation of Advisory Committee
Graduate students must have formed their thesis advisory committee by the end of their first year.
Finding
Advisory Committee
All recent students have formed a thesis advisory committee by the end of their first year, documented by a form in their file.
Criterion
Completion of Research Prospectus
Graduate students must have a competed research prospectus filed with the graduate committee by the end of their second semester.
Finding
Research Thesis Plans
Students turn in a research prospectus, accompanied by the appropriate signed form, to the Departmental Graduate Committee by the end of their second semester.
Criterion
Orientation
All incoming graduate students will attend an orientation session early in their first semester. In this meeting they will be given the Department of Biological Sciences Graduate Student Handbook. This document contains all departmental policies, forms and deadlines pertaining to the graduate program
Finding
Welcome Orientation
Every Fall semester, an orientation session is held for all graduate students, when they are given the Handbook. This meeting also serves to introduce all faculty and current students to the new students.
Criterion
Annual Meeting
Graduate students should meet regularly with their academic advisor and at least annually with their thesis advisory committee to discuss academic and research progress.
Finding
Annual Meeting
Annual committee meetings are required of all graduate students, and a progress report is filed with the Program Coordinator.
Indicator
Student Scientific Presentations
Support graduate students presenting their research result at scientific venues.
Criterion
Number of Presentations
One half of the department's graduate students should annually present research results at state, regional, national, or international conferences.
Finding
Presentations
Four graduate students (25%) gave 6 presentations at 5 meetings.
Indicator
Student Scientific Publications
Graduate students will submit their research findings from their MS thesis for review and publication in a peer reviewed journal prior to, or soon after, graduating and leaving the graduate program.
Criterion
Mentor Guidance
Graduate advisors routinely meet with and mentor their graduate students to ensure that they are progressing toward communication of their research findings through presentation and publication.
Finding
Publications
Data collection in progress.
Action
Scientific Literacy
Continue progress, led by the Graduate Studies Committee and Program Coordinator.
Goal
Goal 2--Faculty Excellence
To demonstrate, by example, the commitment of our faculty to scientific discovery and lifelong learning. Students pursuing an MS in Biology benefit by having a faculty actively engaged in generating and acquiring new knowledge, as well as strong mentoring from these faculty.
Objective
Faculty Research Activity
Encourage a more active research program and increase research excellence, involving the graduate students.
Indicator
Faculty Research
See the Departmental assessment for details of faculty research activity.
Criterion
Publication Rate
Faculty should publish above the national average for comparable institutions, and each present annually at least at one conference.
Finding
Research Productivity
Faculty publication rate was more than twice the national average for PUIs, and faculty presented on average 2-3 times over the academic year.
Action
Research Activity
No action needed.
Objective
External Funding For Research
Build support for our research programs through increases external funding.
Indicator
External Funding For Research
All faculty are expected to seek external funding.
Criterion
External Grant Expectations
Each faculty member should, in any given year, have one or more projects supported by external funding or should submit a grant to seek such support.
Finding
Research Funding
Half of current faculty have active external research funds this period. Additional funds to support graduate students will be investigated.