Enhance the quality and effectiveness of academic programs
Objective
Student Sucess
Students in the Doctoral Program in Reading will continue to make progress towards completing program goals and be prepared to propose and engage in the research necessary for dissertation status.
Indicator
Comprehensive Exam
Passing scores on comprehensive exams.
Criterion
Comprehensive Exams
Students will successfully complete comprehensive exams at the end of the coursework. Comprehensive exams are administered in two parts: Part A is a take home exam completed over a one week time period and focuses on knowledge of research. Part B is an all day written exam completed on campus and focuses on content knowledge. Exams are scored holistically as pass or fail and are scored by five faculty members. If an answer receives a fail by two or more faculty members the student must participate in an oral examination. There is no rubric.
Finding
Quality and effectiveness
Cohort two will take comprehensive exams in September.
Indicator
Student Success
Progress made towards completion of dissertation.
Criterion
Student Coursework
All students will complete research courses with grades of B or better and faculty will indicate by anecdoctal comments that students are ready for the proposal class .
Finding
Quality and Effectiveness
Grades in research courses indicate students are making progress towards completing degrees. Information obtained from students are leading us to discuss other research course options.
Finding
Quality and Effectiveness
Students, with the exception of one, have completed research courses with grades of B or better.
Criterion
Progress towards dissertation
Students who have entered the dissertation process will successfully defend proposals and make progress towards completing the dissertation.
Finding
Quality and Effectiveness
One student from cohort one has completed her dissertation, defended and graduated. Two have defended their proposals and one is making progress through the proposal process.
Action
Quality And Effectiveness
The comprehensive process seems to be working out better, but we will have to see what happens now that we've moved them later in the program.
Action
Quality and Effectiveness
We are not sure that grades are an appropriate indicator. We are examining other options.
Objective
Student Scholarly Activity
Students in the Doctoral Program in Reading will present at conferences and submit articles for publication in cooperation with doctoral facutly members.
Indicator
Student Presentation And Publications
Evidence of submission of articles for publication. Conference Programs indicating presentations of program submission forms.
Criterion
Student Publications and Presentations
Increase the number of conference submissions from six to eight and the number of publication submissions to eight.
Finding
Quality and Effectiveness
Conference submissions increased to 18. To date 5 have been accepted for presentations. Publications submissions increased to 8, to date, one has been accepted for publication.
Criterion
Student/Faculty Collaboration
Anecdotal information from faculty about collborating with students on projects.
Finding
Quality and Effectiveness
Presentations and publications submitted were done collaboratively with doctoral faculty.
Indicator
Student/Faculty Collaboration
Anecdotal information from faculty about collaboration on projects.
Action
Quality and Effectiveness
We need to find additional ways to encourage graduate students to present at a variety of conferences. We are in discussion about ways to do this. We are holding more seminars on presenting.