Student Conference Attendance And Professional Writing
Students will be strongly encouraged to attend professional conferences.
Objective
Student Conference Attendance And Professional Writing
Student presentation of papers at professional conferences will increase.
Indicator
Submission And Acceptance Of Proposals To Professional Conferences
Faculty members will indentify students' papers that have a strong possibility of being accepted for presentation at a professional conference. Students will be encouraged to submit their papers for presentation at a profesional conference. We believe that the acceptance rate is a good indicator of our students' professional performance as paper proposals are reviewed by members of the scholarly community and are only accepted if the proposals meet the standards set by the scholarly community.
Criterion
Student Conference Attendance And Professional Writing
At least 60% of our second year students will submit papers for presentation and at least half of the papers will be accepted for presentation.
We expect that all of the students accepted to a conference will apply for travel grants from both the graduate school and participating conferences.
Finding
Student Conference Attendance And Professional Writing
We found that 50% (6 out of 12) graduate students submitted paper proposals to academic conferences with a 100% acceptance rate. We concluded that 60% was too high of an expectation given our diversity of students and their professional priorities. For example, conversations between the graduate director and the students revealed that many of the graduate students do not see presentations at conferences as important to the career objectives. Those attending conferences were able to secure some travel grants from the graduate school.
Action
Student Conference Attendance And Professional Writing
The graduate director will identify students that will benefit from conference attendance. The department expects that half of the second year MPA students will submit paper proposals to local conferences and continue to seek travel grants. In addition, the department will seek out additional outlets for professional writing for the MPA students such as technical or agency reports.
Goal
Written Comprehensive Exams
Students will gain knowledge and skills that are associated with advanced degrees in public administration.
Objective
Written Comprehensive Exams
Students must demonstrate competency in the some of the core areas of public administration including financial management, research methods, and ethics.
Indicator
Successful Completion Of Written Comprehensive Exams
We will use written comprehensive exams as a tool for measuring students' knowledge and skills. Prior to graduation students will be required to complete three written comprehensive exams in areas relevant to their coursework. Exam questions will be written by faculty with expertise in the students' areas of study and the questions will be based on the comprehensive exam reading lists and the content of the overview courses (see department level goal of revise written comprehensive exam process for more information on the reading lists and overview courses). Students' exams will be graded by at least two faculty members (more when possible) who have expertise in the areas of study pursued by students. Exams will be assigned one of the following scores: high pass, pass, and no pass. If the two faculty members issue conflicting scores (e.g., pass and no pass), a third faculty member will be asked to score the exams and issue a final ruling.
Criterion
Written Comprehensive Exams
We expect that at least 80% of our students will pass their exams on the first attempt and that 100% of the students who have to take the exam a second time will pass.
Efforts noted in our 2008-2009 actions will be implemented, specifically, we will require students to attend a comprehensive exam study skills session conducted by the graduate director and graduate faculty members.
By the spring of 2010 the new rubric developed by the graduate faculty will be utilized to determine low pass, pass, and high pass. We believe that this will produce at least 2 high passess for the 2010-2011 exams (the cohort that will be affected by the changes that are implemented in 2009-2010).
Finding
Written Comprehensive Exams
A total of six exams were scored. 100% of the students taking comprehensive exams passed on their first attempt. We had anticipated at least two exams to be scored as high passes. Three exams were scored as high passes. Thus we exceeded our expectations in the case of students' ability to pass exams and the number of exams scored as high pass. The methods exams were scored as pass. Conversations with students who took the methods exam suggested students were not aware of the detail faculty expected to find in students' answers.
Action
Written Comprehensive Exams
We will take action designed to correct the problem identified in our findings. Specifically, students will be provided a more detailed statement regarding expectations of students' exam performance and an explanation of what constitutes a no pass, pass, and high pass
Goal
Oral Comprehensive Exams
Students will gain knowledge and skills that are associated with advanced degrees in public administation.
Objective
Oral Comprehensive Exam
Students must demonstrate competency in the some of the core areas of public administration including financial management, research methods, and ethics.
Indicator
Successful Completion Of Oral Comprehensive Exams
We will use oral comprehensive exams as a tool for measuring students' knowledge and skills. After completing the written comprehensive exams, students will be required to participate in an oral comprehensive exam. The exam will be conducted by faculty members who graded the students' written exams (two faculty graders per exam). During the oral exams students will be given the opportunity to elaborate upon sections of their written exams that the faculty members deemed weak. Oral exams will be assigned one of the following grades: high pass, pass, and no pass. If the faculty members issue conflicting scores (e.g., pass and no pass), the student will be asked to participate in a second oral exam and during that exam a third faculty member will be asked to score the student's performance and issue a final ruling.
Criterion
Oral Comprehensive Exams
We expect that at least 80% of our students will pass their exams on the first attempt and that 100% of the students who have to take the exam a second time will pass.
Efforts noted in our 2008-2009 actions will be implemented, specifically, we will require students to attend a comprehensive exam study skills session conducted by the graduate director and graduate faculty members. By the spring of 2010 the new rubric developed by the graduate faculty will be utilized to determine low pass, pass, and high pass. We believe that this will produce at least 2 high passess for the 2010-2011 exams (the cohort that will be affected by the changes that are implemented in 2009-2010).
Finding
Oral Comprehensive Exams
A total of six exams were scored. 100% of the students taking comprehensive exams passed on their first attempt. We had anticipated at least two exams to be scored as high passes. Three exams were scored as high passes. Thus we exceeded our expectations in the case of students' ability to pass exams and the number of exams scored as high pass. The methods exams were scored as pass. Conversations with students who took the methods exam suggested students were not aware of the detail faculty expected to find in students' answers.
Action
Oral Comprehensive Exams
We will take action designed to correct the problem identified in our findings. Specifically, students will be provided a more detailed statement regarding expectations of students' exam performance and an explanation of what constitutes a no pass, pass, and high pass.