Exiting seniors should exhibit comprehensive knowledge of key concepts provided during their educational experience
Objective
Exhibit Comprehensive Knowledge Of Key Concepts Provided During Undergraduate Educational Experience
The graduating senior comprehensive knowledge of core criminal justice course work will be evaluated through a senior exit exam. The exam will offer an opportunity to faculty to assess where improvement might be needed.
Indicator
Response Scores On Senior Exit Exam
All graduating seniors will be asked to take an exit exam that will provide faculty a means of assessing students' comprehension and retention on key concepts provided to them during their educational experience.
A committee was created to decide the most effective mean of assessing undergraduate student outcomes. Working from course objectives, faculty input was requested to develop several questions for each objective. Faculty who had taught any of the six core courses in the previous five years were asked to submit two questions for each objective.
Questions were reviewed and edited with specific criteria in mind. A sufficient context was provided in each question stem in order that the question could stand alone on the exam without the student having to know the class and objective source. Questions covered important areas of each field, not obscure issues.
From this pool of over six hundred questions, a faculty sub-committee selected ten of the best indicators for each of the six core areas. A sixty question exam form was developed and placed on SHSU's Blackboard academic support system.
Each semester graduating seniors are notified by e-mail and encouraged to take the exit exam prior to graduation.
Test results are delivered to the CJ Undergrad Office at end of each semester.
Criterion
The Average Score On Each Competency Area Will Be At Least 70%
There are six competency areas on the exit exam that consist of faculty voted upon knowledge objectives for our core curriculum courses: Criminal justice; Criminology; Criminal law; Understanding human behavior; Professionalism and ethics in criminal justice; Methods of research. The average on each competency area will be at least 70%.
Finding
Graduating Seniors Achieved An Average Of 70% Or Higher On Three Of The Six Core Component Areas In The Undergraduate Curriculum.
Senior exit exam scores for the 2009-2010 academic year indicated that students had the following averages across the six core competency areas: Criminal Justice (72%), Criminology (59%), Criminal Law (67%), Understanding Human Behavior (71%), Professionalism and Ethics (67%), and Methods of Research (70%). From this competency area and item analysis, it was also determined that the competency areas were not equally examined. For example, Criminology was represented by five questions whereas Criminal Law was represented by thirteen items.
Action
Improve Students??? Overall Knowledge And Comprehension Of Core Competency Areas.
Continued improvement to the senior exit exam will be conducted by item analysis and appropriate changes. Competency area assessment will be changed to include a more even distribution of assessment. Additionally, items that are not performing well will be dropped or re-written. Since our undergraduate curriculum was recently changed, we will not change course content or make suggestions from the current results until we have accurate data from examination of the new curriculum.
Goal
Application Of Learned Knowledge To The Field Of Criminology And Criminal Justice
Graduating seniors will be able to apply their knowledge to practical and current issues within criminology and criminal justice
Objective
Graduating Seniors Will Be Able To Apply Their Learned Knowledge To Practical And Current Issues Within Criminology And Criminal Justice
Graduating seniors will be able to apply each of the core competency areas (criminal justice, criminology, criminal law, human behavior, ethics, and research methods) to current issues and dilemmas within the field criminology and criminal justice.
Indicator
Faculty Will Design An Effective Capstone Course
Faculty will design an effective capstone course for the college that will examine each graduating senior's ability to apply their learned knowledge to current problems and issues within criminology and criminal justice
Criterion
A Final College Of Criminal Justice Capstone Course For All Of Our Undergraduates
The capstone course will placed on the schedule of College of Criminal Justice courses for the 2010-2011 academic year
Finding
The Capstone Course Was Developed And Placed On The Spring 2011 Academic Calendar.
During the 2009-2010 academic year, the College of Criminal Justice Curriculum Committee completed developing our capstone course entitled Problems Analysis in Criminal Justice (CJ 486). This new course was approved as part of our entire undergraduate curriculum change in 2008. As the new curriculum program commenced the Fall of 2009, the new capstone course will be placed on the Spring 2011 academic calendar.
Action
Continue To Assess Student???s Application Of Learned Knowledge Through The Capstone Course.
As our college initiates the capstone course, we will continue to monitor our student’s application of knowledge that they have obtained while completing their undergraduate degree within our program. This course attempts to apply learned knowledge to current issues within our criminal justice system.
Goal
Development Of Writing And Research Skills
Writing and research skills increased
Objective
Students Will Demonstrate Competence In Writing And Research Skills
Students will demonstrate competence in their writing and research skills. Students will develop papers and posters that will be reviewed by a faculty committee or scholarly organization according to agreed upon methodology.
Indicator
Development Of Scholarly Research Proposals And Papers
All undergraduate criminal justice students are invited to develop a scholarly research paper/poster proposal. Writing and research skills are judged by a faculty committee who provide feedback on their proposals and final papers/posters. Students are given specific guidelines developed by a faculty committee. These guidelines include areas of organization, content, quality of research, and writing. All papers are reviewed by one or more faculty committee members and judged according to these faculty developed guidelines. Once reviewed, papers/posters that meet the objectives set forth in the guidelines are accepted and progress to the next stage of expanding ideas. Those students displaying competence in guidelines are invited to present at a local, regional, or national conference where their papers will be peer reviewed.
Criterion
75% Of Students Submitting Proposals Will Be Judged As Competent
At least 75% of students who submit proposals will display critical thinking and follow guidelines demonstrating valid statements backed by strong supportive evidence.
Finding
100% Of Students Who Submitted Proposals Were Judged As Competent And Accepted For Conference Presentation.
The spring of 2010 all students who proposed a paper or research poster for the 2nd Annual College of Criminal Justice Undergraduate Conference, were accepted for presentation. This year we had 18 students present and compete for our research paper and poster competition.
Action
Quality And Quantity Of Students Writing And Research.
In order to further work on developing our students' writing and research skills, we will continue to offer an annual undergraduate conference and encourage more of our students' involvement by acquiring more faculty participation and mentoring of undergraduate students in their effort to present papers and posters. We will attempt to increase student participation in the next academic year which will produce more proposals for comprehensive review. Additionally, we will continue to provide personal feedback to students on their proposals and final papers and posters. This offers them one-on-one mentoring to develop their skills with a faculty member. We will also actively encourage and help undergraduates propose and present papers and posters at regional and national conferences. In the next academic year we hope to continue to be able to accept all student research paper and poster proposals for inclusion for faculty mentorship and conference presentation. We also will continue to increase the number of students and faculty that are involved in our annual undergraduate research conference.
Goal
Computer Literacy
To ensure that our undergraduate students acquire appropriate computer literacy skills for the field of criminology and criminal justice
Objective
Students Will Demonstrate Computer Literacy Skills
Students will show computer literacy skills by demonstrating their ability to utilize writing software (e.g., Microsoft Word), presentation software (e.g., Power Point), and data analysis software (e.g., Excel and/or SPSS).
Indicator
A Portion Of Work (and Grade) In The Capstone Course, Problem Analysis In Criminal Justice (CJ486), Will Demonstrate Computer Software Literacy
While taking the required College of Criminal Justice capstone course (Problem Analysis in Criminal Justice), students will demonstrate their ability to utilize Microsoft Word, Power Point, and data analysis software. Points will be awarded for their demonstration of skills in each of the three areas and then added for a total score of computer literacy that will be a portion of their capstone course grade. The scoring rubric will be determined by a faculty panel and included in each section of the capstone course.
Criterion
A Score Of 70% Or Higher For The Computer Literacy Score In The Capstone Course
All graduating seniors (under the new curriculum) will complete the CJ capstone course and will score at 70% or above on the computer literacy score included in the course grading system.
Finding
Computer Literacy Will Be Assessed As Part Of Our Capstone Course, (CJ 486), When The Course Is Offered Next Spring.
Computer literacy will be assessed as part of our capstone course, Problem Analysis in Criminal Justice (CJ 486), when the course is offered next academic year.
The capstone course will be offered for the first time in the spring of 2011.
Action
Computer Literacy Will Be Assessed For The First Time.
Computer literacy will be assessed for the first time by the students who will complete our capstone – Problem Analysis in Criminal Justice (CJ 486) course in the spring of 2011. A scoring rubric will be developed by faculty panel.