OATdb Archive

2009 - 2010

Family And Consumer Sciences BA (Food Service Management)

Goal
Computer Literacy
The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences will graduate students who have performed satisfactorily in the area of computer literacy through computer-based assignments in courses that are required of all FCS majors.

Objective
Computer Literacy
Students will demonstrate computer literacy through assignments in two courses that are required of all undergraduate majors in the department: FCS 268 (a written assignment requiring use of a word-processing program and a budget assignment requiring the use of a spreadsheet) and FCS 462 (a presentation using PowerPoint).

Indicator
Computer Literacy Assignments
Indicators are three assignments in courses: a word-processed assignment and a budget prepared using a spreadsheet in FCS 268 Consumer Education and a presentation involving use of PowerPoint in FCS 462 Presentation Techniques.

Criterion
90% Of Students Will Score At Least A 3.0
90% of program majors who take the courses FCS 268 and FCS 462 during the 2009-2010 academic year will score 3 or better on a 5-point scale with 5 being the highest score and 1 being the lowest score on the three assignments that are required to meet this computer literacy competency. Examples of assignment sheets for these three assignments and rubrics for grading them are attached.

Finding
Computer Literacy Results
In FCS 268, undergraduate students complete an assignment using an Excel spreadsheet to organize information related to a monthly budget analysis.  80.6% of students enrolled in FCS 268 met the rating of 3 or better on a 5-point scale.  In FCS 462 undergraduate students complete several writing assignments that use a word-processed format and develop three visual presentations using a PowerPoint format.  The writing assignments require students to use titles, page layouts, justifications, appropriate fonts, spacing, spell-check, bullets, bolding of fonts, italics, and underlining.  100% of students met the rating of 3 or better on word-processed assignments.  The PowerPoint assignments require the students to design the background; use text, illustration and clip art; and incorporate animation.  Students also must be able to present the PowerPoint assignment in class to an audience of their peers.  89.8% of students met the rating of 3 or better on a 5-point scale. 

The percentages speak for themselves in that students struggle most with database management and next with PowerPoint presentation creation.  They do not seem to struggle with word-processing.

Action
Computer Literacy
This goal was not met in its entirety, although over 80% of all undergraduate students in the two courses during the 2009-2010 academic year were successful in the areas that impact computer literacy competency.  By far, the weakest area is using the Excel spreadsheet for budgets. More mentoring will be required in this area.  Word-processing does not seem to be an issue since 100% of students met the criterion.  The mentoring is also needed for some aspects of the PowerPoint skills.

Goal
Increase Enrollment
The BA program in Food Service Management will increase enrollment with the goal of producing graduates during the coming academic year (2010-2011).

Objective
Increase Enrollment
Increase numbers of students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Food Service Management at Sam Houston State University

Indicator
Increased Enrollment In BA In FSM
An increase in the number of declared majors and graduates in Bachelor of Arts in Food Service Management Program.

Criterion
Increase Enrollment
An increase in enrollment in number of majors (with the idea that an increase in majors will lead to program graduates) in the BA program in Food Service Management will indicate that this criterion has been met.

Finding
Increase Enrollment
For the 2009-2010 academic year, there are three majors in the BA in Food Service Management Program.  (This program is a "free ride" meaning that no specific courses, faculty, or facilities are required to maintain this program.)  For the 2008-2009 academic year, there were only two majors enrolled in the BA in Food Service Management program.

Action
Marketing Efforts To Increase Enrollment
Continue with recruiting efforts.  A student worker was hired to enhance the quality of the website, but that effort has been put on hold until the new template for departmental websites is available.  Articulation agreements for this program need to be updated in light of program changes.  A new faculty person is needed in the area of food preparation that would service several program areas within the department:  Food Science and Nutrition (BS only), Family and Consumer Sciences (BA & BS), and Food Service Management (BA & BS).  It is important to remember that this program is a "free ride" meaning that no specific courses, faculty, or facilities are required to maintain this program.  Those students who have earned this degree in recent years are doing well in the food service industry.

Goal
Student Knowledge Of Content Area
Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of food service management.

Objective
Demonstration Of Content-Area Knowledge And Skills
Students graduating from the food service management program will demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level management in food service/restaurant positions.

Indicator
Knowledge Skills
The Exit Survey for food service management majors includes multiple-choice and short-answer sections that test retention of course material and a case study that applies directly to food service management; it is graded on a pass/fail basis. (Each program area has multiple-choice, short answer, and other questions that are specific to that program content.) To develop this instrument, faculty in the content area reviewed course and program objectives and chose questions from exams that reflected important concepts that students should retain. The test is used repetitively and the scoring is consistent. For security reasons, the "test" portion (multiple-choice questions, short essay questions, and case study) is not attached. However, this document is available in the chair's office.

Criterion
80% Of Students Will Pass The Exit Survey--Knowledge And Skills
80% of students who complete the food service management program's Exit Survey will score a grade of Low Pass, Pass or High Pass on the content portions of the exam.

Finding
Knowledge And Skills
There are only three students in the program, and they have not completed the coursework for the degree.  Once they complete the degree, they will be given the Exit Exam.

Action
Knowledge And Skills
Since there are no students at the stage in the degree to take the exam, we will not have actions for this area yet.


Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement

Plan for continuous improvement The major weakness in computer literacy is the Excel database budget assignment.  More instruction and practice will be necessary.  Next is the PowerPoint presentation.  More instruction and practice in presentations is needed.  However, word-processing is a task in which students are fairly proficient.  Thus, these activities will be emphasized in FCS 268.

This program is small and shares the courses required in the major with two much larger programs, Food Science and Nutrition (BS only) and Family and Consumer Sciences (BA & BS options).  There is great demand in the job market for program graduates, and we believe this program would grow if we were able to hire an additional faculty person in the area of food preparation.  Other universities at our level have parleyed food service management programs into programs of hospitality administration, and have had considerable program growth as a result.  In the meantime, graduates of this program are successful and because of that and the fact that it is a "free ride," it is important to keep this option available to our students.