Students will gain knowledge and skills that are associated with advanced degrees in political science.
Objective
Written Comprehensive Exams
Students must demonstrate competency in the core areas of political science. These areas include political theory, methodology, and one of the following fields: American government, public administration, comparative politics, international relations, or a third related field outside the department.
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 two 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 passes for the 2010-2011 exams (the cohort that will be affected by the changes that are implemented in 2009-2010).
Finding
Written Comprehensive Exams
Two students took comprehensive exams during the fall semester of 2010 and the spring semester of 2011. Each student was required to take two exams, a methods exam and an area of concentration exam. One of the students passed all exams on his first attempt. The second student passed her area of concentration exam but not her methods exam. Although we were pleased with our passing rates we are concerned about students' performance on the methods exam. Historically, the methods exam is the exam that students are more likely to fail.
One student was given high passes on both his exams. The second student was given a pass on her concentration exam and a fail on her methods exam. She was given a pass on her second attempt for the methods exam. We had expected at least two high passes and thus we met our expectations.
Faculty discussion of the comprehensive exam procedure revealed several problem areas. First, the exam questions and students' responses tend to be course-based rather program-based (i.e., comprehensive). Second, students continue to have problems with the methods exam.
Action
Written Comprehensive Exams
During the summer of 2011 faculty will begin writing questions that test students' comprehensive knowledge rather than course knowledge.
We believe students' problematic performance on the methods exam is due in part to a previous mismatch between faculty teaching strengths and the methods seminar. In fall 2010 a new faculty member was assigned to the methods seminar. Teaching scores for the methods seminar increased dramatically. We will continue to have the new faculty member teach the methods seminar.
Goal
Oral Comprehensive Exam
Students will gain knowledge and skills that are associated with advanced degrees in political science.
Objective
Oral Comprehensive Exam
Students must demonstrate competency in the core areas of political science. These areas include political theory, methodology, and one of the following fields: American government, public administration, comparative politics, international relations, or a third related field outside the department.
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 passes for the 2010-2011 exams (the cohort that will be affected by the changes that are implemented in 2009-2010).
Finding
Oral Comprehensive Exams
Scheduling oral examinations for the two students proved highly problematic. One of the two students worked full time and could not take time off from work to participate in oral exams. Also trying to find a day and time that worked for students and faculty proved problematic. Thus we did not conduct oral comprehensive exams. However, written comprehensive exams were administered to both students. SHSU policy states, "All candidates for a graduate degree must pass integrative comprehensive examinations. The major department will establish whether the comprehensive examinations are written, oral, or a combination of the two."
Action
Oral Comprehensive Exam
The faculty agreed to make the following changes to oral exams. All candidates for a graduate degree will have to take written comprehensive exams. They will not be required to take oral comprehensive exams. However, students who wish to pursue a thesis will be required to take oral comprehensive exams and must be able to be on campus for one full day during the examination period.
Goal
Student Conference Attendance And Professional Writing
Students will be strongly encouraged to present at professional confences.
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 and the graduate director will indentify second year graduate students whose professional experience would be enhanced through participation in academic conferences. Students will be encouraged to submit their papers for presentation at a professional 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 50% 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 funding from a variety of sources.
Finding
Student Conference Attendance And Professional Writing
In 2010 - 2011 we had six second year students. All six produced papers that faculty identified as worthy for conference submission. Funding was availible for the first three students whose papers were accepted for presentations. Three students applied immediately to fall 2010 conferences and their papers were accepted for presentation. Not surprisingly the remaining three students chose not to submit their papers as there was no chance of funding. They could not attend conferences without funding.
Action
Student Conference Attendance And Professional Writing
As in the previous year, this year's conference attendance was somewhat problematic. While all six second year students produced papers that faculty members and the graduate director deemed worthy enough for submission, only three submitted papers for consideration. The three students who did not submit their papers for consideration identified the lack of funding as the key issue. This is the same problem we encountered last year. We believe we can reduce the funding problem. Previously students were allowed to select the conference they wished to attend, which resulted in some students traveling out of state. We will now require our students to apply to conferences within the state of Texas and preferably to conferences that are within driving distance of the college. We will also encourage students to apply to the same conferences so that hotel and driving costs can be shared among two or more students.