Students will develop knowledge and skills relevant to agriculture.
Objective
Development Of Students' Knowledge And Skills
Students will be able to demonstrate competency in key areas of agriculture leadership.
Indicator
AGRI 4388 Assignment Rubric
All students enrolled in the program must complete AGRI 4388 in their senior year. AGRI 4388 addresses key concepts and skills relevant to the field of agriculture and leadership. Each semester seven randomly selected student assignments from AGR 488 will be reviewed by faculty members with expertise in the field of agriculture. Faculty members will score the assignments using a scale of 1 - 5 with 3 "meets expectations," 4 "exceeds expectations," and 5 "far exceeds expectations."
Criterion
At Least 70% Rated As Meeting Expectations
Faculty in the Agriculture Department will assess the knowledge of agriculture from students enrolled in AGR 4388. At least 70% of the students will be expected to perform at an acceptable level (meets expectations) or higher. Specific focus will be in the areas of clarity and grammar which were identified as weakness in 2010-2011.
Finding
Faculty Assessment
Selected materials for assessment had an average score of 3.4 which indicates that the student met the expectations of the course assignment. Areas of improvement include grammar and, to a lessor extent, clarity. As compared to 2010-11, students showed and improvement in clarity, yet had a lower score for grammar - multiple students had 4 or more errors. Professionalism was the highest assessed criterion.
Action
Student Performance
Students’ writing skills are still a concern and weakness. Though the actual score was lower than last year the students still achieved the expectations. Faculty will strongly suggest students utilize the writing center to strengthen the weaker outcomes in grammar and clarity.
Goal
Develop Professional Skills
Students will learn the skills necessary to compete in the professional marketplace.
Objective
Development Of Marketplace Skills
Students completing the BS in Agriculture will demonstrate skills necessary to compete in the professional marketplace.
Indicator
AGRI 4120 Assignment Rubric
All students seeking a degree in Agriculture will be required to complete AGRI 4120 during their senior year. The course addresses essential skills necessary to compete in the marketplace for agriculture employment - resume preparation, interview skills, and employment opportunities. Faculty will review student assignments and access student performance on selected assignments using a faculty-developed rubric.
Criterion
70% Of Students Rated As Meeting Expectations
Faculty evaluations will indicate that at least 70% of the students enrolled in AGRI 4120 will perform at an acceptable level and score a 3 (meets expectations) or higher on a scale of 1-5. Improvements in grammar and wordiness will be sought (weakness in 2010-11).
Finding
Faculty Evaluation
Business Portfolios were evaluated by faculty utilizing the attached rubric. Students showed improved scores in grammar and wordiness from past assessment period. Faculty utilized external resources and examples to demonstrate ideal portfolios. Average score was 4.5; weakness was about the information included in the portfolio - some students still provided material that was irrelevant, thus categorized as wordy.
Action
Portfolio Assessment
Submitted professional portfolios from students in AGRI 4120 met the expectations set by the faculty. A few students failed to be concise in their materials causing lower scores for wordiness. Faculty will emphasize the importance of conciseness and grammar.