University of Nebraska Kearney

Women's Studies Program Assessment Plan

Direct Measures

Assessment Exam

All actively enrolled students in WSTD 220 (on the first day of class) and in WSTD 420 (toward the end of the semester) will take a short assessment exam. The results of these exams will be compared to see how the students' knowledge, skills, and values related to Women's Studies have improved over their academic careers.

Senior seminar research papers

All actively enrolled Women's Studies minors must take a senior seminar capstone course (WSTD 420). The main product of that course is a twenty-page research paper. These papers will be evaluated by members of the Women’s Studies Advisory Council who are not instructors for the course.

Indirect Measures

Focus Groups

All actively enrolled students in WSTD 420 will participate in a focus group discussion about their research in the class, as well as the more general goals and achievements of Women's Studies. The focus groups will be organized and attended by a team of two Women's Studies Advisory Council members, not including Director.

Surveys

Every five years, in preparation for the Academic Program Review (APR), the Women’s Studies Program will send out a survey to all Women's Studies graduates since the last APR. The questions on this survey will seek to determine students' successes and failures in terms of the program objectives.

Previous Plan, Replaced Fall 2007