Submitted Fall, 2004
The spring semester of 2004 was the History Department's third semester implementing its revised assessment plan. This semester the plan consisted of four parts: the assessment exam, evaluation of senior seminar papers, focus group discussions, and the assessment survey.
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Our assessment plans evaluated designated student learning objectives in the areas of knowledge, skills, and values by a variety of methods including an assessment exam, senior seminar papers, focus group discussions, and a survey of our majors two years after their graduation.
Analysis
The assessment tools and data above were used to evaluate the following learning objectives established by the Department of History in its Assessment Plan.
Use of Results
The Department discussed these results at a special meeting on December 14, 2004. Overall, we were very pleased with these results and were especially glad to note the improved evaluations in the historiography section of the Senior Seminar papers. At this point, we see no pressing need to change our curriculum. We do note, however, that in their general comments on the department's strengths and weaknesses, students once again pointed to the need for more non-Western and ancient history classes. We too would be like to be able to offer more such classes, particularly in light of the increasing interesting in internationalization of the curriculum at UNK. To do so, however, we would need at least one additional tenure track faculty line.
Assessment of the Assessment Plan
For the most part, the assessment plan this time seemed to work fairly well. We were, however, disappointed to have received no responses to the survey we sent out. We have decided, therefore, to return to our earlier practice of sending it out only once every five years in preparation for Academic Program Review.