Submitted Fall, 2005
The Agribusiness and the Business Economics Comprehensive (Economics) programs are relatively small with few graduates in any given semester. The small number of graduates presents challenges in the assessment process and in reporting assessment data without identifying the specific course/instructor where the data is obtained. In other words, the data used in the assessment process is not an assessment of an individual course or instructor, but rather is a reflection of how successful the overall program is at achieving the student learning outcomes.
To overcome the small sample size, the data for Agribusiness students and Economics students have been combined and are reported in that manner throughout this report. During the 2004-05 academic year, Agribusiness and Economics students were assessed using two direct and one indirect assessment measures.
The direct measures were scores on the Major Field Test and scores on the assessment rubric for student research papers. The nationally normed Major Field Test is given each semester during Finals Week in Administrative Strategy and Policy (BMGT 495) and is a required course for all students in the business division of CBT. The results, which are scored and provided by ETS, can be compared to previous years, as well as other CBT students taking the exam. Student research papers are assessed by a faculty panel consisting of two to three faculty members. Each panel member reads and reviews a different set of ten (10) papers randomly selected from upper division (300-400 level) Economics courses using the Department’s assessment rubric. Papers from both Economics and Agribusiness students are combined, as only one Agribusiness professor currently requires research papers.
The indirect measure is the College of Business and Technology Skills Competencies Survey, administered by the Director of the Center for Rural Research and Development.