Weber State University   

HAS - Long Term Care

Results of Assessment

2001-2002 (submitted 09/27/02)

Key program changes took place in the Department of Health Administrative Services over the 2001-2002 school year. In particular, the WSU Faculty Senate approved a department proposal to change many of the courses from two-hour to three-hour courses. These included HAS 3020, Health Care Marketing; HAS 3150, Community Health Care Delivery Systems; HAS 3230, Health Communication; HAS 3240, Human Resource Development in Health Care; HAS 3260, Health Care Administrative and Supervisory Theory; and HAS 4320, Health Care Economics and Policy. These course changes resulted in subsequent program changes among each of the emphasis areas under Health Administrative Services.

Second, with discussion among the department faculty and students, the Dean of the Dumke College of Health Professions, the University Provost, faculty from the Goddard School of Business and Economics, and representatives of the local health care providers, the HAS Department is now pursuing a graduate certificate program in health care administration.

Specific details of the department’s outcome assessment are as follows.

Outcomes Assessed

Department faculty have long included outcomes in HAS course syllabi. Those outcome statements were reviewed carefully during the 2001-2002 year and compared to outcomes in similar courses taught throughout the United States. They were also compared to accreditation standards outlined by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA). HAS department faculty concluded that more time was needed in and out of the classroom to meet the needs of the students. Among the outcomes assessed were specific course objectives, course rigor, the number of hours spent by students in and out of class to fulfill the course assignments and other requirements, and the overall student ratings and comments pertaining to each course.

Department faculty regularly look at HAS graduates to see if they are moving on to graduate programs or obtaining the employment they desire. Successful completion of the AIT internship and licensure exam is of particular importance to the long-term care graduates.

Data Gathered

First, department faculty and adjunct instructors use a variety of methods to assess how well the students are meeting the course objectives. These include, but are not limited to, written assignments, oral presentations, exams, projects, small-group activities, in-class discussion and feedback from community partners working with the students.

Second, HAS faculty looked carefully at similar programs nationwide. This included the involvement of two HAS faculty members as reviewers in the formal program review of two undergraduate health care administration programs similar to that at WSU.  HAS faculty also completed the self-assessment of the WSU health information management and the health information technology programs in preparation for renewed accreditation.

Third, student surveys of the faculty and the courses are conducted on a very regular basis at the end of each semester. Students rate and often give feedback indicating their sense of how well the course prepares the students to understand and meet specific course objectives, the effectiveness of instruction and course pedagogy, and their overall impressions of the rigor and expectations placed on the students.

Fourth, faculty have meet with community health providers and other corporate representatives to determine how well WSU graduates are meeting their needs. Feedback is also solicited from department alumni as to their experiences and preparation for the workforce. These data are usually qualitative in nature, gathered during formal and informal discussions.

Finally, to the extent it is possible, department faculty gather data regarding graduates. Are they accepted into graduate school, are they obtaining employment, and in the case of the long-term care students, are they passing the licensure exam. The latter is difficult to determine since the examination program does not provide universities with any data regarding those who sit for the exam or a pass-fail rate. Faculty do know, however, that of the seven students who completed the long-term care emphasis, five are now licensed and managing their own facilities and the other two are unaccounted for.

Changes

As mentioned earlier in this report, key changes took place in all of the HAS emphasis areas as a result of the assessment process this year. These chiefly took the form of more rigor and increased credit hours for several courses. The department also hired a fourth full-time faculty member.

Outcomes to be assessed 2002-2003

Of particular interest in the HSA and LTC emphasis areas will be the number of students enrolled; their response to the new three-hour courses; their successful completion of the various activities, papers, presentations, exams in the courses; and their ultimate performance in the internship or AIT programs prior to graduation.

Department faculty members have also adjusted advisement responsibilities for the coming year, hoping to provide more personal and direct contact with each student. An analysis of the success of that change will be made during 2002-2003.

Mission Statement / Student Learning Outcomes / Curriculum Grid / Assessment Plan / Contact Person