Bachelor of Integrated Studies
Results of Assessment
1998-1999 (submitted fall 1999)
1. What data were collected on your student majors in 1998-99?
Pre/post self-assessment data were collected on BIS students. Using a 1 to
4 scale (poor to excellent), students were asked to rate their abilities
relative to the 11 BIS Program outcomes. Students completed their
pre-assessment at the point of acceptance into the BIS Program, and were asked
to complete an identical survey when the final capstone report was discussed
at the oral defense.
In addition, the emphasis-area faculty who served on each student capstone
committee were surveyed on the students’ abilities relative to the program
outcomes at the completion of the capstone defense. The student and faculty
surveys were first implemented in the 1999 spring semester.
| Outcome |
Student Pre-Survey
N = 19 |
Student Post-Survey
N = 17 |
Faculty Survey
N = 54 |
| Synthesis |
3.2 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
| Analysis |
3.0 |
3.2 |
3.8 |
| Research |
3.0 |
3.4 |
3.6 |
| Evaluation |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
| Writing |
2.9 |
3.4 |
3.5 |
| Speaking |
3.1 |
3.1 |
3.7 |
| Courses |
3.2 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
| Disciplines |
3.2 |
3.5 |
3.3 |
| Employment |
3.2 |
3.5 |
3.6 |
| Further study |
3.4 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
| Lifelong learning |
3.5 |
3.6 |
3.8 |
What would improve the BIS program?
- I would have been more creative in writing and made it more interesting.
- The BIS program has given me the opportunity to explore diversity. At
first, I struggled with finding a topic. One possibility is having an
assigned topic relevant to all three disciplines. This might help those who
struggle with deciding on a topic.
- Let more students know that this program is here.
- Require students to stick to a schedule in doing capstones to avoid
having them in a time crunch.
- This has definitely improved my thinking about writing a paper and all
that goes into it. The BIS program is a good way of integrating for the
student who desires a broader base of study.
- I think that having a formal class once or twice in the first semester
would help students get started with the writing.
- I would make the syllabus more detailed. Although each capstone is
individual, at times, I felt I didn’t understand the procedure as much as
I would have liked to. Give more information on what it means to
"defend" your thesis.
- The written form should be substantial to display knowledge of the
subject. No oral defense.
- In the technical writing area, I would require less literature courses
and more courses directly related to technical writing.
- The only suggestion I could offer is more structure.
2. When/how were these data discussed among your faculty?
The data were discussed at a BIS Faculty Advisory Committee meeting on
Thursday, September 23, 1999.
3. What changes are anticipated as a result of these discussions?
It was anticipated that the pre-survey data would indicate students felt
their skills relative to the BIS Program outcomes would be "poor" or
"fair". Likewise, it was anticipated that the faculty data collected
at the completion of the capstone would identify areas that still needed
improvement. Neither hypothesis was supported by the data collected. Rather
the data show that there was little change from the time students entered the
program to when they completed the program. The one exception to this was in
students’ writing skills (an average pre-rating of 2.9 to an average
post-rating of 3.4). Faculty assessment of student writing skills was a
similar 3.5 average rating.
These preliminary data seem to indicate that students are achieving program
outcomes. However, further analysis of the data indicates there is a
relationship between student and faculty assessment of student skills and
capstone grades. Students who received a "C" or "C+" on
their capstone projects were more likely to have ratings of "poor"
or "fair" in the areas of research, evaluation, connecting courses,
connecting disciplines and multi-cultural understanding. This would seem to
indicate future areas of improvement for the BIS Program, particularly for the
"average" or "C" student. This conclusion is supported by
the open-ended comments included with the student post-survey.
4. What student learning outcomes will your department assess in
1999-2000?
All 11 outcomes will be assessed in 1999-2000.
Mission Statement /
Student Learning Outcomes /
Curriculum Grid / Assessment
Plan / Contact Person
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