Weber State University   

Botany

Results of Assessment

2006-2007 (submitted 05/29/07)

OVERVIEW:

The Botany Department Assessment Plan is now six years old and during the last academic year,  an evaluation of its efficacy has been made by the department faculty. We continue to depend heavily upon departmental self-assessment along with the information gathered during graduating senior student exit interviews and information gathered during intensive portfolio summative assessments as the major means of measures of effectiveness. It is safe to say that the Student Portfolio remains the keystone of the student’s botanical experience at Weber State University and has gained the respect and buy-in of all students and faculty. This is substantial progress in itself. This year the faculty decided that the students needed assistance in the final assembly of their portfolios as well as an opportunity for faculty to thoroughly evaluate the portfolios. To this end, a new course, Botany 4980  “Portfolio Summative Assessment”: (3 hrs) was proposed and approved. All senior graduating students will be required to take this class during their final semester. 

Three major challenges continue to weigh heavily on our time and resources with the added frustration of not having much control over these factors. These challenges are: (1) under-prepared students coming to college with respect to certain important skills including critical thinking, problem-solving, writing, information gathering, and mathematical computation; (2) more students who place college studies at an ever lower priority due to complicated lives involving family and work obligations; and (3) increased emphasis upon undergraduate research with the concomitant need for research methodology development through an already crowded and taxing curriculum. This last challenge is one which we will develop a plan for during this next academic year.

RESULTS:

a. During the exit interviews, students reported that the program and the department were great, small in size which was attractive, personable with concerned faculty and staff that go the extra mile to assist students whenever they needed advice or help. Graduating students testified passionately that the environment in the department is inviting, inclusive, not intimidating, with extraordinary support for students, where everyone shows respect for others and everyone is treated as an equal. Students unanimously reported that this environment is at once empowering and nurturing while providing opportunities to learn and prepare well for the future whether that be graduate school or entering the job market. Students seem to embrace and take to heart the stories from past graduates who have secured jobs, they say, strictly on the basis of their portfolios. This serves as a strong incentive to continue to invest heavily into the portfolio preparation.

b. Yet another year has passed where students and faculty were encouraged to see so many unfilled temporary and permanent positions in both the public and private sector for which we had notices posted. This portends great opportunities for our graduates. The challenge here is for us to get the word out so that prospective majors know this fact. Recruitment remains a major challenge for the plant sciences, not only at Weber State University,  but across the nation. On a recent trip by Dr. Bozniak, Chair, to California State University - Fresno to evaluate their College of Agriculture’s Plant Science Program, students there expressed the same frustrations that jobs are plentiful but students do not seem very interested in coming into plant science programs. Those in the program are passionate about their chosen field, impressed by the high level of difficulty, and that Plant Scientists everywhere are most willing to assist students in preparation for their futures.

c. Students continue to be impressed with the choice of three Tracks for the major. Discussion during exit interviews, however, continue to draw attention to the problem of reduced quantitative course requirements for Track B having a negative impact upon students who wish to get into graduate programs. It appears that graduate schools continue to emphasize two years of Chemistry, one year of Physics and Mathematics through calculus for entry into virtually any life science discipline at the advanced degree level.

d. Last year students reported unanimously that the range of courses offered by our small department was tremendously helpful in preparing them for the job-market. Some helpful suggestions were made to enhance the curriculum. These included: (i) adding a Biometrics or Applied Statistics course for the students in any of the life sciences, (ii) provide research opportunities early in the student’s program of studies, (iii) provide more guidance during Portfolio development, and (iv) a few students reported that they would like to see even more courses offered in ecology or environmental science.

The faculty response to issue (iii) has resulted in two curricular developments. One was the creation of a section of Readings in Botany committed to helping students with their portfolio preparation in a formative way while the second was the creation of the above mentioned course entitled: Botany 4980  “Portfolio Summative Assessment”.

PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS:

(a) With the implementation of the new Portfolio Summative Assessment course, evaluate the need for the Senior Seminar course. It may well be redundant and will need to be eliminated since the integration of all capstone experiences will be made through the Portfolio.

(b) Coordinate the two Portfolio-oriented courses with the existing Botany 2121, “Career Planning for Botanists” course to make transitions seamless and more appropriately place students in the beginning class on the right track to developing the best possible Portfolio. This has been done to the extent that it could with the Reading in Botany course but awaits such with the new Summative Assessment course.

(c) Explore either a new course or a place in an existing course where it could be incorporated, the need to develop an understanding of Research Methodology, given that increased emphasis is being placed upon undergraduate research.

(d) Work with the College of Science to develop a comprehensive plan for recruitment of majors into the Botany program along with students into the Sciences in general.

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