Assessment Details
Academic Year: 2020-2021 Level: Undergraduate
Campus Department: Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences [UG and Grad]
Program Type: Major [UG] / Program [Grad]
Program Name: Environmental Geoscience BA (Link)
Description of Data Collection:
The department faculty meets each spring, after classes are over, to discuss how the changes we implemented based on previous years’ assessment activities have resulted in improved learning outcomes. We also discuss additional changes we would like to make based on what we have learned from the assessment process. Starting with the 2013-14 academic year, Environmental Geoscience students began to take a year-long (4 credit) Senior Research Seminar sequence (EESC5582-5583, 2 credits/semester).
One of the motivations for creating this requirement was to provide an annual assessment of how well our seniors have learned to approach scientific research challenges and the extent to which they are achieving the Learning Goals listed above. Starting in June 2021, we are implementing an exit survey of our graduating majors that includes questions about the students’ perceptions of how well they have met the specific outcomes of their major.
Review Process:
The department full-time faculty meets annually to review all aspects of our majors, and to make recommendations to the whole department for improvement. This process is led by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The conclusions of those discussions are reviewed by all full-time faculty, and presented in department annual reports. This year we met on May 27, 2021 during an all-day, online faculty retreat. Other faculty meetings are held throughout the year (approximately twice per month) in which we continuously work towards gathering and interpreting data for reviewing our majors programs and how well our curriculum is achieving our learning goals.
Resulting Program Changes:
During the 2007-2008 academic year, our Undergraduate Studies Committee conducted a comprehensive review of the Environmental Geoscience major. This process began by sending a questionnaire to all faculty and recent Environmental Geoscience graduates. We asked faculty to describe how specific scientific research and communication skills (e.g., writing, use of numerical methods and software, laboratory and field methods) are incorporated into their courses. We polled students on their experiences in the major and asked which courses gave them skills that they found most useful in their post-BC careers. Motivated by the results of these surveys, in the 2008-2009 academic year, we revised the requirements for all of our major programs. The class of 2014 was the first studying under the new requirements. Beginning in the 2013-14 academic year, Environmental Geoscience students began to take a new, year-long (4 credit) Senior Research Seminar sequence (EESC5582-5583, 2 credits/semester). We decided to use performance of students in this Senior Research Seminar as an annual mechanism for generating feedback on how well our students are learning to approach scientific research
challenges and the extent to which they are achieving the Learning Goals listed above. During our May 2021 meeting, we spent time reflecting on the full year of online and hybrid teaching during the pandemic. We focused on what we will take with us when we return to normal, in-person teaching in the fall 2021 semester. Faculty spoke about the many new things they brought to classes this year, including: more sophisticated use of Canvas for all course materials, including video lectures (informed by CTE/CDIL workshops and resources); flipped classroom approaches; integrating mindfulness activities; student-made videos; video-based virtual field trips; class “exit ticket” surveys; and the challenges of giving online exams. We discussed extensively that many of us now have greater awareness that students are often struggling with academic and non-academic challenges. We all want to develop better skills to be aware of and support students during times of crisis. We also talked about ways to support first-generation and URM college students. The recent Diversity Summit on campus provided many excellent materials in these areas, which we shared amongst the faculty.
During our May 2021 meeting, we discussed the Senior Research Seminar course (EESC5582-5583). Prof. Mark Behn reflected on his experiences during his first time teaching it. He
felt that the inability to include field data collection at local sites (due to the COVID-19 situation) made student engagement with projects challenging. They worked in two groups of five on projects related to the hydrology of the Greenland ice sheet using satellite imagery. Each group produced a final report, which Mark shared with the full faculty. Mark chose this group size because of concerns with students getting sick, which did happen for two students. However, he felt that group sizes of 3-4 are probably better going forward. The two groups gave recorded presentations at the Northeast GSA scientific conference in March and the department student colloquium in May. All of the faculty were impressed with the quality of the research presented by the students. Also at the meeting, we decided to implement an annual exit survey of our graduating seniors. We used a survey used by the Environmental Studies Program since 2017 as a template. We decided to modify it to allow anonymous responses. It includes questions about the students’ perceptions of
how well they have met the specific outcomes of the Environmental Geoscience major. It also provides a measure of how well our curriculum is serving our students in their success in further education and employment beyond their BC undergraduate experiences (goals 4-5). The survey will go out next week, and the responses will be reviewed by the Undergraduate Program Committee in the summer and fall. This will guide modification of the survey for next year, when we plan to send it
out to students in April. To improve the response rate, we will incorporate the survey into the EESC5583 course, which generally includes more than half of our majors. We have also been inviting former students to come back to BC after graduation to meet with current majors and lead discussions about their post-BC education and employment experiences.
We think that it is time to have a comprehensive review and perhaps restructuring of our major programs. This is a significant undertaking, and we are considering whether to begin it during the 2021-22 academic year. In particular, we would like to critically evaluate our curriculum through the lens of enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion.
Date of Most Recent Program Review:
During the 2007-2008 academic year, our Undergraduate Studies Committee conducted a comprehensive review of the Environmental Geoscience major. This process began by sending a questionnaire to all faculty and recent Environmental Geoscience graduates. We asked faculty to describe how specific scientific research and communication skills (e.g., writing, use of numerical methods and software, laboratory and field methods) are incorporated into their courses. We polled students on their experiences in the major and asked which courses gave them skills that they found most useful in their post-BC careers. Motivated by the results of these surveys, in the 2008-2009 academic year, we revised the requirements for all of our major programs. The class of 2014 was the first studying under the new requirements. Beginning in the 2013-14 academic year, Environmental Geoscience students began to take a new, year-long (4 credit) Senior Research Seminar sequence (EESC5582-5583, 2 credits/semester). We decided to use performance of students in this Senior Research Seminar as an annual mechanism for generating feedback on how well our students are learning to approach scientific research
challenges and the extent to which they are achieving the Learning Goals listed above. During our May 2021 meeting, we spent time reflecting on the full year of online and hybrid teaching during the pandemic. We focused on what we will take with us when we return to normal, in-person teaching in the fall 2021 semester. Faculty spoke about the many new things they brought to classes this year, including: more sophisticated use of Canvas for all course materials, including video lectures (informed by CTE/CDIL workshops and resources); flipped classroom approaches; integrating mindfulness activities; student-made videos; video-based virtual field trips; class “exit ticket” surveys; and the challenges of giving online exams. We discussed extensively that many of us now have greater awareness that students are often struggling with academic and non-academic challenges. We all want to develop better skills to be aware of and support students during times of crisis. We also talked about ways to support first-generation and URM college students. The recent Diversity Summit on campus provided many excellent materials in these areas, which we shared amongst the faculty.
During our May 2021 meeting, we discussed the Senior Research Seminar course (EESC5582-5583). Prof. Mark Behn reflected on his experiences during his first time teaching it. He
felt that the inability to include field data collection at local sites (due to the COVID-19 situation) made student engagement with projects challenging. They worked in two groups of five on projects related to the hydrology of the Greenland ice sheet using satellite imagery. Each group produced a final report, which Mark shared with the full faculty. Mark chose this group size because of concerns with students getting sick, which did happen for two students. However, he felt that group sizes of 3-4 are probably better going forward. The two groups gave recorded presentations at the Northeast GSA scientific conference in March and the department student colloquium in May. All of the faculty were impressed with the quality of the research presented by the students. Also at the meeting, we decided to implement an annual exit survey of our graduating seniors. We used a survey used by the Environmental Studies Program since 2017 as a template. We decided to modify it to allow anonymous responses. It includes questions about the students’ perceptions of
how well they have met the specific outcomes of the Environmental Geoscience major. It also provides a measure of how well our curriculum is serving our students in their success in further education and employment beyond their BC undergraduate experiences (goals 4-5). The survey will go out next week, and the responses will be reviewed by the Undergraduate Program Committee in the summer and fall. This will guide modification of the survey for next year, when we plan to send it
out to students in April. To improve the response rate, we will incorporate the survey into the EESC5583 course, which generally includes more than half of our majors. We have also been inviting former students to come back to BC after graduation to meet with current majors and lead discussions about their post-BC education and employment experiences.
We think that it is time to have a comprehensive review and perhaps restructuring of our major programs. This is a significant undertaking, and we are considering whether to begin it during the 2021-22 academic year. In particular, we would like to critically evaluate our curriculum through the lens of enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion.
Attachments (if available)