Assessment Details
Academic Year: 2021-2022 Level: Graduate
Campus Department: Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences [UG and Grad]
Program Type: Major [UG] / Program [Grad]
Program Name: Romance Languages and Literatures MA (Link)
Description of Data Collection:
For the purposes of assessment, once a year (usually in the early part of the Spring semester) all professors gather within their respective language sections (i.e., French, Hispanic Studies, Italian) and collectively discuss and evaluate the performance of each graduate student with respect to each of the learning outcomes. The department uses the aggregate results of these evaluations to examine section and departmental programmatic success in achieving each of the learning outcomes. The results of these discussions are conveyed to the department’s Graduate Program Director and Chair; any recommendations and other form of feedback for the students are
conveyed directly to them by their Academic Advisors. Next, at the end of the school year (late April-early May), another phase of assessment is carried out in two forms specifically with regards to students who are about to graduate from the program:
(A) Indirect Evidence: a multiple-choice, online “Qualtrics” questionnaire is sent out to all students, soliciting their opinion as to how well each of the specific Learning Outcomes has been achieved. Opportunity is given there as well for making any recommendations for improving the program; and
(B) Direct Evidence: representative samples of students’ written work (normally their Independent Research Project [”IRP”] with sometimes also a final research paper from one of their graduate seminars) are gathered and evaluated first within the language sections and then at a larger meeting of professors from the entire department. Since one of the Learning Outcomes regards pedagogical formation, in order to assess that LO, we had to have feedback from the graduate students’ teaching supervisors (i.e., the FT Language Coordinators in French, Italian, and Spanish). Note that, although we questioned the students on all of the Learning Outcomes, this year from among the several Learning Outcomes, we decided to give particular focus to the following one: “Advanced-high” linguistic proficiency in the target language (as measured by the ACTFL scale) in speaking, listening, writing, and reading.”
Review Process:
The evidence is interpreted by the entire body of full-time professors in the department, beginning with the small group evaluations that occur within each language section group (French, Hispanic Studies, Italian) during the month of April, and then, in May, proceeding to department-wide meeting at which all FT professors are present and participate actively. At the larger department-wide meeting, the interpretation of the assessment results and the recommendations for program changed that were first formulated by each language section are in turn reviewed, refined or re-elaborated (in terms of the collective experience of the department), and then approved by the full body of professors. Overseeing the entire process from beginning to end are the Graduate Program Director and Department Chair.
Resulting Program Changes:
Results of 2022 Assessment Process:
We are happy to report that the available evidence this year – both the Direct and Indirect — indicated that all of our graduate students met the proficiency requirement with respect to this Learning Outcome, to varying but still satisfactorily competent degrees. Naturally, the non-native speakers of the target languages performed less well on this front than the native speakers; however, as one faculty member summarized the situation, “while the [non-native speakers’] linguistic ability was not perfect, it was not an impediment to their completing advanced work in their program. In the future, however, for such students, we will devise a specific program of linguistic enrichment utilizing the many and varied resources of the Language Lab (e.g., the ability to practice speaking and listening skills with students from our partner universities across the
globe) to assist the progress made by non-native speakers in the program. As far as the indirect evidence is concerned, all students indicated that they “strongly” agreed with the statement that this Learning Outcome had been achieved. We must note, however, this year we only had 7 second-year graduate students who figured into this Assessment process and of the 7 students, 6 responded to our survey. Currently and historically we have and have had always a rather small MA program: there are never more than 21 students in both years combined, including those of all 3 language sections. Recent Curricular Changes Based on 2021 Assessment Results: Last year we identified no curricular or pedagogical changes required on the basis of the Assessment results relating to the specific LO chosen as our focus (“Knowledge of theoretical
approaches to texts appropriate to the M.A. degree level”). However, with the two new TT hires we have had in the past 2 years, we now have more faculty available to offer courses specifically on critical theory and will add more of such courses to our curriculum in the future. Until now, even though critical theory is addressed as an issue in most of our graduate seminars, to some degree or another, we have had only one course specifically devoted to the topic (taught by Prof. Newmark.)
Date of Most Recent Program Review:
Results of 2022 Assessment Process:
We are happy to report that the available evidence this year – both the Direct and Indirect — indicated that all of our graduate students met the proficiency requirement with respect to this Learning Outcome, to varying but still satisfactorily competent degrees. Naturally, the non-native speakers of the target languages performed less well on this front than the native speakers; however, as one faculty member summarized the situation, “while the [non-native speakers’] linguistic ability was not perfect, it was not an impediment to their completing advanced work in their program. In the future, however, for such students, we will devise a specific program of linguistic enrichment utilizing the many and varied resources of the Language Lab (e.g., the ability to practice speaking and listening skills with students from our partner universities across the
globe) to assist the progress made by non-native speakers in the program. As far as the indirect evidence is concerned, all students indicated that they “strongly” agreed with the statement that this Learning Outcome had been achieved. We must note, however, this year we only had 7 second-year graduate students who figured into this Assessment process and of the 7 students, 6 responded to our survey. Currently and historically we have and have had always a rather small MA program: there are never more than 21 students in both years combined, including those of all 3 language sections. Recent Curricular Changes Based on 2021 Assessment Results: Last year we identified no curricular or pedagogical changes required on the basis of the Assessment results relating to the specific LO chosen as our focus (“Knowledge of theoretical
approaches to texts appropriate to the M.A. degree level”). However, with the two new TT hires we have had in the past 2 years, we now have more faculty available to offer courses specifically on critical theory and will add more of such courses to our curriculum in the future. Until now, even though critical theory is addressed as an issue in most of our graduate seminars, to some degree or another, we have had only one course specifically devoted to the topic (taught by Prof. Newmark.)
Attachments (if available)