The assessment plan submitted here contains the current assessment plan that the School of Communication Studies implemented in 1998. It also contains additional assessment measures the Graduate Program Committee has implemented in the past few years, accounting for those new initiatives to mark and track our graduate students.

The School of Communication Studies has recently approved a curricular revision to our MA and PhD programs.  As a result, some of our general outcomes and measures will change—these are footnoted since the changes are not in effect until passed by Graduate Council, to be submitted in Fall of 2006.

Current Assessment Plan (1998 to 2006)

Learning Outcomes

Content knowledge

Students should acquire content knowledge in communication studies with an emphasis on one or more of the four programmatic emphases of the program: Public Relations/Organizational Communication and Communication Research for the MA program; Media Studies and Communication & Culture for the Ph.D. program. If a student pursues a cognate, content knowledge of the cognate area should also be acquired.

Development of Research Skills

Graduates of the graduate program should be able to develop “researchable” questions or hypotheses. They should be able to design research to answer questions or test hypotheses. Students should acquire knowledge of methods of data collection, data analysis or interpretation, and gain expertise in presenting their findings. Students should come to understand the implications and limitations of their research. Students should gain experience in presenting their research and scholarship orally and in written form.

Development of Teaching Skills

Throughout their graduate program, graduate teaching assistants should acquire the skill of designing suitable course materials (e.g., syllabi, course activities). They should learn to manage interaction with students both in and out of class to promote learning. Students should develop appropriate assessment procedures to evaluate student performance in their classes.

Development of Service Skills

Students should gain experience with and demonstrate commitment to serve the department and university (e.g., elections or committee appointments), the discipline (e.g., reviewing manuscripts, organizing conference program, serving as officers), and the community (e.g., presentations to community groups in areas of expertise).

Application of Academic Preparation/Professional Success

Students should demonstrate the ability to apply their academic preparation (i.e., content knowledge, research skills, teaching skills, and/or service skills) to achieve professional success.

Assessment Methods

Learning Outcome #1: Content Knowledge

For M.A. students:

1. Mastery of courses with a minimum of 33 hours. (See requirements attached, Appendix 1)
2. Demonstration of content knowledge in written comprehensive exams or completed project for Plan II students; successful defense of master’s thesis for Plan I students.
3. Review of grades by the Graduate Program Coordinator each semester.

For Ph.D. students:

1. Mastery of courses with a minimum of 74 hours. (See requirements attached, Appendix 2)
2. Demonstration of content knowledge written and oral preliminary exams.
3. Advisor and Graduate Coordinator review of SCS Graduate Student Annual Report (see form, Appendix 3)
4. Review of grades by the Graduate Program Coordinator each semester.

Learning Outcome #2: Development of Research Skills

For M.A. students:

1. Mastery of methods courses in Social Scientific Research Methods and in Humanistic Research Methods as well as completion of a graduate-level statistics course.
2. Demonstration and application of research skills in written comprehensive exam over methods, creation and defense of a project, or writing and defending a thesis.
3. Review of grades by the Graduate Program Coordinator each semester.
4. Participation (voluntary) in annual Communication Studies Graduate Student Conference.
5. Review of end-of-semester research assistant performance with academic adviser and Graduate Coordinator. (See form, Appendix 3 & 4)
6. Review of papers submitted for the School of Communication Studies Graduate Student Research awards. 

For Ph.D. students:

1. Mastery of courses in Social Scientific Research Methods and in Humanistic Research Methods as well as completion of a graduate-level statistics course.
2. Demonstration of knowledge and ability to apply research skills in written and oral preliminary exam over methods.
3. Completion of a 9 to 12-hour research tool.
4. Annual review (form attached, Appendix 3) of research accomplishments submitted to and reviewed by academic adviser and the Graduate Coordinator.
5. Defense of dissertation proposal.
6. Presentations of scholarship and research at professional conferences (e.g., NCA, ICA, AEJMC, BEA, CSCA).
7. Publications in peer-reviewed professional journals.
8. Review of nominees for scholarships (e.g., Dissertation Fellowship Awards, Fisher Award, conference paper awards).
9. Presentation at and participation in the monthly colloquium.
10. Annual compendium of student presentations at communication conventions since 2002.
11. Participation (voluntary) in annual Communication Studies Graduate Student Conference.
12. Review of end-of-semester research assistant performance with academic adviser and Graduate Coordinator (See form, Appendix 3& 4).
13. Review of papers submitted for the School of Communication Studies Graduate Student Research awards.

Learning Outcome #3: Development of Teaching Skills

For Students With Teaching Assignments:

Learning Outcome #4: Development of Service Skills

For All Students:

Learning Outcome #5: Application of Academic Preparation/Professional Success

            For all Students:

1. Graduation rate.
2. Job placement of graduates.
3. Evaluation of job placement success of graduates.
4. Contributions to research in the field (e.g., conference presentations, publications).
5. Contribution to teaching (e.g., undergraduate and graduate teaching, teaching awards).
6. Service contributions.
7. Program data collected and reviewed by the Graduate Program Committee every 7 years as part of program review.
8. Continuous gathering of data from alumni.
9. Recruitment of alumni/ae as speakers to annual Communication Week.
10. Establishment of active alumni database.
11. Consideration of prospective student needs in curriculum and program development (e.g., applied MA and online MA development).

Assessment Results: Brief Report

Learning Outcome #1: Content Knowledge

For M.A. students:

1. Successful completion of 9 graduate students in the MA program via graduation in the past year, except one MA still conducting her thesis research.
2. Successful scores on all MA students’ comprehensive exams who took them; all MA thesis defenses and project defenses were successful.
3. Grades tracked by the Graduate Program Coordinator each semester. No students in program peril.

For Ph.D. students:

Learning Outcome #2: Development of Research Skills

For M.A. students:

1. All MA students took and passed Social Scientific Research Methods (COMS 630) and Humanistic Research Methods (COMS 640) as well as completion of a graduate-level statistics course (usually COMS 702 or EDFI 641).
2. All students successfully demonstrated and applied research skills in written comprehensive exam over methods, creation and defense of a project, or writing and defending a thesis.
3. Participation (voluntary) in annual Communication Studies Graduate Student Conference.  In one case, an MA Student was awarded top 2 paper for their contribution to this year’s conference.
4. Students received a review of end-of-semester research assistant performance with academic adviser and Graduate Coordinator.  Where a concern was raised, all affected students met with Graduate Coordinator for debriefing and assignment success plan.
5. Voluntary participation in research clusters allow students to increase exposure in content or methodological areas of interest.
6. Faculty reviewed papers submitted for the School of Communication Studies Graduate Student Research awards—awards were given at end of year ceremony (six submissions this year for the research award and top paper went to a student paper presented at the National Communication Assoc. convention) 

For Ph.D. students:

1. All students took and passed courses in (or showed transcripts of parallel courses in MA programs) Social Scientific Research Methods ( COMS 630) and in Humanistic Research Methods (COMS 640) as well as completion of a graduate-level statistics course (usually COMS 702 or EDFI 641).
2. All students successfully demonstrated and applied knowledge and ability to apply research skills in written and oral preliminary exam over methods.  It is required that students take several preliminary examination testing hours over methods/tools to move to dissertation.
3. Each student completed a 9 to 12-hour research tool.
4. Each student submitted an annual review of research accomplishments submitted to and reviewed by academic adviser and the Graduate Coordinator.
5. Defense of dissertation proposal—no student failed to pass this when taken.
6. Student presentations of scholarship and research at professional conferences (e.g., NCA, ICA, AEJMC, BEA, CSCA). 
7. Publications in peer-reviewed professional journals.   This year, we had several publications from our graduate student body, including papers in national journals and major edited collections.
8. Based on competitive review by faculty, scholarships were awarded (e.g., Dissertation Fellowship Awards, Fisher Award, conference paper awards).
9. Several student presented in the monthly colloquium series (one student who had recently defended presented in March 2006 and the two dissertation fellows presented in April 2006).
10. Participation (voluntary) in annual Communication Studies Graduate Student Conference.  A total of 8 students presented (5 papers were rejected), the top paper went to a 2nd year doctoral student.
11. Students received a review of end-of-semester research assistant performance with academic adviser and Graduate Coordinator.  Where a concern was raised, all affected students met with Graduate Coordinator for debriefing and assignment success plan.
12. Voluntary participation in research clusters allow students to increase exposure in content or methodological areas of interest.
13. Faculty reviewed papers submitted for the School of Communication Studies Graduate Student Research awards—awards were given at end of year ceremony (six submissions this year for the research award and top paper went to a student paper presented at the National Communication Assoc. convention)

Learning Outcome #3: Development of Teaching Skills

For Students With Teaching Assignments:

1. All teaching is assessed in the form of the departmental/school standard course evaluations, faculty course supervisor evaluation, and peer evaluations.  Any problems are addressed by (at least) the course supervisor.  If needed, the Graduate Coordinator and SCS Director are also consulted on the matter.  In the past, our teaching staff have been highly recognized as excellent teachers, securing many regional and university accolades for their classroom work.
2. Students have received teaching awards, including GradSTEP Outstanding Teaching Award, ICA Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, CSCA Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, Ohio Speech Communication Association Outstanding GTA Award.  A current list of awardees is available upon request.
3. Our instructors are asked to participate in GradSTEP program, both campus wide and School of Communication Studies GradSTEP programs.
4. All teaching evaluations are reviewed by academic adviser and Graduate Program Coordinator during their annual evaluation.
5. Summer stipends are very competitive—this year, we only awarded funding to our star teachers and those with high GPA and positive feedback from peers, students, and faculty observations. 

Learning Outcome #4: Development of Service Skills

For All Students:

1. Graduate students have served on the undergraduate department’s faculty meetings, the School of Communication Studies committees, BGSU committees and learning communities (ICS, CTLT), and the external community (e.g., World Student Association, Chinese Student and Scholar Association, African People’s Association, La Raza, Juntos, African American Graduate Student Association).
2. We awarded the Walker Award to a member of our graduate community who did a great deal of service.
3. Graduate students served as representatives on School of Communication Studies meetings and committees (e.g., MA graduate student representative, Ph.D. graduate student representative, Graduate Student Senate, SCS Web Committee, & Graduate Program Committee).
4. Annual review of students’ service contributions submitted to and reviewed by academic adviser and Graduate Program Coordinator.

Learning Outcome #5: Application of Academic Preparation/Professional Success

            For all Students:

1. Graduation rate: 9 MA students, 14 doctoral students graduated in Summer 05-Spring 06.
2. Job placement of graduates: current rate is: 100 percent.
3. Conducted workshops for graduate student professional development (including vita workshops, conference participation, academic interviewing, and practice for conference presentations).
4. Students contributed to research in the field (e.g., conference presentations, organizational service, publications).
5. Evaluations of teaching (e.g., undergraduate and graduate teaching, teaching awards).
6. Service contributions, see above.
7. The School of Communication Studies has evaluated the graduate program as a result of the incorporation of Telecommunications—as a result, new revisions will be submitted into graduate college.  Further, our program is in the early stages of program review.  
8. Continuous gathering of data from alumni, including their research contributions and their new positions in the field.
9. Recruitment of alumni/ae as speakers to annual Communication Week has resulted in rich contributions during these thematic yearly campus engagements.
10. Establishment of active alumni database, including our conference presentation listing at NCA, AEJMC, and ICA.
11. Consideration of prospective student needs in curriculum and program development (e.g., applied MA and online MA development).  As a result of this, our curriculum revisions will serve to make the program more cohesive.

Assessment Conclusions

Perhaps the single largest conclusion of this report demonstrates our transisition in curriculum, our reinvestment in communication broadly (with the incorporation of Telecommunications) and our shift to enhancing our research directions in the School.  Our new program will increase student contact with professors, will increase the number of classes required for our MA and doctoral degrees, and enhance the general education of our students.  By focusing our curriculum and increasing the offerings in the school, our program is shifting to craft a unique place in the field of communication.  This change, while representative of the majority of the faculty in the School, is not due to the performance of our program or our graduate students, but suggests a desire to increase the visibility and reputation of BGSU’s School of Communication both nationally and internationally.

Learning Outcome #1: Content Knowledge
As a result of our revision in curriculum and the alteration of our MA degree specializations (from PR/Organizational Communication and Communication Research to parallel our doctoral specializations: Communication & Culture and Mass Media Studies).  Here, we will focus our content toward these areas, crafting an education here at BGSU that is tighter and more uniformly directed toward specific goals.  Our methods will also increase in focus, shifting from general courses to method specific areas, increasing the ability for students to engage dissertations with more complexity and sophistication.  Ultimately, this will increase our distinction in Ohio, the nation, and the world.

Learning Outcome #2: Development of Research Skills
Here, I would point not only to the increase in our methodological requirements proposed in our curricular design, but the Director of the School of Communication’s research cluster initiative.  In this new initiative, faculty and graduate students will gather according to interest and specialization and work together as a community to increase research productivity.  This will also increase the ability of our student to learn research design and provide exposure to research in the profession.  On the whole, our data suggests that our students are being properly prepared for research—the successful rate of conference acceptance, publications, and successful completion of dissertation/thesis/exam results shows that our students are research proficient. Our goal is to increase knowledge and understanding on all levels, raising  standards and expectations.

Learning Outcome #3: Development of Teaching Skills
The teaching evaluations and awards suggest that our students are well prepared to teach at the university level.  In fact, the largest complement about our students I receive from prospective employers at other universities centers on the pedagogical superiority of our graduate students.  Since most arrive here with teaching as their primary focus, it is rewarding for us to see how successful our students are in this area.  The fact that so many of our students lead in teacher preparation programs (e.g., GradSTEP) suggests that the teaching in our unit is remarkable.

Learning Outcome #4: Development of Service Skills
Our graduate students hold offices and service commitments in multiple levels, from national/international organizations in communication to university committees.  Indeed, our faculty often have to tell students to hold back on service and focus on other matters.  Our students are committed to service and find that such participation provides fundamental sophistication to their other work.

Learning Outcome #5: Application of Academic Preparation/Professional Success
With a job placement of 100%, it is apparent that we are preparing our students for their professional lives.  The vast majority of our students seek university positions and are successful in these posts.  We also have several of our MA and doctorates in the business sector as well.  Our faculty (consisting of professionals in PR, journalism, and other communication areas) work carefully to serve the graduate students in their job preparation.

Appendix 1:  MA requirements

Plan I (Thesis option)

9 to 12 credits in required COMS core
9 to 12 credits in other COMS courses (3 courses)
4 credits in thesis credit (COMS 699 Thesis)
5 to 8 credits of elective courses

Plan II (Project option)

9 to 12 credits in required COMS core
9 to 12 credits in other COMS courses (3 courses)
4 credits in project credit (COMS 683)
5 to 8 credits of elective courses

Plan II (Exam option)

9 to 12 credits in required COMS core
9 to 12 credits in other COMS courses (3 courses)
5 to 9 credits of elective courses

There are three required core courses for the M.A. program:

            COMS 600 Introduction to Communication Study (Fall only)
COMS 630 Social Scientific Research Methods (Spring only)
COMS 640 Humanistic Research Methods (Fall or Spring)

COMS 630 has a co-requisite/prerequisite of a graduate statistics course. This course can be counted toward the elective courses.

Students who are on a teaching assistantship are also required to enroll in COMS 620 Communication Pedagogy in their first semester. 

All funded students are required to enroll in two GradSTEP hours (GRAD 600) their first semester. These two credit hours can also be counted toward elective courses.

Appendix 2:  PhD requirements

Core (20 credit hours):           
COMS 600 Introduction to Communication Study (Fall only)
COMS 610 Philosophical Foundations (Spring only)
COMS 620 Communication Pedagogy (Fall only)
COMS 630 Social Scientific Research Methods* (Spring only)
COMS 640 Humanistic Research Methods (Fall or Spring)

* A graduate course in statistics (e.g., EDFI 641) is required prior to or with COMS 630.This course counts toward the overall hours required. This course may be waived, upon written request and documentation, by the Graduate Coordinator, if an incoming doctoral student has already completed a similar course as part of a master's program. Receipt of a waiver for this course does not reduce the overall number of program hours required.

Tool Courses (9 to 12 credit hours):
At least three courses as selected by student and adviser. These courses may be courses taken to satisfy another requirement (e.g., COMS 630 may be taken as a core course and counted as a tool course for students focusing on social scientific methods.) In such a case, the credit hours of the double-slotted course only count once toward the student's program of study.

COMS Emphasis (at least 16 credit hours):
Courses in Communication Studies that reflect a student's emphasis.

Cognate (12 hours outside the COMS degree program):
The pursuit of a cognate is optional. During the first year of study, a doctoral student may select, with guidance from his/her adviser, an appropriate selection of courses from outside departments that will help constitute an outside related area of expertise (e.g., American Culture Studies, Women's Studies, History, Popular Culture). Students who do not select a cognate need to complete 12 additional hours in Communication Studies.

Dissertation Research Hours (16 hours):
16 hours of dissertation research (COMS 799)

Colloquium:
Continuous enrollment in COMS 703 (No credit, S/U) is required of all full-time doctoral students.

Appendix 3:  SCS Graduate Student Annual Report Form

SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES DOCTORAL EVALUATION FORM   

NAME:                                                           ADVISER: 
DATE:  

Doctoral students should complete their portion of this annual evaluation form and submit it to their academic advisers. You should attach your curriculum vitae, copies of your teaching evaluations, and a copy of each conference paper and/or submission for publication.  Your vita should include the following: a. conference presentations, b. submissions of papers or panels to conferences, c. submission of manuscripts to publications, d. membership in professional organizations, e. all service activities (department/school, university, community, professional organizations), f. any awards received for teaching, research, or service, g. all classes taught at BGSU or elsewhere, h. all research assistant assignments.
Your adviser will pull your folder to review your transcript. After meeting with you to discuss this evaluation, your adviser will sign and submit it to the Graduate Coordinator no later than Friday, April 3, 2006. Appendices will be returned.

Program of Study:
Academic Adviser: ________________
Committee members (if selected):   
__________________________     __________________________
__________________________      __________________________      __________________________

Identify your primary areas of research interest.

Describe your cognate and its relevance to your Ph.D. program.

Describe your research tool and its applicability to your dissertation method.

What can you tell us about your proposed dissertation at this point?

Assess where you are now in your program of study and describe your goals for next year.

Publication goals:

Course work goals:

Preliminary examination goals:

Teaching: What are your goals for teaching for the next year?

Research: Assess where you are in your research and describe your goals for the next year.

Professional Activity and Service:

Adviser's Comments: Evaluation of student's progress in and goals for:

Program of Study:

Teaching

Research

Service

Strengths

Weaknesses

Suggestions

____________________________                   _________________________________
Student's Signature                                             Adviser's Signature

Appendix 4:  TA/RA Faculty Evaluation Form

SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP/FELLOWSHIP
SEMESTER EVALUATION

1.         Name of Graduate Student: ____________________________________________

2.         Supervisor: ________________________________________________________

3.         Assignment: _______________________________________________________

4.         Nature of Assignment:

5.         Overall Evaluation:

_______ Surpassed significantly                                          _______ Fulfilled most required               required responsibilities                                                 responsibilities

_______ Fulfilled all required                                              _______ Failed to fulfill most                   responsibilities                                                                                    responsibilities

            Comments:

6.         Special strengths or weaknesses:

7.         Suggestions:  (Attitude, performance, etc.)

     Signed _________________________________________ Date __________________