Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Department of Geosciences
Academic Year 2014-15 Assessment Report
MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to develop new knowledge of Earth’s history as a planet, its environment, and resources; engage our students in the process; and share that
knowledge broadly.
DEPARTMENT OBJECTIVES and ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC ISSUES
1. Conduct geoscience research and obtain substantial extramural funding to support applied and basic research that benefits society (Discovery and
Creativity to Serve Montana and the World). Geoscience faculty conduct research in vital areas, such as climate change, earth processes, environmental
hazards, earth history, and water.
2. Disseminate research findings by publishing in peer-reviewed journals and professional publications and presenting at regional, national and
international scientific conferences (Discovery and Creativity to Serve Montana).
3. Engage graduate and undergraduate students in research (Partnering for Student Success and Dynamic Learning Environment).
4. Produce graduates who are competent across the geosciences, able to perform well in field, laboratory, and computational settings, and who are prepared
to serve as high-quality professionals in geoscience and related fields (Education for the Global Century and Planning-Assessment Continuum).
5. Provide opportunities for students to work and learn internationally (Dynamic Learning Environment).
6. Educate the general student population about science and basic scientific principles through the study of Earth and its natural systems (Partnering for
Student Success and Education for the Global Century).
1
DEPARTMENT OBJECTIVES and ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC ISSUES
7. Inform the public about important geoscience issues through outreach (Discovery and Creativity to Serve Montana and the World).
STUDENT LEARNING GOALS AND MEASUREMENT TOOLS – UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
BS 1. Apply scientific methods, technical knowledge,
Pre and post
Knowledge
Survey
YES
and appropriate analytic tools relevant to geosciences
to address problems of societal importance
BS 2. Apply creative and critical thinking skills
YES
Audience
Evaluations
Graduating
Seniors Focus
Group
Graduate Exit
Survey
YES
YES
Detailed
Curriculum
Review
YES
YES
YES
BS 3. Communicate effectively and professionally
through oral, written, and graphical means and
operate effectively both in individual and teamrelated activities.
BS 4. Understand and practice ethical conduct in
geoscientific endeavors
STUDENT LEARNING GOALS AND MEASUREMENT TOOLS – GRADUATE PROGRAM
GRADUATE PROGRAM
Comprehensive
Exam
Thesis
Proposal
MS 1. Demonstrated knowledge in the core discipline
YES
MS 2. Ability to critically read and critique cutting edge research
YES
articles
2
Thesis
Presentation
Thesis Committee
and Written Thesis
YES
YES
YES
STUDENT LEARNING GOALS AND MEASUREMENT TOOLS – GRADUATE PROGRAM
GRADUATE PROGRAM
Comprehensive
Exam
Thesis
Proposal
Thesis
Presentation
Thesis Committee
and Written Thesis
MS 4. Demonstrated ability to carry out scientific research
YES
YES
MS 5. Ability to analyze, interpret, and integrate diverse datasets
relevant to the core discipline
YES
YES
MS 6. Understand the role of geoscience in the global societal
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
MS 3. Articulate in a written proposal the formulation of a
scientific problem and the design of a strategy for addressing it
context
YES
PhD 1. Use cutting-edge knowledge of, and technical skills in, a
chosen core discipline as part of an academic and/or professional
career in the geosciences
PhD 2. Create new knowledge by collecting and interpreting
geoscience data and communicating results to the professional
society
PhD 3. Communicate effectively and professionally through oral,
written, and graphical means
YES
YES
YES
YES
PhD 4. Participate effectively in the workplace and in individual
and team-related activities
YES
PhD 5. Have the broad general education and an integrated
knowledge needed to appreciate the role of geoscience in the
global societal context
PhD 6. Conduct scientific work in an ethical and professional
manner
YES
YES
3
YES
RESULTS AND MODIFICATIONS
Curriculum review to ensure
Detailed curriculum map revealed deficiencies in undergraduate programming. These deficiencies were
undergraduate students can apply scientific addressed through curriculum adjustments.
methods, technical knowledge, and
appropriate analytic tools relevant to
geosciences to address problems of
societal importance
Graduate exit survey indicated
undergraduate students are most
knowledgeable about earth history and
least knowledgeable about economic
geology when they graduate.
At the time these results were collected, economic geology had only recently been added back into the
curriculum. Although not re-surveyed yet, Geosciences expects knowledge of economic geology has
increased more recently.
All learning goals for Geosciences
graduate program (both MS and PhD) are
addressed through the thesis/dissertation
process: thesis proposal (reviewed by all
faculty), thesis presentation (reviewed by
department), written thesis (reviewed by
committee), and thesis exam (conducted
by committee).
Assessment method was modified to include audience evaluation of the quality of the MS thesis or PhD
dissertation presentation.
APPENDICES
1. Curriculum map for undergraduate degrees.
FUTURE PLANS FOR CONTINUED ASSESSMENT
1. Use curriculum map to adjust course content to combine courses for efficiency.
2. Continue to use indirect assessment tools to evaluate student learning, i.e., graduate surveys, audience surveys, graduate focus groups.
3. Ensure all data relevant to direct assessment is collected for required courses and for rotating upper-division courses.
4
5
GEOSCIENCES CURRICULUM MAP Req. Course # Course Name Outcome 1: Broad general knowled
ge of geoscien
ces Outcome 2: Basic scientific and mathema
tical compete
nce Outcome 3: Basic critical thinking and problem solving skills Outcome 4: Field and laboratory technical competen
ce Outcome 5: Informati
onal literacy Outcome 6: Compete
nce in communi
cation 101 102 Intro Intro Lab Oceang
raphy History of Life Climate Change EHist EMat Surf Proc Field Meth Sci Soc IgMetP
et Sed Strat Paleobi
ology Structu
ral Geo Geoche
m Global Bio/Ge
o Hydoge
ology IA I D I D I I I I Outcome 7: Demonstr
ated profession
al and ethically‐
responsibl
e conduct I I I I I I A I I I I I I D D D D D D I D I D I I I D I D M M M M D D D M I D M D D M D D D D M D D D D D D D D D M D M D D D D D D D D M D M D M M M D D M M D 105 106 108 200 225 228 231 304 305 309 311 315 327 408 420 GEOSCIENCES CURRICULUM MAP Req. Course # Course Name Outcome 1: Broad general knowled
ge of geoscien
ces Outcome 2: Basic scientific and mathema
tical compete
nce Outcome 3: Basic critical thinking and problem solving skills Outcome 4: Field and laboratory technical competen
ce Outcome 5: Informati
onal literacy Outcome 6: Compete
nce in communi
cation 421 426 Hydrol SEdGe
o Field2 Field Camp Tectoni
cs Applie
d Magne
tics Subsurf
ace Imagin
g Sed Arch SedPet petrole
um geo Proc Geomo
rpholo
gy Global Climate Snow, ice and climate Quant Analysi
s Thesis D M M A M DA D MA D A D A Outcome 7: Demonstr
ated profession
al and ethically‐
responsibl
e conduct D D M D M M D M I D I I M D M D M A M A A A D M M A M D A A A D M M M M M M M M D D D D M M M M M M M M M 429 433 435 436 442 443 451 460 482 488 491 499 GEOSCIENCES CURRICULUM MAP Req. Course # Course Name Outcome 1: Broad general knowled
ge of geoscien
ces Outcome 2: Basic scientific and mathema
tical compete
nce Outcome 3: Basic critical thinking and problem solving skills Outcome 4: Field and laboratory technical competen
ce Outcome 5: Informati
onal literacy Outcome 6: Compete
nce in communi
cation 320 Hydroc
hem ‐ Global Water M D M D M M Outcome 7: Demonstr
ated profession
al and ethically‐
responsibl
e conduct M