Student Outcomes Assessment Plan
Criminology Graduate Program
Fall 2008/Spring 2009
During fall 2008 and spring 2009 semesters, the criminology faculty met to develop a student
outcomes assessment plan for the criminology graduate program.
Overall Plan
Each year the criminology faculty will organize an assessment and gather pertinent data from its
graduate students. Both direct and indirect measures will be developed to assess our stated goals
and competencies. On a biennial basis, the faculty will prepare a report summarizing this data,
delineating key findings and discussing their implications for the criminology M.A. program and
curriculum. The criminology faculty will then decide if any changes are necessary for either the
SOA process or the graduate program itself. As the Criminology MA program is only its second
year of operation, the current report contains a description of the assessment plan that has been
developed by the criminology faculty during the 2008-2009 academic year. In turn, we will be
submitting a more detailed report on student outcomes in the criminology graduate program next
spring (2010). That report will be based on data collected during the fall semester of 2009.
Philosophy
UNI’s Criminology M.A. program is designed with the purpose of preparing students for Ph.D.
work or practical work in applied fields related to criminology and criminal justice. Our program
emphasizes a sociological approach to the study of crime and law and exposes students to a
combination of theoretical, scientific, and practical approaches to criminology. The degree provides
students with opportunities to expand and enhance their criminological knowledge and to engage in
independent research and analysis of crime related issues.
Our philosophy of assessing our MA program is directly related to these goals. We believe it is
important to assess whether or not we are meeting the mission of our program. The goals and
competencies outlined below are a direct reflection of our desire to continually work on improving
our MA program.
Goals and Competencies
The following goals and competencies for the criminology graduate program were developed by the
criminology faculty during Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 semesters. Upon completion of the degree
requirements for a Master of Arts degree in criminology, students should be able to:
Goal 1: Develop an understanding of the social construction of crime and societal reactions to
crime.
Competency 1.1
Apply criminological concepts and principles to analyze how crime,
punishment, and reactions to crime are influenced by social factors.
Competency 1.2
Identify the macro and micro-level influences related to crime, offenders,
victims, policy and social reactions to crime.
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Goal 2: Evaluate and apply criminological theory.
Competency 2.1
Identify criminology theories and compare and contrast their key concepts
and assumptions.
Competency 2.2
Apply theories to explain criminological research findings.
Goal 3: Evaluate and apply social scientific methods.
Competency 3.1
Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose and limitations of research
methods.
Competency 3.2
Develop and evaluate a sociology or criminology research project.
Competency 3.3
Describe and apply the principles of ethical practice in conducting research.
Goal 4: Engage in critical analysis.
Competency 4.1
Analyze quantitative and qualitative data to test hypotheses or address
research questions.
Competency 4.2
Develop a critical argument about a criminological topic.
Competency 4.3
Conduct an analysis of criminological material.
Goal 5: Engage in intellectual discourse on issues of crime, law, and justice.
Competency 5.1
Critically discuss or present course material in class.
Competency 5.2
Write reaction/analysis papers of class material.
Assessment Methods/Data Collection
The following assessment methods will be used to collect data measuring the goals and
competencies outlined above. Collection of this data will vary by the semester that courses are
offered and by the timing of completion of requirements for student theses.
Goal 1: Develop an understanding of the social construction of crime and societal reactions to
crime.
Measures:
Papers and/or exams from Crime and Society (980:250), Law and Social Control (982:253),
and/or Criminological Theory (982:251).
Goal 2: Evaluate and apply criminological theory.
Measures:
Papers and/or written assignments from Criminological Theory (982:251) and/or Crime and
Society (980:250).
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Goal 3: Evaluate and apply social scientific methods.
Measures:
Papers and/or exams from Qualitative Research (980:278) and/or Quantitative Data Analysis
(980:260).
Goal 4: Engage in critical analysis
Measures:
1. Successfully defended thesis prospectus.
2. Successfully defended thesis.
Goal 5: Engage in intellectual discourse on issues of crime, law, and justice.
Measures:
1. Presentation grades from one or more classes.
2. Reaction/Analysis paper grades from one or more classes.
Data Analysis
After data have been collected, a subcommittee of criminology faculty will work together to analyze
and present the findings from the assessment. Findings will be presented in a written report as well
as presented in a meeting to the criminology faculty for discussion purposes. For embedded class
measures, such as written assignments and responses to exam questions, each scorer will evaluate
one set of material. Scorers will use a 4-point rating scale of “inadequate” (lacks sufficient
knowledge and/or skills), “adequate” (sufficient but somewhat superficial), “good” (understands
basic concepts and/or demonstrates basic skills), and “outstanding” (advanced performance). For
measures related to student theses, the SOA subcommittee will note whether a thesis prospectus and
defense were successfully defended or not defended.
Plan of Action
During the 2008-2009 academic year, the criminology faculty will:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Develop core goals and competencies for the criminology graduate program.
Include statements of goals and competencies in course syllabi.
Design and implement a comprehensive plan to assess our goals and competencies.
Add information on graduate goals and competencies to the criminology webpage.
During the 2009-2010 academic year, the criminology faculty will:
1. Collect data from, paper/written assignments, exam questions, and/or presentation
grades as outlined above for students enrolled in Crime and Society (980:250),
Criminological Theory (982:251), Law and Social Control, Quantitative Data Analysis
(980:260) and/or Qualitative Research (980:278) to assess student competencies
pertaining to SOA Goals 1, 2, 3, and 5.
2. Analyze available data in January 2010.
3. Submit full SOA report by spring 2010 deadline.
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4. File a copy of the SOA report in the department office, both in electronic and written
form.
5. Refine goals and competencies based on continuing faculty discussions.
6. Refine direct and indirect measures and related rubrics.
7. Evaluate SOA findings and use related feedback to improve the quality of our courses
and pedagogy.
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