Educational Program Institutional Effectiveness Summary 2008 ‐ 2011 Degree Program: Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing
College/School: College of Arts and Sciences Department: Creative Writing Submission Date: January 31, 2012 Student Learning Outcomes Students should be able to
1. generate complex, original subject matter of literary quality and value.
2. utilize form, style, and technique in effective and sophisticated ways.
3. write a comprehensive analysis of a literary work in his/her genre.
4. articulate his/her own aesthetic as a writer.
Assessment Methods All students are required to complete a thesis and take a comprehensive examination. SLOs 1
and 2 are assessed through an examination of theses in odd-numbered years using the thesis
rubric. SLOs 3 and 4 are assessed through examination of the comprehensive exam in evennumbered years using the exam rubric. Members of the MFA committee evaluate these
assessments, meet after scoring them to complete a report of findings and recommendations, and
submit the report to the entire faculty for discussion and adoption of improvements.
Summary of Assessment Results Program student learning outcomes were assessed for the last three years using student theses
and examinations and the associated rubrics.
SLO 1 was assessed in 2009-2010 using a 4-dimension rubric. All students met or exceeded the
standards for all four dimensions of the rubric. Thesis awards were presented to one student in
each of the following categories: creative non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. The faculty felt no
actions were needed.
SLO 2 was assessed in 2009-2010 using a 3-dimension rubric. Seventeen of eighteen theses met
or exceeded the standards for all three dimensions of the rubric. One student did not meet the
standard for effective use of narrative structure, and for graceful, skillful, and wide-ranging use
of style. The faculty felt no actions were needed.
SLO 3 was assessed in 2008-2009 using a seven-dimension checklist. While in 2008-2009
students did well enough on each of the seven areas listed to earn a “Yes,” the level of
compliance was not really reflective of the nuances in all of the responses. Therefore, the
checklist was converted to a rubric and the exam questions were revised to better align with
desired outcomes. The results in 2010-2011 were that well over 90% of students performed
successfully or adequately (with scores of successfully more than double scores of adequately)
on all dimensions except the ability to correctly use standard format for citations and
bibliography. On this dimension, 85.5% of students performed successfully or adequately.
SLO 4 was assessed in 2008-2009 using a four-dimension checklist. As with SLO 3, use of
“Yes”/”No” responses hindered the evaluation process itself. In 2010-2011 the checklist was
converted to a rubric. On the four dimensions, 92.5%, 98.7%, 96.1%, and 87.0% of the students
performed successfully or adequately. Although pleased with the results for dimension 3, scorers
noted that references were too often facile (information from Wikipedia, for example). For
dimension 4, it was noted that more references to the historical context need to be made.
Implemented Improvements Based on Assessment Results Based on the evidence that some students had difficulty correctly using standard format for
citations within SLO 3, the faculty made two improvements: (1) faculty shared examples of their
own essays highlighting where they incorporated cited material effectively and gracefully and
provided brief explanations about the principles they follow; and (2) effective citation and
integration of sources has been incorporated into CRW 543 and CRW 550 starting in Spring
2012, and will be highlighted in CRW 501 during Fall 2012 and in CRW 580 when applicable,
thus providing students practice and feedback on this skill.
Based on the evidence of simplistic references lacking historical context within SLO 4, the
faculty updated the program Reading List with a revised introduction noting the expectation that
students reference these works on the exam.
In addition, two new courses were added during this period to meet program outcomes.
CRW 540 Writer’s Week Symposium is an annual event that students are encouraged to
participate in to experience current work in creative writing. CRW594 Study Abroad was added
to highlight student participation in international experiences.
Documentation of Implemented Improvements (attached) MFA Thesis
Rubric.pdf
MFA Exam Rubric.pdf
CRW 543 Syllabus.pdf
CRW 550 Syllabus.pdf
CRW 580 Syllabus.pdf
MFA Reading List.pdf
CRW 540 Course
Action Form.pdf
CRW 594 Course
Action Form.pdf