Dept. of Computing and Technology (CaT)
School of Science and Technology
B.S. in Computer Information Systems (CIS)
CIP Code: 110101
Program Code: 411
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Student-Learning or Service Outcomes
SLO 1 (ACM IS 2010, see “Ancillary Actions”)
IS professionals exist in a broad variety of domains, including, for example,
business, health care, government, and non-profit organizations.
Students must therefore understand that:
• IS professionals enable successful performance in many organizations
• IS professionals span and integrate across organizational levels and
functions
• IS professionals need both an excellent understanding of the domain
within which they work and appropriate technology knowledge for their
organizational role
• Information systems in organizations have increasing strategic
significance because of the scope of the organizational systems involved
and the role systems play in enabling organizational processes and
strategies.
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Student-Learning or Service Outcomes
SLO 2 (ACM IS 2010, see “Ancillary Actions”)
IS professionals must have strong analytical and critical thinking skills to
thrive in a competitive global environment. Students must therefore:
• Be problem solvers and critical thinkers
• Use systems concepts for understanding and framing problems
• Be capable of applying both traditional and new concepts and skills
• Understand that a system consists of people, procedures, hardware,
software, and data within a global environment.
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Student-Learning or Service Outcomes
SLO 3 (ACM IS 2010, see “Ancillary Actions”)
IS professionals must exhibit strong ethical principles and have good
interpersonal communication and team skills. Students must understand
that IS professionals should be able to:
• critically evaluate and possibly act on current ethical issues in the IS
field
• apply professional codes of conduct
• collaborate with other professionals as well as perform successfully at
the individual level
• communicate effectively with excellent oral, written, and listening skills.
• demonstrate persistence, flexibility, curiosity, creativity, risk taking, and
a tolerance of these abilities in others.
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Student-Learning or Service Outcomes
SLO 4 (ACM IS 2010, see “Ancillary Actions”)
IS professionals must design and implement information technology
solutions that enhance organizational performance. Students must
therefore:
• Possess skills in understanding and modeling organizational processes
and data, defining and implementing technical and process solutions,
managing projects, and integrating systems within and across
organizations.
• Be fluent in techniques for acquiring, converting, transmitting, and
storing data and information, including those related to data quality
• Focus on the application of information technology in helping
individuals, groups, and organizations achieve their goals within a
competitive global environment.
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Alignment of Outcomes
The B.S. in CIS program, as well as all programs in the CaT Dept.,
support the University Mission in the Cameron University Plan
2013 as stated below…
“Cameron University provides a diverse and dynamic student
body access to quality educational opportunities; foster a
student-centered academic environment that combines
innovative classroom teaching with experiential learning;
prepare students for professional success, responsible
citizenship, life-long learning, and meaningful contributions to a
rapidly changing world; and is a driven force in the cultural life
and economic development of the region.”
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Alignment of Outcomes
As well as the School of Science and Technology Mission…
• educate students in an intellectual atmosphere based on
academic excellence, high ethical standards, and exposure to
the latest advances in our academic disciplines;
• assist our students in developing the skills and confidence to
excel as life-long learners;
• prepare our graduates for success in a diverse and dynamic
environment;
• create an atmosphere conducive to professional growth for
faculty and staff;
• support community efforts relevant to Cameron University.
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Alignment of Outcomes
And the CaT Dept. Mission…
• providing quality academic programs based on academic excellence,
high ethical standards, and learning outcomes for each of the
computing and technology disciplines;
• assist students in developing the skills and confidence to excel as lifelong learners;
• prepare computing and technology graduates at both the A.A.S. and
B.S. levels for success in a diverse and dynamic environment;
• provide faculty and staff with an atmosphere conducive to professional
growth through an annual individualized appraisal program;
• support community efforts involving computing and technology
disciplines relevant to the university, school, and department.
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Measures of Learning and Service Outcomes
•
•
In spring 2010, the CaT CIS Committee decided that
previous methods of collecting direct and indirect measures
for program assessment should be discontinued to
implement a revised plan based on national standards.
Previous locally developed outcome measures and
strategies had not changed significantly in over a decade.
Comparisons between previous (2008-2009) and current
(2009-2010) outcome measures and strategies would be
disparate, invalid, and unreliable. Therefore a stopping
point for the previous processes and starting point for new
processes had to be established (see “Ancillary Actions”).
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Report on Actions from the Three Previously
Chosen Priority Outcomes
•
Due to major revisions for the new standardized
assessment plan being disparate with previous
locally developed measures, there were no
actions taken on previously chosen priority
outcomes from 2008-2009. A stopping point was
created to discontinue use of the previous plan
(see “Ancillary Actions”).
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Student-Learning or Service Outcome and
Measurements
•
Due to major revisions for the new standardized
assessment plan being disparate with previous
locally developed measures, no priority outcomes
were yet selected for 2009-2010. Therefore, no
charts are presented. Three priority outcome
implementation will resume in 2010-2011 (see
“Ancillary Actions”).
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Display of Assessment Data
•
Due to major revisions for the new standardized
assessment plan being disparate with previous
locally developed measures, no priority
outcomes were yet selected for 2009-2010.
Therefore, no displays of assessment data are
presented. Displays of assessment data will
resume in 2010-2011 (see “Ancillary Actions”).
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Analysis of Assessment Data
•
Due to major revisions for the new assessment
plan, based on national standards, being
disparate with previous locally developed
measures, no priority outcomes were yet
selected for 2009-2010. Therefore, an analysis is
not applicable. Analysis of assessment data will
resume in 2010-2011 (see “Ancillary Actions”).
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Action plan for Student-Learning or Service
Outcomes
•
Due to major revisions for the new assessment
plan, based on national standards, being
disparate with previous locally developed
measures, no priority outcomes were yet
selected for 2009-2010. Therefore, action plans
are not applicable. Action plans will resume in
2010-2011 (see “Ancillary Actions”).
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Ancillary Actions
•
•
•
In spring 2010, the CaT Dept. CIS Committee,
decided to make significant changes in
assessment procedures based on national
standards.
Such changes were partially due to general
requests to campus faculty from the then Director
of Institutional Assessment.
Two requests in particular, were to use
standardized exams and to map student learning
outcomes to a national document in discipline,
when possible.
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Ancillary Actions – Cont.
•
•
The CIS Committee then found a national
standardized exam, the IS CORE, from ICCP
(Institute for Certification of Computing
Professionals), used specifically by universities
across the nation for information systems (IS)
program assessment.
The CIS Committee also decided to directly adopt
the student learning outcomes found in the
ACM’s (Association of Computing Machinery) IS
2010 education curriculum guideline document,
an internationally recognized standard.
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Ancillary Actions – Cont.
•
•
ICCP developed IS CORE exam questions to map
directly to the ACM IS 2010 document.
Also, students who pass the exam can earn an
ICCP certification upon B.S. graduation, by paying
a small fee. The certification is called ISA
(Information Systems Analyst).
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Ancillary Actions – Cont.
•
•
Funding approval by the current Director of Institutional
Assessment has been given for the CaT Dept. to use the IS
CORE exam on a trial basis starting spring 2011. The exam
will be given to students in IT 1213 Programming Logic, CIS
2033 Systems Analysis and Design, and CIS 4063 Applied
Problems in CIS.
This will provide three direct measurement program
assessment points for the B.S. in CIS program…
• IT 1213 (baseline beginning)
• CIS 2033 (mid point)
• CIS 4063 (end point)
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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Ancillary Actions – Cont.
•
•
Use of appropriate indirect measurement items,
are still being discussed by the CIS Committee.
In conclusion, using the new standardized direct
measures could give the CaT Dept. a much clearer
picture of how well our students compare to
other universities nationally and what learning
areas need improvement.
Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010
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