Assessment Report
July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010
PROGRAM(S) ASSESSED
Earth and Environmental Sciences
BA/BS Earth Sciences Options
ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR Dr. Songlin Cheng, Chair
Undergraduate Studies Committee
YEAR __3__of a __3__YEAR CYCLE
1. ASSESSMENT MEASURES EMPLOYED
Briefly describe the assessment measures employed during the
year.

What was done?
Exit questionnaires were revised to reflect current degree programs in
the renamed Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences but to
also include previous degree programs of Geological Sciences. These
were e-mailed to students who graduated with BA, BS, or minor
degrees during the assessment year. Information was collected about
students’ plans after graduation.
EES 434 (Field Geology) was proposed as the capstone field course to
assess students’ abilities to apply knowledge learned to solve
problems in Earth Sciences. This field course was replaced by four
field experience modules in the summer of 2007. Knowledge surveys
were conducted before and after the field modules to assess students’
understanding of fundamental concepts in Earth Sciences.

Who participated in the process?
Undergraduate students and the Undergraduate Studies Committee
chaired by Dr. Songlin Cheng and Dr. Ernie Hauser, who conducted
the pre-and post-surveys during the 2010 summer field experience
modules.

What challenges (if any) were encountered?
1) Part of the assessment was to be done in connection with EES 434
(Field Geology). This course is no longer offered by the program, and
instead, four field modules were offered during the summer of 2010.
The modules include basic field methods, field geology, hydrologic
methods, and geophysics methods. The assessment Plan for BA and
BS Earth Sciences was modified in May, 2009, to reflect this change.
These field courses span the division between assessment years, and
are to be considered as a part of 2009-2010 assessment year. A
knowledge survey was conducted at the beginning of Module I and the
same survey was conducted again at the end of Module IV.
2. ASSESSMENT FINDINGS
List the objectives and outcomes assessed during the year, and
briefly describe the findings for each.
Program Objectives BA/BS Earth Sciences:
Graduates will obtain positions as practicing geoscience professionals, or
pursue a graduate degree in Earth Sciences or related fields.
Findings:
Seven students graduated in the academic year, one in BS and six in BA
in Earth and Environmental Sciences, Earth Science options. One student
is currently a graduate student in the Earth and Environmental Sciences
Department at Wright State University. One is working for an oil
exploration company in west Pennsylvania. The career goals of the other
students are not yet known.
Learning Outcomes BA/BS Earth Sciences Option:
Outcome 1: Students will acquire the knowledge to understand
fundamental concepts of earth sciences and be able to solve problems
applying that knowledge.
Outcome 2: Students will master fundamental field techniques necessary
to the solution of geological problems.
Outcome 3: Students will demonstrate the ability to write in a style
consistent with that found in a scientific journal.
Findings:
Outcome 1: One graduate is currently enrolled in graduate programs in
Earth Sciences at Wright State University, and one is working for an oil
exploration company, which demonstrates that the graduates have
acquired knowledge needed for problem solving in Earth Sciences.
Outcome 2: Knowledge surveys were conducted during the summer field
Experience Module courses. A pre-module survey was conducted before
the beginning of Module I, and a post-survey were conducted after the end
of Module IV. The survey included 50 questions designed to assess
students’ familiarity with fundamental principles and techniques in earth
sciences. An answer “A” indicates the student does not understand or is
unfamiliar with the questions or task. An answer “B” means the student
understands the question or task, but with limited confidence. An answer
“C” indicates that the student is confident that he/she can answer the
question or perform the task.
Nine students participated in the pre-survey and eleven in the post-survey.
The illustration below summarizes the result. The dashed-lines are presurvey, and the solid line post-survey. The number of response is the
sum of answers from all students in each category. Cumulative % of
students is the percent of all students who gives a number of responses
that is equal to or less than a particular number of response. For
example, during post-survey (black solid line), 81% of students has no
more than 2 “A” answers, and 90% has no more than 4 “A” answers. The
illustration shows that the number of students answering “A” or “B”
decreases considerably (shift to the left), while the number of students
giving “C” answer increases by about 15 (shift to the right by 15). For
example, out of the total 50 questions, the maximum number of “C”
answer given by 55% of students increases from 16 to 31.
Outcome 3: The coordinator was unable to find specific outcomes related
to #3. However, the EES Department’s undergraduate advisor noted that
program students have favorable pass rates for upper-level EES writingintensive courses. This suggests that program students are indeed
developing solid writing skills.
Responses to Exit Questionnaires:
Two students returned the exit questionnaire. Both strongly agreed with
the statements that the BS/BA program enhanced their understanding of
earth science research and enhanced their appreciation of the value of the
earth sciences. One student indicated that she had attained the skills
necessary to communicate their knowledge and research, while the other
disagreed. Both strongly agreed or agreed with the statement that they
can frame a scientific question and describe the research that would be
needed to answer that question. One agreed with the statement that they
are able to apply their expertise to the solution of problems in
environmental and earth science if pursuing a geosciences career; no
response from the other on this question.
3. PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS
List planned or actual changes (if any) to curriculum, teaching
methods, facilities, or services that are in response to the
assessment findings.
With the transition from quarter to semester system in progress, the
department has been undertaking major revisions in degree programs and
options to reflect changes in both faculty membership and new direction in
teaching and research. The current assessment findings are important
points of consideration in the quarter-to-semester conversion process.
4. ASSESSMENT PLAN COMPLIANCE
Explain deviations from the plan (if any).
EES434 (Field Geology) was proposed as a capstone course for the
BA/BS program in Earth Sciences. Because of the change from field
geology to multiple field modules, the assessment plan has been revised
to reflect this change.
5. NEW ASSESSMENT DEVELOPMENTS
Describe developments (if any) regarding assessment measures,
communication, faculty or staff involvement, benchmarking, or other
assessment variables.
During the Summer Quarter of 2006, the Geological Sciences Department
was combined with the Institute of Environmental Quality and renamed the
Earth and Environmental Sciences Department. In conjunction with the
quarter-to-semester conversion, we are making substantive changes to
our undergraduate curriculum especially in the number of programs
offered at the undergraduate level and in the field experience. This
impacts directly on our future assessment plans. We may be required to
modify the timing of application of the Knowledge Survey currently
associated with field camp. It may be necessary to link the survey to a
different capstone course or to additional field experience courses. The
assessment plan shall be developed after the new semester degree
programs are finalized.