SJSU Annual Program Assessment Form
Academic Year 2014-2015
Electronic copy of report is due June 1, 2014. Send to Undergraduate Studies
(academicassessment@sjsu.edu), with cc: to your college’s Associate Dean and college
Assessment Facilitator. List of AFs is found at
http://www.sjsu.edu/ugs/faculty/programs/committee/index.html>
Department: Communication Studies
Program: MA Program Communication Studies
College: Social Sciences
Website: http://www.sjsu.edu/comm/ma_students/
_ Check here if your website addresses the University Learning Goals. <If so, please provide
the link.>
Program Accreditation (if any): N/A
Contact Person and Email: Matthew Spangler / matthew.spangler@sjsu.edu
Date of Report: June 8, 2015
Part A
1. List of Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Faculty decided on these six PLOs in the 2008/2009 academic year.
Conceptual Foundations
Students will be able to identify, explain, and critique the major paradigms, theories, and
conceptual frameworks for understanding communication, and demonstrate an
appreciation of the significance of ethics and social responsibility as they engage in
communication.
Conceptual Foundations learning objectives:
 1) Paradigms and Theories of Communication: Students will be able to identify,
explain and critique the major paradigms and theories that have shaped the field of
communication, including their historical development and current trends.
 2) Ethics: Students will be able to articulate the ethical and social responsibilities in
communicating with others in different social contexts (i.e. interpersonal,
organizational, intercultural, mediated, and public).
Inquiry and Research
Students will be able to analyze and evaluate published research, and design and conduct
communication research studies using quantitative social science, interpretive, critical,
rhetorical, and/or performative methods.
Inquiry and Research learning objectives:
 3) Research Methods: Students will be able to interpret and critique research
methods used in published communication research studies.
 4) Research Design: Students will be able to design and conduct scholarly research
using one or more method of inquiry.
1
Professional Practice
Students will be able to demonstrate advanced competency in scholarly writing, oral
communication, and the application of conceptual foundations and research methods in
professional contexts by designing and conducting applied communication activities.
Professional Practice learning objectives:
 5) Advanced Communication Competence: Students will be able to articulate indepth understanding of conceptual foundations and research methods through
advanced scholarly writing and oral communication.
 6) Theory and Research Applications: Students will be able to design, facilitate,
and evaluate applied communication activities (i.e. presentations, workshops,
forums, trainings, group discussions, etc.) in professional contexts utilizing
conceptual foundations and research methods.
2. Map of PLOs to University Learning Goals (ULGs)
This map was created by the Curriculum Committee in the College of Social Sciences. It
was later discussed and approved by the graduate committee and faculty in the
Communication Studies Department.
PLO 1 (Paradigms and Theories of Communication) maps onto ULG 1 (Specialized
Knowledge)
PLO 2 (Ethics) maps onto ULG 5 (Social and Global Responsibilities)
PLO 3 (Research Methods) maps onto ULG 3 (Intellectual Skills)
PLO 4 (Research Design) maps onto ULG 2 (Broad Integrative Knowledge)
PLO 5 (Advanced Communication Competence) maps onto ULG 2 (Broad Integrative
Knowledge)
PLO 6 (Theory and Research Applications) maps onto ULG 4 (Applied Knowledge)
3. Alignment – Matrix of PLOs to Courses
All of the graduate level courses in the department address each of the six PLOs: (1)
theories of communication, (2) ethics, (3) research methods, (4) research design, (5)
communication competence, and (6) research applications. All six PLOs are assessed in
the culminating course – Comm 297 Writing Seminar & Exams – that all students must
take in their last semester in the program.
4. Planning – Assessment Schedule
Starting in the fall of 2014, each of the six PLOs will be assessed two times a year in
Comm 297. The course will be offered in the fall and again in the spring. In the spring
of 2015, as a graduate faculty, we examined the assessment data from the fall 2014
semester and begin a conversation about which PLOs we might more successfully teach
in the department and what strategies we will use.
2
5. Student Experience
The PLOs are communicated to students on the department’s website and on individual
class syllabi. The ULGs are not currently communicated to students by the
Communication Studies Department. But, starting in the fall of 2015, we plan to list the
ULGs on the department website and on individual class syllabi.
Part B
6. Graduation Rates for Total, Non URM and URM students (per program and degree)
First-Time Freshmen
Undergraduate Transfer
New Credential
First-Time Graduate
Fall 2008 Cohort: 6-Year
Graduation Rate
Fall 2011 Cohort: 3-Year
Graduation Rate
Fall 2011 Cohort: 3-Year
Graduation Rate
Fall 2011 Cohort: 3-Year
Graduation Rate
Universit
Universit
Universit
Universit
College
College
College
College
y
y
y
y
Averag
Averag
Averag
Averag
Average
Average
Average
Average
e Grad
e Grad
e Grad
e Grad
Grad
Grad
Grad
Grad
Progra
Rate Progra
Rate Progra
Rate Progra
Rate Progra
Rate - All
Progra
Rate - All
Progra
Rate - All
Progra
Rate - All
m
All
m
All
m
All
m
All
m Grad
Students
m Grad
Students
m Grad
Students
m Grad
Students
Cohort
Studen
Cohort
Studen
Cohort
Studen
Cohort
Studen
Rate
Who
Rate
Who
Rate
Who
Rate
Who
Size
ts Who
Size
ts Who
Size
ts Who
Size
ts Who
Entered
Entered
Entered
Entered
Entere
Entere
Entere
Entere
the
the
the
the
d This
d This
d This
d This
Universit
Universit
Universit
Universit
College
College
College
College
y
y
y
y
Total
15
46.7% 48.4% 49.7%
83
74.7% 68.1% 55.3%
0
/0
/0
8.3%
13
46.2% 51.0% 60.8%
URM
3
66.7% 47.2% 40.7%
24
62.5% 67.5% 55.2%
0
/0
/0
12.2%
3
100.0
54.8% 65.2%
%
Non-URM
10
40.0% 50.3% 53.3%
49
79.6% 70.3% 54.9%
0
/0
/0
8.0%
6
33.3% 50.0% 54.2%
All others
2
50.0% 44.1% 52.9%
10
80.0% 63.7% 56.9%
0
/0
/0
4.9%
4
25.0% 50.0% 69.4%
7. Headcounts of program majors and new students (per program and degree)
Fall 2014
New Students
Continuing Students
3
Total
FT AdmitNew TransfContinuingRetn.TranfReturningTrnst-Ugrd
Total
40
133
533
4
3
3
716
BA
23
133
518
4
2
3
683
MA
17
15
1
33
The graduate advisor notes that 42 students either signed up for coursework during AY 2014/15 or are
otherwise making progress toward their MA degree.
8. SFR and average section size (per program)
Fall 2014
Fall 2014
Subject College University
SFR
SFR
SFR
Subject
College University
Headcount Headcount Headcount
per
per
per
Section
Section Section
Lower
26.7
Division
40.0
31.0
Upper
21.8
Division
26.8
25.5
Graduate
13.1
Division
12.2
20.8
Lower Division 27.3
41.8
35.6
Upper Division 22.4
27.4
28.0
Graduate
Division
8.9
15.8
7.7
9. Percentage of tenured/tenure-track instructional faculty (per department)
Fall 2014
DepartmentDepartment
FTEF #
FTEF %
College University
FTEF % FTEF %
Tenured/Tenuretrack
9.1
25%
44.9%
42.8%
Not tenure-track
27.1
75%
55.1%
57.2%
4
Total
36.2
100%
100.0%
100.0%
Part C
10. Closing the Loop/Recommended Actions
The faculty discussed the assessment data at its April 2015 faculty meeting. See below
(analysis) for the outcome of this discussion and recommended actions for future
semesters.
11. Assessment Data from AY 2014/15
PLO 1 (Theory): 2 High Pass; 2 Pass; 5 Low Pass
PLO 2 (Ethics): No exam question asks students to addresses ethics as such (see below).
PLO 3 (Research Method): 1 High Pass; 3 Pass; 5 Low Pass
PLO 4 (Research Design): 1 High Pass; 3 Pass; 5 Low Pass
PLO 5 (Communication Competence): 2 High Pass; 3 Pass; 4 Low Pass
PLO 6 (Theory / Research Application): 2 High Pass; 3 Pass; 4 Low Pass
12. Analysis
We discovered that our assessment model is not currently assessing PLO#2 Ethics. The
faculty discussed this fact at our faculty meeting in April 2015. We decided to redouble
our efforts to ensure that every course in the graduate program addresses ethics. We
will also change the MA culminating exam, starting fall 2015, to focus more clearly on
questions of ethics in communication studies research.
13. Proposed changes and goals (if any)
As noted above, the faculty decided to redouble its efforts to ensure that every course in
the graduate program addresses ethics. The Communication Studies Department will
also change the MA culminating exam, starting fall 2015, to focus more clearly on
questions of ethics in communication studies research.
5