January 19, 2007
SJSU Program Planning Report to CSU Chancellor (AY 2005/2006)
All SJSU programs now have defined student learning outcomes, and all programs have assessed at least
one of these learning outcomes. Assessment reports for all programs are available on
www.sjsu.edu/ugs/datareports/assess_report/. During the 2005/2006 academic year 49 programs
completed the SJSU Program Planning process (as listed below):
 BA, BS, MA & MS Biological Sciences
 MS Civil Engineering
 BS & MS Computer Science
 MS Computer Engineering
 BA, BS, & MS Environmental Studies
 MS Electrical Engineering
 BA Chinese
 MS Industrial & Systems Engineering
 BA & MA French
 BA Social Science
 BA German
 BA & MA Speech Communication
 BA Japanese
 BA Humanities
 BA & MA Spanish
 BA Liberal Studies
 BS Health Science
 BA Creative Arts
 M Public Health
 BA Religious Studies
 BA, BS, MA & MS Chemistry
 BA & MA Theatre Arts
 BA, BS, MA & MS Mathematics
 BA Dance
 BS Applied & Computational Mathematics  BA & MA Linguistics
 BS & MS Meteorology
 MA TESOL
 BS & MS Nutritional Science
 MA Natural Science
Biological Sciences Department (BA, BS, MA & MS)
The department is using the ETS Information Literacy test to evaluate students’ information literacy
skills. Preliminary results suggest for the most part that students in most biology programs are able to
perform according to ACRL standards. They also suggest problems in information literacy with students
in the BA program. Those students who performed poorly mainly had difficulty summarizing main ideas
and synthesizing those ideas to construct new concepts. The department elected to collect more data in the
2006-2007 AY to improve their understanding of student weaknesses.
Chemistry Department (BA, BS, MA & MS)
Data were scheduled to be collected in Fall 2005 for the outcome students should be able to communicate
effectively, both orally and in writing and in Spring 2006 for two outcomes: students should be able to
demonstrate a general familiarity with the content and concepts in the following areas of chemistry:
analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic and physical; and students should be able to demonstrate
developed formal (abstract) thinking skills as well as concrete thinking skills. As of May 2006, no data
had yet been reported.
Civil Engineering Department (MS)
Based on analysis of Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) licensing exam results, students need stronger
math and science skills, both at the time they begin department courses and at the time they take their first
statewide licensing exam. Additionally, it was unclear from evaluating student reports whether students
were able to accurately identify an experience during their internship related to ethics.
The following recommendations were made: math prerequisites added for CE numerical methods and
statistics courses; geology 1 removed as an option for science elective; report requested from CE131
instructor to clarify extent of course coverage addressing ethics and professional issues; pursue the option
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SJSU Program Planning Summary Report
of having a common final for CE99; choose an ethics handbook to be included in required materials for
CE105.
Communication Studies Department (BA & MA)
Faculty have set learning objectives and collected assessment data in the undergraduate program. The
data was being analyzed in spring 2006 and faculty were scheduled to discuss the results and what actions
should follow in the fall of 2006.
No learning objectives have yet been developed for the graduate program.
Computer Engineering Department (MS)
In Fall 2005, CMPE 295A/B was assessed communication skills. The ability to communicate in forms of
an oral project presentation and a written project final report was identified to be enhanced. Two action
items were planned for implementation in Fall 2006:
o Increase the number of student presentations in CMPE 295A
o Coordinate the course delivery processes and project assignments between CMPE 295A and the
written skill courses (ENGR 200W and CMPE 294).
Computer Science Department (BS & MS)
Twenty-one curricular issues were identified from the student surveys and faculty/industry reviews in AY
2005/2006, 19 of which were resolved. An employer survey showed that employers desired CS graduates
to be more familiar with the C programming language. The department has introduced two new courses:
CS 49C and CS 49J, to ensure that CS students have a stronger foundation in C programming.
Dance Program (BA)
Four Program Learning Objectives have been developed for the BA in Dance. While an assessment plan
identifying which outcomes would be assessed in which classes, as of May 2006 no data had been
reported.
Electrical Engineering Department (MS)
For all four Program Outcomes, the department surveyed students in seven graduate classes (n = 141).
Twenty-five Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for one core course were assessed by surveying the
students taking EE210 (n = 35).
Summary of the student evaluations for the program outcomes (POs) indicate that all outcomes are met
adequately. Students expressed less satisfaction with PO #3. Reasons for lower evaluation for PO #3 were
discussed and determined to be insufficient lab support and maintenance. Faculty recommend looking
into the lab support and better maintenance of the lab equipment while allocating department resources.
Student survey results indicate that EE210 meets adequately all CLOs, though two, CLO #21 and #23,
were evaluated as minimally meeting the requirement. CLO #21 was judged to be an important outcome.
CLO #23, on state-space technique, was considered to be relatively less important for the program. The
EE210 course should more clearly emphasize “understanding different types of filters.”
Environmental Studies Department (BA, BS, & MA)
Data were collected for two learning outcomes: Students will have a basic understanding of principles
from a number of science and social science fields as they relate to environmental issues; and Students
will understand local to global, cross-cultural, national and international dimensions of environmental
issues, including environmental justice and equality, and know how actions at a personal and societal
level can promote a sustainable society using essay and objective tests (n=120). As of May 2006, data
had been analyzed but not presented to the department for discussion.
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SJSU Program Planning Summary Report
Foreign Languages Department (BA Chinese, BA& MA French, BA German, BA Japanese, BA &
MA Spanish)
Chinese: The Chinese program will adopt a new textbook for Chinese 1A and 1B, which provides a
practical, learner-center structure for beginning students and features rich cultural contents so can better
help students develop their communicative competence in listening and speaking Mandarin Chinese.
French: Define more precisely each undergraduate course specific and general objectives. Emphasize
methodology of research, essay writing and oral presentation.
Japanese: To help students meet the SLOs more satisfactorily, audio or visual aids (CDs) are to be
enriched as learning resources. A substantial tutoring center may need to be established for students to
meet the SLOs more successfully.
Spanish: Modifications will be made to Spanish 101B - Students need to have a better grasp of the basic
Spanish grammatical structures. Include more grammar exercises including online activities, and in-class
activities. Students’ writing skills have improved. Having two major compositions with two drafts and
six short, one-page, compositions have helped bring together all the readings and movies that are
discussed and the grammar structures that are covered in class.
Health Science Department (BS, M Public Health)
The analysis and interpretation of data resulted in the consideration of changes in the quantity of SLOs
and the sequencing of courses offered within the department. A plan was developed to address issues,
with a core group of faculty meeting in the summer of 2006 to develop a plan to revise the SLOs for
presentation to the faculty in August 2006. The Fall 2005 data analysis, resulted in re-affirmation of the
importance of the HS 104 and its complicated service learning activities to the foundation of the BS. The
Core Faculty devoted significant attention to integrating the graduate program outcomes with the newly
updated “professional competencies for the field of health education,” the first-ever designed for the
master’s level.
Humanities Department (BA, Humanities, BA Creative Arts, BA Liberal Studies, BA Religious
Studies)
Creative Arts: The program reported great performances by students and recommended no changes to the
program.
Humanities: The program has few majors, and these majors are intermixed with nonmajors in all classes.
This presents assessment difficulties. Even so faculty are making important improvements to both the
program and the assessment process. They rewrote several student learning objectives to fit individual
emphasis in the program. They also recommended that classes earlier in the careers of Humanities majors
should emphasize sophistication of analytical explanation, particularly focusing on taking advantage of
the English within the major prerequisite.
Liberal Arts: The program uses an ETS beta test to assess some of their student learning objectives.
Results were made available in fall 2006. Faculty have developed a rubric for assessing other learning
objectives. Not surprisingly, students have more trouble performing at the higher levels of learning. They
chose to focus on the introductory courses and the capstone course for trying to develop analysis and
synthesis skills in their students.
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SJSU Program Planning Summary Report
Religious Studies: Term papers were collected in Fall 2005 from RELS 1 (Introduction to the Study of
Religion). A scoring rubric as used to measure the outcomes against the term papers. The faculty
indicated that depth and breadth of the study of religion is so complex that the inclusion of all the various
disciplinary approaches presents a tremendous challenge to students who have little or no background in
the material. The program has discussed these problems multiple times but has not found an easy solution
to the challenge. They continue to address the complexity of the study of religion and plan to continue
reflection on the problems they find in the study of religion in the US.
Industrial & Systems Engineering Department (MS)
Student learning is assessed through student surveys. No direct measures were reported. Student surveys
are being analyzed for discussion in fall 2006
Linguistics and Language Development Department (BA & MA, MA TESOL)
The department has developed extensive and thoughtful student learning objectives, which are currently
being assessed. Generally student performance has been good, but faculty are having difficulty aligning
specific objectives with specific assignments, since most assignments measure a number of objectives.
Mathematics Department (BA, BS, MA & MS, BS Applied & Computational Mathematics)
While the Mathematics Department has developed student learning objectives no assessment data were
reported.
Meteorology Department (BS & MS)
Both the BS and MS programs have established learning objectives and a schedule for assessing the
objectives in specific courses. As of May 2006, no results had yet been reported.
Natural Science Program (MA)
The program is small (typically 17-20 students). External reviewers and the Program Planning
Committee (PPC) concur in recommending that the department offer more on-line courses in order to
draw more students. The PPC recommended additional funding for the department, since online teaching
involves increasing faculty workload. The department has not started setting student learning objectives.
However, teaching effectiveness is assessed.
Nutrition and Food Science Department (BS & MS Nutritional Science)
Faculty identified SLOs for both the undergraduate and graduate programs during the Fall 2005 semester.
Direct measures of student performance were established for all SLOs for both degrees. A calendar for
data collection was developed and mapped.
From review of data collected on Fall 2005, recommendations were made to enhance student performance
in both programs. Changes in the undergraduate program included having students complete a
standardized examination earlier in the semester and the oral presentation later in the semester.
Changes in the graduate program also resulted from data analysis and graduate students will now
complete the online National Cancer Institute’s Human Subject tutorial as an assignment in the graduate
research class. This will aid graduate students in completing the research requirements of the program.
Social Science Department (BA)
All learning objectives are assessed annually. Since most students are performing at an “A” or “B” level
the department did not deem it necessary to change anything in the curriculum or pedagogy.
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SJSU Program Planning Summary Report
Theatre Arts Program (BA & MA)
There were only three majors in the undergraduate courses assessed in AY 05/06. Data for these three
students were not provided to administration and no plans were made to change the curriculum or
pedagogy based on the data collected.
In the graduate program approximately nine out of ten students were successful in presenting an
appropriate research question and suggested methodology; Seven out of ten were successful in identifying
others' research methodologies as a component of their literature review; Six out of ten were able to
abstract their own research papers. A more qualitative analysis of the specific measures identified above,
and of the ways that students are able (or not able) to identify research methodologies that are systematic,
rigorous and repeatable, indicates that they may not be exposed to a wide enough variety of clearly
identified research methods.
To make students more aware of standard research approaches, TA 200 will now use Booth, Williams and
Colomb's The Craft of Research to provide a foundation in general research methodologies before
presenting particular approaches prevalent in theatre and media performance research. Next year the
department is adding a new faculty member who will have major responsibilities in the graduate program.
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SJSU Program Planning Summary Report