Assessment Report Standard Format
July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010
PROGRAM(S) ASSESSED: Master of Arts Program in International and Comparative Politics (ICP)
ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR: Laura Luehrmann, Director
YEAR ___4_______ of a ____4______YEAR CYCLE
1. ASSESSMENT MEASURES EMPLOYED
Briefly describe the assessment measures employed during the year:
What was done?
In this fourth year of our assessment cycle, assessment focused on the first and second benchmarks
in our plan:
“1. Projects and theses should be error free in terms of punctuation and grammar.
They should have clear abstracts, literature reviews and other features as specified in the
published requirements for projects and theses in the student handbook.”
“2. Exit interviews will demonstrate that at least 80% of students believe they are adequately
prepared to apply theories and concepts of international relations and comparative politics in future
scholarly pursuits or work-related environments.”
The Director of the ICP program reviewed the six projects and theses that were completed by
students since the last assessment report, and continued with alum exit interviews. The Political
Science Graduate Studies Committee also continued to review the objectives of the program and
assess our progress, especially in light of the transition to semesters which will take place in Fall
2012.
Who participated in the process?
Two theses and four projects were successfully defended by students in the ICP program during this
assessment period. The Director of the ICP program reviewed these documents and shared the
results of this process with the Political Science Graduate Studies Committee. She also conducted
exit interviews with five of the six recent graduates of the program (one student is overseas and will
meet with the Director during winter holidays to complete the interview).
What challenges (if any) were encountered?
There were no significant challenges encountered in this process.
2. ASSESSMENT FINDINGS
List the objectives and outcomes assessed during the year, and briefly describe the
findings for each.
This year we again re-examined each of our four learning outcomes, at least in part:
“a. Students will master graduate level quantitative or qualitative research skills as
appropriate to the study of international relations and comparative politics.
b. Students will master formal graduate writing skills appropriate for the creation
of graduate theses and projects.
c. Students will have a solid understanding of the knowledge of their chosen specialty within
international relations or comparative politics, with an understanding of the surrounding their topic
of inquiry and the methodologies used to examine it.
d. Students will have effective communication skills, both oral and written.”
Two theses and four projects were reviewed. They were each satisfactory on the “error free”
benchmark, and they each complied with our program requirements in terms of citation, literature
reviewed and the inclusion of an abstract. Faculty expressed a sense that the quality of theses and
projects produced by our students is improving, and, in exit interviews, students expressed
appreciation of clearer guidelines being used for this stage of the program.
Five exit interviews were conducted for this assessment report, targeting the program graduates
during the assessment period. All five expressed that they were “adequately prepared to apply
theories and concepts of international relations and comparative politics in future scholarly pursuits
or work-related environments.” On the positive side, students expressed appreciation of the
flexibility in the program (including the ability to enroll in courses in other academic programs),
highlighting improved writing and analytical skills as their primary academic achievements in the
program. Four of the students, interviewed independently, even expressed that the ICP program
“changed my life.”
Students also noted areas for improvement. An ongoing concern (noted in prior assessment reports)
remains the hybrid (jointly listed undergraduate/graduate) courses that make up a majority of the
elective courses students take in the program. Other concerns raised included the need for more
internships and practical experiences while in the program as a way to better prepare students for a
competitive job market, in addition to making students’ studies more “real.” With regards to the
difficulties completing the thesis requirement, students noted the “loneliness” of writing with “less
guidance” from their faculty members, requesting more specific advising and assistance during this
stage of the process.
3. PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS
As the alum interview process takes place throughout the year, we had opportunities to respond to
students’ concerns and suggestions shortly after they were presented. For example, during Fall
Quarter 2010, the ICP program co-hosted a workshop with the Assistant Director of Career Services
to better inform current students and alums about some of the career opportunities available to them,
as well as to discuss some of the many services available to them through the WSU Office of Career
Services (The need for such a program was specifically noted by a student during an exit interview
earlier in the year). The Program Director also invited Ms. Stephanie Spencer, the Assistant Director
of Career Services, to meet with new students during the orientation day in September. Using ICP
Development Funds, the Program Director also hosted a table for 6 current students at the
Professional Etiquette Luncheon presented by WSU Career Services.
Noting the continued concern with hybrid classes as electives for graduate students, the Program
Director submitted a proposal with the MPA Director, Dr. Jerri Killian, for funds from the CoLA
Faculty Interdisciplinary Project. In this project, we propose a new graduate-student only course,
“Comparative Governance: Culture, Politics, and Administration,” targeted specifically (although
not exclusively) to the dual-degree students in both programs. We will continue to look for creative
yet cost-effective ways to develop some upper-level elective courses to an audience more limited to
graduate students. For example, during Spring 2010, Charles Funderburk offered a section of
“Political Corruption” geared to ICP graduate students and select undergraduates whom he signed
into the course. This may serve as a model for future elective courses, and remains under
consideration.
One concern noted in last year’s assessment report (data from the alum survey) was that the program
does not maintain enough contact with program alums. This year the Program Director expanded
the mailing list for program newsletters to include more alums and established a “WSU ICP Alum”
page on Facebook, to begin to meet this concern. We are examining the utility of establishing some
sort of gathering for ICP Alums working at Wright Patterson Air Force Base as a way to deepen our
connections with this particular constituency.
4. ASSESSMENT PLAN COMPLIANCE
We complied with our assessment plan for the year.
5. NEW ASSESSMENT DEVELOPMENTS
No new developments are noted. The Political Science Graduate Studies Committee remains
focused on the semester transition, in order to provide sufficient communication about these changes
to current and future students, to ease the calendar transition.