Program Evaluation:
[Slide 1, spoken] Program Evaluation:
Welcome to a quick video tutorial for WTAMU STUDENTS who are new to program evaluation.
[Slide 2, spoken] What is Program Evaluation?
[Slide 3, spoken] Program evaluation allows a student to see their unofficial degree plan at any time and
be sure that the courses they are taking will satisfy degree requirements for their chosen major.
[Slide 4, spoken] It is intended to be an advising and planning tool and is not an official degree plan
[Example of Buff Advisor home page appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] Where can you find Program Evaluation?
If you log into Buff Advisor, this is where you will find it…
[Example of the ‘Academic Planning’ section in Buff Advisor appears in center of screen]
[Program Evaluation page appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] Once you are logged into Buff Advisor and have clicked on Program Evaluation, this is the next
screen you will see. Click the circle if you want to run the “program evaluation” against what is on record
as your CURRENT major. If this isn’t your current major, you may need to complete a “Change of
Major/Advisor” form with your adviser. Next, you will choose a major from the dropdown box you are
considering, but haven’t yet declared. Then click submit!
[Example of a student’s program evaluation appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] READING the program evaluation:
The header will include information on the student, major program and catalog year. Currently, the
Evaluation is only available for the 2012-13, 2013-14, and future catalog years.
[Example GPA information is highlighted in green]
[Spoken] GPA information is noted just below the header.
[Advisement purposes statement highlighted in green]
[Spoken] The evaluation is for advisement purposes. Some colleges are using it as the official degree
plan
[Example PDF stamp appears on the program evaluation]
[Spoken] If so, they will place a signature stamp on a pdf copy of the evaluation and from that point
forward it is official and the student can follow it for required courses.
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[Example of the ‘Program Summary’ section appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] The Program Summary gives a quick view of the requirements and status of the program. The
status will show (Complete) when all program requirements are met.
[Example of program requirements appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] Below the Program Summary are the individual requirements for the specific major. The
University Core Curriculum is listed first….
[Example of Core curriculum appears in center of screen]
[Example of all additional requirements appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] This is followed by all additional requirements for the major.
[Example of the ‘electives’ section appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] The next section indicates electives, if the major allows for them. Note in this example that the
B.A. foreign language requirements are also included. The number of hours that must be advanced is
also indicated.
[Example of the ‘WT advanced residency requirement’ section appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] The next section—WT Advanced Residency Requirement—is not a list of additional
requirements. It is a counter to track the number of advanced hours earned from WT. Thirty-nine are
required. Courses listed here will be counted to meet requirements in the sections above if they are
degree requirements.
[Example of the ‘other courses’ section appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] The last section, Other Courses, lists courses that have been taken but do not satisfy the
requirements for the program being evaluated.
[Example of the ‘notes’ section appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] At the very bottom of the evaluation is a “Notes” key which will provide a description of each
“Notes” code used on the evaluation. The “Notes” key is created for each individual evaluation based
upon the codes used.
[Slide 5, Spoken] Understanding Program Evaluation
[Example Core 40 ‘not started’ section appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] In this example, Core 40 is not started. Only one course is needed to satisfy this area of the
core. The additional item “Approved Transfer Courses” is only there to allow for an appropriate transfer
course to satisfy the requirement—if, for example, you took a course not offered at WT (or not listed as
an option at WT) that satisfied the Core 40 requirement at another Texas school.
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[Example of Core 40 being ‘complete’ appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] Once the requirement has been satisfied, the red “Not started” to the right of the core area
and “Take 1 course” will change to “Complete” in green, and the “Approved Transfer Course” item will
be hidden.
[Example of an approved substitution appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] In this example Core 40 has been satisfied by an approved substitution of a transfer course.
These should be initiated by your adviser.
[Example of Core 40 satisfied by a transfer course appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] Here, Core 40 is satisfied by a transferred course that satisfied Core 40 at another Texas public
institution. It is an “elective” because WT does not offer an equivalent course.
[Example of Core 50 satisfied by a transfer course appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] In this case Core 50 is satisfied by a transferred art class for which there is a WT equivalent.
Even though WT does not list this course as an option for Core 50, it will still satisfy that area of the core
because it did at the other institution. Contact the Office of Admissions for questions regarding
transferred courses.
[Slide 6, Spoken] Majors with specific core requirements: Some majors will require that a specific course
be taken to fulfill both a University core and a major requirement.
[Example of a placeholder requirement from the University core appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] In that instance, a “placeholder” requirement is inserted for that area in the initial University
core section of the evaluation. It will always show complete, even if the course has not been started.
Look below under major requirements to see the specific course required and whether it has been
completed.
[Example of a specific requirement for a Biology major appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] Here the student is a BIOLOGY major and for the Core 30 Science requirement, there are
specific classes required.
[Example of the core 30 listing placeholder appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] The placeholder shows the Core 30 listing….
[Example of where the requirement is listed in the major area appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] and then below it is where the requirement is specifically listed in the Major area.
[Slide 7, Spoken] Three ways that course requirements may appear in Program Evaluation: There are
three options often seen on a program evaluation.
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[Example of the first option given under course requirements appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] The first option: Take all courses in a list of courses
[Example of the second option provided under course requirements appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] The second option: Take a certain number of courses from a listing. The third option: Take a
certain number of credits (or hours) in a subject or from a listing of courses.
[Example of a substitution exception appears in center of screen]
[Spoken] Sometimes a dean will approve a substitution or exception, allowing a student to use another
course they have taken in place of one of the required courses. In that instance, the substitution is
identified with that course requirement block.
[Slide 8, Spoken] QUESTIONS about how credit has been applied to your program evaluation should
be directed to the appropriate dean’s office.
College of Agriculture, Science & Engineering, ANS 106, 806-651-2585
College of Business, CC 216, 806-651-2530
College of Education & Social Sciences, OM 410, 806-651-2600
College of Fine Arts & Humanities, MMNH 161, 806-651-2777
College of Nursing & Health Sciences, OM 402, 806-651-3500
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