Assessment Report School of TAHSS Department: English, Graduate Chair: Jennifer Haytock Date of Presentation: 1 October 2013

Student learning outcomes list: All English Masters students will be able to: 1. Construct an advanced scholarly argument about a subject situated within at least one period of English Literature* 2. Construct an advanced scholarly argument about a subject situated within at least one period of American literature 3. Construct an advanced scholarly argument about a subject situated within at least one area of World literature

SLOs, Cont’d Literature Track students will be able to: 1. Participate in the literary-critical conversation 2. Practice standards and techniques of advanced academic research and writing 3. Discuss and respond appropriately to questions about their advanced project argument.

SLOs, Cont’d Creative Writing Track students will be able to: 1. Employ professional standards in constructive critical commentary on peer writing and in revising their own work in required workshop courses 2. Practice forms and techniques in the genres of poetry and prose. 3. Articulate the place of their own work in contemporary literary practices

How was the assessment accomplished? Student work assessed: research essays in graduate course in British literature Measurement strategy: rubric Sample size: 8 students (all eligible students)

Actual assessment data Total number of students assessed in the course – all sections (n):_8__ Percent exceeding: 0% Percent meeting: 50% Percent approaching: 25% Percent not meeting: 25%

Assessment results: What have the data told us? We did not meet our benchmark of 90% of students meeting expectations; only half the students performed at the level we expect We need to do a better job teaching argumentative writing at the graduate level

Data-driven decisions Instructors could consider giving students other students’ essays as models, which may be more effective than offering professional writing as models. Instructors could assign more shorter essays rather than one longer research essay; however, this may require deemphasizing primary texts and/or reducing time for students to produce a 20-page research essay.

Data-driven decisions (cont’d) The department could consider requiring ENG 690, an argument-writing based course, earlier in the curriculum, although it would lose its role in contributing to students’ development of their Advanced Projects. The department could consider offering more 500 level courses, in which it might be more appropriate to spend time on writing skills. We may hold a Teaching and Learning Workshop to brainstorm ideas to increase students’ skills in writing argumentative research essays.

What resources were used or have been requested to close the loop? Stipend for graduate committee to develop the plan (paid last year from Provost’s fund) Time for discussion Time for graduate committee to consider curricular change