STUDENTLEARNINGASSESSMENTREPORT

PROGRAM:EconomicsSUBMITTEDBY:BrianHollarDATE:9/30/17BRIEFLYDESCRIBEWHEREANDHOWAREDATAANDDOCUMENTSUSEDTOGENERATETHISREPORTBEINGSTORED:StudentpapersfiledintheDirector’soffice,electronicmaterialsonsecurenetworkdrive.

EXECUTIVESUMMARY

ProgramdescriptionfromtheCourseCatalog:Pleasecopyandpastethecurrentyear’scatalogdescriptionofthisprogram.Thisisgenerallyaone-twoparagraphdescriptionimmediatelyfollowingthenameoftheprogram.Pleasebesuretoincludethelistingofprogramoutcomesasprinted.Economicsisasocialsciencethatseekstounderstandhumanbehaviorbyanalyzinghowchangesinincentivesaffectthechoicesindividualsandgroupsofindividualsmake.Thebasicchallengeofeconomicdecision-makinginvolvessatisfyingunlimitedhumanwantswithlimitedresources.Exploringthiscentraleconomicconceptbecomesevenmorecomplexwhenaspecificsociety’svalues,objectives,andinstitutionsareconsidered.Marymount’sB.A.ineconomicsusesthiseconomicframeworktounderstandabroadrangeofdiverseissuesincludingbusinessoperations,environmentalpolicyissues,poverty,law,financialinstitutions,andinternationaltrade,amongothers.Marymount’slocationinthemetropolitanWashington,DCareaprovidestheperfectsettingforreal-timeanalysisandexperienceviasitevisits,internshipopportunities,andguestspeakersfromthinktanksandgovernmentagencies.Smallclasssizesallowextensiveindividualinteractionwithprofessors.Adegreeineconomicspreparesstudentsforcareersingovernment,consulting,andbusiness.Indeed,averagestartingsalariesforundergraduateeconomicsmajorsareroutinelyamongthehighestamongallundergraduateprograms.Studyingeconomicsalsoprovidesanexcellentfoundationforgraduatestudiesinlaw,publicpolicy,internationalstudies,orbusiness.Studentsmajoringineconomicswillbeencouragedbyadvisorstochoosetheirelectivecourseswithspecificpostgraduategoalsinmind.Theeconomicsdegreeprovidesampleelectivecreditsforstudentstoexploreadditionalacademicinterestsinfieldslikebusiness,politics,mathematics,history,English,sociology,philosophy,andpsychology.Uponsuccessfulcompletionoftheeconomicsprogram,studentswillbeableto

• understandeconomicanalysisanduseitsconceptstoprovideinsightintoawiderangeofhumanconcerns;• communicateeconomicinformationandconceptseffectivelyinbothwrittenandoralformsofcommunication;and• workeffectivelyasanentry-levelresearchorpolicyanalystanddevelopopportunitiesandtechniquesforlifelongprofessionaldevelopment.

Listalloftheprogram’slearningoutcomes:(regardlessofwhetherornottheyarebeingassessedthisyear)

LearningOutcome YearofLastAssessment

AssessedThisYear

YearofNextPlanned

AssessmentUnderstand economic analysis and use its concepts to provide insight into a wide range of human concerns. 2017 Yes 2019Communicate economic information and concepts effectively in both written and oral forms of communication. 2017 Yes 2019

Work effectively as an entry-level research or policy analyst and develop opportunities and techniques for lifelong professional development. 2017 Yes 2019

Describehowtheprogram’soutcomessupportMarymount’smission,strategicplan,andrelevantschoolplan:TheB.A.inEconomicscombinestheprimarystudyofeconomicsanditsapplicationtounderstandhowincentivesandinstitutionsaffecthowindividualsinteractwithoneanotherandhowtheseimpacthumanchoicesanddevelopmentaroundtheworld.Withintheliberalartstraditionoftheuniversity,itbuildsonafoundationintheartsandsciences,developingtheabilitytouseeconomicconceptstoprovideinsightintoawiderangeofhumanconcerns.Itprovidesanapplied,policy-oriented,interdisciplinaryprogramofstudiesthattakesadvantageofourlocationclosetothenation’scapital.Itprovidescareerpreparationandopportunitiesforpersonalandprofessionaldevelopment,enablingstudentstodevelopthecompetenciesnecessarytoworkeffectivelyasanentry-levelresearchorpolicyeconomistand/oranalyst,andtocontinuelifelongprofessionaldevelopment. Provideabriefdescriptionoftheassessmentprocessusedincludingstrengths,challengesandplannedimprovementsandprovideevidenceoftheexistenceofacultureofcontinuousimprovementbasedonassessment:TheEconomicsprogramtransitionedthreeyearsagoastheBAinEconomicsreplacedtheBAinEconomicsinSociety.Internshipsupervisorsandstudentsthemselvesevaluatedstudentperformance.ECO431ContemporaryIssuesinEconomicsandECO450ResearchMethodsinEconomicswereofferedforthefirsttimeasWritingIntensivecourses(theonlyWIcoursescurrentlyintheEconomicsprogram)inthe2015-2016academicyearandECO431wasofferedagaininFall2016.Unfortunately,therewasafailuretoobtainECO431papersbeforetheretirementofTerryLongandthesepaperscouldthereforenotbeutilizedforthisreport.ThelearningobjectivesreflectwhatisinMarymount’scoursecatalog.InternshipdatafromFallof2016throughSpring2017wasusedinpreparationofthisreport,withelevenstudentshavinginternshipsduringthistime,whichisalargeimprovementover2internshipsurveysfromlastyear.Describehowtheprogramimplementeditsplannedimprovementsfromlastyear:InaccordancewiththeDean’sandtheAPBPCommittee’ssupportandencouragement,anewBAinEconomicswasdevelopedandlaunchedinFall2014.ThisnewdegreeprogramreplacedtheBAinEconomicsinSocietywiththeexpectationthatitwillbetterserveMarymountstudentsinthejobmarketandbringMarymount’seconomicsprogrammoreinlinewithsimilardegreesatourpeerandaspirantschools.Italsostreamlinedtheprogramrequirementsmakingitparticularlyattractivefortransferstudentsandthoseseekingtochangemajorsintheirjuniororsenioryear.Asaresult,theprogramhasgrownfrom16to44students(175%growth)since

startingthenewBAprogram.Inaddition,anewDISCOIVERcoursecontinuestobetaughttheDirectoroftheEconomicsprogramtointroducefreshmanstudentstoeconomicideas.ThesechangesstartedinFall2014andcontinuedinthe2016-2017academicyear.Thesechangeshaveprovenparticularlybeneficialtotransferstudentsasthenewprogramoffersahighnumberofelectivecredits,increasingtheirlikelihoodofgraduatingmorequicklythaniftheypursuedaBBAorothermajorwithagreaternumberofcoursesrequiredforthemajor.Overthepastyear,effortshavebeenmadebytheprogramtoreachouttotransferstudentstohighlightthisbenefitoftheprogram.InFall2015,acourseinResearchMethodswasofferedforthefirsttimewithanemphasisoneconometricandquantitativeanalysisandofferedasaWritingIntensivecourse.Additionally,ECO431transitionedtoaWritingIntensiveforthefirsttime.ThesetwocoursesarethefirstWIcoursesofferedintheEconomicsprograminresponsetostudentdemandforthesecourses.Inaddition,ECO450focusedontrainingstudentsonhowtouseStatasoftware,afrequentlyrequestforamarketableskillfrombothstudents,alumni,andinternshipsupervisors.In2016-2017,ECO431wasoffered,butECO450wasnotduetofacultyconstraints.InkeepingwithMarymount’smissionforglobalperspective,theEconomicsprogramisalsostartingtoofferGlobalEducationcourseswiththeintentofcontinuingtoofferastudyabroadcourseeachyear.InSpring2017,studentsinECO211PrinciplesofMacroeconomicsspentaweekinPraguetostudythelegacyofcommunismtounderscorehowinstitutionsimpacttheeconomicgrowthofnations.DuringtheSummerof2017,Dr.Hollarspent8daysinAccra,GhanatoprepareforaSpring2018studyabroadversionofECO350EconomicsofPovertyinwhichstudentswillvisitGhanaduringspringbreaktostudythecausesandconsequencesofglobalpoverty.FacultyhavecontinuedtoworkwithstudentstoruntheMarymountEconomicsAssociation(MEA)tofosterbettercommunitybetweenstudentsandfacultyinEconomics.Studentsweretakentomanyoff-campusevents,includingdiscussionswithprominentthinkerssuchasJhumpaLahiri,MalcolmGladwell,StephenPinker,andJosephHenrich.MostoftheseeventswasfollowedupwithanEconomicsAssociationmeetingwherefacultyandstudentsdiscussedhowwhateachofthespeakerssaidconnectedtoeconomicconceptsandideas.Inaddition,theEconomicsprogramhadmanystudentswhopresentedattheStudentResearchConferenceandastudentwhopresentedattheSouthernEconomicsAssociationinWashington,DCinSpring2017.Eachoftheseeffortswasintendedtoenhancestudentlearning,furthercareerpreparation,buildstudentresearchskills,andextendengagementbetweenEconomicsfacultyandstudents.

Outcome PlannedImprovement

Update(Indicatewhen,where,andhowplannedimprovementwascompleted.Ifplanned

improvementwasnotcompleted,pleaseprovideexplanation.)

Understandandapplymicroeconomicandmacroeconomicanalysisanduseitsconceptstoprovideinsightintoawiderangeofhumanconcerns.

Weneedtodoabetterjobofreachingouttoouralumnitopromoteresponsestooursurveys.Discussionamongfacultyneedstooccurtodeterminehowtobetterpromotethedevelopmentofstudentcommunicationskills,particularlyinMacroeconomics.TheEconomicsprogramisalsoworkingwithfacultytodevelopanewFinancialEconomicscoursetomeettheneedofstudentstobetterunderstandfinancialinstitutionsandthetimevalueofmoneytoenhancetheireconomicanalysisskills.WewillalsoconsiderofferingadditionalelectiveswithmoreofaMacroeconomicfocus.Inthefuture,wewillanalyzemicroeconomicandmacroeconomicanalysisaseparatelearningoutcomesusingdevelopedrubrics.Thiswillallowusgreaterabilitytoidentifywherestudentsarestrugglingmostandusethisknowledgetodevelopstrategiesforimprovingourprogram.Thesetwofutureoutcomeswillbeasfollows:

1. Understandandapplymicroeconomicanalysisanduseitsconceptstoprovideinsightintoawiderangeofhumanconcerns.

2. Understandandapplymacroeconomicanalysisanduseitsconceptstoprovideinsightintoawiderangeofhumanconcerns.

Ourprogramlosttwooutofthreefull-timefacultytoretirementthispastyearwhichhascausedsomedisruptiontoourprocessofdevelopingnewcourses.Dr.CatherinehasreturnedtofacultyafterservingasAssociateDeanintheSBA.LastyearanewcourseECO301FinancialEconomicswasofferedforthefirsttime,givingEconomicsstudentsvaluableskillsforbetterunderstandingfinanceandfinancialinstitutions,whichbridgesbothMicroeconomicsandMacroeconomics.WealsohiredaVisitingFacultymemberbeginninginAugust2017.Weplantocontinueworkingwithournewfacultymake-updevelopthetwoseparatemetricsusedlastyear:

1. Understandandapplymicroeconomicanalysisanduseitsconceptstoprovideinsightintoawiderangeofhumanconcerns.

2. Understandandapplymacroeconomicanalysisanduseitsconceptstoprovideinsightintoawiderangeofhumanconcerns.

Additionally,wewillbegoingthroughour5-yearprogramevaluationthisyearandgooverourassessmentgoalsasapartofthisprocesstohelpusbetterfocustheassessmentsinourprogramgoingforward.

Communicateeconomicinformationandconceptseffectivelyinbothwrittenandoralformsofcommunication.

Aswecontinuetooffernewelectivesforeconomicsstudents,manyadditionalmeasuresarebeingaddedtoimprovestudents’writingskills.Paperswillbesubjecttoearlierandmorecommentaryandrevision.Withtheincorporationofmorewritingintensivecoursesintothecurriculum,weexpectthecommunicationofeconomicconceptsandthesestoimproveovertime.Inaddition,weintendtofocusonstudents’

ECO431wasofferedagaininFall2016.StudentsinECO330andECO363BehavioralEconomicshadtowriteresearchpapersfortheircourses.ThreeEconomicsstudentsparticipatedintheStudentResearchConference(morethananyotherSBAmajor).Bettermetricsstillneedtobedevelopedfortrackingprogressonoralcommunication.

scholarlycitationsthroughemphasisonusingRefWorksandrelatedreferencetools.StudentshavebeenandwillcontinuetobeencouragedtopresenttheirworkatMarymount’sannualStudentResearchConferenceandatexternalconferencesaroundthecountry.Inthefuture,wewilluserubricstoevaluatestudentpapersratherthangradestodevelopourindirectmeasurementintoadirectmeasurementofeconomiccommunicationabilitiesofourstudents.Wewillalsoidentifyaspecificwaytomeasureoralformsofcommunicationasthisassessmentonlymeasuredwrittenformsofcommunication.

Workeffectivelyasanentry-levelresearchorpolicyanalystanddevelopopportunitiesandtechniquesforlifelongprofessionaldevelopment.

Inthefuture,aBSoptionwillbeconsideredfortheEconomicsprogramwhichwillgivestudentsmoreopportunitiestodevelopeconometricanalysisskillsandmathematicalbackgroundthatwillbuildhighlymarketableskillstoservestudentsintheirfuturecareers.Additionally,ECO431andECO450willcontinuetobeofferedasWritingIntensivecoursestogivestudentsgreaterfeedbackontheirabilitytoexpresseconomicthinkingintheirwriting.Overthepastseveralyears,EconomicsstudentshavebeenveryactiveinpresentingatMarymount’sannualStudentResearchConferenceandpresentingatregionalandnationalconferencesaroundthecountry.Thisparticipationallowsthemanopportunitytofurtherdevelopanalytical,research,andpresentationskillsthatwillhelpthemintheirfuturecareers.Goingforward,metricswillbekeptofthenumberofstudentspresentingattheseconferencesandusedaproxyforhowwelltheEconomicsprogramisdoingforprovidingstudentsanopportunitytofurtherdeveloptheirprofessionalresearchskills.

Basedonresponsesfromlastyear’sreview,thisoutcomewasremovedfromthisassessment.Inthepastitonlyusedindirectmeasuresandwhichwerepartialindicatorsofthisoutcome.

Providearesponsetolastyear’sUniversityAssessmentCommitteereviewoftheprogram’slearningassessmentreport:

Comment:Forthefirstoutcome,wasearlierandmorecommentarygiven?GoodjobonthesecondoutcomeandwithprovidingresponsestotheUACfeedback.Thecommentandresponseformatwasveryhelpful.Response:Thankyouforthekindwords.Comment:Whileoutcomesarewell-writtenandmeasurable,onlytwoarelearningoutcomes.Doesthisprovideyouwithasetoflearningoutcomesthattellyou(andyourstudents)whatstudentswillbeabletodooncetheycompletetheprogram?Doesitgiveyousufficientinformationtodirectprogramimprovements,identifyweaknesses,etc.?Outcomesshoulddescribetheknowledge,valuesandskillsstudentswillhaveonsuccessfulcompletionofyourprogram.Youmightconsiderrevisingoutcome1tobreakitupintoseparateoutcomesidentifyingimportantskills,knowledge,andvaluesyouexpectstudentstohave.Yoursecondoutcomeisverywell-written.Response:Thisisanexcellentsuggestionandwillbeconsideredinmoredetailgoingforward.Comment:Outcome1:Becausethisoutcomeissosummaryinnature,itisdifficulttoevaluateinawaytogiveyoumeaningfuldata.Youusedoverallgradesonresearchpaperswhichgivesyouanequallysummarypictureofyourstudents’achievement.Youmightconsiderexpandingoutcome1intoseparateoutcomesofimportantknowledgeorskillsets,thenevaluatethepapersintheseclassesusingarubricthatdelineatestheseskillsandknowledgesets,soyouwouldbeabletopinpointWHICHknowledgeorskillsetsneedimprovement.Thiswouldbemoreusefulinformationtoyourprogram.Outcome2:Ifyouarenotusingarubrictoevaluatetheresearchmethodspapertolookatonlycommunicationskills,i.e.youareusingthegradeofthepaperasaresearchpaper,itisonlyanindirectmethod.Usingarubricthatallowsyoutolooksolelyatcommunicationskillswouldmakethisadirectmeasure.Howdoyoumeasureoralcommunicationskillsusingaresearchpaper?Outcome3:Thisismeasuredusingonlyindirectmethods.Ifyouintendtokeepthisasanoutcomeoftheprogram(althoughnotalearningoutcome),youshoulddevelopsomewayofdirectlyobservingwhetherornotstudentsareabletodothis.Response:Outcome1willbebrokenintoseparateMicroeconomicsandMacroeconomicscategoriesinthefuture.Oralcommunicationskillsarenotcurrentlymeasureddirectly.Studentsgivepresentationsontheirpapers,butthisisnotcurrentlybeingusedasadirectmeasurementinourprogramandshouldbeconsidered.Inresponsetolastyear’sfeedback,wearenolongerusingOutcome3.Comment:Outcome1:Theredoesn’tseemtobemuchanalysisoftheresultsoftheassessment,despitethefactthatstudentsononemeasurefailedtomeetthetarget.Ifarubricwasnotused,itwouldbedifficulttopinpointwhythetargetwasmissedorwhattheproblemwas.Outcome2:Asnotedabove,it’snotclearhowanoverallgradeonaresearchpaperprovidesyouwithusefulinformationaboutstudents’writtenandoralcommunicationskills.Response:Agreedabouttherubric.Presentationassignmentswillbeusedasaseparategradeandcategoryforevaluationinthefuturetoassessoralcommunicationskills.Comment:Outcome1:Again,theredoesn’tseemtobemuchdiscussionofareasforimprovementthatflowfromthisassessment.Whatdidthisassessmenttellyou,andwhatdoyouplantodoasaresult?Outcome2:Youprovideinformationonmanyplannedimprovementsrelatedtothisoutcome,butitisnotclearthattheseimprovementsflowfromyourassessmentresults.Howdoyourassessmentresultsprovideevidencefortheseimprovements?

Outcome3:Sameasabove.Response:OutcomeAssessment1needstobebrokenupintoseparateMicroeconomicsandMacroeconomicssectionstogivebetterindicationofhowtospecificallyimprovetheprogram.Outcome2needstobebettertrackedtogiveourprogramspecificmetricsforbothwrittenandoralcommunication.Outcome3wasdroppedfromthisandfutureassessmentsinresponsetofeedbackreceivedlastyear.Comment:Youhavepreparedathoughtfulreportusingmultipledirectandindirectmeasuresofassessmenttoevaluateyourprogram’seffectiveness.Itsusefulness,though,ishamperedbecauseyourmeasuresarenotdevelopedinawaythatwillprovideyouwithinformationwithenoughdetailtodirectdiscussionaboutwaystoimprove.Response:Agreed.Oneofthegoalsofourfive-yearprogramreviewwillbetoexaminethecurrentassessmentsanddevelopmeasurementsthataremoreinlinewithourBAinEconomics.ManyofourcurrentmeasurementsweredevelopedwhiletheBAinEconomicsinSocietywasstillinexistence.Comment:Considerbreakingyourfirstoutcomeintotwoormoreoutcomesthatidentifyknowledge,skills,orvaluesthatyouexpectyourstudentstohaveupongraduation,andadjustyourmeasuressothatyoucanmakeamoredirectconnectionbetweentheresultsandyouroutcomes.Considerusingrubricstomakeiteasiertotiestudentperformancetoyouroutcome.Yourassessmentprocessshouldprovideyouwithinformationinenoughdetailthatitwillallowyoutoidentifystrengthsandareasthatneedimprovement.Outcome3isnotastudentlearningoutcomeandisnotcurrentlyassessedusinganydirectmeasures.Ifyouintendtokeepthisasaprogramoutcome,youshoulddevelopadirectmethodofassessment.PIEshouldbeabletoassistyouwiththis.Besurethatplannedimprovementsflowfromassessmentresultsandarenotjustageneraldiscussionofplansfortheprogram.Response:Duetoourlossoffacultytoretirementthispastyear,lessprogresswasmadethananticipatedforbreakingOutcome1upintotwocategories.Outcome3wasdroppedfromthisreviewandwillnotbecontinuedgoingforwardbasedonfeedbackfrompreviousassessments.

OutcomesAssessment2016-2017

LearningOutcome1:Understandandapplymicroeconomicandmacroeconomicanalysisanduseitsconceptstoprovideinsightintoawiderangeofhumanconcerns.

AssessmentActivity

OutcomeMeasuresExplainhowstudentlearningwillbemeasuredandindicatewhetheritisdirectorindirect.

PerformanceStandardDefineandexplainacceptablelevelofstudentperformance.

DataCollectionDiscussthedatacollectedand

studentpopulation

Analysis1)Describetheanalysisprocess.

2)Presentthefindingsoftheanalysisincludingthenumbersparticipatinganddeemedacceptable.

Direct: ECO330,ManagerialEconomicsTermPaper

Atleast60%ofstudentsperformattheExcellentorGoodlevelatleast90%of

GradesforECO330FinalPapercollectedfromatotalof24students.Thesestudents

79%ofstudentsperformedattheExcellentorgoodlevel;88%performedattheSatisfactorylevlorhigher.

studentsperformattheSatisfactorylevelorhigher,nomorethat10%ofstudentsperformattheUnsatisfactorylevel

wereoverwhelmingECOmajorsandminors.

Direct: ECO431ContemporaryIssuesinMacroeconomicsFinalPaper

Atleast60%ofstudentsperformattheExcellentorGoodlevel; atleast90%ofstudentsperformattheSatisfactorylevelorhigher;and nomorethat10%ofstudentsperformattheUnsatisfactorylevel.

GradesforECO431FinalPapercollectedfromatotalof13students.ThesestudentswereoverwhelmingECOmajorsandminors.

DuetotheunexpectedretirementofaformerEconomicsfacultymember,thisdatawasnotavailableatthetimeofcompletingthisassessment.

Indirect: Alumnisurveyquestions: Applyknowledgeandskillstonewsituations Solveproblemsinyourfield

Atleast60%ofstudentsrespondGoodorExcellent,atleast80%ofstudentsrespondAdequate,Good,orExcellentoneachofthequestions.

N/A–Nonewdataavailabletoassesschangesintheprogram.

Of5respondents,80%repliedGoodorExcellent.

InterpretationofResultsExtentthislearningoutcomehasbeenachievedbystudents(Usebothdirectandindirectmeasureresults):Byonedirectmeasurestudentsgenerallymetthestandardandbyanotherdirectmeasuretheyperformedbelowthestandard.TheotherdirectmeasurewasunavailabletoassessduetotheretirementofanEconomicsfacultymember.Fiveformerstudentsansweredthestudentalumnisurveythisyear.2Programstrengthsandopportunitiesforimprovementrelativetoassessmentofoutcome:Wehavetwoinsidedirectmeasurementsofstudents’abilitytounderstandeconomicanalysis.Accordingtooneofthesetwometrics,studentsaremeetingourobjective.Datawasnotavailableforthesecondmeasurement.Discussplannedcurricularorprogramimprovementsforthisyearbasedonassessmentofoutcome:Wehavedoneabetterjobofreachingouttoouralumniandreceivedmorefeedbackthaninprevioussurveys.Ourfacultyhaveseenalargechangeinthepastyearwithtwofacultyretiring,Dr.EnglandreturningtofacultyafterservingasAssociateDeanoftheSBA,andanewhireofaVisitingProfessorforthe2017-2018academicyear.WewillconsiderofferingadditionalelectiveswithmoreofaMacroeconomicfocus.Inthefuture,wewillanalyzemicroeconomicandmacroeconomicanalysisaseparatelearningoutcomesusingdevelopedrubrics.Thiswillallowusgreaterabilitytoidentifywherestudentsarestrugglingmostandusethisknowledgetodevelopstrategiesforimprovingourprogram.Thesetwofutureoutcomeswillbeasfollows:

1) Understandandapplymicroeconomicanalysisanduseitsconceptstoprovideinsightintoawiderangeofhumanconcerns.2) Understandandapplymacroeconomicanalysisanduseitsconceptstoprovideinsightintoawiderangeofhumanconcerns.

LearningOutcome2:Communicateeconomicinformationandconceptseffectivelyinbothwrittenandoralformsofcommunication.

AssessmentActivity

OutcomeMeasures

Explainhowstudentlearningwillbemeasuredandindicatewhetheritisdirectorindirect.

PerformanceStandardDefineandexplainacceptablelevelofstudentperformance.

DataCollectionDiscussthedatacollectedand

studentpopulation

Analysis1)Describetheanalysisprocess.

2)Presentthefindingsoftheanalysisincludingthenumbersparticipatinganddeemedacceptable.

Direct: ECO330,ManagerialEconomicsTermPaper

Atleast60%ofstudentsperformattheExcellentorGoodlevelatleast90%ofstudentsperformattheSatisfactorylevelorhigher,nomorethat10%ofstudentsperformattheUnsatisfactorylevel

GradesforECO330FinalPapercollectedfromatotalof24students.ThesestudentswereoverwhelmingECOmajorsandminors.

79%ofstudentsperformedattheExcellentorgoodlevel;88%performedattheSatisfactorylevlorhigher.

Indirect: Internshipsupervisor’sreportsurveyquestion: “Theinternpossessestheskillsofwrittencommunicationnecessarytosucceedprofessionally,”

Atleast70%ofstudentsdemonstrateExcellentorGoodwrittencommunicationskillsintheirinternshipduties. Atleast90%ofstudentshaveatleasttheminimumwrittencommunicationskillsneededintheirinternshipduties.

SBAsurveyofinternshipsupervisorsforstudentsenrolledinEconomicsInternships.Answersareprovidedonafive-levelLikertscale.Surveysarecompletedasthestudentscompletetheirinternships,duringtheFall,Spring,andSummersemesters.TherearefewifanyEconomicInternshipsinanygivensemester.(3internsintotal).

73%ofourstudentsdemonstratedExcellentorGoodwrittencommunicationskillsintheirinternships.100%ofstudentsdemonstratedatleasttheminimumwrittencommunicationskillsneededintheirinternshipduties.

Indirect: GraduatingStudentsurveyquestion:Developacoherentwrittenargument

Atleast60%ofstudentsrespondGoodorExcellent. Atleast80%ofstudentsrespondAdequate,Good,orExcellent oneachofthequestions.

SBAsurveyofgraduatingstudents.Answersareprovidedonafive-levelLikertscale.TherearestillfewEconomicgraduatesinanygivensemesterandnotallstudentsrespond.(1respondentintotal).

Of6respondents,only33%respondedGoodorExcellent,withaMeanof3.50andastandarddeviationof0.84.

InterpretationofResultsExtentthislearningoutcomehasbeenachievedbystudents(Usebothdirectandindirectmeasureresults):Studentsmetthestandardsfortwooutofthreeoutcomes.Only33%ofstudentsinthegraduatingstudentsurveysaidtheycoulddevelopacoherentwrittenargumentattheGoodorExcellentlevel.MoreattentionneedstobegiventowritingintheEconomicsprogramtogivestudentsgreaterconfidenceintheirwritingabilities.However,theothertwomeasuresindicatethatstudentsdoexhibitwrittenandoralcommunicationskillsattherequiredstandard,soitmaybeanissueofdevelopingmoreconfidenceinstudentsratherthananissueofskillorpreparation. Programstrengthsandopportunitiesforimprovementrelativetoassessmentofoutcome:Atotalof73%ofsupervisorssurveyedgaveMarymountinternshighratingsfortheirwrittencommunicationskills.CoursepapersfromECO330alsoindicatedtheprogramisdoingagoodjobhelpingstudentsdeveloptheabilitytocommunicateinwritingandorally.Considerationofdatafromthegraduatingstudentsurveyindicatesthatstudentsdonotfeelconfidentintheircommunicationskills. Discussplannedcurricularorprogramimprovementsforthisyearbasedonassessmentofoutcome:Aswecontinuetooffernewelectivesforeconomicsstudents,manyadditionalmeasuresarebeingaddedtoimprovestudents’writingskills.Paperswillbesubjecttoearlierandmorecommentaryandrevision.Withtheincorporationofmorewritingintensivecoursesintothecurriculum,weexpectthecommunicationofeconomicconceptsandthesestoimproveovertime.Inaddition,weintendtofocusonstudents’scholarlycitationsthroughemphasisonusingRefWorksandrelatedreferencetools.StudentshavebeenandwillcontinuetobeencouragedtopresenttheirworkatMarymount’sannualStudentResearchConferenceandatexternalconferencesaroundthecountry.Inthefuture,wewilluserubricstoevaluatestudentpapersratherthangradestodevelopourindirectmeasurementintoadirectmeasurementofeconomiccommunicationabilitiesofourstudents.Wewillalsoidentifyaspecificwaytomeasureoralformsofcommunicationasthisassessmentonlymeasuredwrittenformsofcommunication.

Appendices

CurriculumMapThesewillbesentforreviewandfeedbacktotheLiberalArtsCoreCommittee.

UNDERGRADUATECURRICULUMMAPDegreeProgram:EconomicsYear:2016-17ProgramOutcomes:

ProgramOutcome CriticalThinking Inquiry Information

LiteracyWritten

CommunicationUnderstandeconomicanalysisanduseitsconceptstoprovideinsightintoawiderangeofhumanconcerns. X X

Communicateeconomicinformationandconceptseffectivelyinbothwrittenandoralformsofcommunication. X X X X

Workeffectivelyasanentry-levelresearchorpolicyanalystanddevelopopportunitiesandtechniquesforlifelongprofessionaldevelopment. X X X X

CurriculumMap:Foreachcourse,indicatewhichcompetenciesareincludedusingthefollowingkey.PleaserefertothedirectorofassessmentinPlanningandInstitutionalEffectivenessifyouneedmoredetailedexplanationofthefourcorecompetencies.

Levelofinstruction:I–Introduced,R-reinforcedandopportunitytopractice,M-masteryattheseniororexitlevelAssessment:PR-project,P-paper,E-exam,O-oralpresentation,I-internship,OT-other(explainbriefly)

RequiredCourseCriticalThinking Inquiry InformationLiteracy WrittenCommunication

Level Assess Level Assess Level Assess Level AssessECO210 I E I E I E I E

ECO211 I E I E I E I E

ECO330 R E R E R E R E

ECO431 M P,E R P M P M P,E

ECO485 M E M E R E R E

Spring2017InternshipResultsfromInternshipProgramReportSpring2017SemesterbyDavidPomeroy

SUPERVISOR SUPERVISOR STUDENT

STUDENT

InternshipPeriod

Pleaselistthisintern'sgreateststrengths.

Pleaselistthisintern'smostsignificantareasforimprovement.

Iwasbestpreparedintheseareastoperformtheworkrequiredofmeinthisinternship:

Iwasleastpreparedintheseareastoperformtheworkrequiredofmeinthisinternship

Fall2016Timemanagement;problemsolving;criticalthinking Moreeffectivecommunicationskiils

IwasbestpreparedforassignmentsthatrequiredresearchandassignmentswhichrequiredtheuseofMicrosoftExcel.

Iwasleastpreparedformysomeofmyassignmentswiththeaccountingdepartment,suchas,dailyandmonthlybalancingofaccounts.

Fall2016

Isaiah'sinitiativeandfollowthroughwereveryimpressive.Becausehewasabletofinishhisinitialassignments,hewasabletoparticipateinstafflevelprojectsearlyon.Hisworkwasoutstandingandhisunderstandingofthesubjectmadehimavaluableasset.Hewasnoteasilydeterredandcontributedbeyondwhatwasexpected.

TheonlyaspectthatIcanthinkofwouldbehisexperience.Hisattitudeandabilityistopnotch.Nowhejustneedsexperiencetoimprove.

CriticalThinking;Analysis;Organization;Persistence;

Handlingthelonghoursofconstantworkandthenbeingabletodoschoolworkafterclasses.

Spring2017

Professional,punctual,pleasant,hardworking,inquisitive,greatfollowthrough

Alittlemoreattentiontodetail(duetoproducingworkswiftly,itwasn'talwayscorrect);initiativetoaskforwhatshewants(shewasunhappyintheinternshipforalittlebitandIfoundoutfromanotherteammemberinsteadofherlettingmeknowherselfsothatIcouldremedythesituationswiftly)

Writingpapersandrevisingwork N/a

Spring2017Workethic,desiretoaccomplishtaskathand can'tthinkofanyatthistime DataAnalytics Businesscommunication

Spring2017 Hasathirstforlife. Timemanagement.

OfficeManagement,jobsitevisits,administrativeerrands,

helpingpainterswithcertainpaintingpreparationtasksatcertainjobsites

Summer2017

Malcolm'sgreateststrengthsarehisworkethicandhisabilitytoworkwellwithinateamatmosphere.

Malcolmneedstoimproveonhisvocalleadership-heknowswhatneedstobeaccomplishedandhowtoaccomplishtasksbutneedstojuststepupandtakecharge.Thiswillcomethroughexperience. Excel,Word None

Summer20171.Detailoriented2.Punctual3.Eagertolearn N/a ExcelandGoogleDocs

Iwaslestpreparedinbusinesswritingassignments

Summer2017

Onlineintelligence,streetsmarts,respectfulness,commitmentandsincerity

Confidenceincreatingnewinitiatives,financialanalysisanddevelopingpresentations Technology,economics None

Summer2017projectmanagementandworkflowskills;entrepreneurialinstincts

Wedidnotworkonsalesmuch;Isuspectwecouldmakesomeimprovementsmanagingsales.

Organization,publicspeaking,communicating Computersoftware,

Summer2017 Spreadsheetmanagement Nocomment

collectingdataonhowpeopleusedthearboretumandwhy,answeringvariousquestionsaboutthehistoryofcertaingardens/plants,convertingdatatographs,managingthearboretumbotanicalexplorer,beinguptodatewiththegardensinbloomduringvariousweeks Icannotthinkofonerightnow

Summer2017COLLABORATIVEANDWORKATTITUDE PROACTIVITY

communication,activelistening,writing,andknowledgeinthefieldofexpertise. none

SummaryofStudentSelf-EvaluationsoftheirEconomicsInternships Scaleis1to5,with1being“Stronglydisagree”and5being“Stronglyagree.”

Question 1 2 3 4 51.ThetaskswhichIwasassignedinthisinternshipwereeducationallyvaluabletome. 0 0 1 2 82.ThetaskswhichIwasassignedhelpedmeunderstandandcontributetothisorganization. 0 0 0 2 93.Thisinternshipexperiencehelpedclarifymygoalsforfuturelearningandprofessionaldevelopment. 0 1 0 4 64.MyeducationatMarymountgavemeacomprehensiveunderstandingofthebasicsoftheprofession. 0 0 3 5 55.MycoursesinmyareaofspecializationatMarymountpreparedmetocompletethetasksrequiredofmewhilecompletingthisinternship. 0 1 0

5 5

6.MyeducationtodateatMarymounthelpedpreparemetocommunicateinaprofessionalenvironmentduringthisinternship. 1 0 0

5 5

7.MyeducationtodateatMarymounthasgivenmeproblem-solvingandcritical-thinkingskillsneededinaprofessional/businessenvironment 0 0 2

4 5

8.MyeducationtodateatMarymountpreparedmeforethicaldecisionmakingwhilecompletingthisinternship. 1 0 0

4 6

9.MyMarymounteducationhaspreparedmetounderstandculturaldifferencesandsucceedinaglobalprofessional/businessenvironment. 0 1 0

4 6

10.MyMarymounteducationhaspreparedmetousecurrentbusinesstechnologyeffectively. 1 0 1 7 211.MyMarymounteducationpreparedmetoemployleadershipandcollaborative/teamskills. 0 0 3 4 415.Howwouldyouevaluateyoursupervisorintermsofaccessibility? 0 0 0 3 816.Howwouldyouevaluateyoursupervisorintermsofclarityofexpectations? 0 0 0 3 817.Howwouldyouevaluateyoursupervisorintermsoftrainingreceived? 0 0 1 3 718.Howtruetothejobdescriptionwereyourassignments? 0 0 0 5 6

Source:Student-providedevaluationsoftheirSpring2017internships

SummaryofSupervisorEvaluationsoftheirEconomicsInterns’Performance

Scaleis1to5,with1being“Stronglydisagree”and5being“Stronglyagree.” Question 1 2 3 4 51. The intern possessed a comprehensive understanding of the basics of the professional/business field. 0 0 1 2 82. The intern possessed a comprehensive understanding of the basics of his/her specialization. 0 0 0 6 53. The intern possesses the skills in written communication necessary to succeed professionally. 0 0 3 2 64. The intern possesses the skills of spoken communication necessary to succeed professionally. 0 0 1 4 65. The intern showed an understanding of the importance of professional ethics and ethical behavior. 0 0 0 3 86. The intern learned from supervision and accepted comments well. 0 0 0 3 87. The intern possesses and uses time management skills. 0 1 1 4 58. The intern showed initiative in solving problems and thinking critically. 0 0 2 3 69. The student intern showed respect for cultural differences and an understanding of working in a global environment. 0 0 0 3 810. The intern maintained a professional level of appearance and was consistently punctual. 0 0 1 5 511. The intern was capable of employing leadership and collaborative/team skills. 0 0 3 4 4

Source:Supervisors’EvaluationofSpring2017Internships