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Weber State University Annual Assessment of Evidence of Learning

Cover Page Department/Program: Bachelor of Science in Athletic Therapy Date Submitted: October 14, 2014

(Data from 2013-14 Academic Year)

Report author: Valerie Herzog Contact Information Phone: x7656 Email: ValerieHerzog@weber.edu

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A. Brief Introductory Statement:

Update the introductory statement online at: http://www.weber.edu/portfolio/hphp_athletictherapy.html as follows: The Athletic Therapy Program is designed for students preparing to pursue graduate study in allied health such as, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician's assistant, and/or medicine. The program was approved by the Weber State University Board of Trustees November 2008 and began matriculating Athletic Therapy majors January 2009. The curriculum provides students a foundation in the health sciences with an emphasis in musculoskeletal injuries. Additionally, students can pursue honors recognition in Athletic Therapy through additional curricular and program requirements. B. Mission Statement

The mission is current online at: http://www.weber.edu/portfolio/athletictherapy_ms.html The mission of the Weber State University Athletic Therapy Program is to provide a quality educational and pre-professional clinical experience for students. Students are presented with didactic and psychomotor experiences that will lead them to being able to exercise sound ethical judgment. The coursework and internships will prepare students for their graduate program of choice and position them to gain admission into these programs.

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C. Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment The learning outcomes are current online at: http://www.weber.edu/portfolio/athletictherapy_slo.html Measureable Learning Outcomes

At the end of their study at WSU, students in the Athletic Therapy program will have a solid foundation in: 1. Educating participants and managing risk for safe performance and function. 2. Implementing standard evaluation techniques and formulating a clinical impression for the determination of a course of action. 3. Employing standard care procedures and communicating outcomes for efficient and appropriate care of the injured. 4. Reconditioning participants for optimal performance and function. 5. Understanding and adhering to approved organizational and professional practices and guidelines to ensure individual and organizational well‐being. Additional Information (if needed)

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D. Curriculum

Update the curriculum map online at: http://www.weber.edu/portfolio/athletictherapy_cg.html as follows: Curriculum Map

Core Courses in Athletic Therapy Program

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AT/HLTH 2300 – Emergency Response E/M AT/PSY 3200 - Psychology of Sport, Injury & Rehabilitation E/M I AT 3300 Evaluation & Care of Musculoskeletal Injuries: Lower Extremities

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AT 3301 Evaluation & Care of Musculoskeletal Injuries: Upper Extremities

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AT 4100 Basic Therapeutic Modalities for Musculoskeletal Injuries

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AT 4101 Advanced Therapeutic Modalities for Musculoskeletal Injuries (optional course)

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AT 4200 Basic Rehabilitation of Musculoskeletal Injuries I E/M AT 4201 Advanced Rehabilitation of Musculoskeletal Injuries (optional course)

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AT 4550 General Medical Conditions and Advances in Athletic Training (optional course)

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AT 4600 Administration & Management in Athletic Training E/M I = introduced, E = emphasized, M = mastery assessed

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Support Courses in Athletic Therapy Program

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HLTH SS1030 Healthy Lifestyles E I HTHS 2240 Introduction to Pharmacology E NUTR LS1020 Foundations in Nutrition E PEP 3500 Kinesiology I PEP 3510 Exercise Physiology I I GERT/PSY 3600 Measurement for Evaluation and Research E PEP 4890 Cooperative Work Experience E E E PSY SS1010 Introductory Psychology I PSY 3010 Abnormal Psychology I ZOOL 2100 Human Anatomy I ZOOL 2200 Human Physiology I

I = introduced, E = emphasized, M = mastery assessed

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E. Assessment Plan

Update the assessment plan online at: http://www.weber.edu/portfolio/athletictherapy_ap.html as follows: The assessment plan is designed to ascertain the level of success in meeting the Program’s Learning Outcomes and Program Learning Goals. Graduates will complete an on-line, anonymous exit survey to assess the graduating students’ impressions with their overall experience in the program as well as their perceptions of its strengths and weaknesses. The exit survey is utilized to track graduate school placement in addition to personal communication with students before and after graduation. Proficiency of students to attain the Program’s Learning Outcomes and Program Learning Goals will be accomplished through the ability of students to achieve the outcomes identified in the outcomes report (a 70% or better on written and oral/practical exams as well as major projects in key courses) as well as earning a ‘B-’ or better in their Athletic Therapy Major Courses and a ‘C’ or better in the Support Courses. Moreover, students are required to maintain a cumulative 3.0 grade point average to maintain their program status. The evaluation of grades and GPA will be conducted each semester by the Program Director. In addition, we track each student’s successful completion of at least one internship experience (3 credits minimum = 180 internship hours) in their future field of study (physical therapy, occupational therapy, medicine, etc.) via their hours log for the course (PEP 4890) as well as their evaluation by their clinical supervisor.

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F. Report of assessment results for the most previous academic year:

a. Evidence of Learning: Courses within the Major – every course required in the major OR at least 20-25% of courses each year)

Evidence of Learning: Courses within the Major Measurable Learning Outcome Students will…

Method of Measurement Direct and Indirect Measures*

Goals Linked to Learning Outcomes

Interpretation of Findings (Did you or did you not meet the goal in the previous column? Include data here)

Action Plan/Use of Results (if you didn’t meet your goal, how are you going to make changes. If you did meet the goal, just put no changes necessary at this time)

Learning Outcome 1.A: Students will educate participants and manage risk for safe performance and function.

Measure 1: AT 4600: Comprehensive Written Final Exam

Measure 1: 90% of students will earn an 70% or better on the exam

Measure 1: 100% of students earned a 70% or better.

Measure 1: No curricular or pedagogical changes needed at this time

Measure 2: PEP 4890: Status Report

Measure 2: 90% of students will demonstrate tasks in patient education.

Measure 2: 90% of students demonstrated tasks in patient education.

Measure 2: No curricular or pedagogical changes needed at this time

Measure 3: PEP 4890: Evaluation by Clinical Site Supervisor

Measure 3: 90% of students will earn an 80% or better in evaluation section on Facilitation

Measure 3: 100% of students earned an 80% or better in evaluation section on Facilitation

Measure 3: No curricular or pedagogical changes needed at this time

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Learning Outcome 2.A: Students will implement standard evaluation techniques and formulate a clinical impression for the determination of a course of action.

Measure 1: AT 3300 – Comprehensive Written Final Exam

Measure 1: 90% of students will earn an 70% or better on the exam

Measure 1: 95% of students earned a 70% or better.

Measure 1: No curricular or pedagogical changes needed at this time

Measure 2: AT 3300 – Comprehensive Oral/Practical Final Exam

Measure 2: 90% of students will earn an 70% or better on the exam

Measure 2: 95% of students earned a 70% or better.

Measure 2: No curricular or pedagogical changes needed at this time

Measure 3: AT 3301 – Comprehensive Written Final Exam

Measure 3: 90% of students will earn an 70% or better on the exam

Measure 3: 100% of students earned a 70% or better.

Measure 3: No curricular or pedagogical changes needed at this time

Measure 4: AT 3301 – Comprehensive Oral/Practical Final Exam

Measure 4: 90% of students will earn an 70% or better on the exam

Measure 4: 95% of students earned a 70% or better.

Measure 4: No curricular or pedagogical changes needed at this time

Learning Outcome 3.A: Students will employ standard care procedures and communicate outcomes for efficient and appropriate care of the injured.

Measure 1: AT 2300 – Comprehensive Written Final Exam

Measure 1: 90% of students will earn an 70% or better on the exam

Measure 1: 100% of students earned a 70% or better.

Measure 1: No curricular or pedagogical changes needed at this time

Measure 2: AT 2300 – Comprehensive Oral/Practical Final Exam

Measure 2: 90% of students will earn an 70% or better on the exam

Measure 2: 100% of students earned a 70% or better.

Measure 2: No curricular or pedagogical changes needed at this time

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Learning Outcome 4.A: Students will recondition participants for optimal performance and function.

Measure 1: AT 4100 – Comprehensive Written Final Exam

Measure 1: 90% of students will earn an 70% or better on the exam

Measure 1: 80% of students earned a 70% or better.

Measure 1: New instructor assigned to this course.

Measure 2: AT 4100 – Comprehensive Oral/Practical Final Exam

Measure 2: 90% of students will earn an 70% or better on the exam

Measure 2: Less than 50% of students earned a 70% or better on first attempt.

Measure 2: New instructor assigned to this course.

Measure 4: AT 4101 – Comprehensive Oral/Practical Final Exam

Measure 4: 90% of students will earn an 70% or better on the exam

Measure 4: Less than 50% of students earned a 70% or better on first attempt.

Measure 4: New instructor assigned to this course.

Measure 5: AT 4200 – Comprehensive Written Final Exam

Measure 5: 90% of students will earn an 70% or better on the exam

Measure 5: 90% of students earned a 70% or better.

Measure 5: No curricular or pedagogical changes needed at this time

Learning Outcome 5.A: Students will understand and adhere to approved organizational and professional practices and guidelines to ensure individual and organizational well‐being.

Measure 1: AT 4600: Comprehensive Written Final Exam

Measure 1: 90% of students will earn an 70% or better on the exam

Measure 1: 100% of students earned a 70% or better.

Measure 1: No curricular or pedagogical changes needed at this time

Measure 2: AT 4600: Facility Project – Policies and Procedures Manuals/Risk Management Plans

Measure 2: 90% of students will earn an 70% or better on the project

Measure 2: 100% of students earned a 70% or better.

Measure 2: No curricular or pedagogical changes needed at this time

*At least one measure per objective must be a direct measure; indirect measures may be used to supplement direct measure(s). Additional Information (if needed)

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b. Evidence of Learning: Clinical Experiences and Service Learning

Evidence of Learning: High Impact Service Learning

Program Learning Goal

Measurable Learning Outcome Students will…

Method of Measurement Direct and Indirect Measures*

Findings Linked to Learning Outcomes

Interpretation of Findings

Action Plan/Use of Results

Goal 1: Students will complete an internship experience to prepare them for the graduate program of their choice.

Learning Outcome 1.A: Each graduating student will complete a minimum of 180 hours in an internship in the field of their choice.

Measure 1: Student internship hour logs document the number of hours completed by each student.

Measure 1: 100% of students will complete a minimum of 180 internship hours.

Measure 1: 95% of graduates completed a minimum of 180 internship hours.

Measure 1: A penalty was added to the PEP 4890 course grade for students who do not complete the contracted number of hours.

Measure 2: Evaluation of student by Clinical Supervisor at internship site.

Measure 2: 100% of students will be evaluated satisfactorily by their clinical supervisor (80% or better overall score).

Measure 2: 100% of students were evaluated by satisfactorily by their clinical instructors (received 80% or better overall score).

Measure 2: No curricular or pedagogical changes needed at this time

* At least one measure per objective must be a direct measure; indirect measures may be used to supplement direct measure(s).

Additional Information (if needed)

c. Evidence of Learning: General Education Courses: There are no general education courses in this program.

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G. Summary of Artifact Collection Procedure – include evidence for every measure in Section F.

Artifact Learning Outcome Measured When/How Collected? Where Stored? Final grades for all classes including final written and final oral/practical exam scores (spreadsheet from Blackboard/Canvas)

1A-5A End of each semester Electronic copies stored on Program Director’s computer

Internship hours logs (from PEP 4890) Clinical Experiences End of each semester Program Director’s File Cabinet in office, in each student’s file.

Internship evaluations (from PEP 4890) Clinical Experiences End of each semester Program Director’s File Cabinet in office, in each student’s file.

Facility Projects 5A End of each semester from course instructor

Electronic copies stored on Program Director’s computer

Summary Information (as needed)

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Appendix A Report of progress on ‘non-learning-outcome recommendations’ from 5 year program review (just conducted in 2013-14):

Date of Program Review: Spring 2014

Recommendation Progress Description

Recommendation 1 Hire additional advising staff

The current academic advisor is shared with all programs in the Department of Health Promotion and Human Performance. The Chair of the Department is aware of increased enrollments in the department, across most program areas, as well as the additional load that this has created for the department’s academic advisor. Last spring the department hired a second secretary. Both secretaries now schedule all advisement appointments with the academic advisement coordinator. There was also an agreement made with department faculty and the advisement coordinator, in April of 2013, that difficult cases such as those involving transfer students would be handled by the program director rather than the advisement coordination. The department chair, in consultation with program faculty when needed also does all the transfer articulation. This is a workload off the advisement coordinator. The Department Chair is currently exploring ways to add either a 50/50 part-time hourly student worker or other additional part-time advisement support. As needs are viewed in light of all the department needs, a vision and plan for the upcoming years will be communication to the Dean of the college.

Recommendation 2 Better communication regarding pre-requisite courses for the various graduate professional programs.

The Athletic Therapy program director met with the academic advisor regarding this issue. We considered creating a detailed list of pre-requisites for each professional field, but realized that it would very difficult to keep the list up-do-date because they often change. The advisor and Program Director will continue to advise pre-physical therapy and pre-occupational therapy students to show them where to find this information online and help them interpret what they find. Pre-physician’s assistant

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students will be referred to Karen Nakaoka, the pre-PA advisor in the College of Science. Pre-medical students will be referred to Jason Fritzler, the pre-med advisor in the College of Science.

Recommendation 3 Most full-time faculty teach overload every semester

The department has hired a fifth, full-time AT faculty member who will begin teaching in the Fall 2014 semester. This would have alleviated some of the overload of the full-time faculty. However, several of the AT faculty choose to teach overload for extra income that it provides and will likely continue to do so.

Recommendation 4 Hire an Athletic Training laboratory coordinator.

Currently, the department budget does not allow for the hiring of this position. The faculty are exploring ways to justify the creation of this position and/or ways to fill it at a lower cost such as an hourly position for a qualified athletic trainer.

Recommendation 5 Establish a formal external committee

The AT faculty have begun exploring the formation of an external advisory committee. One faculty member has agreed to take the lead on this project and will develop a list of potential committee members for approval by the rest of the AT faculty. Tentatively, the committee will consist of all AT faculty, the program’s medical director, and a preceptor from each clinical site category (high school, clinic, university, etc.) The potential committee members will then be contacted to determine their willingness to serve. We anticipate having the AT faculty meet with the committee twice per year, anticipating that our first meeting would occur near the end of the Fall 2014 semester.

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Appendix B Please provide the following information about the full-time and adjunct faculty contracted by your department during the last academic year (summer through spring). Gathering this information each year will help with the headcount reporting that must be done for the final Five Year Program Review document that is shared with the State Board of Regents.

Faculty Headcount 10 With Doctoral Degrees (Including MFA and other terminal degrees, as specified by the institution)

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Full-time Tenured 1 Full-time Non-Tenured (includes tenure-track) 3 Part-time 1 With Master’s Degrees 4 Full-time Tenured 0 Full-time Non-Tenured 0 Part-time 4 With Bachelor’s Degrees 1 Full-time Tenured 0 Full-time Non-tenured 0 Part-time 1 Other 0 Full-time Tenured 0 Full-time Non-tenured 0 Part-time 0 Total Headcount Faculty 10 Full-time Tenured 1 Full-time Non-tenured 3 Part-time 6

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Reflections:

1) Reflecting on this year’s assessment(s), how does the evidence of student learning impact your faculty’s confidence in the program being reviewed; how does that analysis change when compared with previous assessment evidence?

a. To answer this question, compare evidence from prior years to the evidence from the current year. Discuss trends of evidence that increases your confidence in the strengths of the program. Also, discuss trends of concern (e.g. students struggling to achieve particular student outcomes).

During the 2013-14 academic year, the Athletic Therapy Program completed an in-depth program review process. Several issues were identified during the process and the faculty have already begun to implement changes to address these issues. See Appendix A on the previous page for details regarding the suggestions and how we have begun to make adjustments where possible. Overall, our student learning outcomes are being met and are students are successfully entering their graduate programs of choice. We have also submitted program changes through the curriculum process this year to allow more flexibility in elective choices for the Athletic Therapy majors. It has been approved by the College of Education Curriculum Committee and will be reviewed by the University Curriculum Committee later in the month of October.

2) With whom did you share the results of the year’s assessment efforts?

The outcomes results were reviewed and discussed with all full-time Athletic Training/Athletic Therapy faculty members and the Department Chair in the Department of Health Promotion and Human Performance.

3) Based on your program’s assessment findings, what subsequent action will your program take?

The Athletic Training/Athletic Therapy Faculty were satisfied with the outcomes achieved by the Athletic Therapy students during the 2013-14 academic year. Appendix A detailed other changes were are working on including hiring a lab manager, evaluating the advising plan to help students determine the correct prerequisite courses to take, hiring a 5th full-time faculty member, and establishing an external advisory committee.