Kent State University
Assessment of Student Academic Achievement Plan
Sample Academic Department Plan
Department of History

The Department of History will assess the outcomes of its undergraduate History majors through two instruments, administered to graduating seniors - (1) the Major Field Achievement Test prepared by the Educational Testing Service and available through Kent's Office of Academic Assessment and Evaluation Services and (2) a departmentally-developed questionnaire in which graduating seniors will (a) evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the undergraduate History major at Kent and (b) describe their career plans and the relationship between these career plans and their History major. The department's newly-formed Undergraduate Program Committee, chaired by Professor John Jameson, will have primary responsibility for devising methods for the effective administration of these two assessment tools and for analyzing the results. The department Chairperson will assist with these tasks. It is expected that the field examination and the questionnaire will be administered in November to seniors graduating in December a

The major field examination does not fully meet the department's needs because it contains little coverage beyond United States and European history. We on the other hand, require majors to take the two survey courses in World Civilization. In addition, it does not allow or call for the organization of thought and material so that a student might write an essay displaying his/her capacity for understanding and clear exposition. However, the examination is the only currently available, an it is sensible to use it until we can find something better. We ma very well add some of our own questions covering non-Western history. This is a nationally-normed test which will allow us to gauge the performance of our own students in relation to History majors throughout the country and adjust our programs accordingly if that seems advisable. Our second outcomes assessment tool, a questionnaire, will enable us to gain information concerning students' opinions about particular aspects of our program and the program's relat

Our outcomes assessment of graduate students will continue to rely on our records of job and/or further graduate work placement which we have gathered quite consistently over the years. In addition, we try to keep in close contact with our graduate students through the publication and mailing of a yearly departmental Newsletter. They give us their thoughts on our graduate programs with considerable frequency. Through these various devices, the department's Graduate Program Committee and Graduate Faculty are able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of our graduate programs on an on going basis.