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SACS/COC Fifth-Year Interim Report, Part III. Integrative Life Sciences (Ph.D.). VCU Life Sciences has one representative on the Assessment Council, Dr. Herschell Emery, Director, Undergraduate Curricula. According to our external consultant, all programs in VCU Life Sciences that have entered an assessment plan in WEAVEonline meet or exceed the university’s threshold requirements for assessing student learning (see VCU Life Sciences scorecard). VCU Life Sciences does not yet have an assessment plan in WEAVEonline for the certificate program in Environmental Sciences. However, as noted in previous sections, 2008-2009 is the first year that VCU required assessment plans for certificate programs. Overall, programs in VCU Life Sciences made improvements in their assessment plans during the 2008- 2009 cycle and are performing reasonably well. For example, the Environmental Studies, B.S. program increased the specificity of its student learning objectives and replaced weaker measures with direct, rubric-based measures. In addition, all three Bioinformatics programs streamlined their student learning objectives (reducing them from 20 or more to five or six) and strengthened their measures. Further work is needed to improve measures in a few programs. The Integrative Sciences, Ph.D. could strengthen its assessment plan by using scoring rubrics and providing evidence of inter-rater reliability for the comprehensive exam and the dissertation and by eliminating measures that are based on course grades. In its report for 2008-2009, the Bioinformatics, B.S. program discussed the impetus for overhauling its assessment approach. The program recognized that its previous assessment plan “proved inadequate and unwieldy” and that improving the effectiveness of its assessment scheme “will lead ultimately to improved learning outcomes.” The program described a new measure to assess students’ skills in the capstone course: Biennial assessment of seniors’ skill levels as demonstrated in the capstone course (BNFO 420 “Applications of Bioinformatics”). The assessment team will include a minimum of two qualified individuals (course instructors, program faculty, graduate teaching assistant) and will focus assessment on each student’s final written project presentation and on the corresponding oral presentation which includes an opportunity for the team to ask follow-up questions of students. The Committee will review the presentations (both written and oral) following the elements described in the attached rubrics affording a means of inter-rater reviewer reliability. Student performance will be assessed to be exemplary, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory. School of Medicine The School of Medicine has 30 degree programs, all of which have current student learning outcomes assessment plans in WEAVEonline, as required by VCU. In addition, the Medicine, M.D. program also meets the Liaison Committee on Medical Education related accreditation standards for student learning outcomes (Standards ED-1, ED-1-A, ED-35, and ED-37). The School of Medicine has two representatives on the VCU Assessment Council. Ms. Kathleen Kreutzer, Assistant Professor, represents the M.D. program and Dr. Jan Chlebowski, Associate Dean for Graduate Education, represents the other 29 degree programs. Our external consultant’s review of these programs shows that, collectively, the faculty reports demonstrate that student learning goals, objectives, measures, and targets are defined for all programs, and that findings are being used for program improvement (see School of Medicine Virginia Commonwealth University P a g e | 20
SACS/COC Fifth-Year Interim Report, Part III. scorecard). Some of the programs could improve their work around inter-rater reliability and two of the certificate programs could refine their student learning objectives. The School of Medicine’s performance in assessment is strong overall. There is some variation in the strength of the 30 degree programs’ assessment plans, as the following examples illustrate. The Human Genetics, Ph.D. shows a well-articulated plan and it provides very thoughtful responses to the analysis questions: PH.D. students have continued to meet required programmatic benchmarks at levels that have met expectations. The implementation of a core course in human and molecular genetics has permitted PhD students to focus upon laboratory training related to their area of specialization at an earlier point in their training that [sic] was possible previously. The implementation of a policy which permits PhD students who performed in the core human and molecular genetics courses to prepare a written research proposal in lieu of a written comprehensive examination has permitted these students to spend more time thinking about the problem that their dissertation research will focus upon and has fostered increased creativity. The Medicine, M.D. program’s plan is strong, but could incorporate inter-rater reliability in its scoring of student products. This program’s reporting also illustrates the influence of external accrediting bodies on curricula and, therefore, student learning outcomes assessment: Although our results have been satisfactory for desired outcomes, as mentioned earlier we are reorganizing our curriculum with the goal of more interactive teaching, more patient-centered learning, and better integration of subject matters. This is in response, in part, to changing priorities from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, our accrediting body, as well as the Institute of Medicine and the Association of American Medical Colleges. This process began in spring of 2008 and will continue until the new curriculum is introduced in 2012. As part of this process we are identifying new program objectives as well as outcome measures and assessments that reflect the goals of the new curriculum; some of these will be available in the 2009-2010 cycle. The Biochemistry Certificate program has a basic plan in place, but it needs strengthening by clearly specifying the learning objectives, the source of evidence for the measures, and how inter-rater reliability will be calculated. The six certificate programs in the School of Medicine eventually will be consolidated into one interdisciplinary program called the Pre-Medical Health Science Certificate, approved by SCHEV. For this new certificate program, the goal and one key learning objective have already been reported in WEAVEonline, and further work is planned: Because no students were enrolled in 2008-2009, there are no findings for that cycle. After the structure of this certificate program is finalized, the assessment plan will be completed. Appropriate measures will be identified, and data will be collected after students are enrolled. The faculty will implement a process to ensure continuous improvement. Virginia Commonwealth University P a g e | 21
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