Assessment
The Department of Political Science is committed to meaningful assessment activities that guide curricular decisions and extra-curricular activities, enhance the learning environment, and, ultimately, produce high quality graduates who possess the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in their professional and personal lives.
Affinity Diagram
The Affinity Diagram articulates the characteristics the department expects in its graduates, the learning objectives we have for our students, the courses that produce those learning objectives, the methods we use to assess whether those learning objectives have been met, and the corrective measures/actions we have taken to improve based upon our assessment data.
Student Portfolios
Our Student Portfolios are a powerful assessment tool that inform students of degree and major requirements, aid faculty in advising students, connect our major/degree requirements to student success, encourage students to participate in curricular and extracurricular opportunities, demonstrate student growth and development over time, and facilitate building a strong resume.
Writing Portfolio
Presentation Portfolio
Internationalization Portfolio
Civic Engagement/Service Learning Portfolio
Grading Rubrics
Through the use of common grading rubrics we communicate performance expectations to students and provide meaningful performance feedback.
Writing Grading Rubric
Presentation Grading Rubric
Civic Engagement/Service Learning Grading Rubric
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
The Department of Political Science is pleased to have evidence of success via student responses on the National Survey of Student Engagement.
In 2010, compared to all departments on campus, our students rated Political Science #2 for Enriching Educational Experiences and #4 for Student-Faculty Interaction.
Scholarship
Our faculty have shared our assessment efforts with colleagues across our own and other disciplines through scholarship and publication.
Publications
Shala Mills, Bryan Bennett,
Lawrence Gould, Chris Crawford, “A Model for Integrating Assessment Across an Undergraduate Political Science Major ,”
Assessment Update, vol. 21, no. 6 (Nov.-Dec. 2009)
Shala Mills and Bryan Bennett, “y cant they rite?: Integrating Writing Assessment Across the
Undergraduate Political Science Major ,” Academic Leadership, The Online Journal, vol.
7, issue 2 (May 2009)
Presentations
Shala Mills and Bryan Bennett, “y cant they
rite?: Integrating Writing Assessment
Across the Undergraduate Political Science Major,” American Political Science Association
Teaching and Learning Conference (San Jose, February 2008)
Poster Presentation
Shala Mills and Chapman Rackaway, “Building
a Comprehensive Assessment Program at the Department Level,” American
Association of Colleges and Universities (Denver, October 2007)
For more information about institutional assessment, visit the FHSU AQIP page.