a. Program Name – SPEA Criminal Justice

b. Report prepared by – Barbara Peat

c. Who is the current assessment contact for your program? Barbara Peat

d. Should assessment information be sent to anyone else in your department? Dean Leda Hall

1. What are the program’s educational goals? (Please take goals directly from your program’s assessment plan, and highlight any changes made this year.)

Goals
1. Exhibit an understanding of and the ability to apply criminological theories in explaining social policy and crime
2. Demonstrate the ability to critically analyze public policy issues as they pertain to criminal justice issues
3. Increase knowledge of the structure, function, and operation of police, courts, and corrections
4. Apply basic techniques of research methodology in the study of criminal justice
5. Understand how criminal justice agencies function from a broader perspective of public affairs
6. Demonstrate the ability to apply communication, computer, and mathematical skills to content specific information in criminal justice
7. Demonstrate the ability to integrate various learning experiences from required core courses

2. What assessment techniques did the program use? (Please take assessment techniques directly from your program’s assessment plan and highlight any changes made this year.)

We administer a senior exit survey every semester that J439 (Crime and Public Policy) the capstone course is taught.  We administer the employer and alumni surveys every third year.  We completed this round of surveys in the summer of 2007.  We continued to assess student learning outcomes using a pre/post test strategy in all eight of the required criminal justice courses.  The tests are based on course objectives developed for each of the eight required courses.

3. What has your program done with assessment information this year? (i.e. communicated results to faculty, staff, alumni and students, made changes in the curriculum, made changes in the budget, added new courses. . .)

A report was developed based on the results of the analysis of the surveys as well as the pre/post testing.  The reports were shared with all criminal justice faculty (including adjuncts who teach the required courses) and the Dean.  A meeting will take place in July 2008 to discuss the results and determine any changes needed to the Program.  The results from the pre/post testing was discussed at a meeting in the summer of 2007, attended by all criminal justice faculty who teach the required core courses.  Some modifications to course assignments and lecture material was made based on the results.

4. After reflecting on assessment activities in your unit, as a result of assessment what are two issues you would like to address?

(1) Integration of material throughout the required courses

(2)  Sequence of courses