Department of History
Assessment Plan
Adopted February 20, 2004
The mission of the
Department of History is to provide the highest possible quality of instruction
in the content, methods and skills of history at both the graduate and
undergraduate levels. In this mission,
the Department prepares historians and teachers with both breadth and depth,
trains students in the discipline of history and acquaints them with the
profession, and promotes a greater public understanding and awareness of the
past. History is thus a cornerstone of a
liberal education.
All contemporary
problems are historical in origin, and the study of history and its
methodologies is therefore critical in problem solving in all areas of human
endeavor. Courses in history help
students in all majors develop critical thinking and writing skills. Designated as a pre- law major in the
The department is
committed to support university efforts to serve
Through numerous course
offerings that cover most of the nations and regions of the world in addition
to the
The Department is
committed to respecting divergent views, for without freedom of expression
history has little value. Engaged in the
pursuit and dissemination of historical knowledge, the Department stands
committed to the highest ethical standards in instruction, research, and
service.
Goals and Objectives
GOAL
1. Students will demonstrate a
broad understanding of historical development, its relationship to the present,
and the methods of historical research.
OBJECTIVE A. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of
the subject areas of history and make accurate connections between developments
in time and place.
OBJECTIVE B. Students will demonstrate the ability to
undertake historical research and interpretation using the methods of the
discipline.
OBJECTIVE C. Students will demonstrate the ability to
recognize the contributions of historical antecedents to the understanding of
current personal, social and political situations and developments.
GOAL 2. Students
will develop critical thinking and writing skills.
OBJECTIVE A. Students will demonstrate the ability to
analyze historical questions and issues clearly and precisely, formulate
historical information accurately, distinguish the relevant from irrelevant,
recognize key questionable historical assumptions, use key historical concepts
effectively, identify relevant competing historical points of view, and reason
carefully from clearly stated historical premises.
OBJECTIVE B. Students will communicate historical thinking
clearly through effective
writing, demonstrating
their comprehension. analysis, critical interrogation and synthesis of a
variety of sources.
GOAL
3. Students will express an
understanding and appreciation of the diversity of cultural experiences.
OBJECTIVE A. Students will demonstrate the ability to
recognize multiple perspectives and appreciate perspectives which produce a
world-view different from one's own.
OBJECTIVE B. Students will demonstrate the ability to use
another perspective to analyze historical events and cultural practices.
GOAL
4. Students will become acquainted
with the profession and its commitment to public outreach.
OBJECTIVE A. Students will use historical language and
methods in keeping with
established professional
usage.
OBJECTIVE B. Students will be given an opportunity to
become acquainted with
professional options
within the discipline and be able to identify the variety of uses for history
in the public sphere.
Undergraduate
Methodology
The Department of History will create
undergraduate student portfolios that may include the following materials:
1. WRITING
SAMPLES.
History majors will contribute
samples of their writing from various stages of the degree program.
-- Faculty teaching the
Methods Seminar (History 2000)--usually taken during the sophomore year) will
contribute copies of student papers from the course.
-- Students will designate
a 4000 level course as their "capstone" and contribute a paper or
project completed in conjunction with the class requirements.
-- Students will choose
a third writing sample for inclusion in the portfolio.
An Assessment Committee,
consisting of undergraduate advisers and faculty teaching the Methods Seminar,
will review the writing samples. Assessments will be scored
according to a general evaluation rubric. (See Appendix A) Scores will be quantified for
purposes of comparison over time.
Additionally, the History
Department will establish a cooperative agreement with
another comparable history department at another university whereby student
portfolios will be exchanged and evaluated by each department. Such outside evaluation will not only provide
a more objective measure of our student’s progress, comparison with
other departments will establish some
benchmarking guidelines for the process.
2. EXIT
INTERVIEW
The Assessment Committee
will prepare an "exit questionnaire" for completion by history majors
enrolled in 4000 level courses during the spring semester of their senior year.
3. TRANSCRIPT.
Assessment Committee
members will provide a brief analysis of the transcript that identifies
patterns in course selection and grades. These can be used to provide a
comprehensive portrait of the major.
Graduate Methodology
The Department of History will begin
tracking the following information:
1.
COMPREHENSIVE
EXAMINATIONS
Students pursuing a
terminal Master’s degree and those seeking a Ph.D. both take comprehensive
examinations upon completing their coursework in the department. These examinations are independently graded
by several members of the department.
These scores will be recorded and archived in a yearly database that
will allow the department to track changes in the performance of our graduate
students over time.
2.
THESES
Students at both the
Master’s and Ph.D. levels research and write theses that are independently
graded and evaluated by a committee of graduate faculty. Faculty will be urged to grade students
according to an established evaluation rubric in addition to their overall
evaluation. These scores, in addition to
the name of the student’s faculty advisor, the student’s years in residence at
UT, and the student’s incoming GRE
scores will be archived in a database and updated yearly.
Timeline:
End
of Spring Semester Student papers
will be requested from professors in HIST 2000 and capstone-designated courses.
Beginning
of Fall Semester The Assessment
committee will meet to evaluate student portfolios.
Mid-Fall
Semester Student
portfolios will be exchanged with cooperating department from a different
university.
End
of Fall Semester Evaluations,
including data on graduate examinations and thesis, will be tabulated and
archived by the department chairperson.
A comparison report will be prepared by the chair of the Curriculum and
Undergraduate Affairs Committee. This
report will be the basis for department-wide discussions of curricular and
programmatic changes.
Assessment
Committee Members: 2003-2004
Theodore
Natsoulas, Chair
William
Hoover
William
O’Neal
Charles
Beatty-Medina
Robert
Smith
Timothy
Messer-Kruse, Department Chair
Draft 2/28/04
Appendix
A
Rubric
for the Evaluation of History Department Student Essays (16 possible points)
|
Level |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
Historical Understanding (Goal 1) |
-
Undeveloped ideas -
Shows little understanding of the topic |
-
Develops a variety of simple ideas - Shows
some understanding of the topic |
-
Presents ideas of some complexity -
Shows understanding of the topic |
-
Develops ideas fully to create greater understanding -
Shows thorough understanding of the topic |
|
Critical Thinking and Writing Skills (Goal 2) |
-
No clear point of view -
Weak vocabulary -
One type of sentence -
There is no clear structure or organization - No
thesis has been stated -
There are several major errors and major omission |
-
Point of view somewhat clear - Contains
some good vocabulary -
Some evidence of structure -
Contains a variety of sentences -
There are several errors and omissions -
A thesis is present but is not clearly expressed |
-
Point of view clearly expressed -
Contains good vocabulary -
Contains a wide variety of sentences -There
are only a few errors and omissions -
Structure is logical and effective -
A thesis is clearly expressed |
-
Point of view clearly and convincingly expressed -
Contains new terminology that supports the work and
a wide variety of sentences effectively used -
Structure supports the thesis and enhances the argument -
Thesis clearly expressed and resolved |
|
Cultural Understanding (Goal 3) |
- No evidence of awareness of multiple
perspectives to events - Inability to state opposing points of view |
-
Vague understanding that other perspectives and arguments exist |
- Clear evidence of understanding that other
perspectives and viewpoints exist but an inability to accurately articulate
them |
- Writing demonstrates fluency of understanding of
multiple perspectives - Evidence of appreciation of cultural diversity |
|
Methods of Historical Research (Goal 1, B) |
-
Rudimentary research undertaken -
No bibliography or sourcing - Little
use of relevant secondary sources |
-
Evidence of research -
Sketchy use of relevant secondary sources -
Bibliography present |
-
Use of both primary and secondary sources -
Bibliography and proper sourcing present |
- Extensive,
appropriate and varied use of both primary and secondary sources used -
Detailed bibliography correctly presented and sophisticated use of quotes
present |