Humanities
Closing the loop 2007
Student Learning Outcome Assessed:
Demonstrate a broad historical and cultural
awareness in three different disciplines
Desired Outcome:
Students will be familiar with the different
literatures representative of a variety of literary forms and historical
context.
Data Collection:
Student papers from the Humanities Seminar will be
evaluated by the major instructor of each discipline to evaluate whether
the student connected specific texts from each discipline with large
historical and social contexts. The essays will be judged on their
ability to make original connections between the disciplines and the
larger cultural and historical contexts.
Interpretation of the Data:
- Sample papers reflected solid student work, but it would not be
accurate to infer that students consistently understood literary
texts as historically circumscribed artifacts. Theses clearly
reflected the desired outcomes of the major, in that they are
overtly interdisciplinary, move outside the curriculum of Saint
Martin’s and thus imply an interdisciplinary nature to the students’
inquiry.
- Student questionnaires agree that team-taught classes were very
engaging and their major has been relevant to their lives after
graduation. Students locate their learning as an internal experience
rather than a gathering of external knowledge.
- Students become more familiar with themselves and their
intellectual possibilities.
Changes to implement:
- Form a board of study for the major that includes a member of
the History department, as many Humanities students choose history
as one of their three areas.
- Invite graduates to serve on this board.
- Charge the board of study to review HUM299 offerings and
consider more explicit guidelines of expectations and outcomes.
- Charge the board of study to consider articulating new and
relevant outcomes for the graduates who major in Humanities.
- File all HUM299 syllabi, student papers (representative) and
cross-listings for future access and assessment.
- File all senior theses in the Humanities major.
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