MSCHE/ACOE Self Study

Students have the opportunity to evaluate all aspects of courses (lecture, lab, examinations, guest lecturers, etc) using surveys with multiple choice type answers and open ended questions. The results are tabulated and distributed to the instructor of record (course coordinators), appropriate department chair and dean for academic affairs. Beginning in 2009-2010 and going forward, the course surveys, which were previously administered using printed Scantron forms, have been web-based (CoursEval). Appendices B-1a, B-1b, B-1c, B-1d and B-1e have samples of surveys employed for lecture/lab courses and clinic rotations. In addition to these formal course surveys, the dean periodically conducts web- based surveys on specific issues. These have been especially helpful in the implementation of the professional program’s new curriculum (described later in this section) starting in fall 2008. Examples of such surveys can be found in Appendices B-2a and B-2b. The dean typically meets with each professional class twice a semester to hear student concerns and answer questions. Once a semester, the dean meets with student officers and department chairs. The officers are asked to identify problems and give suggestions concerning courses, instructors, and curriculum. These meetings are used to facilitate solutions working with the department chairs. After the term has ended, the outcomes of these meetings are discussed at Track Coordinator meetings, which are open to the Faculty, and disseminated to the pertinent instructors of record as needed. (Curricular tracks and track coordinators are discussed below.) There are four student representatives (one from each class) on the Curriculum Committee who collectively have one vote (out of 9). These students bring new ideas to the committee and have the opportunity to participate in discussions of all proposed curricular changes. They play an important liaison function by bringing curricular proposals back to their classmates for discussion and sharing the results of these discussions with the Curriculum Committee. Student input regarding the curriculum is additionally obtained through the campus-wide student surveys that are conducted about every five years (please see 2010 Student Survey in Appendix B-3). (Consideration is being given to conducting annual exit surveys.) Results from these surveys are used in conjunction with the course and dean’s surveys. Alumni are also periodically surveyed to determine their views on the curriculum (please see 2010 Alumni Survey in Appendix B-4).

In the most recent alumni survey, 92% of respondents (n = 512) strongly agree or agree that “The professional program at SUNY fulfilled my goals.”

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