2016-2017 Assessment Data

Student Learning Outcome Assessment Data

2016-2017 Learning Outcomes Assessment Results – Department of Horticulture, Undergraduate Courses (HRT)

Learning Outcome	Class Evaluated	Assessment Results*
1. Apply concepts of horticulture science to select, manage, and improve plants and their products	HRT 493	4.0
2. Demonstrate competence with laboratory and/or field-based technologies used in modern horticulture	HRT 493	4.2
3. Anticipate and recognize problems, identify causes of these problems, quantify potential impacts, analyze options, identify viable solutions, and evaluate actions and consequences of treatments and interventions	HRT 493	4.1
4. Describe social, spiritual, and cultural importance of plants to historical and contemporary communities of people	HRT 203 HRT 361	94.7% 82.7%
5. Use multiple sources, including current and older literature, to find, evaluate, organize, and manage information related to horticultural systems
6. Identifies and applies, as appropriate, quantitative methods for defining and responding to horticultural problems.
7. Understand how global issues including climate change, energy use, water availability, and/or food safety impact sustainability of horticultural systems locally, nationally, and globally
8. Apply principles of accounting, business law, labor, marketing, and personnel management to a horticultural business and contribute to developing various components of a business plan	HRT 404	71.4%
9. Demonstrate professionalism and proficiency in skills that relate to horticulture through leadership and the ability to collaborate and work in teams	HRT 404	89.3%
10. Develop thoughtful, clear, and consistent perspectives on ethical and moral issues related to horticulture	HRT 404	92.9%
11. Communicate effectively with various audiences using oral, written, and visual presentation skills, and contemporary networking/social media technologies	HRT 493 HRT 404	4.1 85.7%
12. Quantify economic importance of plants in managed ecosystems and the impact of horticultural crops in food systems	HRT 404	89.3%

*Results with a percentage (%) indicate the percentage of students who received 75% or more on a given assessment. Our goal is that 80% of our students will receive a grade of 75% or better. Other results are the average of a Likert scale of 1 (unsatisfactory) to 5 (outstanding) where the goal is to be 4 or higher.

2016 Employer Evaluation of Student Interns

Of the 31 BS Horticulture students participating in internships during the Summer 2017 semester, 13 employers responded to two voluntary surveys. The first survey evaluated the individual student’s performance on the job and questions were asked on a Likert 5-point scale (where 1=unsatisfactory and 5=outstanding; Figure 1). Average student scores for the ten metrics were all above a score of 4 (‘Very Good’ or better), indicating our students have a positive attitutude towards work, exhibit excellent work initiative and professionalism, produce high quality work, are adaptable, dependable and cooperative.

Figure 1. 2016 Indirect Measurements of Student Learning Outcomes: Employer Evaluation of Student Interns (n=13).

The second employer survey asked student supervisor’s to evaluate MSU’s horticulture program as it pertains to preparing students to work in the industry and questions were asked on a Likert 5-point scale (where 1=unsatisfactory and 5=outstanding; Figure 2). Average program scores for the four metrics were all a score of 4 (‘Very Good’) or better, indicating our students are prepared for industry work, have demonstrated competence with lab/field-based technologies, are able to anticipate, recognize, and solve problems, and are able to communicate effectively in the work environment.

ProgramEval

Figure 2. 2016 Indirect Measurements of Student Learning Outcomes: Employer Evaluation of MSU’s Horticulture Program (n=13).

May 2017 Graduating Seniors Survey: Self-Reported Results

The annual student survey data was administered in April and May 2017. Results of the student self-reported assessment results are shown below, where the goal is for 80% of our students to report 4+ on a scale of 1 (strong disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). This question was only asked to those students who indicated they were graduating in Spring or Summer 2017 (n=20).

Rate your agreement to the following statement*

My horticulture degree educated/trained me to....	Average Score*
1. Apply concepts of horticulture science to select, manage, and improve plants and their products	4.05
2. Demonstrate competence with laboratory and/or field-based technologies used in modern horticulture	3.4
3. Anticipate and recognize problems, identify causes of these problems, quantify potential impacts, analyze options, identify viable solutions, and evaluate actions and consequences of treatments and interventions	4.1
4. Describe social, spiritual, and cultural importance of plants to historical and contemporary communities of people	3.42
5. Use multiple sources, including current and older literature, to find, evaluate, organize, and manage information related to horticultural systems	4.05
6. Identifies and applies, as appropriate, quantitative methods for defining and responding to horticultural problems.	4.05
7. Understand how global issues including climate change, energy use, water availability, and/or food safety impact sustainability of horticultural systems locally, nationally, and globally	4.10
8. Apply principles of accounting, business law, labor, marketing, and personnel management to a horticultural business and contribute to developing various components of a business plan	3.37
9. Demonstrate professionalism and proficiency in skills that relate to horticulture through leadership and the ability to collaborate and work in teams	3.7
10. Develop thoughtful, clear, and consistent perspectives on ethical and moral issues related to horticulture	3.75
11. Communicate effectively with various audiences using oral, written, and visual presentation skills, and contemporary networking/social media technologies	3.75
12. Quantify economic importance of plants in managed ecosystems and the impact of horticultural crops in food systems	4.3