Fiscal Year 1996-1997 Introduction
This summary report for the University of South Carolina Columbia includes:
The following remaining components will be submitted to the Commission on Higher Education by the date annotated:
The Commission on Higher Education is responsible for reporting the following components:
1. General Education
This component was last submitted to the Commission on Higher Education in July, 1996. Based on the institution's schedule of reporting, a report for this component will be submitted next to the Commission on Higher Education in July, 2000.
2. Majors or Concentrations
Majors and concentrations provide students with specialized knowledge and skills. Primary responsibility for assessing the major falls to academic departments and programs and external accrediting agencies, where applicable.
Assessment of majors submitted as interim reports at the midpoint of either an accreditation or a South Carolina Commission on Higher Education program review cycle from the following areas are described in the current report: Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Classics, Computer Engineering, Criminal Justice, Electrical Engineering, French, German, Italian, Linguistics, Mechanical Engineering, Public Administration, Social Work, Spanish.
Assessment of majors submitted as part of accreditation or a South Carolina Commission on Higher Education program review from the following areas are described in the current report: Alcohol & Drug Studies, Cert.; Biological Sciences,BS/MS/PhD; Biomedical Sciences, PhD; Biostatistics, MPH/MSPH/PhD/DrPH; Education, Environmental Health Science, MSPH/MPH/PhD/DrPH; Epidemiology, MPH/MSPH/PhD/DrPH; Genetic Counseling, MS; Health Care Administration, MHA; Health Promotion/Education, MPH/MSPH/PhD/DrPH; Marine Sciences, BS/MS/PhD; Medical Laboratory Tech, BSMT; Public Health Administration, MPH/DrPH; Public Health, General, MPH; Rehabilitation Counseling, MRC; Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, PhD; Speech Pathology, MSP.
A complete assessment report for each major can be found in the full Institutional Effectiveness Report on file with the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and the University of South Carolina Columbia Office of Institutional Planning and Analysis. This summary will briefly highlight some of the major assessment findings of the reports and sample the changes that these results have brought about.
Assessment Methods Used by Academic Units Submitting Interim Reports
| Method | Department | |||||||
| Engineering | Criminal Justice | French and Classics | German | Linguistics | Public Administration | Social Work | Spanish and Italian | |
| Student Satisfaction | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Student Need | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||
| Student Evaluation of Teaching | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Job Placement | X | X | X | X | ||||
| Program Evaluation | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||
| Faculty Need | X | X | X | X | ||||
| Employer Satisfaction | X | X | X | |||||
| Alumni Satisfaction | X | X | ||||||
| Withdrawing Student | X | |||||||
| Student Perception | X | X | X | X | ||||
| Student Attitude | X | X | X | |||||
| Program Attrition | X | X | X | |||||
| Faculty Satisfaction | X | X | ||||||
| "High Risk" Student | X | X | ||||||
| Major Field Testing | X | X | X | |||||
| Service Evaluation | X | X | X | |||||
| Transfer Tracking | X | X | ||||||
| General Education Testing | X | |||||||
| Minimum Competency Testing | X | X | X | X | ||||
| Program Admission Testing | X | X | X | X | X | |||
| Certification Testing | X | X | X | |||||
| Prelicensing Testing | X | |||||||
| Faculty Evaluation of Teaching | X | X | X | X | X | |||
Criminal Justice
The primary method of assessment is student evaluation of teaching. As one of the final exercises in all criminal justice classes students are asked their perception of faculty classroom performance. This includes measure of student satisfaction of faculty interest in teaching, availability for advising, and enthusiasm for learning knowledge of the field. In addition, the College assesses student satisfaction and alumni satisfaction on a yearly cycle. In cooperation with the USC Office of Institutional Planning and Analysis, the College tracks transfer students.
Engineering
College-wide assessment activity includes:
The Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Writing Center project incorporates assessment of student writing to guide development of writing instruction and development of writing assessment strategies and tools for use in engineering education. Initially, the project staff used traditional methods of assessing writing to analyze essays written by students in ECE 201, a sophomore lab course within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. These traditional methods proved inadequate for assessing students' readiness to write structured reports summarizing experiential data. Assessment tools and methods more appropriate for use in the engineering setting are being developed by the Writing Center staff. Such tools will identify students' knowledge of academic genre (forms of writing) and principles of synthesizing and organizing data for various audiences and purposes.
In addition to developing techniques for assessing writing abilities of engineering students, the ECE Writing Center project is currently developing plans for integrating writing assessment into the engineering curriculum. With guidance from the ECE Department, the ECE Writing Center will study and recommend ways to incorporate student portfolio assessment into its planning for improved student retention and performance.
French and Classics
All graduating French majors take a written exit examination, which tests their reading comprehension skills and their ability to write grammatically correct, idiomatic French. There is no discernable difference between students who have studied abroad and those who have not, in terms of reading comprehension. in terms of writing skills, students who have been abroad are almost always more successful. Outcomes on these tests have been correlated with students' experiences studying abroad and have been useful for identifying appropriate foreign study opportunities for other students at earlier stages of the program, such as FREN 350, Summer Study in France.
All graduating seniors are given an individual interview in French by a faculty member, who rates oral proficiency. Graduating French majors who have not been abroad often lack the necessary oral proficiency for continuing graduate study or to become French teachers. In 1994 a new course was created, FREN 510, L'Actualité française. This course is designed to use current events to help students practice speaking skills and improve oral proficiency. It is recommended for incoming graduate students.
German
The faculty regularly meets to review and assess every course offered by the department. Students' input is considered. Students' proficiency is tested at entry into the program and before graduation. Teachers' evaluations are administered for every course. Periodic peer evaluations are done.
After each assessment, steps are taken immediately to improve the situation, for instance books and testing instruments are changed.
Linguistics
In 1995-96, a survey conducted under the auspices of the program's curriculum committee indicated a need for more courses in Second Language Acquisition. In response to this student demand, the program has expanded the number of courses in SLA and hired a tenure-track professor in 1996-97 and a one year visiting professor in 1997-98 in this area. Classes throughout the program tend to be relatively small, allowing for a good deal of interaction between faculty and students. In 1997-98, the program will institute annual surveys of student need and satisfaction.
Public Administration
Since the fall of 1994, the department has assessed student perceptions of all aspects of the MPA program. These data are collected on a standardized evaluation form during the last semester of a students's course work. The data cover a range of issues, but are primarily focused on the coherence of course work in the program and the relevance of the MPA course work to job experiences and placements. The exit surveys reveal quite clearly the strengths and weakness of specific courses, as well as the overall coherence of material presented throughout the program. The exit surveys have played an important role in program development. The department has used the information collected from these surveys as the basis for several program changes, including the re-naming of some courses and the re-focusing of others. The department has also used the data to guide discussions of overall program developments.
Every semester, students assess faculty teaching in the MPA program. This information is collected on a standardized teaching evaluation form by the GINT department and analyzed by GINT faculty and staff. After the end of the semester, this information is then returned to individual faculty members and it becomes part of the department's permanent files. The teaching evaluations of faculty are extremely useful instruments. They identify the teaching strengths and weaknesses of individual faculty members and the overall patterns of teaching performance within the MPA program and the GINT department. Since the teaching evaluations become a part of individual faculty records, they are used in the annual faculty review process, as well as the tenure and promotion review process. Based upon these evaluations, some faculty have been encouraged to strengthen their teaching skills in particular classes. And, in some cases, faculty have been moved to other classes.
Since the fall of 1994, the MPA program has assessed our advisement of students on a regular, systematic basis. We administer evaluations of the process at each pre-advisement session every fall and spring semester. These advisement evaluations play an important role in course scheduling. They are used to determine when core/required courses should be offered and when elective courses should be scheduled. Based upon the feedback from these advisement evaluations, we have developed a fairly routine schedule of courses to be offered in our program. This has facilitated student planning as well as faculty development of new and existing courses.
Social Work
The faculty conducted a thorough evaluation of the MSW program in fall, 1996 - spring, 1997. This evaluation included gathering data from alumni, employers, students, and experts in the fields. Additionally. a consultant was employed to assist in evaluating the program. It was determined that modifications are needed in our master of social work degree program. While the basic focus of the program is still appropriate, changes in the field of human services have suggested certain curriculum modifications. The faculty of the College have begun restructuring the curriculum. This process will continue throughout the 1997-98 academic year, and a new curriculum should be in place by the following year. This change will take place in a timely fashion, given the fact that the program will be reviewed for reaffirmation of accreditation in the year 2000.
Students evaluate all courses taught in the College of Social Work using a standardized form (Hudson Scales).Student teaching evaluations provide a primary means of assessing the teaching effectiveness of each faculty member. The results of student evaluations are provided to each faculty member to enable him/her to improve teaching performance. In addition, this material is used for the purposes of annual peer review and annual administrative review. At each of these levels the student evaluations are used to help the reviewers make recommendations for improvement to the individual faculty members under review. Finally. student evaluations are used for purposes of tenure and promotion review. If a faculty member does not demonstrate success in the classroom, he/she will not be given favorable consideration for tenure or promotion.
In reviewing it's MSW program during the 1996-97 academic year, the College gathered data from the major employers of social workers in South Carolina. It was determined that employers are pleased with the quality of the graduates produced by our master's degree program. Some employers made suggestions for curriculum changes. The College is currently undergoing curriculum modification, and suggestions from the employers of our graduates are being incorporated in these revisions. Attrition is examined each semester and in the annual review of data for the accrediting body. Only a very small percentage of students leave the program. The majority of attrition is due to personal issues in students' lives such as health and family problems. The College continues to examine regularly the very small attrition rate due to academic issues.
All faculty, other than tenured full professors, are evaluated by their peers during the spring of each year. This evaluation includes an assessment of teaching effectiveness. Individual faculty members are provided written feedback from their peer reviewers. The objective of the peer reviews is to enable each faculty member to improve his/her performance in the area of teaching (as well as research and service). This process has enabled faculty to become more effective classroom teachers and, consequently, the quality of the MSW and PhD programs has been improved.
Spanish and Italian
On-going review of both undergraduate and graduate course offerings has brought about significant changes in both programs. Undergraduate course descriptions have been updated, courses have been dropped, and new courses, including professions oriented courses have been added to better meet the varied needs of students. One section of SP I25, a Maymester course is now offered for Criminal Justice majors and another section is offered for Medical Personnel and SP 513 provides training in Professional and Technical Translation. An Intensive Major program and a Capstone Course were also initiated to encourage excellence in student performance. Through advising and informal conversation with students, the faculty learned that there was an apparent need for such courses. Follow-up discussions with the School of Criminal Justice and the Department of Nursing confirmed this interest and further indicated interest on the part of administrators and advisors in these units. These courses are now being offered to better prepare students in these professional areas to deal with diverse clients, specifically, Hispanics
Under the direction of a new Graduate Director, the Graduate Committee undertook a complete review of the M.A.T. program and the M.A. program. The committee revised the Faculty Handbook section on these programs, the Graduate Student Handbook, the required Reading List for both programs, and the Comprehensive Examinations for both programs. The committee also restructured itself, forming a Graduate Advisory Committee to assist the graduate Director in evaluating applications, student appeals, and solving whatever problems arise. Students responded well to the changes saying that having a committee act on their requests gave them a sense of fairness and objectivity.
The Director of Undergraduate Programs requested assistance from additional faculty in advising major students, so that students would receive more time and attention and have the opportunity to discuss career plans as well as scheduling. Volunteers were called for, and four faculty members responded. Each was assigned ten undergraduate majors to counsel. Students responded well to this increased individual attention.
Assessment Used by Academic Units Submitting Program Reviews
College of Education
The Unit is recruiting, retaining, and graduating quality students of diverse backgrounds. The reason for this continued vitality of the student body is that the Unit has consciously worked to improve its student/Unit working relationships over the past half decade. This has been accomplished through a) revising all program admission policies and procedures, b) increasing the use of technology, c) diversifying the faculty, d) developing a central point for monitoring student progress and providing student information, e) bringing realism to the preparation process, f) institutionalizing more completely the conceptual models of the Professional Educator and Professional Educator as Leader, g) extending recruitment of prospective teachers into middle and high schools, h) totally revising the advisement process at the basic level and i) encouraging, promoting, and providing an environment of intellectual vitality.
Since the last accreditation visit in 1990, the Unit has continued to refine and enhance its student recruitment, admissions, and retention processes at both the initial and advanced levels. Programs throughout the Unit continue to use and refine the comprehensive assessment systems in place to evaluate the qualifications of candidates seeking admission to the Unit. Similarly, ongoing efforts continue to be made to recruit, admit, and maintain a diverse student body. Monitoring the progress of students and quality advisement remain high priorities among the basic and advanced Unit faculty. As important, Unit programs have continued to improve the methodology for ensuring that, prior to recommendation for licensure, candidates are competent to assume their professional roles in schools. The Unit is proud of the progress it has made with "candidates in professional education" during the past half decade and is already planning for even greater advances in this area as we approach the twenty-first century.
School of Medicine:
Biomedical Sciences, PhD
Assessment results have been used to increase efforts in attracting prepared and qualified applicants. Assessment results are also used in an ongoing review of the curriculum. The Graduate Committee has, with basic science faculty approval, recently modified the curriculum to broaden interdisciplinary course offerings and to incorporate additional opportunities for oral and written communication. A faculty strategic planning process is currently underway evaluating the curriculum and considering modifications to increase relevance of the training program to current and anticipated needs in the profession.
Data from student evaluations are shared with relevant course directors, faculty and chairs. This information is used as part of the faculty member's annual review and for consideration in tenure and promotion. This feedback coupled with programs to improve teaching result in a strengthened educational experience with students.
Genetic Counseling, MS
In anticipation of Commission on Higher Education review in 1996-1997 and American Board of Genetic Counseling Accreditation review in 2000, the primary faculty of the Program completed a comprehensive analysis of the Program over the first six months of 1996. The process included routine assessment procedures and a survey of the graduates eliciting documentation of their professional endeavors and opinion on the effectiveness of the Program content. The data was utilized in a June 1996 Curriculum Workshop in which the primary faculty worked to update the didactic curriculum to meet the needs of graduating genetic counselors. The recently published "Requirements for Graduate Programs Seeking Accreditation by the American Board of Genetic Counseling" (January 1996) guided the effort in preparing the Program for full accreditation review. The following self-study data and accompanying narrative with appendices addresses each of the ABGC Requirements as they relate to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Genetic Counseling Program.
The Program methods for continuous assessment include course and instructor evaluations, clinical rotation evaluations, exit interviews with students, performance of graduates on the certification examinations, etc. In each area, with the ABGC-defined clinical competencies as training goals, evaluation includes the Program's ability to build student competence. For instance, the clinical rotation evaluation forms are built around the assessment of student competence. The Program plans to initiate in the 1996-1997 academic year a survey to employers for feedback on the preparedness of graduates for clinical work.
Rehabilitation Counseling, MRC
In 1992-93 the University of South Carolina undertook a major review of its academic programs. To a large extent, the review was directed at finding ways of downsizing to enable the University to cope with decreasing state appropriations. During that process, the College of Education, where the Rehabilative Counseling Program had been located, decided to narrow its mission by focusing on teacher education and other school-related programs. Because the Rehabilitation Counseling Program was considered to fall outside of the newly defined mission, it was recommended that a realignment with a more compatible academic unit be sought. Otherwise, the Program was destined to be phased out. Possible alternatives were explored, and after considerable negotiation, on July 1, 1994, the Program was administratively transferred to the University's School of Medicine. The transfer was completed in mid-June of 1995 when the Program operations were physically moved to School of Medicine facilities. The Program is now part of the Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science.
The realignment and surrounding circumstance have necessitated that the Program's curriculum be revised and that its policies and procedures be extensively rewritten to conform to those of the School of Medicine. The Program faculty have been preoccupied with those tasks for the past year and a half and had to forgo student follow-up and numerous other usual routine activities because of the lack of time. However, at the end of the fall , 1996 semester, the vast majority of the changes were made and implemented.
The Rehabilitation Counseling Program's assessment plan has only recently been developed. Consequently, outcome data is not yet available.
School of Public Health:
The School of Public Health has an extensive evaluation program that includes all constituent members: students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and the community. A School-based Evaluation Committee chaired by the associate dean oversees and monitors the evaluation process. The evaluation program utilizes numerous methods and tools to evaluate its effectiveness in teaching, research, and service.
Most of the assessment results are used in ongoing review of curriculum and are discussed at department's annual faculty retreat. Data from assessment instruments are analyzed by the Office of the Associate Dean and shared with Department Chairs through the Administrative Council. Chairs, in turn, share the data with their respective faculties. Faculty consider evaluations, other responses from faculty and students, and input from employers/research mentors in identifying courses that need to be modified or developed in order to better meet the needs of students and their employers. This information is also used in recommending modifications to programs of study for each degree program. Course evaluations and faculty involvement with student research are used as part of each faculty member's annual review to discuss potential modifications that would improve the students' educational experience.
As a part of the recent CEPH review, measurable outcome objectives were developed for the School of Public Health. The School will be assessing these objectives for the first time during the 1996-97 academic year. In addition, the School is in the process of developing a computerized management information system for each department and for the School as a whole. This should be completed by the summer of 1997.
College of Science & Mathematics:
Biological Sciences, BS, MS, PhD
While the results of individual course surveys indicates that the overall quality of instruction within the Department of Biological Sciences is high, it was clear from our past five year assessment of the undergraduate curriculum that the breadth of training our students was receiving was not optimal. In response to these results we have made significant changes in both the Introductory and Upper Division core curriculum. These changes were specifically designed to minimize duplication of instruction while at the same time insuring that all students graduating from USC with a degree in the Biological Sciences are broadly trained in the major subdisciplines of the Biological Sciences. In particular we identified that some students were graduating with significant weakness in Genetics, Physiology and Plant Biology. Since it is the intent of our program to discourage specialization at too early a stage in the education of our students, we have added requirements for these courses to our curriculum. We also realized that many students were avoiding key intermediate level core courses until their Senior year. This meant that they were not optimally prepared for other more advanced courses and thus instructors were forced to take time from their planned instructional program to review what should have been prior base knowledge. To address this problem a progression requirement was instituted with students now required to take a minimum of two of the three core courses before proceeding to the upper division courses. The success of these changes will be the subject of another review in the year 2000.
Marine Sciences, BS, MS, PhD
In response to student evaluations, exit interviews, and general comments by current students, we have enhanced programmatic offerings in the areas of geographical information systems and environmental policy. New courses in the Department of Geography are allowed to count for Marine Science major credit, and a new course, Science and Environmental Policy, has been introduced into the curriculum. A proposal has been written to construct additional GIS facilities in the Marine Science laboratories; although not funded, the proposal is being resubmitted. More than ever, students are demanding opportunities to perform research at the undergraduate level, and we are responding by developing a variety of research internship programs, incorporating research skills development into core laboratories, and supporting research projects performed by marine science student groups.
Students have demanded increasing use of modern technology in their basic courses, and with the advent of a laboratory fee and the Opportunity to move into new facilities, we have significantly enhanced the technical capabilities of our laboratories. Marine Science laboratories are now equipped with several Pentium computers which allow us to teach students modern methods of data gathering and analysis. These computers are also tied into the World Wide Web, which allows students to obtain oceanographic data directly from satellite feeds. Students also seek more opportunities in combining marine science with environmental health, public health and education. We are addressing this at the graduate level, but not yet for undergraduates, because these are graduate programs at USC.
In the future, we need to continue to revise and upgrade laboratory exercises in our core courses. Advisement has always been a strength of the Marine Science Program, but with the advent of new interdisciplinary emphases and addition of new faculty, we must continue to make our advisement comprehensive and timely. We also continue to seek ways to provide field and research experiences to our undergraduates.
Medical Laboratory Tech, BSMT
The College Student Experience Questionnaire and Senior Survey are two research efforts by the University of South Carolina to gain insights into students' evaluation of advisement, major, overall collegiate experience as well as their relationships with faculty. These surveys are administered approximately every two years. Briefly, results of these surveys reveal; "Nearly 90% reported they were satisfied with USC in general..." (ABSTRACT, 1994 Senior Survey, 1994) A significant goal of the College of Science and Mathematics is to enhance the undergraduate educational experience; results of surveys like those mentioned above reveal areas for improvement as well as strengths. The College has targeted undergraduate advisement as one area where the faculty and staff of the College will strive to enhance the advisement experience.
The College of Science and Mathematics routinely analyzes at the end of each semester the graduation rates by major and the academic progress of its students; other pertinent information is routinely handled via faculty meetings, departmental meetings and by committee. Proposed changes may be initiated from within a department of the College or from any point within the infrastructure; a staff committee already exists with representatives from each department to circulate ideas, changes and suggestions among the College's faculty and staff A College newsletter is planned to help communicate "...goals and achievements..." to members of the University, alumni, and the larger South Carolina community (Strategic Plan, College of Science and Mathematics, p.12)
The Medical Technology Program was evaluated by an interdisciplinary team of faculty members in Spring 1993 who recommended deleting Chemistry 340 and 340 lab (Elementary Biophysical Chemistry) and increasing the number of science electives accordingly. Progression standards were analyzed and the committee recommended retaining these standards which remain currently in place.
3. Performance of Professional Program Graduates on Licensing and Certification Exams
| Examination | Number Tested | Number Passed | Percent Passing |
| Law | |||
| S.C. Bar Exam | 273 | 227 | 83% |
| Education | |||
| NTE Professional | 323 | 310 | 96% |
| NTE Specialty | 479 | 419 | 87% |
| Medical | |||
| USMLE - Step 1 | 69 | 67 | 97% |
| USMLE - Step 2 | 76 | 71 | 93% |
| Nursing | |||
| NCLEX-RN | 69 | 65 | 94% |
| Pharmacy | |||
| NABPLEX | 86 | 78 | 91% |
4. Reports on Program Changes That Have Occurred as a Result of External Program Evaluations
There have been no program changes in 1997 as a result of external program evaluation.
5. Academic Advising
During the 1996-1997 academic year, a group of students enrolled in a senior seminar undertook a study of academic advisement on the University of South Carolina Columbia campus. Using student focus groups, they learned that currently degrees and programs are housed in colleges, and advising is managed differently in each college. In some colleges advising is centralized, while in others it is not. In colleges where it is not centralized, individual faculty members are expected to inform students of their office hours and to be available to meet with students at those times. Students are expected to take the initiative in contacting their advisors and meeting with them, and are ultimately responsible for meeting the requirements for graduation.
The group identified three types of advisement systems on the USC Columbia campus:
The group found that students feel the central advising system or the faculty advisors with undergraduate coordinator system is the better advisement method.
Information gathered during the focus groups indicated that students are often frustrated by inconsistencies in advisement between and in colleges and departments. Chief among the findings were: the current handbook on advisement is inadequate in helping students make informed course selections, advisors are often unavailable or too busy to assist students, and advisors are often not well informed regarding department or college graduation requirements.
Out of this study came several recommendations, presented to a meeting of faculty, staff, and students in the Spring of 1997.
6. Entry Level Skills and Developmental Education
Developmental Education:
This is not applicable to our institution type. USC Columbia no longer offers developmental courses.
Placement Examinations and Procedures:
USC Columbia has pre-enrollment examination and placement programs in mathematics and four foreign languages: German, French, Latin and Spanish. USC Columbia requires every freshman to take the math and language placement examinations. The results of these tests determine the level of classes students are advised to take. In some cases, transfer students take placement examinations. Placement examinations are not required in the Mature Student Program, but those students may opt to be tested.
Most students take the placement examinations during announced administrations of spring or summer orientation prior to matriculation. USC developed each examination. They take approximately one hour each to administer. In general, the results of the foreign language tests are binding; although, exceptions may be granted by the departments when they believe them to be warranted. Based on their scores, students are placed in either 101, 102, 109,121, or 122 in the selected foreign language. The results of the mathematics examinations have been used primarily as an advisement tool to direct students to the courses in which they are most likely to succeed.
The English Department assesses the entry-level writing skill of new freshmen in English 101. During the first week of the semester, freshmen present a portfolio of written work from high school. They also write essays in class and outside of class. The portfolio and essays are the evaluated by specially-trained faculty and graduate students. Those whose writing skills need strengthening then attend Writing Studio, a small group (3-4 students) tutorial which meets once a week for an hour while they are enrolled in English 101.
Foreign Languages - As language enrollment increases and placement tests become more widely used, the need to select appropriate standard setting methods and to assess cut-off scores becomes pivotal to the effective placement in secondary institutions of students with previous language study. USC Columbia reviewed standard setting methods and applied two such methods to assess current cut-off scores.
A discrepancy was found between a cut-off score determined by the Angoff method and an existing cut-off score for the Spanish placement test. (The Spanish placement test cut-off scores are used to determine which one of three tracks students will enter: Track 1 - Spanish 109, 110 &122; Track 2 - Spanish 121 & 122; or Track 3 - Spanish 122.) An examination of the central location of grades confirmed the discrepancy, indicating that perhaps some students were placed improperly in Track 2. The more qualitative approach of the Angoff method, used in conjunction with the more quantitative process of examining the central location of grades may provide a balanced system of assessing cut-off scores. Used together, these methods complement each other and draw upon both the judgement and expertise of the instructors and quantifiable data from past student performance.
NOTE: The reliability coefficient for the placement examinations are as follows: Spanish .85; French .81; German .87; and Latin .71. Instructors are notified of students in Spanish 121 who may have difficulty. The progress of these students is monitored closely. Students in Spanish 121 who are having difficulty are given the option to move to Track 1. The innovative use of the Angoff method to assess cut-off scores won the department an Exemplary Efforts Award from the Commission on Higher Education
(CHE) and the South Carolina Higher Education Assessment (SCHEA) Network. The method of validating placement tests is a model for other disciplines as well.
7. Success of Students in Meeting College or University Admission Standards
Percentage of New Freshmen Who Met All Prerequisites for College Admission
| 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | |
| All Freshmen | 95.8 | 95.9 | 97.4 |
| S. C. Residents | 96.5 | 97.2 | 98.1 |
| Non-Residents | 93.3 | 91.0 | 95.1 |
8. Achievement of Students Transferring from Two to Four Year Campuses
Assessment information can strengthen the quality of college transfer courses and better prepare students for the demands of upper division undergraduate studies. USC Columbia collects information concerning students who transfer into the university from two-year, state-supported colleges and shares that information with the sending institutions. Students who move from one USC campus to another are not considered to be transfer students. However, USC Columbia, USC Aiken, and USC Spartanburg collect and report the same information for students who move from the regional campuses (Beaufort, Lancaster, Salkehatchie, Sumter, and Union) as they do for students who transfer from other two-year institutions. The senior campuses also provide data necessary to assess the achievement of those students from the regional campuses. For this reporting cycle, the University of South Carolina Columbia will report the achievement of students moving from the regional campuses to USC Columbia, USC Aiken and USC Spartanburg. Also reported is transfer information from the regional campuses to public four-year institutions in South Carolina.
Students Moving To USC Columbia From USC Regional Campuses
During the fall term of 1992, 328 former regional campus students were attending USC Columbia. The two largest populations to move to USC Columbia were from USC Lancaster (112) and USC Sumter (100). By institution, USC Columbia enrolled:
| Students Who Moved from USC Regional Campuses to USC Columbia in Fall 1992 | ||||||||
Institution | Moved to USC Columbia Fall 1992 | What happened to students who moved from USC Regional Campuses to USC Columbia | ||||||
| Graduated from USC Columbia by Spring 1996 | Did Not Attend USC Columbia in Spring 1996 | Persisted at USC Columbia in Spring 1996 | ||||||
| # | % of Total Moved to USC Columbia in 1992 | # | % of Total Moved to USC Columbia in 1992 | # | % of Total Moved to USC Columbia in 1992 | # | % of Total Moved to USC Columbia in 1992 | |
| USC Beaufort | 35 | 10.67 | 23 | 65.71 | 11 | 31.43 | -- | -- |
| USC Lancaster | 112 | 34.15 | 73 | 65.18 | 27 | 24.11 | 12 | 10.71 |
| USC Salkehatchie | 62 | 18.9 | 31 | 50 | 22 | 35.48 | 8 | 12.9 |
| USC Sumter | 102 | 31.1 | 69 | 67.65 | 24 | 23.53 | 6 | 5.88 |
| USC Union | 17 | 5.18 | 6 | 35.29 | 6 | 35.29 | 4 | 23.53 |
| USC Regional Campuses | 328 | 100 | 202 | 61.59 | 90 | 27.44 | 30 | 9.15 |
Of the 328 students who moved from regional campuses to USC Columbia, 202 students (61.59%) had received a bachelor's degree from USC Columbia by spring semester of 1996. Unfortunately, this percentage, when compared with the graduation rate of students who began at USC Columbia in 1990 and persisted to their junior year (60+ hours) in 1992 at USC Columbia, is twenty points lower than the native students' graduation rate (81.8%).
For the 1992 cohort, students coming from Beaufort, Lancaster, and Sumter were found to have similar six year graduation rates. Transfer students from Salkehatchie are 2 times less likely to graduate in six years than students from Beaufort, Lancaster, or Sumter and those from Union are 3.6 times less likely to graduate in six years than students from Beaufort, Lancaster, or Sumter.
Also, students transferring from Lancaster and Sumter were found to have similar dropout rates over the six years. Students from Beaufort are 1.5 times more likely to dropout, students from Salkehatchie are 1.8 times more likely to dropout, and students from Union are 1.7 times more likely to dropout than students from Lancaster or Sumter.
Twenty-three former regional campuses students entered graduate programs at USC Columbia.
Students Moving To USC Aiken From USC Regional Campuses
During the fall term of 1992, 153 former regional campus students were attending USC Aiken. The two largest populations to move to USC Aiken were from USC Salkehatchie (56) and USC Sumter (51). From the regional campuses USC Aiken enrolled:
| Students Who Moved From USC Regional Campuses to USC Aiken Fall 1992 | ||||||||
Institution | Moved to USC Aiken Fall 1992 | What happened to students who moved from USC Regional Campuses to USC Aiken | ||||||
| Graduated from USC Aiken by Spring 1996 | Did Not Attend USC Aiken in Spring 1996 | Persisted at USC Aiken in Spring 1996 | ||||||
| # | % of Total Moved to USC Aiken in 1992 | # | % | # | % | # | % | |
| USC Beaufort | 44 | 28.76 | 35 | 79.55 | 8 | 18.18 | 1 | 2.27 |
| USC Lancaster | 2 | 1.31 | 2 | 100 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| USC Salkehatchie | 51 | 33.33 | 30 | 58.82 | 16 | 5 | ||
| USC Sumter | 56 | 36.6 | 43 | 76.79 | 11 | 19.64 | 2 | 3.57 |
| USC Union | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| USC Regional Campuses | 153 | 100 | 110 | 71.9 | 35 | 22.88 | 8 | 5.22 |
Students Moving To USC Spartanburg From USC Regional Campuses
During the fall term of 1992, 42 former regional campus students were attending USC Spartanburg. The largest population to move to USC Spartanburg was from USC Union (34). From the regional campuses USC Spartanburg enrolled:
| Students Who Moved From USC Regional Campuses to USC Spartanburg in Fall 1992 | ||||||||
Institution | Moved to USC Spartanburg Fall 1992 | What happened to students who moved from USC Regional Campuses to USC Spartanburg | ||||||
| Graduated from USC Spartanburg by Spring 1996 | Did Not Attend USC Spartanburg in Spring 1996 | Persisted at USC Spartanburg in Spring 1996 | ||||||
| # | % of Total Moved to USC Spartanburg in 1992 | # | % | # | % | # | % | |
| USC Beaufort | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| USC Lancaster | 5 | 11.90 | 1 | 20.00 | 3 | 60.00 | 1 | 20.00 |
| USC Salkehatchie | 2 | 4.76 | -- | -- | 1 | 50.00 | 1 | 50.00 |
| USC Sumter | 1 | 2.38 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | |
| USC Union | 34 | 80.95 | 14 | 41.18 | 17 | 50.00 | 3 | 8.82 |
| USC Regional Campuses | 42 | 100 | 15 | 35.71 | 21 | 50.00 | 6 | 14.29 |
Students Transferring to South Carolina Public Four-Year Institutions From USC Regional Campuses
Too few students to show any trends were reported by other South Carolina public four-year institutions. For the sake of completeness, reported here are the total numbers and percentages, as reported by the receiving institution, of students who transferred to South Carolina public four-year institutions.
| Institution | Number of Students From a USC Regional Campus Who Transferred in Fall 1992 To: | |||||||||
| Clemson University | College of Charleston | Francis Marion University | Lander University | South Carolina State University | ||||||
| # | % of Total | # | % of Total | # | % of Total | # | % of Total | # | % of Total | |
| USC Beaufort | -- | -- | 7 | 23.33 | -- | -- | 1 | 33.33 | -- | -- |
| USC Lancaster | 1 | 50.00 | 5 | 16.67 | 2 | 28.57 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| USC Salkehatchie | -- | -- | 11 | 36.67 | -- | -- | 1 | 33.33 | 1 | 50.00 |
| USC Sumter | 1 | 50.00 | 7 | 23.33 | 5 | 71.43 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| USC Union | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 33.34 | 1 | 50.00 |
| Total | 2 | 100 | 30 | 100 | 7 | 100 | 3 | 100 | 2 | 100 |
The following number of students who transferred in fall, 1992 graduated by spring, 1996.
Institution | Number of Students From a USC Regional Campus Who Transferred in Fall 1992 and Graduated by Spring 1996 From: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson University | College of Charleston | Francis Marion University | Lander University | South Carolina State University | |
| Total | 0 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
9. Analysis of Undergraduate Retention and Attrition
This component was last submitted to the Commission on Higher Education in July, 1996. Based on the institution's schedule of reporting, a report for this component will be submitted next to the Commission on Higher Education in July, 1998.
10. Minority Student and Faculty Access and Equity
| Fall Semester | Total F.T. Faculty | Black F.T. Faculty Number | Black F.T. Faculty Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 1,447 | 48 | 3.3 |
| 1993 | 1,429 | 48 | 3.4 |
| 1994 | 1,400 | 51 | 3.6 |
| 1995 | 1379 | 49 | 3.6 |
| 1996 | 1407 | 55 | 3.9 |
11. Academic Performance of Student Athletes
The maintenance of admission standards, satisfactory academic performance, and appropriate program completion rates among those participating in inter-collegiate athletic programs while receiving athletic grants-in-aid is essential for the integrity of South Carolina's public institutions. USC Columbia submits its NCAA Academic Reporting Form for all inter-collegiate sports in which grants-in-aid are awarded. The NCAA Academic Reporting Form is augmented by the following information: the number of athletes with grant-in-aid who do not meet published institutional admissions criteria categorized by sport and gender; the graduation rate for athletes with grants-in-aid categorized by specific degree earned; and the average number of years needed for recruited student athletes with grants-in-aid (when different from recruited athletes) to earn a degree organized by sport and gender and with parallel data on all students.
Male athletes have an average six-year graduation rate higher than all male students at the University (Athletes: 66.67%, Nonathletes 56.67). Female athletes have graduation rates comparable to all female students at the University (Athletes: 67.96%, Nonathletes: 67.94%). Table 2.1 further breaks down the graduation rates by sport. The graduation rate for football has increased from 49% for the 1986-87 cohort to over 60% for the last two cohorts; the 1988-89 entering class of football players reported a higher six-year graduation rate than did "all athletes" or "all students" and was nationally recognized by the College Football Association for this achievement.
Table 2.1: NCAA Freshman Cohort 6-Year Graduation Rates
| Sport | 87-88 | 88-89 | 89-90 | 90-91 | Average | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pool | Grads | % | Pool | Grads | % | Pool | Grads | % | Pool | Grads | % | Pool | Grads | % | |
| Baseball | 3 | 1 | 33 | 6 | 2 | 33 | 8 | 3 | 38 | 4 | 4 | 100 | 21 | 10 | 48 |
| Basketball (Men) | 4 | 3 | 75 | 6 | 4 | 67 | 3 | 2 | 67 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 9 | 64 |
| Football | 23 | 13 | 57 | 18 | 12 | 67 | 20 | 12 | 60 | 20 | 13 | 65 | 81 | 50 | 62 |
| Track (Men) | 8 | 6 | 75 | 3 | 2 | 67 | 2 | 1 | 50 | 6 | 6 | 100 | 19 | 15 | 79 |
| Golf (Men) | 5 | 4 | 80 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 9 | 6 | 67 |
| Soccer (Men) | 4 | 3 | 75 | 7 | 6 | 86 | 4 | 4 | 100 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 16 | 14 | 88 |
| Swimming (Men) | 7 | 5 | 71 | 9 | 4 | 44 | 4 | 3 | 75 | 3 | 3 | 100 | 23 | 15 | 65 |
| Tennis (Men) | 3 | 2 | 67 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 4 | 4 | 100 | 2 | 1 | 50 | 10 | 8 | 80 |
| Total Men "Other" | 19 | 14 | 74 | 19 | 11 | 58 | 13 | 12 | 92 | 7 | 6 | 86 | 58 | 43 | 74 |
| Total Men's Sports | 57 | 37 | 65 | 52 | 31 | 60 | 46 | 30 | 65 | 38 | 29 | 76 | 193 | 127 | 67 |
| Basketball (Women) | 5 | 4 | 80 | 2 | 1 | 50 | 4 | 2 | 50 | 3 | 2 | 67 | 14 | 9 | 64 |
| Track/CC (Women) | 5 | 5 | 100 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 89 | |
| Golf (Women) | 2 | 2 | 100 | 5 | 5 | 100 | 2 | 1 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 89 | |
| Softball | 5 | 3 | 60 | 5 | 4 | 80 | 5 | 4 | 80 | 2 | 1 | 50 | 17 | 12 | 71 |
| Swimming (Women) | 6 | 3 | 50 | 4 | 2 | 50 | 9 | 5 | 56 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 10 | 48 |
| Tennis (Women) | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 80 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 83 | ||
| Volleyball | 3 | 2 | 67 | 4 | 2 | 50 | 3 | 1 | 33 | 6 | 5 | 83 | 16 | 10 | 63 |
| Total Women "Other" | 16 | 10 | 63 | 23 | 17 | 74 | 20 | 12 | 60 | 10 | 6 | 60 | 69 | 45 | 65 |
| Total Women's Sports | 26 | 19 | 73 | 26 | 18 | 69 | 27 | 17 | 63 | 13 | 8 | 62 | 92 | 62 | 68 |
| All USC Athletes | 83 | 56 | 67 | 78 | 49 | 63 | 73 | 47 | 64 | 51 | 37 | 73 | 285 | 189 | 66 |
| USC Students | 2947 | 1788 | 61 | 2993 | 1866 | 62 | 2780 | 1726 | 62 | 2474 | 1565 | 63 | 11194 | 6945 | 62 |
Source: USC NCAA Forms 94-6a, 95-6a, 96-6a, 97-6a
Table 3.1: Class Days Missed Due to Athletics Travel and Competition
| SPORT | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | SEC Average |
| Baseball | 7.0 | 5.5 | 9.1 |
| Basketball (M) | 7.0 | 9.5 | 7.1 |
| Basketball (W) | 9.0 | 8.5 | 8.8 |
| Cross Country (M) | 4.0 | -- | 3.1 |
| Cross Country (W) | 4.0 | 2.5 | 3.3 |
| Football | 4.0 | 0 | 2.7 |
| Golf (M) | 18.0 | 15.0 | 17.3 |
| Golf (W) | 16.5 | 19.0 | 18.0 |
| Soccer (W) | 3.5 | 4.5 | 5.2 |
| Softball | -- | 9.0 | -- |
| Swimming / Diving (M) | 13.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 |
| Swimming / Diving (W) | 20.0 | 12.0 | 11.6 |
| Tennis (M) | 12.0 | 11.5 | 17.6 |
| Tennis (W) | 17.5 | 14.0 | 16.0 |
| Track & Field (M) | 15.0 | 14.0 | 12.2 |
| Track & Field (W) | 15.0 | 7.0 | 12.1 |
| Volleyball | 6.0 | 5.5 | 9.2 |
| All Sports | 171.5 | 148.0 | 163.8 |
The Department has implemented a process of assessing missed class days as a result of travel for competition in each sport.
The goal is to be on or below the University Policy concerning missed classes (90% attendance rate). If students in a sport miss over 12.5% of classes over the course of the academic year, both the athletics director and faculty representative are informed, any extenuating circumstances discussed and course of action determined.
During the 1996-97 academic year, two teams were not within the above percentages, Women's Golf and Men's Golf. The associate athletics director informed the athletics director and faculty representative of this situation and met with both coaches to discuss the predicament. Initial changes were made in the schedules resulting in slight reductions. Factors including the nature of golf as it pertains to scheduling as well as the academic performance of the athletes on both teams were considered. No action to reduce the schedule further took place, but it has been noted that this situation must be monitored closely and that the current days missed will not be satisfactory in the future.
Within the current SEC policy, championships are not played during any institution's finals week, with the exception of softball. Some NCAA championships do fall within exam week at USC Columbia which is sometimes difficult, but in each case the students are instructed to be in contact with professors at the earliest possible time to work out an alternative exam schedule.
Discussions have occurred in meetings which inevitably revolve around the struggle between the variety of academic calendars and the culmination of certain sport seasons and the fact that they do not always fall at the most opportune times for everyone. There has been some discussion of moving championships each year to avoid the same schools' finals every year. To date, there has been no ideal solution, but discussions continue.
The Athletic Department has implemented a program in which the Office of Admissions supplies the Associate Athletic Director for Academics an update of the admission status of each prospective student-athlete weekly. The report includes missing information and/or documents (test scores, fees, etc.) of the prospective student-athlete, and is shared with the respective coach who is responsible for notifying the prospective student athlete of the missing information. This has greatly improved the receipt of information.
Over the past year the CAARES Center has gone through a major technology renovation. Originally, there were only 11 computers (6 Windows based, and 4 DOS based) to be utilized by 4 academic advisors, 2 graduate assistants and all student-athletes. Now the Center have one of the most technically advanced labs at the University. The Center has 19 Pentium computers and 6 upgraded older computers. Our software includes:
In recognition of Scholar-Athlete Day, a reception is hosted in honor of the scholar-athletes (any student~athlete with a 3.0 in one of the previous major semesters). The scholar-athlete is encouraged to invite a professor of his/her choice to the reception.
Letters of recognition for academic success are sent by the Associate Athletic Director for Academics to student athletes.
The Department has improved our relationship by working closely with Eileen Korpita as our liaison in the Office of Academic Affairs.
The Associate Athletic Director for Academics attends monthly meetings of the UAAC to give a response to any academic questions or concerns of the UAAC. The Associate Athletic Director for Academics prepares a semester academic report which is shared with the UAAC. The Associate Athletic Director for Academics prepares a semester report to the Faculty Athletic Representative and the Director of Athletics on 'Special Admits" and the Faculty Athletic Representative shares the report with the UAAC.
12. Procedures for Student Development
This component was last submitted to the Commission on Higher Education in July, 1996. Based on the institution's schedule of reporting, a report for this component will be submitted next to the Commission on Higher Education in July, 1999.
13. Library Resources and Services
This component was last submitted to the Commission on Higher Education in July, 1996. Based on the institution's schedule of reporting, a report for this component will be submitted next to the Commission on Higher Education in July, 2000.
14. Administrative and Financial Processes and Performance
USC Columbia reviews administrative and financial processes carefully to ascertain whether they support the university's mission and current needs. Budget strategies and techniques are examined regularly in light of changing departmental, school, and institutional goals and objectives. Similarly, administrative processes (e.g., reporting, coordinating, and data management/computing) are reviewed carefully to determine whether they support the university's mission and current needs.
All administrative units of the university include assessment procedures within the context of their planning requirements. Like academic units, all administrative units have developed mission and goal statements followed by a comprehensive assessment plan for evaluating effectiveness.
At the university-wide level, committees exist to evaluate many administrative and financial areas, including: budget; data administration; technology; electronic forms; salary and equity; and administrative overlap.
Many academic and administrative units have performed effective and often gut-wrenching examinations of their administrative and financial processes during this cycle. Out of this honest assessment will come units that provide students with a better education. Two illustrations of the many examples of this forthright type of assessment can be found in self-studies conducted by the College of Engineering and the South Carolina Honors College.
The College of Engineering is at a very important point in its journey toward establishing itself as one of the eading engineering education/research institutions in the South. The College has a dedicated faculty and staff who are devoted to providing students with an excellent education. However, in order for the College to move forward, it needs to develop an infrastructure and business practices that are consistent with the level of business it is expected to produce.
The College of Engineering infrastructure elements needing immediate attention are:
The College has begun to address these three elements, and although educational laboratory equipment is important, the College is not prepared to assess the state of this part of the infrastructure in a credible manner at this time.
The College will begin an administrative and financial assessment program in the Fall of 1997 to develop a model for the cost of educating engineers and running a large research enterprise. It will gather data from other institutions and visit a few of those with which it wishes to be associated as a peer institution. The assessment team will include faculty and staff, and the resulting report will be provided to the Provost to be used as a guide for future strategic plans.
The College of Engineering is preparing for the future with careful planning, responsible fiscal management, and thoughtful assessment of all aspects of its operations. Although the current approach does not always relieve the immediate pain associated with change within the College, it does allow for greater credibility in solving problems.
The South Carolina Honors College will seek to increase the size of the incoming class to 250 students by the\fall of 1998, while maintaining the overall quality of both the student body and the academic program provided by the College. A combination of recruitment success and enhanced resources should enable the Honors College to achieve its five-year goal of "1000 by 2000," that is, a college enrollment of 1000 students by academic year 2000-2001. Size alone, however, is only a crude, quantitative indicator of success. The College must improve recruitment strategies to maintain student quality along with increasing numbers. Most importantly, it must enhance curriculum, advisement, and facilities to accommodate the projected increase in enrollment.
The University has committed to increase the funding to the College by $85,000 in FY 1997-1998 and by $80,000/year for the next two fiscal years. The Honors College will reallocate internally approximately $30,000 annually. This will raise the funds committed to support the expansion in enrollment to approximately the same level as in the previous planning cycle.
Five strategic goals have been identified as consistent with the overall educational mission of the Honors College: appropriate growth; quality curriculum; effective advisement; attractive facilities; and capital campaign support .
Two changes this year affect the pursuit of these goals. First, the size and quality of the class entering in fall 1996 indicated that the goal of a freshman class of 250 could be realistically achieved by 1998, rather than 2000, if resources to develop the quality curriculum and advisement support required were forthcoming. Second, the University, in this context, agreed to allocate 245,000 dollars over the next three years (1997-1998 through 1999-2000) to implement this accelerated timetable.
Several indicators of success in achieving the planned objectives this year support the College's confidence that the enhanced objectives are realistic. The College aimed to enroll a class of 210 students this fall, with no reduction of quality from the 205 enrolled for Fall 1995. It actually enrolled 213 students, who possessed indicators of academic quality nearly identical with the previous year's class (1340 SAT; average graduation in the top 3% of their class). More significantly, 25 students who were on a waiting list enrolled at USC, despite not being admitted to the Honors College. Their addition, had the College the classes to accommodate them, would have slightly lowered the class average SAT to 1331, but would not have lowered either the average class rank or predicted GPA. The College planned to provide 95 courses fall semester, but was able to offer 100. Student evaluations from their fall semester courses indicate a high level of satisfaction with the quality of honors instruction. Finally, the need for additional honors housing is being addressed by the renovation of Maxcy College.
Several areas of concern remain. Despite the increase in courses, space remains tight in key areas of science and mathematics. The current advisement staff has nearly reached its limit, especially during summer orientation. Finally, the capital campaign goals of the College have been redefined to focus on the area of undergraduate research support in contrast to the previous goal of enhancing the general endowment for scholarships. This redefinition led to the reassignment of the College Director of Development to the Central Capital Campaign Office requiring a further redefinition of staffing needs in the College.
Effective advisement remains central to the success of the College. To maintain effective advisement, as well as enhance curriculum development and research opportunities, the College plans to appoint an additional associate dean. One associate dean will be responsible for curriculum and grant development, especially in the areas of science and math. The other position includes responsibility for our summer programs and capital development. Both positions will retain some academic advisement obligations. This expansion will allow the College to serve increased numbers of students, while improving the attention given to undergraduate research support.
The Board of Trustees has authorized the renovation of Flinn and Harper to accommodate Honors College space needs. The College hopes that the renovations to Flinn Hall will be completed by December 1997, which will allow honors classes to be scheduled in Flinn for Spring 1998. They plan to renovate the ground floor of Harper to provide an office suite for the Office of Fellowships and Summer Programs, a staff meeting room for use by both the Honors College and the Office of Fellowships, and a resource room for the students drawing on the services of the Fellowships office. In addition, the student lounge on the first floor will be upgraded. The first floor renovations will allow for the use of the third floor of Harper for additional Honors College staff.
The specific goals of the Honors College with respect to the capital campaign have been focused on the enhancement of the College's endowment to support undergraduate research. In addition, the Honors College will assist other academic units and the central development office in increasing the general endowment for merit scholarships. The plan is to redefine the responsibilities of the existing associate dean to include responsibility for the capital campaign. This new arrangement will begin July 1, 1997 and will continue for at least the next three years.
15. Facilities
This component was last submitted to the Commission on Higher Education in July, 1994. Based on the institution's schedule of reporting, a report for this component will be submitted next to the Commission on Higher Education in July, 1998.
16. Public Service
Within the university, the principal locus of service activities and the responsibility for assessing these activities are primarily the responsibility of the individual units. Through these units, the university offers significant cultural events and programs that range from business and government to health and medicine. Most units rely on multiple methods of assessment with an emphasis on the material available each year in the annual activities report of each faculty member. Assessments tend to be based on peer review using both quantitative and qualitative measures. In addition to examining the activities of individual members of the university community, unit assessments will be aggregated and complemented at the college and university levels to establish profiles of service by the university community, such as the number of continuing institutionalized activities offered to the community. In addition, survey data, interview material and other information (such as the nature of support for these activities and the reward structure) are gathered in the assessment process and are reflected in other components of this report. This information also is used by central administration to evaluate the university's performance in the public service area.
Service to the state of South Carolina and its citizens is an integral part of the mission of the University of South Carolina. Every college, department and program is engaged in a variety of service activities, including consulting with state agencies, local government bodies, schools and teachers, public and community organizations. The public service activities of the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Business Administration will be highlighted in this summary report. These activities are only examples of the commitment to public service at the University. Please consult the full report on institutional effectiveness for a more complete picture of the University's dedication to providing public service. (Copies of the full report are on file at the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and the University of South Carolina Office of Institutional Planning and Analysis).
Faculty of the College of Liberal Arts are actively involved in public speaking, adjudicating art shows, serving on awards panels, judging debates, essay and public speaking contests, serving on medical ethics boards at area hospitals, and lending their expertise to the media. In the past year, faculty have given more than 300 presentations, speeches or conducted workshops, free of charge, to various community groups, school groups, and public agencies. Their expertise was sought by local, state, and national media for 337 interviews on topics ranging from Ebonics to church burning, to political reforms in Russia. Faculty from the College of Liberal Arts serve on the governing boards of more than 35 community agencies and organizations. Below is a summary of some of the most noteworthy public service accomplishments of the College of Liberal Arts.
The College of Liberal Arts Computing Lab provides frequent assistance to government agencies, especially in the realm of satellite mapping. In the past year, specialists in the Lab have provided technical support for the River Alliance Project, the City of Columbia, Regional Planning Commissions, Richland County, and the state of South Carolina.
The Women's Studies Program, among many other activities, sponsors Women's History Month, which entails coordinating 60 events attended by 5,000 people annually. The African-American Studies Program assists with extensive programming associated with Black History Month.
The language departments routinely provide services for South Carolina residents, including translating birth certificates, transcripts, other legal documents, interpreting for depositions, pretrial hearings, and medical emergencies. These services are often provided pro bono. In addition, this year the German Department developed a special "Survival German" course for business executives at the request of the SC Chamber of Commerce. All three foreign language departments actively participate in SCETV distance learning programs that broaden the range of languages available in small and rural high schools in the state. They also sponsor weekend schools for Japanese and Chinese children, so that they can develop their own native languages while in the United States. These schools have been praised by the State Development Board, as it works to attract more foreign business to the state.
The Archaeology Lab responded to six requests last year from local law enforcement agencies to conduct forensic skeletal identifications. Faculty also assisted local museums and various Native-American groups in preserving their collections and artifacts. Faculty in the Linguistics Program have been working with three American Indian tribes (Delaware, Shawnee and Wyandotte) to develop a program for revitalizing their languages. The McKissick Museum conducted 4,860 public educational programs last year, including special events, tours for school children, weekend workshops, and a summer children's educational camp. The McKissick Museum staff also distributed curriculum materials, publications, and traveling exhibitions that reached an estimated 10,000 people.
The Richard L. Walker Institute of International Studies provides speakers and workshops for a wide variety of civic groups, including the Shepherd Center for retired persons, the South Carolina Humanities Council, Richland Country Library, the Hilton Head Foreign Policy Association, the Greenville Tech Foreign Policy Seminar, and the Columbia World Affairs Council.
Several programs within the College are having a positive impact on the mental health of South Carolinians. The Center for the Study of Suicidal and Life Threatening Behavior is nationally recognized for innovative intervention programs to reduce suicides. The Psychological Services Center, staffed by the Psychology Department, provides counseling services free of charge to anyone, not just to students. Last year the Center served more than 200 people.
The ROTC programs on campus have been active in involving their students in community service, sponsoring clothing drives, blood drives, and mentoring in juvenile corrections facilities.
The quality and extent of public service performance for the College are measured collectively for each department and program, and individually for each faculty member during the course of a rigorous annual review process. Units and faculty are required to document the quality and impact of their service activities, including the submissions of letters, evaluations, awards, attendance figures, etc. These data enable departments and the College to reward those who routinely contribute actively to the state of South Carolina and to its citizens. Furthermore, service is an important and obligatory element in the tenure and promotion criteria of every unit within the College of Liberal Arts.
The College of Liberal Arts is proud of the services it provides not only within the University, but to the larger community and to the state of South Carolina.
The College of Business Administration is dedicated to being a major service provider to business, becoming an essential partner in South Carolina's economic development. Examples of efforts in this important mission are many.
The annual Fall Economic Outlook Conference, sponsored by the Division of Research, addresses business trends and special topics of interest to business and state leaders, most recently global trade and economic development in South Carolina. The Outlook Conference went "on the road" for the first time this year, holding a session for members of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce in December. The division also produces quarterly and annual economic forecasts for South Carolina, as well as annual forecasts for each of the state's 46 counties. Economic indicators of importance to the state are also tracked, with the results distributed monthly to the media and other interested parties. The Business and Economic Review, an award winning magazine for nearly 6,000 readers, is published quarterly and discusses contemporary business and economic issues of interest to the state and region.
Direct assistance to many South Carolina businesses is provided through the Frank L. Roddey Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and other college services. The SBDC assists small business owners and managers with planning, start up, and ongoing management problems. It played a critical role in the conversion process associated with the closing of the Charleston Naval Shipyard. Similar support to the state's business community is provided by the South Carolina Family Business Forum, which sponsors six seminars each year that address specific issues affecting family businesses.
Combining the college's educational and outreach missions, business assistance is provided through MBA field projects, intern placements, and projects related to specific classes in areas such as international market research and entrepreneurship. These projects are indicative of the strong partnerships developing between the college and South Carolina businesses. Training and management education has long been an important service activity in the College of Business Administration. The Professional MBA program, taught via television, is a leading source of management training for South Carolina businesses. The Daniel Management Center offers continuing education programs both as public offerings available to all business people and as custom programming to meet specific corporate needs.
Various research centers increase our knowledge of how businesses work and how they can be made to work better. CIBER, the Center for International Business Education and Research, furthers international business education for the purpose of enhancing U.S. business competitiveness in the world economy. The Riegel and Emory Human Resource Research Center sponsors research on human resource management, particularly on the motivation and satisfaction of workers. The Division of Research develops studies on a variety of economic issues facing South Carolina. Included are the economic impact of the cultural industry, the impact of overseas investment in the state, South Carolina's export potential, retirees and their impact on state economic development, and the economic effects of European integration on South Carolina.
The service activities described above which are supportive of economic development in South Carolina are many and varied, as are the assessment methods used for gauging their effectiveness.
The Economic Outlook Conference is followed by a less formal reception each year, where attenders are encourage to expresses their reaction to the program and make suggestions on future topics for concern. These are always used as important input in considering the content of the next program. Input has also been solicited from business leaders and organizations in other parts of the state as we plan for more "regional" outlook conferences. The economic indicators for South Carolina are always under review, to assure that they indeed "track" the state's economy as they should. Professional staff responsible for the indicators attended conferences on the subject to assure that the series is "state-of-the-art". The same is true for the economic forecasts, where the ultimate assessment is of the ability to produce an outlook with a minimum variance from what actually occurs.
The Business and Economic Review conducts periodic readers surveys, where subscribers are asked to rank the regular series and indicate their interests in special topics. The results of such surveys have resulted in dropping some regular columns, adding new ones, and slightly changing the focus of the entire publication.
As part of the operating mandate of the SBDC, they are required to track the success (or failures) of their many clients. This information allows them to report on the effectiveness of their operation and provides valuable input to adjust programs as needed.
Student field projects and internships are probably the most intensely assessed service activities in the college. In all cases, the clients (businesses) are involved by receiving final reports, attending formal presentations of final reports, and completing detailed evaluation forms which are used in assessing student performance. Students gain valuable insight from such feedback, as does the college as it continues to refine this process.
The Daniel Management Center is always evaluating its public programs by exit surveys given to all program participants. Such information provides feedback to faculty and allows the center management to adjust program content to better fit the needs of the business community. Custom programs are designed through close collaboration with company management.
All centers in the College of Business Administration are served with advisory boards of business leaders to assess current programs and advise on desired future directions. Such interaction with those knowledgeable about current business conditions and issues provides a first hand assessment of current activities and important input on needed changes and future projects. In the case of the Riegel and Emory Human Resource Research Center, the actual research agenda is decided jointly between its board of advisors and faculty researchers. Such a partnership assures that the efforts are of real world interest.
As the leading college of business in South Carolina, the college considers its role in facilitating the economic growth of the state, through both attracting more industry and expanding existing industries, as among its fundamental responsibilities. Such efforts are reflected in both the Mission Statement of the college and in the programs and activities currently underway. Many different approaches are used to assess the effectiveness of these programs which allows modifications and adjustments as they are needed.
17. Research
This component was last submitted to the Commission on Higher Education in July, 1996. Based on the institution's schedule of reporting, a report for this component will be submitted next to the Commission on Higher Education in July, 1998.