US News & World Reports (2001) rated USC Spartanburg as one of the top public liberal arts in the South. As this rating and other indicators continue to confirm the path of the institution to become a leading metropolitan university in the Southeast, this summary report reflects the commitment of the University to academic excellence. Selected academic programs (based on a cyclical rotation) in this report have demonstrated significant assessments of learning outcomes with correlated program improvements and modifications.

This summary report includes assessment results and outcomes for the following components:

• Majors or Concentrations

The remaining components will be reported as follows:

• General Education (2003)
• Achievement of Students Transferring from Two to Four Institutions (Not Applicable to Institution)
• Academic Advising (2003)
• Procedures for Student Development (2003)
• Library Resources and Services (2003)

The foreign language faculty as a whole conducts assessment of the Spanish and French majors individually, as each faculty member conducting an upper level language or literature course evaluates his or her students' papers and portfolios complied for various courses. Generally, the faculty member places on file papers, reports and/or projects from students with or without corrections or comments. The individual instructor usually retains the corrected versions of such papers with his/her rubric for grading attached to each paper, report or project submitted. The professor conducting the course evaluates the Spanish/French Senior Seminar papers and the oral presentation of the senior seminar project is evaluated in written format by the entire foreign language faculty present during the oral presentation. However, the faculty member conducting the course gives the final grade for the written paper. As a means of improving assessment of the foreign language program as a whole, students are asked to compile a portfolio of papers, projects, and reports that they have submitted during their years of study at USCS. At the close of their studies at USCS, preferably in the last semester, students will be asked to evaluate their portfolio material in line with the goals of the Foreign Language Program. After students' self-evaluation of portfolios, faculty members in the specific language area will also evaluate these portfolios in line with the goals of the foreign language major. Following this evaluation, faculty members will convene to discuss the results and make recommendations for program course revisions or additions. In addition, students are given a survey sheet to be completed at the end of the Senior Seminar course. This survey is also used to assess the Fl program here at USCS.

Because a high level of proficiency is the aim of the Foreign Language Program here at USCS, students' speaking skills are also tested by means of a laboratory oral test. Students are asked to record their responses to various prompts and the pronunciation of a series of short phrases they hear. Foreign language majors will be held to a high standard of pronunciation on all speaking tests. Another type of speaking test, the progress interview, is now being used in some language courses. The questions for this interview are carefully chosen to evaluate control over specific structures, vocabulary, and situational contexts that have been emphasized in the course. The goal is to produce foreign language graduates who can speak, read, write and comprehend the target language at an advanced level of proficiency according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.

Changes have occurred in the foreign language curriculum in the past two years to reflect the new Performance Guidelines of the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning. The goals and objectives of the introductory language courses, as well as the textbooks for these courses and some literature courses, reflect current terminology and methodology in foreign language pedagogy. Also, three culture courses taught in English (French 104, Spanish 104, and German 104) have had their numbers raised to 204 so that they would be acceptable as cognate courses. A new courses titled Civilization and Culture of Latin America and the Spanish-Speaking Caribbean will be proposed as a required course for all Spanish majors and education majors concentrating in Spanish.

One goal of the criminal justice program is to expand opportunities related to student careers in criminal justice. Seventeen interns have been placed with public-private agencies this academic year (2000-01). In fall 1999, a brochure was developed highlighting the criminal justice internship. Five new internship sites have been developed, and several other sites are in the developmental process. New evaluation forms were developed in 2000. Over 90% of agency evaluations indicated "excellent" experiences, quality, and satisfaction with our interns.

Many of our majors live and work in Greenville County. Greenville Technical College (GTC) is a source of potential criminal justice students for our program. Faculty is pursuing, along with GTC, the possibility of offering a four-year degree program in Greenville. Meetings with GTC have produced a plan and agreement to offer courses beginning fall 2001 and a four-year rotation plan.

One problem of concern that has emerged from the assessment process is that our majors do less well than expected in the areas of theoretical sophistication and methodological/statistical competence. Faculty recognizes several timing and structural problems to partially account for this obstacle in the learning process. The key questions being addressed by faculty is what student work, experiential learning, examinations (national or departmental), portfolios, etc. would serve as an effective measure of student learning, especially in the Theories of Crime and Research Methods classes. Several approaches are being discussed with students. One technique discussed to measure learning outcome is a senior essay/project or exit examination in which students would display their competency and demonstrate their understanding of criminal justice.

Academic advising is increasingly seen as a critical element in student retention and academic success. A latent problem emerged from the assessment of our program: too many of our majors are enrolled in upper-level courses before they have completed the required lower-level courses. Part of the problem is rooted in advising. This problem is being addressed by faculty. Efforts are being made to become a member of The National Assessment of Academic Advising in Baccalaureate Criminal Justice Programs with over 600 criminal justice programs in American colleges and universities.

Another weakness identified in the Assessment Planning Document is retention or "inactive files". In 1997, 16% of the 137 inactive files had 91 or more hours earned. Efforts were made during the 1999-2000 academic year to contact these inactive students. Nine students returned for the completion of their program of study. More efforts will be made to contact inactive students and inquire about their future plans in completing their degrees at USCS. Retention is taken very seriously by the criminal justice faculty.

Faculty is constantly reminded about a five-year course rotation. With increasing enrollments in our program and faculty attempting to schedule the basic courses in the major, it is difficult to develop and commit to a long-range course schedule. Faculty will do its best to develop a course schedule for day and evening students at USCS and Greenville.

Finally, continuous program assessment and student development is time-consuming and difficult in a normal crowding of faculty activities. Resources and other faculty incentives should be allocated by the university for program monitoring and improving student learning.

In an effort not to lose momentum, several in-house "retreats" will be scheduled in 2001 to continue addressing the question…What are the implications of the assessment findings for our program and our students?

This component is not applicable to our institutional type.

This component was reported on last in 2000. Based on the schedule of reporting, it will be reported next in 2003.

This component was reported on last in 2000. Based on the schedule of reporting , it will be reported next in 2004.