English MA Assessment Plan Mission Statement: Through the work of research, service, and teaching, the Department of English is committed to the premise that language and literature reflect and shape the world in which we live. Faculty members conduct ongoing research in an array of sub‐fields and interdisciplinary contexts and contribute to academic conversations occurring among humanities scholars on national and international levels. The nationally renowned Writers Conference brings great authors and opportunities for literary discussion to the larger community. Teaching at a wide range of levels, from first‐year writers to Ph.D. students, the Department demonstrates the pleasures and value of a liberal arts education by emphasizing critical and creative thinking, by helping students think thoughtfully about cultural diversity, and by teaching strong written communication skills. In the Department of English, students at all levels of the curriculum are prepared for lives of public citizenship as they learn to analyze texts within complex cultural situations, to write and to think rhetorically, and to engage with diverse perspectives. The Master of Arts in English stresses the acquisition of a broad foundation of discipline‐specific knowledge and critical tools. To this end, the Department provides quality graduate instruction in literature in English, literary criticism and theory, the English language, composition and rhetoric studies, creative writing, cultural studies, and related fields. Successful M.A. students will be prepared, on the one hand, to pursue further graduate education in English, Law, or any other field that requires highly developed verbal, analytical, and rhetorical skills, and, on the other hand, to seek careers as writing teachers, creative writers, editors, or in a variety of other professions. Goals:  Students will develop the critical skills and tools necessary to produce independent, analytical or creative work in English studies. o Students use analytical or creative techniques that are associated with current work in English studies. o Students situate their own written work within current debates in English studies. Students will practice these critical skills and tools throughout their coursework and particularly in the required courses English 500 and English 510/511. Students interested in Creative Writing will find additional support in English 524. Work on the thesis or the portfolio and portfolio reflective statement will help students enhance these critical skills and tools. 
Students will use techniques—creative or critical—integral to the production of writing in English studies. o Students use the rhetorical conventions of English studies. o Students use revision to develop and refine their writing projects. Students will learn about and will practice writing techniques throughout the curriculum and particularly in the required course English 500. Students interested in Creative Writing will find additional writing support in English 516 and 517. English 598 will support the writing of students working on a portfolio. Work on the thesis or the portfolio and portfolio reflective statement will help students refine their writing. Indirect Assessmentt
•Upon com
mpletion of th
he thesis or pportfolio, studdents will pro
ovide indirect assessmeent of these tw
wo goals by ccompleting thhe MA surveyy.
•Direct asssessment of tthese two goaals will be proovided by facculty memberrs of MA th
hesis and porttfolio committtees. After rreading each tthesis or portfolio,
, faculty mem
mbers will asseess student aachievement iin these goalss Direct and will f
fill out the MA
A direct assesssment form.
Assessmentt
•MA surveeys and MA d
direct assessm
ment forms w
will be collecteed throughout the acadeemic year and
d then forwarrded to the departmental curriculum committeee. The comm
mittee will incclude the direect and indireect assessmen
nt Collection o
C
f findings in the annual assessment rreport, whichh will then be forwarded too Assessmentt the deparrtment as a w
whole.

Graduate
e Teaching Assistants will d
demonstrate
e the ability to
o teach collegge‐level writiing effectivelly. o Sttudents deve
elop a range o
of teaching sttrategies. o Sttudents recoggnize the con
nnections bettween particu
ular teachingg strategies and larger learning objectives. o Sttudents situa
ate their own teaching praactices in the context of siignificant ped
dagogical deb
bates. Sttudents will le
earn about th
he teaching of college‐leveel writing in th
he Fall Worksshop and in English 50
01L and Engliish 501, both of which are required for teaching assistants. Interrested studen
nts may allso elect to taake English 52
25 which will further suppoort effective tteaching. Indirect Assessment
Direct Assessment
•Upon com
mpletion of the thesis or poortfolio, studeents will provvide indirect assessmen
nt of this goal by completing the MA suurvey.
•Direct assessment of th
his goal will bbe provided bby the directors of Compositiion as they co
omplete annuual evaluationns of graduatee teaching assistants. A combinatiion of teachinng materials, classroom ob
bservations, nd reflective tteaching statements will b
be used to student evvaluations, an
assess student achievement in this ggoal. •The directtors of Compo
osition will w
write a report of their findin
ngs that will b
be forwarded
d to the Curricculum Comm
mittee. The coommittee will include the essment findiings in the annnual assessm
ment report, w
which will theen Collection of direct asse
be forwar
ded to the de
epartment as a whole.
Assessment
English P
Ph.D. Assessm
ment Plan Mission Statemen
nt: TThrough the w
work of research, service, aand teaching, the Departm
ment of Englissh is committted to the preemise that langu
uage and literrature reflect and shape th
he world in w
which we live. Faculty mem
mbers conducct ongoing ressearch in an arrayy of sub‐fieldss and interdissciplinary contexts and con
ntribute to accademic conversations occcurring amongg humanities scholars on nation
nal and intern
national levels. The nation
nally renowneed Writers Co
onference brings great autthors and oppo
ortunities for literary discussion to the larger commu
unity. Teachi ng at a wide range of leveels, from first‐‐year writers to Ph
h.D. students,, the Departm
ment demonsttrates the ple
easures and vvalue of a libeeral arts education by emp
phasizing criticcal and creativve thinking, b
by helping stu
udents think thoughtfully aabout cultural diversity, an
nd by teaching strong writtten communiccation skills. In the Departtment of English, studentss at all levels o
of the curricu
ulum are prep
pared for lives of pu
ublic citizensh
hip as they leaarn to analyze
e texts within
n complex culttural situations, to write aand to think rhetorically, and tto engage witth diverse perrspectives. TThe Doctor off Philosophy in English stre
esses the acqu
uisition not oonly of a broad foundation of discipline‐‐specific know
wledge and crritical tools bu
ut also the de
epth of knowledge necessaary to build fluency and exxpertise within an area of speciialization. To
o this end, the
e Departmentt provides quality graduatee instruction in literature iin English, liteerary criticism
m and ttheory, the En
nglish languagge, composition and rheto
oric studies, ccreative writin
ng, cultural sttudies, and reelated fields. Succeessful Ph.D. sstudents will b
be prepared tto seek caree
ers as college and universitty faculty, wriiting teacherss, creative writeers, editors, o
or in a variety of other proffessions that require highl y developed verbal, analyytical, and rheetorical skills.
Goalss:  SStudents will produce sign
nificant, indep
pendent worrk in English sstudies and/o
or creative w
writing. ents develop a specializatiion through w
which they po
osition themselves as members of a disciplinary o Stude
comm
munity. o Stude
ents produce work that co
ontributes to debates in E nglish studiees and/or dem
monstrates co
onnections betwe
een creative work and lite
erary traditio
ons. o Stude
ents demonsttrate advance
ed writing an
nd analytical sskills to meett a variety of rhetorical go
oals. Stude
ents will develop the writin
ng and analytical skills thatt are required
d to produce significant, in
ndependent work in English stu
udies through
hout their cou
ursework and particularly iin the requireed courses En
nglish 500 and
d Englissh 510/511. SStudents writting a creative
e dissertationn will be supported in this ggoal by Englissh 516, 517, and 524. Successfu
ul completion
n of the disserrtation will reequire that students impro
ove these skills. In
ndirect Asse
essment
Direct D
Asse
essment
•U
Upon complettion of the dissertation, sttudents will p
provide indireect assessmen
nt of this goal by co
ompleting thee Ph.D. surveyy.
•D
Direct assessm
ment of this ggoal will be prrovided by faculty membeers of dissertaation committees. c
After readingg each approvved dissertation, faculty m
members will assess studen
a
t achievemen
nt in this goall and will fill o
out the Ph.D.. disseration d
direct assessment fo
a
orm.
•P
Ph.D. dissertaation surveys and PhD disssertation direct assessmen
nt forms will b
be collected thro
c
oughout the aacademic yea r and then fo
orwarded to the departmental curriculum co
c
mmittee. The committee will include tthe direct and
d indirect Colle
ection of assessment fin
a
ndings in the annual assesssment reportt, which will tthen be forwaarded Asse
essment to the departm
ment as a whole.

SStudents will demonstrate
e both breadtth and depth
h of knowledgge about discciplinary subffields, major w
works, and influential critical approacches in English studies. o Stude
ents demonsttrate an awarreness of sign
nificant issuees in selected disciplinary ssubfields. o Stude
ents demonsttrate an unde
erstanding off the cultural and social co
ontexts in wh
hich literary w
works are produ
uced. o Stude
ents demonsttrate an unde
erstanding off the critical ttools and straategies that sshape the recception of literary works and
d the producttion of English
h studies as aa discipline.
While
e students willl demonstratte the achieve
ement of thiss knowledge o
on the Ph.D. q
qualifying exaam, it is knowledge that they will gain th
hrough the en
ntirety of theeir graduate ccoursework an
nd through th
heir prepaaration for the
e exam. Requ
uired coursess English 500 and English 5510/511 servee as an introd
duction to acade
emic work in English Studie
es, subsequen
nt courseworrk deepens sttudent undersstanding of su
ubfields, majorr works, and aapproaches, aand, finally, th
he student’s exam committee works w
with Ph.D. candidates to develop a plan for exam preparration. In
ndirect Asse
essment
•U
Upon comple
etion of the diissertation, sttudents will pprovide indireect assessment o
a
f this goal by completing tthe Ph.D. survvey.
•D
Direct assessm
ment of this ggoal will be provided by faaculty membeers of exam commit
e
ttees. After reading each qqualifying exaam, faculty m
members will assess stu
w
udent achieve
ement in this goal and wil
l fill out the P
Ph.D. exam Direct D
direct assessm
d
ment form.
Asse
essment
•P
Ph.D. exam su
urveys and Ph
hD exam direect assessmennt forms will b
be collected thro
c
oughout the aacademic yeaar and then foorwarded to tthe departmenta
d
l curriculum ccommittee. TThe committeee will includee the direct Colle
ection of and indirect a
a
assessment findings in the annual assesssment reporrt, which Asse
essment will then be fo
w
orwarded to tthe departmeent as a wholle.

G
Graduate Tea
aching Assista
ants will be p
prepared to te
each effectiveely a range o
of courses in tthe field of En
nglish sstudies. o Stude
ents use a varriety of teach
hing strategie
es. o Stude
ents recognize
e and evaluate the connections betweeen particular teaching strrategies and larger learniing objectives. o Stude
ents situate a
and evaluate their own teaaching practiices within th
he context of significant pedagogical debattes. Students will learn about the tteaching of En
nglish Studiess in the Fall W
Workshop and
d in English 50
01L and Engliish 501, all off which are re
equired for grraduate teachhing assistants. Interested
d students maay also elect to taake English 52
25 which will ffurther prepaare students tto teach in th
he field. Faculty mentoringg is available for G
GTAs at the Ph
hD level who teach literatu
ure and creattive writing att the 200‐leveel. Indirect Asssessment
•Upon compl
•
etion of the d
dissertation, sstudents will provide indirrect assessment o
of this goal byy completing the Ph.D. survey.
•Direct assess
•
sment of this goal will be pprovided by tthe directors of Composition
n as they complete annual evaluations oof graduate teaching assistants. A combination
n of teaching materials, claassroom obseervations, Direct ments will be used to student evaluations, and reflective teaaching statem
Asssessment assess student achievemeent in this goaal. •The director
•
rs of Composiition will write a report of their findingss that will be forwarded to the Curriculum Comm
mittee. The committee will include dings in the a
annual assesssment report,, which will the direct as
sessment find
Collection of then be forw
warded to the
e department as a whole.
Asssessment
DEPARTMENTAL PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING
2004-2005 ACADEMIC YEAR
Department: Department of English
Program: Graduate Program (M.A. and Ph.D)
Mission Statement
The Department of English provides quality graduate instruction in literature in English, literary
criticism and theory, the English language, literacy studies, creative writing, cultural studies, film
studies, and related fields. Successful students will be prepared to seek careers as college and
university teachers, writing teachers, creative writers, editors, or a variety of other professions
that require highly developed verbal, analytical, and rhetorical skills.
Student Learning Goals
Student Learning Goal 1: Students will be able to conduct significant, independent research in
English studies or produce a significant, independent work of creative writing.
Objective 1.1: Students will demonstrate the ability to understand and to contribute to
debates within English Studies and/or will demonstrate an understanding
of their creative work’s connections to literary traditions.
Objective 1.2: Students will demonstrate advanced writing skills, including the ability to
situate their writing within larger discursive/textual systems and the ability
to manipulate writerly techniques to meet a variety of rhetorical goals.
Objective 1.3: Students will develop a specialization within a subfield of English Studies
and will begin to position themselves as contributing members of their
professional community of scholars and writers.
Student Learning Goal 2: Students will demonstrate a broad knowledge of disciplinary subfields, major works, and influential critical approaches within English studies.
Objective 2.1: Students will demonstrate an awareness of significant issues within
several disciplinary subfields and will demonstrate a knowledge of major
primary texts in those fields.
Objective 2.2: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the cultural and social
contexts in which literary artifacts are produced.
Objective 2.3: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the critical tools and
strategies that shape the reception of literary artifacts.
Student Learning Goal 3: Graduate Teaching Assistants will demonstrate the ability to teach
effectively within the field of English studies.
Objective 3.1: Students will demonstrate the development of a range of effective teaching
strategies.
Objective 3.2: Students will demonstrate an awareness of how particular teaching
strategies are connected to larger learning objectives and to significant
pedagogical debates within English studies.
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT PLAN FOR
ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING
Student Learning Goals &
Objectives
Goal 1: Students will be able to
conduct significant, independent
research in English studies, or to
produce a significant,
independent work of creative
writing.
Objective 1.1: Students will
demonstrate the ability to
understand and to contribute to
debates within English Studies
and/or or will demonstrate an
understanding of their creative
work’s connections to literary
traditions.
Objective 1.2: Students will
demonstrate advanced writing
skills, including the ability to
situate their writing within
larger discursive/textual
systems and the ability to
manipulate writerly techniques
to meet a variety of rhetorical
goals.
Objective 1.3: Students will
develop a specialization within a
subfield of English Studies and
will begin to position themselves
as contributing members of their
professional community of
scholars and writers.
2004-2005
Use of Results
and Process for
Documentation &
Responsibilities Decision-Making
Educational
Experiences
Assessment
Methods
English 500,
English 510
and/or 511,
English 515,
research and
writing projects
in Graduate
courses, M.A.
Thesis, Ph.D.
Dissertation
Evaluation of
Theses and
Dissertations
Ongoing
Graduate Faculty;
Director of
Graduate Studies
Thesis and
Dissertation Directors
will report on the
extent to which
completed writing
projects meet
Student Learning
Goals and Objectives.
Reports will be
collected and
reviewed by Director
of Graduate Studies,
and a summary and
analysis will be
provided to the
Graduate Faculty.
Exit survey of
Graduate
Students upon
completion of
Thesis or
Dissertation
Ongoing
Director of
Graduate Studies
Collection of
data on
Graduate
Student
professional
activities
(publications,
conferences)
Ongoing
Support Staff;
Graduate Faculty;
Director of
Graduate Studies
Surveys will be
collected and
reviewed by Director
of Graduate Studies,
and a summary and
analysis will be
provided to the
Graduate Faculty.
Timeline
Director of Graduate
Studies will review
the data and provide
a summary to the
Graduate Faculty.
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT PLAN FOR
ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING
Student Learning Goals &
Objectives
Goal 2: Students will
demonstrate a broad knowledge
of disciplinary sub-fields, major
works, and influential critical
approaches within English
studies.
Objective 2.1: Students will
demonstrate an awareness of
significant issues within several
disciplinary subfields and will
demonstrate knowledge of
major primary texts in those
fields.
Objective 2.2: Students will
demonstrate an understanding
of the cultural and social
contexts in which literary
artifacts are produced.
Objective 2.3: Students will
demonstrate an understanding
of the critical tools and
strategies that shape the
reception of literary artifacts.
2004-2005
Use of Results
and Process for
Documentation &
Responsibilities Decision-Making
Educational
Experiences
Assessment
Methods
English 500,
English 510
and/or 511,
Graduate
coursework,
Ph.D.
Qualifying
Examinations
Evaluation of
Ph.D.
Qualifying
Exams
Ongoing
Graduate Faculty;
Director of
Graduate Studies
Chairs of Ph.D.
Qualifying Exam
committees will
report on the extent
to which completed
exams meet Student
Learning Goals and
Objectives. Reports
will be collected and
reviewed by Director
of Graduate Studies,
and a summary and
analysis will be
provided to the
Graduate Faculty.
Annual survey
of Graduate
Students
Annually
Director of
Graduate Studies
Surveys will be
collected and
reviewed by Director
of Graduate Studies,
and a summary and
analysis will be
provided to the
Graduate Faculty.
Timeline
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT PLAN FOR
ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING
Student Learning Goals &
Objectives
Goal 3: Students will
demonstrate the ability to teach
effectively within the field of
English.
Objective 3.1: Students will
demonstrate the development of
a range of effective teaching
strategies.
Objective 3.2: Students will
demonstrate an awareness of
how particular teaching
strategies are connected to
larger learning objectives and to
significant pedagogical debates
within English studies.
Educational
Experiences
Assessment
Methods
Fall
Composition
Workshop,
English 501L,
English 501,
Graduate
coursework
Course
Evaluations for
Graduate
Student
Teaching
Assistants,
Review of
GTAs’ Course
Materials,
Class
observations of
GTAs, Review
of GTAs’
Reflective
Teaching
Statements
Timeline
Annually
2004-2005
Use of Results
and Process for
Documentation &
Responsibilities Decision-Making
Directors of
Composition or
other appropriate
supervisory
teaching faculty;
Director of
Graduate Studies
Directors of
Composition or
supervisory faculty
will report on the
extent to which GTA
teaching meets
Student Learning
Goals and Objectives.
This report will be
reviewed by Director
of Graduate Studies,
and a summary and
analysis will be
provided to the
Graduate Faculty.