MA_Communication_2009_assessment_report

ASSESSMENT REPORT OF THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IN THE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION: 2008-2009 Prepared by: Gary Pettey, Director, Communication Graduate Program Richard M Perloff, Director, School of Communication I Introduction A Overview The purpose of this report is to describe findings that emerged from the assessment of the Master’s in Applied Communication Theory and Methodology and to discuss implications for curricular growth and change that can be implemented next year The report draws on an assessment procedure developed five years ago that employs multiple methods to evaluate program goals Assessment, at its best, generates critical insights that can be used to improve the quality of an academic program, and we offer a variety of research-based conclusions in the final section of this report Description of Program The Master’s of Applied Communication Theory Methodology provides advanced instruction in the fundamental knowledge of the discipline and in the major research skills used by communication scholars and practitioners in public and private contexts The program is designed to provide knowledge and skills for students pursuing different paths, helping them apply communication research strategies to conceptual domains and real-world problems One of the oldest social science–based Masters at Cleveland State, the Communication program introduces students to the heuristic powers of theory, the essential role methodology plays in research, and the excitement of applying research to real-world communication problems A Master’s degree student must complete 32 or 38 credit hours, depending on the choice of exit options All students are required to take Communication 501, Seminar in Communication, and Communication 512, Communication Research Methods (both core courses), as well as eight credits of communication theory, an additional four credits of research methods, four credits in a cognate course, and electives Upon satisfactory completion of coursework, the student is allowed to select an exit option appropriate to his or her career goals The options are: (1) writing a thesis; (2) completing an applied project that brings research to bear on a communication problem; (3) taking additional coursework and successfully passing a comprehensive examination; or (4) successfully completing a collaborative research project, in which students turn in a final individual paper based on research conducted by the group One of the hallmarks of the Master’s program is its emphasis on introducing graduate students to the intellectual traditions of the field Over the years, our students have presented papers at regional and national academic conferences, stimulated by faculty role models They attend conferences like the International Communication Association and the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research They meet scholars from all over the country The intellectual ferment engages them cognitively and stimulates them to think about ways to integrate research into their own lives Our convention-attending students have, as a consequence, obtained their Ph.D.s or adopted a research approach in their jobs in Northeast Ohio companies B Changes in Program No structural changes were made last year that bear on this assessment C Recommendations from Previous Year This is discussed in a later section II Goals A Articulation of Goals The overarching goals of the Master’s program are to ensure that students: (1) have acquired the cognitive capacity to identify communication problems and apply appropriate conceptual frameworks for investigation and problem solving; (2) understand the conceptual frameworks of communication based on the academic literature produced by the discipline; (3) adequately comprehend basic procedures for conducting basic and applied communication research; and (4) have acquired the ability to conduct and report professional-quality communication research Faculty members are involved in the realization of these goals through teaching courses, advising students, and serving on the Graduate Committee The committee consists of faculty representatives from major areas of the program and the Graduate Director This committee makes recommendations for changes and modifications in the program to the faculty The director of the school is also consulted on policy matters and reviews committee actions B Process of Student-Learning Goal Development Goals were adopted in 2002 after the Graduate Committee, under the leadership of the Graduate Director, proposed a series of goals that flowed from assessment guidelines Faculty discussed goals thoroughly and approved them The four goals were reaffirmed at the 2004 retreat, indicating that faculty members maintained the same philosophical approach to the graduate program in the school as they did when the program was part of the department C Community Engagement Community engagement plays an important role in the graduate program This is an applied communication theory and methodology program; thus, the focus of coursework is on theory, methods, and applications to metropolitan contexts The program has a strong community engagement orientation, with its emphasis on applying theory to real-world problems in coursework, theses, and applied projects that have used research to tackle community communication conundrums Indeed, our new communication track in the Urban Studies Ph.D has a clear community engagement focus, with required courses in urban communication and strategic communication In the present context, community engagement is defined as: (1) systematic application of theories and methods to communication contexts through (2) testing hypotheses about real-world problems; and (3) discussion of practical implications of results Examples include projects on internal branding and emergent networks and on e-clicking in the workplace D Review of Goals The goals were discussed and reaffirmed at the August, 2004 faculty retreat The goals collectively reflect faculty commitment to offering a social scientific approach to graduate study in communication They also display a commitment to teaching students the essence of applied research one-on-one and in groups Goals have remained the same over the course of the past years of faculty discussions Reviewers’ comments have been considered and incorporated as much as possible III Outcomes A Articulation of Outcomes Students who successfully complete the program are expected to be able to demonstrate competence in: (1) clearly formulating communication problems; (2) explicating communication theories; (3) understanding methodological procedures; (4) conducting basic/applied research; and (5) professionally reporting research findings Outcomes were developed through the same deliberative process as were goals: development of a draft by the Graduate Committee, faculty discussion, and approval by the entire faculty in 2002 The outcomes were also reaffirmed at the 2004 faculty retreat Outcomes were assessed in the same fashion this year as they have been since 2005 Graduate student roles changed this year when the CSU administration stopped allowing graduate research assistant contracts All students in 2008-09 performed a teaching or undergraduate support role B Development of Student Learning Outcomes Outcomes were developed through the same deliberative process as were goals: development of a draft of goals and outcomes by the Graduate Committee, faculty discussion, and approval by the entire faculty in 2002 C Outcomes and Community Engagement Outcomes bear on community engagement strategies By turning out students who can capably conceptualize problems and theories, we are providing students with intellectual tools to tackle community dilemmas that bear on health, organizations, community newspapers, and digital technology Training students in communication methods offers them nuts-and-bolts empirical strategies to test applied hypotheses Close supervision in helping students report research findings teaches them how to prepare professional papers on the role of communication in community conundrums To the degree that these are measurable – see next section – the School can assess success in teaching students applied research skills that bear on community problems D Outcome Vetting and Modification The outcomes were also reaffirmed at the 2004 faculty retreat Outcomes were assessed in the same fashion this year as in the past Reviewers’ recommendations have been considered and incorporated, as appropriate IV Data Collection A Research Methods Evaluation of the program in accordance with School-wide goals and outcomes is performed by the Graduate Director, in concert with other members of the Graduate Committee The School Director coordinates the project There are several parts to assessment The Graduate Director convenes regular evaluative reviews during the academic year The director meets with teaching assistants at several times during the semester to explore curricular and teaching issues Since this is not a summative assessment, it is not discussed formally in this report The first formal assessment method is a survey of graduate students, conducted to probe perceptions of the program The survey contains questions probing beliefs about the program’s effectiveness, items tapping satisfaction with different aspects of the program, such as advising and conversations with professors, and perceptions of different facets of the communication graduate program The survey, pegged to program outcomes, includes 10 questions probing beliefs about the effectiveness of the graduate program These include: understanding communication theories, learning how to conduct research, assisting students in clearly formulating communication problems, learning to write professional research papers, and gaining practical knowledge of communication careers Other questions asked students to indicate satisfaction with communication classes, conversations with professors, advising, job preparation, and classroom facilities All items were measured on 5-point scales where represented the highest, most favorable response Second and in a related fashion, a focus group is conducted among graduate students The focus group probes the extent to which outcomes have been met It also solicits criticisms and feedback Students are assured that responses will be kept confidential Third, it is important to consider direct measures of student learning Student work in theses and projects is carefully examined in light of faculty-determined School rubrics Qualitative and quantitative methods were thus employed The results of assessment are subsequently shared with the graduate committee and School faculty Thus, systematic examination of exit projects constitutes direct methods of learning, while survey and focus group results are indirect measures B Modification of Instruments The survey, which has been used successfully over the past several years, was employed again It reflects the addition of several items from the 2005-2006 period We disaggregated first and second year students, as been done in previous years In addition, the survey was administered on-line to recruit more respondents Other instruments were the same as in the past V Data Analysis and Findings A Survey Results In the spring, 2009 semester there were 31 graduate students in the program There were 20 full time, part-time, and non-degree students enrolled in the program Surveys were completed by nearly all students, approaching the population 17 firstyear and 11 second-year students This year the survey was distributed as an online survey to provide all the graduate students an opportunity to complete the survey While not random, the sample contains a very large proportion of first- and second-year students Respondents gave the program above average marks for helping them formulate communication problems (M=4.0; Outcome #1) They rated the program as effective in teaching them competence in explicating communication theories (Outcome #2) Specifically, they gave the program favorable evaluations on helping learn to conduct research (M=4.0) and communication theories (M=4.3) Students also rated the program positively on helping them understand methodological procedures (Outcome #3) In particular, they gave the program above average marks on helping them critically evaluate research (M=4.0) and higher marks on helping them appreciate the value of social science research (M=4.3) In concert with the fourth outcome regarding conducting basic/applied research, respondents said the program helped them improve research skills (M=4.5) They also gave positive evaluations of the program’s effectiveness in helping them see practical applications of research (M=4.2) and strong ratings of writing professional papers (M=4.1; Outcome #5) Interestingly, students strongly felt that the graduate program made them feel a part of the Communication School (M=4.2) Other questions tapped beliefs about different aspects of the program Students gave the overall program experience a good rating (M=4.1), positively evaluated conversations with professors, the academic bulwark of a graduate program, (M=4.4), the overall quality of instruction favorably (M=4.2) and advising, though this score was somewhat lower (M=3.8) On the other hand, students were critical of career counseling (M=2.6) and preparation for jobs (M=2.9) (Despite the change from RA to TA status, they gave their experiences as a graduate assistant a positive rating: M=4.0) Interesting as these auxiliary findings are it is not clear that they represents a valid criticism of the program in terms of the match between performance and outcomes, since career-related training is not an explicit goal of the graduate program Nonetheless, they suggest some areas where we could serve students better In sum and in line with last year’s results, survey responses revealed satisfaction with academic aspects of the program, offering evidence the program is achieving its stated goals (see Appendix A) After carefully comparing this year’s results to last year’s, we find that this year’s means were slightly lower on most outcomes measures The n was 50 percent higher than 10 last year (and last year was over twice as high the previous year) Thus, we were able to collect an even more representative sample of our students The small decimal drops in many measures from last year may well be simply related to sampling Next year’s assessment should monitor this drop to see if it is a trend or a statistical anomaly Overall, students feel good about their educational experience (over on a 5-point scale) B Focus Group Analysis The focus group sessions this year were divided into two groups Group one consisted of four first-year students The second year focus group had five participants with two additional students coming in during the last 10 minutes All the participants were enrolled in either a communication theory and/or methodology course during the spring semester of 2009 The second year students all anticipated graduating from the program in 2009 Participants consisted of graduate assistants, student working part-time, and students working full-time outside of the university Focus group responses are organized in terms of how they relate to the five program outcomes Outcome 1: Formulating Communication Problems Students noted that just obtaining a Master’s degree, regardless of discipline, is beneficial to a person’s career by opening up more opportunities professionally and economically Students also agreed that one of the most beneficial aspects of the program is the degree to which it intellectually challenged students “The methodology and research skills are marketable,” one student said Others agreed that learning to deal with stress and time management, and conducting real-world projects were valuable learning experiences Several students mentioned how the program showed them how to be more critical thinkers and apply these skills to workplace problems and in life in general 11 Outcome 2: Explicating Communication Theories Participants showed interest in diverse communication theories operating on different levels of analysis There was little consensus about important theories When one student mentioned the Elaboration Likelihood Model, the others said that it was one theory that could be used to help understand a variety of situations In the second year group, students discussed and agreed that while they had been exposed to many theoretical perspectives, they really didn’t understand how theory was created or how to evaluate it One student mentioned that for her, a benefit of the program was the availability of a theory-building course which exposed students to how knowledge was constructed both in communication and other areas There was much discussion about how Communication 501 could be reconfigured on the topic of, more of which later These students appear to have been most interested in mass and interpersonal communication, though a couple noted that a prospective area of strategic communication really met the applied notion of the degree Outcome 3: Understanding Methodological Procedures The majority of students shared views about their involvement in communication research They had conducted research for a class project, with a faculty member, or on their own Overall, students felt positively about the process of using research methods The methods employed in their studies varied and included focus groups, surveys, interviews, and experiments There was concern especially among the students who were not GAs that participation in research and its educational benefit wasn’t readily available 12 Outcome 4: Conducting Basic/Applied Research Students noted that the modal research in which they participated was basic research on communication effects Several students, who were working on research projects with faculty, remarked that they found these experiences academically valuable Students lamented that the RA component was no longer available and that there were not generally presented avenues for them to become more involved, but in the next breath they noted that even a short conversation with a faculty member got them immediately involved in interesting projects All students who participated in the projects agreed that these applied research experiences gave them an opportunity to apply what they had learned in communication courses Again, non-GAs seemed to be less happy with the available experiences Outcome 5: Professionally Reporting Research Findings None of the students had presented their research at a conference, but several noted that others had, and that they looked forward to attending a conference The first year liked the brown bag colloquia and wanted more of them, though they complained that the time colloquia were held was bad for TAs in COM 101 especially They wanted to hear more student papers and have the opportunity to present their own They suggested a spring mini-conference be held, in which thesis proposals and findings could be presented, along with interesting class papers Summary The results of the focus groups demonstrate that the students enrolled in the graduate program are satisfied with the program The results of the 2008/9 focus group are consistent with earlier years and with the nature of the program since its inception: It 13 is an academically oriented Master’s program oriented around theory, methods, and research Students recognized that their coursework provided valued training in such areas as understanding statistics, analytical thinking, developing a questioning mind, doing research, and presenting difficult concepts in a comprehensible fashion They also had some interesting suggestions, discussed at the end of this report C Direct Evidence of Student Learning After a bumper crop of graduates last year, this year represented more of a rebuilding year Nonetheless, a number of students graduated, with impressive exit options Four students completed theses, two completed projects and no students completed collaborative research projects from May 2008 through May 2009 (See Appendix B) One student, Carol Kamen, successfully completed the comprehensive option, the first to take the exam (and to pass) in many years Another six students plan to finish this summer, with another two to three expecting to finish in fall The next describes the methodology for assessing exit options (the same as has been used for the past five years, reflecting consistency in method) Theses, projects, and collaborative research of graduating students are evaluated on a 3-point scale (exemplary-satisfactory-unsatisfactory), using specific criteria developed and approved by the faculty as a whole in 2002 The outcome-based criteria for evaluating student work appear below: Exemplary: Demonstrates in thesis/project/collaborative project that communication processes are relevant to either: (a) theoretical development, or (b) solving problem of a client in an interpersonal, organizational, or mass communication context 14 Satisfactory: Identifies communication processes as relevant to theoretical development of client’s problem, but inappropriately frames research questions for project Unsatisfactory: Fails to state relevant communication processes or selects inappropriate processes relevant to the stated theoretical development of client’s problem solving Theses "Text Me You Love Me." Mediated Communication in Dating Relationships by Anna Caruso (15 of 15 points) 1) Formulating Communication Problems Exemplary: Anna’s thesis is an excellent example of a communication research piece that combines some aspects of interpersonal theory and mass communication Her interest in dating behavior while having an applied concern actually lifts theses issues into theoretically based context This thesis acknowledges mediated messages as important to interpersonal communication The findings are important indicators that should open an interesting theoretical discussion among scholars 2) Communication Theory Exemplary: The research is firmly grounded in both social both theory and uncertainly reduction theory looking at dating relationships It offers a clear rationale for the research questions 3) Methodological Procedures (including methodology and analysis) Exemplary: The methodology employed is questionnaires The research project demonstrates Anna Caruso’s understanding of both the concepts and their operationalization The testing of the hypotheses reveals her understanding of statistics 4) Conducting basic/applied research Exemplary: The research illustrates Anna Caruso’s knowledge of social science methods The conceptualization of intimacy, its operationalization, analysis, and conclusions are integrated and successfully demonstrated 5) Professional reporting research results Exemplary: The study is a well-written, complete report It is presented in the appropriate style required by the School of Communication Relationship between Foreign Film Exposure and Ethnocentrism by Lingli Ying (15 of 15 points) 1) Formulating Communication Problems 15 Exemplary: Lingli’s thesis is an excellent example of a thesis that our students can produce I have little doubt that such a work could be a dissertation in other programs Her interest in how entertainment media may have impact on public attitudes This correlational study combined with other literature showing a potential causal relationship is very important to the field in general As part of a growing literature, this findings are should be quite useful to the field 2) Communication Theory Exemplary: The research is firmly grounded in uses & gratifications theory, as well as appropriate concepts of cosmopoliteness and individual motivations It also offers a clear rationale for the research questions 3) Methodological Procedures (including methodology and analysis) Exemplary: The methodology employed is an online survey of CSU students A pilot student was done to check her operationalization The multivariate testing of the hypotheses reveals her understanding of statistics 4) Conducting basic/applied research Exemplary: The research illustrates the student’s knowledge of social science methods The conceptualization of ethnocentrism, cosmopoliteness and motivation their operationalization, analysis, and conclusions are integrated and successfully demonstrated 5) Professional reporting research results Exemplary: The study is a well-written, complete report It is presented in the appropriate style required by the School of Communication Young Voters and the Power of Political Internet Culture: An Exploration of Political Websites and Political Engagement by Amanda Zima (13 of 15 points) 1) Formulating Communication Problems Exemplary: Amanda’s thesis is an excellent example for students in the future As a secondary analysis of election data collected here in the SOC, it has theoretical, timely and applied aspects More students should be encouraged to use (when appropriate) such data 2) Communication Theory Satisfactory: The research uses the somewhat dated and fragmentary concepts in the field She uses what’s there well, but the approach is more applied than theoretical— not necessarily Ms Zima’s fault—often an outcome of using secondary analysis 3) Methodological Procedures (including methodology and analysis) Exemplary: The methodology employed is a secondary analysis of survey of CSU students from the Ohio Primary 2008 Her analyses using ANOVA and multiple regression demonstrates her statistical abilities 16 4) Conducting basic/applied research Satisfactory: The research is clearly an applied study Media use (specifically Internet sources) is correlated with voting, discussion and the holding of political information It is certainly conceptually driven, but much of the literature is based in concepts without much organizing theory 5) Professional reporting research results Exemplary: The study is a well-written, complete report It is presented in the appropriate style required by the School of Communication Projects 1.Clicking in the Workplace by Edward Neal (15 of 15 points) 1) Formulating Communication Problems Exemplary: Ed’s project looked at electronic communication issues with the Ernst & Young (AABS Communications) organization With increasing electronic communication, questions arise about how effective email communications were, particularly in terms of “click through” to content linked to the email 2) Communication Theory Exemplary: The research uses various theoretical perspectives including: consistency theory, cognitive dissonance and gestalt perception theory Applied settings often require a broader theoretical perspective than theses 3) Methodological Procedures (including methodology and analysis) Exemplary: The methodology employed is a field experiment where email and videos have been constructed to allow tests of the effectiveness of differing presentations 4) Conducting basic/applied research Exemplary: The research is clearly an applied study, but the use of a comparative field experiment allows for fairly clean analysis and scientific approach 5) Professional reporting research results Exemplary: The study is a well-written, complete report It is presented more like a thesis than a white paper, so it is easy of an academic audience to access, though it may be more difficult for the organization to use Can this company be saved from itself? A case study: Internal branding and emergent networks, by Cyndy Glynn (14 of 15 points) 1) Formulating Communication Problems 17 Exemplary: Cyndy has appropriately poised this piece as a project Her focus is to examine the success of internal branding within her company 2) Communication Theory Satisfactory: The project attempts to examine the application the concept of Internal Branding within her company Internal Branding is an appropriate strategic communication notion 3) Methodological Procedures (including methodology and analysis) Exemplary: The strength of the project is in the multiple point/methodology and network analysis Two surveys and an in-depth interview were conducted 4) Conducting basic/applied research Exemplary: The research is clearly an applied study within an organizational/strategic com setting Having access to this process in a real organization is ideal in examining how the application works 5) Professional reporting research results Exemplary: The study is a well-written, complete report It is presented more like a “white paper” than a than a thesis, but the form is recognizable to an academic reader Summary The foregoing assessment indicates the quality of graduate student performance on theses and projects Our graduate students performed typically at an exemplary level in problem formulation, methodological procedures, professional reporting, and other areas Their work is of high-quality D Addressing Reviewer Recommendations Reviewer comments on exit projects from last year were positive and recommendations were considered We pick that up in a subsequent section of the report VI Review of Findings Graduate program assessment is broad-based, with participation from faculty, the Graduate Committee, and graduate students General directions are provided by the faculty in line with faculty-approved guidelines The graduate director refined the survey 18 instrument and administered the survey Graduate students participated in the survey and the focus group, offering ideas from their vantage point in the program This ensured that it was not a top-down process The Graduate Director, in concert with the School Director, reviewed the report and formulated action proposals for consideration by the Graduate Committee and faculty as a whole The 2008 graduate assessment report was shared with the incoming and outgoing Graduate Directors Ideas on cross-disciplinary partnership were shared with the faculty Students were consulted on scheduling issues that came up VII Follow-Up Actions A Changes in Curriculum, Activities and Services This section summarizes actions taken in response to last year’s assessment and curricular reviews Reviewer recommendations have been considered Last year’s report recommended that the School gain College Curriculum Committee approval for official renumbering of classes to 600-level This was achieved A detailed proposal was put forth to the CLASS Curriculum Committee and the change is now on the books Second, it was recommended that the strategic communication track be developed A proposal for the track has been approved by the School Curriculum Committee and will be considered by faculty next year The hope is that steps can be taken to develop a full-dress proposal for consideration by CLASS and UCC However, faculty did not conduct a whole-scale reexamination of the three-decade-old graduate program, a task whose size made action difficult Next year may be a propitious time to revisit this, provided an organized plan is developed 19 Some headway was made on a suggestion for more cross-disciplinary partnerships There was rudimentary discussion with the chair of another CLASS department about a possible colloquium series between our two academic units and recognition that there probably should be more publicity of this department’s methods course for interested communication graduate students Unfortunately, a damper was placed on the cross-disciplinary partnership idea – which primarily focused on collaboration between the faculties of Communication and the Urban College in light of the new Ph.D track that started this year Just one Ph.D student actively participated in communication coursework last year, and for only some of the year due to external exigencies Moreover, when the Urban College announced that it was not accepting students into the doctoral program next year, this necessarily placed a hold on this promising idea B Recommendations for Next Year These recommendations emerged from the focus group and constitute prescriptive suggestions for next year: (1) Develop a stable graduate schedule so students can plan ahead Students would like a listing of the courses regularly offered and the ones not regularly offered (2) Reconsider the organization of the introductory graduate course, Communication 501 The students believed there is too much content in COM 501 and that it is not organized in a useful way They argued that COM 501 needs to have more basics and less detail The first year students really liked the explication discussion because it could be used throughout their careers and they liked reading some of School 20 of Communication professors’ recent work But they believed there were too many detailed theoretical papers to digest, and they found the specific readings less useful One student wondered why more theory-building ideas were not covered in Com 501, so everyone could be exposed to them They believed that brief introductions of one week for basic concepts in mass, interpersonal, and organizational communication would be acceptable However, there is not sufficient time to more than give a brief taste In addition, students believed that the principles of paper development and presentation they learned in Communication 501 were not the same as they went from class to class, where different professors had different expectations Thus, it is suggested that less time be devoted to this in COM 501 (3) Organize a mini-conference of student presentations, to be held at Cleveland State (4) Consider developing new tracks to allow students with specialized interests to focus on these particular tracks There is a clear tension between students who know what they want to study and want more of it, and those students who both need and want to explore a variety of areas Development of new tracks would allow those who know what they want to focus in on these areas The more general degree could service those with less a less focused, but no less valuable, approach (5) Hold a second orientation in the spring to complement the fall orientation This could serve as a semester kick-off and socialization point for newly admitted students and non-degree students This suggestion emerged from a concern that GAs and non-GAs who began in the spring had different expectations and cultural experiences 21 (6) Encourage students to approach faculty on curricular and research questions Students need to be encouraged again and again to approach faculty They really need to take the lead—especially as it seems when they do, they are very pleased and satisfied with the results It seems that students who feel uncomfortable making the initial contact are most displeased The easy remedy may well be some signage similar to what one professor includes on his syllabus ASK QUESTIONS It’s your education If there’s something you want to know or some area where you could use help…ASK! The organized socialization session might broach this issue (7) Consider shortening the degree from Master’s in Applied Communication Theory and Methodology to Masters of Applied Communication Research (This may involve formal issues beyond the School.) These suggestions, or as many as can be, will be brought before the Graduate Committee This committee will begin considering these suggestions and possible remedies next year Conclusions The Master’s in Applied Communication Theory and Methodology continues to stimulate research-oriented graduate students Assessment indicates that the program is achieving its goals and meeting the five outcomes well, in some cases, exceptionally well Survey findings reveal satisfaction with academic outcomes, and analyses of theses, along with projects, indicates high quality of graduate student output A number of curricular recommendations for next year are proffered They are promising and will be considered by the Graduate Committee and, as much as possible we hope, sent to faculty for action 22 Appendix A: Assessment Survey Results 2008-2009 Items My overall experience in the Communication Graduate Program has been satisfying Being in the graduate program made me feel like part of the School of Communication I think that more classes should be offered on weeknights rather than afternoon In general, I was pleased with the courses that were offered In general, I think the Communication Graduate courses that I took will be helpful in my future plans How effective has the graduate program in Communication been in assisting you in: Understanding communication theories Learning how to conduct research Improving your research skills Appreciating how to apply communication research Critically evaluating existing research Appreciating the value of social science research Assisting you in clearly formulating communication problems Learning to write professional research papers Gaining practical knowledge of communication careers How satisfied are you with each of the following aspects of the graduate program in Communication? Your communication classes Conversations with professors Interactions with fellow graduate students Advising Preparation for jobs Career counseling Classroom facilities Experiences as a teaching or research assistant Preparations for the exit options Your overall graduate education in Communication at Cleveland State University My overall opinion of the quality of instruction in the Communication Graduate Program My overall opinion of the quality of advising in the Communication Graduate Program Please indicate the exit option you will choose upon graduation: Collaborative project (COM 589) Comprehensive exam (COM 597) Individual project (COM 598) 23 All First Second Year Year 4.1 3.9 4.2 4.2 4.1 4.4 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.0 4.2 4.1 3.2 3.9 4.4 4.3 4.0 4.5 4.2 4.0 4.3 4.0 4.1 2.6 4.0 3.7 4.2 3.9 3.7 4.1 3.9 3.9 2.4 4.6 4.3 4.8 4.7 4.3 4.5 4.2 4.5 2.8 3.9 4.4 4.5 3.8 2.9 2.6 3.6 4.0 4.2 3.6 3.6 4.3 4.2 3.7 2.9 2.7 3.7 3.8 4.1 3.6 4.4 4.5 4.3 3.7 2.8 2.4 3.6 4.0 4.5 3.6 4.2 4.1 4.5 3.8 3.8 3.8 Thesis (COM 599) 16 12 Appendix B Student Theses and Projects Theses Caruso, Anna (Spring, 2009) “Text Me You Love Me." Mediated Communication in Dating Relationships Ying, Lingli (Spring, 2009) Relationship between Foreign Film Exposure and Ethnocentrism Amanda Zima (Spring, 2009) Young Voters and the Power of Political Internet Culture: An Exploration of Political Websites and Political Engagement Projects Glynn, Cindy (Fall, 2008) Can this Company be Saved from Itself? A Case Study: Internal Branding and Emergent Networks Neal, Edward (Summer, 2008) Clicking in the Workplace 24