INDSTD-BA - Individualized Studies in Liberal Arts

The Individualized Studies Program (ISP) develops curriculum for each student that is participating that are, by definition, entirely unique. Thus, even if high-level SLOs were developed there is no common point in the student's curricula to measure them. The only common touch points are the proposal process for approval of a student's ISP, and the student's and the faculty committee's summary reports completed in the student's last semester of study. Some other university's ISPs do define SLOs as part of the approval process. However, this is an inappropriate measure of the program's performance; it merely evaluates how well the student followed instructions and faculty coaching to prepare the proposal. We have instead focused the design of the both the student's and faculty committee's summary report to assess the ISP. The student's summary report provides indirect evidence, while the faculty committee's summary report provides direct evidence. The ISP proposal asks students to design academic and career related SLOs. How well were the student's SLOs crafted and how well were they satisfied?

ISP mission: uniqueness and coherenceThe defining characteristics of the Individualized Study Program is a coherent and unique program. How well did the program satisfy these characteristics?

Program implementation: With the hindsight of program completion, how well did the proposed plan of study meet the original goals?

Career related skills and expertise: The plan of study identified and developed both skills and knowledge that enable students to be successful in their postgraduation plans.

Women's and Gender Studies Track - Upon graduation, students will design and execute a research project that integrates theories, concepts, and methodologies from at least three distinct disciplines to analyze a complex issue related to gender, sexuality, or women's roles in society. Success will be measured through a faculty-evaluated rubric assessing the depth, coherence, and originality of interdisciplinary connections in the project.

Women’s and Gender Studies Track - Upon graduation, students will critically analyze primary and secondary sources from multiple disciplines, synthesizing diverse perspectives on gender and sexuality into a cohesive argument or solution. Faculty will assess this outcome through the project's literature review and discussion sections, using a rubric that evaluates the quality of analysis, synthesis, and integration.

Women's and Gender Studies Track - Upon graduation, students will effectively communicate their research on gender and sexuality through a formal research paper and oral presentation that demonstrate audience awareness, logical organization, and rhetorical effectiveness. A faculty-devised rubric will be used to evaluate clarity, thesis development (where appropriate), and adherence to academic writing conventions, including structure, grammar, syntax, punctuation, and spelling.

Women’s and Gender Studies Track - Upon graduation, students will demonstrate self-directed learning by independently identifying learning needs, setting academic and professional development goals, and actively seeking knowledge through diverse resources. They will apply these skills to their interdisciplinary research on gender and sexuality, engaging with scholarly literature, experts, and experiential learning opportunities. This ability will be assessed through a portfolio documenting their learning process, including goal-setting reflections, research strategies, resource utilization, and evidence of continuous intellectual growth, evaluated using a faculty-developed rubric.