Department of Plant Biology
Assessment Plan for Bachelor of Science in Botany
Mission Statement for the Department:
As the basic plant science department in the College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences (CALS), Plant Biology has high priorities in teaching and research
with only a peripheral extension commitment. The departmental faculty, by design,
currently encompasses an array of interests and expertise directed toward the
study of plant structure, developmental processes, functions, and interactions
with other organisms and abiotic factors. A significant part of our mission
is to convey knowledge concerning the aforementioned areas to students at both
the undergraduate and graduate levels, the latter to include international students.
Teaching is directed at stimulating students to ask scientific questions and
at sharing basic concepts and current knowledge to enable them to answer these
questions. Undergraduate and graduate student clientele enrolling in our courses
include both science majors and non-science majors. The primary objective of
research conducted by the faculty is to generate new knowledge, which may have
immediate, long-term, or unknown application. Interaction with other NCSU departments
and programs occurs with regard to both academic and research activities as
opportunities become apparent. Further opportunities for research interactions
occur at local, state, national, and international levels. These constitute
important components of our overall mission.
Assessment Contact:
Name: Chad V. Jordan
Phone: (919) 515-2222
E-mail: chad_jordan@ncsu.edu
Overview of the Plant Biology Program:
The Plant Biology curriculum provides students the opportunity for training
both in the laboratory and in field experiences in all aspects of the biology
of plants including basic cellular and molecular biology, morphology, physiology,
ecology, and classification. The curriculum focuses mainly on flowering plants,
but also addresses plant and non-plant types such as algae, fungi, and other
non vascular plants. The curriculum allows students flexibility in choosing
a more laboratory-related experience or a more field-oriented experience depending
on their personal preferences or career objectives. Students also are required
to have either (some choose both) a research or teaching experience to help
them develop skills in these areas and to make decisions about potential career
opportunities.
Undergraduate Program Outcomes:
Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science degree in Plant Biology, graduates
will be able to:
1. Understand science-related issues and communicate these to scientific and
nonscientific audiences in an understandable way in both written and oral form
2. Have the qualifications to enter graduate schools or to obtain employment
in their chosen specialty or field of interest
3. Have basic written and oral communication skills and interpersonal skills
that are necessary for success in employment and in their personal life
Educational processes responsible for achieving the intended student outcomes:
1. Students
take all General Education requirements including English, communication or
language electives, 21 hrs of Social Sciences and Humanities, Math, Chemistry,
Physics, Statistics, Biology, Genetics, and Physical Education. In the
Plant Biology Requirements they take PB101 (Perspectives on Plant Biology),
PB102 (Introduction to Research), PB250, and at least three additional courses,
one of which must be from 300 level or above. An additional selection of courses,
which include courses in Zoology, Biochemistry, Geology, Soil Science, Food
Science, Agricultural Resources, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, and Entomology,
provide students opportunities to broaden their plant biology perspective
to include either more detail of plant functions, interaction of plants with
other organisms, economics of plants, plants and their environment, etc. Students
usually select courses that enhance their skills and give them potential for
various career opportunities.
2. Students are required to fulfill a teaching or research opportunity. Teaching is accomplished by teaching one or more of our undergraduate laboratories, either in PB 200, 365, or 421. They may do research in a faculty member’s lab, in industry, or governmental arenas.
3. Students are provided opportunities to participate in the Plant Biology Club where leadership, social interactions, and organizational and interpersonal skills may be developed.
4. Many of our courses have laboratory experiences where students write reports, do hands-on experiments, learn to use certain instruments, interact with other students and faculty, communicate verbally.
Program Outcomes, Assessment,
Accomplishments
| Program Outcome | Method of Assessment | Evidence
of Accomplishment |
|
Understand
science-related issues and communicate these to scientific and nonscientific
audiences in an understandable way in both written and oral form |
Exit
survey and interview |
||
Student Course Evaluations |
|||
Student evaluations of TA teaching |
|||
Student awards and honors, authorship on peer-reviewed articles, national honor society memberships |
|||
Have
the qualifications to enter graduate schools or to obtain employment
in their chosen specialty or field of interest |
Exit
survey and interview |
||
| %
admitted to graduate school % employed in field |
|||
Faculty
teaching awards |
|||
|
|
||
Alumni
surveys |
|||
Student
awards and honors, authorship on peer-reviewed articles, national honor
society memberships |
|||
Have
basic written and oral communication skills and interpersonal skills
that are necessary for success in employment and in their personal
life. |
Exit
survey and interview |
||
| University senior survey | |||
Departmental
survey of teaching/research experience |
|||
|
|||