American Studies
Chair: Xiao-huang Yin
Department Assessment Plan
DATE: October 25, 2000

1. The Mission of the American Studies Program

The mission of the American Studies Program is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the voices and visions that interpret and in turn shape the diversity of the American experience throughout history. Such knowledge is not only an integral part of the education promised by the college's mission statement, but also one that prepares students for leadership in an increasingly complex, multi-racial and multi-cultural American society. We shall accomplish this goal through an interdisciplinary study of the sociohistorical construction of American beliefs and values, American ideological themes, the diversity of American ethnic, gender, and racial experiences, and American Arts and Letters.

2. Principal Goals for Majors and for Non-Majors

For American Studies Majors:

1) To gain an appreciation and understanding of major aspects of American cultural life in multiple perspectives and of representative works in the field.

2) To receive solid grounding and training in the interdisciplinary approach of American studies and its theoretical framework and research methodology.

3) To develop the ability to think critically and to conduct independent research in areas in the general scope of American studies.

4) To pursue graduate studies and careers in a wide variety of fields, such as education, legal service, public affairs, journalism, social/community organizations, and international affairs.

For Non-Majors:

1) To fulfill the college's Core Program distribution requirements.

2) To equip a basic, multi-perspective understanding of the cultural diversity and its significance in American life.

3) To engage, with fellow students from different racial, cultural, and class backgrounds, in meaningful dialogue about progress and problems in American society and to foster awareness of diversity and tolerance towards "others."

3. Measuring Effectiveness
For Majors:

1) To measure the aforementioned goals, student learning will be evaluated by two faculty readers at the end of the capstone senior seminar by assessing their individual projects on the basis of the following criteria that will continue to be refined:

--writing skills:
clarity
grammar
punctuation and mechanics

--research skills and documentation:
support of thesis
ability to integrate sources
use of appropriate system of documentation

--breadth and depth of knowledge:
use of recent interdisciplinary scholarship in the field
use of appropriate methodological approach to the subject

2) Conduct exit reviews with graduating seniors to get their feedback on American studies requirements and curricula.

3) Alumni survey every four years to determine how the major has enabled students to meet their educational and professional goals.

Non-Majors:

1) The overall success of the American Studies Program is not only measured by the numbers of our majors who win prestigious national awards and get admitted to first-rate graduate schools; it is also reflected in campus-wide understanding of the complex issues of race, gender, ethnicity and power that have shaped and continue to shape American life.

2) In order to measure effectiveness of our courses for non-majors, we will hold a meeting with the Core Program director annually to discuss how American studies courses fit in the Core distribution requirements and address goals in multicultural studies of American society.

4. Feedback Mechanisms

1) We will hold a department meeting at the end of every school year to assess the achievement of our mission and to examine whether we succeed in addressing our goals. The outcome of our assessment will be recorded in the department annual report.

2) Hold dialogues and consult regularly with American studies faculty in other institutions during academic meetings, such as the annual conventions of the American Studies Association, American Historical Association, and Association of Asian American Studies, to enlarge our frame of reference and build up networks to improve our American Studies Program.

3) Set up an email network to track the career choices of American studies alumni and gain their reflections on how their training impacts their career and life.