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A project was conducted to assess Family Studies bachelor's degree graduates' use of learning outcomes from course competencies in personal finance, family lifespan development, intervention, and advocacy and policy, and to determine how they apply these learning outcomes to their workplace, family, and community roles. Alumni surveys completed by the respondents indicated that they are employed in expected fields of work and involved in further education. Respondents most often applied learning outcomes to family roles, followed by integration into all three roles. Learning outcomes rarely were applied solely to community roles. This program assessment model provides an easily replicable protocol for use in integrated family and consumer sciences academic programs.
Assessing application of learning outcomes among graduates can be an effective means of gathering specific data regarding the impact of academic programs on student success. Weiss, Cosbey, Habel, Hanson, and Larsen (2002), examining assessments of student learning in sociology programs in higher education, suggested that high-quality programs perform thorough, ongoing assessments. Weiss et al. emphasized the need for specific and measurable learning outcomes that show what students have learned. They suggested alumni surveys as one way to assess student learning.
Voydanoff (2007) described work, family, and community as interrelated microsystems. The Department of Family Studies at the University of Kentucky, an institution accredited by the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS), initiated a project designed to determine students' applications of learning outcomes. The project was specifically planned to guide and improve course content and delivery in an effort to better prepare students for their family, work, and community roles. AAFCS supports individuals in "making informed decisions about their well being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life" (AAFCS, 2011).
The Department of Family Studies at the University of Kentucky, a land-grant university, conducted a Quality Enhancement Project in an effort to improve the learning experiences of students in the Family Studies program. Such program assessments are necessary to review the status of and improve existing courses, program offerings, internships, and other experiences for students. In addition, program assessments are a requirement of regional accrediting bodies such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and also are desirable for AAFCS accreditation.
PROJECT DESIGN
The goals of the project were...