Curriculum Evaluation: An Outcomes Assessment of the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University

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2008-01-01
Authors
Duncan, Elizabeth
VanDerZanden, Ann Marie
Haynes, Cynthia
Esters, Levon
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VanDerZanden, Ann Marie
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Horticulture
The Department of Horticulture was originally concerned with landscaping, garden management and marketing, and fruit production and marketing. Today, it focuses on fruit and vegetable production; landscape design and installation; and golf-course design and management.
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Agricultural Education and StudiesHorticulture
Abstract

The Iowa State University undergraduate horticulture program has been nationally ranked as one of the best in the nation. Regular and systematic outcomes assessment is one means to evaluate the program for purposes of sustaining this level of excellence. The purpose of this study was to conduct a survey of horticulture graduates to determine preparedness when entering the workforce, departmental effectiveness, and to evaluate how well graduates met departmental learner outcomes. A 59-question survey instrument was distributed electronically to a proportional sample of 221 horticulture alumni who graduated between 2000 and 2006. The response rate was 47%. Results showed that graduates found jobs quickly, and a majority (76.7%) noted that their first and current jobs were highly related to their degree. Furthermore, 41.8% rated themselves as adequately prepared, 37.9% as more than adequately prepared, and 15.5% as exceptionally well prepared for their first job. Respondents also ranked their abilities related to the 33 learner outcomes questions as good to excellent.

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This is an article from HortTechnology 18 (2008): 524. Posted with permission.

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Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 UTC 2008
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