WGSS: Goals,Outcomes and Proficiencies

Student Learning Outcomes & Related Measures

1. Student Learning Outcome 1: Students will develop an understanding of key concepts and theories in the field of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, including those related to sexism, racism, heterosexism, ableism, classism and other intersecting systems of social privilege and oppression.
   1. Sub-outcome 1a. Students will be able to identify key concepts in WGSS related to identities such as gender, sexuality, and race.
   2. Sub-outcome 1b. Students will be able to identify key concepts in WGSS related to feminist theories such as intersectionality, transnational feminism, and reproductive labor.

1. Measure 1: Theory and Practice assessment (direct) – measure A listed below
2. Measure 2: Research Seminar in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies assessment (direct) – measure B listed below
3. Measure 3: Major senior survey or focus group (indirect) – measure D listed below

2. Student Learning Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate the ability to conduct interdisciplinary intersectional feminist analysis.
   1. Sub-outcome 2a: Students will identify and employ legitimate sources of information covering social inequalities and injustices.
   2. Sub-outcome 2b:  Students will effectively communicate an intersectional feminist analysis of a particular object of study in one or more modalities (written, oral, visual, etc).
   3. Sub-outcome 2c: Students will articulate and employ feminist research methods.
   4. Sub-outcome 2d: Student will engage in interdisciplinary inquiry.

1. Measure 1: Research Seminar in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies assessment (direct) – measure B listed below
2. Measure 2: Major senior survey or focus group (indirect) – measure D listed below

3. Student Learning Outcome 3: Students will develop the tools to confront and transform individual and institutionalized inequality and discrimination.
   1. Sub-outcome 3a: Students will develop the tools to engage in critical self-reflection about privilege and marginalization, promoting self-awareness.
   2. Sub-outcome 3b: Students will develop the tools to apply WGSS concepts and theories to practice through a service learning or internship experience.

1. Measure 1: Public Engagement Assessment (direct) – measure C listed below
2. Measure 1: Major senior survey or focus group (indirect) – measure D listed below

Measure A: Theory and Practice of WGS Assessment

Every semester in which it is taught, the instructor for Theory and Practice of WGS will give a short assessment in-class during the last two weeks of the course. The instructor will select the assessments completed by majors to evaluate. This assessment will not be included in student grades. This measure is intended to assess Student Learning Outcome 1:  Students will develop an understanding of key concepts and theories in the field of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, including those related to sexism, racism, heterosexism, ableism, classism and other intersecting systems of social privilege and oppression.

Test to administer:

Please define the following terms in 2-3 sentences:

1. Sex vs. gender
2. Sexuality
3. Intersectionality
4. Transgender/trans theory/studies
5. Systemic oppression
6. Domestic division of labor/reproductive labor/the second shift
7. Essentialism vs. constructivism
8. Standpoint/situated knowledge
9. Queer theory
10. Waves of feminism
11. Global feminism vs. transnational feminism
12. Queer Identities and Social Movements

Measure B: Research Seminar in WGSS Assessment

Every semester, in which it is taught, the instructor for the Research Seminar in WGSS will select the final essays completed by WGSS majors and evaluate them according to an established rubric. This rubric will primarily assess Student Learning Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate the ability to conduct interdisciplinary intersectional feminist analysis, including sub-outcomes 2a, 2b, and 2c.

Learning Outcome	Exceeds Expectations	Meets Expectations	Needs Improvement	Explanation/Evidence
2a: Students will identify and employ legitimate sources of information covering social inequalities and injustices	The student identifies and properly uses several, varied sources appropriate to the research project and the student appropriately cites these sources.	The student identifies a few sources and sometimes appropriately cites these sources.	The student fails to identify sources appropriate to the project and/or the student fails to properly cite the sources they do make use of.
2b: Students will effectively communicate an intersectional feminist analysis of a particular object of study in one or more modalities (written, oral, visual, etc).	The student employs a feminist lens by analyzing how gender and/or other systems of power are operating in the “object” of analysis. Students acknowledge the intersecting nature of systems of oppression as well as the reality that power operates contextually.	The student employs a feminist lens by analyzing how gender and/or other systems of power are operating in the “object” of analysis. The analysis may lack sophistication, for example, it may not employ intersectionality or recognize changes in the operations of power contextually or over time.	The student fails to employ a feminist analysis.
Sub-outcome 2c: Students will articulate and employ feminist research methods.	The student uses a feminist method appropriate to their research question and clearly justifies and explains the method used.	The student uses a feminist method appropriate to their research question but may not justify or explain the method clearly.	The student does not use a feminist method appropriate to their research question.
Sub-outcome 2d: Student will engage in interdisciplinary inquiry.	The student draws on and coherently integrates knowledge from more than one disciplinary and/or interdisciplinary location.	The student draws on knowledge from more than one discipline but may not fully integrate them.	The student only draws on knowledge from one discipline.

Measure C: Public Engagement Assessment

Instructors of all courses that meet the WGSS public engagement requirement will submit a list of the WGSS majors in their class along with a brief description of the public engagement project completed by the student. In addition, the instructor will use evidence from student participation in the course (including written reflection assignments as well as class participation) to complete the provided rubric for each WGSS major. The rubric is primarily intended to assess Student Learning Outcome 3: Students will develop the tools to confront and transform individual and institutionalized inequality and discrimination, including sub-outcome 3a and 3b.

Learning Outcome	Exceeds Expectations	Meets Expectation	Needs Improvement	Explanation/Evidence
Sub-outcome 3a: Students will develop the tools to engage in critical self-reflection, promoting self-awareness.	Student demonstrates thoughtful self-reflection, particularly in regards to their own intersectional positionality and power vis a vis the issue they are working on and/or the community they are working with	Student demonstrates some self-reflection but may not fully analyze their own positionality vis a vis the issue they are working on and/or the community they are working with	Student demonstrates little to know self-reflection about own positionality
Sub-outcome 3b: Students will develop the tools to apply WGSS concepts and theories to practice through a service learning or internship experience.	Student engages in a substantive internship or public engagement project related to WGSS and is able to thoughtfully connect this experience to WGSS concepts and theories	Student engages in a internship or public engagement project related to WGSS and is able to make some connections between this experience and WGSS concepts and theories	Student does not complete an internship or public engagement project related to WGSS and/or is not able to connect their experience to any WGSS concepts or theories

Measure D: Senior Major Focus Group/Survey

Every year, the senior majors will be gathered together for a focus group and/or will be asked to complete a senior exit survey. The focus group and/or survey will assess to what extent students feel they have met the learning outcomes of the major and will allow students to provide additional feedback on the program.

Focus Group Facilitation Guide/Senior Exit Survey Guide:

1. Why did you initially choose to major in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies?
2. In your opinion, what are the strengths of the major?
3. In your opinion, what are the weaknesses of the major?
4. Has the major deepened your understanding of sexism, as it intersects with other systems of oppression like racism, heterosexism, and classism? If so, how? (Learning Outcome 1)
5. To what extent has the major prepared you to analyze issues from a feminist perspective and communicate your analysis through a written, oral, and/or visual presentation? (Learning Outcome 2)
6. Has the major encouraged you to connect your academic conversations about gender to action taking place in the community? If so, how? Has the major encouraged you to be more aware of social (in)justice or even become a self-advocate and/or a community activist? If so, how? (Learning Outcome 3)
7. What are your plans for the future? Do you think the major has prepared you for graduate school and/or employment? Do you see yourself using what you learned in WGSS in the future?