Dr. Stephen Berkwitz, the Department Head of Religious Studies, recently received an Assessment Grant. His proposal, Program Assessment through a Student Advisory Committee, outlines a plan to obtain feedback from a committee comprised of current students who are majoring or minoring in Religious Studies. This feedback from students will add to the assessment information collected by the department. Participating students will provide the department with a written self-assessment on the experience.

Dr. Berkwitz explains, “The faculty in Religious Studies have come to value the student feedback from our assessment program in our efforts to respond to concerns and improve our degree programs. The formation of an undergraduate student advisory committee represents an attempt to build upon the process by which we obtain student views and ideas about the major and minor degrees in Religious Studies… [I] will consult with the committee throughout the year in meetings and by email to solicit student feedback on subjects including program requirements, curricular matters, student concerns, and social media. It is anticipated that maintaining a core group of undergraduates in an advisory committee will produce more meaningful and thoughtful responses that can be used to assess the student experience in Religious Studies.”

The Office of Assessment appreciates the work of the Religious Studies Department to involve students in the process of assessment.