Assessment and Student Achievement

The Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardships' concentrations in forest management, forest fire science, and forest biology are accredited by the Society of American Foresters.

Accreditation is based on an assessment of the total educational program, the institution’s environment for stimulating intellectual and professional growth, and support for the program. Accreditation ensures that the environment, facilities, faculty, and infrastructure for the forestry program are sufficient and appropriate to meet the forestry program’s stated mission, goals, and objectives.

Review these documents to learn more about how the curricula is assessed:

The Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardships’ Mission Statement outlines a vision for preparing students with the knowledge and understanding to be productive members of a changing society and to lead the next generation of land management professionals.

Learning Objectives answer the question: what should our students know after completing their forestry degree?

The Assessment Plan is as a tool to measure whether the program is effective in helping students to reach the learning objectives of the degree.

The Self-Assessment is an example of the survey given to forestry students at critical times as they progress through the forestry program.

Outcomes assessments for F 421 (Forest Stand Management and NR 425 (Natural Resources Policy and Sustainability) are used to evaluate students’  Communication, Critical Thinking and Technical Competencies in a Capstone Course.

The Outcomes Matrix displays all the coursework required of the forestry major and the competencies learned in the course.

Outcomes Data is a compilation of the data produced from the self-assessment surveys and work products produced by student in the forestry program.

First destination is the product of a survey which assesses the initial career and employment outcomes of cohorts of forestry graduates.

Every semester the career center surveys graduating students to ascertain what type of employment they have secured, their plans for the future (graduate school, permanent/seasonal work), their starting salary, etc.

Aspen trees at sunset