Seven Principles for Good Practice Questionnaire

Program Assessment

INTRODUCTION: As a current student or graduate of the Department of Counseling, Rehabilitation and Student Development (formerly known as the Division of Counselor Education), you can make a significant contribution to the continued accreditation of graduate programs in the Department. An important aspect of our preparation for reaccredidation is this self-study, modeled after The Seven Principles for Effective Practice in Higher Education.

We seek your input and feedback regarding the quality of your learning experiences in our programs. Your responses will be of great value to us as we evaluate the overall effectiveness of our Departmental mission. Please use the following scale to rate your experiences by selecting from the pull-down menus below. You may provide additional comments to support your rating. The unit of evaluation is your specific graduate program, not the entire Department.

Principle 1: Good Practice Encourages Student-Faculty Contact

Frequent student-faculty contact in and out of classes is the most important factor in student motivation and involvement. Faculty concern helps students get through rough times and keep on working. Knowing a few faculty members well enhances students' intellectual commitment and encourages them to think about their own values and future plans.

1 a. Throughout my program of study I found program faculty to be accessible.

Comments:

1 b. Throughout my program of study I found program faculty to be willing to assist me in meeting my individual education needs and goals.

Comments:

1 c. Throughout my program of study I found my faculty advisor to be accessible.

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1 d. Throughout my program of study I found my faculty advisor to be willing to assist me in meeting my individual advising needs.

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Principle 2: Good Practice Encourages Cooperation Among Students

Learning is enhanced when it is more like a team effort than a solo race. Good learning, like good work is collaborative and social, not competitive and isolated. Working with others often increases involvement in learning. Sharing one's own ideas and responding to others' reactions improves thinking and deepens understanding.

2 a. The learning environment (in and out of class) created by the program faculty provided me with the opportunity to work collaboratively and cooperatively with fellow students.

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2 b. I find/found it easy to express my ideas and respond to others in group learning activities and projects.

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2c. I feel that the opportunity to work together in groups enhanced my learning.

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Principle 3: Good Practice Encourages Active Learning

Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just sitting in classes listening to teachers, memorizing pre-packaged assignments, and spitting out answers. They must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves

3a. The graduate program faculty provided me with an educationally rich environment in which I had the opportunity to engage in active learning by participating in activities such as:

 
Rating
Comments
Applied practice activities
Counseling/Helping skill development through demonstration and practice
Opportunities for personal reflection on learning
Field site visits
Group research and presentation activities
Classroom discussion
Supportive relationships between classroom faculty and site supervisors
Supervised practice
Critically think about and discuss research

Principle 4: Good Practice Gives Students Prompt Feedback

Knowing what you know and don't know focuses learning. Students need appropriate feedback on performance to benefit from courses. In getting started, students need help in assessing existing knowledge and competence. In classes, students need frequent opportunities to perform and receive suggestions for improvement. At various points during college, and at the end, students need chances to reflect on what they have learned, and what they still need to know, and how to assess themselves.

4a. Throughout my program of study I received timely verbal and written feedback from program faculty regarding my academic and applied skill-based performance in classes.

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4b. I received timely and useful feedback on my professional writing skills.

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Principle 5: Good Practice Emphasizes Time on Task

Time plus energy equals learning. Efficient time-management skills are critical for students and professionals alike. Allocating realistic amounts of time means effective learning for students and effective teaching for faculty. How an institution defines time expectations for students, faculty, administrators and other professional staff can establish the basis for high performance for all.

5a. The faculty in my graduate program have helped my personal and professional growth by providing me with specific and constructive feedback for assessing my progress toward attaining my educational and professional goals.

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5b. Course syllabi prepared by faculty clearly articulate and outline learning activities in such a fashion as to allow me sufficient time and opportunity to research, prepare, and present required assignments.

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Principle 6: Good Practice Communicates High Expectations

Expect more and you will get it. High expectations are important for everyone--for the poorly prepared, for those unwilling to exert themselves, and for the bright and motivated. Expecting students to perform well becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy when teachers and institutions hold high expectations of themselves and make extra efforts

6a. The amount of work required for my classes was clearly outlined and appropriate for the learning goals for the class.

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6b. The program faculty promotes quality education through its establishment of high academic and professional standards of practice as illustrated by its screening, admission, and review and retention process.

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6c. I feel that I received a high quality education that prepared me for entrance into my profession.

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6d. The program faculty coupled their high expectations with the support and attention necessary for students to attain those expectations, through co-curricular activities such as writing for publication, conference presentations, research activities.

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Principle 7: Good Practice Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning

There are many roads to learning. People bring different talents and styles of learning to college. Brilliant students in the seminar room may be all thumbs in the lab or art studio. Students rich in hands-on-experience may no do so well with theory. Students need the opportunity to show their talents and learn in ways that work for them. Then they can be pushed to learning in ways that do not come so easily.

7a. Program faculty demonstrate a high degree of regard for diverse learning styles by providing students with opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge through both didactic and applied learning activities.

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7b. Program faculty demonstrate a high degree of regard for diversity in persons, experiences, and backgrounds, in and out of class.

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Student Evaluation of Campus Resources

A. Overall, the campus-wide resources available to me were:

The following campus-wide resources available to me were:

1. Student Disability Services (SDS)
2. Computer access
3. Technological support
4. Libraries (The University Libraries include the Main Library, the Psychology Library, the Health Sciences Library, and the Business Library)
5. Library carrels
6. Campaign to Organize Graduate Students (COGS)
7. The Department of Linguistics (offers courses for those who need to study English as a second language).
8. Center for Teaching
9. Office of Financial Aid
10. Art, Music, Cultural events
11. Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity
12. Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS)
13. Cultural and Nationality Organizations
14. Ombusperson Program
15. Other:

B. Overall, the College of Education resources available to me were:

The following College of Education resources available to me were:

1. The Computer Resource Laboratory
2. The Instructional Media Production Laboratory
3. The Computer Research Laboratory
4. The Center for Evaluation and Assessment
5. The Center for Advanced Studies in Measurement and Evaluation
6. Iowa Testing Programs
7. The Connie Belin and Jacqueline N. Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development
8. The Blommers Measurement Resource Library
9. The Curriculum Laboratory
10. Iowa Center for Assistive Technology Education and Research (ICATER)
11. Realizing Educational and Career Hopes (REACH)
12. Statistics Outreach Center Program
13. Educational Placement Office
14. Diversity Initiatives (e.g., Holmes Scholars Program; Diversity Committee)
15. Audrey Qualls Travel Award
16. Education Technology Center (ETC)
17. Honors Opportunity Program
18. Office of International Students and Programs
19. Office of Teacher Education and Student Services
20. The ePortfolio™ Project
21. College of Education social events
22. College of Education Colloquia and Symposia
23. Other:

C. Overall, the Department resources available to me were: (e.g., Counseling, Rehabilitation and Student Development; Teaching and Learning, Psychological & Quantitative Foundations, and Educational Policy & Leadership Studies).

The following Department resources available to me were:

1. Writing consultant
2. Clinical observation labs
3. Department Colloquia and Symposia
4. Student organizations (e.g., Educational Measurement & Statistics; Student Advisory Committee; Graduate Student Development Association; Graduate Student Executive Council; Iowa State Education Association Student Program; National Council of Teachers of English Student Program; The University of Iowa Professional Chapter of The Council for Exceptional Children)
5. Department social events
6. Other:

D. Overall, the Program resources available to me were: (e.g., school counseling, rehabilitation counseling, student development, student affairs, elementary education) were:

The following Program resources available to me were:

1. American Rehabilitation Counseling Association Student Chapter (UI-ARCA)
2. Program Brown Bags
3. Program social events
4. Program Colloquia and Symposia
5. Program student organizations
6. S.I.S.C.A. (Student Iowa School Counseling Association)
7. Chi Sigma Iota -Rho Upsilon Chapter (National Counseling Honorary)
8. GSDA (Graduate Student Development Association)
9. Other:

Indicate your current status with the Department.
 I have completed 0 to 24 credits
 I have completed at least 48 credits
 I am a graduate of the Department
 Year Degree was awarded
 Program of Study (identify program)
 Degree
 Licensure/Professional Improvement

 
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