Academic Consortium Board
Evaluation of the CIEE Dublin Study Center:
Arts and Sciences Program; Engineering, Technology and Society Program; Summer Irish Studies Program
Fall, 2013
Last Saved: 2/27/14 INTRODUCTION
The Academic Consortium Board (ACB) of CIEE is pleased to present the following report on the CIEE Dublin Study Center Programs offered in collaboration with Dublin City University (DCU) and St. Patrick’s College. The report of the site visit team was received by members of the ACB. After review, the ACB accepts the report, and presents it to the Academic Consortium. The “Plan for Program Evaluation” is available at http://www.ciee.org.
We wish to make clear at the outset that we greatly value the cooperation of Dublin City University (DCU) and St. Patrick’s College. This report is a review of CIEE's program and not a review or evaluation of DCU or St. Patrick’s as institutions. The review focuses on the program offered by the CIEE Study Center and on the CIEE courses as part of the program at DCU and St. Patrick’s College. In addition, the site visit team has examined CIEE's relations with the host institution and its analysis has been presented to CIEE staff.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Dublin Study Center first opened in 2002. The Center currently runs a variety of programs in Dublin including semester programs, summer programs and a growing number of customized options. The evaluation team was charged with reviewing the two semester programs: 1) Arts and Sciences, (A&S) which includes a service learning track and 2) the recently added Engineering, Technology and Society (ETS) program. The Seminar on Living and Learning is offered on the semester programs. The semester programs offer a hybrid model to students requiring a core CIEE course and some combination of university courses and CIEE courses to complete the course load. Beginning in Fall 2013, students are also able to enroll at St. Patrick’s College (a DCU affiliate).
In addition, the team evaluated the three/six week summer Irish Studies program. The summer Irish Studies program is a freestanding three or six week program. CIEE participants have the opportunity to explore Irish culture and history through one course for three weeks, or two courses for 6 weeks. In this summer model, the students’ primary interaction with Irish culture and Irish citizens is with program faculty and the program excursions.
Prior to the program evaluation, CIEE Staff noted several areas upon which they wished the evaluation team to focus: adjustment of students to the different academic system, integration of students into the local culture, and the increasing challenges of delivering the service and internship components. These areas were considered closely alongside the other standard areas of review.
The Dublin Study Center has talented individuals on staff who run the Center well and there are no major concerns with the program or its administration. The Resident Director [Don Niall] and Resident
a great deal of energy and caring put into all of the programs they deliver. This CIEE team has created a safe environment in which students may raise both academic and personal issues. At the same time, the evaluation team was pleased to see the level of accountability and respect demanded of the students both inside and outside the classroom.
Considerable time was afforded to discussions around student adjustment to the Irish academic system. In many cases, the students were unaware that Irish students follow a set, progressive curriculum that focuses narrowly on one or two disciplines. This has led to challenges in selecting appropriate courses since there are almost no stated pre-requisites on the DCU website for courses, but the necessary completion of previous coursework is understood by degree candidates. Given this, CIEE staff has the considerable task of managing registration and student expectations at the beginning of each semester. Happily, all of the students with whom we spoke noted that Martin and Don insured that the course registration process was completed successfully for everyone.
CIEE partners with two host institutions – Dublin City University and St. Patrick’s College. Both DCU and St. Patrick’s College are clearly deeply invested in the partnership with CIEE and strive to insure that the program and CIEE students have full access to the services and courses. Despite this, both of these institutions have limited course offerings in the humanities. Should the course offerings in the humanities need to grow, adding host university partners in Dublin that offer a broader range of humanities courses may be needed in the future.
The summer program was not in session during this visit, but student evaluations, stakeholder feedback and CIEE Dublin Study Center staff feedback acknowledged challenges with student integration and the stress of a tight turnaround from spring to summer as two areas for discussion. Several ideas were discussed to improve student integration that are noted in the evaluation report. By all accounts, the summer program delivers an exceptional learning experience that includes thoughtful cultural and experiential components despite these challenges. Although not raised by the CIEE team, the evaluation team recognized the potential for customized program requests to create an environment of competing interests and strained resources during the summer.
Additional challenges and opportunities that emerged during the evaluation included the impact of
restrictions in hiring local faculty on program development, and the pros and cons of the Center’s location in meeting program goals.
After exploring both the depth and breadth of opportunities at this Study Center, there is some evidence that this distinctive Center is being underutilized. Dublin, and more broadly Ireland, exemplifies a confluence of contemporary issues, and could be better recognized as a rich learning environment in which topics such as diversity, identity, secularism, entrepreneurship and scientific innovation could be explored. The CIEE courses do an excellent job of connecting the dots between these concepts for students once they arrive, but the program could benefit from a more thoughtful marketing of the program’s learning goals and strengths. However, were the program to grow as a result, the current staff size could not feasibly continue to deliver the same level of exceptional personal and academic advising and reflective feedback to the students.
Priority Recommendations:
After formulating nineteen individual recommendations, it was clear that the majority of the recommendations could easily be grouped into a small number of priority recommendations. The
following priority recommendations focus on 1) program identity; 2) program materials and resources, 3) small summer program adjustments and 4) conversations about the future of the program.
The bracketed numbers [ ] below refer to the individual recommendation within the report.
Priority Recommendation #1: Reimagine or reaffirm the identity and nomenclature of the Center and its programs to insure that the distinctive opportunities the program offers are maximized.Specifically:
• CIEE should consider whether the name of the Arts and Science program accurately reflects the courses that are offered. “Arts”, for example, does not accurately reflect the diversity of course offerings in Education and Business. For many, “Sciences” implies that laboratory courses will be readily available. During the fall semester, students may only enroll in courses that are continuously assessed or examined prior to departure. There are very few lab courses available to students in the fall as the science departments primarily grade through examination not continuous assessment. [4]
• CIEE should consider the larger identity of the program, in particular how central the internship and service options are to the program. [11,19]
Priority Recommendation 2: Strengthen the materials, resources and training around the semester academic offerings at the Center, insuring that the students and home school advisors understand the Irish academic system and are aware of the course offerings. Specifically:
• Consider developing the Course Selection form to include information about the Irish university system and how to select courses. Be sure to note that while DCU does not state any prerequisites for courses, it assumes that several core courses have been completed in the previous year before progressing to the next year. [1]
• Consider conducting training for high sending institutions on how the academic system in Ireland works, with particular emphasis on the cohort system, unstated prerequisites, and available courses in the fall semester. [2]
• Consider working with DCU to articulate the implied prerequisites for a core set of courses in which the CIEE students typically enroll. [3]
• Given that the majority of science courses include a lab and are assessed through
examination, CIEE should consider promoting the Science and Engineering tracks as a full year or spring only option. (It is important to note that lab courses also have restrictions on enrollment). This shift will better set student expectations for access to courses, and it will allow the Study Center team to confidently promote the list of courses that are available. [5] • CIEE should explore working with business and engineering faculty to identify appropriate
course equivalencies for courses which may equate to major requirements or electives for students. [6]
Priority Recommendation #3: Consider small changes to the summer program which would allow for increased student engagement and appropriate distribution of resources. Specifically:
• Increase opportunities for the summer students to engage in activities with local university students. This has been very difficult given that the DCU spring semester and the first week of the summer program overlap, but creative solutions could be successful. For example, consider engaging Irish students who may have just returned from study abroad/exchange in CIEE summer program activities. [13]
• Consider options (albeit limited) to engage another faculty member to support either the summer or customized programs so that the CIEE staff may continue to deliver all programs well. The summer program requires a tremendous amount of staff time and attention and
begins only three days after the spring semester lectures end. In addition, increasing requests for customized programs will require additional time and effort on the part of the program staff. [12]
Recommendation #4: As plans for the future of the Center are developed, evaluate existing space and future program growth carefully. Specifically:
• Consider finding more appropriate space that better facilitates private student advising sessions and CIEE library facilities. [18]
•
Consider the pros and cons of how a free-standing study center (or “hub”) may best highlight the program strengths and facilitate the learning goals of the program. [20]METHODOLOGY
The evaluation site visit team was composed of Lisa Donatelli, Deputy Director/Director of Global Strategies, Georgetown University, Team Leader and Dr. Shaun Wiley, Associate Professor of Psychology, The College of New Jersey.
The two members of the site visit team each reviewed the history and evaluation of the program produced by CIEE. They studied the course catalog, and reviewed course syllabi for all program courses; they read end-of-session reports; they reviewed statistical information on the participants (numbers, gender, and ethnicity statistics, sending institutions, etc.). They reviewed staff and instructor curriculum vitae. They reviewed the pre-departure orientation handbook, and the on-site orientation schedule. They reviewed the student evaluation summaries and all the evaluations covering the Dublin Study Center programs. They contacted the top sending institutions for the semester and summer programs from the Academic
Consortium (Northeastern, Siena and Colorado-Boulder) to learn of their concerns. Finally, they reviewed the CIEE strategic analysis of the program.
In preparation for the site visit, the team chair wrote a memo which was distributed on site by the Resident Director to the entire teaching faculty of the program inviting the instructors to give us comments either in writing or orally during the visit. A similar memo went to all students.
During the three day site visit, team members had a series of productive meetings, tours and classroom visits. We me with the CIEE Resident Director, Don Niall and Resident Coordinator Martin Humphreys on several occasions to discuss the semester program, the summer program and the future directions of the program. In addition, we were given a full tour of the DCU facilities, including classroom facilities, student housing, dining hall, library facilities, student health and learning support facilities. We were also fortunate to visit St. Patrick’s College, a new partner for CIEE and meet with their international officers and registry staff.
The evaluation team observed several classes, including the CIEE core course, the Seminar on Living and Learning, as well as the following direct enrollment courses: LC336 Conflict Resolution in Northern Ireland, ES217 Psychology of Individual Difference and Diversity, ED 301 Curriculum Art I and ED 302 Drama I.
The Evaluation Team also met with staff from the DCU international office, current students, and DCU faculty [Dr. Ciaran Dunne, School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies and Mr. Des
McLaughlin, DCU Business School].
The site visit team jointly drafted and agreed on recommendations which are made part of this report. Page 4 of 18
EVALUATION
Note on approach of the evaluation: The evaluation team was charged with reviewing the semester Arts and Science track, the Engineering, Society and Technology track, the CIEE courses, which include a core course, the Seminar in Living and learning, a service learning option (with coursework) and an internship option. In addition, the team reviewed the Summer Irish Studies program. Both of the semester tracks offer the students the same curricular options – some combination of the CIEE courses plus direct enrollment courses at DCU or St. Patrick’s. The engineering students must take one
engineering/science course, but there are otherwise no additional requirements for these students. They do not have a different core course, or additional CIEE requirements. Given this, the evaluation team chose to evaluate these programs together under “semester programs”. When relevant, suggestions regarding options for engineers are highlighted.
In accordance with the Program Evaluation Plan for ACB Program Review, the evaluation report is divided into ten sections below, corresponding with the terms of reference specified in the plan. I. Academic Framework
Academic credit, coursework and integration Semester Programs
Academic structure, advising and integration: CIEE Dublin offers semester programs in Arts and Sciences and in Engineering, Technology, and Society. Both programs include options for direct enrollment classes at DCU or at St. Patrick’s College, a teacher-training college that is affiliated with DCU. All students have the option of enrolling in the Seminar for Living and Learning. The CIEE Arts and Science students are required to take the CIEE taught core course, “History of Modern Ireland”. These students also have the option of completing the Seminar on Living and Learning and a Service-Learning track. Students in the ETS program are required to enroll in either the History course or the Seminar on Living and Learning. ETS students must also take at least one direct enroll course in Engineering and
Technology. The interesting lack of requirements in the ETS program could be seen by some as providing maximum flexibility, but CIEE should also consider whether the program might appear to lack structure and coherence.
The structure of Irish higher education brings with it particular challenges in delivering a truly semesterized study abroad program. First and most importantly, fall courses at DCU are examined in January. This limits the courses in which our fall semester students may enroll to those graded by continuous assessment. In addition to the January exam schedule, there are other differences in the academic system that make integration more difficult than one might assume. Irish students will typically select a major and then progress as a cohort with their classmates through that major across three or four years. Although CIEE students are fully integrated into the academic system when pursuing courses at the host university, these differences naturally affect student academic integration. Unlike the Irish students, CIEE students often select courses across disciplines and across academic levels (first year, second year, third year). This may lead to feeling disconnected from both their classmates (who all know each other) and from the content of the courses (for which they may have gaps in knowledge not having completed the prerequisites). In speaking with the students they seemed generally surprised by these academic differences, and they admitted that they found the adjustment quite a challenge.
The on-site advising done by the Dublin team is very strong and serves to mitigate some of the integration issues that students could face. Both Don and Martin spend a significant amount of time advising
students on appropriateness of courses. During orientation and course registration, it is made clear to students how the system works but a great deal more should be done in advance to prepare the students
better. The students did not recall any explanation of the different academic system before their arrival, and this could be easily added to orientation.
Communication of policies: Academic policies seem to be generally available and understood. In discussing the transcripts and grading at DCU, the evaluation team noted that there are a very small number of semester courses carrying 10 ECTS credits as opposed to the typical 5ECTS. The full course load for students is based on taking a certain number of courses, and more heavily weighted courses rarely change the number of courses a student takes. The CIEE team explained that courses sometimes received a higher credit designation to indicate the importance of that course to the curriculum, and that additional contact hours should not be assumed. This is counter to what many member schools may understand, and in some instances, the student’s course load may actually be misunderstood upon return as an overload when it is not. This could be better articulated on the Guide to the Academic Record. Direct Enrollment Course Offerings: A new university, DCU was founded in 1980 and currently offers over 120 programs to its 10,000 students. DCU offers courses across the applied sciences, social sciences, business and engineering. There are a wide range of social sciences subjects, including Communications, Politics, Law, Government, Education, Language and Intercultural Studies. Many of these subject areas should be of interest to sending schools. Coursework in business is somewhat limited by the structure of the business program at DCU. While the key major courses such as principles of marketing, international marketing, operations management, organizational behavior, and management information systems are offered, all of these courses have examinations in January. In fact, almost all business courses have an exam as part of the grade. Given that fall CIEE students may only enroll in courses which offer 100% assessment, few business courses are available to fall only students. In addition, some courses which might fulfill requirements in the US such as market research, corporate finance and business strategy are full year courses only. These structural differences may make it particularly difficult for business students to participate unless they enroll for a full year.
Students interested in the sciences or engineering face similar structural challenges. The evaluation team learned that some of the applied/hard sciences departments have strict limits on their course enrollment and therefore cannot allow study abroad students to register for those courses. As with business, most of the hard sciences courses have examinations as their assessment, meaning they are not available to our students in the fall. Courses are limited in the Engineering Sciences in the fall as well, with only a few courses appearing to be possible matches to the U.S. curriculum:
• Design and CADD,
• Sustainable Water Supply and Management
The options for Engineers in the spring are much more robust with the following possible courses matches for electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science engineering:
• Analog circuits • Electromagnetism • Electronics II
• Computation/Simulation • Semiconductors
• Materials and Energy • Statics and Dynamics • Strength of Materials II
• Plus computer sciences courses (at least 5 options)
Working with U.S. engineering faculty to identify course matches could greatly increase the number of students enrolled in the Engineering, Technology and Society program, which is currently underenrolled.
St. Patrick’s College, an affiliate school charged primarily with educating teachers, does a bit to expand the DCU offerings by offering a wide range of education courses. In addition, they have a limited numbers of English, History, Music and Religious Studies offerings. This cohort of CIEE students was the first to have the option to enroll in courses at St. Parick’s and over half of the students chose to do so. Several of the students were enrolled in music and arts education courses, which were very hands-on and experiential. Overall, both the students and the CIEE staff seem pleased with the student experience at St. Patrick’s.
As the Dublin staff noted, there are still many traditional humanities subjects not widely offered on this program. While this could be seen as a weakness, the program has particularly wide range of offerings for majors that are traditionally underrepresented in study abroad such as communications, psychology and education. In recognition of these strengths, the program consistently draws a high number of students who are Psychology and Communications majors. Should the course offerings in the humanities need to grow, adding host university partners in Dublin that offer a broader range of humanities courses may be needed in the future.
CIEE Core Course for A&S: History and Culture of Modern Ireland and the Seminar on Living and Learning.
The History and Culture of Modern Ireland is the core course for the A&S students at the CIEE Dublin center. It is delivered by Resident Directory Don Niall, whose academic qualifications are well suited to the course content. The course covers the political, economic, and socio-cultural history of Modern Ireland, encouraging students to consider the forces that shape contemporary Irish society. Students’ evaluations of the course have been consistently positive. Many students reported the course as “informative” and “interesting”, and a number noted that the course helped them understand their experiences in Ireland. The course is a clear strength of the program.
The evaluation team thought highly of this course and had no strong suggestions for improvement. CIEE could consider several minor adjustments to the course to build upon its strengths:
Given the positive reviews of the core course, we recommend that it be considered as a
requirement for all students at the Dublin center. This may present some challenges for students whose majors fall outside of the Humanities and Social Sciences. In order to meet this challenge, the instructor might consider adding a module near the end of the course concerning
contemporary Irish society, which would add information about changes in Irish technology (particularly related to the computer industry and sustainable development, and presumably of interest to engineering and computer science students) and the recent global recession
(presumably of interest to business students). Requiring the course for all students at CIEE Dublin may also increase the size of the class above an optimal level. If the course grew too large, it may be advisable to split it into two sections.
Based on student evaluations in the spring of 2013, the instructor might consider the indicating the number or timing of assignments on the course syllabus, in addition to their relation to the courses learning goals. The instructor might also consider requiring four slightly longer assignments, rather than six shorter assignments as appears to be current practice.
The course is currently listed as EIRE 3001, which is likely to be an unfamiliar prefix for colleges and universities in the United States. Given the course content, we recommend that the course be cross-listed with History and/or Sociology (as with the summer courses) so that students and advisors have a clearer idea of how the course will fit into home university requirements.
Finally the Seminar on Living and Learning is an optional courses offered to all CIEE program
participants. This fall, all of the students chose to enroll in this course. Taught by Martin Humphreys, the SLL emphasizes understanding and reflecting on daily life and culture in Ireland. In observing the course, it appeared that some students were appropriately being stretched outside of their comfort zone, and challenged to substantiate their viewpoints. These are valuable skills for our students to acquire and we hope that particularly in locations such as Dublin, where cultural similarities are assumed, CIEE continues to encourage students to enroll in this course. The subtle cultural differences between Irish and American culture are important for our students to explore.
Structured experiential learning: Service-Learning track and Internships
Students at the Dublin center have two experiential learning opportunities, internships and the service learning track. Internships have been offered either independently or as part of a class. Both have been supervised by the Resident Coordinator. The Service-learning track has included: a research methods requirement, either at the home institution or at DCU; a course titled “Community Partnership: Theory and Engagement”; and an independent research project. The service-learning placement has been supervised by the Resident Director.
In recent years, several challenges have presented themselves related to internships and service learning. First, given the economic downturn in Ireland, fewer internship opportunities are available to
international students, as many organizations prefer to take on Irish students or recent graduates. Most of the available internships are in the non-profit sector. Second, very few students have taken up the service learning track.
The combination of the few available internship opportunities and the few students who register service learning has made it difficult to scale up the program. As a result, the internship and service-learning programs are situated in an “in-between” state. A handful of students take on independent internships on an ad hoc basis, but classroom internships have become less common. The service learning track
technically exists, but it is dormant. This situation makes it very difficult to establish the kinds of long-term relationships with internship providers and community organizations that would make agreeing to sponsor internships and service-learning projects worth their while, and which would make internships and service-learning projects optimal for students. Without additional resources these experiential learning opportunities will remain in limbo.
As a next step, CIEE should decide whether internships and service-learning are core parts of the center, and develop or eliminate them as appropriate. If CIEE decides that internships and service-learning are not core parts of the center, independent internships could continue on an ad hoc basis, but classroom internships and the service-learning track should be removed from the program. If CIEE decides that internships and service learning are core parts of the center, we would make the following
recommendations:
a. Internships and service learning should be combined into a single track. The title of the track should reflect emerging norms regarding community engagement in the United States, which have moved away from a service model toward more collaborative model. It could be called “Community-engaged learning”, for example. Combining the
programs into a single track should make it easier to scale up the program and make the program more efficient to administer. Re-naming the program should make it clear to home institutions that the track would fulfill any community-engaged learning requirements.
b. The new track would require students to enroll in a single course, modeled on the existing internship and community partnership classes. There are several advantages of a
based model. From an administrative perspective, it is more efficient to meet with student all-at-once than on-by-one. Further, in a course-based model, students could learn from one another and they would have an academic anchor for their community-based experiences. The course could take at least two different forms:
i. If there is substantial interest in working with a particular organization, the course could take an “issue-based” form, in which students learn about a single issue (i.e., immigration or homelessness in Ireland) and then contribute to an organization in discipline-specific ways. For example, some students might help the organization with accounting or marketing. Other students might help provide education or social services to clients. Other students may conduct reviews of best practices or needs assessments for the program. While the relationship between CIEE Dublin and the organizations would continue across semesters and years, student projects would change, depending on the skills of incoming students and the needs of the organization. This sort of course design reflects best practices for community-engaged learning in the United States and internationally.
ii. If working with a particular organization is not possible, the course could take a more general form. Students could learn about existing debates surrounding civic and community engagement, learn about workplace norms in Ireland, and also receive an introduction into applied research methods.
c. In either form, students would be required to keep a weekly journal, meet regularly with an on-site advisor as well as a CIEE staff member, produce some written project for the organization (e.g., research report, cost-benefit analysis, or marketing plan), make a presentation to the larger CIEE program about their work, and write a reflective paper about their experience.
d. Special effort should be made to establish relationships with organizations that would consistent relationships with a small number of organizations across semesters, so that CIEE staff can ensure a positive experience for students and so that students the program could best serve the organizations’ needs.
e. Because the course would require substantially more work than other courses at DCU, students would receive 4 credits for participation. (They would be encouraged to enroll in SLL along with the Community-engaged learning course so that they could receive credit for two full courses between the two and so that non-CEL students in the SLL class could learn from their experiences.)
f. Consistently running a community-engaged learning track would require CIEE staff to establish and maintain relationships with community organizations, identify
organizations’ needs and match them to the skills of incoming students, develop and administer a new course, monitor students’ experiences, and learn about Community-Engaged learning requirements at home institutions. Given this additional work, we would recommend that a new staff members be hired, ideally someone who has experience teaching undergraduates and working with community organizations. Summer Program
The summer Irish Studies program offers two courses in back-to-back three week sessions - the Shaping of Modern Ireland and Irish Culture and Society. Both of these courses receive very high marks from the
students with consistent remarks about how well connected the courses are with the excursions.. The students are housed in DCU dorms, and despite a few outliers, the majority of students are very satisfied with the housing option. Overall, students do seem a bit surprised about the location of DCU outside the city center, but the location of DCU is clear in the CIEE materials. In this summer model, the students’ primary interaction with Irish culture and Irish citizens is with program faculty and the program excursions.
The summer program was not in session during this visit, but student evaluations, stakeholder feedback and CIEE Dublin Study Center staff feedback acknowledged challenges with student integration and the stress of a tight turnaround from spring to summer as two areas for discussion. Opportunities for the summer students to engage in activities with local university students has been very difficult given that the DCU spring semester and the first week of the summer program overlap, but creative solutions could be successful. For example, CIEE could consider engaging Irish students who may have just returned from study abroad/exchange in CIEE summer program activities.
By all accounts, the summer program delivers an exceptional learning experience that includes thoughtful cultural and experiential components despite these challenges. Although not raised by the CIEE team, the evaluation team recognized the potential for customized program requests to create an environment of competing interests and strained resources during the summer. CIEE may wish to consider options to engage another faculty member to support either the summer or customized programs so that the CIEE staff may continue to deliver all programs well. The summer program requires a tremendous amount of staff time and attention and begins only three days after the spring semester lectures end.
Recommendations:
Recommendation 1: Consider developing the Course Selection form to include information about the Irish university system and how to select courses. Be sure to note that while DCU does not state any prerequisites for courses, it assumes that several core courses have been completed in the previous year before progressing to the next year.
Recommendation 2: Consider conducting training for high sending institutions on how the academic system in Ireland works, with particular emphasis on the cohort system, unstated pre-requisites, and available courses in the fall semester.
Recommendation 3: Consider working with DCU to articulate the implied prerequisites for a core set of courses in which the CIEE students typically enroll.
Recommendation 4: CIEE should consider whether the name of the Arts and Science program accurately reflects the courses that are offered. “Arts”, for example, does not accurately reflect the diversity of course offerings in Education and Business. For many, “Sciences” implies that laboratory courses will be readily available. During the fall semester, students may only enroll in courses that are continuously assessed or examined prior to departure. There are very few lab courses available to students in the fall as the science departments primarily grade through examination not continuous assessment. Finally the
Engineering, Technology and Society program name may also need rethinking. Given that it
only requires one course in engineering or technology, it is not clear why this has been named
and engineering program.
Recommendation 5: Given that the majority of science courses include a lab and are assessed through examination, CIEE should consider promoting the Science and Engineering tracks as a full year or spring only option. (It is important to note that lab courses also have restrictions on enrollment). This shift will
better set student expectations for access to courses, and it will allow the Study Center team to confidently promote the list of courses that are available.
Recommendation 6: CIEE explore working with business and engineering faculty to identify appropriate course equivalencies for courses which may equate to major requirements or electives for students. Recommendation 7: Better articulate the 10 ECTS credit-weighting for courses at DCU in the event that home schools are basing credit on the ECTS system. [Member schools may simply accept the CIEE transcript and this may be a non-issue].
Recommendation 8: The Core course is currently listed as EIRE 3001, which is likely to be an unfamiliar prefix for colleges and universities in the United States. Given the course content, we
recommend that the course be cross-listed with History and/or Sociology (as with the summer courses) so that students and advisors have a clearer idea of how the course will fit into home university
requirements.
Recommendation 9: Given the positive reviews of the core course, we recommend that it be considered as a requirement for all students at the Dublin center.
Recommendation 10: Based on student evaluations in the spring of 2013, the instructor might consider the indicating the number or timing of assignments on the course syllabus, in addition to their relation to the courses learning goals.
Recommendation 11: CIEE should decide whether internships and service-learning are core parts of the center, and develop or eliminate them as appropriate. The evaluation team has offered several suggestions regarding program models should these dimensions be developed further.
Recommendation 12: Consider options (albeit limited) to engage another faculty member to support either the summer or customized programs so that the CIEE staff may continue to deliver all programs well. The summer program requires a tremendous amount of staff time and attention and begins only three days after the spring semester lectures end. In addition, increasing requests for customized programs will require additional time and effort on the part of the program staff.
Recommendation 13: Increase opportunities for the summer students to engage in activities with local university students. This has been very difficult given that the DCU spring semester and the first week of the summer program overlap, but creative solutions could be successful. For example, consider engaging Irish students who may have just returned from study abroad/exchange in CIEE summer program
activities.
II. Teaching and Learning
Intercultural Learning and Development:
The Seminar on Living and Learning is the strongest link that students have to intercultural learning and development. Students are encouraged to continually reflect on their own cultural identities. The IDI is administered on the program with varying results.
As noted above, students respond positively to the History of Modern Ireland course noting that they learned a great deal in the course that helped them adjust to their lives in Ireland. In addition, the team observed students connecting the learning they had on the excursions with academic content in their courses. This is a testament to the synergies between the core course, the intercultural development goals and the excursions.
Program Learning Goals:
The program learning goals are clear and relevant:
At the end of the semester, the students should have achieved a clear understanding of the political, social, and cultural complexity that characterizes contemporary Ireland. This includes diversity, multiculturalism, cultural mixing, and ‘national identity’, as well as religious diversity and secularism. Students will have learned to analyze culture in a social context in order to characterize their own experience in cultural terms. Students are expected to have learned to communicate with peers about cultural differences and come to understand contemporary Irish society.
In seeing these articulated goals, there is some evidence that this distinctive Center is being underutilized. As the learning goals indicate, Dublin, and more broadly Ireland, exemplifies a confluence of
contemporary issues, and could be better recognized as a rich learning environment in which topics such as diversity, identity, secularism, entrepreneurship and scientific innovation could be explored. We believe the program could benefit from a more thoughtful marketing of the program’s learning goals and strengths. We were delighted to observe the learning goals being put into action inside the classroom, in casual conversations outside of the classroom, and in the design of the program excursions. The
summer program is also clearly trying to move students through these learning goals, as witnessed by the intentionality of the calendar for the program.
Assessment:
Students are uncomfortable with the Irish academic system of demanding fewer assignments throughout the semester. Students would also be grateful for the opportunity to evaluate the host institution courses. If designed correctly, this could be a valuable advising tool for both the on-site team and home school advisors.
Recommendations:
Recommendation 14: Provide students with an appropriate opportunity to evaluate the host institution courses. If designed correctly, this could be a valuable advising tool for both the on-site team and home school advisors.
III. Quality and Appropriateness of Students
Students are required to have a 3.0 for the semester programs (2.75 for the summer). The CIEE staff remark that student academic ability and engagement is quite mixed. In speaking with some of the fall students, only half of the group with whom we spoke was pursuing major credit. This may impact the level of student engagement in the program.
Expectations for appropriate student behavior inside and outside the classroom are clear. Additional policies regarding attendance and examination rescheduling have been articulated so as to insure that students fully participate in the CIEE courses in which they are enrolled.
Recommendations:
Recommendation 15: Work with sending schools to insure more relevant credit is transferred (as much as this is possible) with the hope of drawing in more engaged students. At the very least, students may need more assistance in putting together an academically thoughtful set of courses.
IV. Student Preparation for the Learning Environment
Several areas typically covered in this section of the report have been discussed in other sections of the evaluation. For observations and recommendations regarding advising and orientation, please refer to Section I and V. Ongoing facilitation of student learning and development occurs through interacting with the CIEE staff frequently, through the design of the CIEE core courses, and through the
intentionality of the program excursions. Students are continually challenged to connect the dots. Non-academic policies are well articulated in the program handbook.
Students participate in a meeting at the end of the program to reflect on returning to their home
institutions. They are given an opportunity to reflect on the goals that they developed for themselves at the beginning of the program and how much progress they may have made toward these goals.
V. Quality and Appropriateness of Services
Students found the Polaris system to be very difficult, but found the quality of the materials and responses from CIEE Portland staff were excellent. They felt that their questions were answered and that they were for the most part prepared. The students did admit to having a bit of anxiety prior to departure, primarily over their housing assignments, roommates and course registration. The also noted that it would have been nice to have been introduced to each other, and to the different academic system earlier in the summer. They supported the idea of conducting the on-line orientation earlier, splitting the orientation, or receiving additional materials about the academic system earlier.
The on-site orientation includes a mix of academic, cultural and practical information for students. In the past year, CIEE and DCU have split their orientation instead of combining it, allowing for CIEE students to receive more pointed advising and instruction. Several social events are in collaboration with the DCU study abroad orientation such as the Dublin City bus tour and the Causey Farm outing. This allows students to interact with other international students at the beginning of the program. Students feel they are well oriented to the city and practical issues of living in Dublin. Students did note that the Irish students were noticeably absent when they first arrive, and some commented that their Irish roommates did not move in until the second week of class. Student would welcome the opportunity to meet Irish students at this juncture of their stay.
Students are housed on the DCU campus in apartments which are conveniently located to classroom buildings on campus. Students are typically housed in apartments with 3-5 other students. Each student has a single bedroom with an ensuite bathroom and the students rate the housing very highly. DCU accommodation attempts to place students in diverse settings and many students reported 1, 2 or 3 Irish roommates and a number of international roommates in their apartment. Students note fairly
consistently that they are surprised at the notion of mixed housing and several students noted that they wish they had known they would be in mixed gender apartments before arrival. The students also noted that they wished they had been told who their roommates might be prior to arrival. The accommodation office noted that allocations cannot be made until about two weeks prior to the start of the program, given leaving exam marks and departing students. Some students were also unprepared for the absence of a meal plan.
In terms of student support, current and past students overwhelmingly reported positive feedback on the level and quality of support from the CIEE staff. They find the readily available, able to answer their questions making students feel at ease should they need to discuss any issues that may arise. The students also noted that the staff was very helpful in the initial adjustment to Ireland, and in particular to the differing academic system. Without the one on one academic advising sessions and the care taken during course registration by Martin Humphreys, the student would have been much less prepared to succeed in the direct enrollment courses. The CIEE office is conveniently located among in close proximity to the international office, the student advising center, and the student support services. The students primarily rely on the CIEE staff to answer all of their questions but the DCU international staff is available when needed.
The CIEE Dublin program has worked with DCU in the past to successfully accommodate several students with physical disabilities (mobility impaired and visually impaired). Students requiring learning support seem may receive tutoring, notetakers, and other support which is similar to the accommodations in the US. In addition, with proper documentation, students may receive 10 minutes/hour of additional time on exams. The support services team at DCU is warm and welcoming, as are Don and Martin. Recommendations:
Recommendation 16: Consider conducting the online orientation earlier in the summer (fall) or semester (spring), splitting the orientation session in two sessions, or developing materials for students regarding the Irish academic system.
Recommendation 17: Develop a welcome event to include the DCU study abroad/exchange student returnees and the CIEE students as part of orientation. Build on the twinning program (buddy program) currently offered by St. Patrick’s College and assign Irish partners.
Recommendation 18: Make the room and board arrangements (mixed gender) and timeline for notification clearer on the website.
VI. Health, Safety and Security
The program has had very few student issues over the years. When issues have arisen, they appear to be handled very well by the onsite staff, with the support of the support services available to students at DCU. Students note that they feel comfortable approaching staff with any manner of problem, and feel that they would be well taken care of should a problem arise.
The student health facilities at DCU are very similar to the standard of care found at student health facilities at our own campus. A full time nurse is available to students, as well as several urgent care facilities and the emergency facilities of the area hospital. Counseling and learning support services are also available to students.
VII. Quality of Facilities
CIEE occupies a small office on the campus of DCU. The space includes two small desks for the team, and two small bookshelves for the CIEE library. These books are able to be checked out for students preparing for assignments as part of the CIEE core courses. This space does not seem adequate for the work that must be done by the CIEE team. Private conversations with students would require one team member to leave, and the staff note that many more resources could be available in the CIEE library were space not an issue.
The DCU library appeared quite useable for students with ample study space, computer labs, a laptop loaner station, printing stations, etc. Students have access to the DCU online journals and database as well as a wide range of training courses for students (plagiarism and citations, identifying resources, discipline specific research). DCU is also testing out a virtual application designed to help students better use the library facilities.
The host universities appeared to have made ample accommodations for students with disabilities, with lifts, ramps and wheelchair lifts in strategic places around campus. DCU noted that there are some doorways which are still a bit too narrow, but that the overall access for students is quite good. Students travelling into the city center will have varying degrees of success.
Computer stations in the library were more than adequate. A laptop loaner program is available for students while they are in the library. NetID authenticated WiFi is widely available across campus. Recommendations:
Recommendation 19: Consider more appropriate space which better facilitates private student advising sessions and CIEE library facilities.
VIII. Perceptions of stakeholders [some additional comments will be added]
Consortium member schools: The University of Colorado provided useful feedback regarding the summer program, on which they have sent 20 students since 2008. They are happy with the program, the facilities, and the support the CIEE team offers to students both before departure and upon arrival. They noted that the Irish Culture and Society course is approved on their campus for Core credit, and that the Shaping of Modern Ireland is approved as an elective. They surmise this elective designation might be a reason for students typically only pursuing one session. CIEE may wish to explore this idea of how summer credit is transferring further. Integration was noted as one area that summer students commented on. Other feedback from consortium member schools was limited. The general sense was that little feedback was going back to the member school advisors (no real issues could be identified) and there was the sense that students evaluated the program well. This highlights how well run this program is, but also how its distinctive characteristics could be better marketed.
Students: Overall, students were very satisfied with the program. If any central theme emerged it was how seemingly unprepared for the academic program and cultural differences the semester program students were.
Teaching Faculty and Host Institution: The teaching faculty at DCU with whom we spoke felt genuinely happy to have American students in their courses, noting their ability to speak up in class as a major benefit. They were engaging in our discussions, and interested in continuing to work with CIEE. Both DCU and St. Patrick’s clearly enjoy working with the CIEE program and its students. Both reported excellent communication, and a willingness to work out processes which were efficient and beneficial to both parties. The CIEE staff reports that they have both been excellent partners.
IX. Relationship to previous evaluation
In 2005, an interim review was conducted by Susan Thompson, UNLV. At that time, CIEE was working with the Dublin Business School as a host institution. Some of the recommendations from that evaluation included better preparing students and families for homestays, moving the time of the core course, and working with DBS to provide better access to student support services, computers, and printers. There was also a recommendation to look at the credit-weighing of the DBS courses. With the move to DCU, many of these issues have been addressed, particularly improved facilities, credit-weighting of courses and improved student support services. The recommendation that the core course be moved to the afternoon has been implemented.
X. Future prospects and plans for improving teaching and services
The evaluation team spent a considerable amount of time discussing future prospects for the program. Many of these discussions centered around two themes: 1) a need to consider in the future how central or peripheral the service learning and internship options are to the program and 2) how a new study center space that could be considered a “hub” for the program might better facilitate or hinder program learning goals.
Along with the idea of creating a “hub”, there was a strong emphasis on the need to expand the course offerings if the program is to grow. This may necessitate adding host institutions. Succeeding in adding partners would require additional staff to insure that there is coordination across host universities. The absence of CIEE on a host university campus has its pros and cons, there will be more freedom to deliver co-curricular and social activities in a new space, it will be a “hub” at which students can meet to engage in city center culture and activities
The difficulties in hiring local faculty are not to be understated and should be considered when envisaging the future of the program. In the absence of readily available local faculty, additional staff should be sought who have teaching qualifications and local community contacts so as to lessen the burden on the existing staff.
Recommendations:
Recommendation 20: It will benefit CIEE to consider the larger identity of the program, in particular how central the internship and service options are to the program. We support the CIEE Resident Director and Coordinator in the importance of such options being fully developed and resources. We are suggesting they be been not as options, but fully designed areas of the program.
Recommendation 21: Consider the pros and cons of how a free-standing study center (or “hub”) may best highlight the program strengths and facilitate the learning goals of the program. This should be explored further and has great potential.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The members of the evaluation team benefited greatly from the care and concern for this process by the staff of CIEE and of the host institution and in particular CIEE resident staff Don Niall and Martin Humphreys.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Priority Recommendations
Priority Recommendation #1: Reimagine or reaffirm the identity and nomenclature of the Center and its programs to insure that the distinctive opportunities the program offers are maximized and better marketed. Specifically:
• CIEE should consider the larger identity of the program, in particular how central the internship and service options are to the program. The evaluation team has offered several suggestions regarding program models should these dimensions be developed further. [11,20]
• CIEE should consider whether the names of the semester programs accurately reflect the courses that are offered. “Arts and Sciences” does not accurately reflect the diversity of course offerings at the host institutions in Education and Business. “Arts and Sciences” also implies that laboratory courses will be available. In the fall semester there are very few lab courses available to students as these departments conduct exams after Christmas. In the Fall, students may only enroll in courses that are continuously assessed or examined prior to departure. Finally the Engineering, Technology and Society program name may also need
rethinking. Given that it only requires one course in engineering or technology, it is not clear why this has been named and engineering program. [4]
Priority Recommendation #2: Strengthen the materials, resources and training around the semester academic offerings at the Center, insuring that the students and home school advisors are aware of the course offerings and understand the Irish academic system. Specifically:
• Consider developing the Course Selection form to include information about the Irish university system and how to select courses. Be sure to note that while DCU does not state any prerequisites for courses, it assumes that core courses have been completed in the previous year before progressing to the next year. [1]
• Consider conducting training for high sending institutions on how the academic system in Ireland works, with particular emphasis on the cohort system, unstated pre-requisites, and available courses in the fall semester. [2]
• Consider working with DCU to articulate the implied prerequisites for a core set of courses in which the CIEE students typically enroll. [3]
• Given that the majority of science courses include a lab and are assessed through
examination, CIEE should consider promoting the Science and Engineering tracks as a full year or spring only option. (It is important to note that lab courses are restricted in
enrollment). This shift will better set student expectations for access to courses, and it will allow the Study Center team to more confidently promote the list of course options that are available. [5]
• CIEE should explore working with business and engineering faculty to identify appropriate course equivalencies for courses which may equate to major requirements or electives for students. [6]
Priority Recommendation #3: Consider small changes to the summer program which would allow for increased student engagement and appropriate distribution of resources. Specifically:
• Increase opportunities for the summer students to engage in activities with local university students. This is very difficult given that the DCU spring semester and the first week of the summer program overlap, but creative solutions could be successful. For example, consider engaging Irish students who may have just returned from study abroad/exchange in CIEE summer program activities. [13]
• Consider options (albeit limited) to engage another faculty member to support either the summer or customized programs so that the CIEE staff may continue to deliver all programs well. The summer program requires a tremendous amount of staff time and attention and begins only three days after the spring semester lectures end. In addition, requests for customized programs require additional time and effort for the program staff. [12]
Priority Recommendation #4: As plans for the future of the Center are developed, evaluate existing space and future program growth carefully. Specifically:
• Consider finding more appropriate space that better facilitates private student advising sessions and CIEE library facilities. [19]
•
Consider the pros and cons of how a free-standing study center (or “hub”) may best highlight the program strengths and facilitate the learning goals of the program. [21]Additional Recommendations
Recommendation 7: Better articulate the 10 ECTS credit-weighting for courses at DCU in the event that home schools are basing credit on the ECTS system. [Member schools may simply accept the CIEE transcript and this may be a non-issue].
Recommendation 8: The Core course is currently listed as EIRE 3001, which is likely to be an unfamiliar prefix for colleges and universities in the United States. Given the course content, we recommend that the course be cross-listed with History and/or Sociology (as with the summer courses) so that students and advisors have a clearer idea of how the course will fit into home university requirements.
Recommendation 9: Given the positive reviews of the core course, we recommend that it be considered as a requirement for all students at the Dublin center. This may present some
challenges for students whose majors fall outside of the Humanities and Social Sciences. In order to meet this challenge, the instructor might consider adding a module near the end of the course concerning contemporary Irish society, which would add information about changes in Irish technology (particularly related to the computer industry and sustainable development, and presumably of interest to engineering and computer science students) and the recent global recession (presumably of interest to business students). Requiring the course for all students at CIEE Dublin may also increase the size of the class above an optimal level. If the course grew too large, it may be advisable to split it into two sections.
Recommendation 10: Based on student evaluations in the spring of 2013, the instructor might consider the indicating the number or timing of assignments on the course syllabus, in addition to their relation to the courses learning goals. The instructor might also consider requiring four slightly longer assignments, rather than six shorter assignments as appears to be current practice. Recommendation 14: Provide students with an appropriate opportunity to evaluate the host institution courses. If designed correctly, this could be a valuable advising tool for both the on-site team and home school advisors.
Recommendation 15: Work with sending schools to insure more relevant credit is transferred (as much as this is possible) with the hope of drawing in more engaged students. At the very least, students may need more assistance in putting together an academically thoughtful set of courses. Recommendation 16: Consider conducting the online orientation earlier in the summer (fall) or semester (spring), splitting the orientation session in two sessions, or developing materials for students regarding the Irish academic system.
Recommendation 17: Develop a welcome event to include the DCU study abroad/exchange student returnees and the CIEE students as part of orientation. Build on the twinning program (buddy program) currently offered by St. Patrick’s College and assign Irish partners.
Recommendation 18: Make the room and board arrangements (mixed gender) and timeline for notification clearer on the website.
