What is the purpose of program evaluation?
The purpose of a program evaluation is to understand if a program is producing successful students. Is the program providing adequate alumni? Do students feel prepared for their chosen working field? What is the return on investment? And simply, are students happy with the courses, internships, faculty, and job opportunities? What was the program's level of quality? What data from your evaluation indicated this level?
Unfortunately, it was challenging to find data at a private school. If I were to do this class over again, I would pick a public school. However, Johns Hopkins University is ranked #18 in the US for their Computer Science program but their graduation numbers were decreasing as years went on. I could only assume that this was because more students are earning degrees in the computer science field at online, faster, and more affordable schools. This allowed them to get out into the work field sooner. How might your recommendations improve the program?
I do hope Johns Hopkins University does keep their Computer Science program because the partnership they have with their School of Medicine is important. This partnership helps advance
hospital technology and find breakthroughs in modern medicine. With my recommendations of using data to track warning signs and implement intervention processes, align the curriculum with career results, revise the curriculum yearly, and study if undergraduate students are prepared for graduate level courses, I believe the Computer Science program can power through this slump and continue to bring in students who are prepared and ready to learn. In addition, revising the curriculum yearly will show prospective students that JHU is keeping up with the times and therefore, students will know they will be prepared for their careers.
