GRAD 4101 EXIT SEMINAR
The intent of this web-page is three fold: first, to provide general background information to Wayland students on this course; second, to address frequently asked questions (with responses) concerning the Exit Seminar; third, to provide Wayland students with a copy of the GRAD 4101 course syllabus.
General Background Information
On June 1, l997, Wayland Educators discontinued the Graduate Records Exam (GRE) and replace it with a competency based, course for BSOE degree seeking seniors. The course, titled the Exit Seminar, was incorporated into the l997-98 WBU Academic Catalog. This course was design with two distinctive objectives: First, to establish an internal formal process to capture data on the University's academic effectiveness. To accomplish this objective, a total of four assessment exams are administered during this course. The second objective is to establish a course that measures the depth of discipline competency achieved by each Wayland seniors. This objective is achieved through the completion of a senior exit project. One (1) semester hour is awarded for this course. The course is graded on a Credit (CR) and No Credit (NCR) bases. (NOTE: a grade of NCR is not a passing grade.)
The list of questions below represents a sampling of frequently asked questions. If you have a specific question or need further clarification, then please e-mail the Dean
Who must take this GRAD 4101, Exit Seminar course?
What is the purpose of this new course?
What if I don't pass the course?
Why so much work for only one credit?
What can I do now to prepare for the Exit Seminar course?
What if I am departing Alaska and re-locating to an area where there is no Wayland external site, and I am not yet classified as a senior, do I still need the Exit Seminar?
Who must take this GRAD 4101, Exit Seminar course?
Answer: All new degree-seeking students, who entered a Wayland Baptist University External program on or after June 1, l997, must complete the Exit Seminar, GRAD 4101. The term "Entered" is defined as all new students who entering into a WBU class after June 1, l997 as a WBU degree seeking student. As an example, if a new student applied for admissions and attended Spring classes, March to May l997, then that student is not required to take the Exit Seminar. However, if the new student applied for admissions and attend Summer term 97 classes, then that student must complete GRAD 4101 in order to graduate.
What is the purpose of this new course?
Answer: The course has two primary purposes. First, this course is used to assess academic competency in three general areas: 1) College BASE Assessment, 2) General Religion knowledge, and 3) Major Discipline knowledge. The results of these exams are used to measure the University's academic effectiveness. The second purpose is focused on the student. A current issue today in educational institutions is "competency based" instruction. The senior student demonstrates "competency" in a given degree program by completing a senior project. From the course syllabus it can be seen that the senior student must select one of three tracks to complete. These tracks are Track 1: An Academic Portfolio, Track 2: A Major Discipline Research Paper, or Track 3: An Academic Self-Assessment Oral presentation, or Discipline Research Oral presentation video taped.
What if I don't pass the course?
Answer: This is a mandatory course for all students seeking a BSOE degree, who entered an external program on or after June 1, l997. Since this is a mandatory course, if a student does not achieve the course standard, or if a student fails to complete all the course work, then a grade of NCR is rendered. This means that to graduate a student who receives a NCR grade must register for the course again and pass the course with a grade of CR receive a graduation diploma..
Why so much work for only one credit?
Answer: At first glance the requirements of the Exit Seminar seem very demanding. However, this course is only for senior students. A senior student is defined as a student that has completed 90% of the courses in a particular degree plan, or 12 semester hours of course work remaining in a BSOE degree plan. This includes 90% of core discipline classes completed. The center director on a case-by-case base can grant exceptions to this policy. When a student reaches this point in a BSOE degree program, the student has gained a great deal of academic and practical knowledge. This greater knowledge makes the requirements for the Exit Seminar not as demanding. Remember this course is designed to assess a senior student's discipline (major) knowledge.
What can I do now to prepare for the Exit Seminar course?
Answer: Any new degree-seeking student entering a WBU external degree program can begin NOW with preparing for the exit seminar course. The first thing a student should do is print and read the course syllabus. Second, a new student should begin considering which academic track best meets his/her needs, and third, after determine a possible track, begin collecting information from each core course within the major that will support a particular track project. I give you two distinctive examples below. The central theme in each example is a student active in structuring his/her learning responsibilities. Example number one:. A new student enters a BSOE degree program offered on the Anchorage or Fairbanks Campuses. The student elects to major in Business Administration (BUAD). The student seeks to use the BSOE degree to eventually acquire a position as a supervisory in her company's production and operations section. Prior to entering Wayland she conducted a self-assessment of the skills required to be an effective supervisor. She assess that she needs knowledge in effective leadership techniques, management process skills, knowledge in human behavior and motivation, and knowledge in the economic factors that affect her company and its market segment. Her degree discipline (Business Administration) core classes are 1) Accounting I and II, 2) Economics 3) Financial Management 4) Principles of Management, 5) Business Application with Computers, and 6) Marketing. In addition, based on her self-assessment, she determines she would like to take as upper-level electives 1) Psychology, 2) Organizational Behavior, 3) Human Resource Management, and 4) Theories of Motivation and Learning. When she reaches the senior exit seminar course, she has 1) read and understands the course syllabus, 2) completed several course research papers on a number of management related topics, and 3) has formulated what track she wants to complete. She selects Track 2: Discipline Research Paper. Moreover, to enhance her learning experience in the class room, she sought to apply the knowledge from each course within her work setting. By applying her classroom knowledge, she was able to uncover certain patterns of activities within her company's operation section that directly influenced the section's overall efficiency and effectiveness. By choosing Track 2, she fulfills two essential needs. First, she can use the research paper as her GRAD 4101 track project, meeting the Exit Seminar requirements, Second, as a research project related to her work setting, she can present her research paper to improve her company's operations and as a product of her skills for advancement into a supervisory position. Example number two: In this example I present a student who is in the military and plans to achieve a BSOE degree in Human Services, specializing in Criminal Justice. Currently the student is working in the military as a supply specialist. This student plans to separate from the military at the end of his enlistment and seek a career as police officer, either with the Anchorage Police Department or with the Alaska State Patrol. Like the student in example number one, this student becomes active in determining what skills a police office must possess. He contacts each law support agency to assess what skill he must achieve to become a police officer, and what criminal justice courses would best prepare him for his new career. He entries the Alaska Campus and begins taking classes in his major, Human Services-Criminal Justice. In addition, he prints a copy of the Exit Seminar course syllabus and reads it completely. As a Human Services-Criminal Justice major his core classes are 1) Criminology, 2) Criminal Law, 3) Social Problems, 4) Minority Relations, 5) Social Psychology. In addition, he plans to takes 6) Abnormal Psychology, and 7) Police Administration. As he enters the Exit Seminar course, GRAD 4101, he has already read the syllabus and has decides to complete Track 1,as his senior project. Track one meets his needs, as Track I is designed to prepare a WBU graduate for a career field transition. Since he plans to transition form the military into a law enforcement agency, this track allows him the opportunity accurately assess his academic preparation for a particular career field in law enforcement.
What if I am departing Alaska and re-locating to an area where there is no Wayland external site, and I am not yet classified as a senior, do I still need the Exit Seminar?
Answer: If you entered Wayland on or after June 1, l997, then the answer to this question is YES. In a circumstance such as this, a case-by-case exception can be granted by the Alaska Campus Director for a student to enroll in the Exit Seminar ahead of the senior status requirement. If you believe this may happen to you, then contact your nearest Wayland advisor and inform him/her of the possibility that you may depart the area before finishing the Exit Seminar. Lastly, print and read the course syllabus and begin working towards completing the Exit Seminar requirements now.