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4.1 When evaluating success with respect to student achievement in relation to the institution's mission, the institution includes, as appropriate, consideration of course completion, state licensing examinations, and job placement rates.

NARRATIVE/JUSTIFICATION FOR JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE

When evaluating success with respect to student achievement in relation to the University's mission, the institution includes, as appropriate, consideration of course completion, state licensing examinations, and job placement rates.

The mission of the University is, in part, to “... improve the quality of life for citizens of the border region, the State of Texas, and national and international communities.” The University operationalizes this mission through the strategic delivery of educational programs and services that prepare its graduates to pursue professional opportunities that will dramatically improve their prospects for financial success, thereby contributing to the overall economic development of the region and state.

In accordance with this mission, the University monitors the performance of its students on external assessment instruments such as licensing examinations and uses this information to improve the quality of its academic programs. The assessment process begins as the new degree program is being designed. In accordance with criteria established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), all public universities in Texas must certify that proposed degree programs are consistent with the “standards of …applicable accrediting agencies, and [are] in compliance with appropriate licensing authority requirements.” (THECB, Certification for Approval of Degree Programs (4)) Standards for the approval of new degree programs also require that the programs be responsive to current job-market needs of graduates, as appropriate. In addition, when requesting approval for new degree programs, the university must provide information on the pass rate of its students on state-mandated teacher certification examinations, regardless of whether the proposed degree program focuses on teacher preparation.

The University employs a variety of measures to evaluate student achievement, including course and program completion, performance on state certifying examinations, and job placement. Data on course and program completion, along with related performance measures, are reported annually to the Texas Legislative Budget Board (LBB) and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Selected performance measures are recorded in the chart below:

TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE MEASURES - COMPARISON 1996-2003
SELECTED MEASURES

Six year graduation data are not available prior to FY 2001 because freshman and sophomore students were not admitted prior to Fall 1995. The percentage of six year program completers is linked to the high minority, underserved student population and the high percentage of students who are first generation college graduates. Because most students at the University have work and family responsibilities, the time needed for program completion often exceeds six years. Another measure of course completion documented on the LBB table is the percent of semester credit hours completed, averaging 92% for the years 2001-2003.(Office of Institutional Research, Performance Measures)

State Licensing Examinations
Those degree programs which prepare students for employment in professions that require licensure or certification are assessed, in part, by the success rate of their graduates on these examinations. In some cases, the continued accreditation of these programs depends on the University’s maintaining a minimum pass rate. For example, if the nursing program falls below an 80 percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), the program is placed on warning; continued low performance will result in loss of accreditation. Therefore, faculty of the F.M. Canseco School of Nursing closely monitor the performance of students on the licensing exam, and use information from these assessments to enhance the quality of instruction in their degree programs.

The College of Education is in a similar situation with regard to the performance of its students on the teacher preparation exam, the Texas Examination of Education Standards (TExES). University students who wish to become certified as teachers must pass all examinations required by the State Board for Educator Certification in order to receive their certificate to teach in Texas. The University’s teacher preparation programs are in turn evaluated by the success rate of its students on the examinations.

The primary state licensing examinations for the University graduates are in the areas of education and nursing. The Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET) pass rate for the past three years is 66, 72.1, and 87% respectively, as reported by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). (SBEC Results/Analysis) The NCLEX-RN exam first time pass rate for spring graduates in the first three years of the generic program was 100%, 92%, and 93% (2002-2004). The annual pass rates for 2002-2003 were 95% and 86%. (Board of Nurse Examiners (NCLEX-RN) Statewide Results) The data for both education and nursing meet or exceed the state requirements for accreditation. Detailed results used for program outcome evaluation are recorded in the table below: (Assessment Reports)

Job Placement Rates
Some degree programs collect data on graduate employment as a program outcome measure, including fine arts programs which have few majors but place them all in arts related fields. Nursing, with a much larger number of graduates, has a placement rate of 85%-95% within Laredo and the surrounding underserved region. Although education does not use this measure, local school district demand and anecdotal evidence support a 100% job placement rate. (Laredo Morning Times Newspaper Article, United Independent School District Job Fair)

The Office of Career Services, in conjunction with the Registrar's Office and the Office of Institutional Research, administers a survey to each graduating class to determine job placement status and salary. This information is maintained at the Office of Career Services.

The most recent survey, May 2004, had a return rate of 68%. Of these respondents, 75% were employed with a salary between $30,000 and $45,000 per year. Employer categories identified by the respondents included:

SOURCE	LOCATION/Special Instructions
THECB, Certification for Approval of Degree Programs (4)	http://thecb.state.tx.us/reports/pdf/0612.pdf
Office of Institutional Research, Performance Measures	http://www.tamiu.edu/adminis/oire/PERFMEASURES.htm
SBEC Results/Analysis	http://www.tamiu.edu/adminis/ie/TExES/
Board of Nurse Examiners (NCLEX-RN) Statewide Results	ftp://www.bne.state.tx.us/nclex10.pdf Scroll down to page 4.
Assessment Reports	http://www.tamiu.edu/adminis/ie/assessment.shtml
Laredo Morning Times Newspaper Article, United Independent School District Job Fair	http://madmax.lmtonline.com/textarchives/060904/s11.htm

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