Reference no: EM132366954

Assignment: You may recall a series of television commercials for a data security business. In these commercials, people need an individual (e.g., exterminator, dentist, security guard) to do something, but the individual explains that he is a monitor who alerts people when something is happening, but does not actually do anything about the situation. For example, the exterminator says there are termites, but does not do anything. The dentist says you have a cavity, but does not do anything. The security monitor says there is a bank robbery, but does not do anything. The purpose of these humorous commercials is to ask, "What good is identifying an opportunity for improvement if nothing is done with that opportunity?"

Similarly, in terms of program evaluation, what is the value of recognizing an opportunity for improvement if there are no recommendations for taking advantage of the opportunity to make the improvement? In this discussion, you get to explore the kinds of recommendations that can emerge from an academic program evaluation in order to leverage the opportunities for improvement that you have identified.

To prepare for this discussion, review some examples of recommendations based on academic program evaluation data. Some examples are provided in the additional resources section, and there are many other examples available on the internet.

In your initial post, be sure to do the following:

• Describe the characteristics of an effective recommendation for an academic program.

• Select one recommendation from those you reviewed.

• Describe why you think that recommendation is effective based on the characteristics you identified.

• Explain how you will use the module resources and this discussion to develop your own recommendations for the academic program you are evaluating for the final project.