EDUC: 6960/ Capstone: Master's Project

Week 1 Discussion: Project Problem Statement

Each of the Discussions in this Capstone course provide you with an opportunity to share progress, ideas, and feedback with your colleagues. This week, brainstorm with your peers on project ideas and the audience (stakeholders) you plan to address. Reflect on your prior coursework and experiences. What have you learned and what has caught your interest in terms of ongoing or emerging issues in higher education? What practical problems at your own institution might you address? Develop these reflections into a problem statement that can serve as the basis for your Capstone Project.

By Day 3

Post a summary of your proposed project, including a statement of the problem you plan to address.

Week 1 Assignment

Your Capstone Project will take the form of a plan or proposal to improve some aspect of an institution of higher education. If you currently work in a college or university, you may develop a project for that institution, or you may focus your project on an institution where you would like to work, or another with which you are familiar. Be sure to read the Capstone: Master's Project Overview located in the Course Overview area on the left navigation bar for an overview of the entire project.

Your project begins with a problem statement and rationale. Whatever type of plan or proposal you create for your project, it should be designed to respond to a local need or problem within a particular institution. Examples of problems include:

· Low student retention or persistence, overall or for a particular demographic group

· Lack of evidence of student learning, overall or for particular programs or student populations

· Low levels of faculty or staff engagement in learning-centered teaching or student support activities

· Inefficiency or low productivity in certain programs or services

The plan or proposal that you will develop for your Capstone Project may address one or more of these types of problems in one or more ways, including:

· A plan for a program or initiative to increase student retention, engagement, or learning

· A proposal for a policy or process change

· A proposal for a faculty or staff development program

· A position paper on institutional change with regard to a particular issue or problem

The intent is not to actually complete and implement your plan or proposal within the timeframe of this course, but to complete a sufficiently detailed plan or proposal that could be implemented later. You will also share your plan or proposal with a real-world stakeholder audience, get feedback, and incorporate that feedback into your project.