Funding will be used to assess online master’s program in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics
Associate Chair for Nutritional Sciences Lydia Kloiber, MS, RDN, LD and Department
Chair Nikhil Dhurandhar, Ph.D. were recently awarded the Assessment Innovation Grant
(AIG) award by the Office of Planning and Assessment at Texas Tech. The award is available
to faculty and staff who are actively engaged in assessment activities within their
department or unit. The award encourages methodologies that actively improve programs
or projects on campus.
Kloiber and Dhurandhar proposed $500 in funding to be used to survey and assess the online master's in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics through the means of a Qualtrics survey. The team plans to assess aspects of the program in how it is meeting the needs of students and additional course options.
"Since the online aspect of the program provides student access independent of
geography, it has significant potential to expand," Kloiber explained. "This expansion
needs to be strategic and methodical. In the field of dietetics there is growing opportunity
to specialize in a variety of areas. Based on need of our students this may require
expansion of courses offered. As more evidence-based research is completed in Medical
Nutrition Therapy there is also a need to ensure our courses reflect the latest data."
The award will allow the department to hire an additional student teaching assistant
dedicated to surveying stakeholders, including current and past students of the program,
practicing Registered Dietitians, and departmental faculty to compare similar programs
across the country.
"Nutritional Sciences is constantly striving to enhance our teaching," Dhurandhar said. "This grant will allow us to make evidence and need-based decisions in further refining our offerings."