Assignment: Project Problem Statement
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. I don't work at a University but I would like to use a University within the US, you can choose if you are familiar with one.
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.
Over the next eight weeks, this course will guide you through the major phases of your Capstone: Master's Project. Each week's activities are designed to keep you on track and productive with assignments that will result in a completed Capstone Project. The course textbook is intended to provide helpful models and guidelines for project planning. Other than this information, no new course material is presented. You should use your previous course material and research new scholarly resources to support your plan or proposal. The weekly Discussions also focus on the development of your Capstone Project and provide a forum to share progress, ideas, and feedback with your colleagues.
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.
In Discussion you worked with your colleagues to refine your problem statement for your Capstone Project. Based on that discussion and some preliminary research you will submit your project problem statement to your Instructor for approval.
For assignment, complete a 2 to 3 page summary of your project problem statement and a rationale (need) for your plan or proposal.
To assist you in developing your problem statement, ask yourself the following questions:
• What issues or problems am I most concerned about in higher education?
• What improvement needs to be made where I work?
• What knowledge have I gained from my previous coursework that may assist me in completing my project?
• How can I apply this newly acquired knowledge and skills to a real-world situation?
• What does the current literature say about my topic?
• Who will benefit by my project? My institution? Students? Faculty? Higher education in general?
• What resources are available to me in completing my project?
• What stakeholder(s) will evaluate my project?
• Can I complete the project within the desired timeframe?
Assignment length: 2 to 3 pages. Include a cover sheet--APA style and format- with your name and the title of your project.