MCU Institutional Goals

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM GOALS

Preamble: The MCU undergraduate program offers a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery (BSM) degree. The BSM program provides a general education and prepares graduates to become a knowledgeable, skilled and independent Certified Professional Midwife who specializes in community birth settings. BSM graduates will have knowledge of and proficiency in MEAC’s Curriculum Checklist of Essential Competencies, which includes the internationally recognized core competencies and guiding principles set forth by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) in addition to requirements for national certification of the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and the core competencies of Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA). MEAC’s accreditation criteria for midwifery education programs reflect the unique components and philosophy of the Midwives Model of Care.

A midwife of technical expertise

Goal #1: The undergraduate program aims to prepare graduates to practice at the full scope of the Certified Professional Midwife credential through the demonstration of broad, integrative, and specialized knowledge.

Program Outcomes — To achieve Goal #1, BSM graduates will:

1. Acquire and demonstrate successful application of 1) traditional and nontraditional cognitive skills; 2) analytic inquiry; 3) utilization of information resources; 4) engagement of diverse perspectives; 5) ethical reasoning; and 6) and quantitative and communicative fluency.➢ Measure: Graduates pass MCU Integrated Assessments (skills exams)
   ✓ Indicator of success: 75% of all students pass each MCU skills exam with proficiency on their first attempt

➢ Measure: Graduates pass a national certifying exam
✓ Indicator of success: 75% of all students pass a national certifying exam on their first attempt°

➢ Measure: Graduates demonstrate fluency in appropriate clinical judgment and decision-making
✓ Indicator of success: 90% of all students receive exceptional assessment (mark of “exemplary” on Skills Competency Form) from preceptors in the areas of fluency in appropriate clinical judgment and decision-making
✓ Indicator of success: 90% of all students receive competent or exceptional marks in MCU Integrated Assessment in the areas of fluency in appropriate clinical judgment and decision-making

°(National certifying exam or equivalent based on the student’s locale i.e., Provincial registration for Canadians)

A midwife of professional excellence

Goal #2: The undergraduate program aims to advance equity and access in midwifery, as well as to prepare graduates to serve in diverse communities in culturally safe, ethical, and collaborative ways.

Program Outcomes — To achieve Goal #2, BSM graduates will:

1. Provide culturally safe care to diverse communities.
   ➢ Measure: Graduates are prepared for the provision of culturally safe care
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of all students complete SOSC 1010: Equity and Antioppression in Midwifery Care: Understanding Difference, Power, & Privilege with a B letter grade or better
2. Engage ethically in the birthing care system.
   ➢ Measure: Graduates are prepared to enact ethical decision-making processes in their profession
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of all students complete SOSC 2050 Ethics and the Law with a B letter grade or better
3. Exemplify strong communication skills with providers and clients.
   ➢ Measure: Graduates demonstrate proficiency in verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of students complete COMM 1010: Outward Mindset & Dialogue in Organizational, Community, and Relationship Transformation with a B letter grade or better
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of all students receive exceptional assessment (mark of “exemplary” on the Skills Competency Form) from preceptors in the area of interpersonal communication skills 4. Expand cultural awareness at MCU while fostering a sense of belonging and support that will lead to recruitment and reduction of attrition among MCU’s most vulnerable populations.➢ Measure: Creating a safe space where collective voices and relationships will support student engagement, academic support, and professional development so all students can flourish at MCU.
   ✓ Indicator of success: 75% participation rate within Student Affinity Groups
   ✓ Indicator of success: Increase in sense of belonging and cultural awareness on JEDO’s annual survey

A midwife of personal greatness

Goal #3: The undergraduate program aims to prepare graduates for reflective practice and a perpetual commitment to advancing quality and professional direct-entry midwifery.

Program Outcomes — To achieve Goal #2, BSM graduates will:

1. Students are retained beyond the first year.
   ➢ Measure: Students are retained beyond the first year
   ✓ Indicator of success: At least 60% of first-year matriculated students return for the second year or have graduated by the end of their second year
2. Students graduate from Midwives College of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in midwifery.
   ➢ Measure: Matriculated students complete the program within 150% of the program’s normal time for completion
   ✓ Indicator of success: At least 40% of matriculated students complete the program within 150% of the program’s normal time for completion
3. Apply the indicators of quality health care services in the practice of midwifery. ➢ Measure: Graduates demonstrate the ability to internalize, act upon, and communicate to others self-directed initiatives and standards for quality midwifery care that are ethical, humane, and socially just
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of students complete HLTH 1030 Foundations in Public Health and Health Education for Midwives with a B letter grade or better
4. Integrate theory with applied clinical practice during the provision of midwifery care in systematic and ongoing ways.
   ➢ Measure: Graduates show a synthesis of academic and clinical knowledge, skills, and behaviors in the creation of the ePortfolio
   ✓ Indicator and success: 100% of students develop and add to an ePortfolio in their ENGL 1050 Technical Writing for Midwives class and throughout their clinical courses
5. Enact professional standards and practice guidelines that ensure quality midwifery care.
   ➢ Measure: All graduates create sustained, coherent written practice guidelines that describe, define and outline parameters for evaluation, diagnosis, and care in both general midwifery care and specific clinical conditions
   ✓ Indicator of success: 100% of students submit a representative collection of practice guidelines as part of their ePortfolio created in midwifery core courses prior to graduation➢ Measure: Graduates pass relevant core midwifery courses wherein practice documents° are developed and assessed for evidence informed accuracy to enhance client education in clear, culturally, and educationally appropriate ways
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of students pass core midwifery courses with a B- or above.

°These practice documents may include, but are not limited to: informed disclosures, informed consent, client care agreements, client teaching handouts, legal and professional scopes of practice, statement of ethics, etc.

GRADUATE PROGRAM GOALS

Preamble: The MCU graduate program offers a Master of Science in Midwifery (MSM) degree. The MSM program prepares current midwifery practitioners for leadership, contribution, and scholastic proficiency in midwifery dimensions beyond clinical care with four areas of distinction driving pedagogical objectives: midwifery research, outreach, policy, and education. Graduates of the MSM program will have the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to influence innovative directions in the birthing care landscape as forefront contributors to best practice models, advocacy initiatives, community education, health equity, and evidence-informed care.

A midwife of technical expertise

Goal #1: The graduate program aims to advance practitioner knowledge of the research, educational, programmatic, and policy dimensions of midwifery care and perinatal health.

Program Outcomes — To achieve Goal #1, BSM graduates will:

1. Demonstrate mastery of subject material in midwifery and perinatal health as they pertain to sociopolitical, human rights, health equity, social justice, and ethical contexts by: 1) elucidating major theories, methodologies, and approaches; 2) assessing the contribution of central entities in the birthing care landscape; and 3) articulating primary challenges and opportunities in midwifery care and perinatal health.
   ➢ Measure: Graduates pass relevant coursework in the professional development course series (PROD 5026-50324 ) and midwifery issues course series (MDWF 5053-50565 )°
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of students pass coursework in PROD 5026-5032 and MDWF 5053-5056 with a B letter grade or better
2. Collaborate with expert mentors to design and implement external fieldwork projects in one or more areas of program distinction (midwifery education, research, outreach, policy) that require development and application of advanced knowledge in the field of study.
   ➢ Measure: Graduates receive strong assessments by fieldwork supervisors in FLDW 5071-5073
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of students receive a composite evaluation score of 3.0 (satisfactory) or above by fieldwork supervisors
3. Articulate and defend the role of ethical conduct in scholarly and professional engagements.
   ➢ Measure: Graduates exhibit training in the responsible conduct of research and professional ethics during the final oral defense
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of students receive an overall “average” (meet) or “superior” (exceed) evaluation score for this learning outcome by at least 75% of committee members 

   ° MSM students are required to take 6 credits in the professional development series and 8 credits in the midwifery issues series that contribute to the mastery of their chosen program area(s) of distinction.

A midwife of professional excellence

Goal #2: The graduate program aims to prepare practitioners for leadership and expert contributions in midwifery education, research, outreach, and policy realms.

Program Outcomes — To achieve Goal #2, MSM graduates will:

1. Articulate the major domains of inquiry and practice that guide the conduct and dissemination of original research.
   ➢ Measure: Graduates pass coursework in STAT 5050, ENGL 5013, and relevant courses in the MDWF 5053/5056 series
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of students pass coursework in STAT 5050, ENGL 5013, and MDWF 5053-556/5056 with a B letter grade or better
2. Employ leadership skills in one or more areas of program distinction (midwifery education, research, outreach, policy) through the development, application, and evaluation of projects that address significant challenges in the midwifery field.
   ➢ Measure: Graduates provide successful outreach, leadership involvement, or education/training to internal stakeholders (offering to the MCU community) and/or external stakeholders (offering to a community, state, national, or international entity involved in midwifery care and/or perinatal health) through the passing of relevant coursework in the MDWF 5053-5056 series and PROD 5026-5032 series
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of students pass coursework in MDWF 5053-5056 and PROD 5026-5032 with a B letter grade or better➢ Measure: Graduates develop strategies for leadership and professional growth based on their self-identified post-graduation goals in midwifery research, education, outreach and policy realms
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of students pass coursework in PROD 5010 (Professional Growth & Leadership) with a B letter grade or better
   ✓ Indicator of success: All students (beginning in Summer Term 2016) complete an Individual Development Plan (IDP) as part of their graduate studies
3. Design and execute an original research project or applied (creative) work that applies leading theories, methods, and techniques, and that articulates and defends the significance and implication of the work in terms of contributions to the field.
   ➢ Measure: Graduates design, execute and defend an original research-based thesis or a non-thesis applied (creative) project that has identified intellectual merits and applied contributions to the midwifery profession
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of all students pass their final oral defense with an overall “average” (meet) or “superior” (exceed) evaluation score for this learning outcome by at least 75% of committee members

A midwife of personal greatness

Goal #3:The graduate program fosters professionalism, critical thinking, personal reflexivity, and cultural humility of practitioners in service to lifelong learning and the advancement of equity and access in midwifery education, research, outreach, and policy.

Program Outcomes — To achieve Goal #3, MSM graduates will:

1. Create sustained, coherent written and oral arguments or explanations that summarize their work for both general and specialized audiences.
   ➢ Measure: Graduates exhibit the ability to create sustained, coherent written and oral arguments or explanations that summarize their work for both general and specialized audiences during the final oral defense and demonstrate excellence in written and oral communications during the successful defense of their thesis or applied project
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of students receive an overall “average” (meet) or “superior” (exceed) evaluation score for this learning outcome by at least 75% of committee members
2. Engage in collaborative learning activities that help to advance the midwifery profession.
   ➢ Measure: Graduates critically identify and participate in advanced professional development opportunities during their graduate tenure
   ✓ Indicator of success: All students (beginning in Summer Term 2016) successfully participate (receiving a “Pass” grade) in FLDW 5074 (Graduate House Program)
3. Expand cultural awareness at MCU while fostering a sense of belonging and support that will lead to recruitment and reduction of attrition among MCU’s most vulnerable populations
   ➢ Measure: Creating a safe space where collective voices and relationships will support student engagement, academic support, and professional development so all students can flourish at MCU.
   ✓ Indicator of success: 75% participation rate within Student Affinity Groups
   ✓ Indicator of success: Increase in sense of belonging and cultural awareness on JEDO’s annual survey
4. Disaggregates, reformulates, and adapts principal ideas, techniques, and methods at the forefront of midwifery care and perinatal health.
   ➢ Measure: Graduates pass relevant coursework in the MDWF 5053-5056 series, the PROD 5026-5032 series, STAT 5050, and ENGL 5013
   ✓ Indicator of success: 90% of students pass coursework in STAT 5050, ENGL 5013, MDWF 5053-5056, and PROD 5026-5032 with a B letter grade or better

For a more detailed explanation of MCU’s learning outcomes, measures, and indicators of success, please see  Midwives College of Utah Mission, Goals, and Assessment Plan