Submitted Fall, 2006
Department of Sociology, Geography and Earth Science
Sociology Program
2005-2006 Academic Year Assessment Report
I. Methodology
Based on The Sociology Curriculum Assessment Plan approved in 2003, two courses are the primary basis for the assessment report. Additional informal information was secured through an interview with a graduating senior.
The two courses are: 1) Sociology 370 Social Survey which was refocused and renamed as Sociology 370 Sociological Research during a curriculum revision process. The refocused Sociology 370 course allows for some flexibility in research methodology rather than being limited to the social survey methodology itself. 2) Sociology 468 Senior Seminar. This course, a capstone course, allows students to read sociological literature and engage in discussions focusing on sociological perspectives.
The following knowledge, skills and value objectives are associated with these courses:
Knowledge Objectives
1. Basic concepts in sociology and their interrelationships (Mission Statement One)
The sociology major will be able to explain basic sociological concepts such as culture, social roles, norms, social structure, social institutions, socialization, and stratification, etc.
- Assessment Tool: Senior Paper, Senior Essay, Oral Exam
- Participants: All sociology majors.
- Evaluators: A team of two sociology faculty who are not the instructors of record.
2. The composition and characteristics of social structure and social institutions (Mission Statement Two)
The sociology major will be able to:
- describe relationships between culture, institutions and social structure.
- demonstrate how demographic and other social and cultural changes affect social structures, institutions, and individual persons.
- demonstrate the effects of social structures, institutions and cultural traits on individual persons.
- Assessment Tool: Senior Paper, Senior Essay, Oral Exam
- Participants: All sociology majors.
- Evaluators: A team of two sociology faculty who are not the instructors of record.
3. Develop knowledge of a substantive area within the discipline of sociology (Mission Statement Three)
The sociology major will be able to:
- summarize the basic issues in the substantive area.
- explain how sociology contributes to the understanding of the area.
- summarize current research findings in the area.
- suggest specific policy implications of research and theories in the area.
- Assessment Tool: Senior Paper, Oral Exam
- Participants: All sociology majors.
- Evaluators: A team of two sociology faculty who are not the instructors of record.
Skills
5. Develop a methodologically viable research project (Mission Statements Five, Six, and Seven)
The sociology major will be able to:
- design and carry out a research project.
- critically assess the research of others.
- formulate empirical research questions.
- identify materials, research, and data relevant to research questions.
- identify major methodological approaches and describe the general role of methods in building sociological knowledge.
- evaluate statistical information and analysis.
- Assessment Tool: Senior Paper
- Participants: All sociology majors.
- Evaluators: A team of two sociology faculty who are not the instructors of record.
Values
7. Ethical issues in research (Mission Statement Nine)
A student graduating with a sociology major will be able to engage in ethically based research and to detect ethically flawed research through:
- selection and design of research methodologies that are based on the awareness of the ethical issues which are part of that design.
- being aware of ethical problems or expectations regarding subjects in research projects.
- Assessment Tool: Senior Paper, Senior Essay
- Participants: All sociology majors.
- A team of two sociology faculty who are not instructors of record.
II. Results
Due to the small number of students, no analysis or reporting of data was done. A full assessment report will be completed next year using data from previous years and the 06-07 academic year.
We are now making arrangements to gather data for the current academic year. The Senior Seminar is being taught this semester. There are two oral exams that will be judged by two faculty other than the instructor and an essay that will be relevant for assessment. Sociological Research (SOC 370) will be offered Spring 2007. The current program director will make certain that either a focus group or exit survey (depending upon the number) is conducted with graduating seniors. Sociology is scheduled for a Academic Program Review this year so a survey of alumni attitudes and experiences will be collected this fall.
III. Conclusions and Recommendations
This semester a student advisory committee was created by the program director. The results of the previous report was shared with the advisory committee. They agreed the department needs to provide more information about internships.
The internship information issue will be placed on the department agenda at the next meeting.
IV. Use of Results
As noted, there are no results at time. The results from this year will be shared with the Student Advisory Committee and will be discussed at a departmental committee meeting in the fall of 2008.
V. Observations of the Process
In reviewing the documents for this report, many lax practices were discovered. We will establish an Assessment Committee that will be charged with following process. Furthermore, the final Assessment document had not been approved by the Department and there will likely be changes made in the assessment plan because Senior Seminar was not designed to assess research.
Respectfully submitted,
Daryl Kelley, Sociology Program Director