SACSCOC Fifth Year Interim Report
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Assessment : 2011 - 2012 : Educational Programs :
Sociology BA
Sociology BA
2 Goals 2 Objectives 2 Indicators 2 Criteria 2 Findings 2 Actions
| GOAL: Entry Level Sociological Competency |
| Objective |
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| Students who take introductory Sociology classes that are included in the SHSU Core Curriculum will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the basic core concepts of the discipline. |
| Indicator |
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| A sample of students enrolled in the three introduction-level sociology classes in the SHSU Core Curriculum (SOCI2319 in Component Area IV: Humanities and Visual and Performing Arts; and, SOCI1301 and SOCI1306 in Component Area V: Social and Behavioral Sciences) is chosen in the Spring semester for evaluation. Students responded to a five question evaluation instrument that measures their understanding of basic core concepts in Sociology. The selection of these indicators conforms to disciplinary standards for sociological research. This assessment was developed by the Department Undergraduate Committee and approved by the entire faculty. |
| Criterion |
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| At least 80% of evaluations should be rated 3 or better on the 5-point scale. |
| Finding |
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Component Area IV: 13 sections 93.7% of students performed satisfactorily. Component Area V: 10 sections 89.8% of students performed satisfactorily. Although both groups of students met the criterion, we could improve in the areas of sociological principles and social problems. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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| The data indicate the desired result is exceeded regarding both component areas. The department will ensure that entry level students understand the basic core concepts of sociology. Since demonstrated knowledge was expressed by well over 80% of the students, the criterion will be raised to 85% for AY2013. Additionally, we will explore avenues to improve sociological principlestheory and social problems outcomes. |
| GOAL: Exit Level Sociological Competency |
| Objective |
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| Students who complete the Sociology Program will be able to apply and communicate the core concepts of the discipline in a capstone research paper. |
| Indicator |
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| A sample of student papers is selected from SOCI4399: Senior Seminar in Sociology in the Spring and Fall semesters for evaluation. The papers are evaluated by the Department's Undergraduate Committee made up by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and other committee members appointed by the Chair. The papers are assigned a combined score from 1 to 5, where 1 is inadequate knowledge of sociology and 5 is excellent knowledge of sociology. Employing their professional expertise in Sociology, faculty assign a maximum of five points based on four indicators: demonstration/application of sociological perspective, demonstration/application of sociological theory, demonstration/application of appropriate sociological methods, and demonstration/application of the link between theory and methods. The selection of these indicators conforms to disciplinary standards for sociological research. This assessment was developed by the Department's Undergraduate Committee and approved by the entire faculty. |
| Criterion |
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| At least 80% of papers should be rated 3 or better on the 5-point scale. |
| Finding |
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| In AY 2012, 83.3% of papers were rated 3 or better on the 5-point scale. Of the four indicators that were assessed, the weakest one was demonstration/application of the link between theory and methods. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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| The data indicate that the desired result is exceeded. Those who did not perform satisfactorily did not meet the minimum evaluative criteria regarding demonstration/application of link between theory and methods. The department will address through changes in curricula and teaching the weakness regarding students' demonstration/application of the link between theory and methods. These changes will occur in all upper-level undergraduate classes. |
| Closing the Loop |
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The outcome of the entry-level evaluation indicates that students in introductory sociology classes are learning the basic core concepts at a level well above the minimum. Therefore, the Department will raise the comprehension of basic core concepts criterion to 85% in AY2013. We will explore ways to improve in the areas of sociological principles and social problems.The outcome of the exit-level evaluation indicates that a percentage of Sociology majors are not fully able to demonstrate/apply the link between theory and methods in their sociological papers. The Department will address this weakness through changes in curricula and teaching in all upper-level undergraduate courses.
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