Psychology Undergraduate Academic Program Review

Transcription

1 Psychology Undergraduate Academic Program Review Executive Summary Contact: Shari Converse Lane; The Department of Psychology is one of the 10 departments in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the second largest college at North Carolina State University. The Head of the Department is Dr. David Martin. The Department of Psychology has over 550 majors and also offers a Minor in Psychology. There are two major degrees offered by the department, (1) Psychology: General Option; and (2) Psychology: Human Resource Development Option. Each year, the faculty of the Department of Psychology, in association with the members of the faculty at Meredith College, sponsors the Carolinas Conference, a regional research conference for undergraduate psychology students. The Department of Psychology has been participating in evaluation of its undergraduate program for at least the last 10 years by obtaining exit surveys from over 90% of our graduating students. However, the Psychology Department began its most recent departmental evaluation (under the UAPR system) in The mission statement for the department served as the point of departure for the evaluation. In the spring of 2001, several faculty meetings were devoted to the development of a set of program objectives and curricular outcomes that were based on the pedagogical philosophy expressed in the mission statement. To develop objectives and outcomes, the faculty focused on more clearly defining the objectives of the department and considering various curricular outcomes that would occur if our departmental objectives were met. It was determined that multiple measures must be taken to evaluate our success in meeting each objective. The final draft of the objective and desired curricular outcomes was adopted by the full faculty at the last faculty meeting of the academic year. In the fall of 2001, the UAPR Committee was formed. This committee consisted of seven members of the faculty. Due to scheduling difficulties that were probably due to the large size of the initial committee, the committee was not very active during that first year. As a result, the size of the global UAPR Committee was reduced to three members of the faculty with the intent of involving other faculty members in the completion of specific parts of the UAPR process. In the academic year, the UAPR Committee accomplished the development of operational measures for two of our objectives, surveyed that faculty regarding course materials they could contribute to the evaluation process, selected course materials to evaluate that academic year (research papers from PSY 242/243), developed a scoring rubric for the research papers, collected research papers to be evaluated, obtained faculty volunteers to rate the research paper, collected of data, and analyzed the data. For the initial evaluation, 12 research papers that were submitted by psychology majors as part of their requirements for the PSY 242/243 series in research methods and statistics were evaluated. Four faculty members volunteered to rate these papers, using the scoring rubric that was created by the UAPR Committee. Each of the 12 research papers was rated by two faculty members, and inter-reliability analysis was performed. The correlations between the two raters for each paper ranged from r =.72 r = 84. The original plan was to analyze the rubric scores for all 12 randomly selected research papers. However, due to contamination of the data for six of the papers, it was possible to analyze data from only six of the papers. Thus, the findings of our initial evaluation must be viewed with caution, due to the low sample size. Psychology research papers typically contain four sections: Introduction; Method; Results and Discussion. However, the research papers submitted in the PSY 242/243 classes contain only the last two of these sections. Thus, the initial evaluation was limited to information drawn from the Result and Discussion sections only. 1

2 Overall, the evaluation data indicate that the department was relatively successful in meeting the majority of the curricular outcomes evaluated, but also demonstrated the need to improve our ability to foster some curricular outcomes. Generally speaking, the outcomes pertaining to the Discussion received more positive ratings than those pertaining to the Results. In their Discussions, students achieved relatively high scores on providing a clear and concise recap of the findings, and for persuasively showing how findings supported (or failed to support) the research hypothesis. However, students were less successful in their attempts to offer convincing alternative explanations of their results.for the curricular outcomes evaluated in the Results sections, students scored relatively high for their ability to select an appropriate statistical method. However, the rest of the measures pertaining to the Results were less satisfying. The average student score good for the ability to relate the study findings to their research hypotheses. The last two curricular outcomes rated both addressed the ability of students to integrate visual aids (e.g., tables, charts) appropriately into their results. Ratings for these two items were disappointing, falling between poor and fair. Clearly, a method of further enhancing students ability to integrate visual material with the appropriate textual material needs to be identified. While no formal plan has yet been devised, one strategy is to provide more information about this topic in the PSY 242 course, and have students practice these skills in PSY 243 (research laboratory). By participating in the UAPR, the Department of Psychology has been given the opportunity to review the objectives of our department, the curriculum outcomes that we believe are required to ensure that our graduates are a credit to the department, and to begin to plan to evaluate our success in meeting these objectives. The department is committed to on-going evaluation. In the academic review the UAPR Committee (and sub-committees) intend to achieve the following goals: 1. Develop a 7-year plan for evaluation. 2. Create a scoring rubric for the Introduction and Method Sections of the research paper. that every psychology major submits as part of their PSY 242/241 requirements. 3. Form a UAPR sub-committee to rate the research papers. 4. Analyze the data from the research papers. 5. Analyze the senior survey data in more specific form than has been done in the past. 6. Prepare and submit an annual report of our activities. Program Review Cycles Initial Program Review Cycle 2000/2001: Develop program objectives and outcomes. 2002/2003: Develop outcome measures and begin assessment of outcomes, and creation of assessment plan. Spring 2003: Summer 2003: August 2003: Initial assessment of outcomes began. Data collection and analysis for first evaluation is completed. Preparation of initial report completed. Full program review portfolio completed and submitted to College for review. 2

3 Executive Summary Departmental Overview Mission Statement Objectives of the Review Review process List of Objectives List of Curricular Outcomes UAPR Committee Review Process Review Procedures Analysis of the Data and Research Results Incentives Lessons Learned Compleat Advisor (Appendix A) Faculty Survey Instrument (Appendix B) Scoring Rubric (Appendix C) 2004: Scheduled SACS accreditation visit Subsequent seven-year cycles for university program review Institutional Context: Departmental Overview The Department of Psychology is one of the 10 departments in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the second largest college at North Carolina State University. Detailed information about our department is found on our Homepage at The Department Head is Dr. David Martin, the Associate Head is Dr. Donald Mershon, and the Assistant Head and Undergraduate Coordinator is Dr. Shari Converse Lane. The departmental offices are located on the 6 th and 7 th floor of Poe Hall. The Department of Psychology has over 550 majors and also offers a Minor in Psychology. A copy of the handbook for psychology majors (the Compleat Advisor ) is attached to this report in Appendix A. There are two major degrees offered by the department, (1) Psychology: General Option; and (2) Psychology: Human Resource Development Option. The second option incorporates a year-long internship into the student s plan of work. The Psychology Department has 31 faculty members, 24 of which are tenured. Nine have received Outstanding Teacher awards and are members of the Academy of Outstanding Teachers, six have received Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Awards, and one has received the Alumni Distinguished Researcher Award. Members of the faculty teach courses in general, social, developmental, industrial/ organizational, experimental, school, and community psychology, as well as courses in ergonomics/human factors. The Department of Psychology houses the following laboratories: Applied Cognition; Auditory Perception; Ergonomics and Aging; Adult Development; Children s Memory Project; Cognitive Ergonomics; Family Studies; Social-Emotional Development; and Visual Perception. In addition to the research laboratories, the School Psychology Program operates a full-scale School Psychology clinic and houses the on-going School Consultation Research Project. Each year, the faculty of the Department of Psychology, in association with the members of the faculty at Meredith College, sponsor The Carolinas Psychology Conference, a Southeastern regional research conference and meeting of undergraduate students in psychology and related fields. Mission Statement of the Department of Psychology 3

4 The Department of Psychology strives both to enhance and to disseminate an understanding of the science of psychology, while also contributing to the overall service function of a land-grant university. 1. The department s primary instructional emphasis is to provide psychology graduate and undergraduate students with a strong foundation in psychological principles, enabling them to advance the discipline of psychology, and address the needs of society. The department also provides an educational foundation for students who will apply psychological principles to other disciplines and activities. 2. The department s research activities include efforts to discover and disseminate psychological knowledge and theories, to enhance the profession, and to develop new technologies and solutions to practical problems. As a department, we strive to maintain a balance among all these research activities. 3. The department recognizes the value of applying faculty and student research and scholarship to address the needs of the larger community as well as the university. Where appropriate, we integrate these out-reach activities into our teaching and knowledge production. Review Objectives The review process was instituted to address the following issues: What are the objectives of the Department of Psychology? Are we achieving our objectives in all areas, and, if not, in what areas are we deficient? What types of data can be collected to answer the above question? What techniques can be used to improve any areas in which we may be deficient? Have the selected remedies for possible deficiencies actually improved our performance in these areas? What areas do we still need to improve? Are there new concerns on which we should focus our attention? Review Process The review process began during the academic year. The objectives of the Department of Psychology and the required curricular outcomes for graduates of the Department of Psychology were discussed, created, revised, and accepted by the entire faculty at faculty meetings in Spring The final draft of the objectives and skills was adopted by the full faculty at the last faculty meeting of the academic year. Objective for the Department of Psychology (May 2001) 4

5 Upon graduation, psychology majors should be able to: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of basic theory and concepts of psychology and the ability to engage in the systematic inquiry into human behavior and experience. 2. Discover, understand, manage, and communicate source materials in psychology. 3. Work effectively within the complexity and ambiguity that characterize the domains of investigation in the human sciences. 4. Generalize theoretical knowledge of psychology to real-world applications. Curricular Outcomes for the Department of Psychology Upon completion of the B.A. degree in Psychology, the student will be able to do the following: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of basic theory and concepts of psychology. a. Ask pertinent and productive questions that lead to an analysis of a problem: the source of the problem, the kinds of data needed to solve the problem, and the criteria that must be met for a solution to the problem. b. Make sound judgments about solutions to problems based on the data they or others have collected. Opportunities to guide learning: exams, class discussion, research proposals, and oral and written laboratory reports. 2. Demonstrate an understanding of scientific methods of research. a. Demonstrate an understanding of the data collection process, showing that they know how to collect data for solving problems and how to evaluate those data for their relevance and credibility. b. Present data in a way that is accurate and appropriate to the audience. c. Make a strong case for their judgments based on data, presenting their point logically and clearly. Opportunities to guide learning: exams, class discussion, research proposals, research studies, oral and written lab reports. 3. Discover, understand, manage, and communicate source materials in psychology. a. Find, evaluate, and arrange potential source materials related to a subject. b. Effectively summarize source materials. c. Synthesize, analyze, and come to conclusions from multiple source materials. d. Make an argument for a claim or a proposed action based on source materials. 5

6 Opportunities to guide learning: exams, class discussion, summaries, abstracts, literature reviews, research projects, proposals, critical analyses, critiques of proposals, debates, andoral presentations. 4. Work effectively within the complexity and ambiguity that characterize the domains of investigation in the human sciences. a. Handle a broad range of data, both quantitative and qualitative empirical data as well as data from theoretical and philosophical sources. b. Generate a variety of alternative hypotheses for explaining psychological phenomena. c. Show that they recognize some of the ways in which researchers, participants, and consumers construct meaning through research paradigms and in psychological settings. Opportunities to guide learning: exams, class discussion, research studies, critical analyses of scholarly articles, and journal entries. 5. Generalize theoretical knowledge of psychology to real-world applications. a. Handle a broad range of data, both quantitative and qualitative empirical data as well as data from theoretical and philosophical sources. b. Apply core concepts and principles to different life situations. c. Apply theories of developmental processes and theories of behavior change to situations that require evaluation, maintenance, and/or change. d. Show that they are aware of subjectivity in psychological research and applications and the potential for imposing their own cultural values on subjects and data. e. Demonstrate awareness that researchers, agents of change, and participants in research and intervention, construct meaning in their world, and that the ways in which individuals construct meaning may well affect the course of research and intervention. Opportunities to guide learning: exams, class discussion, homework case reports, reading journals, group case reports, internship project reports, and reflective essays or journal entries concerning students' experience with real-world applications. UAPR Committee At the beginning of the academic year, the UAPR Committee was formed. The initial committee consisted of the following members of the faculty of the Department of Psychology: Dr. Sharolyn Converse Lane, Chair Dr. James Kalat Dr. Katherine Klein Dr. Roger Mitchell Dr. Joan Michael Dr. Samuel B. Pond Due to scheduling difficulties that were probably due to the large size of the initial committee, the committee was not very active during that first year. As a result, the size of the global UAPR Committee was reduced to three members of the faculty (Dr. Klein, Dr. Mitchell, and Dr. Lane) with the intent of involving other faculty members in the completion of specific parts of the UAPR process. In the the UAPR Committee became much more active. The following projects were completed: 6

7 Determination of which curricular outcomes were to be evaluated in the academic year. The committee determined that the following curricular outcomes would be evaluated that year: 1. Ask pertinent and productive questions that lead to an analysis of a problem: the source of the problem, the kinds of data needed to solve the problem, and the criteria that must be met for a solution to the problem. 2. Make sound judgments about solutions to problems based on the data they or others have collected. 3. Demonstrate an understanding of the data collection process, showing that they know how to collect data for solving problems and how to evaluate those data for their relevance and credibility. 4. Present data in a way that is accurate and appropriate to the audience. 5. Make a strong case for their judgments based on data, presenting their point logically and clearly 6. Handle a broad range of data, both quantitative and qualitative empirical data as well as data from theoretical and philosophical sources. 7. Generate a variety of alternative hypotheses for explaining psychological phenomena. 8. Demonstration of recognition of some ways in which researchers, participants, and consumers construct meaning through research paradigms and in psychological settings. Collection of information from members of the faculty regarding course materials collected in their courses that could be used in the evaluation effort. A faculty survey (see Appendix B) was created that listed the departmental objectives and ask faculty to record their course number, briefly describe the course content, and identify any course products that could be evaluated. Selection of the course material from which our initial evaluation measures would be taken. The members of the committee determined that the afore mentioned curricular outcomes could be evaluated, in part, by having faculty members evaluate the research papers that all psychology majors must submit as part of the PSY 242/243 course in research methods and statistics. Operational definition and selection of measures of evaluating the research papers. The committee determined that the evaluation of research papers could be achieved by having faculty volunteers use a scoring rubric to evaluate a random sample of the research papers collected. Creation of the research plan. It was determined that a random sample of 12 research papers (six from each of the two PSY 242/243 research classes ongoing during Spring 2003) would be randomly selected from a pool of all the research papers submitted that spring. It was also determined that only faculty members who did not teach the PSY 242/243 course would be eligible to rate the papers. The faculty raters would evaluate only the Results and Discussion sections of a typical research paper since only these components of the research paper are required as part of the PSY 242/243 experience. The Introduction and Method sections would be evaluated by randomly selecting research papers that will be submitted from the PSY 240/241 classes in the fall of The random selection of research papers would be performed by the Chair of the UAPR Committee, and faculty volunteers would be blind to the specific class from which each sample was drawn. Faculty raters would also be unaware of the specific student who wrote the paper, as well as to the grade each paper earned. Papers would be disseminated to faculty raters at the beginning of May 2003 in order to provide time for the instructor of the PSY 242/243 classes to correct the papers and supply copies for the review process. The faculty ratings would be analyzed by the Chair of the UAPR Committee. The rankings were be analyzed and reported by the Chair of the UAPR Committee. 7

8 Evaluation Procedures Creation of study materials. A scoring rubric for the research papers was created by the UAPR Committee to ensure consistent scales of measurement across faculty raters. A copy of this scoring rubric can be found in Appendix C. A copy of the scoring rubric was provided to each faculty member in March Volunteers for rating the research papers were recruited in April The faculty members who volunteered to evaluate the papers were: Drs. James Kalat; Chris Mayhorn, Mark Wilson, and Ann Schulte. Selection of research reports. Six research reports were randomly selected from each of the two PSY 242/243 classes by the Chairman of the UAPR Committee. The faculty volunteers rated the research papers during May and June A due date of June 10, 2003 was given to the evaluators, and all checklists were returned by that date. Selection and assignment of research reports. Six research reports were randomly selected from reports submitted by the instructors of the two PSY 242/243 classes on-going during Spring The 12 research papers were divided according to the class of origin. Two copies of each of the research papers were made, resulting in a set of 24 research papers to be rated by faculty volunteers. A set of six research papers was created by randomly selecting three papers from each PSY 242/243 class. In this way, four sets of research papers were created. A review was done to ensure that no single paper was represented twice in any of the four paper sets. Each set of papers was randomly assigned to one of the four faculty raters. Analysis of the scoring data. The original plan was to analyze the rubric scores for each of the 12 research papers. However, it was discovered that the teaching assistants assigned to one of the PSY 243 laboratories had contaminated the data for one class by requiring students to revise and improve their papers after the teaching assistants learned that some of the research papers were to be evaluated. This disheartening event created a situation in which the six research papers selected from that section of PSY 242/243 had to be omitted from the analysis due to contamination of the data. This reduced the sample size to just six research papers, and raters were able to rate only six research papers. The scores for the remaining six papers were as follows. The rubric data were grouped according to each specific rubric item. A rating of weak was assigned 1 point, 3 points were assigned to fair responses, and a rating of 5 was assigned for each excellent rating. The scores of all faculty for each specific rubric item were then averaged to determine the overall score for each rubric item. Results of the Review Process The results of the analysis of the six papers is provided in the Table 1. Table 1 Results of Analysis of Research Papers 8

9 Scoring Scheme: Weak = 1 Point; Fair = 3 Points; Excellent = 5 Points Results Presents the findings in a way that clearly addresses the hypothesis 3.0 Presents appropriate statistical analysis 4.3 Incorporates tables and figures that are clear and comprehensible and Appropriate to the kinds of data involved 2.3 Effectively integrates verbal and visual representation of data 2.0 Discussion Provides a clear and concise recap of the findings 5.0 Persuasively shows how the findings support or fail to support the hypothesis 4.6 Offers convincing alternative explanations for the results 4.0 Addresses other pertinent issues related to the study, such as Weakness and future research 3.5 The findings findings provided in Table 1 must be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size. However, the inter-rater reliability coefficient across each pair of raters ranged from r =.64 - r =. 86, which is typically considered to be acceptable. Overall, the ratings indicate that instructors of PSY 242/243 were more successful in meeting the curricular objectives tested in the Discussion section than in meeting the curricular outcomes tested in the Results section of the research reports. In the Discussion section, students did an excellent job of providing a clear and concise recap of the findings, and scored almost as high when attempting to persuasively show how the findings support (or fail to support) the research hypothesis. Students were less successful in their attempts to offer convincing alternative explanations for the results and effectively integrate verbal and visual representation of the data. For the curricular outcomes evaluated in the Results section, the outcome was much less satisfying. Students scored between average and excellent when selecting an appropriate statistical method. However, student scored only average for their ability to relate the study findings to their research hypotheses. The last two Results-oriented curricular items addressed the ability of students to integrate visual aids (e.g., tables, charts) appropriately into their Results. Ratings for these two items were disappointing, falling between poor and fair ratings. Discussion of the Results 9

10 The results of the initial analysis indicates that the faculty members of the Department of Psychology are doing a relatively good job and successfully imparting the following curricular outcomes and abilities to students: (1) selection of appropriate statistical analysis; (2) providing findings in a clear and concise manner; (3) demonstrating persuasively how findings support of fail to support hypotheses; and (4) offering convincing alternative explanations for results. Conversely, the department needs to determine methods to enhance students ability to incorporate visual aids appropriately into their research papers, address methodological issues that might compromise the validity of the study, and derive logical and practical suggestions for future research. Clearly, a method of enhancing students ability to integrate visual material with the appropriate textual material needs to be identified. While no formal plan has yet been devised to strengthened students skills in this area, one strategy is to provide more information about this topic in the PSY 242 course, and have students practice these skills in PSY 243 (research laboratory). One instructor of PSY 242/243 has already added this lecture and laboratory practice to the syllabi of the PSY 242/243 courses. It was deemed necessary to have faculty members who did not teach PSY 240/241 or PSY 242/243 rate the papers to increase objectivity of the ratings. While this practice was necessary, it may have led some raters to overestimate the sophistication of students entering PSY 240/241 and to assume that students entering the course have skills that they do not, in reality, possess. It may be that a third semester of the research and statistical methods class should be added to ensure that instructors have the time to teach students learn about research methods, statistics, and writing in the APA style. Advantages of Assessment-Based Program Review By participating in the UAPR, the Department of Psychology has been given the opportunity to review the objectives of our department, determine curriculum outcomes that are required to ensure that our graduates are a credit to the department, and to begin to plan an ongoing evaluation of our success in meeting our objectives and strengthening the probability of desired curricular outcomes. The discussion of objectives and curricular outcomes stimulated new ideas and helped the faculty to reach a consensus about our goals for the undergraduate program, and to consider how we can increase our success in meeting our goals. While the discussion is relatively new and on-going, it has focused increased attention on the quality of the undergraduate program, and upon methods used by faculty members to enhance instruction. These discussion not only allowed faculty members to share information about successful teaching techniques, but also stimulated ideas about new methods than can be created to enhance instruction in various courses. One of the benefits of serving on the UAPR Committee was to become more fully aware of the practices used by our colleagues to ensure successful instruction. It is now the responsibility of the committee to disseminate this information to the full faculty. The UAPR process has been beneficial in stimulating discussions between faculty members that have increased awareness of the challenges faced by faculty members who teach specific courses. A good deal of discussion has centered around the methods used by various faculty members to enhance their instruction. These discussions not only allowed faculty members to share information about successful teaching techniques, but also stimulated ideas about new instructional methods that can be created. The selection of research papers from the PSY 242/243 classes has focused a great deal of attention on the quality of the research papers that are submitted and what measures can be taken to improve these papers. As a result of the initial evaluation, the two faculty members who contributed papers to the original assessment have had on-going brain storming sessions about methods of teaching statistics and research methods, and how these can be improved. As we continue our evaluation process, the number of such collaborative efforts is likely to increase, improving the quality of our instruction. 10

11 Challenges and Incentives The major challenges facing the Department of Psychology in our on-going evaluation process include the following: (1) objectives and curricular outcomes need on-going scrutiny and revision; (2) the list of course products acquired from members of the faculty should be examined to determine relevant items for evaluation during the academic year; (3) specific measures and operational definitions must be selected; (4) additional data collection and analysis must be collected on a yearly basis; and (5) a multi-year evaluation plan must be devised. In addition to the above activities, UAPR sub-committees should be formed to distribute the burden of the evaluation process across the faculty more evenly. Lessons Learned The initial review process conducted by the Department of Psychology resulted in educating the UAPR Committee and the entire faculty to some facts that were not considered in the initial review process. These lessons will be used to enhance our review process during the academic year. 1. The creation of several small committees to perform various tasks is more efficient than creating one large committee that is asked to perform all of the tasks involved in the assessment project. 2. If members of the faculty are asked to contribute by engaging in small, manageable tasks, they are likely to volunteer to aid in the evaluation process. 3. Communication about the activities of the UAPR Committee to the entire faculty should be increased. 4. More attention should be directed toward teaching students to integrate visual aids appropriately into the Results section. 5. More attention should be focused on teaching students to identify weaknesses in their study design. 6. More attention should be directed toward teaching students to evaluate their research results, compare them to their hypotheses, and identify future research needs. 7. More focus should be placed on informing faculty and teaching assistants that the evaluation is being conducted to evaluate our undergraduate program, rather than the teaching skills on any one person. 8. Teaching assistants must be closely supervised when asked to participate in data collection that may reflect on the quality of their work as teaching assistants. 11

12 Appendix A The Compleat Advisor 12

13 The Compleat Advisor P R E F A C E This is the revised ninth edition of the Compleat Advisor, a Department of Psychology publication for its undergraduate students and faculty. Included in this edition of the Compleat Advisor are an expanded section on Restricted Electives, and an updating of entries on faculty and staff. Please note, however, that much valuable information is also contained in the regular University Catalog, the Schedule of Courses and the Advisor's Handbook, information that is not repeated here. You should be sure to consult these sources when planning and executing your program. All students entering the program, either as freshmen or as transfers, and all students returning to NCSU after a period of absence, will be subject to the rules stated in this handbook. The Compleat Advisor The Compleat Advisor First Edition, September 1977 Second Edition, June 1979 Donald H. Mershon, Kitty Klein, Undergraduate Chair Undergraduate Chair The Compleat Advisor The Compleat Advisor Third Edition, March 1982 Fourth Edition, August 1984 Revised, August 1983 Revised, December 1984 Jim Cole, Revised, September 1985 Undergraduate Coordinator Revised, April 1986 Revised, August 1987 Jim Cole, Undergraduate Coordinator The Compleat Advisor The Compleat Advisor Fifth Edition Sixth Edition, May 1990 November 1988 Revised, August 1991 Eighth Edition Revised, November 1991 Revised, June 1997 Jim Cole, Undergraduate Coordinator Bob Pond, Undergraduate Coordinator Revised June 1999 The Compleat Advisor The Compleat Advisor Seventh Edition, August l992 Ninth Edition, June 1998 Revised, August 1993 Shari Converse, Eighth Edition, November 1994 Undergraduate Coordinator Revised, June 1996 Revised, June 2000 Jim Luginbuhl, Revised, June 2001 Undergraduate Coordinator 13

14 T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Organization of the Department... 4 A Brief History of the Department... 4 Faculty Directory... 5 Psychology Club... 9 Psi Chi...9 The Newsletter...9 Advising...9 Grievance Procedure...10 Policy on Passing Grades...10 Suspension/Retention Policy...10 University and College of Education and Psychology Policies and Regulations Pre-registration...11 Late Registration...11 Adding and Dropping Courses...12 Incompletes Repeating Courses...12 PE Requirements...12 Interinstitutional Registration...12 Graduation -- Application for Degree Other School and University Resources Learning Resources Library...13 Computer Facility Counseling Center...13 Career Planning and Placement...14 Tutorial Services...14 Volunteer Services...14 Undergraduate Research Support Ethics...15 PSY 200 Research Requirement Report Writing...18 Basic Reference Sources...18 D. H. Hill Library...19 Electronic Literature Search...19 Professional Organizations...19 Graduate School Evaluating Different Schools and Choosing Appropriately...20 Standardized Tests...21 What Graduate Schools Want in Applicants...21 Curricula in the Department of Psychology

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16 General Option (PSY) Sample Curriculum...24 Checklist... 25Human Resource Development Option (HRD) Sample Curriculum...27 Checklist...28 Notes on the Program Curriculum Requirements...30 Frequent Questions Asked About the Human Resource Development Option...32 Restricted Elective Groups Honors Program (PSY & HRD) Goals...41 Admission Course Requirements PSY Honors Checklist...42 HRD Honors Checklist...44 Minors

17 Organization of the Department The Department of Psychology is located primarily in the top two floors of Poe Hall, although some faculty and graduate students have offices elsewhere. The main departmental office is in Poe 640, and all faculty in psychology have mailboxes there. Graduate student mailboxes are in Poe 631. If you cannot locate someone you need, you can always leave a message for her/him in the appropriate mailbox. The main departmental phone number is To reach individual faculty in Poe Hall, you should consult the faculty directory on the next few pages of this handbook to obtain the best number to use. The "best" number will usually reach the faculty member directly or her/his answering machine/voic . Often, faculty are most easily contacted through (see the faculty listing for addresses). Some information about departmental organization and administration will be useful to help you to understand how decisions are made in the department and whom you should see about various kinds of problems. The Department of Psychology is now a unit within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. As of July 1, 2001, the Dean of the College is Dr. Linda Brady, and the Assistant Dean and Director of Undergraduate Programs is Dr. Randal Thomson. Many matters of importance to students, such as curriculum changes, late drops, waiver of PE requirements, etc., must receive approval from the Office of the Dean. The Head of the Department of Psychology is Dr. David W. Martin. Dr. Shari Converse is the Undergraduate Coordinator andis responsible for decisions regarding such issues as restricted electives and course requirements. Transfers into Psychology are handled by Ms. Darnell Johnson. Ms. Johnson is the Psychology Department Student Services Supervisor. Most of the procedures relevant to students are begun by contacting Ms. Johnson. The Department of Psychology meets once a month on a Monday at 3:30 P.M. The voting members of the department consist of all regular faculty, an undergraduate representative, and a graduate student representative. The Department actively encourages student participation in the actions and decisions of the Department. The undergraduate representatives to the Psychology Department and its various committees are elected by the Psychology Club. The student representatives are regarded as full members of the committees and are expected to participate in all committee discussions and decisions. Through your representatives, you do have an important voice in determining how the Department will grow and develop. A Brief History of the Department The early history of psychology at North Carolina State University reflects the intensely practical orientation of the land-grant college. The first psychology course (Educational Psychology) appeared in It was "designed primarily for students who intend to teach in the rural high schools," and it was taught by an assistant professor of modern languages. For the next 12 years psychology continued to be taught by professors who were not primarily psychologists, while the department maintained its service orientation toward education. The number of courses offered in psychology rose to four during this period, though they were regarded as education courses rather than as psychology courses. All of them were undergraduate courses. In 1927, the first psychologist, Dr. Karl Claude Garrison, joined the University faculty. Two years later he was teaching eleven different psychology courses in addition to two or three education courses. In 1931, Dr. Garrison was joined by Mr. Joseph Ernest Moore, who was appointed "Instructor in Psychology." Together, they taught 13 different psychology courses, although during the next two years the number dropped to seven. By 1934 the university was granting the M.S. degree in education, and the number of psychology courses had risen to 13 again, but there were still only two faculty members. In 1935 Dr. William McGehee replaced Mr. Moore, and he and Dr. Garrison continued to teach about 13 psychology courses until In 1938 the college catalog refers to a Department of Psychology, but Garrison and McGehee are listed under the Division of Teacher Training in the School of Textiles. During the depression years of the mid-1930's the legislature of North Carolina consolidated the large state-supported universities, and, as an economy measure, allocated different functions to the different campuses. 17

18 The fact that the function represented by psychology was not allocated to North Carolina State University tended to retard the growth of the department and to limit its degree-granting powers. By 1940 the Division of Teacher Training had become an independent entity, Dr. Garrison had resigned to take a position in another university, and Dr. McGehee, now an associate professor, was joined by a new instructor, Dr. Dannie Joseph Moffie. The department continued to be a two-man department until 1947, when it suddenly grew to six members: two full professors, two assistant professors and two part-time instructors. By this time, Dr. Moffie had become a full professor and head of the department. The offerings consisted of 21 courses including six at the graduate level; all six were in the areas of applied or industrial psychology. Prior to World War II the Department of Psychology was exclusively a service department, offering no degrees of its own. In 1948, the department offered its first degree: a master's degree in industrial psychology. This continued to be the only specialty until 1961, when the department began offering a master's degree with options in industrial psychology, experimental psychology, and school psychology. In 1956 Dr. Howard G. Miller succeeded Dr. Moffie as Department Head. By 1957 the department had ten faculty members and offered 33 courses, 21 of them at the graduate level. By 1966, when Ph.D. programs in school psychology and experimental psychology were introduced, there were 15 faculty members (including adjunct faculty) and they taught 15 undergraduate courses and 25 graduate courses. The Department of Psychology experienced a very rapid growth in the number of undergraduate psychology majors after 1964, the first year in which an undergraduate degree was offered. Dr. Paul W. Thayer was appointed Department Head in July, The number of undergraduate psychology majors has increased from 21 in 1964 to approximately 475 in There are now two undergraduate program options: the General Option (PSY) and the Human Resource Development Option (HRD). The faculty grew from 18 to 27 with additional adjunct faculty who occasionally participate in undergraduate programs. There are more than 50 different courses available to undergraduates. The Psychology Department also offers graduate programs with specialization in the fields of developmental psychology, ergonomics and experimental psychology, industrial/organizational and vocational psychology, school psychology and psychology in the public interest. Each of these graduate programs leads to the Ph.D. Advanced undergraduates may derive important benefits from working with graduate students in many of these areas. Dr. David W. Martin was appointed Department Head in August, As of 2001, the Department of Psychology moved its "administrative home" from the College of Education and Psychology to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS). (Its former home has been renamed the College of Education.) Some of the changes associated with this move took effect on January 1, 2001; others became effective as of July 1, The physical location of the Department is expected to remain in Poe Hall for several more years. Faculty Directory The following list includes all regular, adjunct, and emeritus members of the Psychology Faculty, along with some indication of their major areas of interest within Psychology. Regular faculty have a regular university appointment, teach courses each semester, and are generally available to advise students. Adjunct faculty do not have university appointments, but make some of their time available to teach special courses or advise students on special research problems. Emeritus faculty are retired regular faculty members who are often available for teaching special courses or advising students on special projects. Regular Faculty: BAKER-WARD, Lynne, Professor, Ph.D., 1985, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Development, Social Policy. (Office: Poe 760) Telephone: lynne_baker_ward@ncsu.edu) Bauer, Dan. Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Developmental Psychology. (Office: 725) 18

19 BROOKINS, Craig C., Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1990, Michigan State University, Ecological/Community Psychology and Human Resource Development, and African Psychology. (Office: 726 Poe) Telephone: CONVERSE LANE, Sharolyn, Assistant Department Head, Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1988, Old Dominion University, Human Information Processing, Visual Displays. (Office: 713) Telephone: DREWES, Donald W., (Half-time) Professor, Ph.D., 1959, Purdue University, Human Resource Development, Policy Planning, Social Indicators. (Office: 640 Telephone: ERCHUL, William P., Professor, Ph.D., 1984, University of Texas at Austin, School Psychology, Psychological consultation, Interpersonal communication. (Office: 628-A Telephone: GRAY, Denis O., Professor, Ph.D., 1980, Michigan State University, Human Resource Development, Community Psychology. (Office: 712 Telephone: HALBERSTADT, AMY G., Associate Professor, Ph.D.,1981, Johns Hopkins University, Developmental-Social. (Office: 755 Telephone: HASKETT, Mary E., Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1988, Florida State University, School Psychology, Cognitive- Behavioral Interventions, Family Violence. (Office:622 Telephone: HESS, Thomas M., Professor, Ph.D., 1980, Southern Illinois University, Developmental Psychology, Adult Development and Aging. (Office: 754 Telephone: HORAN, Patricia F., Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1980, University of Arizona, School Psychology, Cognitive Development. (Office: 625 Telephone: KALAT, James W., Professor, Ph.D., 1971, University of Pennsylvania, Physiological and Comparative Psychology, Animal Models of Hyperkinesis, Taste Aversion Learning and Introductory Psychology. (Office: 762-A Telephone: KLEIN, Katherine W., Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1976, Wayne State University, Social Psychology, Consequences of Environmental Stressors. (Office: 708 Telephone: LEVERE, Thomas E., Professor, Ph.D., 1965, Ohio State University, Physiological Psychology, Discrimination Learning, Electrical Correlates of Behavior. (Office: 762-B Telephone: LUGINBUHL, James E., Professor, Ph.D., 1970, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Social Psychology, Attribution Theory, Psychology and Law. (Office: 749 Telephone: MARTIN, David W., Professor and Head, Ph.D., 1969, Ohio State University, Engineering Psychology, Cognitive Psychology. (Office: 640-D) Telephone: MAHORN, Christopher., Assistant Professor, Ph.D., 2001, University of Georgia, Engineering Psychology, Ergonomics Aging. (Office: 731) Telephone:

20 MEAD, Adam., Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Industrial/Organizational Psychology. (Office: 725) Telephone: MERSHON, Donald H., Professor and Associate Head, Ph.D., 1970, University of California, Santa Barbara, Sensory and Perceptual Processes, Visual and Auditory Space Perception. (Office: 640-C Telephone: MICHAEL, Joan J., Professor, Ph.D., 1967, University of Southern California, Test and Measurements. (Office: 640-E Telephone: MITCHELL, Roger, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, Community-Based Health Promotion. (Office: 714-B Telephone: NACOSTE, Rupert W., Professor and Vice Provost, Diversity and African American Affairs, Ph.D., 1982, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Social Psychology, Procedural Justice. (Office: 761 Telephone: POND, III, Samuel B. Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1980, Auburn University, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Employee Attitudes and Work Behavior. (Office: 710 Telephone: SCHULTE, Ann C., Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1983, University of Texas at Austin, School Psychology, Learning Disabilities, School Consultation, School Reform. (Office: 626 Telephone: SMITH, Frank J., Professor, Ph.D., 1972, Michigan State University, Social Psychology, Human Resource Development. (Office: 714-A Telephone: SNYDER, Samuel S., Associate Professor and COE Associate Dean for Research and External Affiars, Ph.D., 1975, Yale University, Developmental Psychology, Psychosocial Development, Adolescence. (Office: 204 Telephone: WESTBROOK, Bert W., Professor, Ed.D., 1964, Florida State University, Psychometrics, Educational Research and Evaluation, Vocational Behavior. (Office: 703 Telephone: WILSON, Mark A., Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1983, Ohio State University, Industrial/Organizational and Vocational Psychology, models of job performance, executive pay. (Office: 704 Telephone: WOGALTER, Michael S., Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1987, Rice University, Ergonomics, effectiveness of warnings, perception of risk and hazard. (Office: 730 Telephone: Associate Faculty: KORTE, Charles D., Professor of Multidisciplinary Studies and Associate Member of the Faculty of the Department of Psychology, Ph.D. in Social Psychology, 1969, Harvard University, Effects of urban environment on social behavior, mutual aid, and support of the elderly. (Office: 2806 Hillsborough St. Telephone: WASIK, John L. Professor of Statistics and Associate Member of the Department of Psychology, Ph.D, Florida State University. Statistics, Analysis procedures for evaluation research designs. (Office: 612-A Cox Telephone: Adjunct Faculty: 20