Sociology Five Year Program Review/Planning Document December 2, Section I. Mission and Goals

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1 Sociology Five Year Program Review/Planning Document December 2, 2008 Section I. Mission and Goals The Mission of OTC The mission of Ozarks Technical Community College is to promote student learning through accessible, high quality, affordable workforce training and technical and general education that is responsive to the educational needs of the Community and its diverse constituencies. 1. What is the mission of the department? The mission of the Sociology department is to educate students in the science of sociology, a human science that places the study of human behavior in the context of groups, cultures and societies. The intent of the mission is to enable students to incorporate social context in understanding and responding to events that occur globally, in the U.S. and in their everyday lives, now and in the future. 2. How does your above mission support the overall mission of the college? Our mission reflects the significance of the study of sociology in enabling students to interact in their local and global communities from a structural perspective that incorporates the role of the individual as a group member. 3. What are the primary objectives/goals of your department? 1. Develop student s understanding of themselves and the world around them through the study of social life, social change and the social causes and consequences of human group behavior. 2. Provide students with the scientific tools to discover and explain influences on human behavior. 3. Understand the diversities and complexities of the cultural and social world in the context of social change with its implications for individual action in a global society. 1

2 4. What are the key quality indicators (KQI) for your department and what benchmarks have been established for each? 1. KQI: Students will identify structural influences on individual and group behavior. Benchmark: Students completing Sociology courses will achieve a success rate of 70% or above for each course objective. 2. KQI: Students will apply sociological perspectives and theory to evaluate past and current human events and social problems. Benchmark: Students completing Sociology courses will achieve a success rate of 70% or above for each course objective. 3. KQI: Students will know the steps in the scientific research method. Benchmark: Students completing Sociology courses will achieve a success rate of 70% or above for each course objective. 4. KQI: Students will compare similarities and differences in the social, cultural and historical influences on the social structure of the U.S. and that of other countries. Benchmark: Students completing Sociology courses will achieve a success rate of 70% or above for each course objective. 5. What are the intended objectives/student learning outcomes for courses within this department? List all relevant course objectives below or attach as an appendix. See attached course objectives. Section II. Admission, Placement, and Entry 1. Is enrollment in any course within this department dependent upon student performance on an assessment or placement test? If so, how have the results on these assessment/placement tests been demonstrated to be related to student success? None of the sociology courses require placement tests for enrollment. 2. Does your department offer developmental courses? If so, how have these courses been assessed and how has the department utilized the feedback provided from the assessment to promote improvements in student learning? Our department does not offer developmental courses. 3. Is enrollment in any course dependent upon student performance in a previous course other than a developmental level course? If so, what method is used to determine if a student has met the necessary prerequisite? Enrollment in Sociology 210, 225 and 200 require Sociology 101 as a prerequisite. The prerequisite is met by the student s successful completion (grade of C or above) of Sociology

3 Section III. Advising, Curriculum, and Assessment 1. Describe the department s practice of student advisement. The full-time Sociology instructor serves as an academic advisor when students seek advisement about transferability of courses, pursuit of an Associate of Arts degree or career possibilities. This often happens in informal settings such as when students are enrolled in a second level sociology course. Faculty is available to students as needed. Faculty members are also involved with e-advising. 2. Are course syllabi available for all courses and are they posted on Blackboard? If not, please explain. Syllabi for all sociology courses are posted on Blackboard. 3. Are course objectives outlined in every course syllabus? If not, please explain. Yes, each sociology course syllabus lists the course objectives. (see attached syllabi) 4. Are courses available in appropriate sequence for day, evening and weekend students? Yes, Sociology 101 is offered each semester throughout the day and in the evening. It is offered on all OTC campuses and online. Sociology 210 and 225 are alternately offered on the Springfield campus and online. Sociology 200 is offered online only. 5. How do the courses in this department complement or assist other college departments/ programs or meet the needs of students in other departments/programs? Sociology is a part of almost all degree programs, either required or as an elective. Understanding the social context of group and institutional structure and the impact of socialization on the individual is necessary in all career fields. Specific sociology courses attempt to fulfill the needs of specific career areas, for example: Sociology 210 (Urban Sociology), Sociology 225 (Sociology of Family), and Sociology 200 (Cultural Diversity) for students pursuing careers in teaching, law enforcement, social work, counseling, nursing or any human service field. 6. How does the department ensure that the content of each course is up-to-date and at the appropriate level? Faculty meet to ensure content quality, both internal and external factors are applied. The division chair holds regular meetings with all social science instructors to discuss concerns and successes. Classes are regularly visited and briefings with individual instructors are done as needed. Contact with other institutions frequently occurs to discuss issues, which include content and transfer of courses and curriculum development. Comparison of college catalog information to course content and program requirements, attending conferences, reading and discussion are all part of maintaining quality. 3

4 7. Describe how appropriate technologies are incorporated into department coursework. Students are expected to use library research tools, word-processing or at least keyboarding skills, webbased skills, and Blackboard. Faculty use Power Point presentations, web-based research, Blackboard and audiovisual presentations. 8. What assessment tools and/or methods does the department currently utilize to assess student learning at various levels, such as within individual courses and at the department level? Sociology faculty members employ a number of assessment tools in the classroom to determine student learning. Unit examinations and chapter tests coupled with written projects measure knowledge and comprehension. Quizzes and short writings demonstrate learning and understanding of required course readings and instructor presentations. Research papers and current issue analysis papers indicate specific research, analysis and synthesis skills, Student reflective journals and analysis of service learning experiences demonstrate application of theory and concepts. The major assessment at the course level is the use of the departmental final exam used by each instructor. Each course is required to use a comprehensive final exam. 9. Present the evidence the department has generated from the course assessment process to determine the level of student learning. List assessment results below or attach as an appendix. At the current time, there is no formal course assessment process for sociology courses. Each instructor has been conducting classroom assessments but no consistent results have been generated. However, beginning in the spring semester of 2009, final exams will include questions that assess the student s performance related to each course objective. 10. How has the department utilized the feedback provided from assessment results to promote improvements in student learning? Results are examined by instructors who report on competency success in faculty meetings. Faculty members discuss areas in which students are having trouble meeting objectives and formulate instructional methods for improvement. 4

5 Section IV: Previous General Education Department Review 1. Has this department undergone a previous five-year review by OTC? If so, when? Yes. The previous sociology program review was done in List the recommendations from the previous five-year review and describe how they have been addressed? Previous Recommendation No record of written recommendations can be found. How it has been addressed Section V: Department Planning Summary 1. Are the department s facilities adequate to achieve the academic goals listed in Section I? If not, what is needed and why? A sociology course can be taught effectively in any setting, but any improvement to the setting improves the opportunity for student learning to occur. Sociology courses would benefit from access to computers for student use in the classroom to access research material for group assignments and current issue material in discussion. A document camera would also be useful tool for display of maps, charts and statistical information. 2. Are sufficient resources, authority, and flexibility available for the department to achieve the academic goals listed in Section I? If not, what is needed and why? The authority to develop curriculum to meet the needs of students and programs exists. The departmental faculty members, with approval from the division chair, develop departmental final exams. Faculty members select the textbooks and individual faculty, in the classroom, determine how the information will be best presented. Sufficient resources exist for the sociology department to offer courses to meet student demand. 5

6 3. List and comment on the major strengths of the department. Sociology 101 courses offer students field experience in a short-term service learning project. Students are required to do 8 hours of volunteer work in a community service organization. They have the option of doing an additional 8 hours for extra points and many students complete 16 or more hours of service. The students record their experiences in a reflective journal and, at the end of their service learning experience, write a summary in which they apply course theories and concepts to the organization where they volunteered. This assignment in applied sociology has been successful with students and in the community. Students consistently demonstrate in their journal writings how much better they understand course concepts and how much they have learned about the community and themselves as a result of their service learning. The correspondence I receive from the organizations to verify the students work is appreciative of and supportive of the service learning project. Sociology course offerings are applicable to many career paths (education, social/human services, law enforcement, etc.) Though the department has only one fulltime sociology instructor, some of the adjunct instructors have been teaching in the department for several years. They are dedicated faculty members who are always interested in sharing ideas to develop better learning experiences for our students. 4. List and comment on the department s major challenges and areas that need improvement. The department relies upon adjunct instructors to teach most of the courses because there is currently only one full-time faculty member. Additional full-time faculty members will provide greater stability and better quality control of Sociology 101 offerings. Additional faculty could be instrumental in developing new courses and extracurricular educational opportunities for students. Enrollment in 200 level sociology courses is low. We would like to see an increase there. Funding for instructor's to create field opportunity experiences for the students would enhance student learning with the opportunity to apply or attempt to make real the methods and theories they have studied. 5. What actions are planned at the department level based on course level assessments of student learning outcomes. This depends on the outcomes. If students are competent in an assessed area, no changes will be required only further enhancement of successful instructional methods. In areas where students are not showing competency, faculty will evaluate objectives for each course and the methods used for assessing these objectives. Faculty will formulate instructional methods for improvement or restructuring of courses to improve student performance. 6

7 6. Prioritize the department s long-range goals for the next five years. Describe the actions necessary in order for the department to accomplish these goals? Priority Goal/Objective Actions Required 1 Increase the number of Sociology 101 classes taught Add full-time sociology instructor by full-time faculty to 50%. (currently 33%) 2 Work with new faculty (full-time and adjunct) to develop teaching skills and ensure course consistency Ensure adequate amount of meeting time is scheduled with full-time and adjunct faculty to meet these needs 3 Develop new sociology courses for program application and pertinent to student interest 4 Develop more opportunities for student field experiences 5 Add a lead instructor for social science classes at regional education centers Develop courses and submit to General Education Curriculum Subcommittee for approval. Ensure adequate amount of time is scheduled with fulltime and adjunct faculty to identify and establish relationships with community organizations that will become service learning sites. Construct position requirement and open position for hiring. Also, ensure approved in budget. 6 Develop online courses as needed Ensure that all instructors interested in teaching online complete required training. 7 Increase course offerings at all OTC campuses as needed Ensure adequate amount of meeting time is scheduled with full-time and adjunct faculty to meet these needs. 8 Classes held on M/W and T/TH schedule with Friday reserved for advising, course development, faculty meetings and involvement with student organizations. This would apply to all Gen Ed classes. Construct a proposal with recommendations and justifications. 7

8 APPENDIX A SOCIOLOGY COURSE OBJECTIVES 8

9 Sociology 101 Course Objectives 1) Recognize basic social research methods and designs and their application. 2) Identify the emphasis of functionalist, conflict and interactionist perspectives of sociology. 3) Explain the similarities and differences in the way groups, societies and cultures meet human needs through social institutions and social structure. 4) Describe the influence of religious beliefs, laws, peer relations and other social constructs on people, social events, and culture. 5) Interpret the rights and responsibilities of individuals relative to their social groups. 6) Evaluate international conflict, cooperation, interdependence and universal human rights from a macro and microsociological perspective Sociology 225 Course Objectives 1) Compare and contrast historical perspectives on marriage and family in the United States and in other countries. 2) Explain how family diversity is produced by the social structures that organize society as a whole. 3) Evaluate ideological assumptions and myths about the American family and families from other countries. 4) Describe the socio-cultural basis of family gender role expectations on the social structure of the U.S. and on that of other countries. 5) Compare/contrast the current problems faced by families in the United States and families in other countries Sociology 200 Course Objectives Cultural Diversity 1) Apply the matrices design linking diversity, management, human resource and organizational behavior topics. 2) Apply knowledge of cultural diversity to individual development and behavior and interaction between individuals and the various social systems. 3) Explain diversity from an individual perspective-socialization, values, culture, stereotypes and communication patterns. Recognize the sharing of characteristics and differences as strengths among society. 4) View diversity from a group identity perspectives-understanding the complexities of group identities. 5) Identify the historical and social causes and effects of institutionalized inequality and prejudicial exclusion in American society. 6) Discuss diversity, from an organizational perspective, examining issues within the complex framework of organizational life. 7) Use critical thinking concerning post-modern controversial issues that are the result from the race, class, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity and religious differences that dominate our American society. 9

10 Sociology 210 Course Objectives Urban Sociology 1) Define what constitutes a city and an urban area. 2) Explain urbanization as a complex and continuous process reflected in the dynamics of societal change in the past, present, and future. 3) Apply the study of urban social problems to those of Springfield and its metro-area. 4) Explain the unique behaviors, processes, and relationships generated and influenced by urbanism. 10