AA-Psychology: A Data-Informed Pathway that Maximizes University Success*

Transcription

1 AA-Psychology: A Data-Informed Pathway that Maximizes University Success* Contents Part 1. Our Charge... 2 Part 2: Relevant Assumptions and Data... 3 Part 3: Program Outcomes... 6 Part 4. Rationale for Course Inclusion in the Pathway... 7 Introduction to Psychology... 7 Lifespan Development (Developmental Psychology)... 7 Abnormal Psychology and Social Psychology... 7 Psychology of Personality, Biopsychology, Psychology of Learning, Cultural Psychology and Other Psychology Courses offered at the Colleges... 7 Statistics for Psychology... 8 Research Methods for Psychology... 8 Non-Psychology Courses... 8 Part 5: Curriculum Mapping... 9 Part 6: AA-Psychology Pathway Part 7. Recommendations Part 8. References: Appendix A. Relevant data from the MnSCU Transfer Survey (2014) Appendix B. Summary of the current MnSCU System Within a Research-Based Framework Appendix C. Our Patterns of Direct Transfer within MnSCU: Appendix D: Core Learning Outcomes for Direct Transfer Equivalency Appendix E: Transfer Pathway Table for AA-Psychology [4 Psychology Courses (11-16 credits)+ Select MnTC Courses]* Appendix F. Sample AA-Psychology to BA-Psychology Course Plan *Please note: Consistent with other TPT documentation, in this report, the term College refers to an AA-granting institution, and University refers to a BA-granting university.

2 Page 2 of 27 Part 1. Our Charge The AA-Psychology is based on the TPT Pathway Approval Checklist (Binder, Section D, based on MnSCU Procedure ), which lays out the following minimum requirements: 1. The major is a minimum of 9 credits 2. The pathways-aligned degree can be completed within 60 credits 3. There are at least credits consisting of required MnTC courses or selection from a list of courses with restricted options. 4. The degree meets the 120 credit limit. 5. All courses are transferable to the universities. 6. No more than one course is either: a. Non-articulated (equivalent to a course that applies to the major) b. Left unspecified as a general list that does not specify articulation as preparation for the major (e.g., any course in x discipline) 7. Pathway aligned degrees must list specific courses. 8. There is course equivalence for all required courses in the pathway determined for each college and university. 9. Double-counting opportunities are considered. 10. Colleges providing only one option in a category must be articulated MnTC course or major preparation at the universities.

3 Page 3 of 27 Part 2: Relevant Assumptions and Data From our discussions, we assume: 1. Students benefit from the variety of the rich MnSCU university system in which to pursue their 4-year psychology degree. Preservation of the autonomy of the university systems is critical to TPT success. The TPT wants to support the missions of each university, bringing stronger, better prepared students to the universities 2. Student experience, persistence, and efficiency are at the heart of our work. 3. To avoid unintended consequences, The TPT would like to make the minimum changes for the maximum effect on our students. We have data guiding the development of the pathway. Concerning MnSCU Universities: 1. There is substantial variety in the ways that universities offer their psychology majors, including the sequencing of courses and admission requirements (BA requirement documents from university websites, TPT Binder). 2. Universities agree that proficiency in college-level mathematics is the greatest barrier for their transfer students (TPT Meeting Minutes). Across MnSCU, College Algebra or higher is the course that is most frequently cited as the preparatory course to begin studying statistics for psychology. 3. To prepare our students to earn PhDs in psychology, we need to provide substantial research experiences as early as possible (APA, 2016). Undergraduate research is a High Impact Educational Practice that can help students persist to graduation (Kuh, 2008). According to Kuh (2008), [professors are creating courses that involve students early and actively in scientific research. It is also part of Charting the Future and many colleges and universities master academic plans (e.g., Strategic Goal 3.2 of IHCC Master Academic Plan). 4. Approximately half of MnSCU universities offer a course in which they introduce students to the major, help them explore career options related to Bachelor s Degrees in Psychology, steps required to apply to graduate school, and teach APA style and critical skills for psychology majors. (BA requirement documents) We have system-wide data concerning transfer from colleges to universities: 1. Thirty-three percent of college students who responded to the transfer survey were still trying to transfer more than 60 credits to universities, which will likely delay graduation. (2014 MnSCU Transfer Survey for a summary of the report, see Appendix A) 2. There continue to be problems in transferability of classes and lost credits in transfer. One in four students who wrote comments on the MnSCU transfer survey wrote about problems with advising/information, and 13% complained about loss of credits in the transfer process (2014 MnSCU Transfer Survey). 3. Forty-two percent of respondents knew exactly where they wanted to transfer. An additional 32% considered one other MnSCU institution, and 18% of respondents considered the University of Minnesota. That is, students had a good idea of where they wanted to transfer prior to transfer. (2014 MnSCU Transfer Survey) 4. There continues to be a substantial minority of students who wish the transfer experience would be better, especially for credits in their major. Twenty percent of respondents said that their overall transfer experience was below their expectation, and 26% of respondents said that transfer of credits in the major/program was below their expectation. (MnSCU Transfer Survey) If one in four students is unhappy with how their credits transfer in their major, there is an opportunity for MnSCU to improve and observe a difference. 5. A nationwide report (Jenkins & Fink, 2016) sponsored by the Community College Research Center, the Aspen Institute, and the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center suggests that only 14% of college

4 Page 4 of 27 students eventually transfer and earn a bachelor s degree in 6 years. Minnesota s bachelors completion rate was below average, at 12%. Minnesota had a below average transfer-out rate, transfer-with award rate, and completion rate compared to the other US states. Interestingly MN ranked 5 th in the nation for Bachelor s completion rates at private colleges. The problems in MN are related to transfer to public institutions, where MN ranked 19 th. One suggestion of this report is to encourage and support regional public universities in their quest to better serve transfer students. 6. Universities have reliable patterns of accepting certain classes for direct transfer from many AA-degree granting institutions (See Appendix B). 7. The Common Course Outline (CCO) is the ultimate standard by which transferability is determined (MnSCU Policy 3.22). Inspection of the CCOs reveals substantial similarity between university and college courses. We have data concerning Colleges that offer the Associates of Arts degree: 1. Colleges vary in size, range of courses, types of resources available to their students (e.g., Library Databases, statistical packages, etc.). The smallest program offers only two courses each semester, and the largest offers 14 courses. The diversity of college experiences is, likewise, to be valued and sustained in the TPT process. 2. Colleges cancel classes in different ways that universities, and if college classes are part of a designated program, they are more likely to run. Colleges struggling with low enrollment have entered into financial aid consortia so that students at the low enrollment college may take online classes required for the major at a high enrollment college. 3. Colleges want to increase the research productivity of their students in order to help them persist and transfer to four-year schools. 4. Community Colleges have difficulty getting students to earn their degrees prior to transfer, although this is one of the key indicators that MnSCU system uses to gauge the colleges success (Transfer Pathways for Baccalaureate Completion, 2015). Forty-five percent of respondents reported transferring with no degree compared to 39% who earned some form of associates degree first (2014 MnSCU Transfer Survey). 5. The greater the TPT supports the mission of the college and MnSCU strategic vision, the more funding it will be able to request and allocate. 6. Members of college executive committees are collaborating to determine which larger resources they might be able to share, such as SPSS (Royal, Personal Communication). Data from one MnSCU college suggest that AA-Psychology students want to take courses beginning in their first semester of college and that most want to earn a graduate degree. Data are being collected at IHCC this spring from AA-psych alumni and students in their second psychology course at IHCC. Thus far, 31 of 39 social psychology students have responded. Of 31 students taking the survey by 2/8/16, 17 were psychology majors. Of the majors: 1. Eight said they always wanted to major in psychology, and 4 declared the major when they applied to IHCC. 2. Fourteen intended to transfer to a university (6 to Metropolitan State; 6 to the University of Minnesota, 1 to MSU-Mankato, and 1 to Southern New Hampshire). 3. The most common out-of-class experience students asked for was (n=10) was college-level research experience with their professors 4. Ten asked for a careers in psychology course, and 5 asked for both psych stats and research methods courses. 5. Eleven stated that they wanted to earn a Master s degree or other terminal degree (Ph.D., JD) Commented [JM1]: They may want to, but most won t. From the available data, only 20-25% (varies by year) of SCSU Psych majors go on to further education within a year of graduation. I think this is consistent with national data. There are approximately 90,000 psychology bachelor's degrees awarded every year across the country. There is no way that most of them can go to graduate school (at least in psychology or related fields such as counseling). Research beyond MnSCU exists to support our mandate by the legislature to create a transfer pathway in psychology: 1. According to Kisker et al. (2012), effective transfer pathways should have:

5 Page 5 of A common general education package 2. Common lower-division and early major pathways 3. A focus on credit applicability 4. Junior Status upon Transfer 5. Guaranteed and/or priority university admission 6. Associate and/or bachelor s degree credit limits, and 7. An acceptance policy for upper-division courses. 2. Our team has resonated with the Pennsylvania model of transfer, because it highlights student competencies and flexibility in the types of courses offered while providing students the ability to meet lower-level requirements of the major. (TPT Binder H) 3. In practice, the Pennsylvania pathway actually has two pathways, one that is preprofessional and includes the research methods sequence, and one that is interpersonal and provides a core of competencies but does not include the research methods sequence: a. b.

6 Page 6 of 27 Part 3: Program Outcomes Based on the American Psychological Association s Foundations for Undergraduate Education 2.0 (2013), the Psychology TPT identified the following four program outcomes for the MnSCU AA-Psychology: Knowledge Base in Psychology 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology's content domains 1.3 Describe applications of psychology Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking 2.1 Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy 2.3 Engage in systematic problem-solving inferred by psychological research 2.4 Interpret, design, or conduct basic psychological research 2.5 Incorporate sociocultural factors in scientific inquiry 2.6 Use statistical programs (i.e., SPSS) to augment scientific inquiry Ethical and Social responsibility in a Diverse World 3.1 Apply ethical standards to evaluate and/or conduct psychological research and practice 3.2 Build and enhance interpersonal relationships 3.3 Explore values and/or practices that build community at local, national, and global levels Communications 4.1 Demonstrate effective writing for different purposes including basic APA style 4.2 Exhibit effective presentation skills for different purposes 4.3 Interact effectively with others

7 Page 7 of 27 Part 4. Rationale for Course Inclusion in the Pathway The TPT chose courses for the pathway that would: minimize changes to the current structures of the seven University majors maximize preparation of AA-Psychology graduates for junior-level work align with the AA-Psychology Program Outcomes Introduction to Psychology Introduction to Psychology was included as a direct transfer course, as it is considered the gateway course to all additional psychology courses within the major, and all College courses currently transfer directly to all universities. Lifespan Development (Developmental Psychology) Lifespan Development was included, as it is the second most common course taught at the Colleges, and all Universities except MSU Mankato have such an offering (although MSU Mankato is currently creating the course). It is usually taught as a lower division course (rarely at the 400-level), and is the second most commonly taught course among the Colleges. The TPT agrees that Introduction to Psychology should be a prerequisite or strongly recommended for this course. Abnormal Psychology and Social Psychology Abnormal Psychology and Social Psychology were included, as they were the third and fourth most commonly taught psychology courses at the Colleges, and all Universities offer them. Some Universities teach these course at the 400-level, but at present, their Common Course Outlines do not reflect different learning outcomes than those taught at the Colleges. The TPT agrees that Introduction to Psychology should be a prerequisite or strongly recommended for these courses. It also recommends that University faculty teaching these sub-disciplines at a 400-level (e.g., using the Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders or primary research as their course materials) should change their Common Course Outlines to represent advanced work and include the words, advanced or Capstone, in their title. Psychology of Personality, Biopsychology, Psychology of Learning, Cultural Psychology and Other Psychology Courses offered at the Colleges While the above-named courses add breadth of knowledge to the discipline and their importance cannot be understated, they were included as electives but not direct-transfer courses because they were offered at a small number of Colleges, they were not offered at all Universities, and if they were offered at Universities, they were more consistently offered at a higher level than that taught at the Colleges. The TPT recommends that these courses be offered as part of the Knowledge Base in Psychology Program Outcome to preserve student interest and maximize flexibility of depth of course offerings at the College. However, given the inconsistency of their offerings, the TPT recommends that the universities consider each of these classes on a case-by-case basis, with a minimum of accepting the course as a lower-level elective in the major. The TPT also recommends that future Discipline groups review Common Course Outlines to determine how these courses could be modified to transfer more directly into the major.

8 Page 8 of 27 Statistics for Psychology Statistics for Psychology is usually the first course in the Psychology major that allows students to engage in the High Impact Practice of Research. This course is taught at the 200-level in most of the Universities, and it gives students the research based skills to see psychology as a science. The course teaches programming skills necessary to complete junior-level work, gives students practice reading and interpreting primary psychological research, and develops students ability to hypothesis test and determine the correct statistical procedure based on the research question asked. Statistics for Psychology thus builds on but does not replace MnTC Goal 4 classes. Both the APA and the TPT agreed that the earlier that students are prepared to do research, the greater their success in developing critical thinking, developing research-based relationships with faculty, and getting in to graduate school. To be successful, the course must include development of skills using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). At the Universities, this is a 4-credit course with a lab (SPSS) component. Prerequisites must include Introduction to Psychology, and either Math Statistics or College Algebra or Higher. Research Methods for Psychology Research Methods is typically the second course in the Psychology major that gives students the tools to design and conduct research projects based on primary literature from start to finish. Most pathways in other states usually include this course as the capstone course in the AA degree. It requires students to have completed the Statistics for Psychology course at a 2.0 level (or higher). The TPT, however, decided not to include it, because it is most commonly taught in the Junior year at the Universities, University faculty use this course to develop relationships for advanced research in their labs. In addition, given students propensity to enter college without college-level mathematics skills, TPT was concerned that students would not be able to complete the major in a timely fashion. Using the Common Course Outlines (CCOs) available for most MnSCU institutions, pairs of college and university Psychology TPT members created core learning outcomes that, if used at the College level, would transfer as direct equivalents to each University s major. Core Outcomes for these courses are presented in Appendix D. Non-Psychology Courses As the curriculum map was created, three additional courses taught often at the college were identified to help achieve all program outcomes: English Composition Introduction to Communication Interpersonal Communication.

9 Part 5: Curriculum Mapping English Composition Partial Intro to Communication Interpersonal Communication. Lifespan Development Social Psychology Abnormal Psychology Careers in Psychology Statistics for Psychology Introduction to Psychology Outcomes Knowledge Base in Psychology X X X X 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology X X X X 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology's content domains X X X X 1.3 Describe applications of psychology Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking X X X X 2.1 Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena X X 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy X X X 2.3 Engage in systematic problem-solving inferred by psychological research X X X 2.4 Interpret, design, or conduct basic psychological research 2.5 Incorporate sociocultural factors in scientific inquiry 2.6 Use statistical programs (i.e., SPSS) to augment scientific inquiry Ethical and Social responsibility in a Diverse World X X X 3.1 Apply ethical standards to evaluate and/or conduct psychological research & practice X X X 3.2 Build and enhance interpersonal relationships X X X 3.3 Explore values and/or practices that build community at local, national, and global levels X Communications 4.1 Demonstrate effective writing for different purposes including basic APA style 4.2 Exhibit effective presentation skills for different purposes X X 4.3 Interact effectively with others From analyzing the curriculum map, 14 of 15 program outcomes were aligned with course learning outcomes, with only one area of partial insufficiency (Program Outcome 4.10 identified. There is no consistent place for teaching APA Style in the curriculum. In addition, writing is a skill to be developed over multiple semesters. Each College should identify courses within the curriculum in which skill in APA can be taught. *Please note: Consistent with other TPT documentation, in this report, the term College refers to an AA-granting institution, and University refers to a BAgranting university.

10 Part 6: AA-Psychology Pathway The AA-Psychology requires specific general education courses that meet MnTC (Minnesota Transfer Curriculum) goals. Within the Psychology department itself it requires four courses. 1. Students complete the MnTC with the following courses required for the AA-Psychology a. Math Statistics OR College Algebra or Higher (Meets MnTC Goal 4) b. English Composition AND completion of MnTC Goal A c. Either Introduction to Communication OR Interpersonal Communication (Meets MnTC Goal 1b) 2. Students complete the following four Psychology courses (12-16 credits; Any additional Psychology courses beyond these four are not guaranteed to transfer within MNSCU. Courses in bold are guaranteed to transfer directly into the University Psychology Major.) 1. Introduction to Psychology (3-4 credits) 2. Statistics for Psychology (4 credits) 3. Choose ONE of the following Psychology courses (3-4 credits; Psychology Course 3): a. Lifespan Psychology, OR b. Abnormal Psychology, OR c. Social Psychology 4. Choose any additional Psychology course offered by your college (3-4 credits; Psychology Course 4) 3. Each College psychology department creates their major to include teaching of APA style, sociocultural factors associated with scientific inquiry and presentation skills for psychology majors. 4. Colleges with low enrollment may enter into consortia with other colleges and universities to allow students to take the above courses online. *Please note: Consistent with other TPT documentation, in this report, the term College refers to an AA-granting institution, and University refers to a BA-granting university.

11 Page 11 of 27 Part 7. Recommendations 1) The APA (2013) has identified a fifth goal for undergraduate education, Professional Development. The TPT agrees that students lack an understanding of the types of careers they can enter following the BA, as textbooks usually focus on careers after graduate school. We considered strongly adding the following goals to the AA- Psychology, also based on APA (2013): Professional Development 5.1 Apply psychological content and skills to career goals 5.2 Apply psychological and other knowledge to develop skill in self-regulation; to manage personal, academic, and work life; and to work cooperatively with others 5.3 Develop an informed professional direction for life after graduation While the members of the TPT feels strongly that these are worthy goals of an undergraduate AA pathway, at present, only ½ of the Universities and none of the Colleges offer a course that helps students achieve them. National data suggest that only about 40% of Colleges and Universities offer such a course. Some stakeholders also resisted the idea of a Careers course. We encourage: (a) a group of Psychology College and University faculty to work system-wide to decide how to implement the professional development goal for a future AA-Psychology Pathway (b) Colleges and Universities to highlight professional development issues in their courses, especially development of an informed professional direction for life after graduation, in their classes. (c) Colleges to consider offering a course in Careers in Psychology should it fit within their philosophy and practical course offerings, knowing that it could transfer to some Universities (e.g., St Cloud State University, Metro State University). 2) The TPT also recommends a discipline-wide discussion to change the names of course to better reflect the level of what is being taught, help students determine transferability of the courses they take within MnSCU, and align course names with current thinking in the discipline (e.g., changing Abnormal Psychology to Psychological Disorders). Advisors and faculty both see a change in naming as having a positive impact on the student experience, but this was beyond the scope of the TPT s charge. 3) The TPT also recommends discussion with faculty from other social science departments to determine whether the Statistics for Psychology course might be applicable to their disciplines. 4) Our stakeholders were not clear as to which content areas should be covered in courses that are part of the pathway. The content areas included in Appendix D were created by looking at sample texts and determining the most commonly taught content within current CCOs. Deciding on minimal content areas that must be covered with certain courses is beyond the scope of the TPT, and we suggest that a future College and University team systematically assess this issue and offer recommendations. 5) The TPT recommends that as Colleges and Universities implement the program, a) They create student program guides that include course titles of all psychology courses in their program planning guides. b) They work to create consistency across the system, writing future CCOs as close as possible to the course titles and learning outcomes in Appendix D.

12 Page 12 of 27 c) If current courses have learning outcomes that are substantially different than those listed in Appendix D, the TPT recommends that they write new CCOs for those courses, with different titles and learning outcomes from those listed in Appendix D 6) Determination of which MnTC courses should be taken by psych majors to further ease transfer TBD at 4/8 meeting 7) The TPT recommends that the TPCT coordinate with Campus Services Cooperative regarding the purchase of SPSS and possibly PsycINFO for college labs and libraries. 8) Team works with TPCT to develop assessment plan in order to track the effects of implementation of the program including: a) Effects of having Introduction to Psychology required vs. recommended to determine whether all schools should require Introduction to Psychology for all of their classes. 9) In spring 2016, a report from CCRC and the Aspen Institute is expected to be published. This playbook is designed for institutional leaders to create effective transfer partnerships. When these data are published, we can use this information to refine our and future pathways. 10) There is currently no way to offer the AA-Psychology at MnSCU institutions that do not grant the AA degree. Many of the students who attend these institutions would like to eventually transfer to a university, but they do not have the systematic infrastructure to do so with the current Transfer Pathway model. We recommend that the system look at ways that students attending non-aa-granting institutions to earn the AA-Psychology or other college pathway. 11) The TPT recommends that once the AA-Psychology is established, a future group creates a pathway with the University of Minnesota, as almost 50% of psych students in at least one community college wanted to transfer outside of MnSCU but within the state system. The better the relationship we have with the U of M, the stronger our transfer pathways can grow within the state.

13 Page 13 of 27 Part 8. References: Inver Hills Community College (2014). Master Academic Plan. Retrieved from Jenkins, D., & Fink, J. (2016). Tracking Transfer: New Measures of Institutional and State Effectiveness in Helping Community College Students Attain Bachelor s Degrees. Community Colleges Research Center: New York, NY. Kisker, C. B., Wagoner, R. L., & Cohen, A. M. (2012). Elements of effective transfer associate degrees. New Directions for Community Colleges, 60, DOI: /cc Kuh, G. D. (2008). High Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter. American Association of Colleges and Universities Bookstore: Washington, DC. Organizational Effectiveness Research Group (January 2014). Student Transfer Survey Report Prepared for MnSCU, Mankato, MN: Author Transfer with an associate s degree (n.d.) in New Jersey College2College Transfer: NJ Transfer Website. Retrieved from

14 Page 14 of 27 Appendix A. Relevant data from the MnSCU Transfer Survey (2014). In 2013, MnSCU conducted the MnSCU Transfer Survey (2014), a survey of students who had transferred to a MnSCU institution, to learn about the student transfer experience. Of the students who responded (n=1109), 78% had transferred to a MnSCU university. Thirty-three percent of respondents attempted to transfer more than 60 credits. The majority were only looking at one 4-year program to transfer to. Eighty-one percent of students said that transferring classes within the MnTC exceeded their expectations, but students found it more challenging to transfer credits in their major. As can be seen in table 1 below (taken directly from the transfer survey), almost 26% rated the transfer of program and major credits as below expectations, and this problem has been in existence since before 2010.

15 Page 15 of 27 Appendix B. Summary of the current MnSCU System Within a Research- Based Framework. The problems associated with creating and sustaining partnerships between colleges and universities has been studied now that statewide focus is upon college systems to bridge transfer partnerships. New Directions for Community Colleges (2012) had a special issue devoted entirely to what makes effective transfer associate degree programs. In this volume, case studies of four states, Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio and Washington, culminating in both a presentation of research-supported elements of effective transfer associate degrees. These elements (Kisker, Wagoner, & Cohen, 2012, p. 7) are: 1. A common general education package 2. Common lower-division and early major pathways 3. A focus on credit applicability 4. Junior Status upon Transfer 5. Guaranteed and/or priority university admission 6. Associate and/or bachelor s degree credit limits, and 7. An acceptance policy for upper-division courses. At MnSCU, we already meet three of these characteristics. We have the MnTC, our common general education system (goal 2). We are charged by the MnSCU to provide junior status upon transfer to any 4-year school (goal 4). We are charged with the task of associate and bachelor degree limits of 60 per institution (goal 6). We also still need to decide what our common major pathway will look like, and which schools will offer it (goal 2). Kisker et al. (2012) state that common lower-division pathways are viewed in all states as key to reducing excel credits and improving time-to-degree among transfer students. This, combined with our focus on which credits will apply to the major (goal 4), is at the crux of our work. As a team, we need to create a pathway that seamlessly applies at all MnSCU universities despite the fact that the process runs counter to ingrained traditions of institutional autonomy and academic freedom. Kisker et al. recommend that focusing on student centeredness and the common good to help create effective pathways with transfer applicability. We have yet to discuss guaranteed university admission and program admission. Review of the 7 MnSCU universities reveals that some schools have stricter admission requirements to the psychology major than others, and these requirements must be preserved. Also, we have not discussed whether these admission requirements guarantee admission for traditional 4-year students and how this could play out. New Jersey (n.d.) says that students need to learn the admission requirements for transfer and major for the school they want to attend. Other systems state that if students graduate with a 2.0 they are guaranteed admission to one of the 4-year colleges, but not all of them. It is up to us to make a recommendation based on the actual experiences of our 4-year institutions.

16 Page 16 of 27 Appendix C. Our Patterns of Direct Transfer within MnSCU: The TPT was provided with transfer equivalency data for all 7 universities, which provided us the ability to look for patterns in direct transfer from colleges to universities. For each college, the frequency of acceptable transfer from colleges was tallied for popular courses. These data are presented in Table 1: Table 1. Number of AA-granting 2-year Colleges that can currently have direct course transfer with MnSCU Universities for Major Courses Bemidji Metro MSU MSU SCSU SMSU Winona State Mankato Moorhead Lifespan 0 23 N/A* Abnormal Social Advanced 7 Expository Writing Interpersonal 30 Communication College Algebra All *MSU Mankato is currently adding a Lifespan Development course to their curriculum. As can be seen in the above table, patterns emerged in the coursework such that, with the exception of SMSU, there was a trend for certain classes to direct transfer but other classes to transfer as electives or not transfer. For example, Bemidji State University had a pattern of accepting Abnormal Psychology as a direct transfer, but other classes did not. In contrast, Winona State University has a pattern of only accepting Lifespan Development as a direct transfer course. Winona State University, SCSU and SMSU have major requirements that, upon inspection of the raw data files, included courses that might be considered as part of the MnTC. Three additional courses were included (College Algebra, Advanced Expository Writing, and Interpersonal Communication), because the universities showed patterns of direct transfer of these courses. For students indicating transfer to their respective colleges, suggestions can be made as to which courses students should take as part of the MnTC.

17 Page 17 of 27 Appendix D: Core Learning Outcomes for Direct Transfer Equivalency Introductory Psychology Prerequisites: None Core Learning Outcomes: 1. Demonstrate understanding of key topics in Psychology 2. Adopt the framework of Psychological Science (correctly use terminology and concepts, engage in scientific problem-solving, and employ basic statistical methods.) 3. Exhibit familiarity with the major theoretical approaches to Psychology 4. Apply or describe the scientific research methods used in Psychology 5. Apply course concepts to one s own (everyday) life 6. Develop of critical thinking skills (e.g. recognizing information quality, distinguishing causation from correlation, adopting multiple perspectives for a given problem) 7. Describe the history of Psychology 8. Demonstrate familiarity with diversity Minimal Content Areas: Introduction to Psychology Research Methods Neuroscience and Behavior Developmental Psychology Sensation and Perception Motivation & Emotion Personality Learning and Memory Cognition, Language, and Intelligence Social Psychology Stress, Coping and Health Psychopathology and Treatments Consciousness (may include sleep and dreams)

18 Page 18 of 27 Careers in Psychology - Common Core Outcomes & Prerequisites Common Learner Outcomes: 1. Successfully utilize diverse resources to explore and identify career information related to work in psychology. 2. Identify specific abilities, skills, personal attributes, and experience associated with various career paths in psychology. 3. Identify career and academic related goals and develop a career and academic plan based on knowledge of the field and self-reflection. 4. Develop effective job seeking skills, such as resume building, interview skills to facilitate success for internship and future work in a psychology related position.

19 Page 19 of 27 Statistics for Psychology Key Outcomes Prerequisites: Introduction to Psychology (2.0 or higher) and Completion of Math MnTC requirement with Math Statistics or College Algebra or Higher. 1) Learning Outcomes: 2) Demonstrate an understanding of the mathematics and logic behind selecting and applying statistical procedures appropriate for a given hypothesis, scale of measurement, and experimental design. 3) Perform and describe the statistical procedures commonly used by psychologists including their respective advantages and disadvantages. These include: a) Organize data into a visual display of data (e.g. bar chart, histogram) b) Measures of central tendency, variability, and frequency distributions. c) Correlational and regression analyses. d) Inferential statistical procedures, including t-tests, ANOVAs, multiple comparison tests, and effect sizes. e) Nonparametric tests such as chi-square. 4) Read, interpret, and summarize basic statistical conclusions from psychological sources accurately and critically evaluate the statistical presentations of others. 5) Interpret statistical findings and graphs in the context of their level of statistical significance, effect sizes, and underlying assumptions, and explain these findings using common language and conventions of the American Psychological Association. 6) Use SPSS or another statistical package to build data sets, run univariate and multivariate analyses, and interpret and display results. Outline of Content Areas: Central tendency and variability Basics of Inferential statistics: Z scores, the normal curve, sample versus population, and probability Hypothesis testing Making sense of statistical significance: Effect size and statistical power Choosing Appropriate Statistics Using SPSS Reporting Results The t test: One and Two Samples Introduction to analysis of variance Factorial analysis of variance Correlation Regression Chi-square tests

20 Page 20 of 27 Lifespan Development Prerequisite: Introduction to Psychology Required or Strongly Recommended, depending on institution, or instructor permission. Learner Outcomes: 1) Knowledge Base of developmental psychology. a) Summarize the main theories of human development: psychoanalytic, learning, cognitive, contextual, and sociobiological. b) Recognize biological, neurological, cognitive, and socio-emotional processes associated with developmental periods. c) Analyze key issues that influence developmental perspectives. d) Describe the developmental challenges and psychopathologies that may occur throughout the lifespan 2) Research methods in developmental psychology. a) Demonstrate familiarity with the scientific method and research methodology used by developmental psychologists. 3) Critical thinking skills in developmental psychology. a) Evaluate the quality of developmental information. b) Conclude the limitations of developmental psychological knowledge. c) Analyze how physical, intellectual, social and personality development are entwined with each other 4) Application of developmental psychology. a) Illustrate how developmental psychological principles apply to everyday life. b) Interpret how the science of developmental psychology can inform applied areas such as parenting, schools, childcare, education, eldercare, medicine/nursing, or other areas. 5) Values in psychology. a) Explain how culture and social context play a role in development. b) Determine ethical perspectives of the legal, social, and scientific issues in relation to human developmental theories and practices. Content Areas 1) Introduction to Developmental Psychology a) Developmental science defined b) Tenets of developmental science 2) Research Methods in Developmental Psychology a) The scientific method b) Experimental and non-experimental research c) Cross-sectional, longitudinal and cross-sequential designs d) Research ethics 3) Theoretical Perspectives a) Major theories of development b) Newer theories of development 4) Nature and Nurture

21 a) Mechanisms of heredity b) Genetic and chromosomal disorders c) Interplay of heredity and environment 5) Prenatal Development a) Major developmental changes b) Hazards to prenatal development c) Birth and the newborn 6) Physical, Cognitive, and Socioemotional Development in a) Infancy b) Early Childhood c) Middle Childhood d) Adolescence e) Emerging Adulthood f) Early Adulthood g) Middle Adulthood, and h) Late Adulthood 7) Death and Dying a) Developmental perspectives on death b) Facing death c) Care for the dying d) Grief and mourning Page 21 of 27

22 Page 22 of 27 Abnormal Psychology: Core Outcomes Prerequisite: Introduction to Psychology Required or Strongly Recommended, depending on institution, or instructor permission. Learning Outcomes: 1) Evaluate major historical and contemporary theoretical and treatment perspectives associated with the field of abnormal psychology. 2) Identify principal research methods and types of questions that emerge in the science of abnormal psychology 3) Identify and evaluate key characteristics of abnormal psychology including: a) Distinguishing between normal and abnormal behavior. b) The characteristics, strengths and limitations of the current diagnostic system (DSM) c) Prevalence/Incidence, Etiology/Causes, diagnostic features/symptoms, and scientifically validated treatments of specific psychological disorders d) Assessment of psychological disorders (e.g., interviewing, standardized testing, imaging, reliability, validity) 4) Predict and explore how diversity across age, race, culture, gender and class can modify understanding of psychological processes. 5) Explain how psychologists use their understanding of the APA Ethics Code and legal system to guide decisions in clinical and legal situations. 6) Apply psychological constructs to understand and improve intrapersonal, interpersonal and intercultural dysfunction (e. g. case studies) Content Areas: From Barlow and Durand, 2015, Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach. 1. Abnormal psychology in historical context 2. An integrative approach to abnormal psychology 3. Clinical assessment and diagnosis 4. Research methods 5. Anxiety disorders 6. Somatoform and dissociative disorders 7. Mood disorders and suicide 8. Eating and sleep disorders 9. Physical disorders and health psychology 10. Sexual and gender identity disorders 11. Substance -related and impulse -controlled disorders 12. Personality disorders 13. Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders 14. Developmental disorders 15. Cognitive disorders 16. Mental health services: Ethical and legal issues

23 Page 23 of 27 Social Psychology Core Outcomes Prerequisites: Introduction to Psychology Required or Strongly Recommended (depending on institution) or Instructor Permission Learning Outcomes: 1) Identify and explain the major concepts and theoretical approaches in social psychology. 2) Analyze relevant social problems or issues by using social psychological concepts 3) Understand basic research methods and ethical responsibilities in social psychological research. 4) Critically evaluate research in social psychology. 5) Apply social psychological theories or concepts to real world and/or personal examples. Outline of Content Areas: Introduction to Social Psychology Research Methods Ethics in social psychology research Social Cognition Social Perception The Social Self (self as a social constructive process) Attitudes and Attitude Change/Persuasion Obedience Conformity Group Processes Interpersonal Attraction Altruism (prosocial behavior, helping others) Aggression Stereotyping, Prejudice, Discrimination Applied Social Psychology Other considerations: Social Influence

24 Page 24 of 27 Appendix E: Transfer Pathway Table for AA-Psychology [4 Psychology Courses (11-16 credits)+ Select MnTC Courses]* Required Psychology Courses KNOWLEDGE BASE IN PSYCHOLOGY: 1. Introduction to Psychology (3-4 credits) AND 2. Lifespan Psychology (3-4 credits) OR Abnormal Psychology (3-4 credits) OR Social Psychology AND 3. Any additional course taught by the Psychology Department SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY: 4. Statistics for Psychology (4 credits) Required MnTC Courses for student transferring with the AA-Psychology [The AA requires all 10 goal areas (40 credits) Goal Area 1 Goal Area 2 Goal Area 3 Goal Area 4 Goal Area 5 Goal Area 6 Goal Area 7** Goal Area 8** Goal Area 9** Goal Area 10** Transfer Criteria Successful completion of course according to university s standards addressing the required competencies in the transfer pathway for Psychology. Successful completion of course according to university s standards addressing the required competencies in the transfer pathway for Psychology. Transfer Criteria 1. Completion of MnTC ENG requirement AND 2. Introduction to Communication (3 credit) or Interpersonal Communication (3 credit) As required by AA granting institution. As required by AA granting institution. College Algebra or higher Introduction to Psychology (as above) AND Any additional Goal 5 Psychology course (as above) AND Additional Goal 5 courses from different disciplines as required by AA granting institution. As required by AA granting institution. As required by AA granting institution. As required by AA granting institution. As required by AA granting institution. As required by AA granting institution. *Psychology courses beyond the four required courses in the AA-Psychology are not guaranteed to transfer into a Psychology Program in MnSCU. ** Goal areas 7, 8, 9, and 10 may be completed as part of another course if listed as a second goal area.

25 Page 25 of 27 Appendix F. Sample AA-Psychology to BA-Psychology Course Plan Starting Institution: Inver Hills Community College Sample Full-Time Course Plan (Could be completed online or on-ground): Semester 1 (15 credits): Credits Course Goal Area/Major Requirement 4 PSYC 1101: General Psychology 2, 5, M 4 ENG 1108: Writing & Research Skills 1, 2, m 4 MATH 1118: College Algebra 1 4, m 3 Elective Semester 2 (15 credits): Credits Course Goal Area/Major Requirement 3 COMM 1100: Interpersonal Communication 1, 7, m 4 BIOL 1117-L: Environmental Science (w/lab) 3a Lab, 10 4 SOC 1100: Introduction to Sociology 5, 9 4 Elective Semester 3 (15 credits): Credits Course Goal Area/Major Requirement 4 PSYC ****: Psychology Statistics 2, 5, M 2 HLTH 1155: Lifetime fitness Health & PE 3 PSYC 2100: Social Psychology 5, 7, M 3 GEOL 1115: Natural Disasters 3b, 10 3 Elective Semester 4 (15 credits): Credits Course Goal Area/Major Requirement 4 PSYC 1210: Lifespan Development 5, 7, M 2 ENG 1111: Research Writing in the Disciplines 1, 2 3 FS/THTR 1101: Intro to Film 6b, 8 3 ART 1121: Digital Photography (No Lab) 6a 3 Elective Total Credits: 60 MnTC Credits: 40+ HPE: 2 credits Major Credits (M: Psychology): 16 Credits Major Credits (m: APA Competency): 11 credits Electives: 12 credits

26 Page 26 of 27 Sample Part-Time Pathway (Could be completed online or on-ground): Semester 1 (8 credits): Credits Course Goal Area/Major Requirement 4 PSYC 1101: General Psychology 2, 5, M 4 ENG 1108: Writing & Research Skills 1, 2, m Semester 2 (8 credits): Credits Course Goal Area/Major Requirement 4 MATH 1118: College Algebra 1 4, m 4 Elective Semester 3 (9 credits): Credits Course Goal Area/Major Requirement 3 PSYC 2100: Social Psychology 5, 7, M 4 SOC 1100: Introduction to Sociology 5, 9 2 ENG 1111: Research Writing in the Disciplines 1, 2 Semester 4 (9 credits): Credits Course Goal Area/Major Requirement 4 PSYC ****: Psychology Statistics 2, 5, M 2 HLTH 1155: Lifetime fitness Health & PE 3 Elective Semester 5 (8 credits): Credits Course Goal Area/Major Requirement 4 CHEM 1010-L: Introduction to Chemistry 3b Lab, 10 4 BIOL 1117: Environmental Science 3a, 10 Semester 6 (9 credits): Credits Course Goal Area/Major Requirement 3 PSYC 2250: Abnormal Psychology 5, 7, M 3 COMM 1100: Interpersonal Communication 1, 7, m 3 Elective Semester 7 (9 credits): Credits Course Goal Area/Major Requirement 3 FS/THTR 1101: Intro to Film 6b, 8 3 ART 1121: Digital Photography (No Lab) 6a 3 Elective Total Credits: 60 MnTC Credits: 40+ HPE: 2 credits Major Credits (M: Psychology): 14 Credits Major Credits (m: APA Competency): 11 credits Electives: 13 credits

27 Page 27 of 27 Receiving Institution: Minnesota State University, Mankato Complete upon entry to MSU Mankato (15 Credits) PSYC 101 Introduction to Psychological Science (Core Requirement) PSYC 201 Statistics for Psychology (Core Requirement) PSYC 340 Social Psychology (Personality Social Requirement) Lifespan Psych (4 Credits, Major Unrestricted Elective) Year 3: Fall (15 credits) Year 3: Spring (15 credits) Psyc 211W, Research Methods 4 cr Psyc elective, upper-level (U) 4 cr Psyc Biological core class (U) 4 cr Psyc Developmental core class (U) 4 cr Language Requirement 4 cr Language Requirement 4 cr Elective (U) 3 cr Elective (U) 3 cr Year 4: Fall (16 credits) Year 4: Spring (14 credits) Psyc Cognition core class (U) 4 cr Psyc 409, History and Systems (U) 4 cr Psyc elective, upper level (U) 3 cr Minor course 4 (U) 3 cr Minor course 1 3 cr Minor course 5 (U) 3 cr Minor course 2 3 cr Minor course 6 (U) 4 cr Minor course 3 (U) 3 cr **notes: The Psychology major at MSU, Mankato requires that students also complete a minor; most minors are credits. This pathway allows for students to take two electives so that they can explore to choose their minor. Students who complete the BA at MSU, Mankato need to earn 8 credits of language competency. As written above, students who do not take a language as part of their AA-Psychology can still complete it at the university. Finally, students here need to take 40 upper-level (U: 300- or 400-level) credits across all their classes to graduate; If students haven t met the language requirement when they come with the AA-Psych, then the students electives would need to be upper level. This would be something that their advisor at the university should focus them on as soon as they transfer. In the scenario above, students could still earn 42 upper level credits.