UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM SELF-STUDY BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE/ BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY

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1 UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM SELF-STUDY BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE/ BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY Prepared by: The Undergraduate Program Committee Dr. Shannon Scott at February,

2 UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM SELF-STUDY Bachelor of Arts Degree/Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Program Overview and Mission 4 A. Psychology Mission Statement and Goals 4 B. Philosophy Mission Statement and Goals 5 II. Institutional Effectiveness Student Learning Outcomes 6 Table 1. Assessment Measures and Success Criteria 7 Table 2. Summary Data Table 8 Table 3. Disaggregated Assessment Category/Component Data Table 9 III. Curriculum and Programs of Study 11 A. Degree Requirements, Specializations 11 B. Alignment of courses with student learning outcomes for the program 14 Table 4. Alignment of Student Learning Outcome by Course 14 Table 5. Indirect Course Instruction of Relevant Materials/Skills by Student Learning Outcome 15 C. Curriculum 15 Table 6. Psychology Course Enrollments in the Past Five years by Delivery Mode 18 Table 7. Philosophy Course Enrollments in the Past Five years by Delivery Mode 19 Table 8. Descriptive Data of UP Majors, Semester Credit Hours and Faculty/Student Ratio 20 D. Connection to the discipline 21 Table 9. Goals Identified by APA for Undergraduate Psychology Majors 22 Table 10. Identification of Coursework Targeted to Each Goal Identified by APA 23 Table 11. Alignment of Course Student Learning Outcomes with 10 Goals Identified by APA 24 E. Mechanisms fostering active learning practices and strategies for engagement in learning activities; preparation of students to do active learning including research and online learning. 29 Table 12. Fall 2011 Evaluation of Courses by Types of Activities 30 F. Comparisons to similar external programs including curriculum comparison. 31 Table 13. Sample Comparison of Program Requirements 31 G. Summary analysis identifying strengths and suggesting possible actions to be taken to strengthen the program. 31 IV. Quality and Quantity of Students and Graduates 32 A. Quantity of Students 32 Table 14. Quantity of Students 32 B. Quality of Students 32 Table 15. Quality of Students 33 C. Departmental Interactions with Students 33 2

3 V. Faculty Resources and Productivity 34 A. Summary of Faculty 34 Table 16. Overall Departmental Faculty by Rank 34 Table 17. Undergraduate Faculty by Rank 34 B. Scholarship 34 C. Workload Data 35 D. Service: Involvement in Professional Organizations 35 E. Faculty Development Activities 38 F. Summary 38 VI. Departmental Resources 39 A. Staff support 39 B. Physical facilities 39 C. Library resources 39 D. Research facilities 39 E. Information technology 39 F. Program budget and its effective management 40 Table 18. Department Operating Expenses 41 G. External and internal grants and contracts awarded 41 Table 19. External Grants and Contracts Awarded 41 Table 20. Internal Grants and Contracts Awarded 42 H. Departmental scholarships and endowments 43 I. External agreements, advisory groups, and partnerships 43 J. Summary 43 VII. Summary of Analyses 43 VIII. Appendices Appendix A. List of Psychology Course Offerings 46 Appendix B. List of Philosophy Course Offerings 49 Appendix C. Psychology Undergraduate Course Rotation 51 Appendix D. Psychology Course Prerequisites 52 Appendix E. Publications from Appendix F. Faculty Review 59 Appendix G.Student Associations 59 Appendix H. Departmental Web Site 59 Appendix I. Undergraduate Application 60 Appendix J. Psychology Program Code of Professional Conduct 63 3

4 I. Program Overview and Mission The Undergraduate Psychology program (UPP) is situated within the Department of Psychology and Philosophy at Texas Woman s University. At the undergraduate level, the department offers the BA and BS degrees in Psychology, a minor in Psychology, a minor in Philosophy, and a split minor in Psychology and Philosophy. At the graduate level, the department offers the Specialist and Doctoral degrees in School Psychology and the Master s and Doctoral degrees in Counseling Psychology. The Doctoral and Specialist degrees in School Psychology are approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). The Doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association. There is not an accrediting body for undergraduate psychology programs. In addition to supporting over 400 majors, the UPP offers coursework that fulfills the humanities, social sciences, multicultural women s studies and global perspectives core requirements. In addition many other programs within the university require the completion of psychology and philosophy coursework as part of their major or as a pre-requisite to entry in their program, e.g. Nursing. A. Psychology Mission Statement and Goals The UPP is designed to empower and affirm undergraduate students through broad based training in the foundations of psychology. The program emphasizes the need to try to understand human behavior through critical thinking and scientific endeavors as well as the importance of practice that is informed by science. The program prepares students to pursue and complete graduate educational programs in several fields including psychology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, law and medicine. Therefore, students begin training that will prepare them to deliver health, educational and scientific services. The program is flexible enough to provide students the opportunity to take coursework that directly relates to their long term career goals. The program s philosophy, curriculum, faculty, and students attempt to create an atmosphere that is supportive, open, and flexible. Leadership skills are encouraged through coursework, involvement in professional organizations and program activities. In addition, the program provides training to undergraduate psychology students in the applied fields of psychology through Early Field and Cooperative Education. This training in turn provides services to many Metroplex social service agencies. The goals of the UPP are: 1. To enable students to develop a greater understanding of human behavior. 2. To prepare students to communicate effectively. 3. To educate students about the ethical guidelines within the field of psychology. 4. To enable students to participate in and conduct scientific investigations of behavior. Thus, the mission and goals of the UPP correspond with the University Mission Statement to empower students by inspiring intellectual curiosity and lifelong learning, embracing scholarship and research, developing leadership and personal responsibility, and promoting diversity and respect for all individuals as well as to educate students to succeed as they pursue careers, research or graduate study in the liberal arts, sciences, health, education and business professions (TWU web site, 2012). In addition, the mission and goals align with the College of Arts and Science s mission to prepare students with a broad knowledge and understanding of the world; an in-depth knowledge of their area of specialty; sophisticated intellectual, critical thinking, and practical skills; a strong sense of personal, ethical, and civic responsibility for making a difference in society; and the ability to apply their education to enrich every aspect of their lives (TWU General Catalog , p. 122). 4

5 As outlined by the College of Arts and Science s mission statement, the program provides opportunities for students to excel academically through the following mechanisms: Provides research opportunities for students through research teams, independent studies, class research projects and hosting the Psychology Symposium Provides optimum classroom and/or online distance learning through continued professional improvement and training of instructors Provides the opportunity to acquire professional work experience through our Early Field Experience in Psychology and Cooperative Education courses Assists in development of leadership skills through Psi Chi Prepares students for graduate education or direct entry into a career through specialized coursework and skills workshops. In addition to the Undergraduate Psychology Major, the department also offers a Philosophy minor which not only serves the broader university, but also plays a critical role in the Undergraduate Psychology Major. B. Philosophy Mission Statement and Goals The mission of the philosophy component at TWU is (a) to introduce students to the study of philosophy, in particular major figures and debates in the history of philosophy; (b) to contribute to the undergraduate colleges at TWU by means of core curriculum classes and a minor in philosophy and finally (c) to contribute to the education of undergraduate students in psychology. The mission of the philosophy component at TWU is largely service oriented; since there is no major in philosophy at TWU it does not serve itself but the psychology major and undergraduate education in general. TWU s General Catalog writes that for many students philosophy may be the basis for a liberal education or an area of intensive study before undertaking graduate work (TWU General Catalog , p. 274). And while this is true, philosophy is more central to the mission of TWU than those words suggest. The mission statement of TWU writes TWU educates students to succeed as they pursue careers, research or graduate study in the liberal arts, sciences, health education and business professions (TWU General Catalog , p. 9). Philosophy plays an important part in this mission insofar as it is widely considered as a sine qua non of a liberal arts education. Likewise, the mission statement of the College of Arts and Sciences says that it seeks to produce graduates with sophisticated intellectual, critical thinking and practical skills; a strong sense of personal, ethical and civic responsibility (TWU General Catalog , 121). Here again, philosophy is central. In philosophy classes students are introduced to the principles of logic, both formal and informal; their sense of ethical and civic responsibility is honed through dialogue with the works of Plato and Aristotle, Machiavelli and Kant, and so on. The importance of philosophy to the missions of the college and the university is reflected in the number of philosophy course that satisfy core curriculum requirements in the humanities. In fact, every philosophy course offered at TWU satisfies that requirement; individual philosophy courses satisfy global perspectives and multicultural women s studies requirements. Moreover, we offer a minor in philosophy, giving students across the college the opportunity to pursue the study of philosophy at a more intense level. 5

6 The philosophy component is a critical component of the UPP. All undergraduate psychology majors are required to complete PHIL 2033 Logic and Critical Thinking and a course in ethics, PHIL 3053 Ethics, PHIL 3073 Bioethics or PHIL 3083 Ethics and Feminism. All told, these three courses serve the psychology program by introducing methods and techniques of critical thinking, logical analysis, and moral reasoning. Moreover, the philosophy component gives the students a broader intellectual background than would be acquired without this study. In studying the theories of the soul (psyche) offered by Plato or Aristotle, they are able to gain insight into their own studies. This creates wellrounded students and psychologists. II. Institutional Effectiveness Student Learning Outcomes As the institutional effectiveness process changed throughout this review period, the information included in the current program review will focus on the time period. In alignment with the program s mission and goals, the student learning outcomes during this time period were that students would demonstrate competency in undergraduate psychology content, effective written and verbal communication skills, and an understanding and application of research skills. The assessment measures and criterion for success can be seen in Table 1. As seen in Tables 2 and 3, graduating students in showed improvement in obtaining student learning outcomes. Students not only scored at the target level on the overall scores, students showed improvement in disaggregated data. Two areas in which students have historically scored lower on the ACAT are the Social Psychology and Statistics subscales. While students scored within targeted ranges, the areas of social psychology and statistics continue to be an area needing focus. 6

7 Table 1. Assessment Measures and Success Criteria Student Learning Outcome Assessment Measures Criterion for Success Demonstrate competency in UP content (knowledge) Demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills (communication) Demonstrate an understanding and application of research skills (research) Standardized test ACAT Faculty-developed comprehensive test Psychology Program exit exam (PPEE) Course-embedded assessment in a capstone class PPEE Survey of students Course-embedded assessment in a capstone class Students will score within (or above) the national average on the ACAT Psychology exam with a score between 40 and 60. Students will pass the PPEE with a score of 75%. Score of at least 75% on research poster presentations in Experimental Psychology course or Tests and Measurement course. Score of at least 75% on PPEE In senior survey, 70% of students will report having participated in a research study, 25% will report having been a RA, and 25% will report having presented research at local, state, or national conferences, and/or be involved in the development of a manuscript. On research poster presentations in PSY 3354 and 3943 courses, students will receive a score of 75% or higher on research methodologies and application. 7

8 Table 2 Summary Data Table Student Learning Outcome 1 2 Assessment Measures (2 expected per outcome) Target Value Standardized test ACAT PPEE (Ethics) 93% 92% 91.4% 75% Course-embedded assessment in a capstone class 84.4% n/a n/a 75% PPEE 87% 85% 85.6% 75% 79.6% participation 77% participation 96.5% participation 70% participation 3 Survey of students 94.9% presentation and 8.5% Manuscript Preparation 94% presentation and 7% Manuscript Preparation 94% presentation and 3% Manuscript Preparation 25% presentation/ manuscript preparation Course-embedded assessment in a capstone class 25.4% research assistant 33% research assistant 37% research assistant 25% Research Assistant 84.5% n/a n/a 75% 8

9 Table 3. Disaggregated Assessment Category/Component Data Table Category/Component Data Target Value Assessment 1 Cumulative Score A. Abnormal (+-10) B. Clinical/Counseling (+-10) C. Developmental (+-10) D. Human learning/cognition (+-10) E. Statistics (+-10) F. Social (+-10) Assessment 2 Cumulative Score A. Research ethics 96% 95% 97.5% 75% B. Therapy ethics 83% 89% 85.2% 75% Assessment 3 Cumulative Score A. Written communication 85.3% n/a n/a 75% B. Oral communication 83.5% n/a n/a 75% Assessment 4 Cumulative Score A. Writing 87% 85% 85.6% 75% Assessment 5 Cumulative Score A. Participation in a research study 79.6% 77% 96.5% 70% B. Presentation of poster or paper at symposium 94.9% 94% 94% 20% C. Manuscript preparation 8.5% 7% 3% 5% D. Research Assistant 25.4% 33% 37% 25% E. Offered opportunity to serve as a research assistant 42.4% 46% 72.2% 50% Assessment 6 Cumulative Score A. Research methodology 84.5% n/a n/a 75% 9

10 Over the past five years, several steps have been made to improve performance in statistics and in social psychology. First, PSY 2033 Applied Statistics is now being taught within a computer classroom to increase students engagement in the material. Second, homework assignments have been developed for PSY 2033 to emphasize core concepts and skills in assignments. Third, beginning Fall 2011, all incoming students must take PSY 3354 Experimental Psychology. A core component of this course is data collection and analysis. This provides an additional opportunity for students to gain statistical knowledge. Also, beginning Fall 2010, students completing PSY 4103 must complete a research project providing another in-class opportunity to gain statistical knowledge. Therefore, the following steps have been taken to improve student outcomes in statistics: increasing student engagement, providing opportunities across multiple sections for students to gain knowledge regarding statistical concepts/ terms and developing more structured assignments. Social psychology has been a second area in which students have not scored consistently at or above national norms. The following steps have been taken to improve scores within social psychology: increased research team opportunities with social psychology as a major theme and increased coverage of social psychology (as an intersecting area of focus) in courses including developmental psychology, cognitive psychology and physiological psychology. One obstacle has been that students are not required to take social psychology in order to graduate. After much discussion and analysis, the UPP committee plans to add a faculty developed exam assessing sociocultural and international awareness to the assessment of this program student learning outcome. This will allow us to determine whether the deficit lies in specific knowledge of social psychology studies, which are predominantly assessed by the national exam currently used, or if the deficit lies in broader knowledge of the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity which is a key theme of social psychology. This additional assessment will allow us to determine the nature of the area of improvement so that appropriate changes can be made. As the university transitions from the institutional effectiveness to academic improvement process, the UPP is in the process of developing program student learning outcomes. The program has tentatively identified the following three program student learning outcomes: By the end of the program of study, students will be able to identify major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings and historical trends in psychology. Selected content areas of focus will include: abnormal psychology, clinical/counseling psychology, developmental psychology, human learning/cognition, social psychology. By the end of the program of study, all students will be able to demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills. By the end of the program of study, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of research skills. Over the next few months, we will finalize program student learning outcomes and identify the Projected Program SLOs Assessment Cycle. The UPP will target the first program learning outcome and thus will be identifying the measures to assess this outcome, criteria for success, program goals and a plan for assessment implementation coordination. 10

11 III. Curriculum and Programs of Study A. Degree Requirements, Specializations The director of the Undergraduate Psychology Program (UPP) and core undergraduate psychology program faculty, on an ongoing basis, evaluate the curricula and degree programs offered. This evaluation occurs in consultation with the Department chair and other appropriate parties, such as the University curriculum committee and the Vice President of Undergraduate Studies. Degree requirements, specializations, internships, and curricula modifications are developed, proposed, and implemented according to the guidelines and regulations of the University, College of Arts and Sciences, and the department. As recently as this past year, the undergraduate psychology program has undergone revisions with respect to course requirements. This process of continual evaluation, as evidenced by the recent revisions, ensures the quality of the curricula and degree programs offered by the TWU psychology program. Prior to Fall 2011, the UPP offered a BA/BS degree in psychology. Students could complete the B.A. or B.S. in Psychology following the general track, the B.S. in Psychology following the Occupational Therapy Track or the B.S. in Psychology following the Physical Therapy Track. For the General Track, TWU historically has offered students the choice of a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. A primary distinction between the former and the latter hinged on a requirement of foreign language and science, respectively. Given the increasing scientific emphasis within the discipline, and the fact that the majority of students opt for the B.S., effective fall 2011, the B.A. degree is no longer an option offered by the department. In addition, beginning Fall 2011, all psychology majors must complete PSY 3354 Experimental Psychology as opposed to having the option to complete PSY 3943 Tests and Measurements. 11

12 Another change implemented in Fall 2011 was the implementation of a pre-psychology status. Students interested in becoming psychology majors must now satisfy the requirements of the Pre- Psychology Track. This important modification mandates a specified set of courses be satisfactorily completed prior to applying for the major. The following is the information posted on the TWU UPP website: Beginning in the Fall of 2011 students wanting to enter the Psychology degree plan will have admission requirements that must be completed before becoming a Psychology major. These admission requirements are: Completion of 45 hours with a 2.5 cumulative GPA Completion of Introduction to General Psychology (PSY 1013), Developmental Psychology (PSY 1603), Professional Development in Psychology (PSY 2013) and Abnormal Psychology (PSY 2513) with a C or better, Psychology GPA of 2.5 or better, Completion of Elementary Analysis (MATH 1303) or higher, and Completion of the Psychology Major Application Process These changes have been made in order to ensure our standard of providing, broad based training in the foundations of psychology, via a well-rounded curricula for our students. These criteria and standards are also similar to the criteria and standards of other undergraduate programs in the state of Texas (cf., University of North Texas, UT-Dallas). Therefore, beginning Fall 2011, a pre-psychology major will complete the following psychology courses prior to applying to the psychology major: PSY Introduction to General Psychology, PSY Developmental Psychology, PSY Professional Development in Psychology, and PSY Abnormal Psychology. Once a student is admitted into the psychology major, the student will complete the following psychology and philosophy courses prior to earning a degree: PSY Applied Statistics PSY Behavior Therapy Laboratory/PSY Introduction to Behavior Therapy OR PSY Cognitive Psychology Laboratory/PSY Cognitive Psychology PSY Experimental Psychology PSY 3733.Psychology of Women PHIL Logic and Critical Thinking PHIL Ethics course: PHIL Ethics, PHIL Bioethics OR PHIL Ethics and Feminism 12

13 In addition, all students must take an additional 6 hours of psychology (any level course) and 12 hours from junior/senior level courses (please note that OT and PT track students must take PSY 4133 as one of these requirements): PSY Social Psychology PSY Adolescent Psychology PSY Positive Psychology PSY Psychological Tests and Measurements PSY Health Psychology PSY Forensic Psychology PSY History and Systems of Psychology PSY Physiological Psychology PSY Introduction to Counseling PSY Foundations of Family Psychology PSY Global Perspectives in Psychology PSY Early Field Experiences in Psychology PSY Independent Study PSY Cooperative Education in Psychology PSY Research Team *students may take either PSY 3163/3161 or 4103/4101 if they have completed the requirement listed above with the other laboratory course These degree requirements allow students to tailor their coursework to their specific career interests while still requiring a solid training in research, communication and knowledge. The General Track also allows for 26 hours of electives or minor hours so that students can further gain expertise in their areas of interest. Beyond the undergraduate degrees in psychology, a minor in psychology, a minor in philosophy and a split minor in psychology and philosophy, are options available to students. In order to successfully complete a minor in psychology, a student must successfully complete the two freshmen courses (introduction to psychology and developmental psychology), four additional psychology courses (three of which must be advanced level courses), and at least two of the advanced courses must be taken at TWU. In order to successfully complete a split minor in psychology and philosophy, a student must successfully complete the two freshmen courses (introduction to psychology and developmental psychology), two additional psychology courses (must be advanced level courses), and two additional philosophy courses (must be advanced level courses). One of the advanced psychology courses and one of the advanced philosophy courses must be taken at TWU. In order to successfully complete a minor in Philosophy, a student must successfully complete 18 hours of Philosophy, six hours of which must be advanced level courses. 13

14 B. Alignment of courses with student learning outcomes for the program As noted in Table 1, the student learning outcomes for the UPP align with the concepts of knowledge, communication, and research. As can be seen in Table 4, the majority of courses focus on increasing student s ability to demonstrate competency in undergraduate psychology content or knowledge. The other two program student learning outcomes are directly addressed (through explicit instruction of the relevant material/skills) in fewer courses as indicated by an X in that cell. However, many of the other courses help to develop competency in communication and research through the types of assignments that are assigned (see Table 5). For example, students write papers in many courses and in each of these courses, they are given feedback regarding APA writing style and general written communication. Also, psychology as a science is emphasized from our freshmen level on through both direct instruction of research methodology but also through participation in research studies or attendance of research symposiums as well as analysis of research literature in the relevant discipline such as journal article critiques in PSY 3161 Behavior Therapy Laboratory and PSY 4133 Physiological Psychology. Therefore, the program has attempted to both directly and indirectly address program student learning outcomes. Table 4. Alignment of Student Learning Outcome by Course Program Student Learning Outcome Course Knowledge Communication Research PSY Introduction to General Psychology X PSY Developmental Psychology X PSY Professional Development in Psychology x PSY Social Psychology X PSY Applied Statistics x x PSY Abnormal Psychology X PSY Adolescent Psychology X PSY Behavior Therapy Laboratory x PSY Introduction to Behavior Therapy X PSY Experimental Psychology x x PSY 3733.Psychology of Women X PSY Positive Psychology X PSY Psychological Tests and Measurements x PSY Health Psychology X PSY Forensic Psychology X PSY Cognitive Psychology Laboratory x PSY Cognitive Psychology x x x PSY History and Systems of Psychology x PSY Physiological Psychology x PSY Introduction to Counseling x PSY Foundations of Family Psychology x PSY Global Perspectives in Psychology x PSY Early Field Experiences in Psychology 14

15 Table 5. Indirect Course Instruction of Relevant Materials/Skills by Student Learning Outcome Program Student Learning Outcome Course Communication Research Participation in PSY Introduction to General Psychology Paper(s) research Participation in PSY Developmental Psychology Paper(s) research PSY Professional Development in Psychology direct Journal article PSY Social Psychology Paper(s) critiques PSY Applied Statistics Direct PSY Abnormal Psychology PSY Adolescent Psychology Oral Presentation PSY Behavior Therapy Laboratory Direct Literature analysis PSY Introduction to Behavior Therapy PSY Experimental Psychology Direct Direct PSY 3733.Psychology of Women Paper(s) PSY Positive Psychology Paper(s) PSY Psychological Tests and Measurements Paper(s) Direct PSY Health Psychology Paper(s) PSY Forensic Psychology Paper(s) PSY Cognitive Psychology Laboratory Direct PSY Cognitive Psychology Direct Direct PSY History and Systems of Psychology Paper(s) Paper(s)/Oral Journal article PSY Physiological Psychology Presentation critiques PSY Introduction to Counseling Paper(s) PSY Foundations of Family Psychology Paper(s) PSY Global Perspectives in Psychology Paper(s) PSY Early Field Experiences in Psychology Paper(s) C. Curriculum The undergraduate psychology curriculum offers a range of courses, from freshman (introductory, 1000 series) to advanced (3000 and 4000 series) level. As a department of psychology and philosophy, these include traditional psychology course requirements as well as courses that fulfill core and graduation requirements (see Appendix A and Appendix B). 15

16 The course offering lists presented in Appendix A and Appendix B reflect recent revisions which occurred in response to evaluating level of course offerings and number of course offerings. Specifically, prior to Fall of 2011, the psychology undergraduate program did not offer any sophomore level courses. In addition, several courses that were offered as junior level courses at TWU were traditionally offered as sophomore level courses at other universities and community colleges. Therefore, five courses (PSY 3013/2013 Professional Development in Psychology, PSY 3023/2023 Social Psychology, PSY 3033/2033 Applied Statistics, PSY 3513/2513 Abnormal Psychology, and PSY 3633/2633 Adolescent Psychology) were adjusted to be in alignment with other institutions and more accurately reflect the appropriate level of course. In addition to revisions of course levels, the psychology program added three advanced courses (PSY 3933 Positive Psychology, PSY 4013 Health Psychology, and PSY 4023 Forensic Psychology) which were approved in Fall These courses were added in response to student requests for more variety in advanced coursework. In addition, these courses bring diversity in the type of content students have access to allowing them to personalize their coursework to reflect their career goals. Finally, the addition of these courses begins to bring our course offerings more in line with other universities in the area. With the three additional courses, we are now offering 23 courses in comparison to 30 courses offered at the University of North Texas, 35 courses at Texas A & M, and 60 courses offered at the University of Texas at Arlington. The UPP does plan to propose additional courses to within the next two years in order to further decrease the disparity in our offerings. By offering these in a rotating sequence, this will not lead to increased cost but potentially can increase student satisfaction with course offerings and student ability to enroll in coursework tailored to their career goals. The current rotation schedule (currently being updated) can be found in Appendix C. Another change to the curriculum has been the enforcement of prerequisites. Established prerequisites ensure that each student has acquired a solid foundation to assist him or her through the natural progression of toward more advanced courses. Each prerequisite must be successfully completed with a grade of C or better, in order to register for a more advanced course which requires the prerequisite (see Appendix D). Completion of foundational courses as part of the Pre-Psychology status will also help students to complete the pre-requisites in a timely manner. The UPP has offered courses utilizing multiple modes of delivery for course content ranging from the traditional face-to-face (ftf) to distance (online) learning. In addition, the department has in the last few years included a hybrid (ftf and online) delivery mode for selected courses. The online course offerings are currently confined to the summer semesters and a small number of courses are offered through a hybrid delivery mode in longer semesters. One challenge to these models has been to accommodate the number of students wishing to take the course and faculty/instructor resources. As can be seen in the enrollment numbers in PSY 1013 Introduction to General Psychology during the academic year (see Table 6), offering fewer ftf and a large hybrid course actually led to a reduction in overall student enrollment (738 total students in compared to 582 total students in ). Therefore, the UPP has continued to offer the hybrid course but also had to offer additional sections of ftf courses. During the upcoming Fall 2012 semester, all courses will be ftf courses as we evaluate the cost effectiveness and student learning of the hybrid format. 16

17 Examination of Table 6 and Table 7 reveal the rapid increase in enrollment in many of the undergraduate psychology and philosophy courses. Analysis of the undergraduate psychology program (see Table 8) over the past ten years reveals that semester credit hour production has increased by 120% from (5,106 SCH) to (11,233 SCH). While some of this growth is due to growth in the university at large, the number of psychology majors have increased by 171% from (n = 196) to (n = 532). In addition, the graduate level psychology programs have also grown in semester credit hours across this time span by 10%. Examination of psychology courses required prior to entry into the psychology program each show substantial growth in the past five years (see Table 6). Although these numbers do not include the summer offerings this year (meaning that all of these percentages will increase), PSY 1013 Introduction to General Psychology enrollment has increased by 43%, PSY 1603 Developmental Psychology enrollment has increased by 19%, PSY 2013 Professional Development in Psychology enrollment has increased by 6%, and PSY 2513 Abnormal Psychology enrollment has increased by 53%. As is evident by analysis of Table 7, one major change to the philosophy program has been reduction in the number of courses offered. Analyses of semester credit hour production for Philosophy reveals an increase of 90% from (1,194 SCH) to (2,274 SCH). These substantial increases with corresponding decreases in funding of the part time faculty budget is a serious area of concern that impacts not only the UPP but also accreditation issues related to the department s graduate programs. 17

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20 Table 8. Descriptive Data of UP Majors, Semester Credit Hours and Faculty/Student Ratio UG Enrollment (Fall) White African-American Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander Amer Ind/Alaskan Native International Other Average Age of Students 24 yrs 25 yrs 25 yrs 25 yrs 25 yrs 24 yrs 24 yrs 24 yrs 24 yrs 25 yrs Current Admit Status (Fall) FTIC Freshmen New UG Transfers Avg Hours Transferred 48 hrs 52 hrs 62 hrs 51 hrs 59 hrs 58 hrs 55 hrs 53 hrs 51 hrs 58 hrs Retention/Graduation FTIC 1-yr Retention Rate 38% 59% 68% 45% 67% 38% 39% 52% 69% 50% FTIC 6-yr Grad. Rate % 27% 14% 13% 13% 38% 17% 25% UGTransfers 4-yr Grad Rate 31% 43% 59% 30% 53% 65% 65% 44% 54% 43% Degrees Conferred Baccalaureate Average Time to Degree (yrs) yrs 3.0 yrs 3.3 yrs 3.2 yrs 3.3 yrs 3.1 yrs 3.3 yrs - Average Total Credit Hours hrs 131 hrs 135 hrs 132 hrs 137 hrs 131 hrs 134 hrs - Average GPA for graduates UG SCH by PSY Prefix UGL SCH (AY) 2,158 2,640 3,492 3,825 3,519 4,422 4,077 4,236 4,383 4,809 UGU SCH (AY) 2,948 2,955 3,594 4,130 4,348 4,764 4,739 5,338 5,800 6,424 Student / Faculty Ratio (Fall) 18/1 17/1 20/1 21/1 21/1 21/1 23/1 21/1 24/1 29/1 Faculty FTE (Fall) Student FTE (AY) Graduate SCH by PSY Prefix Masters 1,125 1,903 1,586 1,435 1,420 1,293 1,142 1,128 1,310 Doctoral 1,496 1,328 1,264 1,259 1,219 1,382 1,432 1,377 1,569 Total SCH by PSY Prefix 9,377 11,784 12,311 12,100 13,583 13,447 14,080 14,785 16,386 Total SCH by PHIL Prefix 1,194 1,467 1,506 1,542 1,761 1,959 1,935 2,097 2,274 Total Faculty (Fall) Professor Assoc. Professor Asst. Professor Lecturer/Other Adjunct Faculty Teaching Assistant Faculty Information White African-American Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander International Part-time Faculty Full-time Faculty UG Student FTE is based upon 12 SCH. 2 Faculty and Faculty FTE data include both undergraduate and graduate level for all programs. 20