Specific Majors/Degrees Granted: Masters of Arts Human Resources Training and Development

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1 Program Review Committee Report Police Graduate Studies Program Specific Majors/Degrees Granted: Masters of Arts Human Resources Training and Development Overview/History I. Goals and Objectives (Are there goals and objectives; are they clearly stated? The mission of SHU and the School of Arts and Sciences as indicated in the submitted document and noted by the internal and external reviewer s reports support the general alignment with the University Mission and Strategic Plan. They include: developing competent, socially conscious, reflective professionals and forging collaborative relationships and cooperative efforts with schools, agencies, and institutions so that its efforts remain linked to the world of practice and research, and meet the needs of communities. However, the programmatic mission is not clearly defined by itself. The Goals and Objectives, as written, have been newly developed as a result of the program review process and include the creation of full time faculty lines, expanded site offerings and on line programs for Federal agencies and other colleges, as well as improving tracking of alumni s promotion and employment changes. The program has begun to focus on measureable outcomes in a limited manner, such as monitoring rates of retention, graduation, employment and other measures. However, specific measureable outcomes or benchmarks related to expected numbers, frequency of assessment, method of intervention would further guide their direction. II. Curriculum (Is the curriculum aligned with the goals and objectives?) The Master of Arts in Human Resources Training and Development is designed as a twoyear program, with a largely off-campus focus with locations throughout New Jersey, which supports its audience of members of the law enforcement profession. The program provides students with the necessary skills and tools to analyze complex public sector challenges and manage the day-to-day operations of a public agency at any level of government. Courses enable students to receive instruction and participate in structured exercises focusing on the practical application of leadership and management theories, design and implementation of organizational performance improvement strategies, with a strong emphasis on training and development in an adult learning environment Three areas of concentration, performance analysis, instruction and curriculum design, as well as leadership electives are available. Additionally, students complete a six-credit residency requirement, HRTD 8891 Directed Research and HRTD 7100 Selected Topics at Seton Hall University s Walsh Library and Jubilee Hall s computer lab. The traditional off-campus curriculum is a mirror image of the online program and courses are only differentiated by the mode of delivery. Electives have been narrowed to further align the course sequence with the learning outcomes of the program and presently include five courses. In 2011, the College of Education and Human Services entered into memoranda of understanding with both Caldwell and Berkeley Colleges undergraduate criminal justice degree graduates and in April of 2012, it became an educational partner with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

2 The program notes that they have succeeded in their goals of expansion, on-line delivery and curriculum modification to meet its changing landscape; they note that their assessment of comparable institutions is limited and alignment of their curriculum in terms of specific, measurable goals and objectives is hampered by their more global mission-centered criteria. It is evident that a more thorough assessment of similar programs curricula, which exceeds the two programs reviewed, namely St. Peter s University and Fairleigh Dickenson University would provide valuable information. III. Faculty (Is the faculty as it exists able to support the goals and objectives?) The department faculty members are responsible for approving all curriculum issues related to this program and any other within its purview. The program enjoys a stable faculty with a minimum of ten years teaching experience. In terms of teaching assignments, they indicate in their report that they have one or two full time faculty in the police graduate studies program per semester. The program faculty includes twenty-five adjuncts with specialized knowledge and training in the field of law enforcement leadership management and policy, and the thirteen faculty listed all have either a Ed.D or Ph.D from a wide array of Universities. The faculty of the department meet all of the diversity goals of the university and are representative of the student body.. The faculty in the Department of Education Leadership, Management and Policy has significant teaching load, student advisement, and doctoral dissertation mentoring. Few full time faculty routinely instruct in the program, however, their scholarship provides a theoretical base and is supported by adjunct professors who are practitioner experts in the law enforcement field. This program is unique to other models within the department, because courses are primarily off-campus. The full time faculty has overall academic oversight of the program; however, they have little direct impact on the day to day operation of the program. This unique delivery model makes it challenging for the all faculty to teach and interact with the students. V. Students (How does the program attempt to meet the needs of students and verify its success?) The students admitted to this graduate program derive from many parts of the criminal justice system with a broad range of experiences from many different agencies, varying in size and jurisdiction, and were selected from 130 applications, primarily adult learners. Many students approach this graduate program with dual goals of advancing in their respective agencies, as well as developing knowledge and skills for second careers. Most students are eligible for retirement after 20 or 25 years of service. Clear admission criteria and an admission rubric permit enhanced student selection. The department chair and program director continue to assess the complement of faculty and monitor class size. Some of the off-campus locations are limited in classroom space, thereby limiting the number of course sections offered. Off-campus sites use a site coordinator, selected from the adjunct faculty, to advise students at semester registration and assist with all administrative matters. Site coordinators also have supervisory authority for all administrative operations. This program graduates approximately 130 students each year with stability over the past ten years and student retention remains at approximately 95

3 percent. This figure does not however take into account many students who return to the program after a brief absence. The Graduate Exit Survey for 2012 and graduate interviews demonstrated a high level of satisfaction for all aspects of the program, with results in the 4.0 to 5.0 range on a 5.0 point Likert Scale. Graduates were asked to rate their course experience in a number of areas which include: management and leadership, developing an appreciation of the importance of lifelong learning, preparing graduates to be better managers in their organization, understanding the importance of collaborating with families and communities in the decision-making process, addressing issues in an ethical and fair manner. Graduates were queried on the Programs level of staff assistance, program faculty, and academic advisement. The Graduate Exit Survey quantifies the areas of concern that the program administration need to address and followed through on an enrollment concern. The program benefits from an extensive data base of survey information which is being applied to improve the program and support the needs of the agencies which is services educationally. These agencies include: the New Jersey State Police, Port Authority of NY & NJ Police, New Jersey Transit Police, United States Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Agency, New York City Police, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as numerous municipal agencies. The program director has established a process to work with University Advancement to identify program graduates from the past 20 years. IV. Assessment (Is there an assessment process, and are the results regularly communicated back to the faculty and community?) The program has an assessment system consisting of the following five major areas: course learning objectives and grading rubric included in syllabi, Graduate Course Evaluations, Graduate Exit Surveys, and Capstone practicum. The program has begun to use data from these assessments for regular review and continuous improvement. This is the first year all components have been implemented and there are indications that a rigorous assessment process will evolve into the Program s culture. All course syllabi are consistent in required academic text, learning objectives and outcome assessment and grading rubric across all platforms. The syllabi were developed using the Quality Matters Process, a process used by many leading Universities. Quality Matters is a faculty centered, peer reviewed process of course development. This process was designed to enhance academic quality while implementing research supported, best practice based quality standards and evaluation tools and procedures. The Program annually convenes both full time and adjunct faculty to review all aspects of the curricula, missions and areas of concern. A focus is consistency between all locations and on line coursework, a mainstay of their program. All information is freely discussed and exchanged. Students participate in the College of Education s Graduate Course Evaluation System. A report is generated for each course and is shared with the faculty member highlighting the evaluations strong and weak areas of concern. As discussed under Students, a Graduate Exit Survey that addresses areas that include Vision, Culture, Management, Community Relations, Ethics, Real World Importance, University Assistance, and Summary Perceptions. This assessment permitted discovery of a perceived issue related to the bursar s office handling of third party billing and with

4 enrollment services involving veteran s affairs. A flaw in the survey instrument revealed students erroneously reported problems with financial aid when, in fact, they lay with veteran affairs. This discovery necessitated clarification of the actual survey items. In academic year , the program invested in running their individual course syllabi through the Quality Matters Rubric certification process as recommended by the Learning Technology Center. Results have guided changes in course goals, and outcomes. The program enjoys a positive balance sheet, with increasing revenues of 15% compared with a 6% expense increase for the current academic year. The program is extremely cost effective, demonstrated by the credit hour generation and revenue production. The program boasts measureable alumni success as of the 130 graduates this year, 51 continued their education by entering the Education Specialist degree program, and since the program s inception 18 have earned a doctoral degree from Seton Hall University and presently 14 graduates are accepted and at various stages in doctoral programs in the College of Education and Human Services. Unfortunately, the university has done little to maintain contact with graduates, limiting information about advanced education at other universities. The program administration is working with enrollment services and alumni relations to track graduates. Anecdotal information indicates that there is a strong positive correlation between students who have graduated from the program and promotion in their organization. Furthermore, there is a strong positive correlation between graduation from this program and ability to obtain post career management level positions in organizations, including academia, as stated in the report. Students are encouraged to network among peers and the adjunct teaching staff, at annual student lectures and meetings, and through technology, only available in recent years. As a result, of this program review, a study plan is being developed to ascertain this information for the forthcoming program review cycle. VI. Program Support (Is there sufficient support for the program to meet its goals and objectives?) Since this program is delivered off-campus over a large geographical area, the use of campus resources is limited. For this reason, the administrative staff places a strong emphasis on student services. The program office facilitates all student administrative matters directly and acts on the student s behalf in interaction with other administrative departments. Since the university reduced the number of on-campus computer labs, scheduling these facilities for a large number of students requires extensive support from Information Technologies for labs and lap-top cart resources. This initiative on weekends requires not just hardware and software resources, but staff support as well. The off-campus sites are overseen by employees who act as site coordinators for administrative-related matters. Additionally, the program director and staff instruct regularly and visit the sites throughout the year. The program is staffed by a program director, a part-time on-line program director and a full-time secretary and four site coordinators. There are no graduates assistants or federally funded work students. The program receives sufficient monetary support from the department and college budget. The program does not coordinate with other programs within the department or college. The marketing budget, allocated partially from University Advancement, is inadequate and impairs the ability to recruit nationally. The program is staffed by a program director who has overall responsibility for the administrative aspects of

5 the program and collaborates with the department chair on all academic matters of the program. The program is supported by an adequate operations budget through the College of Education and Human Services. To further support teaching, scholarship, and service, the university may consider additional faculty lines. VII. Problems and Proposed Solutions (Including Time-Frame) During the course of the Self-Study and Program Review, many program strengths and weaknesses were observed. These observations led to administrative and academic improvements, which further enhanced the overall quality of the program. Although this program generates significant revenue, the budget for the program remains fixed. The following are a sampling of the major issues and solutions: Through an analysis of the mission, goals and objectives of the program, some alignment in the curriculum took place. The review and revision of the syllabi was completed and measured against the University mission and strategic plan. One significant change to the syllabi was the inclusion of information for the student as required in the Quality Matters Rubrics. This included, for example, an adequate understanding of course objectives, requirements, outcome assessments, and basis for grading. The required textbooks and supplemental readings were studied in each course to ensure that there is an alignment of learning objectives with outcome assessments that clearly demonstrate graduate level work and address the goals and objectives of the university and program s curriculum. This improvement required no new resources. As noted in the Introduction, the university has a legitimate concern that students are exposed to the quality education based on Christian values. In an effort to accomplish this, the course EDST 7310 Ethical Foundations in the Helping Professions ensures that students understand the Catholic Christian tenets of moral theology and the contribution of the Catholic educational heritage. Additionally, the program review team studied the courses, and readings were included that expose the student to the Catholic intellectual tradition. Today, the program director and several adjunct professors are members of the priest community. The self-study and program review led to the enhancement of the admissions process. These enhancements include the use of the College of Education and Human Services Rubric for Admission Statement and Structured Interviews Assessment. These enhancements commenced at the start of the most recent admission cycle. The program would be enhanced by recruiting at least two full-time faculty appointments to strengthen the academic quality of the program. This requires the allocation of significant financial resources from the university. Conclusion: This program has many areas of strength, which include: Good alignment with University Mission and strategic plan, although their specific program mission, and goals/objectives could be more clearly defined and measurable. A successful and well established program with a good reputation, vigorous, rigorous, academic excellence and an obvious market demand.

6 Increased enrolment despite loss of tuition reimbursement and poor economy Provides a low-cost revenue stream for the University with minimal use of campus resources (rooms, parking) Documented high student satisfaction using a tested research instrument Embracing assessment as a vehicle to find and fix problems or issues Strong and dedicated program leadership and instructors. Expanding partnerships with leading local and national criminal justice programs Weaknesses: Heavy reliance on adjuncts, few full-time faculty or administrative support Limited opportunity for face-to-face contact and/or visits to campus for this predominantly on-line program.. Recommendation: 1. This application provided strong support for consideration of the addition of additional full-time faculty, which may reduce some reliance on adjuncts, and support centralized research. 2. Consider additional administrative support which may permit additional marketing and student recruitment. Approval Status Senate Reporting/Recommendations/Dates Presented ADDENDUM: Outcome of Senate Reporting Respectfully submitted, Ellen Mandel Program Review Chairperson