DEPARTMENTAL PLAN & REVIEW FALL 2011 Departments: Addictionology and Psychology Department Head: Garth Shanklin Fundamentals: Department Mission Statement: The Casper College department of Addictionology and Psychology develop and maintain student-focused courses and programs responsive to the learning needs of its diverse student service population.. Department Goals: (1) The department of Addictionology and Psychology will continue the development and offering of appropriate courses and topics reflecting evidence based, classic, current, and topical information. (2) The department of Addictionology and Psychology will continue the provision of advisement and career guidance to students. (3) The department of Addictionology and Psychology will continue the provision of learning opportunities appropriate to entry level careers or transfer. (4) The department seeks to meet continued demand in the distance education delivery format and to provide distance education degrees. (5)To provide Addictionology and Psychology courses that satisfy program requirements for a wide range of degree programs at Casper College. (6)To provide Addictionology and Psychology courses that satisfy program requirements for a wide range of degree programs at Casper College. (7) To maintain or increase the number of students and majors served (FTE). (8)To provide undergraduate behavioral science courses for the Casper community. (9) A departmental aspiration will be to reduce class limits to 35 or fewer students per class to enhance the teaching/ learning environment. (10) The faculty within the department of Addictionology and Psychology desire classroom and office settings equipped with current technology in order to offer coordinated high quality instruction. (11) Professional development and continuing education of the faculty needs continued administrative budgetary support. (12) Mount degree and certificate programs in Human Services that are approved by the Wyoming Community College Commission. (13)Meet the national standards of the Council for Standards in Human Services Education and seek membership (14) Mount a degree and certificate program in Gero-Psychology.
(15) Mount a certificate program in Cognitive Retraining (16) Obtain authorization, recruit, and hire two additional full-time faculty to meet these goals. (17) Further update websites to include Addicitionology. (18) Conduct an outcomes research project on Addictionology graduates to capture data regarding students who complete the degree that take the NCC Level I, II or MAC exam and the pass/fail rate. (19) Obtain National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) "Approved Academic Provider approval. It could allow our Addictionology Students to test at the level I or level II their last semester of courses and we would also get a report from the testing corporation on how the students performed in each area of testing. http://www.caspercollege.edu/psychology/index.html Departmental Strengths: 1. Strength of Faculty (credentials, leadership, publications, and commitment to teaching excellence): Educational level and proficiencies, to include state and national licensures, of the faculty. Memberships and licensure of faculty in state and national professional organizations, as well as their visibility in community service related to the fields of Addictionology and Psychology and helping professions. Continuing education and professional development efforts on part of the faculty. Exactness of advisement by CC Addictionology and Psychology faculty. Instructional strategies grounded in knowledge with contemporary teaching approaches. Biennial articulation of Casper College Addictionology and Psychology faculty with the University of Wyoming and other Wyoming community college psychology faculties. Seamless transfer of coursework to baccalaureate degrees at major universities and colleges Diversity of course offerings in psychology at the community college level. Matriculation of PSYC 1000 students into 2000 level courses in psychology and related fields. Retention of students in the 2000 level Addictionology and Psychology courses. Pursuit of graduate degrees in Addictionology and Psychology or related fields by CC psychology alumni. Budget support by the CC administration. Departmental faculty are well recognized and awarded as excellent teachers, leaders and contributors to the campus and community. Departmental faculty have served in many local, state, regional and some national leadership roles in their professions.
2. Large FTE and inclining FTE growth: The department is the among highest FTE producing departments on campus. Its individual faculty are among the highest FTE producers on campus. The number of FTE generated by the departments of Addictionology and Psychology (three full-time, one full-time split with the education departments, and several adjunct faculty) has averaged almost 400 FTE per year for the past five years and we were at 255 FTE for Fall semester 2010. This FTE production is only exceeded by the individual departments of English and Mathematics with many more full time faculty. We graduated over twenty Addictionology majors this year. With the addition of additional programs, an even greater growth in students and majors is projected. We currently offer 75 or more sections of coursework in a year. Additional full time faculty positions are required. 2. Diverse course offerings (morning, afternoon, evening, weekends and online). 3. Degree and Certificate Requirements have been recently reviewed and are current. Ongoing curriculum planning and course development is taking place (e.g., PSYC 1000 was changed to a 3 credit class, adding certificate program in Cognitive Retraining, Degree programs in Human Services and Gero-Psychology). Departmental Challenges: 1. Addictionology and Psychology are growing and the departments need to grow with the field. Half of our current faculty are nearing retirement age. This means additional full-time faculty members in the near future would be instrumental to meeting demand for classes on campus and online 2. We have a distinct need for two additional full-time faculty positions to teach and support projected degree programs, counter overloading, maintain teaching excellence and to supplement adjunct faculty. 3. Introductory classes are large thus affecting retention rates. 4. There is a need for additional budget monies for attendance at trainings and conferences. Teaching Philosophy and Pedagogy: The mission of our teaching is the empowerment of students as individuals, learners, and as participants in their educational experience. Teaching Addictionology and Psychology course material is one part of the teaching experience. Providing tools for future learning is also essential to the role of the instructor. Learning occurs when students receive effective instruction. Our Addictionology and Psychology faculty are active in the disciplines that inform our work while enhancing our teaching effectiveness. We promote our discipline with a sense of genuineness, humor, and approachability, allowing students to form their own judgments as they progress through their academic journey and beyond. Through flexibility and accommodation along with high expectations, we have great potential for influencing positive social outcomes for our students while promoting socially responsible objectives.
Distance Education Philosophy: The departments of Addictionology and Psychology distance education philosophy is to deliver online distance education courses as needed to meet student demand and as available for load of the current faculty within the departments. The departments of Addictionology and Psychology continues to offer basic Addictionology and Psychology courses required to support the associates and bachelor degree in Addictionology and Psychology in a distance education format. The departments are expanding its distance education offerings for the academic year of 2011/12. The departments request additional full time positions, in part, to assist in the offering of distance education courses. Dual Enrollment Philosophy: The department welcomes high-school students to enroll in classes on the Casper College campus and treats them like all other Casper College student. The departments have not been approached by the Natrona County School district to offer concurrent departments courses at the high schools taught by high-school faculty. If approached the departments would entertain the idea. For PSYC 1000, we would expect that any instructor would have minimally a graduate degree with an undergraduate major in the discipline of psychology from a regionally accredited college or university or a graduate degree in a related field with a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in from a regionally accredited college or university. The departments would further expect that high-school faculty would teach courses at a college level and in accordance with the American Psychological Association s National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula dated August, 2005. For other Addictionology and Psychology courses, the department would expect that any instructor would have a graduate degree in the discipline or in a closely related area appropriate to the subject and course being taught and in awareness of HLC recommendations. Distinction: Articulation agreements (if any): 1. Memorandum of agreement between The University of Wyoming College of Arts and Sciences, the Casper College Department of Psychology, the University of Wyoming /Casper College, and the University of Wyoming Outreach School dated September 22, 2006. Section 8(a-c) Commitments of Casper College and the Casper College Department of psychology to the UW/CC B.S. Psychology Degree Program: a. Casper College departments of psychology will be responsible for ensuring an appropriate rotation and scheduling of lower division courses necessary for the psychology degree. b. Casper College will be responsible for approving all lower division instructors and courses for the Psychology Degree Program offered through UW/CC. c. Casper College department of psychology, in cooperation with UW and UW/CC advisors, will advise lower division students pursuing the Psychology Degree Program offered through UW/CC. 2. Casper College Department of Addictionology and Psychology faculty participate in a statewide psychology articulation conference held at UW-Laramie every one to two years. 3.. Casper College Department of Addictionology and Psychology faculty are approved by the UW Departments of Psychology to teach UW/CC upper division level courses when the individual faculty member has also successfully completed such a course.
4. Articulation meetings with the Addictionology and Psychology faculty at Natrona County High Schools are intended for Fall 2012. 5. Articulation meetings with statewide college Human Services faculty are to be hosted by this department SP12. Special events or activities: STARS Hosting guest speakers Psychology Students have presented at the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association and American Psychological Association this year. Research activities are ongoing and 10 students are currently working on projects that will be submitted for presentation at the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association and American Psychological Association. The psychology research project has been submitted for a Bellwether Award and a NCIA National Award. Third party comments, including specialized accreditation: Personnel: Departmental faculty members, full-time: Ruth Doyle (60% Psychology/40% Education) Shawn Powell (currently serving as a non-teaching interim dean) Diana Quealy- Berge Garth Shanklin Mark Holland (one year supply replacing Shawn Powell) Departmental faculty members, adjunct: George Conner Keith Cross K.Verline Davis Julie Laib Tabitha Madrigal India Swearingen Joanne Theobald Lesley Travers Teresa Wallace David Willard Georgann Willis Departmental advisory committee members (if applicable): None Operations: Program assessment plan(s) on file? YES Enrollment trends: Large and inclining FTE growth
Departmental equipment and facilities: The faculty within the department of Addictionology and Psychology desire classroom and office settings equipped with current technology in order to offer coordinated high quality instruction. Budgetary Considerations: We have a distinct need for two additional full-time faculty positions to teach and support projected degree programs, counter overloading, supplement adjunct faculty, and to maintain teaching excellence. Obtaining National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) "Approved Academic Provider approval requires a $600.00 fee.