SOC/ANTH. ASSESSMENT REPORT, JANUARY 2009

REPORT SUBMITTED BY ERNIE OLSON, CHAIR

 

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

First of all, I will stress that this report is a report on a rather fluid, dynamic situation for the Soc./Anth. Major. We will continue to make significant chances in the next few years.

 

FLUX IN THE MAJOR

The dynamic nature of our major is illustrated by the recent and continued changes to our faculty. Last year, our faculty included three visiting adjuncts teaching a wide range of required and elective courses in the sociology major. This year, that number is down to one visiting adjunct faculty member and one new tenure track faculty member. In addition, Laura McClusky will be on sabbatical leave Spring Semester 2009 and Fall Semester, 2009. I have requested sabbatical leave for Spring Semester 2010. We will have a visiting faculty member in a two year visiting position beginning in the Fall Semester of 2009. 

 

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS AND ASSESSMENT OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS

Clearly, we will need to have inclusive discussion, as a major, of our assessment plan despite all of the flux of faculty appointments and responsibilities. Of critical importance, we need further discussion of building assessment into our introductory course, our method and theory courses, and our thesis requirements. Introductory sociology courses and assessment is a particular challenge because we will continue to have new faculty members teach these courses.

 

            I am in the middle of creating a rubric for Anth. 161: Introduction to Anthropology, Anth 350: Cultures and Religions of Hawaii, and (for this spring) Anth 260) that assesses student success within the framework of our mission statement of goals. As Dan Renfrow enters into his second semester at Wells, we will work toward creating a rubric for assessment for the sociology courses that are his responsibility.

 

 

ASSESSING THE SENIOR EXPERIENCE

We HAVE started the assessment of our senior thesis experience (see attached rubric we used for the first time this fall semester of 2008). This rubric was developed by Laura McClusky and this spring semester of 20009 Dan Renfrow and I will meet to undertake an initial evaluation of its success as a tool of assessment.  One primary goal is better prepare our students for the senior thesis process, and we are currently discussing a spring semester pre-senior seminar requirement to ensure that students are really ready to write the thesis the following fall semester. That is, our plan is to have students better prepared to write a thesis that matches our standards for senior capstone work.  However, our sabbatical leaves will prevent a FULL discussion of this for the next year.

 

 

THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAM

We have revised the senior comprehensive significantly in the past couple of years and this revision is likely to continue as we work to better assess our seniors at the end of their time at Wells. Certainly, the ongoing changes to the curriculum necessitates a continual examination of the exam content. Critical thinking, research skills, and the ability to apply theory will continue to constitute the core of the exam. 

 

PORTFOLIOS AND ASSESSMENT
In terms of our long-term goals, we haven't started sophomore portfolios yet and we have some distance to go before that is in place. We WILL continue to have discussion this spring semester in regard to what this would look like.

 

COURSES AND OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Again, in reflection of our existing assessment plan, we also haven't made social inequality a requirement yet; we’ve had some preliminary discussion of making this a requirement for all soc/anthropology majors but we have some distance to go to make this a reality.  We still need discussion on what it would look like as a requirement; for example, we might put create a different class in its place that blends sociology and anthropology.

SOCIOLOGY: Dan will no doubt add a number of new sociology courses in the next couple of years. Our visiting sociology faculty member will offer a number of topics courses in the next two years.

 

ANTHROPOLOGY:  I am hoping to propose to the major (I’ve had preliminary discussion with other members in the major, primarily Laura McClusky) some additional electives. In particular, we are looking to include Prof. Gagnon’s course on Cognition and Culture, Sarah Malena’s course on sacred sites and her course on Biblical archaeology, and William Ganis’ course on museum studies. Less concrete, I would like to see the inclusion of a history course that emphasizes themes of colonialism and historiography AND the inclusion of a basic linguistics course or a language and culture course. All of these courses are all likely and perhaps necessary additions that would greatly improve our capacity to meet our mission statement and give our students a much better preparation for careers in anthropology and related social sciences.  Of course, all of these additions will necessitate ongoing discussions with these faculty members in regard to fit with the anthropology concentration.

 

            Included below for easy reference is our current draft of an assessment plan for the major.

 

Sincerely,

Ernie Olson, Chair

Sociology/Anthropology

 

 

SOCIOLOGY/ANTHROPOLOGY ASSESSMENT PLAN (DRAFT)  9/07

A. The Sociology/Anthropology Mission Statement:

            Majoring in Sociology and Anthropology at Wells prepares students to understand how they both perpetuate and change social conditions around them and introduces them to the many paths toward social justice, including sustainability. Sociology/Anthropology students develop an awareness and understanding of national and global inequalities based on race, class, gender, age, sexuality, religion, nationality and the effects of colonialism past and present. Our students develop an appreciation for life-ways different from the normative American middle-class.

            As scholars, Sociology and Anthropology students recognize and discuss enduring and timely issues using classic and contemporary frameworks from both disciplines. They are also familiar with, and are able to critique various research methods and methodologies. Furthermore, they are able to discuss the ethics of doing research and to understand the responsibilities of a social scientist.

 

           

B. Program Goals:

            Our program goals are fourfold: to develop informed critical scholars who can communicate in the language of sociology and anthropology, to introduce students to timely and enduring issues in sociology and anthropology, to open students’ eyes to structural injustices as well as develop an appreciation for diverse life ways, and to allow students the opportunity to think about creating a more just, equitable and sustainable society. 

 

 

C. Learning Objectives:

            Our program focuses on several learning objectives that are based on our Program Goals.

 

            Program Goal 1: to develop informed critical scholars who can communicate in the language of sociology and anthropology

                       

                        Learning Objective 1: Students will be able to engage in professional discourse both verbally and through writing.

 

                        Learning Objective 2: Students will be aware of and be able to use theoretical frameworks to examine enduring and timely social issues.               

                        Learning Objective 3: Students will be able to conduct a research project and critique research methods and methodologies.

 

                        Learning Objective 4: Students will be able to synthesize information.

 

            Program Goal 2: to introduce students to timely and enduring issues in sociology             and anthropology

                        Learning Objective 5: Students will be aware of enduring and timely social issues in Sociology and Anthropology. 

 

                        Learning Objective 6: Students will be able to exercise their “sociological imagination.” 

 

                        Learning Objective 7: Student will be able to exercise the “anthropological perspective.”

 

            Program Goal 3: to open students’ eyes to structural injustices and develop an appreciation for diverse life ways

 

                        Learning Objective 8: Students will understand social systems and systems of meaning that perpetuate social inequalities.

 

                        Learning Objective 9: Student will develop an appreciation for diverse life ways.

 

            Program Goal 4: to allow students the opportunity to think about creating a more just, equitable and sustainable society. 

 

                        Learning Objective 10: Students will be able to articulate the need for social justice and suggest paths to improve social inequalities 

 

                       

D. Measurable Learning Outcomes: The above Learning Objectives can be measured in the following ways.

           

                        Learning Objective 1: Students will be able to engage in professional discourse both verbally and through writing.

                                    - lead and participate in class discussions

                                    - write a research paper using ASA or AAA format

                                    - present information, summaries of readings and data

                                    - some students will have the opportunity to present their thesis research to the campus-wide community

                                    - some students will have the opportunity to present research at NYSSA, NEAA, NCUR, ESS, AAA

 

                        Learning Objective 2: Students will be aware of and be able to use theoretical frameworks and concepts to examine enduring and timely social issues.

                                    - identify contemporary and classic theoretical frameworks and theorists

                                    - apply contemporary and classic frameworks and concepts to timely and enduring social issues and conditions

                                    - identify timely and enduring social issues that both disciplines examine

                                   

                        Learning Objective 3: Students will be able to conduct a research project and critique research methods and methodologies.

                                    - explain the difference between methods and methodologies - articulate the benefits and limitations of research methods and methodologies for a particular projects

                                    - find and evaluate academic sources

                                    - collect, organize, analyze and interpret original data

           

                        Learning Objective 4: Students will be able to synthesize information.

                                    - write papers and written exams making logical arguments using several sources, concepts, and perspectives

                                                                       

                        Learning Objective 5: Students will be aware of enduring and timely social issues in both Sociology and Anthropology. 

                                    - choose research paper topics that reflect timely and enduring issues

                                    - recite in conversation and class discussion or refer in writing on exams or papers, statistics and other data that describes our current social world in papers and exams

                                    - describe the difference between sociology and anthropology in perspective and methods

 

                        Learning Objective 6: Students will be able to exercise their “sociological imagination.” 

                                    - analyze their personal lives in terms of social systems and meaning

 

                        Learning Objective 7: Student will be able to exercise the “anthropological perspective.”

                                    - compare and contrast various lifeways and ideologies - express the values and disadvantages of various lifeways and ideologies

 

                        Learning Objective 8: Students will understand social systems and systems of meaning that perpetuate social inequalities.

                                    - identify ideologies that perpetuate social inequalities

                                    - describe how oppression and privilege work

                                    - discuss the consequences of social inequalities

                                    - identify historical conditions that have lead to current social condition and meaning systems 

                                    -point to examples in various social institutions of oppression and privilege

                                    - compare and contrast conditions of oppression and privilege 

 

                         

                        Learning Objective 9: Student will develop an appreciation for diverse lifeways.

                                    - compare and contrast benefits and limitations of various social systems in terms of social justice

                                    - recognize who benefits and who is hindered by various social systems and ideologies

                                    - discuss the limits and strengths of cultural relativism

 

                        Learning Objective 10: Students will be able to articulate the need for social justice, including sustainability and suggest paths to improve social inequalities

                                    - identify and explain the consequences of social injustices - predict how changes in social institutions and meaning systems would affect social conditions 

                                    - compare and contrast solutions to complex social problems

 

E. Means of Assessment of Outcomes:

            Points and Means of Assessment: The design of our major requires student to take certain courses and to have shared experiences (thesis writing and comprehensive exams). These are obvious sites to collect assessment data.

 

Shared Experiences as Seniors (“post-test” measures): All sociology and anthropology students are required to take, in their senior year the SOC 401 class and comprehensive exams.

            SOC 401 is our capstone class and therefore is the place we should conduct “post-test” measures. For this class, students are required to write a senior thesis. This thesis and the process of writing it make our synthesis many of the skills and knowledge we  see as our Learning Objectives.  75% of our students work for this course should indicate skills related to 7 out of 10 of the Learning Objectives. This course is our major data collection point for our program. We are in the process of designing a rubric to assess our students work in this class.    

            We also require our seniors to take comprehensive exams in the spring semester. This is a written exam composed of a set of questions that test their knowledge of theory, methods and cultural relativism. It also allows them to reflect on their thesis.  Comprehensive exams can serve as a “post-test” measure for all our students. 75% of our students exams should reflect mastery in 7 out of 10 Learning Objectives. We need to create a rubric for assessing this data.

 

“Pre-test” and “Along-the-way” Measures: 

            Since our program has no specific entry-level course (i.e. students sometimes take SOC 151 in their senior year), it is difficult to find a “shared experience” for entry-level students to do “pre-test measures.”

            For this reason, we find it necessary for students, with the help of their advisors, to keep a Soc/Anth portfolio. This portfolio will contain copies of papers, exams, presentation scripts, etc. and an accompanying rubric to indicate whether or not the student is meeting our Learning Objectives. Also included in the portfolio will be a timeline of the courses and experiences the student has had over their time here at Wells, so we might keep track of when a student is exposed to opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge outlined in our Learning Objectives. We need to develop a rubric for assessing a student’s mastery of our Learning Objectives. 

 

            Points and Means of Assessment at the Course Level:

            In order to preserve our faculties academic freedom to choose the means to assess their students abilities, we allow them to pick and choose among the following means of assessment: pre-test and post-test measures, formal research papers, written exams, oral presentations, portfolios, conducting research projects, class discussion. Each instructor is encouraged to develop a rubric for assessing these means of assessment to be used specifically for the classes they teach. Courses that are especially important to assessing the program are: SOC 151, ANTH 161, SOC 363, SOC 394, SOC 260, SOC 277, SOC 158.

                                   

F. How Assessment Data Will Be Used:

            Hiring: Sociology and anthropology is currently at a cross-roads, with a tenure track search currently underway to replace a recently retired faculty. We are also in the process of requesting a replacement for the position we lost when one of our faculty members was promoted to the position of Dean of the College.

            This current assessment plan will help guide us in our search for new faculty to fill these two positions, as it will help us hire someone who shares our values and beliefs as to what sociology and anthropology students should learn.

            Course Development and Re-development: While we do not yet use assessment data to assess our program, the process of writing the assessment plan has us already rethinking and redesigning our program.  We will be meeting several times this semester to discuss our goals and how to best measure them, especially at the individual course level. When we do begin to collect assessment data, this data will also help us to determine if our current course offerings and the design of the program is sufficient in creating the kinds of graduates we would like to create. As data is collected, regular meetings of the faculty in the major to discuss the ways we are measuring up to our own goals and how to redirect our program, classes or even the goals themselves will help us to keep on track. 

            The assessment plan has already lead us to change the requirements of the major. SOC 277 Social Inequalities will be a required class for all majors, since the issues it addresses are key to many of our Learning Objectives.

            Next Semester (New Majors): Next semester Wells sophomores will be declaring their majors. When a student declares their major as sociology and anthropology, s/he will meet with her advisor and begin the development of their portfolio. This will be the first cohort of students for which we will have data.

            Next Semester (Comprehensive Exams): Next semester our seniors will take their comprehensive exams. We will, by then, develop a rubric that will help us assess their skills and knowledge according to our Learning Objectives. This data will help us evaluate how our program currently.

            This Semester (Thesis Projects): This semester (fall 2007) our seniors will be taking SOC 401, which requires them to write their senior thesis. We will design a rubric to measure our students’ knowledge and skill sets as outlined by our Learning Objectives. 

 

SOCIOLOGY/ANTHROPOLOGY THESIS RUBRIC