Expanded Statement of Institutional Purpose:
Mission Statement:
The Psychology Department emphasizes the scientific study of behavior (feelings, actions, and thoughts). Within this broad orientation the department supports a fourfold mission within the University. First, it offers a major, two minors, and a concentration in psychology. Second, in cooperation with the College of Education, it prepares students for teaching careers in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. Third, it serves all students through courses which fulfill general education requirements. Fourth, it offers a curriculum which develops understanding of human behavior and teaches students how to apply this knowledge.
Goal Statement:
1. The department provides quality classroom instruction, clinical application, and research opportunities which prepare students for life in general, employment, and/or graduate studies.
2. The department meets the standards of the American Psychological Association for undergraduate education.Outcomes/Objectives
1. Students will demonstrate a well rounded understanding of psychology: its findings, methodologies, and applications.
2. Students will demonstrate their ability to conduct scientific inquiry within the domain of psychology by designing scientific research, using assessment and other information collecting tools, and statistically analyzing data.
3. Students will be familiar with the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct as published by the American psychological Association.Assessment Criteria and Activities:
1a. Psychology majors and minors will pass each of the psychology courses which they count toward the major or minor with a minimum grade of C, as assessed by within course methods.
1b. Comprehensive pre and post assessment tests will be administered to psychology majors.
2a. Graduating psychology majors will have satisfactorily completed Statistics and at least two research methods courses.
2b. Graduating psychology majors will have written at least one acceptable APA style paper.
3. All students in Psychology 2010, Models, Methods, and Professional Issues, will pass an ethics code exam in order to continue as a psychology major and graduate.
Implementation:
1a. Students who do not perform satisfactorily on instructor created assessment instruments are not allowed to count the course as part of their major or minor in psychology, even though they can still count the course toward general graduation requirements.
1b. Psychology majors who have only had Psy 1010, General Psychology, will be given a comprehensive exam in Psychology 2010, Models, Methods, and Professional Issues. The exam will include questions addressing information from the psychology literature, scientific research methods and clinical applications. These students will then be given another form of this comprehensive exam during their senior capstone course. The department expects that at least 80% of the students who take both the pre and post test will show a statistically significant improvement.2a. Psychology majors who have not passed statistics and at least two research methods courses with a grade of C or better will not be approved for graduation.
2b. Psychology majors will have in their department portfolios at least one paper written in APA style which received a grade of C or better.
3. The Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct will be added to the Models, Methods, and Professional Issues, Psy 2010, course as a new unit within the course. Students will be taught the principles along with case illustrations. Thereafter they will be tested on both their knowledge of the principles and ability to render appropriate judgments involving violations of the ethics code.
Process
1a. Students will be informed of the C or better requirement through the SUU catalogue, the Department handout on requirements for a Psychology major or minor, the Psychology 2010 course, the Department Web site, and in person advising. The curriculum audit and Department Chair's review of the student's graduation worksheet will confirm that all graduating majors and minors have met this requirement.
1b. Development of a valid, comprehensive exam will involve a substantial investment on the part of department faculty. Course release time, and/or sabbatical leave, will be required to free faculty to perform the initial search/development of the instrument. Thereafter some course release time or overload pay will be needed to regularly update the comprehensive exam. The department has several faculty who have expertise in the area of assessment. Any of these faculty have the needed skills to develop the desired exam.
2a. Procedures for implementing this standard are the same as for 1a.
2b. Attempts to develop and maintain student portfolios have only been partially successful in the past due to the department's limited support staff resources. A full time secretary for the Department is the College's number one priority according to Dean Rodney Decker. With this additional clerical time creating and maintaining student portfolios will become an attainable goal.
3. Development of an ethics exam is to be administered in the Psychology 2010 course will not require as great an investment of time as the creation of the comprehensive pre and post exam. A three credit course load reduction for the initial development of the exam, and a one credit reduction thereafter to regularly update the exam, should suffice.
| Department Assessment Plans | Assessment Plans | Institutional Research |
 |
Last Update: Friday, June 06, 2003 |  |