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Southern Utah University
Psychology Department
Academic Outcomes Assessment Plan
Academic Year 2001-2002

Mission Statement:

The psychology department supports the mission of the university. It offers an academic major, and minor, a concentration in psychology, and, in cooperation with the college of education, it prepares students for teaching careers in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. It serves all students through courses that fulfill general education requirements. It offers a foundation for many other academic and professional programs. And it offers a curriculum that develops understanding of human behavior and how to apply this understanding.

Goal Statement:

1) The psychology department will provide expert classroom instruction.
2) The psychology department will provide laboratory and research application.
3) The psychology department will provide professional/agency practicum experiences,
4) The psychology department will meet the standards set by the American Psychological
Association for undergraduate education.

Intended Outcomes/Objectives:

1) a. Psychology courses will be taught by faculty members with expertise.
    b. Students will demonstrate a well-rounded knowledge and understanding of psychology: its language, methodologies, findings, and applications.

2) a. Faculty members will be involved in research and other scholarly activities and involve
students in their activities in a meaningful way.
    b. Students will demonstrate their ability to conduct scientific inquiry within the domain of
psychology by designing research activities, using assessment and other information
collecting tools, and statistically analyzing data.
    c. Students (graduate school track) will demonstrate their ability to locate, analyze, and
communicate scientific findings.

3) Students (professional/agency track) will develop and demonstrate their professional
expertise in professional/agency settings.

4) Students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the Ethical Principles of
Psychologists and Code of Conduct as published by the American Psychological
Association.

Assessment Criteria and Activities:

1) a. The psychology department will hire, promote and tenure faculty members who are
qualified with terminal degrees and demonstrate teaching excellence, scholarship, and
service.
    b. Psychology majors and minors will pass psychology courses which they count toward the major or minor requirements with a minimum grade of "C" as determined by assessment instruments and assignments specific to each course.

2) a. Graduating psychology majors will have satisfactorily completed Statistics and at least two research methods courses. Thereby demonstrating their ability to design and carry out scientific inquiry and analysis.
    b. Graduating psychology majors (graduate school track) will have reviewed the literature
on at least one area of research and written at least one acceptable APA style paper.

3. Graduating psychology majors (professional/agency track) will have successfully
completed student teaching, practicum, internship, or some other equivalent practical
experience.

4. All students in Psychology 2010 - Models, Methods, and Professional Issues, and Psychology 3800 - Practicum will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct as published by the American Psychological Association.

Implementation:

1) Students will have to perform satisfactorily (average grade of "C" or better) on course
assessment instruments and assignments in order to count the course as part of their
major or minor requirements in psychology.

2) a. Psychology majors will have to pass statistics and at least two courses on research
methods, with a grade of "C" or better, to be approved for graduation.
    b. Psychology majors (graduate school track) will have to have in their department portfolios at least one APA style paper, graded "C" or better, to be approved for
graduation.

3. Psychology majors (professional/agency track) will have to have successfully completed student teaching/practicum/internship and have copies of evaluations in their department portfolios to be approved for graduation.

4. The Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct will be presented as a part of the Models, Methods, and Professional Issues course (Psychology 2010) and/or the Psychology Practicum course (Psychology 3800). Students will be required to study professional principles of ethics along with case illustrations. Thereafter, they will be tested on their knowledge of principles and their ability to render appropriate judgments involving violations of the ethics code. Students will be required to pass this test in order to earn a grade of "C" or better in this required course.

Process:

1) Students will be informed of the course objectives, assessment instruments, and assignments in each course syllabus and they will also be informed of the grade of "C" or better requirement through the SUU catalog, the Department handout on requirements for a Psychology major or minor, the Psychology 2010 course, the Department Web site, and in student advisement. 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.

2) Procedures for implementing this standard are the same as for 1.

3) a. Students (graduate track) will be informed in the Psychology 2010 course of the
requirement to develop a portfolio that will be reviewed before graduation papers are signed to make certain the APA paper requirement is met.
    b. Students (professional/agency track) will be informed in the Psychology 2010 course of the requirement to develop a portfolio that will be reviewed before graduation papers are signed to make certain the APA paper requirement is met.

4) Student portfolios will be reviewed before graduation papers are signed to make certain
the ethics requirement (2010 and/or 3800) is met.

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Last Update: Friday, June 06, 2003