AY 2014-2015 ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW SELF-STUDY
Reporting School/College: St. John’s College
Program Reviewed: Theology and Religious Studies BA Q
Date Submitted to Department/Division Chair: September 30, 2015
Overview and Program Review Summary: Please summarize this program’s mission and its relationship to the vision and mission of St. John’s University, and the program’s School/College. Identify similar programs regionally and nationally and distinguish this program from them. In addition, summarize your findings as they relate to (1) program quality, (2) market growth potential, and (3) student learning. Also, summarize any significant changes, achievements (by faculty and students and the program itself), and plans for the future. Finally, based on the information gleaned from the data in the self-study, give an overall rating of the program’s Enrollment/Market Potential by categorizing it as one of the following: (1) Enhance; (2) Maintain; (3) Reduce support, Phase out, Consolidate, or Discontinue.
(Suggested limit 1 page)
The Mission of our Bachelor of Arts in Theology program on the Staten Island campus is to equip undergraduate students to analyze, engage, and apply the Catholic theological tradition in all its historical richness and contemporary breadth. It provides students with the tools to wrestle with enduring and contemporary issues in a way deeply informed by scripture, the Catholic theological tradition, and dialogue with other world religions. Our discipline and our program are essential to the Catholic and Vincentian mission of the university. We support the church and the university community in its efforts to wrestle with the ethical dimensions of some of the most challenging social questions of our time. Vincentian mission is about service and social change, but in a university setting it is essential that those elements of the mission be supported by the robust intellectual activity that theology provides. The Catholic intellectual tradition is preserved and carried forward by people who go on to become theologians or who engage in the study of philosophy, history, literature, etc. from a perspective deeply informed by Catholic theology. Only with a proper Bachelor of Arts program can the breadth and depth of offerings be maintained to carry out that mission.
Our faculty members embody the university’s vision of innovative teaching that fosters spirited inquiry and intelligent reflection. Our faculty maintains active research agendas that support the growth of a learned practice of the Catholic faith, provide scholarly and pastoral insight into scripture and its interpretation, and advance the university’s goal to be known worldwide for addressing issues of poverty and social justice. We play a crucial role in the college’s efforts to develop a critical consciousness and ethical perspective in our students. In addition to learning discipline-specific content and skills, the program offers dynamic courses that contribute to the mission of St. John’s College by fostering critical skills in writing and oral communication while nurturing students’ moral growth for personal and systemic change.
The benchmarking process for this self-study found that our program’s curriculum is similar to that of peer institutions in that it is structured around five main sub-disciplines: Biblical Studies, Systematic Theology, Historical Theology, Moral Theology/Ethics, and World Religions. Our program is distinguished by the fact that it insists upon broad learning by requiring a more substantial foundation in each of these areas rather than narrow specialization. Our program curriculum almost perfectly mirror’s Marquette University’s BA in Theology for Catholic School Ministry. One of our strategic goals going forward is to develop a second major sequence specifically for double majors that strikes more of a balance between flexibility and fundamentals. Our benchmarking found that several peer institutions follow this pattern of a separate major sequence specifically for double-majors.
It is significant that despite the significant downturn in enrollment on the Staten Island campus overall, majors/minors in our program actually increased from 5 students in 2005 to 8 in 2009 before returning recently went back to 5 students in 2013. Consequently, there has been no significant shift in these numbers in the last 8 years.
This program review found that our curriculum is strong and the quality of our instruction is high. Courses offered by our program are rated significantly better than the college and university averages in terms of instructional vibrancy. The program has a very favorable student to faculty ratio that would allow substantial growth in the program without requiring any additional resources. The program has developed and is in the process of implementing a plan for comprehensive assessment that will provide assurance of student learning and give the department the data it needs to continue to enhance instructional outcomes.
Data show that there is not significant potential for growth in this field, however the department plans to increase enrollment by taking steps to make theology a more attractive double-major by allowing students more freedom to link their courses in theology to their planned careers and to their academic interests in allied disciplines. Given this limited, but real potential for growth, the mission-critical nature of the discipline, and the fact that data show the program to be cost effective, we recommend an overall rating of (2) MAINTAIN.
STANDARD 1. The purpose of the program reflects and supports the strategic vision and mission of St. John’s University, and the program’s School/College.
1a.What evidence can you provide that demonstrates that the program embodies the Catholic, Vincentian, and metropolitan identity of St. John’s University? (Suggested limit 1/3 page)
The Department of Theology and Religious Studies serves every St. John’s University student through our service to the core curriculum. Our core offerings give students the opportunity to consider some of the most important and enduring questions about meaning, values, and belief. While investigating these questions, students develop important skills that are valuable to employers in every field: how to write clearly and convincingly, how to interpret a text carefully, how to dialogue with people whose beliefs differ from one’s own, etc. Our Bachelor of Arts program gives students the opportunity to engage the Catholic theological tradition even more deeply or to enhance their study of another field with theological analysis and insights with a double major. The Catholic intellectual tradition is preserved and carried forward by people who go on to become theologians or who engage in the study of philosophy, history, literature, etc. from a perspective deeply informed by Catholic theology. Only with a proper Bachelor of Arts program can the breadth and depth of offerings be maintained to carry out that mission.
The program is committed to further the metropolitan (and now global) mission of the university as well. Our majors are required to take a course in Religions of the World, and we have developed new elective offerings such as Global Catholicism that enhance the university’s commitment to providing a first rate education appropriate for the twenty-first century. Key offerings from our major sequence (e.g. Intro to Catholic Social Teaching, St. Vincent de Paul and the Neighbor, etc.) are also required courses in mission critical minors and programs across the university (e.g., the Social Justice: Theory and Practice in the Vincentian Tradition minor , the Ozanam Scholars program, the Catholic Scholars program, etc.).
1b.What evidence can you provide that demonstrates that the program embodies the University’s vision. (Suggested limit 1/3 page)
Our faculty members embody the university’s vision of innovative teaching that fosters spirited inquiry and intelligent reflection. In recent years, three faculty members in our department (Ruiz, Clark, and Rivera) have been selected through a national, competitive process to participate in workshops on pedagogy at the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology & Religion. Other faculty members have participated in the university’s Writing across the Curriculum program (Flanagan, Clark). Still others have utilized technology to support classroom instruction and to deliver engaging courses fully online, or promoted student research by encouraging students to develop research posters on human rights issues.
Our faculty maintains active research agendas that support the growth of a learned practice of the Catholic faith, provide scholarly and pastoral insight into scripture and its interpretation, and advance the university’s goal to be known worldwide for addressing issues of poverty and social justice. The department offers the only two required courses in the interdisciplinary undergraduate minor, Social Justice: Theory and Practice in the Vincentian Tradition. These required courses are Introduction to Catholic Social Teaching and the minor’s capstone course, the Integrating Interdisciplinary Seminar in Social Justice.
Our professors serve as featured speakers both locally and internationally, adding visibility to St. John’s academic and Catholic identity. They have served as scholarly representatives offering commentary and interpretation of current religious issues to local and national media.
1c.What evidence can you provide that demonstrates that the program embodies the vision and mission of the program’s School/College? (Suggested limit 1/3 page)
Our program is committed to furthering the college’s goals of providing a rich, challenging curriculum. We offer a large number of elective options to our students that allow them explore their particular theological interests: from theology & film or theology & the fine arts to the spirituality of the educator to global Catholicism. We play a crucial role in the college’s efforts to develop a critical consciousness and ethical perspective in our students, offering specialized courses on healthcare ethics, social ethics, the theology of peace, and so on. A significant portion of our full-time and part-time faculty is certified to teach online allowing us to offer a variety of program courses in a distance-learning format.
In addition to learning discipline-specific content and skills, the Department of Theology and Religious Studies offers dynamic courses that contribute to the mission of St. John’s College by fostering critical skills in writing and oral communication that creates new insights, research, and scholarship while developing moral value for personal and systemic change. This learning of value for self and social responsibility assists students in preparation for their particular professions and graduate studies.
The department contributes to our college’s mission of excellence in the liberal arts. First, our faculty has an active research agenda with several ground-breaking publications in book and article form. We are deeply engaged in scholarly dialogue and development within our fields of study. The department also encourages and recognizes excellence in student academic writing by sponsoring the Rev. Patrick Primeaux, S.M. Writing Contest, which recognizes superior writing in the fields of theology and religious studies at the undergraduate level.
STANDARD 2.The program attracts, retains, and graduates high quality students.
2a.Undergraduate SAT and High School Average
There is very little information available due to the fact that most of our majors enter the program after their freshman year and none of those students are tracked in these data. Data provided show one year in which the entering freshman was significantly above average and another where the entering freshman was slightly below the college and university average.
Freshmen SAT ScoresFall 2012 / Fall 2013
Computed / Computed
Theology / 1,290 / 970
FreshmenHigh School Average
Fall 2012 / Fall 2013
High School / High School
Theology / 96 / 84
SAT Scores / High School Average
2010 / 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2010 / 2011 / 2012 / 2013
School/ College - SI / 1079 / 1113 / 1097 / 1104 / 87 / 88 / 88 / 90
TotalUniversity / 1097 / 1087 / 1096 / 1104 / 87 / 87 / 88 / 89
Intended college major for 2012 college-bound seniors
SAT / Test-Takers / Mean ScoresIntended College Major / Number / Percent (%) / Critical Reading / Mathematics / Total
Theology and Religious Vocations / 72 / 0.1% / 514 / 496 / 1010
* For further information, please visit
2b.Undergraduate 1st Year Retention Rate
Our majors typically declare their major after their freshman year. Very few apply to enter the university as Theology & Religious Studies majors. Consequently there is very little data on first-year retention. The data that is available shows that the program retains all students in the program.
2009 / 2010 / 2011 / 2012Total / Returned / DNR / Total / Returned / DNR / Total / Returned / DNR / Total / Returned / DNR
# / % / # / % / # / % / # / % / # / % / # / % / # / % / # / %
THE / 1 / 1 / 100%
Fall
2009 / 2010 / 2011 / 2012**
# Fresh / # Ret / %
School/ College - SI / 85% / 71% / 85% / 53 / 45 / 85%
TotalUniversity / 78% / 78% / 76% / 2757 / 2195 / 80%
* The % of students started in Fall 2012 and returned to the program in Fall 2013
2c.Undergraduate 6 Year Graduation Rate
Fall2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007
School/College Average Rate - SI / 56% / 74% / 65% / 58%
TotalUniversity / 58% / 58% / 59% / 55%
2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007
Total / Graduated / Total / Graduated / Total / Graduated / Total / Graduated
# / % / # / % / # / % / # / %
THE / 1 / 1 / 100%
2d.Graduate Standardized Test Scores
N/A
2e.Please describe how the program compares with peer and aspirational institutions. (Suggested limit 1/2 page)
The BA in theology centers around five disciplinary areas: Biblical Studies, Systematic Theology, Historical Theology, Moral Theology/Ethics, and World Religions. Benchmarking against peer local Catholic schools (Fordham and Manhattan College), sister Vincentian Schools (Depaul and Niagara), and Big East partners (Marquette, Creighton, Seton Hall and Providence) was conducted. Our major offers a clear commitment to breadth of learning in the discipline similar to other institutions requiring courses in all five areas. We also have a senior capstone focused on a selected theme and involving a research paper - a uniform element to all theology programs examined. While the major offers a strong foundation in the discipline, our major currently offers students less choice in framing their studies with only two electives. A survey of peer and aspirational schools shows a range of 3-5 electives and greater student direction in selecting courses in the five major areas.
2f.If applicable, describe the program’s student performance over the past five years on licensure or professional certification exams relative to regional and national standards. (Suggested limit 1/4 page)
N/A
2g.Number of majors and minors enrolled over the past five years. See table below.
Although the campus has sustained decreased enrollments since 2001, the program in Theology and Religious Studies has not been adversely affected. According to the supplied data, there was no significant change in the number of majors and minors from 2005-2013. In fact, the number of combined majors/minors actually increased from 5 students in 2005 to 8 in 2009, but recently went back to 5 students in 2013. Consequently, there has been no significant shift in these numbers in the last 8 years. This pattern can be considered a strength in the program; it has not been adversely affected by the downturn in enrollment for the S.I campus as a whole.
FallNumber of Students / 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2008 / 2009
Majors / 3 / 3 / 3 / 4 / 4
Minors / 2 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 4
Total / 5 / 5 / 4 / 5 / 8
Fall 2010 / Fall 2011 / Fall 2012 / Fall 2013
Majors / Majors / Majors / Majors
MAJORS / THE / BA / 2 / 1 / 3 / 3
BA/MA / 1
Total / 2 / 1 / 4 / 3
Fall 2010 / Fall 2011 / Fall 2012 / Fall 2013
Minors / Minors / Minors / Minors
MINORS / Theology / 2 / 2 / 2 / 1
Fall 2010 / Fall 2011 / Fall 2012 / Fall 2013
Total / Total / Total / Total
Total / 4 / 3 / 6 / 4
2h.Number of degrees granted during the past five years. See table below.
Degrees Granted / Academic Year04/05 / 05/06 / 06/07 / 07/08 / 08/09
MA / 0 / 1 / 1 / 0 / 0
10/11 / 12/13
Degrees Conferred / Degrees Conferred
SJC-UG-SI / THE / Theology / BA / 1 / 2
Note: there are no students who have graduated from this program within the 11/12 academic years.
Below is comparison degrees conferred data for local and national institutions based on data retrieved from the IPEDS website. This is based on the Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) Code of 39-Theology and Religious Vocations.
2009-2010 / 2010-2011 / 2011-2012Bachelors
Local / 16 / 20 / 14
National / 8,718 / 9,074 / 9,369
1Local institution include: Adelphi University, Columbia University, CUNY Queens College, Fordham University, Hofstra University, Iona College, C.W. Post University, Manhattan College, New York University, Pace University, Seton Hall University, Stony Brook University, and Wagner College.
2i.What mechanisms are in place to monitor students’ progress toward degree? And, to what extent is there a collaborative effort to provide quality advising and support services to students?(Suggested limit 1/4 page)
In addition to college advising and early alert programs, student progress toward degree is monitored through departmental advising. Currently, advising is provided by Dr. David Haddorff on the SI campus. All majors, including double majors, are scheduled for advising sessions and majors are made aware of general office hours and encouraged to check in aside from the registration period. Registration advising meetings focus both on progress in the major and progress on the St John’s general degree requirements
2j.If available, provide information on the success of graduates in this program as it relates to employment or attending graduate school. (Suggested limit 1/4 page)
We do not have data available that is specific to the SI campus.
2k.Please comment on the students’ competencies in the program. Support your response using data provided below and any other data available. (Suggested limit 1/3 page)
GPA data provided by the Office of Institutional Research show that the program is attracting and retaining students with an overall GPA that is well above the average in St. John’s College (3.5 to 3.8 in our program vs. 3.3 in the college and 3.1 across the university).
The department revised and consolidated goals and outcomes for this program in 2013. Previously there were 23 learning objectives and six vague program goals. The department brought greater coherence and focus to the program by articulating a smaller set of measurable objectives.
Undergraduate Major Learning Outcomes (Approved 9/17/13)
- Demonstrate familiarity with the Bible and the ability to employ appropriate methods of biblical interpretation.
- Demonstrate the capacity to articulate a learned understanding of the history of Christianity.
- Demonstrate the ability to think critically about theological ethics and to explain principles and key concepts from the Catholic moral tradition.
- Demonstrate the ability to articulate an understanding of key elements of Christian and especially Roman Catholic doctrine in dialogue with contemporary culture
- Articulate the fundamental beliefs, practices, and moral commitments of one or more world religions; demonstrate an awareness of the contours of contemporary interreligious dialogue and of practices that are crucial for engaging in interreligious dialogue
- Demonstrate the ability to locate and utilize appropriate theological sources and research tools, and to document those sources/tools appropriately.
- Demonstrate the ability to write effectively and to use evidence and logic in presenting theological concepts
- Demonstrate the ability to articulate the values held by St. Vincent de Paul and to explain the meaning and implications of Vincentian mission in today’s world