Assessment Report
July 1, 2006 - June 30, 2007
PROGRAM(S) ASSESSED: Department of Sociology
ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR: Chigon Kim, Curriculum Committee
YEAR 3 of a 4 YEAR CYCLE
1. ASSESSMENT MEASURES EMPLOYED
There are two assessment measures employed during the 2006-07 year: a senior exit survey and an alumni survey.
(1) What Was Done?
A senior exit survey was designed to collect information about the learning experiences from graduating seniors majoring in sociology. As part of the ongoing assessment process, sociology seniors were asked what sociological knowledge and methodological skills they learned and how they evaluated various aspects of the sociology program. Thirty closed-ended questions were drawn mainly from the National Survey of Seniors Majoring in Sociology conducted by the American Sociological Association (ASA). Open-ended questions in the exit survey were drawn from the 2005-06 focus group interview schedule. These open-ended questions include: “What are your career goals?” “Do you feel your sociology major has prepared you to meet your career goals?” “What strengths or weaknesses do you see in the sociology program?” “If you could give the department one piece of advice, what would it be?” The responses to these questions in the exit survey are the primary data for the assessment of learning outcomes of the sociology program. The written comments from graduating seniors help us make a plan to address problem areas.
The sociology alumni survey was another measure used in this assessment report. This alumni survey was distributed by mail in the spring of 2006 and the returned questionnaires were coded and analyzed in the fall of 2007. This alumni survey was designed to collect information from sociology graduates about their current employment status, graduate or professional education beyond undergraduate sociology degree, and learning experiences, as well as their feedback on the various aspects of the sociology program. They were asked to evaluate substantive knowledge and skill sets learned as part of their sociology major, the extent that these substantive knowledge and skills were useful in their career or as a citizen, and the preparation for graduate or professional education. The results from the alumni survey are used to assess the achievement of objectives of the program.
(2) Who Participated in the Process?
In the fall of 2007, faculty members who had graduating seniors in their class(es) administered the exit survey: Marlese Durr (SOC306), Chigon Kim (SOC345, SOC406), Norma Shepelak (SOC201), Michael Norris (SOC457), and David Orenstein (SOC301). The senior exit survey was designed by Chigon Kim, a member of the Curriculum Committee.
The alumni survey was designed by Jacqueline Bergdahl, Chigon Kim, and LaFleur Small in 2006. The Department did mailing (Susan Schultheis) and the Student Affairs Committee (Jacqueline Bergdahl, Karen Lahm, and Michael Norris) analyzed the data and wrote a report.
This assessment report is prepared by Chigon Kim, using the data from the senior exit survey and the alumni survey. The early draft of this report was circulated to all sociology faculty members in the department and their suggestions and feedbacks were incorporated in the final revision.
(3) What Challenges (If Any) Were Encountered?
The self-administered, exit survey is useful for collecting information about seniors’ learning experiences and learning outcomes. The questions cover various aspects of the sociology program. In comparison with focus group interviews, survey respondents can give honest responses to the questions since their responses will remain anonymous and confidential. Using the ASA instrument further allows us to compare the results with those from other colleges and universities when they are available.
However, the low response rate from the graduating seniors is a challenge. There were 34 sociology seniors when the exit survey was conducted in the fall of 2006. Among them, 24 students were taking sociology courses and faculty members informed them of the importance of the survey. In fact, it is through their honest evaluation that we can continue to improve our program for future students. Yet, participation in the survey was completely voluntary and only 13 students returned the questionnaires with written comments and suggestions. The response rate was particularly low among those 10 sociology seniors who were taking only non-sociology courses. They were contacted through email, but no one returned the survey questionnaire. Due to the low response rate, the results in this assessment report may not accurately represent the learning experiences of graduating seniors and their perceptions about substantive knowledge and specific research skills developed as part of their sociology major.
The similar caveat is applied to the alumni survey that was conducted for the first time in the department’s history as part of the ongoing assessment process. In the spring of 2006, the questionnaires were mailed to 820 sociology graduates whom the department kept the contact information. The questionnaire was sent with a letter explaining the purpose of the survey and a self-addressed, stamped envelop for returning the questionnaire. As a result, 135 questionnaires were returned. Although this is a fairly large sample size, a substantial portion of sociology alumni failed to participate in the survey. There may be possible biases in response patterns and any significant lack of responses from particular groups may weaken the validity of measurement. The existence and extent of biases in response patterns can be examined in the future by gathering information from other sources (e.g., telephone interview or online survey) about those who did not respond.
2. ASSESSMENT FINDINGS
The learning objectives within the sociology program include: preparing students for employment with substantive content and skill set of the social sciences; preparing students for graduate training; and preparing students with general critical thinking skill set for life-long learning. To achieve these learning objectives, the sociology curriculum consists of courses related to substantive fields of the major, specific sociological skills, and general critical thinking skills. Based on data from the senior exit survey, six learning outcomes were assessed during the 2006-07 year: substantive sociological knowledge, research skills, analytical skills, communication skills, ethical and moral awareness skills, and life-long learning orientation. Data for graduate training and employment status are drawn from the alumni survey. The overall program experiences, including the quality of sociology courses and faculty, are based on both the senior exit survey and the alumni survey. The last section, comments and suggestions from graduating seniors, is based on written comments and follow-up interviews.
(1) Substantive Sociological Knowledge
By the time they graduate, students will demonstrate knowledge of: basic concepts in sociology, the major social institutions, the socialization process, and the theoretical formulations that serve as the foundation of the major. In the exit survey, graduating seniors were asked about substantive knowledge they learned as part of their sociology major. Over half of responding seniors strongly agree that they learned basic sociological concepts, theories, and other substantive knowledge as part of their sociology major.
Most of graduating seniors report that they learned basic concepts in sociology, including culture, socialization, social institutions, social stratification, or social change (46.2% agree, 53.8% strongly agree), social institutions such as the economy, family, education, courts, or health care and their impact on individual (38.5% agree, 61.5% strongly agree), and the important differences in the life experiences of people as they vary by race, class, gender and other ascribed statuses (38.5% agree, 53.8% strongly agree). Most of graduating seniors also report that they learned basic theoretical perspectives or paradigms in sociology, including structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism (39.5% agree, 61.5% strongly agree) and current sociological explanations about a variety of social issues, such as sexism, racism, crime, poverty, or social inequality (30.8% agree, 69.2% strongly agree).
(2) Research Skills
By the time they graduate, students will demonstrate knowledge of basic fundamentals of social statistics and methodology. Graduating seniors were asked about research skills they learned as part of their sociology major. Over half of responding seniors strongly agree that they could create a hypothesis and make an argument based on evidence. In contrast, more than half of responding seniors agree that they could use the statistical software, SPSS, and interpret the SPSS output.
Most of graduating seniors strongly agree that they learned to create a hypothesis with independent and dependent variables (46.2% agree, 53.8% strongly agree) and to gather information to make an argument based on evidence (46.2% agree, 53.8% strongly agree). In contrast, more than half of them agree that they learned to use the statistical software, SPSS, to analyze data (38.5% agree, 30.8% strongly agree), and to interpret the SPSS output (30.8% agree, 30.8% strongly agree). More than half of responding seniors agree that they learned to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different research methods for answering specific research questions (46.2% agree, 38.5% strongly agree).
(3) Analytical Skills
By the time they graduate, students will demonstrate competence in analytical skills, including the ability to evaluate solutions for urban social problems. About half of responding seniors strongly agree that they obtained various analytical skills as part of their sociology major. These analytical skills include: the ability to apply sociological concepts and theories to explore social issues and problems, to develop arguments, and to evaluate them on the basis of evidence.
About half of respondents strongly agree that they developed the ability to apply major sociological concepts and theories to explore social issues (53.8% agree, 46.2% strongly agree), and to analyze social issues from a sociological perspective (46.2% agree, 46.2% strongly agree). Over half of responding seniors strongly agree that they obtained the ability to develop a point of a view on a social issue, using reasoning and evidence (46.2% agree, 53.8% strongly agree), and to evaluate propositions or hypotheses and make judgments about them based on evidence (30.8% agree, 61.5% strongly agree).
(3) Communication Skills
By the time they graduate, students will demonstrate competence in communication skills, including writing formal reports and speaking in front of groups. Over half of respondents strongly agree that they obtained the ability to write a report from sociological information (15.4% agree, 61.5% strongly agree), and to organize and express ideas clearly in writing (38.5% agree, 53.8% strongly agree). About half of respondents strongly agree that they obtained the ability to organize and express ideas clearly in oral communication (38.5% agree, 46.2% strongly agree).
(4) Ethical and Moral Awareness Skills
By the time they graduate, students will demonstrate competence in ethical and moral awareness skills, including the honest portrayal of data. Over half of responding seniors strongly agree that they learned to identify ethical issues in sociological research as part of their sociology major (38.5% agree, 53.8% strongly agree).
(5) Life-Long Learning Orientation
By the time they graduate, students will encompass the orientation toward life-long learning. Over half of responding seniors agree that they obtained the ability to engage in life-long learning, such as seeking out new knowledge or developing a skill, as part of their sociology major (46.2% agree, 38.5% strongly agree).
(6) Preparedness for Graduate School
Preparing students for graduate training is one of the learning objectives within the sociology program. Results from the alumni survey show that 66.3% of sociology graduates have completed other degrees or certifications since their graduation from Wright State University with a BA in Sociology. Among those who have completed other degrees or certifications, 47.7% received Master degrees in sociology or in other fields, 15.4% received professional or graduate degrees, and 7.7% received Ph.D. degrees.
Among those sociology graduates who completed other degrees or certifications since their graduation, most of them were satisfied with their sociology coursework in helping them preparing for graduate or professional education (56.3% satisfied, 37.7% very satisfied). Most of them were also satisfied with sociology faculty in providing assistance, advising, and letters of recommendation in helping them apply for graduate or professional education (35.6% satisfied, 45.8% very satisfied).
(7) Employment Status of Sociology Graduates
Preparing students for employment with substantive knowledge and skills is one of the learning objectives within the sociology program. Among alumni survey respondents, 57.8% were employed full time, 9.6% worked part time, 8.1% were full time homemakers, and 1.5% were attending school. 20.7% of respondents selected either “other” (e.g., retired) or multiple categories (e.g., working part time and attending school). Only 1.5% of respondents were unemployed and actively seeking work (1.5%).
The modal category for type of employment was business or corporation (22.2%), followed by government (20.7%), education (13.3%), nonprofit organization (9.6%), self-employed (4.4%) and private social service (2.2%). 11.1% of respondents chose either “other” (e.g., homemaker, retired) or multiple categories (e.g., self-employed for private social service agency). Among those employed, 43.7% said their jobs were related to sociology.
(8) Overall Program Experiences
Most of responding seniors were satisfied with the quality of teaching (53.8% satisfied, 46.2% very satisfied). When they were asked to compare their experiences with sociology faculty with their experiences with the faculty in other departments, graduating seniors rated the quality of sociology faculty in the following manner: 15.4% fair, 53.8% good, and 30.8% excellent.
Most of responding seniors were satisfied with the ease in getting the courses they need to graduate (46.2% satisfied, 30.8% very satisfied). When they were asked to compare their experiences in sociology courses with their experiences in courses offered by other departments, 53.8% of responding seniors evaluated the quality of sociology courses as “good” and another 46.2% as “excellent.”
Most of graduating seniors were satisfied with overall program experiences: 92.3% of respondents would recommend the Sociology major at Wright State University to other students. The number of students on the Deans List reflects their positive learning experiences: During the 2006-07 year, 25 seniors were in the Deans List (8 Honors, 4 High Honors, and 13 Highest Honors).
Most of alumni survey respondents were satisfied with the sociology program (56.0% satisfied, 40.3% very satisfied) and with the content of courses in the sociology program (57.1% satisfied, 39.8% satisfied). They were particularly satisfied with sociology coursework in helping them develop an ability to critically assess and evaluate ideas (53.4% satisfied, 41.4% satisfied), to better understand social issues and problems (33.6% satisfied, 63.4% very satisfied), to understand how social structure impacts an individual’s life experiences (31.3% satisfied, 63.4% very satisfied), and to develop ability to understand and interact with diverse people (42.9% satisfied, 50.4% very satisfied). Most of alumni survey respondents evaluate the quality of instruction in the sociology program as “good” (52.3%) or “excellent” (38.6%).
(9) Comments and Suggestions from Graduating Seniors
Assessment findings suggest that most of responding seniors were satisfied with sociological knowledge and skills they obtained as part of their sociology major. They were particularly satisfied with the quality of sociology courses and faculty. Many graduating seniors point out that “professors really do have a passion for sociology and they try to communicate that as best as they can,” “professors are very open-minded and willing to help,” and “advisors make sure that every student is in good standing when it is time for graduation.” Yet, some graduating seniors mentioned weaknesses in regard to advising and curriculum.
1) Advising
Some graduating seniors were not satisfied with undergraduate advising (46.2% not satisfied), graduate school advising (23.1% not satisfied), and career advising (15.4% not satisfied).
Graduating seniors have diverse career goals. Some of them plan to build a career in corporations (e.g., human relations) or nonprofit organizations. Others are interested in the field of social services (e.g., human development) or criminal justice (e.g., probation officer). Still others plan on going on to graduate or professional school and further their education. However, some graduating seniors do not have clearly defined career goals yet. For example, a graduating senior said: “I am not exactly sure of my future career goals using my sociology degree.” These seniors wish to know about career options with a BA degree in sociology.
Some graduating seniors wish to have had information about classes in advance: “It would be very helpful if we as students would know what classes will be offered or not offered for the following quarter. . . . For seniors, like myself, it would be good to know if a class will or will not be offered for the following term. It would change my class schedule greatly.” In addition, some graduating seniors wish to have had more accurate information about classes they need to graduate: “I feel like the sociology professors are not all on the same page. I have heard several different answers from several different professors.”
2) Curriculum
A graduating senior points out that “strengths of the sociology program would be the variety of classes offered. . . . There are a lot of choices to meet the requirements.” However, some graduating seniors said they did not get the courses they needed to graduate easily. In addition, some graduating seniors wish to have had more diverse sociology courses. They suggest that “the program is way too integrated with the CJ major so when asking about SOC programs you’re given the run around between the two majors.”
Many graduating seniors made comments on the Research Methods sequence (SOC300, SOC306, and SOC406): “You must develop guidelines for classes that go in order (e.g., SOC306/406). And once those guidelines are developed, they must be used.” Some seniors suggested that “students should have to take the Research Methods class as early as possible so it can be applied throughout.” In addition, many graduating seniors were not satisfied with the discrepancies of course requirements between professors who covered the Research Methods sequence: “Personal experience with two different faculty members for each class proved to be a problem. What I was taught and developed in SOC306 did not help me in SOC406. I should have started a project in SOC306 and continued it in SOC406. In my case what I developed in SOC306 did not work in SOC406, I was left high and dry.”