Quality and Productivity of Research

Report of the Academic Program Review Committee (APRC)
For the Department of Kinesiology & Health (KH) for the Period FY2014–FY2016

APRC approved May 17, 2017

CAP approved July 25, 2017

The Department of Kinesiology and Health (KH) in the College of Education and Human Development, seeks to advance understanding of the role of physical activity for health and well-being; educate society and prepare future professionals; and promote healthy lifestyles. It offers bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees. The Sport Administration master’s program has been ranked No. 10 in the world and No. 9 in North America by Sport Business International. KH has 20 full-time faculty members (15 T/TT and five Clinical; 50% male/female; 15% minority) and employs 12 Part-time Instructors, 13 Graduate Teaching Assistants, and five staff members.

Quality and Productivity of Research

The T/TT faculty produced 107 peer-reviewed journal articles, six non-peer reviewed journal articles, four books, 18 book chapters, and 27 other contributions during the review period, giving annual averages of 2.4 peer reviewed articles, 0.1 non-peer reviewed articles, 0.1 books, 0.4 book chapters, and 0.6 other contributions per person. Research performed by Geil in amputee gait has contributed to medical protocols, Ingalls’ research in muscle injury has been cited 1,821 times, and Wong’s work in cutaneous blood flow has been cited 753 times. The external reviewers encouraged the department to adjust instruction and research workloads to allow promising early career researchers time to develop their research.

The department has submitted an average of 34 external grant proposals per year with a proposal acceptance rate of 84%, giving an annual average of 1.91 funded proposals per T/TT faculty. Total research funding for the period was $2,268,809, giving an annual average of $50,418 per T/TT faculty. Most funding was in small amounts from non-profit sources with an average award of $27,000.

Quality and Productivity of Teaching

Over the APR review period, the Department offered a BS in Exercise Science (accredited by CAAHEP) and a BSE in Health and Physical Education (HPE), accredited by CAEP. In response to enrollment trends, a BIS in Sport Administration was implemented in Fall 2016, along with a new concentration in Sport Coaching, Physical Activity, and Health and Wellness (CSPAHW) within the HPE program. In 2013, a selective admission process was implemented for the BS Exercise Science program, resulting in a Pre-Exercise Science designation. On average, undergraduate KH majors were 52% female, 53% black, 28% white, 8% Asian and 6% multi-racial, with growth in the proportion of non-white students.

Four master's programs are currently offered: MS Exercise Science, MEd and MAT Health and Physical Education, and MS Sport Administration. Due to changes in credentialing requirements, the MS Sports Medicine is being discontinued. The PhD in Kinesiology offers concentrations in Biomechanics and Physical Rehabilitation, Exercise Physiology, Exercise Psychology, Physical Education Teacher Education, and Sport Administration. On average, graduate students were 50% male/female, 54% white, 31% black, 5% Asian, and 4% multi-racial.

Undergraduate and graduate students have opportunities to participate in internships, field experiences, and research, both locally and abroad. Courses are assessed regularly and faculty used results for program improvement. For example, assessment findings led to new requirements for foundation courses in the BS Exercise Science program, a new research course in the MS Sport Administration program, and revisions to the assessment plan for the PhD to better understand why some students are not ready for research careers. Undergraduate student feedback called for greater class availability, smaller classes and lab sections, and more full-time faculty instructors and fewer PTI/GTAs. In the past two years the department has added two full-time clinical faculty positions to work specifically with the undergraduate programs, but faculty resources are still not sufficient to meet current demand. Graduate student survey results indicate a high degree of satisfaction with the graduate programs.

The total number of undergraduate students in the Exercise Science program increased from 822 in 2013 to 932 in 2015, greater than 100% growth since the last APR in FY2007. The 3-year mean 6-year graduation rate for first-time, full-time KH students was 56.5%. Junior cohort graduation rates averaged 68.9% for the BS Exercise Science program and 63.5% for the BSE HPE program. Degrees conferred during the review period averaged 120 per year, with 115 in BS Exercise Science but only five in BS HPE.

Viability of the undergraduate programs

According to the review team, each program has a curriculum that is strong with good quality. The external reviewers were concerned that the undergraduate Exercise Science program needs stronger management to control growth to make effective use of resources. Declining numbers of degrees conferred in the BSE HPE program are of concern, but consistent with nationwide trends. The HPE faculty have targeted Intro courses, advising sessions, and open-house meetings to present the program and address misconceptions about teaching careers and to recruit new students. The curriculum was revised and a non-school based degree concentration (CSPAHW) was introduced.

Viability of the graduate program

The total number of graduate students averaged 198, with 176 master’s students and 21 doctoral students. The total number of graduate students in the MEd program averaged 15.7 and increased from 12 to 18. In 2014, the state Professional Standards Commission (PSC) required programs to develop an MAT degree program for students with an undergraduate degree seeking initial teaching certification. The Exercise Science MS has four concentrations and remained steady around 31 students. The Sport Administration MS varied from 78 to 109, decreasing with the loss of a faculty member to 78 for an average of 94 students. The MS Sports Medicine program enrollment increased from 30 to 37 over the three years with the addition of a new faculty member. This program is being discontinued due to national changes in program requirements by the National Athletic Trainers Association which would require the addition of 2-3 new faculty positions to maintain the program at current levels. The total number of graduate students in the PhD program, now with six concentrations, increased from 19 to 23 over the review period.

Unit Goals

1.Enhance research productivity and external funding.

2.Manage undergraduate enrollment and enhance the undergraduate experience.

3.Enhance graduate programs [by growing doctoral programs and resources for students].

4.Increase academic involvement and signature experiences for under-represented students.

5.Develop community-based research and service learning opportunities.

External Reviewers’ Recommendations

The External Reviewers concurred with Goals 1-3. They thought Goal 4 should be an enabling factor in Goals 2 and 3, and that Goal 5 should be an enabling factor in Goal 1.

External Reviewers’ Additional Issues

Obtain faculty, staff, and space resources to bring the student-to-faculty ratio more in line with the University.
Better communicate success stories to potential donors and legislators.
Move forward with the new admission standards for the Exercise Science program.
Redirect undergraduate students targeting the Exercise Science program to the new Sport Administration program and HPE concentrations.
Repurpose faculty lines and add outside investment to “right-size” the Department.
Given space limitations, consider the potential for online instruction.
Seek COSMA accreditation for the Sport Administration program.

Consistency of Goals and Recommendations with University Strategic Plan

APRC finds the goals and recommendations to be consistent with and supportive of the GSU Strategic Plan subject to:

Exploring ways to increase undergraduate class size for non-laboratory classes.