Anthropology

Mission Statement:

The mission statement of the Department of Anthropology at MichiganStateUniversity states:

As part of a land grant institution, the Department of Anthropology at MichiganStateUniversity is theoretically engaged and practice-oriented in its approaches to research and teaching. These approaches are grounded in fieldwork and a comparative perspective. We are engaged, committed scholars trying to make a difference in the lives of ordinary people.

Learning Outcomes/ Goals:

The undergraduate degree program in Anthropology (B.A. and B.S.) involves 30 credit hours in Anthropology, with the specific goals that:

  1. All Anthropology majors will develop an understanding of basic anthropological concepts, theories, and knowledge; students will understand how these ideas articulate with the ethical practice of anthropology
  2. All Anthropology majors will develop an appreciation and understanding of the similarities and differences among people through time and across the world; students will develop an appreciation and understanding of the role of culture in affecting both physical and also social differences and similarities among peoples;
  3. All Anthropology majors will develop an understanding of the process of critical thinking within the social sciences as it applies to the discipline of Anthropology, and will develop a command of the research tools that they will need to understand and engage with complex social and cultural issues as social scientists and also as citizens.

Activities in Support of Goals:

During the undergraduate program in Anthropology, students will progress toward these goals by developing the following specific skills:

  1. Students will demonstrate familiarity with the history of anthropological thought, and also the major schools of thought within the discipline.
  2. Students will demonstrate familiarity with the diversity of people and cultures in at least one geographic region, and over time.
  3. Students will demonstrate applying the methods of collecting, organizing, and analyzing data in at least one subfield of anthropology.
  4. Students will demonstrate competence in the reading and critical evaluation of information from the perspective of social science generally, and from the perspective of anthropological theory and anthropological ethics.
  5. Students will demonstrate their ability to use the library, web-based information sources, and other relevant resources to find information that they need to understand and evaluate new situations or problems.
  6. Students will demonstrate their ability to communicate their thoughts effectively orally and in writing.

Assessment Methods:

Student achievement of these specific outcomes will be evaluated by means of several evaluation criteria, including

  1. Student performance in the four courses that are required for all majors: specifically, ANP 201, 202, a methods course in one of the subfields of anthropology (selected from ANP 429, 441, 463, 464; all of which involve students directly in the collection, organization, and analysis of anthropological data), and the capstone course (ANP 489).
  2. Student performance in a 300 or 400 level “area course” of the student’s choosing, and one 300 or 400 level “topical/analytical course,” both of which will engage students in critical reading, research, and writing.
  3. Student performance in the anthropology capstone course, which involves students in articulating and exploring common themes within the discipline of Anthropology, including, for example: critical evaluation of the ethical practice of anthropology and the nature of anthropological data; reflection on the role of anthropology in people’s lives and in social science research; and an evaluative self-study in which students reflect on the impact of their education in anthropology on their own views, interests, and career options.
  4. Student participation and performance in study abroad programs, internships, service learning opportunities, faculty research projects, volunteer work, Departmental outreach events, Anthropology Club activities, and other programs that foster experiential learning and the extension and application of anthropological knowledge beyond the classroom.

Assessment Results:

-None listed

Action Taken:

- None listed

Future Plan:

In order to assess the success of the Anthropology undergraduate degree program in helping students achieve these specific outcomes and desired goals, the Department proposes the following strategy:

1. The Department will participate in the College of Social Science web-based exit interview, and will encourage students to participate in this interview within the context of the senior capstone course.

2. The Department will use the capstone course, the one course that is common to all majors and that is not open to non-majors, as the vehicle for collecting information that will allow the Department to evaluate the success of its majors in realizing the goals of the Department. Evaluation information collected in this class will include, for example, open-ended exit interviews with students, student self-studies, and self-reporting of student participation in experiential learning. The number of majors in Anthropology (40 to 50 per year) makes it feasible to involve all senior Anthropology majors in this process. The instructor of the Capstone course is charged with collecting and organizing student information, and with communicating the results of relevant evaluations with the Undergraduate Curriculum and Programs Committee and with the Department as a whole.

3. The Undergraduate Advisor will assist in the collection and organization of data regarding student participation in experiences outside of the classroom setting.

4. The Undergraduate Curriculum and Programs Committee is charged with the collection, organization, and evaluation of qualitative and quantitative data regarding majors that is available from the University, including criteria such as course grades, graduate school test scores, and the like.

5. The Undergraduate Curriculum and Programs Committee is charged with working with the instructor of the capstone course and the Undergraduate Advisor to draft an annual report to the Department that integrates the students’ views of their performance and of their training with other indicators of their performance (such as course grades), particularly in the methods courses and in the capstone course. This report will include an evaluation of the overall undergraduate program, the success of the program in assisting students achieve specific skill outcomes and Departmental goals, and recommendations regarding program content, assessment, and instruction.

Summary: Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology

Proposed Goals, Outcomes, and Strategies

Goals / Specific expected outcome (skill) / Strategy
(learning context)
Goal 1. All Anthropology majors will have an understanding of basic anthropological concepts, theories, and knowledge; students will understand how these ideas articulate with the ethical practice of anthropology. / Students will demonstrate familiarity with the history of anthropological thought, and also the major schools of thought within the discipline.
Students will demonstrate competence in applying the methods of collecting, organizing, and analyzing data in at least one subfield of anthropology / Students should learn these basic concepts in ANP 201, 202
Students will learn the methods of data analysis in at least one subfield in an anthropological methods course (ANP 429, 441,463, or 464)
The issue of ethics in Anthropology is discussed in every course, and explored in detail particularly in the capstone course
Goal 2. All Anthropology majors will obtain an appreciation and understanding of the similarities and differences among people through time and across the world; students will have an appreciation and understanding of the role of culture in affecting both physical and also social differences and similarities among peoples. / Students will demonstrate familiarity with the diversity of people and cultures in at least one geographic region, and over time / Students learn this in ANP 201 and 202 and also in at least one required 400-level “area course”
Students are encouraged to participate in experiential learning through Study Abroad, volunteer work, service learning, or other out-of-classroom experience.
Goal 3. All Anthropology majors will understand the process of critical thinking within the social sciences as it applies to the discipline of Anthropology, and will command the research tools that they will need to understand and engage with complex social and cultural issues as citizens and also as social scientists. / Students will be able to read critically and evaluate what they read within the perspective of social science generally and also from the perspective of anthropological theory.
Students will demonstrate their ability to use the library and other relevant sources to find information that they need to understand and evaluate new situations or problems.
Students will demonstrate their ability to communicate their thoughts effectively orally and in writing / Nearly every 400 level area course or topical/analytical course involves critical reading, library research, writing, and presentation skills.
Students take at least 6 courses (18 credits) at the 400 level.
The capstone course particularly fosters critical examination of the role of an anthropological perspective throughout a student’s life, regardless of that student’s career path.