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Program Director Self-Study Report
For Program:
Psychology
Submitted by Program Director Name:
Kathryn L. Hamilton
Year:
2012
Planning and Review Committee
1.
UW-STOUT’S STRATEGIC PLAN
1.1 Describe how the program relates to UW-Stout's Strategic Plan.
1.1.1 Describe early and ongoing experiential learning opportunities to students
within the program.
Students are required to complete 3 courses in the psychology major to develop
and hone their skill in research. In two of the courses, Psyc 190: Psychological
Research Methods and Psyc 390: Experimental Psychology, students
participate in the research process by developing research proposals and/or
completing empirical research projects. Students are encouraged to complete
Psychological Research Methods during their freshman year, and Experimental
Psychology is usually completed during the junior or senior year.
Outside of the research methods courses, there are 2 additional lab-based
selective courses—Cogs 101: Introduction to Cognitive Science with
Laboratory and Psyc 391: Applied Psychophysiological Methods. Cogs 101 is
appropriate for students at the freshman and sophomore level, whereas Psyc
391 is appropriate for students at the junior and senior level.
Students are also required to participate in at least one experiential learning
activity from the following list of choices:
Psyc 298, 398, or 498: Psychology Field Experience
Psyc x49: Psychology Co-op Experience
Psyc 480: Individual Research Project I
Psyc 481: Individual Research Project II
Psyc x99: Independent Study
Based on the student’s interests and career plans, they are advised to participate
in one or more of these experiences during their academic career. These
opportunities are permitted for students at the sophomore, junior, and senior
level.
Students also receive practical experience with career preparation in Psyc 300:
Psyc Seminar II – Career Development. In this course, juniors and seniors
receive training in and practice skills for successful application to graduate
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school and entrance into the workforce. Activities included in this course are
writing resumes, cover letters, and graduate school application personal
statements, interviewing for jobs and graduate school, and developing realistic
plans to achieve their professional goals upon graduation.
1.1.2 What are the initiatives used to increase and support program enrollment,
student retention and graduation rates?
Recruitment activities have included participation in Career Valley (a local
informational fair about occupations and colleges in the Chippewa Valley),
collaboration with the campus chapter of Psi Chi International Honor Society
to bring guest speakers to campus which may be of interest to local high
schools (each year local high schools are invited to attend), and participation in
on-campus recruiting events through Admissions. More recently, the program
has started sending electronic promotional materials to students expressing
interest in psychology. Informally, Psyc 110: General Psychology has also
served as a recruitment tool to recruit undeclared students and students looking
to change their major when the students learn about topics of interest to them.
The recent revision of the undergraduate psychology program included the
development of one seminar and revision of another to help students with
developmentally appropriate activities to facilitate success in the psychology
major and prepare for post-graduation planning:
• Psyc 100: Psyc Seminar I – Foundations was revised to include more
information about career exploration in psychology and a more
intentional discussion of opportunities to develop students interests, and
• Psyc 300: Psyc Seminar II – Career Development was developed to
help students with decision-making surrounding entrance to graduate
school and/or entrance into the workforce.
The Department of Psychology provides the Psychology Student Center
(through funding from Access to Learning) as a service to the students in the
major. The Psychology Student Center provides tutoring services for the
courses in the major, along with peer academic advising. The center maintains
a library of resources for writing in psychology and graduate school admissions
(e.g., graduate school programs, graduate school entrance exam preparation).
1.1.3 Respond to the program facts and your program’s creative endeavors
related to the diversity aspects of Inclusive Excellence: “UW-Stout’s plan
to intentionally integrate diversity efforts into the core aspects of everything
we do. Diversity is broadly defined and includes, but is not limited to,
race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age and disability status.”
Several courses within the psychology major explicitly discuss topics in
diversity, such as Psyc 280: Forensic Psychology, Law, and Ethics, Psyc
340/540: Individual and Group Differences, Psyc 350: Culture and Psychology,
Psyc 355: Clinical and Counseling Psychology, Psyc 361: Abnormal
Psychology, and Psyc 382/582: Human Resource Management.
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Psyc 350: Culture and Psychology has been approved as a Racial and Ethnic
Studies category B course, and Psyc 382: Human Resource Management
fulfills part of the Global Perspective Requirement within General Education
as well.
Faculty within the department have recently engaged in collaborative research
with students on a number of topics related to diversity, including research on
minority students’ academic development, studies evaluating factors related to
individuals’ openness to diversity, research on racial stereotypes and video
game violence, and studies of neurological differences between individuals
with and without military combat experience (and post-traumatic stress
disorder symptoms).
1.1.4 Describe the environmental sustainability initiatives of your program:
“UW-Stout’s attempt to make students, faculty, and staff more aware of the
importance of sustaining our environment through energy conservation,
waste reduction, and other measures that will not bring harm to the
environment, and to provide students with innovative research opportunities
in these areas.”
Psyc 281: Environmental Psychology provides content in the area of
environment-person interactions, including topics in how people affect the
environment and how the environment affects people. Recently, Psyc 281 was
revised to Psychology for Sustainability and has been approved to also address
topics in Social Responsibility and Ethical Reasoning (General Education
course).
1.1.5 List various training and development opportunities of core faculty
teaching within your program.
In recent years, all new faculty and academic staff have attended the New
Instructor Workshop sponsored by the Nakatani Teaching and Learning
Center. In addition, all new faculty members receive an individual 2-hour
orientation and training session on academic advising at the beginning of their
first semester in the department. The program director provides further ongoing
individualized academic advisement training to faculty, on an as-needed basis.
Faculty in the Department of Psychology are encouraged to attend on-campus
and off-campus professional development activities, including workshops and
seminars, along with attending and presenting at conferences on teaching
topics, such as:
• Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning,
• International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning
Conference, and
• Society for the Teaching of Psychology Conference at Midwestern
Psychological Association.
Faculty members also attend and present at conferences associated with their
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areas of research, such as:
• American Evaluation Association Conference,
• Society of Industrial & Organizational Psychology,
• Society for Psychophysiological Research Meeting,
• Society for Personality and Social Psychology,
• Midbrains Conference,
• International Congress of Psychology and Law,
• Southeastern Psychological Association Annual Meeting, and
• Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Meeting.
The Department of Psychology has been able to at least partially defray the
cost of travel for faculty in the program.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM
2.1
Curriculum Design
2.1.1 State the program objectives.
APA guidelines, which the B.S. in Psychology Program has adopted, include ten
goals broken into two categories, 1) Knowledge, Skills, and Values Consistent
with the Science and Application of Psychology, and 2) Knowledge, Skills, and
Values Consistent with Liberal Arts Education that are Further Developed in
Psychology.
Knowledge, Skills, and Values Consistent with the Science and Application of
Psychology
Goal 1. Knowledge Base of Psychology
Students will demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical
perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.
Goal 2. Research Methods in Psychology
Students will understand and apply basic research methods in psychology,
including research design, data analysis, and interpretation.
Goal 3. Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology
Students will respect and use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and,
when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and
mental processes.
Goal 4. Application of Psychology
Students will understand and apply psychological principles to personal, social,
and organizational issues.
Goal 5. Values in Psychology
Students will be able to weigh evidence, tolerate ambiguity, act ethically, and
reflect other values that are the underpinnings of psychology as a discipline.
Knowledge, Skills, and Values Consistent with Liberal Arts Education that are
Further Developed in Psychology
Goal 6. Information and Technological Literacy
Students will demonstrate information competence and the ability to use
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computers and other technology for many purposes.
Goal 7. Communication Skills
Students will be able to communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
Goal 8. Sociocultural and International Awareness
Students will recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of sociocultural
and international diversity.
Goal 9. Personal Development
Students will develop insight into their own and others’ behavior and mental
processes and apply effective strategies for self-management and selfimprovement.
Goal 10. Career Planning and Development
Students will emerge from the major with realistic ideas about how to implement
their psychological knowledge, skills, and values in occupational pursuits in a
variety of settings.
2.1.2
What are the initiatives used to determine the need for program revision,
including but not limited to program enrollment, student retention or
student graduation rates.
Several sources of information are used to determine whether and when
program and course revisions are needed, including:
• Program Advisory Committee feedback,
• Departmental faculty feedback,
• Students’ academic progress,
• Students’ success in graduate school applications,
• Program enrollments,
• Recent alumni job placements,
• Field experience and cooperative education student evaluations,
• Results from surveys of graduating seniors,
• Research projects accepted for presentations,
• Course evaluations,
• Results of the ETS Major Field Test (senior exit exam)
• Assessment in major reports,
• University follow-up studies, and
• Review of the American Psychological Association Graduate Study in
Psychology Curriculum Annual Publication
2.1.3 Is your program defined as a distance learning program (yes/no)? – Or
delete all together.
No
2.1.4
Give examples and explain the ways in which the program intentionally
integrates diversity efforts, functions and contributes to the program.
As described in section 1.1.3, several courses within the psychology major
explicitly discuss topics in diversity, such as Psyc 280: Forensic Psychology,
Law, and Ethics, Psyc 340/540: Individual and Group Differences, Psyc 350:
Culture and Psychology (also serves as a Racial and Ethnic Studies course),
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Psyc 355: Clinical and Counseling Psychology, Psyc 361: Abnormal
Psychology, and Psyc 382/582: Human Resource Management (also serves as
a Global Perspective course).
Faculty members engage in collaborative research with students on a number
of topics related to diversity, as described in section 1.1.3. These projects have
resulted in conference presentations, such as:
•
•
•
•
2.1.5
Dresler, C., Valesquez, T., Neuenfeldt, R., Falkofske, Z, Budd, D., &
Donnelly, M. (2011, May). The effect of combat on affective reactions to
emotional images. Poster presented at Midwestern Psychological
Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Huckaby, S. J., Wood, S. E., Tafalla, R. J., Nordstrom, A. T., Bringgold, G.
W., Haasch, K. M., & Pollack, A. C. (2011, May). Racial stereotypes and
violent video games. Poster presented at Midwestern Psychological
Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Tafalla, R. J., Wood, S. E., Albers, S., Irwin, S., & Mann, E. (2008, May)
Implicit racial stereotypes and violent video game performance. Poster
presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Meeting,
Chicago, Illinois.
Wolfgram, S., Jones, G., Han, S., & Sweat, J. (2012, October). High impact
practices predicted student engagement in white and minority students.
Panel Presentation at the 2012 Annual Convention of International Society
of Teaching and Learning. Hamilton, Canada.
UW-Stout “programs are presented through an approach to learning
which involves combining theory, practice and experimentation” (Mission
Statement). Briefly describe the components of your program where
students participate in scholarly activity such as: research, scholarship,
experiential learning and creative endeavor.
The psychology major is designed to provide theory, application, and
experimentation across the curriculum.
According to the American Psychological Association, all students in
psychology should be exposed to psychological content and theory in 4 major
areas: Learning/Cognition, Social/Personality, Biological Bases, and
Developmental. These 4 content areas are represented within the psychology
major as the “Psychology Domains,” and all students must take at least one
course from each of these domains.
In the psychology major, students are also required to take at least 2 courses in
the “Applied” areas, which are applications of the 4 major content areas
described in the paragraph above. These applications focus on how psychology
can be applied to understand and/or solve real-world problems and relate to
career areas in psychology.
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Students are also introduced to empirical research as a method for obtaining
information early in the psychology major through Psyc 190: Psychological
Research Methods (typically in the freshman year). During that first research
methods course, students have the opportunity to try the research methods
presented in very structured ways and begin to develop data analysis skills for
research in psychology. In Psyc 290: Interpreting Psychological Research,
students learn more about data analysis and use software that is commonly
used in psychological research for data analysis. Last, in Psyc 390:
Experimental Psychology, students use the skills acquired so far to develop a
research question of their own, write a research proposal to obtain approval
from the Institutional Review Board to do their research, and complete the
research project.
Finally, students must complete an experiential activity in psychology: a field
experience or cooperative educational experience, independent research
project, or independent study. Students select the experiential activity that best
fits their interests and needs and work in consultation with one or more faculty
members to complete their experiential activity. Students are also able to do
more than one experiential activity, and they are encouraged to begin
developing plans for their independent experiential activities during their
sophomore year.
2.1.6
Does your program currently have an accreditation or certification agency
that reviews the program? If so, which agency and to what extent do they
influence the structure of the curriculum?
No; there is no accreditation available for undergraduate psychology programs.
2.2 Faculty/Academic Staff Expertise
2.2.1
List the key people in the curriculum. A key instructor is one who teaches
at least one required professional course in your program.
Faculty teaching required courses in the psychology major are:
• Desiree Budd, PhD (Psyc 290: Interpreting Psychological Research,
Psyc 390: Experimental Psychology; specialty in cognitive psychology)
• Kathryn Hamilton, PhD (Psyc 100: Psychology Seminar I –
Foundations, Psyc 190: Psychological Research Methods, Psyc 300:
Psychology Seminar II – Career Preparation; specialty in biological
psychology)
• Bethany Jurs, PhD (Psyc 290: Interpreting Psychological Research;
specialty in cognitive psychology)
• Christopher Moyer, PhD (Psyc 190: Psychological Research Methods,
Psyc 320: History and Systems in Psychology; specialty in counseling
psychology)
• Alicia Stachowski, PhD (Psyc 190: Psychological Research Methods;
specialty in industrial/organizational psychology)
• Sarah Wood, PhD (Psyc 390: Experimental Psychology; specialty in
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social psychology)
Additional faculty teaching in content areas are:
• Kori Callison, PhD (specialty in industrial/organizational psychology)
• Suejung Han, PhD (specialty in counseling psychology)
• Mitchell Sherman, PhD (specialty in industrial/organizational
psychology)
• Susan Staggs, PhD (specialty in community psychology)
• Helen Swanson, PhD (specialty in developmental psychology)
• Richard Tafalla, PhD (specialty in social ecology)
2.2.2
What additional areas of faculty/academic staff expertise are currently
needed?
For the Fall 2012 semester, the department is employing 5 adjunct instructors
to cover courses equivalent to 62 credits, primarily at the undergraduate level.
This is a consistent pattern, with 56 and 48 credits of coursework covered by
adjunct instructors in the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 semesters, respectively. In
addition, during the Fall 2011, Spring 2012, and Fall 2012 semesters, faculty
members taught courses on an overload basis for a total of 6, 10, and 6 credits,
respectively. During the spring 2012 semester, the department completed 2
searches, filling a position in industrial/organizational psychology, but failing
to fill a position in applied psychology.
The department currently has 3 open tenure-track lines from recent retirements
and resignations. A consultation with the Department Chair revealed that she
currently identifies the most need in hiring new faculty with expertise and
interest in social psychology and research methods and statistics in psychology.
However, the Department Chair is currently working with the Department
Profile and Planning Committee to determine additional needed expertise areas.
At the present time, the department has at least one faculty member who can
teach the courses in the program curriculum. However, there is a lack of depth
in number of faculty who can teach specific courses. Thus, adjunct instructors
and/or faculty overloads must be used to allow the department to offer the
courses within the program. The department is currently discussing its hiring
strategy for the current academic year, including whether to search for one or
more faculty to fill needs. It is expected that the department will search for at
least one new faculty member during the 2012-2013 academic year, with
additional search(es) to commence in the 2013-2014 academic year.
2.3
Facilities
2.3.1
What special facilities and or capital equipment currently available are
utilized and how do they strengthen this program? What additional
facilities (special classrooms, labs, additional space involving minor
construction) have been requested and has that been filled?
Information presented below comes from the department’s laboratory
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coordinator and from the department chair:
Special facilities include 1 large teaching laboratory with three adjoining
small lab rooms, a separate lab suite with 8 office-sized rooms with entry
off of a central hallway. All of these rooms are connected by cable chases
to allow for adjoining rooms to be used in physiological data acquisition.
Each of the two areas (lab suite and teaching lab) is wired for closedcircuit video, with every room having at least one PTZ camera mount, for
the purpose of behavioral observation and behavior coding. Special
facilities are constructed so as to dampen sound somewhat, and outside
windows are covered with high-quality light blocking window shades.
Capital equipment includes approximately 25 desktop and 5 laptop
computers, including 2 Apple Macintosh computers. Also included are 13
4-channel physiological amplifiers (MP30/35/36/36R, Biopac Inc, Santa
Barbara, CA), with a large number of associated leads, transducers, and
devices for various types of physiological measurement. There is one
dedicated station for high density (128 channel) EEG (EGI, Inc., Eugene,
OR) with additional gear for polysomnography (EKG, EMG). There is one
dedicated station for behavior recording and analysis (Observer XT,
Noldus Software, Wageningen, Netherlands). Computers have a full suite
of software, including general purpose applications such as MS Office,
Photo-, audio-, and video-editing packages, along with special purpose
software such as SPSS/PASW, MatLab, NetStation, AcqKnowledge, and
Observer XT. There is also a device for continuous non-invasive blood
pressure recording (CNAP, CNSystems). Finally, there is a highresolution optical eye tracker (Eyelink 1000, SR Research, Toronto, ON)
that is housed in a lab in the Jarvis science building. Labs include
approximately 32 adjustable tables and desk chairs, movable dividers,
upright metal cabinets, 4 high definition televisions, 2 digital video
recorders, multiple white boards, digital video projectors (DLP type),
miscellaneous computer peripherals, disposable lab supplies for
physiological recording. The lab suite includes a double sink with hot
water supply, cabinets for cleaning supplies, a chest freezer and a
refrigerator, wire shelving racks, and a lockable rolling toolbox outfitted
with various tools for fabrication and repair of equipment. There is an
electronically controlled key-control cabinet in the lab suite.
The facilities and equipment described above support student activities in
the following courses: Psyc 190 Research methods, Psyc 390
Experimental Psychology, CNS 200/201 Introduction to Cognitive
Neuroscience with lab (which many psychology majors complete for
General Education), Psyc 391 Applied Psychophysiological Methods,
Psyc 432 Perception, Psyc 442 Cognitive Processes, Psyc 480/481
Independent Research. The present research facilities provide a unique
opportunity for students to participate in and conduct original
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psychological research. For students, this type of activity leads to a better
understanding of the scientific process. It also provides faculty with
flexible tools for demonstrating psychological principles and providing
students with hands-on experience.
Additional requests have been for improved physical infrastructure of the
laboratory space describe above, specifically as follows: 1) noise
transmission is a major problem, so rooms in the labs need better sound
isolation. Some sound isolation steps were included when the 208 lab was
renovated last year, but it wasn’t very carefully designed so sound
transmission is still a problem. 2) Electrical field interference (EMF) is a
major problem for electrophysiological recording, especially EEG. These
fields emanate from every AC electrical line in walls and ceilings, but are
especially strong around fans and compressors. The 202 Lab suite has a
problem in that there are three vending machines in the outer hallway that
are positioned so as to make EMF noise a problem in the labs with
adjoining walls. Requested have been made for at least one, and
potentially two subject enclosures that are electrically shielded (i.e.
Faraday cages). 3) Outside light is a major problem and money was
requested for special light-blocking blinds to help cope with this problem.
4) electronic card reader access was requested for all rooms, but only
delivered for outer hallway doors, while inner doors remain mechanically
keyed.
A separate Applied Research Experience laboratory has also been
requested, with the purpose of providing undergraduate students with
opportunities to engage in applied research in psychology, particularly
research that benefits regional organizations. Equipment and supplies for
this laboratory included computers and software (e.g., SAS Statistics and
Sequel software) for data querying and reporting, facilities and furniture to
provide focus groups and telephone interviews (e.g., conference room,
telephone banks, and recording devices), and psychological assessment
and test library to gain access to common tests used in psychological
research in applied settings. This separate laboratory space would provide
opportunities for applied research experiences in several undergraduate
courses, such as Psyc 190: Psychological Research Methods, Psyc 280:
Forensic Psychology, Law, and Ethics, Psyc 281: Environmental
Psychology (Psychology for Sustainability), Psyc 355: Clinical and
Counseling Psychology, Psyc 371: Introduction to Health Psychology,
Psyc 377: Consumer Psychology, Psyc 381: Industrial/Organizational
Psychology, Psyc 382: Human Resources Management, Psyc 390:
Experimental Psychology, Psyc 403: Employee Reward Systems, and
Psyc 480/481: Individual Research Project. This new laboratory would
support research opportunities for students who are interested in gaining
experience in applications of psychology to areas such as business, law,
health, sustainability, and non-profit organizations and would facilitate
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students’ preparation for graduate school admission in applied areas of
psychology and entrance to the workforce.
2.4
Resources for the Program
2.4.1
Evaluate as to currency/up-to-datedness, quality, relevance, and quantity
of the library resources to support the program. List or describe any
information or service needs created over the past three years by
concentration and course changes and include a brief statement as to how
these needs have been met by the library.
Generally speaking, both faculty and students have indicated that there are
adequate resources to support program courses. When resources are not
available in the UW-Stout library, resources can also be obtained relatively
quickly through Inter-Library Loan or Universal Borrowing. With the recent
program revision, several new courses have been developed, including Psyc
280: Forensic Psychology, Law, and Ethics, Psyc 300: Psychology Seminar II
– Career Preparation, Psyc 333: Drugs and the Brain, Cogs 101: Cognitive
Science I with Laboratory, Psyc 350: Culture and Psychology, and Psyc 355:
Clinical and Counseling Psychology. The library has some resources to support
those courses, but many of those resources are more than 10 years old. In
previous years, the department liaison was successful in working with the
library to update resources. More recently, informal requests for new resources
have not yielded a response from the library. Faculty members have expressed
concern that there is a lack of journals to support their creative endeavors.
2.4.2
List any special resources used to meet program and/or student needs such
as: Academic Computing, Instructional Technology Services for
curriculum materials development, ASPIRE, Research Center, Media
Self-Instruction Lab, Academic Skills Center, etc. List or describe any
other resources which are needed to meet the program objectives with a
brief statement as to how these would enhance or maintain the
concentration quality.
• Psychology Student Center (funded through Access to Learning)
• Sona Systems (online program for maintaining a departmental research
participant pool; funded through Access to Learning)
• Qualtrics (online survey tool; provided by ARC)
• Major Field Test (our Senior Exit Exam from Educational Testing Service;
previously funded through Access to Learning, Provost’s Office, and
CEHHS Dean’s Office)
• Academic Computing – access to and support for SPSS
• ASPIRE – We offer 2 courses through the ASPIRE Program: General
Psychology and Interpersonal Effectiveness
• Honors College – We work with the Honors College to offer one section
of General Psychology each semester. Several students from the Honors
College have completed individual research projects with faculty from the
department.
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•
Research Services – Students in Psyc 390: Experimental Psychology use
Institutional Review Board resources to complete their research projects,
particularly to gain approval to do their research; students and faculty have
obtained research and travel funding through Research Services.
2.5 Assessment in the Major
2.5.1
3.
Attach your most recent Assessment in the Major report.
The internet link to the 2011 Assessment in Major report is at the end of the selfstudy document. Attached to the report is the 2012 Assessment in Major.
Supply evidence of the quality of the graduates of the program.
3.1 Describe the demand for graduates and anticipated changes or trends in such
positions/roles.
The psychology program focuses on development of skills in social research
(including information literacy, research design and application, and data analysis and
interpretation) and interpersonal communication, along with knowledge and
application of models for understanding behavior. Beyond their psychology training,
students are also required to complete a secondary area of depth (a minor or
specialization) to provide additional specialization of their education and experience.
This set of skills and experiences continues to allow our students to be competitive in
the job market.
Consistently, our students are gaining employment and/or continuing their education
within one year of graduation. In the 2010 employment survey, 100% of students were
either employed or continuing their education. In that year, 32% of students were
continuing their education, 42% of students were working in jobs related to
psychology, and 32% of students were working in jobs outside of psychology. In the
2011 employment survey, the results were similar; 98% of students were employed or
continuing their education, with 38% of students continuing their education, 40%
employed in jobs related to psychology, and 22% employed in jobs unrelated to
psychology.
There continues to be a large need in the area of human services, including
opportunities for direct care in group homes and assisted living sites, along with
organizations that provide services to individuals with special needs. There is also a
need for individuals in administrative and supervisory positions. Our students’
coursework and field experience prepare them for entrance into these types of
positions. Responses to alumni surveys indicate that graduates are employed in a
variety of positions, including positions in human services (e.g., counselor, student
coordinator, psychiatrist assistant), human resource management, education, research,
government, management, and marketing.
Unfortunately, state and federal spending cuts may affect opportunities for
employment with government agencies and organizations that rely on funding from
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those sources.
3.2 Interpret the data from the Planning, Assessment, Research and Quality (PARQ)
office of the alumni follow-up surveys.
Responses to the General Survey completed by PARQ indicated that students were
generally pleased with their education at UW-Stout and within the psychology major.
Respondents indicated that the believed that their education provided better
preparation than the education received by other employees hired at the same time and
the majority indicated that the value (in terms of time and financial investment) of
their education was acceptable to exceptional.
General education outcomes were generally good, with respondents indicating that
their general education experience at UW-Stout helped them to write, speak, and listen
effectively and use analytic reasoning and critically analyze information. The majority
of respondents also indicated that their experience at UW-Stout contributed to their
personal development in a variety of ways, including making decisions (ethically),
working in teams, and developing leadership skill. Generally speaking, ratings were
higher among alumni who graduated 5 year ago versus 1 year ago. One hypothesis is
that alumni farther removed from graduation are better able to recognize their own
development of skills from college, perhaps because entry-level positions do not
provide as many opportunities to recognize skill development as more advanced
positions.
In the written comments on the General Survey, a consistent concern was the lack of
preparation for entry into the workforce following graduation. In both of these
graduating classes, there was not yet a career preparation course. However, that
concern is being addressed with the 2011 revision to the program. As described in
sections 1.1.1 and 1.1.2, students are now required to take a 1-credit junior-level career
preparation seminar to assist with the process for obtaining employment or gaining
entry into graduate school after graduation, and there is additional career preparation
content in the freshman-level foundations seminar.
3.3 Interpret the major results from your Program Specific Surveys (students,
faculty and advisory committee) conducted by the Planning and Review
Committee.
The general consensus from the numeric ratings on the Program Specific Surveys is
that the undergraduate program in psychology provides a solid education in
psychology. Both students and instructors in the program indicate that the quality of
instruction is good and the coursework and content are relevant and current.
From the students’ perspective, the major provides an opportunity to improve written
and oral communication skills and development of critical thinking and problem
solving skills. Students are also generally pleased with the quality of the instruction
that they receive, how they are evaluated in the classroom, and the time it takes to
complete the degree. The majority of students would choose this program again, if
they were able to start college over again.
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The students’ written comments are generally consistent with their numeric ratings,
and students believe that the professors are knowledgeable and helpful both inside and
outside of the classroom. Many students also commented that the development of
research and writing skills, along with course offerings in a variety of psychology
disciplines, were strengths of the program. Students’ perceptions of weaknesses
included some unnecessary overlap of course content, lack of coursework in areas of
interest to them (e.g., some students reported that they thought that there was too much
emphasis on research and not enough on clinical/counseling skills while others had the
opposing viewpoint), difficulties with course scheduling, and insufficient lab space.
Students’ recommendations for improving the program include providing more
opportunities for application of theoretical information and opportunities for career
development.
From the core faculty members’ perspective, the major provides a quality education in
psychology. They rated that the program director is providing leadership to the
program while also including the faculty in decision making regarding the program.
They also believe that the department offers courses when they are needed for the
program, provide strong clerical support for the courses, and provides adequate
equipment and supplies for course instruction. From the numeric ratings, faculty
members perceive that students’ preparation for beginning courses is adequate and that
when students graduate, their mastery of degree content is also adequate.
The written comments from faculty are somewhat consistent with comments from
students in that faculty also perceive strengths of the program to be the research
courses and diverse course topics. Interestingly, the diverse course topics are also
viewed as a weakness by some faculty, as those faculty are concerned with a lack of
students’ development of basic concepts in psychology because of the breadth of
course offerings.
The program advisory committee’s written comments support those of the faculty and
students. In addition, the program advisory committee largely felt that they were
informed of the status of the program and were able to contribute to improvement
efforts for the program. The program advisory committee also suggested that
application of course content to “the real world” is an area for continued growth.
One interesting finding from these reports is the dichotomy between faculty and
student perceptions on content overlap and development of skill. Faculty reported that
they sometimes feel that students do not develop research skill and/or knowledge of
basic psychological principles. However, students indicate that there is overlap in
course content. One hypothesis is that the overlap in course content may be the result
of faculty members’ concern that students are not developing skill or knowledge in an
area. This may also explain the ratings that faculty gave with regard to preparation for
entrance into courses.
4.
Supply evident of continuous improvement efforts of the program.
15
4.1 Describe the strengths and unique features of your program that distinguish it
from similar programs. What are the weaknesses of the program?
The learning objectives for the BS in Psychology provide a holistic educational
experience for the student. The learning objectives for the BS in Psychology focus on
students’ experiencing the major content areas of psychology to gain knowledge of the
breadth of psychology, developing skill in research methodology and data analysis and
interpretation, applying basic psychological principles and knowledge to practical
problems, and developing and using critical thinking and ethical decision-making
skills. The learning objectives for the BS in Psychology also focus on more generic job
skills, including information and technology literacy, oral and written communication
skills, appreciation of diversity, and career preparation. Consistent with these learning
objectives, the BS in Psychology program includes:
• 8 credits in research methods, and 5 credits in statistics (according to the MS
in Applied Psychology Program Director, this level of training is greater than
that received by applicants with psychology backgrounds from other
universities),
• Coursework in applied areas of psychology where the major content areas are
applied to “real-world” problems and career areas,
• A flexible program plan to allow for specialization within the major to support
diverse career paths,
• A two-part career preparation seminar series to prepare students for postgraduation career planning,
• Required experiential learning activities (i.e., individual research project, field
experience, or independent study), and
• Opportunities for students to engage in faculty-student collaborative research
and attend conferences to present that research
Because of these strengths, the BS in Psychology program prepares students for entry
into the workforce in a variety of positions, including business, human services,
government, and customer service. The program also prepares students for entry into
graduate programs in all areas of psychology. Graduates of the psychology program
have entered graduate programs in clinical, counseling, applied, cognitive, social, and
biological psychology in recent years. Thus, a major strength of the program is the
consistently high employment/continuing education rate of psychology graduates.
One area of growth for the program and for the students is development of skills in
writing. Students have several opportunities through their courses to develop their
writing skills, but preliminary evidence from program assessment suggests that the
program needs to do more to improve writing skills.
A second area of growth is an evaluation of the research methods course sequence to
determine a developmentally appropriate level of overlap. This was a recommendation
from the previous PRC evaluation (see below), but it appears that this issue was not
addressed during this last review period.
A third area of growth is in preparation for the field experience in psychology.
16
Students have expressed concern with the process for obtaining a field experience. In
psychology, students find their own field experience site, but the field experience
coordinator (usually the program director) provides suggestions for field experience
locations and provides support for developing skills for finding a field experience.
However, because students indicate that they find it challenging to locate a site, this
suggests that additional preparation for finding a field experience is needed.
A fourth area of growth is continued assistance with students’ post-graduation
planning. The new career preparation course, the existing experiential learning
opportunities (e.g., field experience), and opportunities to attend research conferences
allows for such experiences, but other activities could include interaction with recent
alumni and professionals in the field.
4.2 Submit evidence of program response to the concerns and recommendations in
your previous program review.
Concern: A few faculty are viewed as lacking the required background and/or teaching
skills necessary to deliver the course content
Response: New faculty have been added to the program in recent years, including
faculty with backgrounds and expertise in biological psychology, cognitive
psychology/cognitive science, community psychology, counseling psychology,
cultural psychology, and industrial/organizational psychology. New faculty
members participate in the New Instructor Workshop offered through the
Nakatani Teaching and Learning Center and receive training from the Program
Director regarding academic advising. Newer faculty also have departmental
mentors to seek guidance from regarding teaching issues.
Concern: The program advisory committee has not been active for the past year (see
Addendum)
Response: The program advisory committee has met at least once per year during
this review period. Under leadership of the new program director, the program
advisory committee met twice in the 2011-2012 academic year.
Concern: The Psychology Department is in need of full-time faculty who are qualified to
teach the numerous courses that the discipline covers
Response: As described above, new faculty have been added to the program,
including faculty with backgrounds and expertise in biological psychology,
cognitive psychology/cognitive science, community psychology, counseling
psychology, cultural psychology, and industrial/organizational psychology. The
department has an on-going need to fill vacant positions due to retirements and
resignations. The program director is a member of the Department Profile and
Planning Committee to assist the Department Chair with identifying expertise
areas needed to offer courses in the undergraduate program.
17
Concern: A moderate level of course overlap appears to exist among courses like
Research Methods and Experimental Psychology
Response: A certain level of overlap is required between Research Methods and
Experimental Psychology to facilitate development of skills in analytical thinking,
production of research, and writing. In the previous PRC self-study, the Program
Director indicated that this would be an area for evaluation and potential change,
to ensure that the level of overlap is developmentally appropriate. However, there
is no evidence that either activity occurred under the previous program director’s
leadership. This concern will be addressed as part of the ongoing improvement
plan.
Concern: Concern exists with regard to the availability/scheduling of program-related
courses
Response: During the last academic year, the Program Director has been actively
involved with the Department Chair in the course scheduling process.
Development of a regular rotation of selective courses is ongoing. All required
courses in the psychology major are offered frequently—at least once per year.
The majority of required courses is offered during each academic semester. The
department is working to ensure that required courses do not overlap in time.
Concern: Students appear to be unclear in advisement regarding career and higher
education opportunities
Response: In accordance with both the recommendation of the PRC in 2005-2006
and the APA learning objectives regarding career and professional planning, the
program revision in 2011 included strengthening Psyc 100: Psyc Seminar I –
Foundations and adding Psyc 300: Psyc Seminar II – Career Development. Psyc
100 was revised from a 1-credit introduction to the psychology major and to
college to a 2-credit introduction to the profession of psychology, which includes
exposure to career and academic areas in psychology, higher education
opportunities, and early skill development for successful completion of the
psychology major. Psyc 300 was developed as a 1-credit course to develop postgraduation plans and prepare for job search and graduate school application
processes.
4.3 In the next seven years, what are the major improvements or changes you plan to
implement to improve program quality?
To address the on-going concern regarding content overlap between courses, primarily
Research Methods, Interpreting Psychology Research, and Experimental Psychology,
the Program Director will consult with core faculty and the Department Chair to
streamline the courses.
To improve writing skills among psychology majors, the program has begun a writing
assessment to determine students’ development of writing skills, along with areas of
18
improvement among graduating students. Pending results of the ongoing assessment,
changes to the required courses may be made to encourage improvement of writing
among graduating seniors.
The field experience coordinator (typically the program director) will be working to
provide additional training in job search strategies to psychology majors intending on
doing their field experience in psychology to prepare the students for obtaining a field
experience site.
The undergraduate program in psychology has been participating in the Major Field
Test (published by Educational Testing Service), for several years as part of the
ongoing assessment of program quality. The Major Field Test is a comprehensive
exam completed by seniors to determine the level of knowledge in psychological
theories and principles students have achieved upon completion of the psychology
major. The Major Field Test results also provide national comparisons to allow for
evaluation of the program at UW-Stout with other psychology programs. As program
faculty and the Program Advisory Committee continue to evaluate the data from this
test, the program will be further assessed for areas of improvement. Although this test
was previously funded through Access to Learning, the Provost’s Office, and CEHHS
Dean’s Office, new funding sources need to be obtained for continuation of this exam.
5.
Attachments-Please include electronic links.
5.1 Submit any other information or documentation that may be helpful to the
Planning and Review Committee in reviewing the quality of the program
including interpretation of data from Institutional Research and PRC data.
5.2 Links of specific program information to be included:
• Program plan sheet
o http://www.uwstout.edu/programs/bspsyc/upload/bspsyc_pp.pdf
• Current assessment in the major (2011 assessment report)
o https://info.uwstout.edu/UWStout%20Document%20Library/Quality/U
niversity%20Assessment/Undergraduate%20Assessment%20in%20the
%20Major/2011/UndergraduateAssessmentintheMajorReport20110430
.pdf
• Individual program facts
o PARQ Program Facts:
https://info.uwstout.edu/UWStout%20Document%20Library/Students/
Program%20Facts/Psychology/2011/PsychologyReport20111231.pdf
o 4-year Recommended Plan: (NOTE: The program director has
requested to have this document posted on the program website. As of
the self-study due date, this document has not yet been posted. The 4year recommended plan document is attached to the self-study.)
o 3-year Recommended Plan:
http://www.uwstout.edu/programs/bspsyc/upload/bspsyc_seq12.pdf
• Current program advisory committee
19
o http://www.uwstout.edu/admin/provost/progcommittees.cfm (NOTE:
The Program Advisory Committee website is not yet updated, as of the
submission date for this self-study. The current Program Advisory
Committee is attached to the self-study.)
• Other items requested by the consultant
Assessment in Major
Undergraduate Program Report
Annual Update
Program Director: Dr. Kathryn Hamilton
Assessment Committee Chair: Dr. Suejung Han
Program Name: BS in Psychology
Date Submitted: October 12, 2012
This document serves to report findings for the Assessment in Major of the BS in Psychology
program, College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Wisconsin – Stout.
The assessment was completed during the 2011/2012 academic year using the most current data
from multiple sources. The data presented here include students on the BA in Psychology
program plan and the BS in Psychology program plan.
As outlined in the department’s Assessment in Major plan submitted and approved by UW-Stout
administration in 2006, the following data were used to measure student learning and program
improvement. Reported here are only those data that reflect the most direct measures of student
learning:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Grade Point Averages
Senior Comprehensive Exam
Field Experience and Coop Evaluations
Writing Quality Assessment
Employment Reports
Exit Surveys of Graduates
Alumni Survey
Grade Point Averages
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Method used: Statistical Mean
Number of students involved: 187
Level of students involved: All
Data analysis techniques: Mean Scores
Results: The average GPA of the 187 students enrolled in the Fall 2012 (not including
new students) semester was 3.66. 50% of the enrolled students had a GPA of 3.0 or
higher.
F. How results were shared with key instructors: The Assessment Report and additional
related data will be shared with faculty and staff during the Fall 2012 semester.
G. Plans for improvements based on results: Improvements will be made based on the
recommendations that ensue from faculty and staff discussions. The Psychology
Department Curriculum Committee, BS in Psychology Program Advisory Committee,
and the Program Director will then proceed to implement those recommendations into
related curricula and associated courses.
Senior Comprehensive Exam
A. Method used: Administration of Psychology Major Field Test prepared by the
Educational Testing Service
B. Number of students involved: 20
C. Level of students involved: Seniors
D. Data analysis techniques: arithmetic means, percentile
E. Results: As students were nearing graduation during the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012
semesters they were asked to take a 2 hour, standardized senior comprehensive exam
focused on psychology content areas. During the 2011-2012 academic year, a subset of
students completed the Senior Exit Exam, on a voluntary basis.
We converted each individual student's raw scores (overall plus four subscales) into the
equivalent percentile rank, using the normative data to compare the individual student to
all other students who took the MFT in the same time period. Normative data were
supplied by ETS, who used all scores for all students (N appr. 30K) who took the test in
the years 2007-2009. The subscales are as follows: S1=Memory/Cognition a/Language
cluster, S2=Physiology/Ethology/Sensory cluster, S3=Personality/abnormal/clinical
cluster, S4=Social/developmental cluster.
S1:
Memory,
Cognition,
Language
S2:
Physiology,
Ethology,
Sensory
S3:
Personality,
Abnormal,
Clinical
S4: Social,
Developmental
46
43.9
38.2
43.8
45.2
43
39.3
44.7
46.6
43.3
37
37.4
36.2
34.7
35.4
Overall
2011/12
(N = 20)
2010/11
(N = 44)
2009/10
(N = 52)
F. How results were shared with key instructors: The Assessment Report and additional
related data will be shared with faculty and staff during the Fall 2012 semester.
G. Plans for improvements based on results: Improvements will be made based on the
recommendations that ensue from faculty and staff discussions. The Psychology
Department Curriculum Committee, BS in Psychology Program Advisory Committee,
and the Program Director will then proceed to implement those recommendations into
related curricula and associated courses.
Field Experience and Coop Evaluations
A.
B.
C.
D.
Method used: Performance Evaluations of field experience students by site supervisors.
Number of students involved: 59
Level of students involved: Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors
Data analysis techniques: arithmetic means and standard deviation
E. Results: Field Experience Evaluations: Upon completion of the Field Experience,
supervisors are asked to rate the student on a series of traits to give us a sense of whether
they have skills necessary for success after graduation. 59 students completed a Field
Experience during the 2011/12 Academic Year and received generally positive
evaluations from their supervisors. Students are rated on a 4-point Likert scale (4 =
Exceptionally High; 3 = Above Average; 2 = Average; 1 = Below Average). The table
below shows the average ratings on each of the 11 traits assessed.
Quality of Work
Quantity of Work
Judgment
Initiative
Dependability
Interpersonal Skills
Work Habits
Ability to Communicate
Response toward Supervision
Attitude toward Work
Professionalism
Mean
3.56
3.49
3.42
3.36
3.61
3.61
3.56
3.54
3.69
3.63
3.59
Standard
Deviation
.62
.68
.77
.85
.72
.62
.75
.68
.60
.74
.67
F. How results were shared with key instructors: The Assessment Report and additional
related data will be shared with faculty and staff during the Fall 2012 semester.
G. Plans for improvements based on results: Improvements will be made based on the
recommendations that ensue from faculty and staff discussions. The Psychology
Department Curriculum Committee, BS in Psychology Program Advisory Committee,
and the Program Director will then proceed to implement those recommendations into
related curricula and associated courses.
Writing Quality Assessment
A. Method used: Survey of instructor perceptions of overall writing quality of class using
CEHHS Writing Guidelines Rubric (i.e., not individual students)
B. Number of Instructors and Courses assessed: 7; Psyc 190: Psychological Research
Methods and Psyc 390: Experimental Psychology in 2011/2012
C. Level of students involved: All
D. Data analysis techniques: Average
E. Results: Beginning this year, instructors of Psyc 190: Research Methods and Psyc 390:
Experimental Psychology (courses that include writing-intensive assignments) assessed
the students’ writing quality using the rubric that was developed based on the CEHHS
Writing Guidelines. On a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Limited Proficiency/Beginning to 4 =
Exemplary), instructors assessed students’ writing on the following items:
Criteria/Performance of area
Purpose or Thesis/ Focus
Content
Organization and Logical Structures
Feel
Tone
Sentence Structure
Word Choice
Grammar, Spelling, Writing Mechanics
Length/ Format Presentation
Use of References
Quality of References
Use of Most Recent Edition of APA manual, UWStout Library Website
PSYC190 PSYC390
2.47
2.38
2.00
1.67
2.00
1.50
2.33
1.33
2.33
1.75
1.67
2.25
2.00
2.50
2.83
2.75
2.83
2.75
2.50
2.00
3.00
1.50
2.17
2.75
Overall
2.41
1.83
1.71
1.83
2.00
2.00
2.29
2.79
2.79
2.21
2.14
2.50
F. How results were shared with key instructors: The Assessment Report and additional
related data will be shared with faculty and staff during the Fall 2012 semester.
G. Plans for improvements based on results: Improvements will be made based on the
recommendations that ensue from faculty and staff discussions. The Psychology
Department Curriculum Committee, BS in Psychology Program Advisory Committee,
and the Program Director will then proceed to implement those recommendations into
related curricula and associated courses.
Employment Reports
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Method used: Data supplied by Career Services
Number of students involved: 64
Level of students involved: Graduates
Data analysis techniques: percentages, raw scores, arithmetic means
Results:
Trends: Average Salary of Graduates
2006/2007 2007/2008
Psychology $28,000/yr $29,000/yr
2008/2009
$24,000/yr
2009/10
$24,000/yr
2010/2011
$29,000/yr
Based on 2010/2011 graduates
Of the 64 that graduated, 55 were available for employment
Gender:
47 female
17 males
Salary:
Max. salary $50,000
Avg. salary $29,000
Min. salary $18,000
Note: Only base salary is reported; no commissions, incentives, or bonuses.
F. How results were shared with key instructors: The Assessment Report and additional
related data will be shared with faculty and staff during the Fall 2012 semester.
G. Plans for improvements based on results: Improvements will be made based on the
recommendations that ensue from faculty and staff discussions. The Psychology
Department Curriculum Committee, BS in Psychology Program Advisory Committee,
and the Program Director will then proceed to implement those recommendations into
related curricula and associated courses.
Exit Surveys of Graduates
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Method used: Survey
Number of students involved: 36
Level of students involved: Graduates
Data analysis techniques: percentages
Results: Every year graduating students are asked to complete an exit survey to give their
impressions of the program. During this past year, 50 graduates completed the survey.
The graduates are assessed on a variety of issues relevant to their views on the BS in
Psychology program. Reported here are only the questions that relate to their perceptions
of how well they have been prepared in areas related to the Psychology Program
objectives. On a 7-point Likert scale (1 = Not Very to 7 = Very), students respond to the
following prompt:
Indicate how well you feel prepared, trained, and/or educated in the following areas:
A. Behaving in an ethical manner
B. Develop a more insightful understanding of the causes of my own
and others behavior.
C. Ability to perceive ambiguity in information and behavior in a
neutral and open manner.
D. Critical thinking.
E. Ability to apply psychological principles to personal issues.
F. Written communication skills.
G. Understanding of how to design a research project.
H. Oral communication skills.
I. Use of technology for professional activities.
J. Understanding of cultural diversity.
K. Knowledge of Psychology overall
L. Feel prepared to pursue a career/career-related training.
M. Develop a plan for pursuing a career
N. Understanding of psychological theories.
O. Understanding how to interpret research findings.
P. Understanding how to analyze statistical data.
Mean
6.53
6.42
6.25
6.22
6.19
6.08
6.08
6.03
5.97
5.86
5.83
5.74
5.67
5.56
5.33
5.26
H. How results were shared with key instructors: The Assessment Report and additional
related data will be shared with faculty and staff during the Fall 2012 semester.
I. Plans for improvements based on results: Improvements will be made based on the
recommendations that ensue from faculty and staff discussions. The Psychology
Department Curriculum Committee, BS in Psychology Program Advisory Committee,
and the Program Director will then proceed to implement those recommendations into
related curricula and associated courses.
Alumni Survey
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
Method used: Survey
Number of students involved: 24
Level of students involved: Alumni
Data analysis techniques: Average
Results: Every other year alumni are asked to complete a survey to give their impressions
of the program. During this past year, 24 graduates completed the survey. Reported here
are the questions that relate to their perceptions of how important the program objectives
are to their current or more recent job. On a 6-point Likert scale (1 = Not Very Important
to 6 = Very Important), students respond to the following prompt:
Please rate each of the following in terms of how important they are in your current or
most recent job:
Behaving in an ethical manner
Tolerate Ambiguity
Ability to apply psychological principles to personal issues.
Written communication skills.
Oral communication skills.
Understanding of cultural diversity.
Critical thinking.
Knowledge of Psychology overall
Use of technology for professional activities.
Understanding of how to design a research project.
Understanding of psychological theories.
Understanding how to interpret research findings.
Understanding how to analyze statistical data.
Mean
5.20
4.40
3.90
4.65
5.10
4.35
4.65
4.35
4.40
3.30
3.85
3.70
3.55
J. How results were shared with key instructors: The Assessment Report and additional
related data will be shared with faculty and staff during the Fall 2012 semester.
K. Plans for improvements based on results: Improvements will be made based on the
recommendations that ensue from faculty and staff discussions. The Psychology
Department Curriculum Committee, BS in Psychology Program Advisory Committee,
and the Program Director will then proceed to implement those recommendations into
related curricula and associated courses.
Summary of Findings:
The data presented here are for students who were enrolled and/or graduated as students in the
BA in Psychology and BS in Psychology programs that was revised and implemented in 2011.
Learning performance for this report has also been defined and measured by a number of factors.
Those factors include: grade point average (GPA), senior comprehensive exam, as well as field
experience and learning cooperative experience supervisor evaluations and serve to inform the
program on student learning. New this year, we included instructors’ assessment of writing
quality in our two research methods courses (which are also writing intensive).
The average GPA of the students currently enrolled in the Psychology program was 3.66. This
average is higher than last year’s average GPA (3.06). While GPA is not a perfect indicator of
student learning, it does suggest that overall students are doing well in the program. In addition,
we’ve completed our fourth year of using the senior comprehensive exam. The exam is a
standardized exam produced by ETS which allows us to assess student knowledge of the major
subfields of psychology and compare results over time and to students from across the country.
These data suggest that our students are performing similarly on this test across the three years.
Upon completion of Field Experience and Learning Cooperative Experiences, supervisors are
asked to rate students on 11 traits designed to offer a sense of whether they have skills necessary
for success after graduation. Over the 11 traits, using a 1 – 4 point Likert-type scale, the range of
mean scores was 3.36 – 3.69. These data suggest that overall students are doing well in their field
experience and that they are demonstrating important skills that are emphasized in many of the
program courses.
Starting this year, instructors of research sequence courses Psyc 190: Psychological Research
Methods and Psyc 390: Experimental Psychology assessed, following the CEHHS Writing
Guidelines, the overall writing quality of each class (i.e., not individual students). Using a 1-4
point Likert-type scale, the range of mean scores was 1.67-3.00 for Psyc 190 and 1.50-2.75 for
Psyc 390. This result indicates that students’ writing quality showed no improvement from
PSYC190 to Psyc 390. The limited consensus on the rubric among instructors or higher
expectations for Psyc 390 students than for Psyc 190 students may have biased the ratings.
The final category used to measure program quality and success was post-graduation outcomes.
For this category, measures were used: Exit Surveys of graduating seniors, Alumni survey, and
Employment Reports.
The exit survey of graduating seniors and the alumni survey give us information about a wide
variety of issues relevant to how students perceive the program. Many of the questions relate to
student satisfaction with the program, instructors, technology, etc. Also, as reported above, we
have students self-report how well prepared they feel with respect to the major program
objectives. As with past years, students and alumni reported that they felt well prepared in the
areas relevant to our program goals.
Based on 2011/2012 data, students graduating from the program were employed with an average
salary $29,000/year. Most of those employed had located to a position in Wisconsin and
Minnesota, but with a number of others finding work in states across the nation.
Achievements and Plans for Program Improvement
The 2011-2012 academic year was the first year of implementation of the new BS in Psychology.
All new courses for the revised program have been developed and offered at least once. The
majority of courses identified as requiring revision have been modified. Two courses are
currently being modified. The revision of the BS in Psychology to incorporate the new General
Education program is occurring during the 2012-2013 academic year.
A program priority for the 2011-2012 academic year was a review of the experiential component
of the program. The Program Advisory Committee provided feedback to revise the site
supervisor’s evaluation of students’ work at their field placement site. To allow for better
comparisons of achievement the APA learning objectives (also our program objectives), the
Program Advisory Committee recommended inclusion of a rating system for those learning
objectives in the evaluation, along with the current rating system for the general work
characteristics that are presented above. Further, the Program Advisory Committee
recommended that the site supervisor provide a mid-experience evaluation for formative
assessment and a final assessment at the end of the experience for summative assessment. Both
recommendations were implemented beginning in the Fall 2012 semester, and we will have those
additional data for the 2012-2013 Assessment in Major report. A determination of the most
suitable supervisor evaluation for other experiential learning options (Independent Research
Project and Independent Study) is ongoing.
During the 2011-2012 academic year, the Writing Quality Assessment was implemented for the
first time. Instructors were asked to evaluate their students’ writing skill in the final writing
assignment for Psyc 190: Psychological Research Methods and Psyc 390: Experimental
Psychology using the CEHHS Writing Guidelines Rubric. As discussed above, there are some
concerns with the implementation of this new initiative and the validity of the results because of
those concerns. However, the early results indicate that the level of students’ writing skill is not
improving as they progress through the major. Thus, we will continue to hone the Writing
Quality Assessment and collect data during the 2012-2013 academic year. As additional
information is collected, we will develop appropriate plans for improving student writing.
Four-Year Degree Option
B.S. in Psychology
Recommended Program Plan
(2011 Program Plan)
Your Program Plan Sheet lists the current graduation requirements for the Psychology Program. The
following is a suggested schedule you may use as a guideline to meet those stated requirements.
Fall Year 1
Psyc 100 – 2 cr
Psyc 110 – 3 cr
Engl 101/111 – 3 cr
Math 120 – 4 cr
Humanities/Social Science – 3 cr
Spring Year 1
Psyc 190 – 4 cr
Engl 102/112 – 3 cr
SPCOM 100 – 2 cr
Humanities/Social Science – 3 cr
Health/Physical Ed – 1 cr
Technology – 2 cr
TOTAL: 15 cr
Fall Year 2
Psyc Selective – 3 cr
Stat 130 – 2 cr
Humanities/Social Science – 3 cr
Humanities/Social Science – 3 cr
Natural Science w/ lab – 4 cr
Health/Physical Ed – 1 cr
TOTAL: 15 cr
Spring Year 2
Psyc 290 – 3 cr
Psyc Selective – 3 cr
Minor – 3 cr
Humanities/Social Science – 3 cr
Natural Science – 3 cr
TOTAL: 16 cr
Fall Year 3
Psyc Selective – 3 cr
Psyc Selective – 3 cr
Minor – 3 cr
Minor – 3 cr
Writing – 3 cr
TOTAL: 15 cr
Spring Year 3
Psyc Selective – 3 cr
Psyc 300 – 1 cr
Field Experience -2 cr
Minor – 3 cr
Minor – 3 cr
TOTAL: 15 cr
Fall Year 4
Psyc 390 – 4 cr
Minor – 3 cr
Minor – 3 cr
Psyc Selective – 3 cr
Elective – 2-3 cr
TOTAL: 15 cr
Spring Year 4
Psyc Elective – 2-3 cr
Psyc 420 – 3 cr
Minor – 3 cr
Elective – 3 cr
Elective – 3 cr
TOTAL: 15-16 cr
TOTAL: 14-15 cr
Total Credits: 120
Year 1 Credit Total
Fall: 15
Spring: 15
TOTAL: 30 cr
Year 2 Credit Total
Fall: 16
Spring: 15
TOTAL: 31 cr
Year 3 Credit Total
Fall: 15
Spring: 15
TOTAL: 30 cr
Year 4 Credit Total
Fall: 15-16
Spring: 14-15
TOTAL:29-31 cr
BS in Psychology
2012-2013 Program Advisory Committee
Elizabeth Buchanan, PhD; Endowed Chair in Ethics; Director, Center for Applied Ethics at UW-Stout
Austina Hapka; Psychology Student at UW-Stout
Jill Gamez; Executive Director at Arbor Place
Suejung Han, PhD; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology at UW-Stout
Bethany Jurs, PhD; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology at UW-Stout
Michael Lawler; Senior Rehabilitation Specialist; Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute
Jen Mans; Institutional Planner; Planning, Assessment, Research, and Quality Office at UW-Stout
Kelley Mendalski; Psychology Alumna; Resident Counselor at Positive Alternatives
Jon Menz; Business Services Manager at Workforce Resource, Inc.
Kristin Risley, PhD; Associate Professor, Department of English and Philosophy; Co-Director, UW-Stout
Writing Center at UW-Stout
Mitchell Sherman, PhD; Professor, Department of Psychology at UW-Stout
Helen Swanson, PhD; Professor, Department of Psychology at UW-Stout
Aryn VanderGalien; Psychology Alumna; MS School Counseling Graduate Student at UW-Stout
Elise Woik; Psychology Student at UW-Stout