B.S. APSS 1
Program Director Self-Study Report
for B.S. Applied Social Science
Submitted by Tina Lee, PhD
December 2015
Planning and Review Committee
1.
UW-STOUT’S STRATEGIC PLAN
1.1 UW-Stout's Strategic Plan – Respond to the following:
1.1.1 Describe early and ongoing experiential learning opportunities to students
within the program.
Students have ample experiential learning opportunities throughout the Applied Social
Science Curriculum. Students at all levels engage in higher-level thinking skills that
require them to apply knowledge to concrete, real-world problems. The APSS research
methods sequence provides students with the opportunity to learn research methods
through choosing and completing their own applied research projects. Students
frequently present their research at conferences, an impactful experience that mirrors
what professionals in their fields do as part of their jobs.
Study abroad opportunities are made available to students, an experience that allows
them to better understand cultural differences first hand. Many students also find their
own internships and most of these have involved applying their social science
knowledge and research skills in real-world settings. Students have worked in market
research, social services, and other fields. For example, one student found an
internship at a County Social Services agency. Her project was to create the agency’s
first-ever client satisfaction surveys and to analyze the data in order to prepare a
report. Another student landed an internship at Planned Parenthood in Milwaukee after
she discussed her APSS 300 and 400 projects on sexual health and sexual health
knowledge among freshman women at Stout.
More information can be found in section 2.1.4.
1.1.2 Describe program initiatives employed to support and/or increase student
enrollment, retention and graduation rates?
Efforts to increase enrollment include:
 Website Redesign: The program website was completely overhauled and
updated. A prospective students section was added with student profiles,
photos, career information, examples of student research, a calendar, and
information about student organizations.
 Landing Page: The program landing page was launched in fall of 2014 (we
were among the first programs to complete this process). This page better
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markets the program—succinctly presenting is strengths—and allows students
to fill out a short form indicating their interest that adds their information into
Hobson’s Connect.
Hobson’s Connect: Automatic emails to prospective students were created and
implemented in fall 2014. Currently 4 emails are sent to prospective students
(one when the student indicates interest, one after 30 days, one after 90 days,
and one after 120 days) and one email is sent to admitted students.
Articulation Agreement: APSS has an articulation agreement with the Liberal
Arts program at Chippewa Valley Technical College. We also attract a fairly
large number of transfer students due to our flexible curriculum.
Undecided Students: The program has made several efforts to recruit students
who have not declared a major. The program director has met with the advising
center staff about which students would be a good fit. We have invited
undecided students to our fall welcome back picnic and held an open house for
undecided students and others (fall 2013; the program director plans to do
these more regularly in the future). Most effectively, professors in social
science and history general education courses identify promising undecided
students with a strong interest in the class and personally invite them to discuss
the major.
Advisement Center/Admissions: The program director meets 1-2 times per
year with staff to educate them about the major, career options within the
major, and to suggest which students are likely to be a good fit for it.
College Fair: The program director attended the Minnesota College Fair in fall
2014 (more fairs will be planned in the future). This was helpful in getting the
word out about the program to prospective students and in helping the
admissions staff more clearly and concretely explain the program.
Preview Days and Campus Visits: The program director has attended these
events to meet with prospective students.
Social Media: The program has a Facebook page that we use to promote the
major as well as to communicate events and opportunities with current
students.
Newsletter: The program is launching a newsletter (hopefully the first issue
will go out in early spring 2016) with information about student and faculty
research, developments in the program, and alumni news. This will be used to
recruit students and to build a bigger alumni network. Copies will be sent to
area high school teachers and guidance counselors who might identify students
for the program.
Efforts to boost retention and graduation rates include:
 Faculty Mentoring: This is perhaps the cornerstone of what helps us retain and
graduate our students. Students consistently note that the faculty are the best
part of our program and that the relationships formed with faculty (advisors,
research mentors, and professors in all classes) were incredibly valuable in
their development and in their success in the program. Students express
gratitude for how accessible, helpful, and inspiring the faculty is (see below in
Section 3.3).
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Learn@UW-Stout Page: The program launched this page in fall 2014 to
provide a more easily updated resource for current students and faculty
advisors. The page includes an up-to-date student calendar of all events and
deadlines, current program plans and advising information, career planning
resources, internship and co-op information, research resources, and student
organization information.
Advising: Advising duties are taken on by all full-time faculty in the
department, and students are assigned to an advisor from one of the disciplines
in their concentration. The average number of advisees is 6. This means that
students get one-on-one attention and faculty have time to provide help with
career planning and other issues beyond course planning.
Advising Handbook: Some students noted that not all faculty advisors were
equally knowledgeable about the nuances of university and program
requirements. This was largely due to turnover among the faculty in some areas
and many new faculty hires. Resources for advising were scattered in multiple
places and training for new faculty needed improvement. In fall 2014, a faculty
advising handbook was created which put all resources in one place.
Mentoring Program: In fall 2014, the program associate (also an APSS
alumna) created a student mentoring program to aid in student retention.
Originally, individual students in the early stages of their careers in the
program were matched with more senior-level students. Based on feedback
from the participants, the program has evolved into several meetings a
semester (usually about a particular topic such as how to succeed in the
program, how to make your advising meetings productive, things to think
about when course planning) and a contact list of more senior students who
agree to serve as mentors to more junior students. These students are given
guidelines and training once a year. This session includes discussion of the role
of a mentor, the importance of mentoring, and some tips for starting
conversations and being a resource. Mentoring meetings have both served to
build community which, it is hoped, will increase retention, and to allow
students to provide advice for moving through the program successfully.
Social Media: The program Facebook page is used to celebrate student
achievements, build community, and remind students of important events. A
LinkedIn Group was created in the spring of 2015 to connect students and
alumni.
Group Advising on Advisement Day: Since the inception of the program, a
group advisement meeting has been held. These meetings have provided a
space for students to be informed about upcoming courses and other program
news and for faculty and students to socialize informally with snacks and
coffee. In the 2014-15 academic year, short workshops on career planning,
information about study abroad, and announcements about student
organizations and events have been incorporated.
Social Science Society: This student organization has been an active part of the
program since its inception. The program director has served as advisor for the
organization and student leaders have been instrumental in building community
through a variety of activities which help engage students in the major,
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1.1.3
including a student organized conference, discussion groups, speaker’s series
events, forums on important campus issues, organizing career fair trips, and
social events.
Picnics: For the past three years, the program has hosted picnics for all faculty,
students, and prospective students. These have become an important source of
community building which engages students in the program.
Student Awards: Beginning in spring 2013, the program has given several
student awards that provide important recognition for students.
Learning Communities: Prior to Fall 2015 when this program was officially
removed from the Stout budget, the APSS program had its own a learning
community which helped integrate freshman into the major and build
relationships with the faculty. In fall 2015, the program director continued this
program informally by working with the advisement center to enroll all new
freshman into one section of ANTH 220. The program director will continue
this in fall 2016 and will group freshman into two courses.
Tutoring: Tutors in economics, sociology, and research methods are provided
by the Social Science Department and the Applied Social Science Program.
Career Planning Help: Greater efforts are being made to include career skills in
the curriculum and to provide workshops and one-on-one attention regarding
career planning to students. The program has built a strong relationship with
Career Services and is encouraging and facilitating student attendance at
specialized career fairs such as the Minnesota Government and Non-profit
Career Fair held every fall.
Describe, provide examples and explain how the program intentionally
integrates diversity efforts, functions and contributes to the program in support
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.”
Substantial course work in the major has an explicit focus on diversity. The social
science department regularly offers (counts only include current regular offerings) a
large number of RES-A (11) and RES-B (11) courses as required courses or electives
within the program. These courses give APSS students a broad grounding in issues of
diversity.
Students in our program and exit surveys and alumni in the PARQ alumni follow-up
survey all note that the program enhanced their understanding of diversity and their
knowledge of global issues. In our most recent exit survey, 15 out of 15 respondents
reported that they were exposed to diversity issues “a lot” and 14 out of 15 responded
they were exposed to global issues “a lot.” In our most recent program survey, 37 out
of 38 respondents “strongly agreed” or “somewhat agreed” that the program helped
them to “recognize and appreciate the collective heritage, ideas, and values of a
multicultural world and to demonstrate sensitivity to socio-cultural diversity and the
interdependence of groups in a global society.” In the alumni follow-up survey, 3 out
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of 4 students felt the program had a “high degree of influence” on “appreciating and
understanding diversity.”
In addition to course work, the APSS program has above-average numbers of minority
and non-traditional students reflecting the fact that the program and the student
community are welcoming of diverse perspectives. Students are involved in diversity
issues on campus as well. They have worked with Virginia Lea in the Hegemony
Project and been active in the Black Student Union, Latinos Unidos, and the Gender
and Sexuality Alliance. The Social Science Society frequently discusses diversityrelated social issues and current events.
Year
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
% Underrepresented
Minority Students APSS
9%
20%
12%
12.5%
10%
% Underrepresented
Minority Students Stout
7%
8%
8%
9%
9%
1.1.4 Describe environmental sustainability initiatives embedded and supported by
the 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.”
The APSS Program is committed to sustainability and contributes to efforts on campus
in several key ways. First, we offer several courses that focus on environmental issues
including: Environmental Economics, Global Political Ecology, Environmental
Justice, and Geography of Food. Students are also able to complete an Environmental
Issues and Analysis Applied Area to meet the program requirement for an applied area
or minor. Several faculty members also focus on environmental research while
programs like the National Science Foundation-funded, LAKES Research Experience
for Undergraduates program shows our commitment to sustainability.
APSS students are also active in sustainability issues on campus. This includes such
positions as: President of the student organization Greensense, leadership roles in the
Seize the Grid movement, Alternative Transportation Manager at the Stout
Sustainability Office, and Secretary for the Just Food student organization.
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2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM
2.1 Curriculum Design – Respond to the following:
2.1.1
State the approved program objectives.
The following Professional Studies learning outcomes will be achieved. Students will
be able to:
1. Understand and articulate the ways in which the different social science disciplines
reflect social reality and identify similarities and differences among the social science
disciplines.
2. Describe the way the different social science disciplines address social issues.
3. Understand and use analytical and research methods of the different social science
disciplines that relate to understanding social reality or social issues.
4. Communicate social science concepts and terminology effectively.
5. Critically analyze social science issues within larger historical and global contexts.
6. Understand, interpret, articulate, and apply basic social science research and theory
for policy implications.
7. Use information technology to access, retrieve, analyze and report social science
literature and data.
8. Understand the basic fundamentals of multiculturalism, global perspectives and the
contributions of minority and other under-represented populations to a diverse
workforce.
9. Synthesize concepts and research methods from different social science disciplines
and apply these to particular social issues.
Note: The program is organized around four components:
1. General Education
2. The Professional Core (grounding in all social science disciplines and history;
research methods sequence—APSS 100 through 400; Critical Writing—ENGL
247)
3. A concentration (there are three options: History and Politics, Sociology and
Anthropology, and Economics)
4. A minor or applied area (flexibility to pursue any interest and/or space to focus on
more specific career skills)
2.1.2
Describe processes and initiatives employed in determining the need for
program revision?
The program currently collects data about the program from students, graduating
seniors, and faculty. Since the inception of the program, each year students are asked
to rate their progress in meeting program goals and for overall feedback about the
program. Graduating seniors are also asked to rate the overall program, to talk about
the experiential learning they engaged in, to rate what they learned about diversity and
global issues, to explain their progress towards careers (job interviews, job offers,
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graduate school placements), and to provide qualitative feedback about the program.
For the past two years, program faculty have been asked to rate student progress in
research skills (one core component of our program) by evaluating student work in the
APSS methods sequence using the AAC&U Inquiry and Analysis VALUE rubric
(attached). The program director has also conducted an informal focus group with the
students in APSS 400 at the end of the semester for the past three years. The entire
class discusses what went well, what could be improved, and what they would like to
see in terms of program development. Detailed notes about the conversation are
recorded to preserve the feedback. The program director has also followed-up with
alumni frequently to see how their careers and graduate school placements have
progressed. This has mostly been done informally through requesting updates via
email and keeping in touch with them through social media and email.
All of this information has been used in AIM reports to assess student learning in the
program and in discussions with faculty and our Professional Advisory Committee
about how to grow the program and strengthen its curriculum. Feedback about a
greater need for career planning and professional writing skills is currently being used
to make minor revisions to the APSS course sequence (i.e. increasing the number of
credits in APSS 400 from 3 to 5 to allow space for more career planning and writing
skills such as cover letters, executive summaries, research and program evaluation
reports, and grant proposals).
A more comprehensive process for evaluating the program and making changes when
necessary is currently being built. The program director is revising program objectives
to make them more easily assessable, and is collecting feedback about the APSS
Professional Core. The next step (undertaken this Spring) will be to create a process
for looking at how all classes in the Professional Core and the three concentrations
align to program objectives and expanding direct assessment beyond the APSS
methods sequence to the rest of the curriculum.
2.1.3
Check all that apply regarding the program:
_X_Traditional, on campus program
___Offsite location
___Online program
2.1.4
Briefly describe the components of your program where students participate in
scholarly activity such as: research, scholarship, experiential learning and
creative endeavor. “programs are presented through an approach to learning
which involves combining theory, practice and experimentation” (UW-Stout’s
Mission Statement)
All components of our program include scholarly activities at their very core. In a very
real sense, our entire program is scholarly. Our program objectives are about gaining a
strong social science and history knowledge base, using research to address social
problems, and using critical thinking and social science theoretical perspectives and
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knowledge to address social problems.
The courses in the professional core, especially the APSS course sequence and ENGL
247, are highly focused on scholarly research. APSS 200 and 300 teach qualitative and
quantitative research methods, and each course has a requirement that students
conduct an original research project from choosing relevant questions and designing a
project, through integrating existing literature, to data collection, data analysis, and
either a written paper or an oral presentation. APSS 400 asks students to either expand
on previous research or to do another project from start to finish, and most students
use both qualitative and quantitative research skills. In APSS 400, students are
required to present their research either at Stout’s research day or at another event
(NCUR, Posters in the Rotunda, UW System Research Symposium). Many of these
projects have also been published in the Journal of Student Research.
In the 2013-2014 Academic Year:
 4 APSS students presented at Posters in the Rotunda (representing 57% of the
Stout students who were selected)
 22 APSS students gave oral or poster presentations at Stout’s Research Day (8 of
the 9 campus oral presentations; nearly 15% of the total campus presentations)
 9 APSS students presented at NCUR in Lexington, KY (nearly half of the total
number of Stout students accepted)
 7 APSS students published in the Journal of Student Research (more than 25% of
the accepted papers)
 APSS Students also won Research Awards and Grants (Sherri Nero Award; 4
Student Research Grants)
In the 2014-2015 Academic Year:
 17 students presented at Stout’s Annual Research Day on 4/28/15 (there were 50
presentations total)
 4 students presented at Posters in the Rotunda in April (out of 6 posters from
Stout)
 9 students were published in the Journal of Student Research (roughly half of the
undergraduate students in the issue)
 3 students presented at the UW-System Research Symposium
 1 student presented at the Midwest Political Science Association
 1 student presented at the Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meeting and
at the Society for the Study of Social Problems Annual Conference
 2 students presented at the National Collegiate Honors Council Annual Conference
in Denver, Colo. (awarded travel grants)
 1 student presented at the Wisconsin Economic Association Conference in Stevens
Point (she received a travel grant as well)
 APSS student was chosen at the Outstanding Undergraduate Researchers for
CAHSS
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APSS student was chosen as a student representative to the Institutional Review
Board (IRB)
These research projects and disseminations activities have been used by students as a
way to showcase their skills. Many alumni have reported that their research and
analysis experience was invaluable in securing their first jobs. Their abilities to
conduct high-quality research are also demonstrated by their research awards and
grants and by their roles on the IRB.
Students are also encouraged, throughout the program, to disseminate their research in
a variety of forums and to bring their classroom knowledge to their student
organization, volunteer, activist, and internship work. For example, APSS students are
involved in issues on campus and use their knowledge of diversity and skills in
working collaboratively and putting social problems in context. They are leaders in the
Stout Student Association and in activism surrounding environmental issues and issues
of diversity.
In just the last year, APSS students led a student response to a hate crime incident and
have been working on a campaign for greater use of renewable energy on campus.
Other students have disseminated research results that made positive social changes.
One gathered data on how to improve the adoption process at the Dunn County
Humane Society and two others used their social science skills to help housing
improve the MapWorks survey (they added questions about grit for their project).
Courses that students take in their concentrations also include substantial scholarly
work and experiential learning. A few highlights are listed below.
Sociology and Anthropology:
 Applied Anthropology (ANTH 400): Students conduct applied research. They
either complete an original research project with ethnographic data collection,
analysis, synthesis, and applying their knowledge to a real-world project or by
synthesizing anthropological knowledge about a particular topic and writing a
paper outlining how this knowledge is useful in addressing a real-world problem
 Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective (ANTH 356): Students conduct original
research about an issue related to gender diversity and/or gender inequality
globally.
 Global Political Ecology (SOC 290): Students write papers that ask them to
synthesize knowledge and collect their own data. They are also asked to write
their own personal “action plan” that includes “how to systematically improve
society’s relationship with nature through improved governance,” “how you can
improve humanity’s relationship with nature through activism and consumption”
and “how you can improve society’s relationship with nature through your future
career.”
History and Politics:
 Modern World History (HIST 210): Students write an inquiry paper
identifying an important question in world history and how it matters for our
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understanding of the world. Students also write a letter to an editor explaining
what they have learned about the historical question they choose and why
learning history has contributed to a meaningful life and/or career.
Problems of U.S. Foreign Policy (HIST/POLS 260): Students complete a
foreign affairs briefing paper. They imagine they are a high-level official and
must include a briefing on an important foreign policy issue that includes the
historical context, and explanation of the issue, the range of possible policy
options, and the pros and cons of each one.
Economics:
 Microeconomics (ECON 410): This course is required for the Economics
concentration. The final exam for this course is an applied synthesis case
study. Students work in groups to use the tools learned in class to analyze a
real world problem around markets. For example, students might analyze the
market for HIV drugs in Africa and what might help increase access to needed
therapies.
 Strategic Decision-Making and Game Theory (ECON 360): This course, an
elective in the Economics concentration, teaches students game theory almost
entirely through classroom experiments that demonstrate key concepts and
theories.
2.1.5
Does your program currently have an accreditation or certification agency that
reviews the program? If so, which agency and to what extent does it influence
the structure of the curriculum?
No
2.2 Faculty/Academic Staff Expertise – Respond to the following:
2.2.1 List key instructors in the program. A key instructor is one who teaches at least
one required professional course in your program (this should be the combined
faculty of Key A and Key B who were surveyed by the PRC).
David (Chris) Ferguson
Christopher Freeman
Georgios Loizides
Nels Paulson
Thomas Pearson
Jeffrey Sweat
Note: The issue of who are “key instructors” in the APSS Program is a bit
complicated. In a real sense all members of the department are key faculty. The
ones listed above have been assigned to teach the APSS courses.
B.S. APSS 11
2.2.2 What additional faculty/academic staff expertise is needed?
Current faculty are able to offer an array of courses needed by the program and
there are no significant gaps in expertise. There are, however, areas which
could benefit from additional faculty. Currently, there are only two full-time
anthropologists who teach a substantial load of GE courses. An additional
faculty member would allow the program to offer more upper-division courses
for the sociology and anthropology concentration. The Social Science
department has also lost one FTE (formerly filled by a faculty member with
training in history and public policy) due to recent budget cuts, which has
meant a decreased ability to offer upper division classes given needs for
General Education courses. There is also a significant need for increased
retention of economics faculty. Enrollment in that concentration has been
smaller than in the other two concentrations, and the hiring and retention of
dynamic economics faculty would allow the program to grow in this area.
The main issue the program has faced, in terms of faculty, has to do with
faculty workload and class sizes. The pressure to increase enrollments has
meant that the caps in upper division classes have increased. Students have
noted that they would prefer smaller classes that allow for more discussion,
more research, and more experiential learning. Although there is, overall,
satisfaction with the quality of our classes, students have noted that courses
could be more valuable if they remained smaller. In particular, research
methods courses of 30 students are much too large to mentor student projects
effectively.
2.3 Facilities – Respond to the following:
2.3.1
Describe facilities and or capital equipment currently used and how it supports
or strengthens the program? What program specific facilities (unique
classrooms, labs, additional space involving minor construction) have been
requested and provided?
The APSS Program currently has two main facilities that contribute to it: the
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Lab and the Social Science Research
Center. The Social Science Research Center will have space in the newly
renovated Harvey Hall. This Center is absolutely necessary to both support
faculty research that will help recruit and retain high-quality faculty for the
APSS program and to allow community organizations, governmental
organizations, and industry clients to contract with social science faculty to
conduct research. These projects are vital internships for social science
students, giving them hands-on and real-world experience in their chosen field.
Reassigned time for the center director is also an important need so that the
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center can grow. It will be very difficult for the director to find clients and
projects without this time.
GIS is an approved minor in the APSS program and is staffed by faculty from
the Social Science Department. The GIS Lab is currently housed in Room 111
of the Swanson Library and Learning Center, a room needed by library staff to
host classes for research training sessions. This has meant that GIS sections
have been scheduled in the evenings which is difficult for both faculty and
students. It is imperative for APSS students to have access to lab space and
more reasonable scheduling as GIS is an incredibly marketable skill that fits
very well with the APSS Program.
2.3.2
What added facility needs (if any) such as unique classrooms, labs, additional
space involving minor construction exist in the program?
Students have noted a need for smaller classes and space designed to easily
allow for discussion (see section 3.3 below).
2.4 Resources for the Program – Respond to the following:
2.4.1
Evaluate the quality, relevance, and quantity of the library resources to support
the program. Include a brief statement as to how these needs have been met by
the library.
In general, the library collections are sufficient to support the APSS program.
One important gap is in the area of law and policy. Access to Law Review
journals is very limited. Several faculty members rely on these and they are
needed by students with an interest in public policy. There is also a need for
more up-to-date documentaries in the areas of history, cultural studies,
anthropology, and sociology. The library did acquire streaming licenses to
several videos in the past two to three years, but more are needed. There was a
gap in the journals available in Anthropology, but this has been remedied with
the addition of the Wiley Online Library database.
Library staff, especially Cory Mitchell, have been extremely helpful in
acquiring books and media as requested by the program and the Social Science
Department.
2.4.2
List any special resources used to meet program and/or student needs such as:
Learning Technology Services for curriculum materials development, ASPIRE,
Research Services, Advisement Center, Disability Services, Multicultural
Student Services, etc.
The APSS program currently relies on several special resources to meet student
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needs. The most important resource utilized by the APSS program is Research
Services. Every one of our students will interact with this office at one time or
another and most of our faculty will as well. All students submit IRB protocols
for at least one project (often multiple projects), many of our students have
applied for and been awarded research grants, they all present at Research Day
and many present at other research events, and many of our students have
published in the Journal of Student Research. Several faculty members have
also worked with Research Services staff to secure large sources of external
funding that has partially gone to fund APSS students working on their
research projects. This office is essential to our program and should continue to
be supported. Student Research grants in particular need continued funding.
Access to Learning money is used to fund tutoring in several key areas
including the foundational economics courses required of all majors and in
GIS. This money has also been used to support APSS tutors who assist
students in all areas of research design and data analysis, providing an
important supplement to instructors. It is also an internship opportunity for
APSS students who are interested in pursuing graduate school in their field.
Being able to list a tutoring job on their resume has been very valuable in
securing graduate school placements.
The program has successfully used learning communities as a way to build
community among incoming students. The current program director planned to
have a learning community each year and saw potential to use this as a
freshman retention aid. It was disappointing when that funding was cut, and it
is hoped it might be restored at a later date.
2.4.3
Describe other resources (if any) needed to meet the program objectives?
The program needs support from Career Services. This has improved in the last
year with the hiring of a new career counselor who has a background in
political science and understands more about the unique features of our major.
The APSS program is diverse and flexible, allowing students to go into a
variety of careers in all sectors of the economy. This poses a challenge for
career planning. More support, including workshops, increased outreach to
employers, co-ops and internships are needed. This is obviously an important
task for the program director, but support from the experts in career counseling
is also needed.
The services and supplies budget for the program has been cut significantly in
the past two years. There is a continued need for funds to further support
student and faculty travel for research dissemination, equipment such as voice
recorders and specialized software, and marketing materials.
There is also a need for an institutional membership to the Inter University
Consortium of Political and Social Research (University of Michigan). ICPSR
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maintains a data archive of more than 500,000 files of research in the social
sciences. It hosts 16 specialized collections of data in education, aging,
criminal justice, substance abuse, terrorism, and other fields. A membership
would provide access to this extensive archive of data that students could use
for projects and for learning data analysis methods. It would also allow faculty
to take advantage of professional development opportunities to keep current on
their skills at a lower cost.
Staff in Admissions and the Advisement Center are vital in recruiting APSS
students. Staff have a relatively limited understanding of our program and are
not adequately discussing it when talking to undecided students in particular,
however. This is mostly an issue of how new our program is and how unique it
is in its flexibility and the variety of jobs for which it prepares students. When
attending fairs and preview days, it was clear that admissions staff was trying
to sell the program but were a little unclear about how to do so and in need of
more student stories to illustrate the skills fostered in the program and the
career paths available to graduates. The program director has taken steps to
remedy this situation, including providing talking points, example projects, and
alumni stories, and will continue to work with admissions to train counselors.
3.
Quality of the graduates of the program – Respond to the following:
3.1 Describe program graduate demand and/or anticipated changes or trends impacting the
future demand.
Demand for program graduates has been excellent in the early years of the program,
both in the employment and in pursuit of advanced degrees. One of the primary
strengths of the program is that it trains students with career skills, rather than specific
job skills, and with an eye toward not just the first job, but the career path. Our
graduates are needed in fields such as law, government, business, academia, health
care, social work, and non-profits/NGOs. They are trained in seven different
disciplines and in analytical and critical thinking skills, quantitative and qualitative
analysis skills, historical and cultural competencies, and communication skills which
make them invaluable members of any organization. These skills are consistently
noted by employers in Stout’s annual employer’s survey as the most important skills
they are looking for.
We have also received feedback that our graduates quickly move up within their
positions, often having new positions created just for them when employers realize the
skills they are bringing with them. For example, one alumnus was hired at a credit
company as a credit analyst. The company decided to pay for his MBA degree and
created their first-ever overall company analyst position (job title: Program
Coordinator and Business Intelligence Specialist). He stated, in response to our
Advisory Board Survey: “My passion for research and quantitative analysis, learned
through the APSS program, has caught the attention of the senior management team
B.S. APSS 15
and president at my company. They recently created a new job position that will
further utilize these skills. Thanks to their relentless efforts in my education through
the APSS program, I am now making more money than many of my peers who
received engineering and computer science degrees.” To take another example,
another alumnus was hired in an Americorps Position at the Twin Cities United Way.
After only a couple of months, the program director received a request for a reference
check as they were considering him for a full-time research analyst job.
Results of several national employment surveys also indicate favorable trends for our
graduates. The 2015 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)
Survey finds that 10.4% of employers responding to the survey are seeking Social
Science Majors with an additional 29.2% seeking Economics majors. Humanities
majors (note that the APSS program includes humanities training) are being sought by
11.0% of the responding employers. Further, employers rated Critical
Thinking/Problem Solving and Oral/Written Communications as their top “Essential
Needs.” These are core skills being developed by our program. The NACE sample is
primarily large fortune 500-type firms. Smaller firms, non-profits/NGO’s, and
government have an even greater demand for social science students.
In a related survey of a broader set of employers, also conducted by the NACE, the
Top 10 skills employers seek, in order of importance: (information in parenthesis
explains how this fits with the APSS program)
1. Ability to work in a team structure (our program not only provides opportunities
for students to work collaboratively, we teach how to understand other cultures
and human behavior)
2. Ability to make decisions and solve problems (every aspect of our program
provides these skills)
3. Ability to communicate verbally with people inside and outside an organization
(this is a core competency of the program)
4. Ability to plan, organize and prioritize work (this is central to completing projects
in the APSS course sequence and the projects in these courses are an example
students can give in interviews)
5. Ability to obtain and process information (this is a core, practiced and assessed
skill throughout the curriculum)
6. Ability to analyze quantitative data (this is the focus of APSS 300)
7. Technical knowledge related to the job
8. Proficiency with computer software programs (APSS 300 teaches skills in SPSS
and Xcel)
9. Ability to create and/or edit written reports (this is core to much of our curriculum,
especially the APSS course sequence)
10. Ability to sell and influence others (the use of evidence and creating a coherent
argument are taught throughout our curriculum)
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Outlooks (BLS.gov) for representative
fields our majors might go into shows that nearly every relevant employment field is
experiencing faster-than-average growth projected over the next 10 years from 2012-
B.S. APSS 16
2022:
 Market Research Analysists (Median salary $60,300/yr – job outlook 32% growth
- much faster than average)
 Geographers ($74,760/yr – job outlook 29% growth – much faster than average)
 Operation Research Analyst ($72,100/yr – 27% job growth – much faster than
average)
 Statisticians ($75,560/yr – 27% growth – much faster than average)
 Social and Community Service Managers ($59,970/yr – 21% growth – faster than
average)
 Political Scientists ($102,000/yr – 21% job growth – faster than average)
 Anthropologists ($57,420/yr – 19% job growth – faster than average)
 Social Workers ($44,200/yr – 19% job growth – faster than average)
 Survey Researchers ($45,050/yr – 18% job growth – faster than average)
 Economists ($91,860/yr – 16% growth – faster than average)
 Financial Analysis ($76,950/yr – 16% growth – faster than average)
 Sociologists ($74,960/yr – 15% growth – faster than average)
 Archivists/Curators/Museum Workers ($44,410/yr – 11% growth – average
growth)
 Epidemiologists ($65,270/yr – 10% growth – average)
 Urban and Regional Planners ($65,230/yr – 10% growth – average)
 Lawyers ($113,530/yr – 10% growth – average)
It is also important to note other trends in all sectors of the economy including the
increasing collection of “big data” by retail and other organizations, increasing need to
assess programs and processes in all organizations, the need for grant writing in an era
of declining government budgets, and an increasing need for analysis of data for
policy. Data is readily available in the digital world but workers with the skills to
make sense of it and put it in context are scarce. This is exactly the skill set our majors
gain in our program.
Many of our majors also go on to graduate school for advanced careers and have found
incredible success in their placements and acceptances. To take just a few examples,
one economics concentration student was accepted to all 8 economics Master’s
programs he applied to and is currently completing his MS in Economics at George
Mason while working at The Bureau of Economic Analysis in the Office of the
Director. Other alumni have completed their graduate degrees at University of
Wisconsin-Madison (MSW) and William Mitchell Law School (JD).
Finally, it is important to note that graduates gain more than just career skills in
college. There is also a societal need for graduates who can be leaders, who are
civically engaged, and who are able to contribute to an increasingly diverse society in
which it sometimes seems that civil discourse and the ability to rationally discuss
issues is lacking. Our students excel at being leaders in life and not just in the
workplace. Many of them are involved in campus organizations and in student
government, they participate in social activism, they work for increasing equality, and
B.S. APSS 17
they generally want to make the world a better place. These, perhaps more intangible,
but nevertheless vital, skills and habits are cultivated in our students.
3.2 Interpret the data provided by the Planning, Assessment, Research and Quality
(PARQ) office of the alumni follow-up surveys.
Data from the Spring 2014 survey, collected about the 2012 graduating class.
Response Rate (APSS Alumni)
Actual Sent
Responded
Response Rate
12
4
33%
How important was your experience at UW-Stout in
contributing to:
Writing effectively
Speaking or presenting ideas effectively
Listening effectively
Utilization of technologies
Using analytic reasoning
Creative problem solving
Critically analyzing information
Appreciating and understanding diversity
Developing a global perspective
Appreciating social, economic and political forces
Appreciating history in context to current issues
UW-Stout
Mean
3.64
3.88
3.73
4.08
3.95
4.03
3.97
3.52
3.38
3.24
3.17
APSS Mean
3.25
4.25
4.25
3.75
4.75
4.75
4.75
4.67
4.50
4.75
4.75
*Note: scale of 1-5, 5 being highest
How important was your experience at UW-Stout in
contributing to Personal Development:
Organizing information
Making decisions
Making decisions ethically
Working in teams
Leadership
Thinking creatively
Maintaining a sense of mental well-being
UW-Stout
Mean
3.99
3.98
3.87
4.07
4.01
4.02
3.61
APSS Mean
4.00
4.25
4.50
4.00
4.25
4.50
3.50
B.S. APSS 18
How would you rate the following aspects of your education
at UW-Stout?
Program instruction
Availability of faculty in program courses
Course availability (according to program sequence)
Academic advising
UW-Stout
Mean
3.90
4.08
3.53
3.73
APSS Mean
How would you rate the overall effectiveness of your
program/major?
Min Value
Max Value
Mean
UW-Stout
APSS
1
5
4.06
4
5
4.75
4.75
5.00
4.75
3.75
How valuable was your senior year course work, activities,
services and experiences in developing the following skills and
knowledge?
Promoting meaningful connections between your academic
program and career
Preparation for community, civic, and political roles
Financial management
Continuing education
Finding employment
UW-Stout
Mean
APSS
Mean
3.99
3.33
3.31
3.03
3.32
3.61
4.33
3.00
5.00
4.00
How well did the following UW-Stout activities prepare you
for employment?
Your classes
Your experiential learning experience
UW-Stout
APSS
3.68
3.92
4.00
4.33
What is your annual full-time salary? (All responses are confidential.)
15,200 (grad student)
17,000 per year (grad student)
42,500
Given the cost of education and your investment of time and
effort, how would you rate the value of your education?
Min Value
Max Value
Mean
Total Responses
UWStout
1
5
3.63
342
APSS
4
5
4.75
4
Although this is a small sample (4 responses), the response rate for this survey was good (33%).
It is difficult to draw strong conclusions given the sample, but in general, the survey shows that
APSS students rate their experiences at Stout positively and self-report very high values
compared to the overall UW-Stout averages. APSS alumni are more likely to feel that their
B.S. APSS 19
experience at Stout contributed to developing skills in: problem-solving and analyzing
information; understanding diversity; developing a global perspective; appreciating social,
economic, and political forces; and appreciating the historical context of current issues. All of
these are among our program’s learning objectives. Students in APSS also rated the availability
of faculty and courses, the quality of our academic advising, and the value of their education
more highly than the Stout mean. It is especially note-worthy that, on the question about overall
program effectiveness, all respondents rated the program effectiveness as “high” or “very high.”
Although we compare favorably to other Stout programs by these measures, these results should
be viewed cautiously given the small number of respondents.
Of note in addressing areas of improvement, this initial class of alumni noted relatively low
scores for Writing Effectively (3.25) and Utilization of Technologies (3.75). Both of these areas
were identified for improvement and will be addressed with changes to the APSS 200-300-400
sequence. In addition, a greater emphasis on software proficiency and on writing has been
integrated into these courses since this cohort of alumni would have taken them.
3.3 Interpret program specific surveys (students, faculty and advisory committee)
conducted by the Planning and Review Committee.
PRC Student Survey (Junior- and Senior-level students 36 responses, 68% response
rate)
Please indicate the response that best describes your attitude towards the following questions:
1=
Strongly
Disagree
2=
Disagree
3=
Neutral
4=
Agree
5=
Strongly
Agree
Mean
I feel the objectives of
this program are clear
and are being met.
1
1
3
7
24
4.44
I feel confident that this
program has prepared me
to be successful in my
profession.
1
1
5
8
21
4.31
I feel this is a quality
program, overall.
1
0
1
6
28
4.67
I would choose this
program again if I was
doing it all over.
2
1
3
4
26
4.42
B.S. APSS 20
Please indicate the response that best describes your attitude towards the following questions:
I feel advisement met
my needs.
Instructors in this
program provide current
and relevant information.
Instructors in this
program make themselves
available to help inperson or on-line.
Courses in this program
achieve the stated
objectives as presented
in course syllabi.
Courses in this
program use evaluation
procedures that
appropriately measure
learning.
My written
communication skills
have been enhanced
through my coursework.
My oral communication
skills have been
enhanced through my
coursework.
My critical thinking
skills have been
enhanced through my
coursework.
My problem solving
skills have been
enhanced through my
coursework.
My attitude towards
racism and ethical
diversity have been
matured through my
coursework.
My attitudes about
having a global
perspective have
matured through my
coursework.
1=
Strongly
Disagree
2=
Disagree
3=
Neutral
4=
Agree
5=
Strongly
Agree
Mean
1
1
3
10
21
4.36
1
0
1
6
28
4.67
1
0
0
4
31
4.78
1
0
1
10
24
4.56
1
0
3
7
25
4.53
1
0
1
7
27
4.64
1
0
1
9
25
4.58
1
0
0
5
30
4.75
1
0
2
6
27
4.61
1
0
1
5
29
4.69
1
0
1
4
30
4.72
B.S. APSS 21
These results show that students are overall very satisfied with the quality of the
program, its curriculum, advising, and its instructors. Most students feel they are being
well-prepared and that their skills in important areas are being enhanced.
The qualitative feedback given also demonstrates the quality of the APSS program.
When asked to provide information on the strengths of the program, 34 students wrote
a response. The following themes were present (numbers in parenthesis represent
number of times it was present):
 Quality faculty, who care and who inspire (23)
 Variety of classes on important topics (10)
 Research skills development and research focus (9)
 Job opportunities in a variety of areas/flexibility in terms of career (5)
 Promotes critical thinking (4)
 Promotes problem solving (3)
 Life skills: leadership, respect for others (3)
 Interdisciplinary perspective (3)
 Communication skills (2)
 Strong student community (1)
When asked about areas for improvement, 31 students included a response. The
themes present are:
 More career guidance needed (one student noted recent improvements in this area)
(12)
 More options for upper division courses needed (8)
 Classes too large (especially for discussion and research methods) (4)
 More internships needed (4)
 Professors stretched thin with large classes and GE offerings (4)
 More discussion in some classes (3)
 Budget/Resource constraints (3)
 Nothing (2)
 Field-specific writing help (1)
 APSS 400 needs restructuring (not specified what needs changing) (1)
When asked for other feedback, 18 students responded. The following themes
emerged:
 University and community should recognize the value of this program (6)
 Professors are excellent and key to the program’s success (6)
 Program impacted my life (made me a better person, opened my eyes, etc.) (5)
 Program doesn’t need changing (3)
 More history faculty needed (1)
 Program provides a positive learning environment (1)
 Program provided concrete skills (2)
 Reiteration of need for career planning help (1)
 APSS 400 needs restructuring (no specifics given; move it to Fall) (2)
B.S. APSS 22


More fieldwork opportunities needed (could be community research) (1)
Suggestion to split history and political science into separate concentrations (1)
When taken as a whole, students had tremendously positive things to say about the
program, its courses, the skills they learned, and especially about the very involved,
caring, and inspirational faculty. Others noted that their experience made them a better
person—providing new perspectives, career skills, and nurturing in their intellectual
development. The main areas of concern surround a need for help in career planning
including job searching, knowing what jobs are available, and internship opportunities.
Some students also noted constraints in terms of budgets and the need for smaller
classes and lessened workloads for faculty.
PRC Faculty Survey (4 responses, 66% response rate)
Program Faculty Questions:
Mean
Quality of classroom facilities for my course(s) is adequate.
3.00
Quality of laboratory facilities for my course(s) is adequate.
4.50
Instructional technology for my course(s) is adequate.
3.75
I received adequate training to develop my on line course site (D2L).
4.50
The students entering my course(s) are adequately prepared to be
successful.
4.00
Communication between me and the program director is satisfactory.
5.00
Program Directors leadership is satisfactory.
5.00
I have opportunity to participate in program decisions.
4.25
Departments schedule an adequate number of course sections.
3.50
Clerical support for my course(s) is adequate.
3.50
Supplies for my course(s) are adequate.
4.50
The Library meets the needs of the students in my class(es).
4.25
The Library meets my needs for research and professional development.
4.00
(Strongly Disagree= 1 Disagree = 2 Neutral = 3 Agree = 4 Strongly Agree = 5 )
Faculty are very satisfied with their communication with the program director, her
leadership, and their ability to participate in decision-making. They feel that they have
adequate supplies, labs, and training in creating D2L sites for their courses. Faculty were
less likely to agree that they have adequate classrooms, library resources, information
technology resources, and clerical support. There is also concern about adequate numbers
of sections. All of these issues can be directly related to recent budget cuts and resources
are needed to remedy them.
B.S. APSS 23
When asked to comment on program strengths, faculty noted the following:
 Strength of the core faculty and program associate (3)
 Research focus (2)
 Critical thinking skills (1)
 Focus on social change and knowledge that benefits society (1)
 Flexible and broadly applicable degree (1)
 Community among faculty and students (1)
 Program is interdisciplinary (1)
When asked to discuss needed improvements, faculty noted:
 Need to restructure the APSS sequence so that classes are smaller (1)
 Rotation of APSS courses among a larger number of faculty (1)
 More internship and co-op opportunities (1)
 More interdisciplinary courses (1)
When asked for other feedback, faculty stated:
 A need for more regular faculty meetings
 A need to rotate classes among more faculty
 That the loss of faculty lines has been detrimental
Overall, faculty expressed satisfaction with the direction in which the program is headed
and in its curriculum and leadership. Their main areas of concern include increased rotation
of courses (which the program is currently addressing), and the effects of recent cuts on
faculty lines and class sizes. They echoed student concerns about career planning resources
as well.
PRC Advisory Board Survey (12 responses, 80% response rate)
Advisory board members unanimously stated that the program shared student learning data
appropriately, that they have an opportunity to provide recommendations, and that
recommendations impact program decisions. Only one advisory board member
thought the board should meet more frequently.
In terms of strengths, board members noted the following:
 Research opportunities and research skills training (6)
 Student-centered program (5)
 Strong faculty (5)
 A major that allows for a variety of careers (4)
 A focus on community and social justice (2)
 The interdisciplinary nature of the program (2)
 Opportunity for students to combine minors with their program (1)
 The program builds critical thinking and analysis skills (1)
 The advisory board works well (1)
Members noted the following areas that could be improved:
B.S. APSS 24










More interdisciplinary courses (1)
Smaller class sizes (2)
More ties between the students and the local community (1)
The need to increase enrollment (suggestions to add social work and broad-field
social studies teaching) (1)
More ties with alumni who can contribute to building career-relevant curriculum (1)
The program simply needs time to grow (3)
The creation of a Masters in Public Policy (1)
Need for more internships and co-ops (2)
More quantitative skills (1)
A need for more resources from the institution (1)
Other feedback:
 Reiterated that this is a strong program with strong leadership (5)
 Alumni noted that their life has been strongly impacted by the program (2)
 One member noted that it is sometimes hard for members from outside Stout to keep
up with program developments and that a short meeting prior to the rest of the
advisory board meeting would be helpful (1)
Advisory board qualitative feedback largely echoes that provided by faculty and students.
There is overall satisfaction with the overall design of the program, its curriculum, and its
focus. Areas identified for improvement include increasing community ties, keeping
classes small, and the need to grow the program’s enrollment—possibly by adding a
graduate program.
4.
Program evidence of continuous improvement – Respond to the following:
4.1 Describe program strengths distinguishing it from similar programs. Describe and
explain program weaknesses?
Applied Social Science is unique program in the region, in the UW-System, and in the
country. There are a handful of similar undergraduate programs in other countries
(including at the University of York and the Australian College of Applied Psychology), a
couple of online-only programs (such as the one at Colorado State), and some Master’s
level programs (including at the University of Chicago and Florida A&M). There are few
other programs that combine the breadth of training in the social science disciplines and
history with the opportunity for students to gain more depth in particular fields through a
concentration and a minor or applied area. The program is also unique in its integration of
history with the social sciences, a combination that trains students to put social issues in
context in a comprehensive way. In addition, APSS students learn research methods at a
level often reserved for master’s level students. Our program trains our students in skills
that employers are looking for and provides flexibility that is needed in a world when most
people will change jobs (and maybe even career fields) multiple times throughout their life.
The program has done an outstanding job training students in critical thinking, research
B.S. APSS 25
methods, data analysis, and the writing and visual presentation of information through
ample experiential learning opportunities. Evidence for these successes is shown in the
high rates of research dissemination undertaken by students and by our alumni who have
shown that they are valuable employees and citizens equipped to deal with the challenges
brought by increasingly diverse workplaces. They are given the tools to understand and
analyze social issues which will enable them to make responsible choices in our democratic
society. They are prepared to enter careers (rather than just a first job) and will be flexible
as workforce needs change.
In addition, the APSS program recruits a fairly large number of transfer students and large
numbers of changes-of-major. Although the program has not yet surveyed change-of-major
students (but plans to in the near future), it seems clear from talking to them that the APSS
program helps in the overall retention of students at Stout as many of them would have
changed institutions to a find a program that allowed them to pursue the interests and goals
they developed as they progressed through their college careers. APSS provides an
alternative for students who decide they are no longer interested in some of the more
narrowly-job focused programs on campus, a degree that is meaningful and impactful, and
a community for students who want to think about social issues and work for a most just
world.
One area that is in need of improvement, however, is the level of support in career planning
provided to students. Given that the program is unique and flexible, students need guidance
in selling their skills to employers and help in explaining its relevance. Several initiatives
are being undertaken to address this, including some changes to the curriculum to allow
place for more professional writing skills and career planning. There is also a need to
increase the numbers of internships and co-ops available for APSS students. This has
improved with new career counseling staff, but more work is still needed.
4.2 Submit evidence of program response to the concerns and recommendations from
previous program review.
Not applicable.
4.3 In the next seven years, what major improvements or changes are planned for
implementation to improve program quality?
Curricular changes are planned to allow for more integration across disciplines and
more explicitly interdisciplinary course work. A faculty committee is currently
drafting a proposal for another class in the APSS course sequence, APSS 450, that will
be a rotating topics course that deals with an issue from an explicitly interdisciplinary
perspective. There is also a plan, mentioned earlier in this report, to provide more
career help to students in the APSS courses, including specific career writing skills
(grants, executive summaries, elevator pitches about research, etc.).
Assessment improvements are also planned. Currently, the program does a good job of
B.S. APSS 26
assessing student learning in the APSS courses, but less has been done to map overall
program objectives to the other courses in the professional core and in the three
concentrations. The first step in this process will be to revise program objectives to
make them more assessable and more in line with how the program has evolved. After
that is completed, a comprehensive review of courses and how they are aligned to
program goals and student learning outcomes will be undertaken. This will allow for
targeted assessment in particular courses to get a fuller picture of how students are
meeting our program goals.
A final area in which improvements are planned is in career planning and alumni
networking. Curriculum changes are planned to include career planning skills (resume
and cover letter writing, job searching, etc.) and more professional writing skills
(executive summaries, grant proposals, etc.). A closer relationship between businesses,
government agencies, non-profit organizations, and NGOs in Menomonie and the
surrounding area are also being cultivated, in part through changes to our Professional
Advisory Committee, and it is hoped these will result in more internship and co-op
opportunities for our students. As our alumni base grows, the program will be
increasing efforts to keep them involved in the program, including utilizing our
LinkedIn group, planning alumni gatherings, and distributing a bi-annual newsletter.
5.
Attachments - Include electronic links to the following:
5.1 Links of specific program information to be included:
 Current assessment in the major
 Program plan sheet
 Individual program facts
 Current program advisory committee