Queensborough Community College
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
DEPARTMENT: Social Sciences
June 2013
YEAR: 2012-2013
A. DEPARTMENT SERVICES/ACTIVITIES REPORT IN 2012-13
1.
Department-sponsored services (fall and spring semesters combined)
Area of Service
M-129 computer lab open hours for student use
Number Served
Approx.. 200
Area of service (for example): a department-run learning laboratory (not laboratories for which students register as part of their courses), the reference desk or reserve area of the
Library, department tutoring program, etc. (Note: Do not report courses or laboratories for which students register.)
2.
Department-sponsored faculty/staff development activities
Type of Activity and Topic
Date
Number Attending
Note: Faculty and staff development activities (grants, presentations, exhibitions, performances, publications, instructional improvement activities, laboratory development,
curriculum development, etc.)
INSTRUCTIONS:
For each activity, please indicate
1. whether department members organized the activities or gave presentations or both
2. the topic and type of activity and name of organizer/presenter, if applicable
3. the date (if not the exact date, indicate the month)
4. the number attending the event
B. COURSE CHANGES IN 2012-13
INSTRUCTIONS: For each course that changed, indicate:
1. whether the course is new, revised, or deleted
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
June 2013
the course number
the course title
the semester the change was approved at the Academic Senate
for revised courses, in the Comments section, describe the type of change(s)—i.e., course title, description, pre/corequisites, credits, hours, designation
New, revised, or
deleted
New
Revised
Course
Course title
number
ANTH160 Anthropology of Health and
Healing
ANTH170 Sex and Gender in Cross-Cultural
Perspective
SS320
Urban Sociology
Spring 2013
Revised
SS540
Social Psychology
Spring 2013
Revised
SS360
Sociology of Education
Spring 2013
Revised
PSYC125
Psychology of Personal
Adjustment
Fall 2012
New
Semester approved
Comments
Spring 2013
Spring 2013
Changed prefix to
SOCY220
Changed prefix to
PSYC240
Changed prefix to
SOCY260
Removed PSYC101
prerequisite
C. PROGRAM CHANGES IN 2012-13
Program
Program change*
A.A. Degree in Liberal Arts
and Sciences
Initiated degree concentration
areas in the following:
 Gender Studies
 American Studies
 Urban Studies
 Education
 Sociology
 Psychology
Effective Date (Semester
and year)
Spring 2013
Comments
New concentration areas
were drafted in compliance
with the Pathways General
Education Core.
Approved by QCC Academic
Senate Spring 2013.
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Queensborough Community College
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
June 2013
*Key: (a)=initiated, (b)=closed, (c)=renamed, (d)=modified
INSTRUCTIONS:



Use the full title of the program, i.e. A.A. in Visual and Performing Arts.
Indicate whether the program change is initiated, closed, renamed, or modified. (If a new program has been approved by
the CUNY Board (or is expected to be approved by June 2013), use fall 2013 as the effective date.)
Describe the exact status (i.e., proposal submitted to CUNY Board; approved by CUNY Board; etc.) in the Comments.
D. DEPARTMENT CHANGES IN 2012-13
Type (see menu below)
Personnel
Personnel
Facilities/Space
Facilities/Space
Description of
Change
Hired six new fulltime faculty: 2
psychology, 2
criminal justice, 1
sociology, 1
political science
Loss of two fulltime faculty
Office space in
M124 reconfigured
to accommodate 4
faculty members
Replacement of 24
student PCs and
instructor podium in
M129 lab
Reason for Change
Date/Semester
Evaluation of Change*
Increase percentage
of courses taught by
full-time faculty
Fall 2012: 3 new hires
Spring 2013 3 new
hires
one retirement
one resignation.
Hiring of new
faculty required
increasing desk
space
Upgrade to
computer
workstations
Fall 2012
Fall 2012
Fall 2012
Increased percentage of
courses taught by full-time
faculty in psychology,
sociology, criminal
justice, and political
science
NA
Spring 2013
All new full-time faculty
have adequate office
space.
Improved functionality of
lab
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Queensborough Community College
Equipment
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
New equipment
purchased includes:
6 iPad
Wireless speakers
for Apple products
3 external hard
drives
1 digital camera
Use by faculty in
instruction
Spring 2013
June 2013
Increased use of
instructional technology
by faculty
*Please note that, if change has been too recent to evaluate, you may indicate NA.
MENU
Type of change
Personnel or organizational change
Facilities/space
Equipment
Other
Description
New hires, retirees, resignations, promotions, department name changes, etc.
Renovations or development of office space or new facilities (i.e., computer laboratories)
Acquisition of new or disposition of old equipment
Other changes affecting the department not included above and including interactions with other departments
E. DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT IN 2012-13
1.
Departmental procedures for conducting assessment
The fundamental elements of standard 14 (assessment of student learning) of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
include: clearly articulated statements of expected student learning outcomes…at all levels (institution, degree/program, course)
and for all programs that aim to foster student learning and development; a documented, organized, and sustained assessment
process to evaluate and improve student learning; evidence that student learning assessment information is shared and discussed
with appropriate constituents and is used to improve teaching and learning.
Describe below the department’s ongoing procedures for assessing student learning and using assessment results to
improve teaching and learning. In your description, please explain how the department fulfills each of the Middle
States fundamental elements above.
Each year the Social Sciences Department conducts assessments of all sections of selected courses. Data are
analyzed by teams of faculty and a report is drafted. The assessment reports are distributed to all faculty, full and part
time, who teach the course. Faculty discuss implementation of the Action Plan in the assessment report. Finally, a
“Closing the Loop” report is drafted outlining faculty response to the Action Plan.
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2a.
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
June 2013
Departmental participation in self-study/program review during 2012-2013, if applicable
Program(s) reviewed: (GIVE FULL TITLE, i.e., A.A.S. in Digital Art and Design)
External Agency or Reviewers: (GIVE NAME OF AGENCY OR NAME OF REVIEWER[S])
Date of site visit
Major conclusions of self-study
Major conclusions of external reviewers
Resulting action plan
2b.
Program review follow-up
Action item from program review
3.
Timeline for completion
Accomplishments during current year
Course assessment
Courses assessed
(list individually)
Relevant QCC
Educational Objectives
Relevant Curricular
Objectives (cite both
curriculum and objectives)
Evaluation of Assessment
Results
Action plan
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Queensborough Community College
ECON150 Labor
and Management
PSYC215 Child
Development
PSYC250
Personality
PSYC290
States of
Consciousness
SOCY275 Media
and Society
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
use analytical
reasoning to identify
issues or problems
and evaluate evidence
in order to
make
informed decisions
Pathways Flexible Core
Student Learning
Outcomes:
-Gather, interpret, and
assess information from a
variety of sources and
points of view.
-Evaluate evidence and
arguments critically or
analytically
-Produce well-reasoned
written or oral arguments
using evidence to support
conclusions.
June 2013
In general, the results
reported above are good,
with very few students
logging poor
performances in any
of the categories being
measured.
But note there does seem
to be a significant
disparity between
presenting factual
evidence, versus more
analytical skills like
comprehension and
rebuttal, where results
were generally weaker.
Even
persuasiveness and
delivery lagged simply
stating the facts and
backing it up with
evidence.
Revise the debate
format with an eye
toward simplifying
and streamlining
Present a short debate
on some labor-related
topic via one of the
reputable online video
services
Conduct a brief lesson
in persuasive speaking
Report not yet
available
Report not yet
available
Report not yet
available
Report not yet
available
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Queensborough Community College
4.
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
June 2013
Results of certification exams, employer and alumni surveys, student surveys, advisory board recommendations
(if applicable, please use the table below)
Data Source
Results
Action plan
Certification exams
Employer/alumni surveys, including
graduation and placement survey
Student surveys (current students)
Advisory Board recommendations
5.
Other assessment activity
F. DEPARTMENT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
1.
Goals/objectives for 2012-2013
(Please indicate [Yes or No] if the objectives were part of the College’s Strategic Plan for 2011-2012.)
Departmental goals/objectives 2011/2012
Complete revision of LE1 degree program in
collaboration with Queens College
Implement LA1 degree concentration areas in Gender
Studies, Urban Studies, American Studies, Psychology,
and Sociology.
2.
Strategic
Plan Y/N
N
N
Evaluation of achievement Resulting action plan
In progress; delayed due to
initiation of Pathways
curriculum
completed
NA
NA
Goals/objectives for 2013-2014
(Explain how these goals/objectives align with the College’s goals and Strategic Plan for 2013-2014)
Departmental goals/objectives 2012-2013
Develop course assessment plan that addresses
Pathways Student Learning Outcomes
Mission/Strategic Plan
N
Planned method of evaluation
To be determined
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