POSC
Appendix F3: FTEF Requests
Audience: Administrators, CEMC, PRBC
Purpose: To recommend changes in FTEF allocations for subsequent academic year and guide Deans and
CEMC in the allocation of FTEF to disciplines. For more information, see Article 29 (CEMC) of the Faculty
Contract.
Instructions: In the area below, please list your requested changes in course offerings (and
corresponding request in FTEF) and provide your rationale for these changes. Be sure to analyze
enrollment trends and other relevant data at
http://www.chabotcollege.edu/ProgramReview/Data2012.cfm .
Chabot College and Chabot students would greatly benefit from increasing offerings in Political Science
and International Studies. I am requesting an additional 1.2 FTEF each academic year (an additional 3
sections per semester) for a total allocation of The following details recent historical trends in course
offerings in Political Science, and provide 3 reasons that this increase is needed.
Historical Trends:
YEAR
AMERICAN
GOV’T
OTHER
COURSES
REQ’D MAJOR
COURSES (in
addition to AG)
NON REQ’D
MAJOR
COURSES
TOTAL
2005-2006
19
7
26
2006-2007
18
6
24
2007-2008
18
5
23
2008-2009
16
2
18
2009-2010
15
6
21
2010-2011
16
6
22
2011-2012
16
5
1
22
2012-2013
18
5
1
24
NOTES:
1) Major started in 2011; replaced with TMC in 2012
2) I excluded from these totals classes that were paid for from grants or other programs (i.e. Teacher
Pathway course).
Reason 1: TMC. Political Science offers a Transfer Model Curriculum, which REQUIRES the following four
courses: American Government, Political Theory, Comparative Politics and International Relations.
Currently, only American Government and International Relations are offered EVERY semester.
Comparative Politics and Political Theory are offered only once a year; I would like to see them offered
every semester, as well.
Reason 2: CSU graduation American Institutions requirement/popular transfer course. The fill rate for
American Government courses over the last 5 years has always been above 108%. Nine sections of
American Government would easily fill each semester. This would also allow for a better mix of in
person vs. online courses and greater variety of times offered during the week. History 7 and 8 fulfill the
same American Institutions requirement as American Government; in Fall 2012, twelve sections of
History 7 were offered and ten of History 8.
Reason 3: Relevance/National Trends. A 2012 report by the National Task Force on Civic Learning and
Democratic Engagement is part of the Obama administration’s effort to promote civic learning. This is
reflective of a national effort to re-engage youth in civic life and the political process. With young
adults’ voting rates at all time lows, it is part of our mission in higher education to prepare students for
their civic duties in addition to their academic pursuits. Increasing political science offerings (when the
demand exists, as it does) is one way to support such efforts. "Knowledge is important, but it is equally
important to work on public problems that help democracy,” said Carol Schneider, the AAC&U president
and one of the report’s authors.
Additionally, political science is a top major at Universities in the United States, and I anticipate the
demand for the political science TMC will continue to grow at Chabot. Chabot currently graduates
between 300 and 400 Liberal Arts and Sciences majors each year. As Political Science is one of the
largest social science majors at local colleges and universities, there is a market for allowing students to
graduate with greater specialization. Here is a comparative look at Political Science programs in the Bay
Area:





7th largest degree conferred at UCD 2008-2009 with 200 graduates;
International Relations was number 12 with 172 degrees conferred.
2nd largest degree conferred at UCB 2008-2009 with 766 students.
2nd largest major in the Social Science division at CSUEB with 48 degrees
granted out of 297 in 2009.
Largest major in the Social Science division at SFSU with 137 degrees granted
out of 743, with an additional 100 degrees granted in International Relations.
3rd largest major in the Social Sciences division at SJSU with 54 degrees granted
out of 364.
Political science majors evaluate societal, national, and global events by learning about forms of political
organization and political processes. Political science is consistently a top ten major because of its
versatility and applicability to today’s world. The AA degree provides students with a strong foundation
in American government, political theory, and comparative and international politics for those who wish
to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and for those who seek careers in public service,
education, law, or business.