Academic Program Review 2007-2008
Executive Summary
Primate Behavior and Ecology
The Primate Behavior and Ecology program was included in the sixth cycle of academic
program review for the 2007-2008 academic year. Included in the program review process was
the composition of a self-study document based on faculty’s analysis, a program retreat where
the data were reviewed and the final two sections discussed, and a visitation by an external
reviewer. Dr. Birute Galdikas served as the external reviewer and read the self-study,
interviewed faculty, staff, administration, and students, and submitted a separate analysis.
The program self-study completed by the faculty and staff is the major document for this
program review. This complex document reveals the strengths and challenges through the
program perspective and reflects the commitment of the program for self-analysis, reflection, and
evaluation. The institutional expectation is that the program and college administration will use
the self-study document, the dean’s report, and the executive summary as guides to the faculty,
staff, and administration for the next several academic years as the program addresses the
recommendations and continues its record of excellence. Since this process requires an enormous
amount of time and effort from all of the participants, it is necessary to ensure that the results are
used to inform decisions and future course of actions. Therefore, the program faculty and
college administration will be expected to provide a summary of activities undertaken during the
2008-2009 academic year as a consequence of the program review. This report will be due to the
provost in October, 2009.
It should be noted that Dr. Galdikas’ analysis was detailed and, along with the dean’s report,
provide the depth and context for the faculty and administrators to celebrate commendations and
also move ahead in addressing noted challenges and recommendations.
Commendations
The self-study document as submitted by the Primate Behavior and Ecology program was
understandable and informative. It can be determined from reading the self-study report, the
observations of the reviewer, and the summary comments of the college dean that the program
has several strengths and challenges. It should also be concluded that the program is integral to
the mission of the college and university and should be commended in the following areas:
Collaboration:
Faculty and students of the Primate Behavior and Ecology program personify the meaning of
creating a “collaborative and supportive learning environment.” It is clear from the review and
through the external reviewer and Dean comments that collaboration in research, curriculum and
class planning, and field experiences are valued and encouraged in a variety of ways. Students
are encouraged to work with faculty from a variety of different disciplines in class and through
research opportunities. Students also get opportunities to get hands-on experiences at the
Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI) through volunteering. Faculty work
with each other by the very nature of their involvement in this interdisciplinary program.
However, it should be noted that program faculty do this very effectively and provide a model
for all other interdisciplinary programs on-campus in the manner they keep each other informed,
by the way they work together on curriculum and courses planning, and the joint research
projects they complete.
Hands-on Learning:
The Primate Behavior and Ecology program has been devised in a way that provides students
several practical and hands-on opportunities to develop and practice skills. Opportunities at the
China field school, the CHCI, and through internships are examples of the in-depth training that
students can receive through their studies. The availability of world-class facilities and
experiences are “one-of-a-kind” and should be commended.
Faculty:
Program faculty are involved and engaged members of the College of the Sciences and the
Central Washington University campus community. Faculty were mentioned by students and by
the reviewers for exhibiting a high level of expertise, credentials, and practical experience in
their respective fields. Faculty have been extremely productive in teaching, service, and
scholarship. The program and college should continue to make a concerted effort to retain
current program faculty and recruit faculty in the future that display such positive attributes.
Recommendations
Although the program should be commended in areas, there are also areas for improvement.
Following are areas that should be addressed to improve the functioning and quality of the
program and its associated programs:
Advising:
An area of concern for students seemed to revolve around the issue of job opportunities after
graduation. This should be an area of increased and focused effort on the part of the program.
Course specific and major advising is certainly important, although other aspects of advising and
student development can be addressed through various peer, faculty, and alumni mentoring
initiatives. The extra effort in this area will go far in improving the overall quality and
satisfaction of students.
Curriculum:
The need in examining courses from a time delivery perspective and a variety aspect was noted
by both the Dean and external reviewer. This type of a curriculum analysis is needed if the
program hopes to continue to adequately support the undergraduate program offered.
Strengthening relationships between affiliated departments is always encouraged for all
interdisciplinary programs as a means of keeping and enhancing their support. The program has
had great success in this endeavor in the past and there should be no reason why it can’t continue
this in the future. Connecting more with Biology seems especially important in light of the
ecology component of the major.
Long-Term Planning:
It is clear that long-term planning is needed in terms of assuring program viability as the current
chimpanzee population dwindles. Suggestions by the external reviewer of bringing new
chimpanzees or other non-human primates to the CHCI seem reasonable and should be
considered. This is especially important because of the close relationship and interdependency
of the program and the CHCI. The Dean’s suggestion that the program develop greater
connections to other institutions (zoological parks, research centers, etc.) to assure other training
opportunities for students is wise and should be followed.
Assessment:
Although the program recently set program goals and developed plans for assessment, very little
systematic student learning data was provided to demonstrate student goal attainment in this
review. A concerted effort must be made in the future to collect, analyze, and discuss
assessment data as a program. Results should be explicitly linked to programmatic and student
learning outcomes and include interpretation. Data should also be compared to established
standards of mastery and be disseminated and discussed with various stakeholders (students,
faculty, administrators, and advisory groups).
Summary
Overall, the Primate Behavior and Ecology program is an important part of Central Washington
University. Faculty are collaborative, engaged, and dedicated in terms of students and their
learning. Students complete a unique and one-of-a-kind program that is unmatched in the United
States. The program should strive to improve in terms of advising students, assessing
programmatic outcomes and in analyzing and improving curriculum and long-range planning
processes. All of these efforts will assure the long-term viability and success of the program.