Academic Program Review 2006-2007
Executive Summary
Department of Geography and Land Studies
The Department of Geography and Land Studies was included in the fifth cycle of academic program review for the 2006-2007 school year. Based upon feedback from the previous cycles, the contents of the self-study were modified as were some of the implementation details.
Included in the process was the composition of a self-study document based upon faculty’s analysis, a departmental retreat where the data were reviewed and the final two sections discussed. The visitation by an external reviewer, Dr. Martha Works, professor and chair,
Portland State University, who read the self-study, interviewed faculty, staff, administration, and students, and submitted her analysis.
The departmental 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 departmental perspective and reflects the commitment of the department for self-analysis, reflection, and evaluation. The institutional expectation is that the department 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 department 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 department faculty and college administration will be expected to provide a summary of activities undertaken during the 2007-2008 academic year as a consequence of the program review. This report will be due to the provost in October, 2008.
It should be noted that Dr. Work’s analysis is very thorough and detailed and, along with the dean’s report, provide the depth and context for the faculty and administrators to move ahead in addressing the recommendations and celebrating the commendations.
Commendations
The self-study document as submitted by the Department of Geography and Land Studies 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 department has several strengths and challenges. It should also be concluded that the department is integral to the mission of the college and university and should be commended in the following areas:

Student Orientation:
Department faculty are highly engaged with students through courses, field experiences, collaborative research projects, and study abroad programs. It is clear that a major departmental focus is to develop student learning in a variety of practical and meaningful ways. Faculty should be encouraged to continue these activities and engage students even further outside of traditional classroom experiences particularly in relation to advising, mentoring, and community building activities.
Curriculum Offerings and Strategic Planning:
It is clear from the self-study, external reviewer report, and dean comments that the department is committed to a holistic four-field orientation. It is also clear that the department is greatly committed to developing and supporting general education curriculum and inter-disciplinary programs. This is laudable and an example for the entire campus. The department should also be commended for engaging in purposeful strategic planning. The department seems to be charting an achievable course in meeting their goals. However, I echo the dean’s caution in that some of the resources needed may be beyond the control of the department while issues (i.e., faculty over-commitment) need to be addressed. The strategic plan should be shared with the
Dean and Provost’s office for administrative buy-in, feedback, and subsequent adjustment.
Facilities:
Although a shortfall in funding equipment and furnishings was mentioned, the renovation and remodeling of Dean Hall has great potential in advancing departmental programs and student learning. The department is encouraged to make full use of the new facilities in achieving departmental, college and university goals.
Faculty:
Faculty of the Department of Geography are vital members of the College of the Sciences and the Central Washington University campus community. Geography faculty have consistently demonstrated productivity in teaching, service, and scholarship. The department and college should continue to make a concerted effort to retain current faculty and recruit faculty in the future that display such positive attributes.
Recommendations
Although the department should be commended in numerous areas, there are also areas for continuous improvement. Following are areas that should be addressed to improve the functioning and quality of the department and its associated programs:

Curriculum and Staffing:
The department offers multiple undergraduate and graduate degrees, minors, and interdisciplinary programs. There needs to be discussion as based on number of student majors and graduates as to the viability of each program from a resource standpoint. In other words, can the department continue to adequately support the varied number of undergraduate, graduate, and interdisciplinary programs offered in their current configuration? The external reviewer provided suggestions to improve staffing and course delivery. These various ideas (particularly related to program consolidation) should be considered and analyzed for viability and potential college and department actions. All of these efforts will help in defining and improving resource constraint and faculty over-commitment issues.
Assessment:
Although there are departmental goals and specific measures mentioned, no 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. 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). Based on the new assessment planning and reporting expectations of the college and university and the mechanisms the department currently has in place, it is hoped that assessment will play a more prominent role in departmental decision-making and continuous improvement efforts.
Summary
Overall, the Department of Geography and Land Studies is an important part of Central
Washington University. Faculty are energetic and productive in terms of teaching, service, and scholarship. Faculty should strive to improve in terms of assessing programs and in analyzing current curriculum and staffing configurations to minimize faculty overload and improve course scheduling. By examining its curriculum and course scheduling, improving its assessment processes, and continuing to encourage faculty development, the department will certainly achieve its goals and those of the college, and university.