Department of Anthropology 2005-2006 cycle
PROGRAM PLANNING COMMITTEE REPORT TO THE PROVOST
June 9, 2008
The department is commended on its work with service learning, internships, and summer field
work. Faculty research is recognized nationally and published in respected journals and by major
academic presses. The department is especially lauded for the level of student involvement in
faculty research.
The Anthropology department provides a model of assessment activities, having not only
developed student learning outcomes and assessment plans, and collected data for all its
programs, but also having made changes to the program based on the data collected. The
department is assessing program (rather than simply course) objectives as emphasized by the
WASC team in their March 2007 visit. In light of the already excellent student learning
assessment activities, the program planning committee encourages the department to continue to
focus on making assessment meaningful rather than mechanical, with particular attention to
modifications that have been made to curriculum and pedagogy to improve student achievement.
The committee would especially like to commend the department for taking full advantage of
opportunities that e-portfolios afford to faculty as well as students. The committee acknowledges
departmental development of e-portfolios as a means for students to document their skills and
knowledge to a wider audience, a way for the department to assess progress in achieving
departmental objectives, and as a link between the program and potential employers. Since your
department is a leader in this area, we would like to see you share your experiences with the
larger university community.
The final step in the program planning process is a meeting with Provost Sigler (or her designee),
Vice Provost for Academic Budgets and Planning Bill Nance, AVP of Undergraduate Studies
Bob Cooper, AVP of Graduate Studies and Research Pam Stacks, Dean Timothy Hegstrom, and
Chair Charles Darrah. The department should contact Svetla Ilieva in the Office of
Undergraduate Studies to schedule the final meeting. The following topics for discussion are
summarized from the reports:

Options for increasing enrollment in the anthropology major and the implications of that
for the Behavioral Science major, the graduate program, and general education.

How the Behavioral Sciences major might become more interdisciplinary, including
administration of the program.

How graduate students might find or be assigned thesis/project supervisors (this seems to
be broader than a department issue). Options for counting faculty supervision of theses
and projects as part of teaching load, for example how other departments and colleges
deal with work load for supervising theses and a possible/existing college policy.

Future need and funding sources for collections, equipment, research and class
laboratories, including grant possibilities.

Administrative options for making the 4-4 teaching load more flexible.
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If the Department would like to propose other issues for the meeting, please discuss the
appropriateness of the topics with your Dean.
The Program Planning Committee recommends acceptance of the self-study. The self-study
provided a good examination of the issues for subsequent reviewers. The department should note
that program planning guidelines were revised in 2006. The next program review for all
programs in the Department of Anthropology is scheduled for AY 2010-2011 with the self-study
due in spring 2010.
Program Planning Committee:
Marina Aminy
Arlene Asuncion
Mary Calegari
Peter Chua
Elaine Collins
Bob Cooper
Thuy Le
Bill Nance
Dan Perales
Jacqueline Snell
Pam Stacks
Gary Stebbins
Patricia Stroh
Marlene Turner
Ashwini Wagle
CC:
Charles Darrah, Chair, Anthropology
Timothy Hegstrom, Dean, Social Sciences
George Vasquez, Associate Dean, Social Sciences
Michael Kaufman, Chair, Curriculum and Research
Bob Cooper, AVP Undergraduate Studies
Pam Stacks, AVP Graduate Studies
Bill Nance, Vice-Provost
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Appendix: Summary of Program Planning Reports for Anthropology
Self-Study – dated November 13, 2006
The anthropology department offers a B.A. in Anthropology with a choice of four emphases:
cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, archaeology, or general anthropology. All four
emphases share a common core of courses, including a capstone course. This department also
administers the Behavioral Science program which is interdisciplinary between Anthropology,
Psychology and Sociology. Behavioral Science may also be used as double major with the other
major being in any of the three departments.
A graduate program in Applied Anthropology began in fall 2006. The MA is intended to prepare
students to work in the public or private sector as researchers, administrators and/or program
developers. The program is built around three broad categories of skills and four content areas
comprising health care, business and industry, immigration and immigrant services, and regional
sustainability.
Assessment
Early assessment efforts showed two areas of student learning that might be improved: “students
found it difficult to analyze social science information clearly and be able to formulate ethical
debates within the discipline.” In response the capstone course was reorganized to include two
new activities. One activity (actually set of activities) revolves around reading about, discussing,
and writing a paper on the philosophy of social science. In the other activity students become
involved in an ethical debate about the treatment of a South American group, the Yanomami.
Students plan and engage in a 2.5 hour conference with five sessions. Each student submits a
paper after the conference.
After a 2005 assessment retreat the department decided that assessment of the portfolio in the
capstone course was not sufficient to capture all of student learning and initiated a plan to
integrate program assessment into all courses. The faculty identified a number of process issues
and some curriculum/pedagogy issues to be addressed over the course of a few years (not all at
once), including working with the library on assessment of information literacy skills and library
tutorials, developing a methods guide, and developing an assessment plan for the new masters
degree.
The department of Anthropology has been a leader in assessment in the college of Social
Sciences. They received a grant in 1999 to develop assessment in the Anthropology program,
and soon after that to co-sponsor, with San Francisco State, a conference on the use of eportfolios. They now use e-portfolios as a way for:

students to document their skills and learning

faculty to assess student learning on program objectives

students to link with prospective employers
As an interdisciplinary program with no capstone course (as of 2005), the Behavioral Science
program presents a greater challenge to assessing student learning across the program. At the
time of the self-study an integration course was being proposed. (The Program Planning
Committee is not able to recognize such a course in the current catalog. Since there is no distinct
behavioral science designation, such a course may exist.)
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Students
The number of Full Time Equivalent Students (FTES) in the department has held steady, or
perhaps grown a little between 2001 and 2006. This self-study predates the new office of
Institutional Research, so the numbers of majors vs. students in general education is not
delineated. The department estimates that 20-25% of FTES comes from anthropology and
behavioral science majors. The rest of enrollment comes from general education and support for
other majors (e.g. psychology majors taking medical anthropology). The Anthropology major is
much smaller than the Behavioral Science major, but Anthropology approximately doubled over
the period. Both majors attract women and students who identify with an ethnic minority. The
department would like to encourage more majors.
The department received the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Service-Learning for 2004-5.
The department has a long history of service to the community and service learning. They have
partnered with the Tech Museum, Smart Valley, Junior Achievement, the Santa Clara Office of
Education, Health Trust, and Project Shine.
Financial and Facility Resources
The department gives a thorough report of alternative funding, from grants to a retiring faculty
member donating his IRA. The department has been creative in dealing with recent budget cuts.
It managed to replace the photocopier and a stolen LCD projector, and to pay ancillary costs for
the move to Clark Hall. It has provided new faculty with computers and other technology for
faculty and classes.
The move to Clark Hall gave the department less room than had been allotted in the Business
Tower. Most faculty members share an office that was designed for one. Partly this is to give an
office to the office manager, and to create a small conference room. There is no room to expand.
Lab space, collections facilities, and storage for field equipment at various places around and off
campus are at capacity.
The department provides good evidence that it is both effective and efficient in the use of
resources.
Faculty
The department has seven tenured and tenure track faculty. During the period under review four
faculty members resigned or retired, even as a new graduate program was implemented. Three
faculty were hired, one in physical anthropology and two archaeologists.
Plan
The two major goals for the department appear to be to increase enrollment in the Anthropology
major and to implement an integrative capstone course in the Behavioral Science curriculum.
In addition, the department identified plans for the following areas.
Curriculum



Increase units in the major to 42
Simplify the structure of the major and eliminate emphases
Continue to assess Behavioral Science and create a capstone course
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



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Expand the number and nature of archeology courses
Integrate physical anthropology and archaeology into the Applied Anthropology Masters
program
Increase service-learning, internship and apprentice opportunities
Encourage faculty to refresh the curriculum and to link with other programs on campus
Use the assessment process to continue to innovate.
Students
Faculty perceive that students in the major are more satisfied than SJSU students generally. They
are proud of the apprenticeship model used in the program. Recommendations:



Obtain common student space to facilitate the creation of a learning community
Continue to insure excellent advising and begin to systematically assess advising
Continue to link students to faculty research, professional activities and production of
anthropological knowledge. Implement systematic documentation of that process.
Faculty
The department depends heavily on part time, and even some volunteer, work. (PPC note, no
statistics on lecturers, but FTEF in 2005-6 was 11.9. If that corresponds to the seven TT
mentioned above, that would mean 4.9 FTEF lecturers or 41% lecturers with additional
volunteers). The department recommends



Work with the college and university to support breadth of faculty work and student
engagement in research and professional activities. Make the 4-4 teaching load more
flexible through administrative policies.
Create a faculty position in physical anthropology that can bridge physical and cultural
anthropology and archaeology.
Increase the diversity of faculty/instructors.
External Review – dated March 27, 2007
Dr. Judith H. Habicht-Mauche, Professor and Chair of the Anthropology Department at UC
Santa Cruz visited the department in March 2007. She highly praises the department and
stipulates that her comments should be taken as friendly suggestions rather than as requirements
or targets that must be met for the department to move forward.
Dr. Habicht-Mauche suggests revisiting a decision made in previous years to focus attention and
resources on general education courses. At the time the decision was made the number of majors
was declining, but that trend seems to have halted. In addition, the department has started an
M.A. program. In particular, upper division courses should be expanded in support of the major,
the interdisciplinary Behavioral Science program, and the M.A. program. She believes the ideal
size for the anthropology major would be 100-120 students. Growing beyond that might put a
strain on resources and impact the M.A.
Dr. Habicht-Mauche believes that modifying promotional materials would draw more students.
She recommends emphasizing student engagement with faculty in the program and success of
their students in entering prestigious doctoral programs, along with more emphasis on career
opportunities for anthropologists. Additionally, developing relationships with local community
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college faculty would increase the number of transfer students coming into the anthropology
department.
Shifting focus to upper division major courses, and away from GE courses, would also allow for
better use of tenured faculty. Dr. Habicht-Mauche agrees with the department that it would be
beneficial to develop more laboratory and methods courses across archaeology, physical
anthropology and cultural anthropology. However, this would also require more laboratory
space. She urges faculty to collaborate on a grant proposal to the Course, Curriculum and
Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) Program at NSF. The department already offers several
summer fieldwork programs which might qualify for such a grant. The department and
university should recognize summer field training programs as part of the faculty teaching load.
Dr. Habicht-Mauche advises assigning an Internship and Field Studies Coordinator for the
undergraduate program.
Dr. Habicht-Mauche would like to see the Behavioral Sciences program become more
interdisciplinary, both in curriculum and administration. Growth of the Anthropology major
strains the department’s ability to support the program as it has in the past.
The M.A. program admitted its first cohort of students in fall 2006. The applied focus of the
M.A. program fills an important niche and should provide good job opportunities for graduates
of its program. The first cohort was drawn largely from SJSU undergraduates, and Dr. HabichtMauche strongly recommends more active recruiting to draw from a wider area.
M.A. students are quite happy with the program and faculty. However, they have some concern
over finding thesis/project advisors. Dr. Habicht-Mauche recommends students be assigned a
preliminary advisor in their first semester who would advise and help the student to find a
permanent project advisor. MA students expressed a desire for more elective courses, and Dr.
Habicht-Mauche suggests that when graduate students are piggy-backing on upper division
courses they should have a more demanding syllabus than the undergraduate students. Grads
should have more opportunities to take independent study courses with faculty. Dr. HabichtMauche recognizes that the suggestion for more advising and individual training of graduate
students is an issue for faculty who normally teach eight courses per year.
Dr. Habicht-Mauche suggests a number of ways to refocus the graduate program in order to
make better use of new faculty as well as discipline focus, should enrollment justify further
faculty hires. If and when further hires are justified, a laboratory technician should be
considered. These suggestions should be discussed among the faculty, and perhaps with Dean
Hegstrom and Provost Sigler.
College Committee– dated May 17, 2007, signed by Dean Hegstrom 4/4/08
The college committee praises the self-study for thoroughness, but suggests the narrative could
be improved by being shorter. Members recognize the department as exceptionally efficient,
hardworking and well-run. They praise the department for embracing assessment, increasing the
number of majors, and for its service learning and generous contribution to general education.
The committee says that the strategy to increase or further develop the major in Anthropology
needs clarification but questions the external reviewer’s advice to appoint an Undergraduate
Coordinator.
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The department administration of Behavioral Science should be addressed. How much of a
burden is this? Should more resources be allocated if integrative learning continues to be a
priority for the College and/or University?
The committee says that long term goals of decreasing the teaching load, hiring an additional
faculty in physical anthropology, and increasing diversity of the faculty is realistic. Reducing
class size or substantially increasing financial support for professional obligations is more
problematic.
The department record of hiring and retaining high-quality faculty is impressive. However, the
committee questions whether the resignation of a tenured faculty member is a harbinger of
problems. Was there an exit interview with Dr. Sikkink?
The committee requests (rhetorically, apparently) more information on lecturers. What
percentage are they of faculty? Who are they? What do they teach?
The committee recommends that Anthropology get more space in Clark Hall. It reiterates the
department and external reviewer’s recognition of need for more research, laboratory, collection,
and office space.
The committee was particularly interested in the external reviewer’s recommendation to build
relationships with community colleges in order to increase transfer students and her
recommendation to shift focus from general education to major courses. The report discusses the
recommendation to have research supervision count as teaching load. Apparently the college is
considering a policy on this. It also discusses the cost of hiring a lab manager and questions
whether the anthropology lab really needs this.
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