Program Planning Committee Report to the Provost
Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Sociology
2006-2007 Cycle
September 12, 2008
The Sociology Department is commended for its valuable function within the College of Social
Sciences and the University. Besides teaching its own majors, it offers many courses in General
Education, MUSE, and courses which assist other departments within the university. Both the
external reviewer and COSS committee perceived the Sociology Department to have a strong
collegial culture, made up of a “core of dynamic, committed faculty who are dedicated teachers,
productive researchers, active professions, and good department and campus citizens.” Further,
one of the department’s major strengths is the emphasis on community involvement evidenced in
an extensive service-learning requirement. The external reviewer also noted that the department
has made an “impressive effort to modify and change the curriculum in response to previous
reviews, feedback from assessment activities, indicators of student demand, and shifting faculty
interests as the result of hiring of a large number of new faculty.”
Some of the challenges faced by the Sociology Department in the next five years include faculty
workload issues, recruitment and retention of high quality faculty (especially in the area of
Criminology), support for faculty research, and shortage of both space and office staff.
The Sociology Department has laid a good foundation for its 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 WASC
team in their March 2007 visit encouraged all programs to put greater focus on program (rather
than course) assessment and use data (course and other sources) to evaluate the achievement of
program outcomes at graduation. Should the Sociology Department need help with assessment
activities, the Director of Assessment and College Facilitators are available to provide
suggestions and support. In accordance with the 2006 Program Planning Guidelines, in the next
program cycle, the self study should include program assessment plans, the university
assessment reports, and an evaluation of the results of assessment efforts with particular attention
to modifications that have been made to improve student achievement of learning goals and
outcomes.
The final step in the program planning process is a meeting with Provost Sigler (or her designee),
Bill Nance, Vice Provost for Academic Budgets and Planning, Bob Cooper, AVP of
Undergraduate Studies, Pam Stacks, AVP of Graduate Studies and Research, Dean Tim
Hegstrom, and Sociology Chair Yoko Baba. The department should contact Ryoko Goldston in
the Office of Undergraduate Studies to schedule the final meeting. The following topics of
discussion are summarized from the reports:
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Faculty morale as it relates to workload (e.g., teaching load, etc)
Support for faculty research
Recruitment/retention of new faculty (especially in Criminology)
Explore possible collaboration with Justice Studies
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Major and career advising for students
Future direction of department in terms of curriculum/structure
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 the program planning guidelines were revised in 2006. The next program review for all
programs in the Department of Sociology is scheduled for AY 2011-2012 with the self-study due
in Spring 2011.
Program Planning Committee:
Arlene Asuncion
Mary Calegari
Peter Chua
Elaine Collins
Bob Cooper
Thuy Le
Bill Nance
Dan Perales
Mahesh Rajan
Jacqueline Snell
Pam Stacks
Gary Stebbins
Patricia Stroh
Ashwini Wagle
CC:
Yoko Baba, Chair, Sociology
Timothy Hegstrom, Dean, Social Sciences
George Vasquez, Associate Dean, Social Sciences
Beth Von Till, 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 Report for Bachelor of
Arts and Master of Arts in Sociology
Self-Study -- AY 2006-2007 (Submitted December 15, 2006)
Overview
The Sociology Department currently offers a B.A. in Sociology and a B. A. in Sociology with
three concentrations: Criminology, Community Change, and Modern Family. The proportion of
the major in general Sociology in Spring 2006 was 46.1% (81.8% in Fall 2001), the proportion
of a criminology concentration was 48.8% (17.3% in Fall 2001), the family concentration was
3% (1.7% in Fall 2001), and the community change concentration was 2.1. (0.6% in Fall 2001).
Since the previous review, the total units required for Sociology majors dropped to 39 units from
42 units. Eight courses (24 units) are required for the major and the remaining 5 courses (15
units) consist of upper division elective sociology courses (for the general sociology degree) or
courses within the student’s area of concentration (criminology, community change, or modern
family).
The department also offers four courses for Core General Education (GE) and two upperdivision SJSU Studies courses in Areas S (Race and Ethnic Relations) and Z (Writing
Workshop).
The Sociology M.A. program offers a M.A. degree in Sociology and a M.A. degree in Sociology
with a Criminology Concentration, which is a unique sociology program in the CSU system.
The core of the Sociology M.A. program consists of two courses in research methods and two
courses in sociological theory. M.A. students with a Criminology Concentration are required to
take a course in Advanced Criminology as well as two courses from Soci 254, Soci 256, and
Soci 258. In Spring 2006, there were 50 graduate students in the MA. Sociology General Major
and 1 graduate student in the M.A. Sociology Criminology Concentration program.
Summary of Report
A. Centrality to Mission
The mission of the Sociology Department is to educate students as to the effects of social
institutions and social processes on self and on groups of people, to enhance students’ knowledge
through the acquisition of sociological perspectives and research methods, and to empower
students to become active citizens throughout their life at the local, state, national, and
international levels. The department fulfills its mission goals by outlining a number learning
goals and objectives for each of its programs.
Recommendations & Plans
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1. Revisit program goals and objectives
2. Streamline strategic plan in alignment with ongoing college and university planning
process and with the university’s 21st century values, mission, and direction.
B. Program Response to Societal and Student Needs
Society demand/need
The American Sociological Association (ASA) reported in 2003 that of 283 sociology programs
in the nation, nearly two-thirds of those programs offered a concentration in some aspect of
crime, law and society. This trend is reflected in the SJSU’s sociology majors’ choice of
concentration. Approximately 50% of Sociology majors at SJSU have a criminology
concentration.
Sociology majors are also required to complete an internship at agencies and organizations in the
local communities, including Santa Clara County Probation Department, United Way Agencies,
EMO Children and Family Services, among others.
Student demand/need
FTES (both undergraduate and graduate students) in the Sociology department has increased
steadily from 372 in Fall 2001 to 479 in Spring 2006, an increase of 29%. There were 52 double
majors in sociology in AY 2004/05 and 31 behavioral science double majors in sociology in Fall
2005. In Fall 2001, 44.9% of the FTES came from within the major, while 17.2% came from
other majors within the COSS, and 37.4% from majors in other colleges.
The number of sociology majors with a criminology concentration increased from 57 in Fall
2001 to 230 in Spring 2006, an increase of 340%. However, during the same time period, the
number of general sociology majors dropped from 293 to 217, a decrease of 26%. The number
of B.A. graduates has increased from 74 in 2001/02 to 104 in 2005/06.
Of the GE courses offered in Sociology, the largest enrollments and FTES come from 2 courses:
Intro to Sociology (Soci 1) and Social Problems (Socio 80).
Enrollment rates in the M.A. Program have ranged from 44% to 72% during 2001-2006. In Fall
2005, 45% of the M.A. Program consisted of minority students. There was a slight decrease in
M.A. graduation rates from 12 – 11 (8.3% decrease) during 2001-2006.
Recommendations and Plans
1. No plans to increase GE offerings in the next 5 years
2. Expand the B.A. and M.A. programs at the rate of 2% increase in FTES in the next 5
years
3. Maintain a strong student recruitment plan to enlarge further the concentrations in
modern family and in community change
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C. Analysis of Quality of Instructional Program
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes: General Education, B.A. Program, & M.A. Program
The Sociology Department presented a series of tables that effectively illustrate assessment of
Student Learning Outcomes and planned improvements based on the results of that assessment
for all of its GE courses, and for the B. A. and M.A. Programs in Sociology.
The following are examples of some of the findings/planned improvements from the
department’s assessment efforts:
GE Core Course Area D1: Human Behavior
Result -- Students overemphasize individual agency and underemphasize structural and
institutional processes
Planned improvement -- Employ various pedagogical strategies to help students move beyond
the individual level of analysis and analyze social forces and practices.
B.A. Program: Learning Objective #3 -- Program graduates will usually be able to analyze,
explain (orally and in writing), and apply key sociological theories, concepts, and terms to social
issues
Result -- Analysis of a sample of students’ capstone work indicates moderate ability to use and
explain adequately sociological perspectives and theories on contemporary issues
Planned improvement -- Require students to take Socio 101 (Social Theory) as early as possible
in their academic career.
M.A. Program: Learning Objective #4 -- Program graduates will usually be able to participate
in a democratic society as critically engaged citizens.
Result -- Based on the alumni survey, 50% of program graduates indicated significant levels of
civic engagement.
Planned improvement -- Determine possible curricular improvements in the M.A. program to
promote civic engagement using graduate-level analytical and research skills.
Assessment of Student Advising
Of the 20 students surveyed in a Soci 181 (Capstone Service Internship) course, 75% were very
satisfied with the quality of the academic advice, and 20% were somewhat satisfied with the
advice. 47% were very satisfied with the career advice, whereas 16% were somewhat satisfied.
The remaining 37% had mixed feelings.
Faculty Contributions to the Academic Discipline
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Sociology faculty (both senior and junior) are very engaged in their teaching, their research, and
their collegial obligations. Six faculty members (including a lecturer) published books in the last
five years. Ten faculty published 15 solo-authored or co-authored articles in peer-reviewed
journals. Six faculty members published book chapters and four faculty members published
seven book reviews.
Sociology faculty members also organized sessions and/or actively participated in regional,
national, and international professional organizations as panelists or presenters. In addition,
faculty members participated in numerous workshops and conferences on campus, local
community meetings, and an international seminar.
Faculty members had internal and external grants in the past five years, including an external
grant from the office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention for $113,551. Faculty have
also engaged in extensive service for SJSU including memberships in the Academic Senate,
MUSE advisory board, The Social Sciences GE Advisory Panel Board (Area D), among others.
Student/Alumni Satisfaction
The Sociology Department conducted a B.A. Alumni survey by sending a questionnaire to 120
B.A. graduates who graduated between August 2003 and May 2004. A total of 12 students
(return rate of 10%) responded. Results of this survey showed that B.A. graduates reported that
the most POSITIVE things about their experience in sociology were: “Awareness of current
domestic/global events,.” “A degree was very easy to obtain”, and “Great accessible faculty,
diverse.”. Some of the NEGATIVE experiences noted by these graduates included: “Very little
‘real world’ application”, “not enough computer preparation, career counseling”, “not enough
real life and career prepation”, and “not enough information available about the types of jobs.”
A similar M.A. Alumni survey was conducted by sending a questionnaire to 40 M.A. graduates
who graduated between 2001 and 2004. A total of 10 students (return rate of 25%) returned the
questionnaire. These alumni reported that the most POSITIVE things about their experience in
sociology were: “Being able to grow upon precious knowledge of sociology”, “Professors that
were helpful and fun to be around,” and “learning to see the world differently, critical thinking
skills.” The NEGATIVE experiences noted by them included “Some professors were
unorganized and unprofessional”, “Not enough training in statistics and research methods”, and
“Commuter school mentality made it hard to really get to know the students to develop stronger
relationships.”
Recommendations and Plans
1. Further explore issues of retention and program completion for the B.A. and M.A.
programs
2. Work with the College and University to ensure that incoming B.A. and M.A. students
are better prepared to do academic work and excel intellectually
3. Implement plan to assess student learning
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4. Continue to modify the curriculum and instructional quality based on evidence on student
learning outcomes
5. Develop more effective instruments measuring program learning objectives
D. Program Plans for the Future
A. Faculty Hiring
Since the previous review, the Sociology Department has lost five faculty members because of
retirement and resignation. Since then, the department has hired five new faculty members in the
areas of (1) political sociology, social change and theory, (2) criminology/deviance, social
psychology and quantitative research methods, (3) family, gender, and qualitative research
methods, (4) immigration, demography and quantitative research methods, and (5) socialization,
qualitative research methods and health. In addition, the department is in the process (at the time
of writing up this self-study) of hiring a criminology/corrections specialist.
In AY 2007-2008, two faculty members are expected to end their FERP and two other faculty
members are likely to retire within the next five years. The Sociology Department plans to
recruit at least four faculty members to replace those who are retiring. Some of the areas in
which they are planning to recruit faculty include: work and organizations, environmental
justice, sociology of pop culture and media, and race and ethnic relations.
B. Strategic Plan: 2006-2011
The following outlines the Sociology Department’s strategic action plan for the next five years.
Examples include those plans that are perceived to be of highest urgency for the department.
1. Expand the B.A. and M.A. programs at the rate of 2% increase in FTES in the next 5
years
2. Maintain a strong student recruitment plan to enlarge further the concentrations in
modern family and in community change
3. Work with the College and University to ensure that incoming B.A. and M.A. students
are better prepared to do academic work and excel intellectually
4. Recruit four tenure-track faculty members and retain tenure-track faculty members to
preserve the instructional quality of the B.A. and M.A. programs
5. Update building structures
6. Acquire much needed office spaces for staff and faculty, as well as storage space
7. Update technology in the classrooms, department website, and research equipment
8. Increase library resources for sociology books, paper journal subscription, and
videos/DVDs.
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External Reviewer Report -- April 23, 2007
Dr. Norma Stoltz Chinchilla, Professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies and Chair of the
Department of Sociology at CSU Long Beach visited the department on February 28 & March 1,
2007.
Dr. Chinchilla commended the Department of Sociology at SJSU for its “strong, collegial
culture” which has a “core of dynamic, committed faculty who are dedicated teachers,
productive researchers, active professionals, and good department and campus citizens.” She
also perceived the goals of the department to be well-aligned with those of the campus and with
changes in the discipline of sociology. Overall, she believed that “the future of the department
seems bright if the proper resources can be marshaled to support the implementation of its goals
and objectives.”
I. MAIN FINDINGS
A. Curriculum
The Sociology Department has made an impressive effort to modify and change the curriculum
in response to previous reviews, feedback from assessment activities, indicators of student
demand and shifting faculty interests as the result of hiring of a large number of new faculty.
These changes are in line with campus goals, emerging trends in the discipline, and the specific
needs of SJSU students and surrounding communities.
The new courses that have been introduced to the curriculum are exciting and cutting edge.
Also, the new course sequencing is pedagogically sound, but may lead to a drop in enrollments.
There is a good balance between GE and non-GE courses in the current sociology curriculum.
However, the GE certification process seems unnecessarily cumbersome.
B. Service to Students
Faculty and staff are very student focused. The chair and most department faculty are perceived
to be accessible and interested in student welfare. Students with whom the external reviewer
spoke said that one of the best things about the department was the faculty, their approachability,
and the interest they take in students.
Dr. Chinchilla was concerned with how the department provides major advising to students.
Currently, all faculty share advising responsibilities. However, she was concerned that in this
type of shared advising model, it is difficult to guarantee consistency and accountability. She
also stated that “It also leads to an equitable workload in that the faculty who teach the most
students are likely to be the most sought after for advising.”
Feedback from students also indicated that they would like more career-related information and
classes, especially in summer and winter.
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C. Collaboration and Interdisciplinarity
Faculty and the Department of Sociology have a strong interest in multi and inter-disciplinary
curriculum innovation. However, faculty are disillusioned with the gap between the rhetoric of
administrative and institutional support for such projects and the actual reality of support. If this
type of curriculum innovation is desirable, support must be predictable and consistent.
There is also seems to be a relative lack of contact between the Sociology and Justice Studies
Departments at SJSU, which is not surprising or unusual. However, the external reviewer
recommends that the most productive and realistic course of action might be to create more
opportunities for dialogue and discussion across disciplines and encourage projects such as
research and external grant collaboration.
D. Facilities and Equipment
Problems with heating, air circulation, and maintenance in the DMH building cited in a previous
external review continue to exist. Computer labs seem to be inadequate for the instructional
needs of the sociology curriculum. Some faculty members feel very strongly about the need for
single offices.
E. Department Leadership
The department chair is respective and an effective administrator. Junior faculty perceive her to
be fair and doing everything within her power to help them meet their goals.
F. Faculty Workload, Faculty Retention, and Sustainability
Faculty feel their teaching assignments are fair. However, the SFR for the Sociology
Department seems high and a number of faculty are teaching a heavy course load in addition to
their other expected duties (research, advising, mentoring, and campus and department service).
There is not enough support for faculty research from outside the department and the perceived
standards for peer-reviewed publication are too high when the relatively low and inconsistent
level of assigned time support for research is taken into account.
The external reviewer feels as though something has to give—either the research expectations
are lowered or resources are increased to meet them.
Faculty also feel frustrated about not having time to spend with students, mentor them, help them
with their skill deficiencies, give them career advice, and comment on their writing. In addition,
they feel that they do not have time for collaboration and interaction with other programs.
G. External Fundraising
The Sociology Department needs more support for its graduate students and for a number of its
showcase projects—service learning, civic action and citizenship, interdisciplinary courses, etc
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II. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CAMPUS AND COLLEGE
A. Facilities and Equipment
1. Convert classrooms to “smart rooms” as possible.
2. Make plans for a new building to replace DMH a high priority. Review and improve
the maintenance schedule for DMH.
3. Increase number of computers in computer labs and update existing computers.
4. Allocate more office space for new faculty. Explore possibilities for single office
space for existing faculty.
B. Instructional Support
1. Establish comprehensive writing/learning assistance center that can help remedy skill
deficiencies.
2. Develop user-friendly instructional technology support system for faculty to post
class materials.
C. Faculty Workload
1. Reduce SFR and increase available assigned time
2. Newly hired faculty should have a 3-3 teaching load for at least the first 2 years. A
lower teaching load and/or more consistent assigned time essential for retention and
promotion
3. Lower teaching loads and more predictable assigned time also needed for those
tenured faculty members who carry the burden of overall department leadership
4. Stipends should be created for graduate students to work as teaching or research
assistants. Priority for assigning them to faculty could be given to those who teach
classes with enrollments over 40
D. Graduate Program
1. Support the M.A. program with stipends for a core of graduate students
III. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT
A. Curriculum, Advising, and Student Learning
1. Discuss alternative models of advising for undergraduate majors
2. Redesign and update department web page
3. Increase amount of career information given to undergraduate majors and M.A.
students.
4. Establish a data base of information on M.A. graduates that can be used for multiple
purposes: assessment, internships, career information & mentoring, fundraising, etc.
5. Explore possibility of external fundraising
6. Encourage faculty to establish ties with their counterparts in other
departments/colleges.
7. Track impact of writing requirement
8. Incorporate more undergraduates in faculty research projects
9. Increase the return rate on the next survey of alumni.
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Department’s Response to the External Reviewer’s Report -- May 12, 2007
The Sociology Department and Chair responded to Dr. Chinchilla’s review on 3 major issues,
student advising, faculty workload, and space. Although, responses to other recommendations
made by the external reviewer were included, only a summary of the 3 major issues follow.
A. Student Advising
The Department and Chair agree with the external reviewer’s opinion that one negative effect of
the shared advising model currently used in the department is that it places an additional burden
on faculty who already have a heavy workload.
However, the Chair disagrees that the shared advising model may lead to “… inconsistent, outof-date, and error-ridden” information given to students. Based on sociology student survey
data, 70.5% - 95% of sociology majors were somewhat to very satisfied with advising in the
department. The Department will further discuss the quality of the shared advising model as
well as look into alternative, more efficient models of advising at the next faculty meeting.
B. Faculty Workload
The Chair reiterates the external reviewer’s concern regarding faculty workload. The Chair
states that the faculty workload issue has been the number one concern among all sociology
faculty, but particularly among junior faculty members.
The Chair strongly agrees with Dr. Chinchilla’s recommendation that a lower teaching load
and/or more consistent access to assigned time for research is essential for retention and
promotion of the large number of junior faculty. Sociology department faculty have formed a
committee to discuss the workload issue due to the high level of frustration regarding this issue.
C. Space
The Chair also reiterates the need for single office space for faculty members recommended by
the external reviewer. In addition, given the increase in FTES (372 in AY 2001/02 to 509 in AY
2005/06) and an increase in the number of classes (approx. 53 in Fall 2004 to 70 in Fall 2006),
the Chair also stated a need for extra classroom space to accommodate students’ needs. Finally,
the need for at least a small storage space for documents, computer/projector carts, etc. was
mentioned.
College of Social Sciences Report -- May 22, 2007, signed by Dean Hegstrom
(no date indicated)
The COSS committee praises the Sociology Department self-study for its exceptional detail and
description of the department’s characteristics, challenges, and successes from every possible
perspective. The committee also perceives a major strength of the department to be its emphasis
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on community involvement and commends the department’s chair for her management skills and
her willingness to work with Justice Studies.
A. Strengths of the Program Plan
1. Self-study presented a very detailed analysis of Sociology’s curriculum and very
thorough reporting of the early results of its assessment plans
2. Effective use of a series of tables to report assessment findings
3. Diversity of student population is a department strength, but may also present unique
challenges for the department
4. Department’s recognition of the need to improve and update its website was commended.
The College needs to provide funds to the department to hire someone to design and
update the website.
B. Shortcomings of the Program Plan
1. Plan is too wordy and delves into too much minutiae. Limit written text to 30 pages.
2. Student/alumni satisfaction survey based on a pool of only 120 undergraduates with a
response rate of 10%. Only 40 graduate students were surveyed, with a response rate of
25%. More effort should be made to sample a larger number of students for the next
review.
3. Issues of retention and program completion for both the undergraduate and graduate
programs should be addressed. Consistency in advising is one area in which the
department should be able to have greater impact.
4. More could have been said regarding how the department plans to “vigorously recruit
students from Bay Area universities and colleges” for SJSU’s M.S. in Criminology.
5. No extensive discussion of where the department would like to be at the end of the next 5
years in terms of curriculum and/or structure.
C. Outstanding Issues & External Reviewer’s Observations
1. The COSS committee agrees with both the Sociology chair and the External Reviewer’s
observation that faculty workload is unreasonable based on the high expectations to
publish, present at conferences, and engage in university service. Faculty workload is a
vital retention issue that must be dealt with at the college and university level.
2. The COSS committee states that the most serious problem faced by the Sociology
department is the difficulty recruiting and retaining high quality faculty, especially in the
expanding area of criminology.
3. Another dimension of this problem noted by both the Chair and the External Reviewer is
the need for more support for faculty research.
4. The COSS committee agrees with the external reviewer’s evaluation that the GE
certification/recertification process is “unnecessarily cumbersome.” It also reiterates Dr.
Chinchilla’s recommendation that the Dean’s office play more of a mediating role in the
GE process.
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5. Chair Baba and the External Reviewer disagree on the question of how best to provide
advising to undergraduate majors. The issue of whether the Sociology department should
use of distributed or expertise model of advising should be further explored/addressed.
6. The shortage of both space and office staff has been somewhat ameliorated, but will
continue to become a problem as the department grows.
7. The unhealthy conditions in Dudley Moorhead Hall are well-known. However, given the
lack of funds for a major face-lift of this decaying building, the solution to this problem is
not foreseeable in the near future.
8. The COSS committee commends the department’s activities to raise funds. However, the
department is encouraged to work with the College’s new Development Officer to
improve their fundraising efforts.
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