UCC/UGC/ECCC
Proposal for Plan Change or Plan Deletion
FAST TRACK (Select if this will be a fast track item. Refer to UCC or UGC Fast
Track Policy for eligibility)
If this proposal represents changes to the intent of the plan or its integral components, review
by the college dean, graduate dean (for graduate items) and/or the provost may be required
prior to college curricular submission.
All Plans with NCATE designation, or plans seeking NCATE designation, must include an
NCATE Accreditation Memo of Approval from the NAU NCATE administrator prior to college
curricular submission.
UCC proposals must include an updated 8-term plan.
UGC proposals must include an updated program of study.
1. College:
Social and Behavioral Sciences
2. Academic Unit:
3. Academic
Plan Name: Psychology Minor (PSYMN)
5. Plan proposal:
6. Current student learning outcomes of the
plan. If structured as plan/emphasis, include for
both core and emphasis.
LEARNING GOALS
Goal One: Knowledge Base in Psychology
Students should demonstrate fundamental
knowledge and comprehension of the major
concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical
trends, and empirical findings in psychology.
Goal Two: Scientific Inquiry and Critical
Thinking. Students will develop scientific
reasoning and problem-solving skills, including
research design, data analysis, and
Fall 2012
4. Emphasis:
Plan Change
New
Emphasis
Psychology
Plan Deletion
Emphasis
Change
Emphasis
Deletion
Show the proposed changes in this column (if
applicable). Bold the changes, to differentiate
from what is not changing, and change font to
Bold Red with strikethrough for what is being
deleted. (Resources, Examples & Tools for
Developing Effective Program Student Learning
Outcomes).
UNCHANGED
interpretation and understand their fundamental
importance in psychology.
Goal Three: Informational and Technological
Literacy, Proficiency, and Efficacy. Students will
demonstrate information competence and the
ability to use computers and other technology for
many purposes. Students will become familiar
with the importance of articulating an information
need in order to develop a research question,
that there are specific information resources for
different information needs, and the importance
of rigor in the research process.
Goal Four: Ethical and Social Responsibility.
Students will develop ethically and socially
responsible behavior for professional and
personal settings, including learning about the
inappropriateness of plagiarism.
Goal Five: Effective Writing and Oral
Communication Skills. Students will be
able to demonstrate competence in
written, oral, and interpersonal
communication skills.
Goal Six: Professional Development. Students
will emerge from the major with abilities that
sharpen their readiness for post-baccalaureate
employment, graduate school, or professional
school. Students should have realistic ideas
about how to apply psychology-specific content
and skills, effective self-reflection, project
management skills, teamwork skills, and career
preparation.
Fall 2012
7. Current catalog plan overview and
requirements in this column. Cut and paste the
Overview and Details tabs, in their entirety,
from the current on-line academic catalog:
(http://catalog.nau.edu/Catalog/)
Show the proposed changes in this column.
Bold the changes, to differentiate from what is
not changing, and change font to Bold Red
with strikethrough for what is being deleted.
Psychology Minor
Psychology Minor
In addition to University Requirements:
In addition to University Requirements:


Complete individual plan requirements.
Please note that you may be able to use some
courses to meet more than one requirement.
Contact your advisor for details.
Complete individual plan requirements.
Please note that you may be able to use some
courses to meet more than one requirement.
Contact your advisor for details.
Minimum Units for Completion
21
Minimum Units for Completion
21 18
GPA
C
GPA
C
Minor Requirements
Minor Requirements
Take the following 21 units, with a Grade of "C"
or better in each course:
 PSY 101 (3 units)
Take the following 21 18-19 units, with a Grade
of "C" or better in each course:
 PSY 101 (3 units)



PSY 240, PSY 255, PSY 260 (9 units)
PSY 227 or PSY 250 (3 units)
Additional units in psychology courses (6
units)
In addition, at least 12 of the 21 units required
for this minor must be from courses offered by
Northern Arizona University. These 12 units may
not include individualized courses.
Be aware that some courses may have
prerequisites that you must also take. For
prerequisite information click on the course or
see your advisor.
Fall 2012



PSY 240, PSY 255, PSY 260 (9 units)
PSY 227 or PSY 250 (3 units)
Additional units in psychology courses
(6 units)
 (PSY 255 or PSY 260) (3 units)
One from the following:
 PSY 230, SOC 365, CCJ 355, POS 303,
STA 270, STA 275 (3-4 units)
Two from the following:
 (PSY 227 or PSY 250), PSY 240, PSY 215
(6 units)
 Additional psychology coursework (3
units)
In addition, at least 12 of the 21 18-19 units
required for this minor must be from courses
offered by Northern Arizona University. These 12
units may not include individualized courses.
Be aware that some courses may have
prerequisites that you must also take. For
prerequisite information click on the course or
see your advisor.
8. Justification for proposal:
One of the student-learning goals for the Department of Psychology, Scientific Inquiry and
Critical Thinking, states that “students will develop scientific reasoning and problem-solving
skills, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation and understand their
fundamental importance in psychology.” This is a critical component of all coursework
required for the minor degree in Psychology. We are adding a statistics course to help
students evaluate the effectiveness of quantitative research methods in fundamental
knowledge of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and empirical findings in
psychology. We are also adding a new 200-level course (PSY 215 Abnormal Psychology) to
the offerings for minors. This will increase the number of available courses and improve
degree progression for minors.
9. NCATE designation, if applicable:
Initial Plan
Advanced Plan
Remove Designation
10. Effective beginning FALL:
2014
See effective dates calendar.
11. Will this proposal impact other plans, sub plans, or course offerings, etc.?
Yes
No
If yes, describe the impact and include a letter of response from each impacted academic unit.
See attached responses from SOC, CCJ, POS, and STA.
Answer 12-13 for UCC/ECCC only:
12. A major is differentiated from another major by required course commonality: 24 units of the
required credit hours of a major must be unique, (i.e. not common or not dual use as a required
element in another major), to that major. Does this plan have 24 units of unique required
credit?
Yes
No
13. Minor: A planned group of courses from one or more subject matter areas consisting of at least
18 hours and no more than 24 hours. At least 12 hours of the minor must be unique to that minor
to differentiate it from other minors.
Does this minor have 12 units of unique required credit?
Yes
No
Answer 14-15 for UGC only:
14. If this is a non-thesis plan, does it require a minimum of 24 units of formal graded coursework?
Yes
No
If no, explain why this proposal should be approved.
Fall 2012
15. If this is a thesis plan, does it require a minimum of 18 units of formal graded coursework?
Yes
No
If no, explain why this proposal should be approved.
FLAGSTAFF MOUNTAIN CAMPUS
Scott Galland
Reviewed by Curriculum Process Associate
11/26/2013
Date
Approvals:
Department Chair/Unit Head (if appropriate)
Date
Chair of college curriculum committee
Date
Dean of college
Date
For Committee use only:
UCC/UGC Approval
Date
Approved as submitted:
Yes
No
Approved as modified:
Yes
No
EXTENDED CAMPUSES
Reviewed by Curriculum Process Associate
Date
Approvals:
Academic Unit Head
Date
Division Curriculum Committee (Yuma, Yavapai, or Personalized Learning)
Date
Division Administrator in Extended Campuses (Yuma, Yavapai, or Personalized
Learning)
Date
Fall 2012
Faculty Chair of Extended Campuses Curriculum Committee (Yuma, Yavapai, or
Personalized Learning)
Date
Chief Academic Officer; Extended Campuses (or Designee)
Date
Approved as submitted:
Yes
No
Approved as modified:
Yes
No
Fall 2012
Fall 2012
Dr. Heidi Wayment, Chair
Department of Psychology
Northern Arizona University
Oct. 21, 2013
Dear Heidi,
Re: Support for revised Psychology Minor
This is a letter of support for the alterations in your Psychology Minor.
Your plans are to lessen the credit hour requirements for the Minor and to add a statistics requirement that can be fulfilled through
one of several courses offered at NAU, including our CCJ 355: Research Methods.
For CCJ majors wising a minor in Psychology, this change would have a positive effect since their CCJ 355 course would count
towards both their CCJ major and their Psychology minor.
This change should have no impact on our department’s course offerings. We wish you the best of luck in proceeding with your
revised Minor.
Sincerely,
Marianne O. Nielsen, PH.D.
Professor and Chair
Fall 2012
Department of Mathematics & Statistics
MEMORANDUM
Adel Mathematics Building
PO Box 5717
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5717
TO:
Heidi Wayment, Chair, Psychology
FROM:
Terence Blows, Chair, Mathematics & Statistics
TOPIC:
Letter of Support
DATE:
October 31st, 2013
928-523-3481
928-523-5847 fax
www.math.nau.edu
(1) The NAU Department of Psychology is proposing to alter the requirements for the Psychology Minor to add a
statistics requirement that can be fulfilled through one of several courses offered at NAU (PSY 230, SOC 365, CCJ
355, POS 303, STA 270 or STA 275). The Department of Psychology’s proposed change to the Psychology minor
would have minimal impact on the department’s course offerings of STA 270 and STA 275 because many of
those minoring in psychology have majors for which one of the above listed courses is already required. The
Department of Mathematics and Statistics is in support of the Department of Psychology’s request to alter the
requirements for their minor.
(2) The NAU Department of Psychology is proposing to change in the major requirements for both the BA and BS in
Psychology to require MAT 125: Precalculus. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics is happy to support
the Department of Psychology’s request as they seek to strengthen their undergraduate programs but it is
important that we make a couple of observations:
Fall 2012

This change effectively replaces the 3-hour MAT 114 class for the 4-hour MAT 125 class and with,
perhaps 1000 majors, this would require an extra 240 SCH or two 3-hour classes of 40 students per
year. A bigger effect though would be due to a prerequisite need, and it is conceivable that 150
freshmen would need to take MAT 108 before MAT 125. This would add, say, another 5 courses to
the department’s load. In all this amounts to 7 extra sections per year, the equivalent of an extra
instructor position. Given enough temporary staffing support this would be manageable.

MAT 125 is a more difficult class than MAT 114 and this may have an effect on the Department of
Psychology’s programs. It is not unreasonable to think about the DFWs as follows: MAT 114 at 20%,
MAT 108 at 25% and MAT 125 at 30%. Of course the Department of Mathematics & Statistics is
optimistic that these numbers may reduce as the Lumberjack Mathematics Center becomes more
established but this will not change the relative difficulties of these classes.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Politics &
International Affairs
P.O. Box 15036
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
Phone: 928/523-3163
Fax: 928/523-6777
November 25, 2013
To: Heidi Wayment, Chair, Department of Psychology
From: Fred Solop, Chair, Politics and International Affairs
Re: Support for Psychology Minor Curriculum Changes
The Department of Politics and International Affairs has reviewed the Psychology proposal for curricular changes
involving the Psychology minor. We recognize that the Department of Politics and International Affairs is directly impacted
by these changes. Our understanding is that Politics and International Affairs majors electing to pursue the Psychology
minor will be allowed to use POS 303 (our undergraduate methods requirement) to fulfill the methods requirement for the
Psychology minor. The Department of Politics and International Affairs fully supports the curricular changes being
proposed.
Fall 2012