ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
AND SCIENCES
UNIT PLAN
2008-2013
July 2009
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 3
Purpose................................................................................................................. 3
Strategic Direction ............................................................................................... 3
Organization of the Plan..................................................................................... 4
Planning Process .................................................................................................. 4
Organizational Chart........................................................................................... 5
University Vision Statement............................................................................................ 6
University Mission Statement ......................................................................................... 7
Institutional Goals 2008-2013 ......................................................................................... 8
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Profile .................................................. 9
Brief History ......................................................................................................... 9
Accreditations .................................................................................................... 10
Current Academic Program Offerings/Services ................................................ 11
Professional Education Offerings ..................................................................... 11
Academic Journals, Centers, and Institutes ...................................................... 11
Other Activities .................................................................................................. 11
Enrollment/Service Trends and Projections ...................................................... 11
Student Demographic Characteristics .............................................................. 12
Faculty Characteristics ....................................................................................... 12
Employee Characteristics ................................................................................... 12
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Mission .............................................. 13
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Vision ................................................. 13
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences S.W.O.T Analysis................................ 14
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Goals 2008-2013................................ 17
College-Wide...................................................................................................... 17
Asian Studies ...................................................................................................... 18
Biological Sciences ............................................................................................. 19
Chemistry............................................................................................................ 22
Communication Science and Disorders ............................................................ 23
English ................................................................................................................ 27
Fine Arts ............................................................................................................. 31
Government and Politics ................................................................................... 33
History ................................................................................................................ 33
Languages and Literatures ................................................................................ 37
Library and Information Science ....................................................................... 38
Mathematics and Computer Science ................................................................ 39
Philosophy .......................................................................................................... 40
Physics................................................................................................................. 41
Psychology.......................................................................................................... 43
Rhetoric, Communication, and Theatre ........................................................... 49
Sociology/Anthropology.................................................................................... 51
Theology and Religious Studies ........................................................................ 52
Appendix Table of Contents ......................................................................................... 53
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
INTRODUCTION
Purpose:
The purpose of this document is to provide a comprehensive overview of St. John’s College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences and to articulate its unit plan for the 2008-2011 timeframe.
The plan has been developed to support established institutional goals and priorities for
the same timeframe. Requests for funding to support the plan have been and will
continue to be aligned with the University’s strategic priorities, which are used as a basis
for resource allocation decisions at the unit level.
Strategic Direction:
In 1971, Robert A. Nisbet, a Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Riverside,
wrote, “The University’s most feasible function for the future is in essence what it has
done in the past: that of serving as a setting for the scholarly and scientific imagination.”
As we look ahead to 2013 and plan for new faculty hires, new and revised programs,
facilities renovations, increased emphasis on mission, student engagement, and global
education, as well as other initiatives, we should not lose sight of the current state of St.
John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences whose strengths far surpass its weaknesses. The
most extraordinary component of St. John’s College is its faculty; a cadre of teachers and
scholars who are committed to advancing knowledge in their discipline while at the same
time providing the highest quality education for our students. The majority of the goals
contained in this plan are designed to enhance the ability of the faculty to continue to do
their outstanding work, and to bring new scholars into our cadre. One area that deserves
special mention is the role of St. John’s College in the teaching of the University-wide
undergraduate core. We embrace the vision of our former dean, the late Rev. Brian
O’Connell, C.M., that this core be taught by full-time faculty, in small classes, and that it
focus on the competencies and knowledge bases necessary for our students to become
educated members of society who are prepared to be lifelong learners. Another set of
goals and objectives is designed to create new programs of study (undergraduate,
graduate, interdisciplinary), and revise certain existing ones, so that our degree and nondegree programs continue to be of the highest quality and responsive to the changing
face of academia and the world outside the academy. We also seek to improve our
retention and graduation rates; to increases enrollments in targeted programs; to expand
our involvement beyond the Queens and Staten Island campuses to those in Oakdale,
Manhattan, Rome, and Paris; to increase external funding from governmental and
nongovernmental agencies and from our alumni; and to improve our aging infrastructure.
Finally, we want to play an integral role in achieving Father Harrington’s vision of making
St. John’s University known worldwide for addressing issues of poverty and social justice
and in the newly established Vincentian Institute for Social Action.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
Organization of the Plan:
The structure of this unit plan mirrors that of the University Strategic Plan. The main
document articulates St. John’s College’s mission and vision statements, and includes a
S.W.O.T. analysis, discussion of the college’s goals and their link to the university goals and
academic priorities. The appendix provides additional information including a complete list
of degrees and programs, enrollment trends and projections, demographic summary,
FY2011 Annual Plan, and FY2009 Plan Status Update.
Planning Process:
Planning and outcomes assessment in St. John’s College is conducted at the department
level chiefly by the department chairs and program directors in consultation with their
faculty. Currently, these are:
Dr. Bernadette Li, Asian Studies
Dr. Jay Zimmerman, Biological Sciences
Dr. Richard Rosso, Chemistry
Dr. Fredericka Bell-Berti, Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. Stephen Sicari, English
Assistant Dean William Nieter, Environmental Studies
Prof. Louis DiGena, Fine Arts
Dr. Luba Racanska, Government and Politics
Dr. Mauricio Borrero, History
Dr. Jeffrey Olson, Library and Information Science
Dr. Charles Traina, Mathematics and Computer Science
Dr. Herbert Pierson, Languages and Literatures
Dr. Paul Gaffney, Philosophy
Dr. Robert Finkel, Physics
Dr. Raymond DiGiuseppe, Psychology
Dr. Dawn Esposito, Sociology/Anthropology
Dr. Michael Hostetler, Speech, Communication and Theatre
Rev. Michael Whalen, C.M., Theology and Religious Studies
Oversight is provided by the Dean of St. John’s College working closely with the college’s
four Associate Deans and its Director of Planning. The Dean also relies heavily on the
chairpersons’/directors’ advisory committee, which meets monthly. Academic governance
of St. John’s College resides chiefly with the Liberal Arts Faculty Council.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
UNIVERSITY VISION STATEMENT
St. John’s vision is clear, direct and collegially shared across the institution. Embedded in
this vision is our clear commitment to creating a learning environment for success in the
21st century while remaining rooted in our timeless mission.
“St. John’s University will empower diverse learners with quality education for life.
Through innovative teaching, research and service, we will foster rational, spirited inquiry
and intelligent reflection. Our student-centered approach will be shaped by a caring,
energized, nimble culture. Enlivened by our distinctive mission, our graduates will excel in
the competencies and values required for leadership and service in a rapidly evolving
global community. As a Catholic and Vincentian university, we will be known worldwide
for addressing issues of poverty and social justice.”
(Donald J. Harrington, C.M., President, November 2000)
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UNIVERSITY MISSION STATEMENT
St. John’s University is Catholic, Vincentian and Metropolitan.
As a university, we commit ourselves to academic excellence and the pursuit of wisdom,
which flows from free inquiry, religious values, and human experience. We strive to
preserve and enhance an atmosphere in which scholarly research, imaginative
methodology, and an enthusiastic quest for truth serve as the basis of a vital teaching,
learning process and the development of lifelong learning. Our core curriculum in the
liberal arts and sciences aims to enrich lives as well as professions and serves to unify the
undergraduate experience. Graduate and professional schools express our commitment to
research, rigorous teaching standards, and innovative application of knowledge. We aim
not only to be excellent professionals with an ability to analyze and articulate clearly what
is, but also to develop the ethical and aesthetic values to imagine and help realize what
might be.
St. John’s is a Catholic university, founded in 1870 in response to an invitation of the first
Bishop of Brooklyn, John Loughlin, to provide the youth of the city with an intellectual
and moral education. We embrace the Judeo-Christian ideals of respect for the rights and
dignity of every person and each individual’s responsibility for the world in which we live.
We commit ourselves to create a climate patterned on the life and teaching of Jesus Christ
as embodied in the traditions and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Our community,
which comprises members of many faiths, strives for an openness which is “wholly directed
to all that is true, all that deserves respect, all that is honest, pure, admirable, decent,
virtuous, or worthy of praise”(Philippians 4:8). Thus, the university is a place where the
Church reflects upon itself and the world as it engages in dialogue with other religious
traditions.
St. John’s is a Vincentian university, inspired by St. Vincent de Paul’s compassion and zeal
for service. We strive to provide excellent education for all people, especially those lacking
economic, physical, or social advantages. Community service programs combine with
reflective learning to enlarge the classroom experience. Wherever possible, we devote our
intellectual and physical resources to search out the causes of poverty and social injustice
and to encourage solutions which are adaptable, effective, and concrete. In the Vincentian
tradition, we seek to foster a worldview and to further efforts toward global harmony and
development, by creating an atmosphere in which all may imbibe and embody the spirit of
compassionate concern for others so characteristic of Vincent.
St. John’s is a metropolitan university. We benefit from the cultural diversity, the
intellectual and artistic resources, and the unique professional educational opportunities
offered by New York City, Rome and other international cities. With this richness comes
responsibility. We encourage these metropolitan communities to use our resources to serve
their needs. On the local, state, national and international levels, our alumni serve as
effective leaders and responsible citizens. We pledge to foster those qualities required for
anticipating and responding to the educational, ethical, cultural, social, professional, and
religious needs of dynamic cities in a dynamic world.
Mission Statement of St. John’s University, New York, March 15, 1999
INSTITUTIONAL GOALS 2008-2013
The focus and critical priority of this strategic planning cycle is to truly transform the
manner in which we serve our students while providing them with a distinctive
educational experience. This cultural shift will require that we operate in a highly
collaborative manner and eliminate any institutional barriers that might get in the way of
providing exceptional service to all of our students. The strategic plan provides a
framework for accomplishing this through initiatives that more visibly embed our Catholic
and Vincentian Mission into all aspects of our University experience; significantly enhance
levels of Engagement for our students; and incorporate Global perspectives and
experiences to prepare our students for a rapidly changing environment.
(Donald J. Harrington, C.M., President, March 2009)
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES PROFILE
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the central academic unit of St. John’s
University with primary responsibility for the delivery of a liberal arts and sciences
education to students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
St. John’s College consists of three units: the undergraduate division on the Queens
campus, the undergraduate division on the Staten Island Campus, and the Graduate
Division (Queens, Rome, and Oakdale campuses). Each division has an associate dean who
is in charge of the day-to-day operation of the division. Unified governance of the college
is provided by the Dean of St. John’s College.
Brief History:
St. John’s University was founded as St. John’s College in 1870 by priests of the
Congregation of the Mission, who responded to an invitation from the first Bishop of
Brooklyn, John Loughlin, to establish a university. Named in honor of Bishop Loughlin,
whose patron saint was St. John the Baptist, St. John’s College was established “for the
purpose of opening a day college where the youth of the City might find the advantages
of a solid education and where their minds might receive that moral training necessary to
maintain the credit of Catholicity.”
St. John’s College flourished during the period 1871-1906 and the first B.A. degrees were
awarded in 1881, while the first M.A. degree was conferred in 1883. In 1906, the New York
State Board of Regents approved a new charter for the college and it was granted the
privileges of a university empowered to establish “professional departments.”
In 1913, the Graduate School (later renamed the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences) was
established. In the 1920’s, St. John’s College celebrated its 50th anniversary and greatly
expanded with the opening of the Borough Hall Division of the College of Arts and
Sciences (later called University College). With the goal of offering opportunities for
advanced study and research beyond the master’s degree, the first applicants for the
Doctor of Philosophy degree were admitted to the Graduate School in 1933.
By 1955, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School of Arts
and Sciences had moved entirely to the Queens Campus and students began attending
classes in the completed Liberal Arts building. In 1959, the administration of St. John’s
College and University College were integrated.
As of September 1968, women were admitted into the day sessions of St. John’s College
for the first time, although Fine Arts and Physics had been coeducational prior to this.
Also, women had been permitted to enroll in the evening sessions of St. John’s College on
the Queens Campus. In 1970, St. John’s University and St. John’s College celebrated their
100th anniversary.
Established by the Congregation de Notre Dame in 1931 on Staten Island, Notre Dame
College experienced a series of setbacks in the 1960’s. The Congregation de Notre Dame
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
ceased to sponsor the college in 1969 and the Archdiocese of New York took over the
school in the interim. Recognizing the importance of continuing Catholic higher education
on Staten Island, the college merged with St. John's University in 1971 and became the
Notre Dame College of Staten Island. The first Staten Island campus students were enrolled
that September.
In 1999, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences was renamed the St. John’s College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences Graduate Division. That same year, Notre Dame College merged
with St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Some of the distinctive qualities and unique characteristics of St. John’s College are:
• A faculty commitment to teaching, research, and scholarship
• Student-centeredness
• Unique Doctor of Arts programs in English and Modern World History
• Ph.D. programs of distinction in Clinical Psychology and Biology
• Community-based training clinics in speech and hearing and psychology
• A Master of Arts program in International Relations program offered on Rome
Campus
• Various combined BA/MA and BS/MS degree programs
• A commitment to the delivery of the University-wide core curriculum
• Collaborative initiatives: (1) MS Biotechnology and the Center for Biotechnology, (2)
MA in Global Development and Social Justice with Unicaritas, (3) Doctor of
Audiology consortium with Adelphi and Hofstra
• Opportunities for undergraduate students to pursue research under the direction of
faculty
• Faculty commitment to interdisciplinary endeavors
• Interesting service-learning opportunities
• Master of Science in School Psychology and Master of Library Science programs at
the Oakdale Campus
• Small class sizes for majors and advanced courses
• Internship opportunities
• Experienced and professional administrative and staff personnel with a deep
commitment to the Vincentian mission and the student body
Accreditations: Programs within St. John’s College are accredited by:
•
•
•
•
•
•
The American Chemical Society (ASC): Report prepared and submitted annually, no
visit.
The American Library Association (ALA): next visit 2011.
The American Psychological Association (APA): next visit 2015 (Clinical Psychology) and
2012 (School Psychology).
National Association of School Psychologists: next visit 2011
National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD): next visit 2009.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA): next visit 2011.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
Current Academic Program Offerings/Services: At the undergraduate level, St. John’s
College offers programs of study leading to the Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Arts,
Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. At the graduate level, the college
offers programs of study leading to the Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of
Library Science, Master of Divinity, Doctor of Arts, Doctor of Audiology, Doctor of
Psychology, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The college also offers advanced certificates
and combined bachelors/masters degree programs in several disciplines.
Professional Education Offerings: A limited number of professional education offerings are
given by the college’s three applied graduate programs: speech and hearing, library and
information sciences, and psychology.
Academic Journals, Centers and Institutes:
•
•
•
Institute of Asian Studies
Center for Psychological Services
Speech and Hearing Center
Other Activities:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Skull and Circle Honor Society (Queens)
Lambda Kappa Phi Honor Society (Staten Island)
Pre-Law Advisory Program
Arts and Sciences Pre-MBA Program
Pre-Health Studies/Pre-Health Advisory Committee
Dean’s Honor List
Gold and Silver Key presentations
Academic Awards (Carlton Boxhill Award, John J. Coffey Honors Program Award, Dr.
Gerald E. Fitzgerald Award, Charles Lacaillade Award, Edward J. Miranda Award,
Reverend John B. Murray Award)
Enrollment/Service Trends and Projections:
Overall enrollment in St. John’s College, with the exception of the Staten Island Campus,
has steadily increased since 1998. St. John’s College Undergraduate Division – Queens has
experienced the most significant growth and we project that enrollment will remain stable
or slightly decrease through 2012. The prospective cohort of new freshmen, coupled with
the establishment of our residence halls and a national recruitment campaign, contributed
to the increased enrollment in Queens. From 1999 through 2007, enrollment in St. John’s
College Undergraduate Division – Staten Island declined. For Fall 2008, enrollment slightly
increased. We anticipate a slight decrease in the number of new freshmen for Fall 2008
and project that enrollment will stabilize by 2012.
After a period of declining enrollment, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Graduate Division (Queens, Rome and Oakdale Campuses) has experienced a modest
increase in the number of students since 2001. There are a number of factors that have
contributed to this increase including the addition of new programs (Doctor of Psychology
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
– School Psychology, Master of Arts in Criminology and Justice, Doctor of Audiology,
Master of Arts in Global Development and Social Justice) and expansion to the Rome
Campus (Master of Arts in International Relations) and the Oakdale Campus (Master of
Library Science, Master of Science in School Psychology). We project that graduate
enrollment will continue to grow through 2012.
One-year retention rates for Fall 2007 – 2008 were as follows: St. John’s College Queens –
73% and St. John’s College Staten Island – 77%. Retention is fostered by our
developmental advisement system in which students, after their freshmen year, are
advised by faculty in their major or, if they are undecided about their major, by the
assistant and associate deans. We also work closely with other units of the University such
as the Division of Academic Support Services and the Division of Student Affairs.
Student Demographic Characteristics:
St. John's College has a total enrollment of 4,667 students; 76% undergraduate, 66%
female; and 42% students of color. Seventy-nine percent of the students are from New
York. The remaining 21% originate from 37 other states, District of Columbia and Guam
and 60 foreign countries. The average SAT’s for all students increased from 1030 in Fall
1998 to 1091 in Fall of 2008. Other student demographics are summarized on the chart
that follows and detailed in Appendix D.
SUMMARY OF STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
FALL 2008
White
Undergraduate
36%
AfricanAmerican
Hispanic
Asian/
Pacific
Islander
Unknown
NonResident
Male
Female
Catholic
17%
17%
14%
12%
4%
36%
64%
51%
Graduate
47%
7%
10%
6%
21%
9%
26%
74%
40%
Total
39%
15%
15%
12%
14%
5%
36%
64%
48%
Faculty Characteristics:
St. John's College has 263 full-time instructional faculty members, 39% female and 16%
faculty of color. About 93% of full-time faculty members hold a Ph.D. or other appropriate
terminal degree. Sixty-eight percent are tenured, including 73% of the males and 61% of
the females. An additional group of between 350 and 380 adjunct faculty members
provides instruction on a semester-by-semester basis as needed.
Employee Characteristics:
St. John's College has 39 full-time administrators, 64% female and 23% administrators of
color. They have an average length of service of 10 years. There are 65 full-time staff, 91%
female and 25% staff of color. They have an average length of service of 10 years. There
are an additional 14 part-time administrators and staff employees.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES MISSION
St. John’s College fulfills the commitment to academic excellence expressed in the
University’s Mission Statement, and the Catholic, Vincentian, and metropolitan character
of a St. John’s education, in three principal ways. First, the college provides a universitywide core curriculum in the liberal arts and sciences which serves as a foundation for a
distinct and unified undergraduate education. Required courses in theology and
philosophy play a pivotal role in creating the integral vision of Catholic and Vincentian
education that stands at the center of the St. John’s University experience. The acquisition
of critical thinking evidenced in articulate verbal and written skills is expected of every
student in all courses of study offered by the college. St. John’s College emphasizes
student learning as an active rather than a passive process. The college offers a holistic
education with special attention given to compassionate concern for others, to cultural
diversity, and to the challenges of an interdependent world. Second, St. John’s College
offers undergraduate majors in many basic liberal arts and sciences disciplines. The majors
challenge students with broad academic underpinnings that have developed through the
centuries, and they challenge students to make current application of this knowledge.
Students also acquire the appropriate theoretical perspectives and research competencies
for advanced study in their chosen discipline. Third, St. John’s College offers graduate
programs at both the masters and doctoral levels in select arts and sciences disciplines.
Through these programs, St. John’s College offers quality education for the leaders of
tomorrow, especially the academic leaders. Where appropriate, the graduate programs of
the college meet the standards of their respective accreditation agencies.
ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES VISION
As a learning community, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is committed to
student-centered teaching, social diversity, and a modern educational environment. We
seek to develop in our students a critical consciousness and ethical perspective that will
prepare them for service and leadership roles in the local, national, and international
spheres. In both our graduate and undergraduate programs, we seek the highest
standards of scholarly inquiry and creative expression. Through their research, our faculty
will contribute to the creation, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge. As we
proceed into the new millennium, St. John's College will continue to serve the university
with broad graduate and undergraduate offerings in the arts and sciences.
Approved by the Liberal Arts Faculty Council, May 2003
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
A full time faculty dedicated to teaching, research, and scholarship, and service to the
university and broader academic community
Excellent cadre of junior faculty hires who will ensure the academic future of the college
Strong majors and graduate programs in basic arts and sciences disciplines
Programs of study offered on Queens, Staten Island, Oakdale, Rome, and Paris campuses
Teaching a large proportion of courses in the common and distributed core curricula
Course content continually reviewed and updated
Senior seminars (capstone courses) in most majors
Small class-sizes in some core courses and most upper-division courses
Close working relationship with the Vincentian Center for Church and Society
Active participation in University Honors Program
Interdisciplinary minors in Africana Studies, New York Studies, Women’s Studies,
Multicultural and Multiethnic Studies, and Social Justice: Theory and Practice in the
Vincentian Tradition
Values oriented education
Large number of combined bachelors/masters programs
Strong cadre of department chairs and assistant chairs
Full accreditation of graduate professional programs in clinical psychology, school
psychology, speech pathology, and audiology
New graduate professional programs in line for approval and implementation in public
history and museum studies
Use of technology in teaching
Ongoing financial support to faculty to enhance teaching effectiveness
Service learning used in many courses
Faculty members experienced in online teaching
Undergraduate majors advised by faculty in their discipline
Personal attention paid to students by departmental/program faculty and staff
Pre-health and pre-law advising program
Students involved in research with faculty
University-identified doctoral programs of distinction in Biological Sciences and Clinical
Psychology
Several faculty with externally funded grants
Scholarship opportunities and other forms of financial aid
Community-based training clinics in psychology and speech and hearing
Institute of Writing Studies and Writing Across the Curriculum program
New Global Language and Culture Center; adoption of Tell Me More software for
language learning by students, faculty, staff, and administrators
Highly professional and committed academic of administrators and staff in college and
department offices
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
WEAKNESSES
Dependency on adjunct faculty especially for courses in the core curriculum
Low enrollments in some programs and courses especially on Staten Island
Too few faculty with externally funded grants to support their research and scholarship
Science laboratory facilities in need of renovations (biology, chemistry, physics) and
expansion (psychology, speech)
Fine Arts facilities in need of renovations
Large class sizes in some core courses and introductory major courses
Lack of sufficient space for colloquia and lectures
Gaps in faculty expertise in several departments
Many faculty offices inadequate
Obstacles and disincentives to interdisciplinary collaborations
Insufficient advertising and marketing of graduate programs
Antiquated graduate application process and too many internal paper forms that
created complex, disjointed operations
Lack of regular tracking and reporting on graduate program performance indicators
Inertia and incapacity to change in weaker programs
Laptop computers not given to adjunct faculty or to most graduate students
Limited program offerings for a liberal arts and sciences college
No coordinator of Academic Service Learning on Staten Island campus
No science programs or facilities on Staten Island campus
Too few faculty of color and faculty from underrepresented groups
Ability of all faculty to keep pace with technology changes
Increase in duties of department chairs
Lack of daycare facilities
OPPORTUNITIES
Strategic alliance and joint programs with other institutions locally, nationally, and
internationally
Upward shift in the academic profile of undergraduate applicants
Increased collaboration with Office of Global Studies and Study Abroad and Discover the
World programs
University laptop refresh program and Academic Computing Initiative to strengthen
faculty members’ use of technology in teaching and scholarship
Participation in newly established Vincentian Institute for Social Action (VISA)
To contribute to Father Harrington’s call to make the University known worldwide for
addressing issues of poverty and social justice
Relatively small class sizes compared to City and State Universities
Enhanced reputation through faculty publications and grant activities
Use of new QSI Student Tracking System (swipe) in Queens Undergraduate Office to
assess student satisfaction
Create unique interdisciplinary majors and programs on Staten Island campus to give it
distinctiveness
Build stronger relationship between alumni and departments and college
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
Capitalize on international connections and sites
Encourage collaborations and partnerships among the departments and with other units
in the university
Ethnic diversity of New York City metropolitan area
Meeting the demands of Ex Corde Ecclesiae and moving out into the greater Church
community
THREATS
Decline in faculty research and scholarship due to significant reductions in the number of
research reductions and research leaves, and the elimination of travel funds
High cost of living in New York area impacts ability to attract new faculty
Potential decline in staff and administrator morale due to lack of raises, Exceptional
Performance Awards, and Special Recognition Awards
Nationwide decline in college-age population
High graduate tuition rates
Rising costs and increasing financial hardships for students and their families
Attacks on the value of a liberal arts education
Noncompetitive graduate assistantships/fellowship stipends
Lack of medical benefits for graduate students
Future of Honors Program on Staten Island with retirement of its long-time director
Competition for best students from other local universities with actual or perceived
better programs and/or facilities (e.g., New York University, Fordham University, Hofstra
University)
Student dissatisfaction and confusion with core courses on Queens campus being taught
by faculty in St. John’s College and the College of Professional Studies
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES GOALS 2008-2013
College-Wide
Mission
1. Increase the adoption of Academic Service Learning (AS-L) in our courses through the
efforts of the Coordinator of Academic Service Learning (currently Dr. Barrett Brenton)
who will:
a. determine the current state of AS-L in the College (both Queens and Staten Island)
and set measurable goals for improvement;
b. coordinate the distribution and analysis of surveys and other instruments to
determine the use and effectiveness of AS-L in the College;
c. promote and stimulate the use of AS-L in courses by faculty from St. John’s College
through formal and informal discussions, seminars, presentations, attendance at
department meetings, etc.;
d. meet regularly with the Assistant Provost for Service Opportunities and Ozanam
Scholars and his or her staff to discuss new and emerging opportunities and ways to
improve communication between the AS-L office and faculty and students;
e. promote community-based research and learning opportunities;
f. attend, at College expense, at least one conference, meeting, workshop, or
colloquium related to AS-L and community engagement;
2. Continue to work closely with the Vincentian Center for Church and Society to assist
with its mission (e.g., Vincentian Research Fellows, faculty assistance to the Vatican
Mission to the United Nations, faculty assistance with the acculturation of foreign-born
priests).
3. Remain available to the broader Church community to supply expertise where needed
(e.g., the recently completed survey of the attitudes of high school and college
students towards the religious professions for Bishop DiMarzio).
Student Engagement
1. Develop a program for freshmen with declared majors to receive advisement from
faculty members as well as from their non-faculty advisors in the University Freshmen
Center.
2. Emphasize student engagement in the Faculty Recognition Award process.
3. Participate in the new peer-mentoring and faculty-led seminar program for undecided
freshmen and possibly sophomores.
4. Increase internship opportunities and expectations for all students, working in
conjunction with the Career Center.
5. As an academic complement to the Early Alert program, and in conjunction with the
UFC, develop a probation protocol for majors in addition to the cumulative probation
protocol, together with appropriate follow-up resources.
6. Continue to support the work of the Enrollment Task Force and implement its
recommendations regarding improving retention and graduate rates.
7. Increase student retention (freshmen to sophomore) by 2013 as follows:
a. Queens: from its current 73% to 79%;
b. Staten Island: from its current 77% to 80%.
8. Increase 6-year graduation rates by 2013 as follows:
a. Queens: from its current 60% of 65%;
b. Staten Island: from its current 69% to 72%.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
9. Provide funds for faculty members to attend conferences and workshops to improve
their teaching effectiveness.
10. Create interdisciplinary programs that take advantage of the small-college
environment of the Staten Island campus.
11. Work closely with the coordinators of the interdisciplinary minors in Africana Studies,
Women’s Studies, New York Studies, and Social Justice: Theory and Practice in the
Vincentian Tradition to expand the scope of these programs and increase students’
interest in them.
12. Closely monitor the number of courses graduate students have incomplete grades in in
order to help them move toward graduation in a timely manner.
13. Revamp and add greater flexibility to the comprehensive examinations in our graduate
programs to match student learning styles.
14. Continue to expand the use of technology in order to improve efficiencies and reduce
campus run-around for students.
15. Personalize recruitment process with individualized letters to accepted undergraduate
and graduate students.
16. Promote and support the activities of the newly established Graduate Student
Association.
Global Education
1. Increase the number of short-term study abroad courses taught by full-time faculty
members during intersessions and summer sessions.
2. Continue to ask our students, “When will you study abroad” rather than “Will you
study abroad?”
3. Explore the creation of graduate educational programs in Europe, East and Southeast
Asia, and Latin America.
4. Explore the creation of new graduate programs in addition to the recently proposed
M.A. in Museum Studies that combine studying in New York with a semester or part of
a semester on the Rome and/or Paris campuses.
Asian Studies
Mission
1. Collaborate with the newly established Vincentian Institute for Social Action (V.I.S.A.)
to bring together inter-disciplinary faculty, student scholars and strategic service
partners with the goal of leveraging the intellectual capital of the university to
implement solutions to poverty and social justice.
Student Engagement
1. Enhance higher levels of student engagement, maintain a lower student-faculty ratio, higher
percentage of full-time faculty, and classes of fewer than 20 students.
Global Education
1. To coordinate and teach the Study Abroad Programs in China and Taiwan.
2. To coordinate and teach the Chinese language program with the academic and IT
supports of the newly established Global Language and Culture Center.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
3. To maintain St. John’s progressive in diversity recruiting and awareness.
Other
1. Increase the percentage of offered courses taught by full-time faculty and decrease the
Ratio of Students/FT Faculty (the ratio was 13:1 in 2007, 30:1 in 2006, 27:1 in 2005 and
23:1 in 2004).
2. Increase the enrollments of the M.A. programs in East Asian Studies and Chinese
Studies, as well as the Certificate Programs.
3. Strengthen the full-time faculty, moderate the Workload Ratios of full-time faculty and
close the gaps in faculty expertise.
4. Continue to develop new courses in most emerging areas of study, such as China
Studies, Chinese Language and Cultures, and Political and Economic Environments of
East Asia.
Biological Sciences
The Department of Biological Sciences (DBS) has benefited from its designation as a
“Program of Distinction” during the past 5 years. We have seen an extensive rehabilitation
of our space in St. Albert’s Hall as part of the Science Master Plan. Our faculty continue to
be rated as outstanding instructors, while many are able to continue to attract Federal
grant monies. Enrollment of majors continues to increase, and the addition of exciting
new faculty members are only outward signs of a vibrant and adaptive organization.
Nevertheless, there are threats to the department’s success, and the steps described in our
5-year plan, to cover the interval 2009-2014, are designed to respond to those threats
while at the same time responding to, and endorsing the University’s 2008-2013 Strategic
Plan.
Of particular concern to the DBS is the continuing increase in majors in the Department
while the number of graduate students who are vital to the enthusiastic instruction of
laboratory sections remains the same, or decreases. The ability of faculty to be productive
and competitive in research is directly linked to the number and quality of masters and
doctoral students that we can attract and retain. While the number of majors continues to
go up, our facilities do not. In the fall of 2009 we will be using more than 95% of the
laboratory opportunities. While there is a tendency to view this as satisfactory (after all,
only 5% of the space is unused), in actuality we are seriously overbooked. Where is the
histology student to go to review slides (approximately 5 hours per week)? How does a
freshman come back to lab to review his/her guinea pig anatomy? Where is a 24 hour
incubation to be performed? At the present time the University has been lacking in a longterm plan to respond to this challenge, but we will address these issues during the next 5
years in consultation with others in the University.
The University Strategic Plan 2008-2013 focuses on three critical aspects of education that
should/will make the St. John’s educational experience distinctive: Mission, Engagement,
and Global Education. In fact, the DBS views these three separately described features as
so deeply intertwined as to be inseparable in practice. While many of the responses and
activities described below will be categorized, it is important to recognize the cross-
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
category nature of many interventions. For example, an effort to increase academic
expectations may also involve increased student engagement and even study abroad.
Mission
St. John’s mission, and the manner in which the University manifests that mission,
differentiates this University from many others in higher education. However, science
departments (including DBS) have been slow to convert the theoretical theme of service to
others into action. We propose, over the next five years, to expand our efforts in this
sphere in the following ways:
1. Increased service-learning opportunities, both domestically and internationally.
a. To date there have been relatively few service-learning opportunities associated
with courses in DBS, and only one is ongoing. That effort, by Dr. Schramm, had
been an astounding success, and we will use that success to interest and instruct
other faculty in incorporating ASL into their courses.
b. The Department will sponsor a day at the St. John’s Bread and Life Soup Kitchen.
All of our faculty, staff and students will be invited and encouraged to participate
in a day of caring for others less fortunate than themselves.
c. Where possible, all of our study abroad courses will have a service component
similar to that associated with BIO 1859, Biology in the Galapagos.
Student Engagement
DBS, as the largest department in St. John’s College, is particularly sensitive to the issue of
engagement, since it is easy for students to become lost or disengaged in so large a
department. It is clear from the Strategic Plan that the University recognizes that
decreased student-faculty ratio combined with classes with fewer than 20 students lead to
higher levels of student engagement. Nevertheless, lack of faculty and classroom space
ensure that freshman biology majors will face classes of 150 students, and upper class
biology majors may never see a class smaller than 40-50 students. In face of these
challenges, we have a strong history of engaging our students in the academic life of the
Department through a variety of strategies (which we intend to continue), and intend to
amplify and focus our efforts in the coming 5 years.
1. The Provost has identified increasing the academic profile of our students as a priority,
a goal we heartily endorse. We will respond to this challenge as follows:
a. We will work with the admissions office to identify ways to limit acceptances to the
Biology major as a way of increasing the quality of students entering this difficult
discipline. This will have the parenthetical effect of reducing the overload on
laboratory facilities in both the Biology and Chemistry Departments.
b. There continues to be an increase in the number of Honors students majoring in
Biology. To accommodate this, we will institute a third course at the Honors level,
so that these students can take the entire Fundamentals of Biology sequence as
Honors courses. In addition, we will make a particular effort to acquaint our faculty
with the possibility of Honors students taking a non-Honors course for Honors
credit, and encourage students to do so.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
c. During the past two years Dr. Carter has taken a cohort of (mostly) undergraduate
Honors freshman students to the national meeting of the American Cancer
Research Association, first in San Diego, and more recently in Colorado. The cost of
the trip was partially supported by a variety of sources so that any student wishing
to go could do so without concern for the cost. We are in the process of trying to
find a reliable source of funding so that we can institutionalize this opportunity,
eventually for all high performing students, not just Honors students. The students
who attended these trips have become fixtures in the Department, and are the
definition of “engaged students”, so we expect that expansion of the program
would have a salutary effect on engagement and retention in the Department.
d. As currently formulated, the Biology major sequence includes 3 required core
courses and 5 elective Biology courses that the student can choose at will. Our UEPC
will consider developing a more menu-like program for majors, so that in addition
to the Fundamentals of Biology sequence, students will choose from categorized
courses to ensure that they are exposed to advanced courses in all of the important
areas of modern Biology. An important component of such a reorganization will be
increased exposure to the research-nature of Biology, either through participation
in laboratory exercises that emphasize research and critical thinking, or through
expanded opportunities to conduct research under the direction of a faculty
mentor.
e. For the past several years the Department was the recipient of an IMSD Program
grant from the Federal government. However, we lost the grant when it was
decided that we did not meet the technical criteria to be in that program. At the
present time a similar grant application is pending in the MARC Program. This grant
will support students who are investigating pursuing careers in biomedical research
by providing them with in-laboratory research experiences, a salary and a variety of
support activities. Our experience with the similar IMSD Program tells us that
students in this program will be well engaged, and rarely, if ever, leave school
except by graduation.
f. At the Graduate level, we will pursue funding of the GAANN Program, which
provides support for outstanding doctoral students. We will also reemphasize to
our faculty the necessity of including graduate student support in grant budgets.
2. It is recognized that adjunct faculty are not perceived as being as readily available to
students as are full time faculty. Absent a University-wide program to compensate
adjunct faculty for additional time spent on campus, we have provided an office and a
desktop computer for adjunct faculty use. This has been successful, but given the space
limitations in St. Albert Hall, we will probably need to reclaim that space in the near
future. A major objective of the Department, in its engagement efforts, will be to
develop a permanent on-site office for adjunct faculty use.
3. Graduate students in the Department have improved their “graduate reading room” to
make it more inviting and useful. However, in the long term we will propose that part
of this space be converted into cubicles so that doctoral students will have a small
office space where they can meet with students, study and read.
Global Education
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
It is extraordinarily difficult for our undergraduates to participate in study abroad
programs since the cascading nature of required courses precludes a semester dedicated to
taking only non-science, non-laboratory courses abroad. Furthermore, many biology
majors classify themselves as premed, predental, etc. Most US-based health graduate
schools do not accept foreign credentials for their required courses, casting further
obstacles in the way of a student who wishes to have an international experience. The DBS
has addressed this difficulty by developing one course, BIO 1859, Evolutionary Biology,
which is given during winter recess in the Galapagos Islands.
To expand study abroad opportunities for Biology majors, we intend to develop additional
courses that will have an international component. We are in contact, for example, with
Vinh State University, in Vietnam, and intend to offer a course in Tropical Biology in the
spring, just after final examinations end. The general plan is to develop courses that will
meet when there are no other classes in session, such as during winter intersession, or in
the spring, after final examinations. In this way, students will be able to avail themselves
of an international experience without hindering their taking required coursework.
Chemistry
The Department of Chemistry at St. John’s University has transformed itself over the last 10
years into an exciting research oriented department. This transformation is a result of
faculty engaging students through both the classroom experience and involvement in
undergraduate research projects. For the next five years we intend to build upon our
pervious successes concentrating on increasing our presence in the outside scientific
community, raising the number of our students continuing their education in graduate
and professional programs, and exploring new ways to engage our students. Toward these
ends, our goals are to:
1. Have all courses and recitations taught by full time faculty.
2. Increase the number of students participating in undergraduate research in their 3rd
and 4th years to 60%.
3. Offer a number of new courses, General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry courses for
Chemistry majors, Honors Organic Chemistry
4. Decrease the size of the General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry courses to 80
students.
5. Decrease the size of the recitations to 20 students and utilize more cooperative
learning and active learning pedagogies.
6. Offer an elective chemistry elective every semester to increase the variety of classes
students can take and to give the students to further specialize their educational goals
in different areas of chemistry such as Bioorganic, Descriptive Inorganic,
Nanotechnology, etc.
7. Increase the number of students in the master’s program from industry and other
institutions.
8. Increase the number of assistantship lines. Examine the possibility of industrial funding
to support these lines.
9. Encourage faculty to develop new teaching methodologies that engage students in the
classroom setting.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
10. Have faculty develop courses suitable for the Study Abroad programs so that the
Department of Chemistry can participate.
11. Work closely with the School of Pharmacy and the Biology Departments to improve the
educational needs for their students with regards to our service courses.
12. Increase the amount of laboratory space dedicated to teaching laboratories in the
Chemistry Department to support the increasing number of science majors.
13. Develop the Conference Room into a Chemistry Student Center suitable for the
students to congregate, and discuss their research and studies, and have available to
them access to technology chemistry resources.
14. Hire personnel to be responsible for preparing lab rooms for organic and advanced
laboratories.
15. Supply the necessary resources to further the faculty’s ability to publish, attend
conferences, and apply for grants.
16. Supply monetary support for training and development of the laboratory supervisors.
17. Renovate available research lab space to allow better utilization of the department’s
allocated space.
18. Build new research laboratories.
19. Develop a marketing program for the department to increase the number of students
in the bachelor’s and master’s programs.
20. Streamline the assessment of courses in the Chemistry Department so that it is a useful
endeavor and not a potentially time consuming one.
21. Develop better ties with alumni to inform of development in the departments, invite
them to events, and follow the development of their careers.
22. Develop community outreach through Chemistry is Fun demonstration program,
summer camps for late elementary and middle school students.
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Mission
Inherent in being charged with educating students for the ministry of improving the
communication abilities of persons with communication impairments, we must insure that
we encourage the development of our students’ appreciation of the diversity of our
society and the value of all members of that society–especially, for us, those with
communication disabilities. This involves being sure that course content reflects a
framework that integrates the fundamental principles of STJ’s Catholic, Vincentian, and
Metropolitan mission.
1. We will foster this transformation by continuing the traditional Service Learning
activities that have been part of some of our courses for many years.
2. We will foster this transformation by increasing the number of courses having a Service
Learning component, as well developing additional courses with Service Learning as a
major component.
3. Furthermore, through their provision of clinical services, Departmental faculty will
model St. John’s mission, and students are invited to join these faculty in their clinical
activities.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
4. Consistent with both professional mandates and STJ’s mission, course content
throughout the curriculum reflects teaching that would enhance our students’
awareness of the special characteristics and needs of minority groups and
disadvantaged communities in the country.
5. We will increase our efforts to encourage our graduate as well as undergraduate
students to be sensitive to cultural and individual differences that influence
communication.
Student Engagement
We will continue to encourage our faculty to employ student-centered interactions,
engaging in regular conversation both inside and outside of the classroom. A number of
outside-the-classroom initiatives, which were described in the summary of Student
Engagement discussions that took place during the 2008-09 academic year, will be
continued. These included formal meetings of faculty with student groups as well as
individual student-faculty research activities.
Inside the classroom:
1. We will continue to meet with students outside the classroom in both professional and
social meetings.
2. Even in lecture-style classes, our faculty pose questions in ongoing assessment of
student understanding, and we encourage student questions during class. Indeed,
student questions will continue to be one assessment mechanism for both
departmental faculty and administrators to gauge the quality of instruction and
related aspects of the Department that may have an impact on our students’ classroom
performance.
3. In addition to regularly scheduled class times, several faculty members schedule course
review sessions that are held during the semester to assess the need for any corrective
steps that would improve learning; these will be continued.
Outside of the classroom:
1. Students will continue to be encouraged to visit faculty in their offices for conversation
about the profession as well as to discuss coursework and to use the Department
lounge as a meeting place for working on group projects.
2. We will continue our practice of sending a program assessment questionnaire to our
M.A. graduates to further obtain their feedback on their clinical and classroom
experiences while at our training program.
3. We will continue to hold both professional and social meetings during the school year.
a. The Department will continue to host colloquia to which B.A. and M.A. students are
invited.
b. We will continue to hold Question-and-Answer sessions about the major sequence
and respond to general questions about the fields of Speech-Language Pathology
and Audiology. Care will be taken to be sure that these sessions are held on both
the Queens and Staten Island campuses each year.
c. During the Spring of their junior year and fall of the senior year, we will continue
to hold “Graduate School Application” information sessions to explain aspects of
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
d.
e.
f.
g.
completing a successful application. Again, care will be taken to be sure that these
sessions are held on both the Queens and Staten Island campuses.
On the Queens campus, we will continue the practice of hosting a luncheon,
sponsored by the Freshmen Center, for freshmen majors.
On the Staten Island campus, we will continue to invite our majors and adjunct
faculty to a breakfast with the faculty that includes a presentation of research by
one of the faculty members.
We will continue to hold meetings of the Department faculty and our M.A.
students early in the Fall semester to review procedures and entertain student
questions.
Regarding social gatherings, on the Queens campus, the Speech and Hearing Club
sponsors a Student-Faculty Luncheon each year. We have an Annual End-of-Year
Dinner attended by most of the undergraduates, many of the M.A. students, and
most of the faculty. This is an opportunity to meet with our students and their
families to celebrate of the accomplishments of the students during the past year,
and to bestow several department-level awards.
Global Education
1. We will foster this transformation by developing courses to be offered through Global
Studies.
a. Undergraduate: we are examining ways to meet the needs of our majors should
they otherwise be able to spend a semester studying abroad. This will require that
a FT faculty member be able to spend 5 weeks abroad during the semester; we are
exploring the ways in which the faculty member can complete a semester’s teaching
load that includes 5 weeks abroad.
b. Graduate: We will develop additional courses that address communication disorders
of persons in less advantaged countries. (We have already developed one course,
CSD 341: Management of Pediatric Dysphagia in a Developing Country and a
second, on the effects of poverty on language development, is under
development.)
2. We will continue to expose our students to knowledge on diversity and
multiculturalism in order to expand their awareness of and understanding of other
racial/cultural groups.
a. Through our course CSD 381 (Cultural Diversity in SLP and Audiology), graduate
students obtain classroom knowledge on a number of immigrant groups in the
country in order to enhance students awareness of the impact that immigrants’
original backgrounds may have on the clinical services given to these individuals.
b. Through our undergraduate course (CSD/RCT 1155) we encourage our students to
be sensitive to cultural and individual differences that influence communication.
Other
1. The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders will continue to strive
toward providing the highest possible quality instruction in Speech-Language
Pathology and Audiology, to ensure that students’ knowledge and skills are developed
as completely as possible, reflecting our student-centeredness, encouraging the
students to be active learners throughout their lives.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
a. With the addition of one fulltime faculty member on the Queens campus, we will
move closer to compliance with the student/faculty ratio (6:1) recommended for
graduate programs by our accrediting organization, the American SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association (ASHA), from our present ration of more than 11:1.
b. We will develop a series of 1-credit survey courses to provide an overview of areas
of Communication Disorders for students who are not able to fit an in-depth (3credit course) into the 48-credit degree requirements; this will allow students to
have a greater breadth of instruction and to fulfill the credentialing requirement of
demonstrating the acquisition of knowledge of a broad range of communication
disorders.
c. We will complete our efforts to have students complete major-area courses in the
sequence we have used on the Queens campus for more than 20 years, providing
our students with a stronger academic experience, and avoid teachers having to
provide information that should have been received in earlier courses. We hope to
have all students ‘in sequence’ by the end of the 2010-2011 Academic Year.
d. We will continue to review all of the internship placements that have been
available to our Speech Pathology and Audiology majors on the Staten Island
campus, as well as seeking new facilities for internship placements. We hope to
have a stronger set of placements that are better suited to our students growth by
the end of the 2011-2012 Academic Year.
e. We will put a ‘contract’ protocol into place during the 2009-2010 Academic Year;
this should help students have a clearer understanding of their responsibilities and
develop strengthen their clinical practicum experiences.
f. To maintain the currency of instruction in the Communication Sciences and
Disorders, we will continue to review our collection of video materials, software,
and diagnostic instruments used as teaching resources in basic communication
science and clinical courses, acquiring new editions of some instruments and
acquiring newly available diagnostic instruments, software, and video materials.
2. To enhance resource development and prioritize resource allocation to achieve our
vision, we plan to develop additional distance learning courses and to make effective
use of the Speech Laboratory facilities on the Queens and Staten Island campuses.
a. We will develop an Observation course in Distance Learning format: available to
students on both campuses with instructor on one–maximum use of resources. We
plan to have this in place by Spring 2011.
b. We have established a Speech Lab on the Staten Island campus and have begun to
develop a collection of video materials, software, and diagnostic instruments to use
as a teaching resources in clinical courses.
c. During the 2009-2010 academic year, the faculty on the S.I. campus will begin
holding sessions of introductory courses in the lab (when appropriate); by the 20112012 Academic Year we plan to have sessions of upper level courses meeting in the
lab (as appropriate and as materials are acquired).
d. We have begun to acquire hardware and software for use in acoustic and linguistic
analyses of speech. In addition to faculty research using these facilities, several UG
majors have expressed interest in developing research proposals, and at least one
has begun the literature review for a project she plans to present to the IRB in the
Fall 2009, so that she may begin data gathering and analysis, using the Speech Lab
facilities.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
e. The Speech Lab on the Queens campus will continued to be used for course-related
laboratory assignments as well as for faculty and student research.
English
FY2008
In FY 2008, the English Department was able to bring in two new full-time, tenure track
faculty members, Dr. Scott Combs to teach courses in film and literature and Dr. Elda Tsou
to teach courses in Ethnic American Literatures. Both positions filled a gap in our offerings
and allowed us to be much more comprehensive in teaching literary history. Dr. Combs’
courses allow us to move more fully into interdisciplinary studies, as the relation of film
and literature is one of the most important developments in our field; and Dr Tsou’s
courses allow us to engage students more fully in what we call global literature, in the
literary experience of different immigrant cultures in America. These two hires and the
courses they are able to teach make the department more student-centered and more
advanced in delivering global education.
In FY 2008, the department was identified for extension by an internal study, and we
wrote a five-year extension plan that was put on hold in FY 2009 due to the fiscal
emergency in the nation. I worked with the department to write this plan, as well as with
the College budget officer, Eileen O’Connor, and with the director of Institutional
Research, Dr. Clover Hall. Much of what I will be outlining in the projections for FY 2011,
2012, 2013 will be based on this document.
FY2009
This past year the Department of English has developed several new strategies to foster
student engagement. We focused most closely on the advising process of our majors and
minors, sending out a timed series of email blasts that detailed the registration dates and
procedures; that set up students with advisors; that sent out course descriptions; that
detailed program requirements and prerequisites; that sent out updates about closed
courses. The students expressed their satisfaction in these efforts to communicate and to
watch over this important process
We also targeted students that we may label “at risk” by first identifying those students
whose major GPAs were under 2.5 or whose overall GPAs were under 2.0. This allowed
their advisors to take extra care in advising and counseling. We are planning to hold
advising meetings for such students and help them develop strategies for dealing with
their issues.
We also met with the Freshmen Center to facilitate communication between the
Department of English and freshmen who expressed interest in the major. One of the
challenges facing us is the current job market that has everyone nervous about future
employment. To encourage our students to remain optimistic, we held a “Jobs Seminar” in
the spring semester, with a diverse panel describing the different job paths there are in
English (we had a lawyer, a publisher, a writing teacher, and a development director, all
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
former English who have become successful.) The students seem appreciative of this event,
as a sign that their professors are indeed in touch with their reality and want to help
develop their employment potential by developing their academic skills. The success of this
event has led us to plan a series of these for next year.
On the graduate level we continued to hold our own informal “new student orientation”
and our “graduate school application seminars.” The St John’s Humanities Review, our
graduate student journal, continues to motivate and interest students in professional
activities and brings the lessons of the classroom into a quasi-professional enterprise. These
measures have helped develop a graduate student cohort that feels part of a community,
part of a group project, cared for and nurtured by a committed department. In the
classroom, we have worked to develop our course offerings to reflect more contemporary
issues, with a focus on the interdisciplinary and global aspects of professing English. In the
past two years we have developed seven new courses, three in film and literature and four
in global literature, in our undergraduate program, and four new global lit courses in our
graduate programs. We also hired Dr. Nicole Rice to teach Medieval Literature, and so we
can begin developing that essential part of our programs. (We are able to do this because
of the new faculty we have been hiring.) These developments on curriculum have allowed
us to make our programs more rigorous, more attractive, and more “up-to-date” (actually,
we are helping lead the way). We long ago made our freshmen requirement in the Core a
course on global literature, and now can offer a substantial number of courses in global lit.
One of our newest members of the department, Dr Tsou, has recently submitted to the
UEPC three new undergraduate courses in Ethnic Literatures, and they have been
approved at our level and will be sent up to the Curriculum Committee of the LAFC at the
start of the fall term. This is an on-going effort to make our programs reflect the
University’s commitment to Global Education.
Last year we stated as a goal the development of writing courses in our graduate program,
and Professor Brownstein has created a new course for the graduate program on
Autobiography and Fiction and is planning to create a similar one for the undergraduate
programs. We also had a course, designed by Dr Kynard on Critical Race Theory and
Pedagogy, approved. These two new courses extend the range of our offerings in our
graduate programs and help bolster our already growing reputation as a program with
significant offerings in writing and pedagogy. This is where most job opportunities lie for
graduates of doctoral programs, in teaching writing and literature at two-year and fouryear colleges. We have seen a dramatic growth in the number of applications to our DA
program and an even greater increased in the quality of students.
The Department of English has also worked to transform our culture through the
assessment process that has been initiated at the University. We have revised our Master’s
portfolio project, our doctoral comprehensive exams, our prerequisites in our
undergraduate major, our introductory courses in our major, all because of findings from
the assessment process.
Last we stated as a goal our hope to enhance our ability to oversee the Core course in
Global Literature (E. 1100C). This is hugely important to the University’s goals of enhancing
Global education and student engagement, for the Core is the place where we either win
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
or lose the freshmen. It is the place where we feel we as a department can do the most
good regarding our retention initiatives. In this goal we have not been at all successful,
mainly because CPS teaches the vast majority of these courses and faculty from that
college have no motivation (it appears) to be mentored by the three faculty members we
have in our department who are actually expert in this field. When the First-Year Writing
Faculty were hired to teach 1000C, full-time “English” faculty from CPS lost one of their
staple courses and needed this course to fill out their schedules. The faculty in CPS do not
seem to be teaching the course as a global course, with its emphasis on multicultural
literature but still as a western world lit course. These are vastly different courses, and with
our student body and the University’s goal of enhancing Global Education, to teach the
course as a western world lit course is recalcitrant and detrimental. This is why we included
as part of our Extension proposal that there be created the position of Director of Global
Literature, to give official status and University authority to someone with this expertise.
Until this happens, I’m afraid this situation will not change.
We were not funded for the extension plan, and so our larger ambitions of holding
symposia for non-majors and students in the Core did not materialize. We were able to
host a number of departmental events for students: many poetry readings, a poetry
contest, lectures by visiting scholars, lectures by St John’s faculty. These were successful in
drawing good audiences and successful in fostering a sense of community and
engagement.
We very much want to become host to a series of well-planned events for E 1100C
(Literature in a Global Context, our course in the University Core) as a way of fostering in
our freshmen a sense of community and of academic excitement. These last two goals
from last year were not met but can easily become central to the English Department’s
mission.
FY 2010
4. Enhance our ability to oversee our Core course in Global Literature (1100C). With the
University’s emphasis on global studies, this course and this part of our programs
become increasingly significant. We hope to reach out, formally and officially, to the
English and Speech Division of CPS, where most of the sections of this course are
staffed, to work together to insure that this course is taught in a way that enhances
the student’s global awareness. Our three recent hires, of Drs Ahmad, Outar, and Tsou,
are all experts in this aspect of literary studies. This fits with the initiative on student
engagement and with the initiative on global education.
5. We also plan to extend our symposia events to include events for non-majors and for
students in the Core. We see the need for the English Department to extend its
influence as the caretakers of writing beyond the major to the College, and beyond the
College to the University. We want to continue to hold events for our majors, but to
create new events for students outside the major. Our first goal is to use E. 1100C as a
place for reaching out to all freshmen in the University and offer events featuring
global studies and writing. This is basic to our vision for the future. This fits with the
initiative on student engagement and with the initiative on global education.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
6. We also plan to continue our renewed commitment to the advisement process by
developing workshops for at-risk students (engagement).
7. Development of new courses in Ethnic Literatures and in Postcolonial literature (global
education). These hires and these new courses are essential to making this department
distinct and attractive to undergraduates and graduate students alike.
8. Continue to develop “job opportunity for English major” workshops (engagement).
9. In addition to maintaining our successful graduate school application workshops, we
will begin a workshop for law school applicants. We are already successful in placing
our students in prestigious graduate programs and law schools, and we will continue to
concentrate our efforts to help even more students (engagement).
FY 2011
1. If our two requests for new faculty are granted, in this academic year we should be
able to offer new courses in poetics and poetry writing and in Romantic literature. This
is crucial to our development of new courses for our graduate programs especially, as
we emphasize writing and pedagogy in our effort to make our DA in English a
distinctive and attractive degree (engagement).
2. To begin a new phase of publicity for the department and its graduate programs, as
we continue to hire new faculty in writing and global literature and to develop new
courses in these areas. With the already established strength of the department in
traditional areas, the recent and continuing hires promise to make us a department of
such strength that we should be able to compete with the best in the region. This is
perhaps the most significant action for this year, as we think by then we will be able to
describe our MA and DA programs in ways that should make them very attractive and
competitive in the region. We especially think we can make our DA program distinctive
for its emphasis on writing and pedagogy as well as literature and theory, making St
John’s the place to come for writing positions in higher education (which is where the
majority of new positions across the nation come from). With our writing faculty and
global studies faculty joining a strong “traditional” English faculty, we will be a very
competitive program (engagement, mission).
3. To further our service to the Core, we would like to have formal control over all
sections of E. 1100C (Literature in a Global Context) through the agency of a Director
of Global Literature. We feel as if an informal relation with faculty will not be
sufficient to ensure the proper teaching of this course as a global studies course. This is
part of our extension plan, and if this request is granted then we can supervise this
crucial course in global education that is also writing intensive. We fear that we are
losing students because of the often mediocre and generally improper teaching of such
courses, and this position would be a major step in enhancing the quality of the Core
(global).
4. This year will be crucial as we try to maintain and enhance our various measures taken
to improve our student engagement. Our job seminars, our graduate and law school
application seminars, our series of poetry readings and events: all these must be
coordinated in relation to one another, as we show our students the various
opportunities we create for engagement and the enhancement of their education
outside the classroom. We will be proposing the creation of an “events coordinator”
for all these initiatives.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
FY 2012
1. We will be requesting two new faculty positions to begin in Fall 2011, one in 17thcentury English Poetry and one in Creative Writing: Non-Fiction Prose. Both fill gaps in
the department and continue to enhance our offerings (engagement).
2. We expect all new hires to continue develop new courses as we develop our programs
to emphasize writing and pedagogy.
3. We want to develop our symposia series by the creation of a Humanities Director in
charge of lectures/talks /events. This position is part of our extension plan, and it would
be much more than an overseer for lectures for the English department. We want the
English department to have a series of lectures/events for students in the Core
surrounding the issues of globalization, for students in the College on the same, as well
as events specific to the department’s needs. We are committed to student
engagement and the issue of global education, and this position would allow the
department to fulfill its role as caretaker of the Humanities.
FY 2013
1. We will be requesting two new faculty positions to begin in Fall 2012, one in
Latino/Latina American Literature, and one in New Media. The first develops our ethnic
American offerings (engagement and global education), the second develops our
writing programs (engagement). Both fill gaps in the department and continue to
enhance our offerings.
2. We expect all new hires to continue develop new courses as we develop our programs
to emphasize writing and pedagogy, and the one in Latino/a studies to strengthen our
global education offerings and faculty.
Fine Arts
1. Address the poor quality and location of existing Fine Arts Studio facilities by obtaining
approval to move into a new more suitable location. The overall goal is to bring all of
the Fine Arts facilities, which are spread out over three buildings and four floors of one
of those buildings, together into a new renovated space.
2. Increase enrollment in Department of Fine Arts by making the program better known
to potential students
a. Strengthen ties to local high schools
b. Utilize associate membership in NASAD to target regional National Portfolio Day
Association (NPDA) portfolio review days.
c. Send faculty to nationwide portfolio review/recruitment events
d. Work with the Dean and Admissions in creating a staff position who’s will
coordinate out reach and track recruitment data
3. Develop a Masters of Fine Arts program in Digital Media for the
Manhattan Campus. Integrate curriculum changes proposed by industry professional
from Spring TBD meeting
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
a. Have proposal approved by Department of Fine Arts, Dean, Liberal Arts Faculty
Council, Graduate Council, Manhattan Task Force, Provost, President, Board of
Trustees, New York State Education Department
b. Work with Dean, Director of Planning, IT, Development and Facilities in design of
studios and classrooms on the Manhattan campus.
c. Outside program consultants.
d. Hire a new faculty in Digital Media and Design
e. Create advertising and brochure for program
4. Create a speaker series that brings one distinguished Artist/Art Historian a year to St
John’s.
5. Expand our offerings in printmaking to include more experimental and digital
processes and deploying recent upgrades (digital and tradition) to printmaking
facilities. Continue and complete renovations to the printmaking facilities including a
location to house both digital and tradition methodologies.
6. Hire Full-Time Faculty Member in Digital Media to be responsible for courses in Graphic
Design, and Digital Printmaking. The Art Department feels very strongly that it has an
obligation to all the students at St. John’s to offer a broader selection of Digital
Printmaking other than the “Traditional Printmaking” centered courses we now offer.
Digital Printmaking is a key area for all of our undergraduate offerings. Expanding the
department’s offering in printmaking will also enhance our NASAD accreditation.
Finally, we believe that this line would be the perfect platform though which to recruit
diverse faculty into our department.
7. Develop a Masters of Arts in Museum Studies for the Queens and Rome Campuses.
a. Meetings with individuals/institutions in Rome
b. Develop Rome-specific curricular
c. Develop program budget
d. Hire a new faculty in Art History
e. Hire office staff for program
f. Write curriculum and course descriptions
g. Create advertising and brochure for program
h. Target Date for Completion: Fall 2011
8. Hire Full-Time Faculty Member in Art History with specialization Museum Studies. To
expand course offerings in the history of art and in coordination with expanded
program opportunities on the Rome campus a new faculty member will be hired to
teach at the undergraduate level with possibility of future teaching responsibilities at
the graduate level. The Department of Fine Arts will initiate a search for a new
tenured-track faculty member specializing in Museum Studies and research interests in
the history of collecting strongly desired.
9. Establish a fund to provide Apple Laptops to incoming freshmen.
10. Renew Department of Fine Arts NASAD accreditation for 2009-2010
a. Review Accreditation Materials
b. Return the Notice of Intention to Apply Form
c. Preparing for the On-Site Visit
d. Submission of the Application Form, Application Fee, Catalogs, and Self-Study
Report
e. On-Site Visit
f. Review by the Commission
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
g. Receipt of the Commission Action Report
Government and Politics
The 2008-2013 Unit Plan for the Department of Government and Politics encompasses four
main goals that follow from goals and objectives indicated in the 2008-2013 University
Strategic Plan emphasizing three transformational strategic themes: Mission, Engagement
and Global Education. The department embraces the three strategic themes and
incorporates them by expanding upon many previously successful goals and adding new
goals that will continue the student-centered approach by placing more emphasis on the
way in which graduate students are included in department’s efforts. The Department of
Government and Politics has been providing a global education to St. John's University
students by bringing the world into the classroom by incorporating international relations
and global aspects in our curriculum. But as our goals clearly indicate, the department is
also dedicated to provide a global education by sending our students out into the world
first through study abroad programs and Government and Politics courses offered onsite in
international settings. This dedication to our students is indicated in the next four goals.
Student Engagement
1. Enlarge student advisement in order to expertly counsel students about research,
academic matters, career choices, and professional interests.
2. Incorporate new technology in classroom instruction to provide stimulating teaching
experience and increase the transmission of relevant information to our students in
order to foster their lifelong learning.
3. Engage with our students, particularly with faculty, both within and outside the
classroom by becoming mentors for academic activities such as independent studies,
directed readings, thesis, and experimental courses as well as for non-academic
activities such as faculty moderators for student organizations, attending cultural
events with students and student-faculty trips.
Global Education
1. Enhance international program and global education by incopporating a new global
course offered on location in one of the four international regions: Eastern Europe,
Asia, North Africa, and Latin America in order to provide hands-on global experience to
graduate students.
History
Mission
1. Continue to recognize the central importance of the university’s Core Curriculum by
enhancing the resources devoted to the History Core Curriculum course (HIS 1000-C,
“The Emergence of Global Society”).
a. Continue to facilitate, whenever possible, the use of full-time faculty to teach
sections of the Core course, HIS 1000/HON 2200.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
b. Aim to increase over the long-term the number of full-time faculty teaching HIS
1000/HON 2200.
c. Provide opportunities for full-time and part-time faculty teaching the course to
exchange ideas about pedagogy and research in world history.
d. Continue past practice of bringing outside speakers in the field of world history as
part of our lecture series, “Conversations in World History.”
e. Reevaluate content and design of HIS 1000 in response to outcomes assessment.
f. Increase interaction between full-time and part-time History faculty teaching in the
Core Curriculum.
2. Participate more actively in University’s efforts to strengthen its academic and
intellectual profile in areas closely related to the Vincentian mission.
a. Develop greater cooperation with other units of the College and University in
academic areas closely related to the Vincentian traditions of the university, such as
social justice, human rights, and the study of poverty.
Student Engagement
1. Continue to address issue of student engagement and retention rates of freshmen and
sophomores.
a. Maintain or increase presence of full-time faculty in our Core Curriculum course, HIS
1000/HON 2200.
b. Increase participation of History faculty in Learning Communities.
c. Work with Freshman Center towards an earlier involvement by department faculty
with freshman class.
2. Increase efforts to foster a departmental culture that is responsive to academic and
professional needs of students and to make our programs responsive to new challenges
a. Develop new programs or tracks, wherever appropriate, in response to new
challenges and opportunities.
i) The department has developed an M.A. program in Public History that was
approved by the LAFC in 2008. The program is currently being reconceptualized
as part of a new interdisciplinary venture that includes graduate degrees in
Museum Studies (already approved; Department of Fine Arts) and Archival
Administration (in progress; Division of Library and Science)
ii) At its last department meeting in April 2009, the department’s GEPC approved
the formation of a new M.A. track in the History of Gender. This is a response to
changes in our field and in anticipation of student demand. The proposal will be
forwarded to the Curriculum Committee of the LAFC in the Fall 2009 semester.
b. Reevaluate current program requirements for undergraduate and graduate
programs.
i) In Fall 2008, the department approved a revision of the undergraduate major
and minor requirements to make room for a new required freshman/sophomore
seminar. The course, HIS 2990 “Introduction to History” was approved by the
LAFC as were the changes to the major and minor.
ii) In Spring 2008, the GEPC approved a new requirement for the MA program.
Students are now required to take HIS 402 “Global Historical Explanations,” a
new course.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
c. Implement recent changes to requirements for BA majors and minors and MA
students, and develop mechanisms to assess their effectiveness in meeting
departmental learning goals.
d. Encourage faculty, especially new hires, to develop new courses in their fields of
specialization.
e. Continue to refresh and update our undergraduate and graduate course offerings
at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
f. Explore expansion of existing distance learning courses and encourage
development of hybrid courses.
g. Continue to develop internship opportunities for history majors.
3. Increase efforts to foster an inclusive departmental learning community that brings
together students, faculty, and alumni, as well as other departments and units of the
University.
a. Maintain existing St. John’s Central majors’ group to better communicate with
students.
b. Develop “brown bag” lunches where faculty members can conduct informal
discussions about their research, debates and controversies in the field of history, or
the historical context of contemporary problems.
c. Collaborate with our student honor society, Phi Alpha Theta, to increase
opportunities for students to learn about professional opportunities in history.
d. Strengthen departmental outreach to alumni.
Global Education
1. Strengthen through faculty hires the department’s ability to deliver global education in
History and Geography that supports the university’s strategic priority in this area.
a. Through new faculty hires continue to develop a departmental identity with
strengths in the teaching of global history and world history from the
undergraduate survey level (HIS 1000) to the doctoral level (Doctors of Arts
Program in Modern World History.
b. Hire faculty members with expertise in transnational histories (such as medieval
Europe, Islamic World, Atlantic World, or empires) or in thematic fields of history
(such as race and ethnicity, gender, or technology). This will enable us to continue
the department’s long-term strategy of maximizing through new faculty hires our
ability to deliver world regional coverage while developing a departmental identity
in global and world history.
2. Strengthen and develop global elements in undergraduate and graduate programs.
a. Strengthen the department’s commitment to teaching and research in the historical
study of globalization.
3. Contribute to university’s emphasis on global education by increasing the number of
course offerings in Geography at all levels.
a. Respond to School of Education’s request for more course offerings in geography as
part of their current initiatives.
b. Hire a full-time tenure-track faculty member in Geography to teach at the
undergraduate and graduate levels.
c. Restore department’s previous strengths in Geography (especially at the graduate
level
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
4. Continue efforts to position the History Department as an active participant in Study
Abroad programs.
a. Work with relevant units in the university, such as Global Studies and administrators
in the Rome and Paris campus, to determine a course of action.
5. Continue curriculum cooperation with other departments with the goal of promoting
greater interdisciplinary communication among departments in the College.
a. Continue to provide course offerings in existing interdisciplinary programs such as
Women’s Studies and facilitate cross listing of courses with other units such as Asian
Studies and Classics.
b. Increase departmental offerings in newer programs such as the minor in Social
Justice.
c. Increase participation of faculty from other departments in our interdisciplinary
Doctor of Arts program in Modern World History.
Other
1. Maintain intellectual and pedagogical vitality of the department by hiring new fulltime faculty and by replacing retiring faculty to meet the needs of the department and
the university strategic plan.
a. Recruit new full-time faculty in accordance with departmental needs and priorities
of university strategic plan.
i) Dr. Felix Germain was hired in Spring 2008 on a tenure-track appointment to
teach in the fields of Caribbean History and “Race and Ethnicity in the Atlantic
World”
ii) Dr. Elizabeth Herbin was hired in Fall 2008 on a tenure-track appointment to
teach African-American History.
iii) Dr. Alejandro Quintana was hired in Fall 2008 on a contract appointment to
teach World History and Latin American history at the Staten Island Campus.
b. Retain on a permanent basis the three contract faculty hired by the department in
the years 2006-2008, coinciding with the reduction in class size for HIS 1000 courses.
i) Dr. Tracey-Anne Cooper was appointed to a tenure-track position in the
department, beginning in September 2009.
ii) As part of its hiring requests for FY 2011, the department is requesting that Dr.
Susan Schmidt-Horning be appointed to a tenure-track position, beginning in
September 2010.
iii) With the end of his three-year appointment in sight, the department plans to
request that Dr. Alejandro Quintana be reappointed for the FY 2011 year and
that he be appointed to a tenure-track position, beginning in September 2011.
c. Replace retiring faculty in accordance with departmental needs and priorities of
university strategic plan.
i) Given the demographic profile of the department, it is possible that up to three
or four senior faculty members may retire during the span of the current
strategic plan. It is essential that, should this come to pass, these faculty
members be replaced with new hires in their fields of expertise or related ones
as determined by the department.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
ii) Dr. Elizabeth Herbin was hired in Fall 2008 as a replacement for the tenured
position vacated by Rev. Robert J. Swain C.M. There have been no other
retirements since.
d. In coordination with the Committee on Public History, Museum Studies and Archival
Studies (PHMAS), request the hiring of a full-time faculty member to teach Public
History. PHMAS has agreed that for FY 2011, this request will be submitted by the
Division of Library and Information Science, as part of a possible joint appointment.
e. Continue to prioritize efforts to diversify departmental full-time faculty in terms of
ethnicity and gender.
2. Position the department as an active participant in the university’s promotion of
technology in pedagogy and historical research.
a. Continue to support faculty’s efforts to integrate technology in the classroom,
develop hybrid courses, and expand distance learning offerings.
b. Collaborate with the Department of Fine Arts and the Division of Library and
Information Sciences in the Public History, Museum Studies and Archival Studies
graduate initiative (PHMAS) to develop innovative programs with an advanced
technological component.
3. Increase internal and external visibility of the department, its faculty, and its programs.
a. Continue efforts to develop departmental website.
b. Work with Marketing and Communications to publicize our new MA program in
Public History as well as other existing programs.
4. Continue efforts to strengthen the motivation, engagement, and collegiality of faculty
in our department.
a. Hold a departmental retreat to exchange ideas about current programs and future
plans.
b. Encourage and facilitate faculty activities in seeking grants and attending
conferences and workshops related to their research and teaching.
c. Encourage and facilitate faculty participation in university activities and initiatives
outside the department.
Languages and Literatures
1. The department is committed to upgrading its language curricula in the spirit of the
Strategic Plan’s emphasis on globalization and student engagement. At present we are
working toward more rigorous language standards so that when students complete
their foreign language requirements they possess a higher level communicative
competence.
2. In the sprit of the Strategic Plan, the department is working toward establishing a 21st
century language center addressing student linguistic and cultural needs driven by the
rise of globalization. The center is to be a valuable complement to the university’s
major and minor and core curriculum language instruction and Study Abroad
programs. Besides possessing up-to-date educational technology in the center, faculty
language counselors would also be present to tutor and assist students in planning selfaccess language study. Moreover, the center is to be a venue where language learners
could interact with native speakers of a target language on a regular basis, thus
creating a culture of language on campus.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
3. The department is working more closely with personnel in the Study Aboard program
to ensure that a steady stream of students are encouraged to partake in this valuable
educational experience where language and culture play a major role.
Library and Information Science
Mission
1. Incorporate the mission throughout every aspect of the division.
a. Incorporate the mission of service, particularly to the underserved, in every course
and involve students in academic service learning.
b. Participate as a division in University Service Day and other service activities.
2. Serve underserved populations by addressing their information needs and publish
research about it.
a. Explore information needs of the underserved in the Metropolitan area and begin
to address them through service and research.
b. Establish a cooperative relationship with a library science program in Africa to
support information services in Africa.
c. Have faculty, administrators and students obtain Fulbright and other fellowships in
underserved areas, with a service and research emphasis.
3. Leverage our proximity to New York City’s, especially Manhattan’s, remarkable
professionals, libraries and information centers and engage them in mission-related
education, service and research.
a. Establish the best law librarianship program in the country.
b. Appoint a fulltime faculty member to address the archival studies and digitization
needs of students in the MA in Public History, the MA in Museum Studies and the
Archival Studies concentration in the MLS program and to prepare for an MA in
Archival Studies. Collaborate with History and Fine Arts on cross-listing courses,
joint colloquia, joint grant applications, and faculty positions.
c. Establish the best strategic knowledge management and competitive intelligence
program in the country.
d. Establish the best urban-services children/young adult/school media program in the
country.
e. Establish a continuing professional education program that furthers the division’s
mission and is built on its strengths.
f. Establish an active alumni and friends program.
4. Model best practices in information service throughout the division. Develop and
implement a plan.
a. Seek internal and external funding to support this initiative.
b. Incorporate external evaluation and internal assessment.
Student Engagement
1. Provide quality education for our students, alumni and friends.
a. Include adjuncts in faculty development.
b. Involve all students in academic service learning.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
c. Involve all students in an internship.
d. Begin assigning students a practicing professional as a mentor.
e. Establish a division wiki for syllabi.
f. Establish e-portfolios for each student and pilot ones for particular courses.
g. Establish supplemental instruction, including virtual computer labs, for courses.
h. Obtain specialized software for laptops to support the supplemental instruction.
i. Hold faculty teaching workshops to improve faculty teaching.
j. Establish a student professional organization, a chapter of professional associations.
2. Model best practices in information service throughout the division.
a. Develop and implement a plan.
b. Seek internal and external funding to support this initiative.
c. Incorporate external evaluation and internal assessment.
Global Education
1. Incorporate global and comparative perspectives throughout the curriculum.
a. Hold faculty workshops on comparative and global.
b. Invite global and comparative experts as colloquium speakers.
c. Identify adjuncts with global and comparative experience.
d. Encourage faculty members to obtain Fulbright and other similar fellowships.
e. Redesign syllabi.
2. Provide study abroad and international opportunities for students and faculty.
a. Offer study abroad opportunities to students and alumni.
b. Establish a cooperative relationship with a library science program in Africa to
support information services in Africa.
c. Explore offering certificate programs in Rome and Paris.
Mathematics and Computer Science
Student Engagement
1. Provide more full-time faculty teaching in the University Distributed Core (UDC) by
hiring two tenure-track faculty members.
2. To offer better placement of students in their math courses.
a. To better place students in appropriate math classes, the department administers a
placement exam during the first class meeting. This is given in the sections of MTH
1210, 1220, 1250, 1260, 1310, 1320, 1730. It is graded in sufficient time to allow
students to switch to a more appropriate math class, meet with their advisor, or go
to tutoring.
b. Working with the University Freshman Center (UFC), the department would like to
see a University-wide placement exam administered to all incoming students. This
will be considered in 2010-2011.
3. Expand the department’s course offerings to the Honors Program. Through the
cooperation of Dr. Forman of the Honor’s program, the department will offer
additional math courses in the Honor’s Program, by cross-listing MTH 1730, 1740, 2750
within the Honor’s Listings. This is being initiated in 2010 and will be an ongoing
activity.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
4. Increase enrollments for both undergraduate and graduate programs.
a. To increase enrollments in undergraduate and graduate programs, the department
is working with Admissions by sending mailings to accepted students, and sending
flyers to other schools about the M.A. program. This was started in Summer 2009,
and will be an ongoing activity.
b. The department will continue to pursue the proposal to offer the B.A./M.A.
Program to local colleges that do not have a master’s program. This was first
introduced in Fall 2008, and is an ongoing activity.
c. The department has submitted a proposal to Dr. Wolfe for a new track in the M.A.
program in Applied & Computational Mathematics. This was initiated in Spring
2009, and is ongoing.
Global Education
1. To increase the department’s visibility, we are planning the Third Annual Dr. George
Bachman Memorial Conference for Spring 2010. As with the past two conferences, this
has attracted many mathematicians, and resulted in two refereed journal publications
dedicated to the talks presented at the conferences.
2. The department has been asked to host the 58th Graph Theory Conference in Nov.
2009, and the Regional Mathematical Association of America Meeting in May 2010.
3. The department is considering hosting the Summer 2011 Topology Conference.
These conferences attract local and national mathematicians, and students and help to
make the Mathematical community aware of the department and the University.
Philosophy
Mission
1. Inform all faculty of the opportunities to implement Service Learning in their various
course. Discuss with them the most effective strategies for such implementation.
2. Continue to focus on the themes of justice and human dignity in the course
presentations, especially in the Senior Seminar for Philosophy majors.
3. Invite experts and leading scholars to lecture to the department and University
community on themes issues consistent with University Strategic plan.
Student Engagement
1. Improve teaching effectiveness and engagement through increased awareness of the
vital importance of our courses in the University plan.
2. Continue to discuss strategies for more effective engagement practices, building on our
past successes with undergraduate participation in regional and national conferences.
3. Develop an undergraduate Philosophy conference to be held regularly on STJ’s Queens
campus, with leadership and strong participation from our undergraduates.
4. Participate in Honors Program activities, including the film program that our faculty
have led in the past years.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
5. Improve technological capabilities among the faculty; discover and make optimal use
of the ways that students feel most comfortable receiving information (such as online
availability of classroom information, syllabi, etc.).
Global Education
1. Address themes that have a global dimension in our courses, especially but not only in
course that necessarily involve different cultural, religious, and political perspectives. A
few of these courses are: Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Law, Business Ethics,
Pragmatism, Science and Religion, Introduction to Feminist Philosophy.
2. Continue to invite, as much as possible, external speakers as part of our regular
Departmental Lectures Series that address global issues, or, better yet, represent a true
representation of global perspectives. (This past year, for example, we invited a wellknown Confucian scholar to address the Department on the differences between
Chinese and Western political principles.)
3. Continue to offer ample opportunities to study the core courses as Distant Learning
courses, making it easier for students to complete these required courses without
inconvenience so they might be able to participate in Discover the World programs.
Educate the students about the possibility for such study and, where appropriate,
encourage such participation.
4. Continue to improve the quality of such Distance Learning courses.
Physics
Mission
1. We exceeded our recruitment goals in each of the last three years. The department
now has over 70 majors serviced by four regular faculty members. Special attention will
be directed to attracting first year students to St John’s University by publicizing our
unique Biomedical Engineering sequence and new Electrical Engineering sequence.
2. We have a goal of increased external funding and are actively soliciting grants from
both government sources and industry.
3. The department introduced successful virtual laboratory experiments for electrical
circuits. We will continue to incorporate virtual labs to save the expense of equivalent
hardware and storage costs. These will save repair and replacement costs in the future.
4. Computer-based assessment aids are to be expanded. Quizzes, reviews, and homework
problems are to be shifted from the classrooms to the Internet freeing time for
instruction and creative work.
5. The department aspires to create one of the few recognized biophysical research
centers in the region outside of major research institutions. Our regular faculty
members have expertise and publications in the area and we anticipate recruiting
biophysicists to produce the synergism needed for more activity and more funding. Our
productive relations with Allied Health and Biology are an important part of our
objective. Among the effects of this unique program will be to improve medical and
professional admissions for our science students and enhance the reputation of the
institution.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
6. We continue to use internet-based assessments for our large service sections, University
Physics and College Physics with excellent results. The computer generates different
data for each student and gives instantaneous feedback. Lecturers are given statistical
measures of individual questions. The practice enables us to quiz frequently and to
focus our teaching effectively. We will expand these assessments to other courses.
(Success measure: student satisfaction assessed by reports and surveys.)
7. The department seeks improved assessment measures across our curriculum. National
Web-based exams provide one way to compare our students’ performances to an
objective benchmark. Consequently, we are looking at extending these to upper-level
courses using a symbolic mathematics service.
8. Our recent initiatives developed BS/MS sequences in Electrical Engineering and
Biomedical Engineering. We seek to build on our success to establish our own graduate
Engineering program beginning with Biomedical Engineering. St. John’s has particular
strengths in biophysics, biology, and pharmaceutical sciences, and these are supported
by chemistry and mathematics. Our investigators currently collaborate with scientists in
pharmaceutical science, biology, and chemistry in publications and grant proposals. We
believe this synergy will engender an excellent program. Dean Fagen will form a
committee to investigate the feasibility of this proposal. Assuming the graduate
Biomedical Engineering program is approved by STJ, we will complete the curriculum
and apply to the state.
Student Engagement
1. Department members have admirable rapport with each other and with our students.
We promote our family atmosphere in recruitment functions like Open House,
Accepted Students Day, and the High School Extension Program. We think this is a
significant factor in our increased recruitment.
2. We hope to provide and supervise at least two undergraduate research projects per
regular faculty member each year.
3. We will continue to encourage active membership in our newly formed local chapter of
the national Physics Society. The society provides scientific publications, career advice,
and travel support for worthy projects.
4. The Physics Club sparks interest in physics and the related sciences. We hope to sustain
membership at above 30 members. Sandwiches or pizza will be served and meetings
begin with a brief student or faculty presentation on current research or topics of
interest. It has its own website and is generating enthusiasm among the members.
(Success measure: an active membership of 30+ students.)
5. The department believes that a required seminar for majors will increase student
interaction and engagement. We will develop and offer this seminar. (Success measure:
approval and implementation of the seminar.)
Global Education
1. Majors in the Physics Department are rarely able to participate in Study Abroad
because the major sequences are necessarily crowded and upper-level course offerings
are not readily available abroad. Looking beyond 2011, we think it is possible to design
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
distance-learning versions of several required courses. This could resolve the
impediment.
2. While the experience of foreign travel is highly desirable for intellectual growth, it is
also broadening for students to interact with foreign nationals here at home. Our
department attracts many of the best foreign and American students. They befriend
each other with agreeable ease and respect. We will continue to encourage foreign
nationals to join us.
3. Recent improvements in virtual laboratory programs raise the possibility of offering
required physics courses via distance learning. Students on Staten Island and in the
Study Abroad program could then major in the physics department. We have one
permanent faculty member certified in Distance Learning and we plan to get others
certified.
Psychology
Mission
1. The department hopes to increase the number of courses that include a service
learning component. We strive to have 80% of full time faculty and 30% of adjunct
faculty who teach undergraduate course to include a service learning component in
their section.
2. The department will continue the service learning components in the graduate
programs. Our clinical and school psychology programs incorporate service learning
and service to the mission in the design and nature of the programs.
a. We will continue our efforts to have our students perform their practica,
externships, and internships in schools, agencies, hospitals, and settings that service
the poor and immigrant populations.
b. We will encourage students to pick training sites that serve the mission whenever
possible.
3. The department recently received a grant from the New York State Department of
Mental Hygiene to serve returning Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. We have used
this money to purchase Virtual Reality computer systems that provide a research
supported, effective psychological intervention for PTSD in veterans. This year we will
have this program operational to train our graduate students and faculty on the use of
the system, and to treat 20 veterans with PTSD.
4. The Psychology Department will support many research projects that address issues
relevant to the missions. This goal applies to faculty research and scholarship, masters
thesis, and doctoral dissertations. We hope to expand the number of publications,
thesis, and dissertations on topics that serve the mission.
5. The Psychology Department will ensure that all applicants for new faculty positions are
aware of the University’s mission and we will attempt to have job advertisements
aimed at recruiting faculty whose research and scholarship serves the Vincentian
Mission where applicable.
6. The Psychology Department has expertise that can serve the Mission and will make
psychology course part of programs that serve the mission.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
a. We will change our syllabi, create new courses, and attempt to include existing
courses that represent the University’s mission in graduate programs designed to
serve the mission such as the masters program in Social Justice.
b. We will propose that more of our courses be included in such mission-based
programs as Africana Studies, Women Studies, Multicultural and Multiethnic
Studies. This goal also services the Global Education aspects of the strategic plan.
7. Training our students to deliver psychological services to the poor and new immigrant
populations to New York is a primary goal of the department. To accomplish this goal
we need to expose our students to providing services to the poor. The Center for
Psychological Services is crucial to meeting this goal. Presently 50 percent of the
families served at our Center are below the poverty line. The department seeks to keep
the percentage of families we serve who are below the poverty line at 50%.
8. To serve the mission further, the department wishes to provide services in our Center
for Psychological Services to new immigrants to the US. It is difficult to get accurate
statistics on the percentage of families we serve who are recent immigrants. We will
work to better estimate the percentage of our clients who are immigrants and try to
have our Center achieve the goal of having 30% of the families we serve be recent
immigrants to this country. We recognize that many of the emigrants we serve may be
reluctant to reveal their legal status. We do not want to encourage and assessment
that will discourage families from seeking services.
Student Engagement
1. The faculty will work to ensure that all of our courses are challenging, current, and
engaging. Faculty will continually revise their syllabi and course outlines to reflect new
developments in the field, and feedback from students and peers.
2. The Psychology Department P&B will allocate the department‘s resources to the faculty
who work toward student engagement, and will reallocate resources away from
faculty who fail to work toward engagement.
3. The Psychology faculty will offer students quick, competent, and professional
advisement. They will be available to their advisees and attempt to answer all of their
questions and concerns.
4. The department will develop an assessment system for students to provide feedback on
faculty engagement in advisement.
5. The Psychology Department faculty will provide students timely feedback on exams,
papers, theses, and dissertations and will submit their final grades within the
established 72-hr timeframe.
6. The Psychology Department faculty will have better attendance at department and
student run events such as the Psi Chi induction ceremonies, and events run by the
student organizations.
7. The Psychology Department will offer our graduate students competent mentors and
committee members to work with the students on masters thesis and doctoral
dissertations.
a. Preferences for department resources will be given to faculty who engage students
in these activities.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
b. We will require sufficient faculty to accommodate our students’ research needs.
This will require additional faculty and the speedy replacement of any faculty who
retire or leave the department.
8. Many of our undergraduate majors (83%) plan to pursue graduate education. Our
department has not focused our resources on preparing large numbers of psychology
majors for graduate education. Preparing our students for their goals requires that
they receive more information about graduate education and careers in psychology,
mental health services, and the behavioral and neurosciences. They will also require
more experiences in activities that prepare them for graduate school and enhance their
applications to graduate school. These include increased opportunities in lab courses,
fieldwork courses, independent research courses, and mentorship in the labs of our
faculty.
a. To meet the plans of student body we plan to expand the offerings of lab courses,
fieldwork courses, and independent research sections.
b. We will have to encourage faculty to mentor more undergraduate students in their
laboratories.
9. To encourage the accomplishment these goals, the department will design a better
system for tracking faculty participation in independent studies and mentoring of
undergraduate and graduate students’ research projects.
10. The department needs to revise the psychology undergraduate curriculum to ensure
that all students receive the information they need concerning graduate educations
and career options. Presently confusion exists concerning where this information
should be taught in the major and how early in the sequence of courses this material
should be taught.
11. The field of psychology has changed and new subfields of psychology have emerged.
Our undergraduate majors have requested some specialty course in these new
emerging areas of psychology. This spring the department UEPC approved several new
courses. This year the department will usher these new course through the Liberal Arts
Faculty Council and have them on the schedule for fall 2010.
12. 0ver the last 30 years, the psychology department has met its space limitations by
hiring faculty members with applied interests who completed their research in the
field. Now and in the foreseeable future, we require an infusion of faculty in the basic,
experimental areas of psychology. This is required to prepare our undergrads for their
goals and to meet the teaching needs of our acclaimed and accredited doctoral
programs.
13. The Psychology Department will require more faculty to meet the engagement goals
set above. Our graduate programs require faculty who can mentor theses and
dissertations. Our undergraduate majors require faculty who will provide them with
the individual mentoring required to prepare for careers that require a graduate
degree lab courses, fieldwork courses, and independent research sections.
a. The department will seek a replacement for Dr Rex Stanford who retired two years
ago. This position will teach courses in cognitive experimental psychology.
Cognitive psychology course are required by the undergraduate major and three of
our graduate programs.
b. The department will seek another child oriented psychologist who can mentor
dissertations in the doctoral programs in school and child clinical psychology.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
14. The Psychology Department is committed to self-assessment. Knowing how our peers
and students see us allows us to grow and improve. The department is committed to
the following assessment goals.
a. We will prepare for the next accreditation visit of our doctoral program in school
psychology by reviewing our program, professional developments in the field and
feedback from our student, graduates and field placement supervisors. The core
school psychology faculty under the direction of Dr. Flanagan will pursue this goal.
b. The National Association of School Psychologists has developed revised program
accreditation goals. The core faculty in school psychology under the direction of Dr.
Flanagan will prepare for our next accreditation of this program.
c. In the Spring 2009 semester, the Psychology Department used the items from the
NSSE survey along with our own items to assess our undergraduate majors’ view of
our department. This provided valuable information. We shall continue this in the
Spring 2010 semester.
d. The department will attempt to do a similar NSSE survey of our graduate students
in the Spring 2010 semester.
15. As part of our attempt to enhance the academic experience for our students, the
faculty of the psychology department will increase the teaching of writing within the
Psychology Major. Five Psychology Department members have attended the Summer
Writing Institutes on the Rome campus. This has resulted in an ongoing discussion
concerning the teaching of writing and how to increase the quality of writing in the
major and in our graduate programs.
a. The department will set the goal of having 85% of full time faculty member create
assignments in their course for low stakes writing by the students.
b. Also, we will work to have 75% of the undergraduate psychology sections to have
formal writing assignments.
16. The graduate programs in clinical and school require that we teach our students
applied clinical skills. To help ensure that the faculty are succeeding in this area, the
Center for Psychological Services will perform audits of the services delivered by our
students and present the results to the faculty.
a. The Center will perform an audit on the psychological assessment performed by our
students to ensure that the resulting reports answered the referral question, used
appropriate tests, and reached appropriate conclusions. This goal will be completed
in this year.
b. The Center will perform an audit on students’ record keeping at the end of each
semester. These results will be shared with the students and the program directors.
This goal will be completed this year.
c. The Center will develop a means to audit the treatments provided by our students
to assess whether the services provided follow the principle of empirically based
practice. The center will develop this audit over the next two years.
17. Over the years, the department has scheduled most of its colloquia speakers and events
for graduate students. We have begun inviting undergraduates and schedule events
for the undergraduate majors. We will work to have more speakers and events.
18. Over the years, the department’s colloquia have occurred offered almost exclusively on
the Queens campus. We have offer many programs aimed at our graduate students at
the Oakdale campus that have also served the purpose of advertising our program in
that area. This past year we offered a colloquia speaker on the Staten Island campus.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
The department will offer more programs and speakers on our Staten Island campus to
serve these majors better.
19. The psychology department has fortunately renovated the facilities in MAR SB 15 and
SB15a. This has provided better space for faculty and student research and appropriate
faculty offices to meet with students. Our biggest problem remains insufficient
laboratory space. Several faculty members have submitted grants to fund clinical trials.
We will need more space to accommodate these and future grants. Also, we anticipate
that the next generation of faculty to be hired will require more research space than
we presently have. The University has now made scholarship a requirement for every
faculty member in the College of Arts & Sciences. Faculty hired in previous decades had
no such expectation. As they retire, new faculty with a different set of expectations will
require more lab space to perform the work required to attain tenure and the post
tenure expectations of scholarship. The Psychology department has reacted to this
space shortage by hiring faculty with applied psychology interests rather than
experimental psychology interests. Our applied psychology faculty are more actively
involved in research than in previous years. We presently require lab space for clinical
trials and other types of research. At some point, we need to replace and expand our
basic psychological science faculty and new lab space will be necessary to support this
new generation of faculty members in the future.
a. The Psychology Department will work with Grants, Development, and Facilitates to
identify new space for faculty with clinical trials grants.
b. The Psychology Department will work with the administration to identify ways to
meet the future needs of the psychology department
20. The Psychology Department wishes to remain in the forefront of technology usage for
the success of our teaching and research. Students will not feel engaged if the perceive
the University and the department as outdated in technology. The Psychology
Department will strive to use the latest technology to teach our class and will strive the
train our students to use the most recent technologies in service of psychological
research and practice.
a. Over the last ten years, significant advances have occurred in the statistical
procedures used by psychologists to analyze data. Given our produce faculty and
acclaimed graduate programs, it remains crucial that our faculty and student have
the latest technology. Presently, the majority of our faculty use the SPSS software
package for most of our teaching and research. This package holds somewhat of a
monopoly in the field. SPSS is slow to include new statistical procedures in their
basic package and modules. New statistical procedures and software developed by
smaller companies often serve our needs. Thus, additional statistical packages may
be necessary to compliment our reliance on SPSS. We have purchased programs for
structural equation modeling and item response theory. As more of our faculty
become trained in modern statistical procedures, the department will require more
copies of such programs.
b. The Psychology Department will work with Information Technology to ensure that
the faculty and students have the statistical software necessary to have their work
published in the best psychological journals.
c. Much data in psychological research is collected by self-report questionnaires and
surveys. Collecting these data is carbon intensive. Within our own Institutional
Research (IR) office, paper and pencil surveys have long since ceased. IR data
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
collects all its data on web-based questionnaires. The Psychology Department
wishes to move in the same directions. This would make data collection easier for
faculty and graduate and undergraduate students engaged in independent studies,
theses, and dissertations. The department has worked with IT to explore various
programs that can do this on the scale we would require and the hardware
necessary to run the programs. The IT Web Team also needs to be consulted. If a
program such as the one we are exploring were presently operating, more than 10
faculty, 12 dissertation students and an equal number of masters or undergrad
students would be using it now. In addition, many software packages exist to assess
other human information processing and social emotional functioning. These data
collection systems collect more reliable data than can be done by hand and
information that is not possible to collect without computes.
The Psychology Department will purchase a web-based survey software system and
corresponding hardware by as soon as possible. The capital for project will come
from the Faculty Salary Recovery Fund. The continued maintenances of the system
would come from future departmental budget lines.
The Psychology Department will make better use of emerging technologies in our
research and teaching. The use of clickers, Wikis, and other new technologies in our
teaching will increase in during the period of this strategic plan.
The department will attempt to provide faculty and students with the software
necessary to complete their research.
Technology has also found its way into psychological practice. The Psychology
Department and our training clinic already use software for the scoring of
psychological tests. The department is committed to remaining current in the use of
computer-based psychological assessment software.
Technology has also recently appeared in psychological interventions. The
department recently purchased a Virtual Reality (VR) System that employs exposurebased treatments for US veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The
hardware that we purchased can run programs to treat other psychological
disorders. Over the next several years, VR applications of psychological treatments
will become more effective and more widely used. We will be part of these changes
and will need to purchase additional software to remain current in this area.
Accomplishing this goal will help us recruit the best graduate students and prepare
our undergraduates for the latest changes in psychological interventions.
Global Education
1. Through advisement, the psychology faculty will encourage a great number of our
majors to take advantage of the Study Aboard program
2. The department will offer undergraduate and graduate courses on the Paris or Rome
campuses each summer to engage our students and faculty in the study aboard
program.
3. The department will continue to support the Vietnamese initiative. Under the direction
of Ms. Cathy Lancellotti, and Dr. Mark Terjesen, we will train faculty from Vietnam’s
Hanoi National University of Education for their new program in child/school
psychology, the only program of its kind in Vietnam or Southeast Asia. We will also
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
plan to send our graduate students and faculty to Vietnam next summer as we have in
past summers to continue this cultural exchange.
4. Our diverse requires a greater number of bilingual psychologists, and there are several
things our department can do to expand their number.
a. The department will attempt to expand the enrollment in its bilingual school
psychology program.
b. Through advisement, the department will encourage more psychology majors to
double major in psychology and a language.
5. The Psychology Department strongly values the goal of preparing our students to work
in a Multi-Cultural world.
a. The department will work to retain and promote all our ethnically divers faculty.
b. The faculty will work to recruit diverse faculty.
c. The faculty will work to recruit diverse students into our graduate programs.
d. The psychology department has expertise that can serve the University’s Global
Education initiative. We will attempt to change our syllabi and create new courses
or attempt to include existing courses that will compliment the undergraduate
minors in the college that serve this initiative such as the programs in Africana
Studies, Women Studies, Multicultural and Multiethnic Studies.
e. Training our students to deliver psychological services to people of all cultural
backgrounds is a primary goal of the department. To accomplish this goal we need
to expose our students to providing services to the poor. Presently 50 percent of the
families served at our Center for Psychological Services are from a diverse ethnic
background. The department seeks to keep the percentage of families we serve
who are from diverse ethnic backgrounds at 50%.
6. The Psychology Department will train its entire faculty in cultural competence.
Rhetoric, Communication, and Theatre
Mission
2009: Academic Service Learning was incorporated into one of the sections of the core
course in public speaking. Although results were minimal (one student participating),
lessons were learned and experience gained for the future.
2009: Social justice propositions were often used in Debate Society tournaments.
2010: Continue to promote ASL and encourage faculty to try it.
2011: Set goal for the number of core sections with an ASL component.
2012-2013: Monitor and maintain a specific number of core sections with ASL option.
Student Engagement
2009: Ongoing email communication between the department and Rhetoric and Public
Address majors was initiated.
2009: Two fulltime faculty members taught DNY for the first time.
2009: The number of Rhetoric and Public Address majors nearly doubled (to about 13),
well on our way to the goal of 25 majors.
2009: A plan was proposed and accepted for 2009-2010 to provide enhanced Debate
Society participation at the Staten Island campus.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
2009: The core communication course for the College of Pharmacy (RCT 1005C) was added
to the Honors Program course offerings.
2009: Offered RCT 1510 Introduction to Theatre for the first time in years.
2009: Plan to use Manhattan Campus stage for theatre course (meeting Fridays) was
scrapped when two day scheduling was postponed.
2009: Freshman Center personnel were briefed on the RCT department and its major and
minor academic programs.
2009:The university website prominently featured the creation of the RCT department.
2010: Asst. Prof. Wright will begin regular meetings of the Debate Society on the Staten
Island Campus.
2010:Create promotional DVD about the Rhetoric and Public Address Major to be shown in
all core course sections.
2010:The EPC will initiate a review of rhetoric and communication course offerings and
curriculum development.
2010: Offer RCT 1530 Modern Theatre for the first time in years.
2010: Offer theatre course at Manhattan spring semester if possible.
2011: New fulltime faculty will enhance the core courses by improving our ft:pt ratio
2011: New Asst. Prof./Assistant Director of Debate will assist Director with further
strengthening the Debate Society at Staten Island. Part-time work of Prof. Wright will
end.
2011: UEPC follow through with LAFC Curriculum Committee on rhetoric program
requirements and course additions and eliminations.
2011: UEPC will initiate a review of theatre course offerings and the minor program in
theatre.
2012: UEPC will follow through with LAFC Curriculum Committee on theatre program and
course offerings.
2012: Department will propose hiring new faculty in theatre.
2013: Initiatives will be determined based on assessment of needs.
Global Education
2009: The Debate Society participated in international tournaments in Slovenia and
Ireland.
2009: The Debate Society brought the following international debate authorities to the
STJ campus: Edita Gabric, University of Ljublijana Debate Society; Neill Harvey-Smith,
World Universities Debate Council President; Loke Wing Fatt, the most sought-after debate
trainer in China; and Debbie Newman, England World School’s Debate Team.
2009: A proposal was submitted to Global Studies to offer RCT 4000 Special Topics
Seminar: Rhetoric of the Cold War in Berlin during the 2010 winter intersession.
2010: Prof. Hostetler will offer RCT 4000 Special Topics Seminar: Rhetoric of the Cold War
in Berlin during Winter intercession.
2010: The Debate Society will participate in two international tournaments including
sending three teams and two judges to the World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, and
continue to bring international debaters to STJ.
2011-2013: Debate Society will participate in at least two international tournaments and
continue to bring international debaters to STJ.
2011-2013: Offer a study abroad course through Global Education.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
Sociology/Anthropology
Mission
The unit plan for the department of Sociology and Anthropology is guided by the two
central problematics that guide research; understanding the essence of social order and
the nature of social change. The study of structural inequality and correctives to inequality
are foundational in the department’s curriculum. This imperative to strive for social justice
directly reflects the university’s mission, values and goals. Anthropology’s focus on global
cultural diversity and understanding, likewise, reflect these as well.
Specific undergraduate courses that reflect the mission’s commitment to social justice and
global education include: The Sociology of Poverty in America, Education and Inequality,
Global Poverty, Inequality, Culture and Global Change and Social Movements and Change.
This focus is reflected in graduate courses as well: Global Social Movements and Change;
Global Education; Global Crime, Global Poverty and Globalization: Origins and Meanings.
1. Provide opportunities that contribute to the experiential aspect of a St. John’s
Education with an emphasis on direct experience to the poor.
a. Increase the number of full-time faculty who offer an Academic Service-Learning
(ASL) component in the courses they teach. Currently four faculty members
incorporate ASL in their classes.
b. Encourage adjunct faculty to offer an ASL component.
c. Support the ASL component of Discover the World. Currently the department is
offering a DL Global Poverty course for Ozanam scholars in the Discover the World
program that has a significant ASL component. In addition, the department offers a
Special Topics in Poverty Studies course during the winter and spring intersessions
for Ozanam scholars.
d. Build on the department’s relationship with St. John’s Bread and Life.
2. Increase department course offerings in university degree programs and minors that
reflect the mission.
a. Offer courses in the MA in Global Development.
b. Offer courses in the Minor in Social Justice.
c. Offer courses in the minor in New York Studies.
3. Hold a graduate colloquium on a topic that emphasizes the University’s mission. Solicit
recommendations from faculty in order to attract a major scholar in the field.
Student Engagement
1. Support student engagement with faculty inside and outside the classroom.
a. Encourage faculty participation in learning communities.
b. Offer outreach talks for undecided majors.
c. Faculty are participating in a phone/email invitation to newly accepted students
who have not paid their initial deposit to talk about the possibility of attending STJ.
d. Schedule brown-bag talks by faculty for undergraduate majors.
e. Develop student mentoring program for first semester majors.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
f. Encourage faculty participation in programming organized by the Sociology Honor
Society and the Sociology Student Organization.
g. Support the creation of an Anthropology Student Organization.
Encourage Writing Across the Curriculum in the department’s course offerings.
a. Schedule department meeting with Writing Center staff.
b. Encourage faculty participation in programs offered by the Writing Center.
Support faculty development in the area of student engagement.
a. Encourage participation in CTL and other programs related to engagement,
teaching, and pedagogy.
b. Encourage discussion among faculty on student engagement in and out of the class.
Support faculty use of technology.
a. Encourage participation in programs related to technology. So far, 71% of
department faculty have received Portable Professor training.
b. Communicate using St. John’s Central and Blackboard.
Have a faculty that reflects the diversity of the student body. Seek to recruit full-time
and adjunct faculty from minority outreach programs associated with discipline-related
academic organizations.
Hire a tenure-track faculty in Anthropology (accomplished Fall 2008).
Hire a tenure-track faculty to support the Criminology and Justice M.A. program.
Develop a new 5 year BA – MA program in Psychology and Criminology and Justice.
Pursue faculty grant opportunities. Work with Grants Office to identify potential
sources for funding. Nine external grant proposals were submitted by faculty; six are
pending including a U.S. National Institute of Justice grant for $469,000 and a U.S.
Department of Education Title VI Grant to develop an undergraduate degree in Global
Development.
Global Education
1. Enrich the current curriculum by incorporating a Global perspective.
a. Support the initiatives of the Discover the World Program.
b. Encourage faculty to develop Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology
intersession courses that support the University’s initiatives in Rome and Paris.
c. Embed a global perspective in the curriculum to ensure that we provide a
contemporary. Academic experience to prepare students for the workplace and the
world.
d. Encourage faculty to attend CTL and external programs that support the
enhancement of global education.
2. Attract a faculty with global experience and expertise.
3. Hold a graduate colloquium featuring a scholar known in the field of globalization
research. Solicit recommendations from faculty in order to attract a major scholar in
the field.
Theology and Religious Studies
No plan submitted.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2008-2013
APPENDICES
A. List of Degrees and Programs
B. Enrollment Trends
C. Enrollment Projections
D. Demographic Summary
E. FY2011 Annual Plan
F. Plan Status Update
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St. John’s College Of Liberal Arts And Sciences
Undergraduate Programs
Bachelor of Arts
Anthropology
Asian Studies
Economics
English
Environmental Studies (Social Science)
French
Government and Politics
History
Italian
Spanish
Mathematics
Philosophy
Psychology
Public Administration and Public Service
Social Studies
Sociology
Spanish
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
Speech-Public Address
Theology
Bachelor of Science
Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science
Environmental Studies (Ecology)
Mathematical Physics
Mathematics
Physical Science (Biomedical Engineering Track and Engineering Track)
Physics
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Fine Arts
Graphic Design
Illustration
Photography
Associates of Arts
Liberal Arts
Certificate Program
Philosophical and Theological Studies
Combined Degree Programs
B.A./J.D. in conjunction with St. John’s University Law School
B.S./O.D. in conjunction with SUNY College of Optometry
Combined Degree Programs with St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Undergraduate Division
B.A./M.A.
B.S./M.S.
B.S./M.S.
B.A./M.A.
B.A./M.A.
B.A./M.A.
B.A./M.A.
B.A./M.A.
B.A./M.A.
B.A./M.A.
B.A./M.A.
Asian Studies
Biology
Chemistry
English
Government and Politics
History
Mathematics
Psychology/General
Experimental Psychology
Sociology
Spanish
Theology
Combined Degree Programs with the College of Professional Studies
B.S./M.A.
B.S./M.A.
B.S./M.A.
B.S./M.A.
B.S./M.A.
B.S./M.A.
B.S./M.A.
B.S./M.A.
B.S./M.A.
Communication Arts and
Government and Politics
Communication Arts and Sociology
Criminal Justice and
Government and Politics
Criminal Justice and Sociology
Health Services Administration and
Government and Politics
Health Services Administration and
Sociology
Journalism and
Government and Politics
Journalism and Sociology
Legal Studies and
Government and Politics
B.S./M.A.
Legal Studies and Sociology
Graduate Programs
Master of Arts
Chinese Studies
Criminology and Justice
East Asian Studies
English
General-Experimental Psychology
Global Development and Social Justice
Government and Politics
History
Mathematics
Sociology
Spanish
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
Theology
Master of Science
Biology
Biological and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
Chemistry
School Psychology
Master of Arts in Liberal Studies
Master of Library Science
M.A./M.L.S.
Government and Politics/Library Science
M.A./J.D.
Government and Politics/Law
M.S./M.L.S.
Pharmaceutical Science/Library Science
Master of Divinity
Ministerial Studies
Doctor of Arts
English
Modern World History
Doctor of Audiology
Audiology
Consortium program in conjunction with Adelphi and Hofstra Universities
Doctor of Psychology
School Psychology
Doctor of Philosophy
Biology
Clinical Psychology
St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (01)
Student Enrollment - Undergraduate Division
Queens Campus
Fall 1998 - Fall 2008
PROGRAM
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
BIOLOGY COMBINED
373
414
440
410
464
519
514
544
573
550
571
BIO
BIO1
Biology
Biology 7-12 2
358
6
377
7
390
7
359
3
432
1
485
2
497
0
526
2
569
-
547
-
568
-
BIO2
BIO3
Biology/Dentistry
Biology/Optometry
7
2
6
3
4
2
2
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
4
0
3
0
1
1
1
1
BIO5
Biology/Podiatric Medicine
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
BIOS
Biology - Self Pace
0
21
37
46
31
31
15
12
1
1
-
3
CHEMISTRY COMBINED
37
36
43
38
59
57
69
80
85
86
84
CHE
CHE1
Chemistry
Chemistry 7-12
37
0
36
0
41
0
34
1
56
0
56
0
69
0
79
1
85
-
86
-
84
-
CHES
Chemistry - Self Pace 3
0
0
2
3
3
1
-
-
-
-
-
ECONOMICS COMBINED
18
16
24
22
23
38
42
37
52
57
57
ECO
ECO1
17
1
15
1
23
1
22
-
23
-
38
-
42
-
37
-
52
-
57
-
57
-
125
89
36
148
102
46
141
104
37
144
117
27
145
133
12
149
148
1
162
160
2
179
177
2
192
192
-
187
187
-
228
228
-
50
37
48
37
40
24
29
15
31
18
24
12
20
14
24
14
18
9
25
18
29
22
2
1
1
0
3
4
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
Economics
Economics Social Studies 7-12
2
ENGLISH COMBINED
ENG
English
2
ENG1 English 7-12
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES COMBINED
ESP
Environmental Studies (Ecology)
ESP1
ESP2
Environmental Std Social Studies 7-12
Environmental Studies (Bio 7-12) 2
ESP4
ESP5
Environmental Studies
Environmental Std (Social Sciences)
10
10
13
8
12
12
6
10
9
7
7
ESPS
Environmental Studies - Self Pace
3
0
0
0
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
110
19
115
16
128
17
125
19
124
21
112
19
90
19
87
13
88
22
92
23
93
21
68
14
9
75
11
13
91
10
10
82
12
12
80
11
12
68
14
11
45
17
9
44
18
12
38
14
14
38
15
16
43
18
11
12
8
8
5
9
8
8
6
6
6
10
10
13
13
17
17
10
10
16
16
21
21
4
3
1
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
181
166
9
6
0
184
173
9
2
0
225
211
6
7
1
239
231
4
3
1
246
242
1
3
0
250
245
1
4
0
244
242
2
0
250
246
4
0
235
229
6
0
239
235
4
0
237
229
8
0
86
46
40
90
47
43
103
58
45
99
67
32
107
90
17
107
100
7
118
113
5
104
102
2
102
102
-
104
104
-
133
133
-
2
2
FINE ARTS COMBINED
FNA
Art-Paint, Print, Sculpture
FNA1
FNA2
FNA4
Graphic Design
Creative Photography
Illustration
FRENCH COMBINED
FRE
French
FRE1
French 7-12
2
GOVERNMENT COMBINED
GOV
GOV1
GOV2
GOV4
Government & Politics
Government & Politics Social Studies 7-12
Public Admin & Public Service
Government & Politics/Law
HISTORY COMBINED
HIS
HIS1
History
History Social Studies 7-12
2
2
2
No longer offered
Not a program
Prepared by: Office of Institutional Research (wm)
3
Based on data as of 10/14/2008
St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (01)
Student Enrollment - Undergraduate Division
Queens Campus
Fall 1998 - Fall 2008
PROGRAM
ITALIAN COMBINED
ITA
ITA1
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
12
12
7
9
11
8
10
22
24
29
25
9
3
9
3
3
4
7
2
10
1
8
0
8
2
17
5
24
-
29
-
25
-
Italian
2
Italian 7-12
MATHEMATICS COMBINED
49
59
59
55
43
38
38
39
44
45
36
MTH Mathematics
MTH1 Mathematics 7-12 2
25
33
31
38
33
36
38
37
44
45
36
24
26
28
17
10
2
0
2
-
-
-
PHILOSOPHY COMBINED
46
60
50
58
53
50
58
74
69
68
74
PHI
PHI1
Philosophy
Philosophy - Theology
40
2
55
0
44
0
54
1
38
0
36
0
58
0
64
0
61
1
59
6
59
2
PHI2
Philosophical - Theological Studies
4
5
6
3
15
14
0
10
7
3
13
PHYSICAL SCIENCE COMBINED
15
11
16
16
20
15
14
15
22
30
44
PHY1
PHY3
Physical Science
Physical Science (Bio Med Engineering)
15
-
10
-
13
-
12
-
20
-
15
-
14
-
15
-
21
1
13
8
16
17
PHY4
Physical Science (Pre Engineering)
PHYX Physical Science - Self Pace
PHYSICS COMBINED
PHY
Physics
PHY2
Physics 7-12 2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
9
11
0
1
3
4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6
5
6
3
6
4
12
11
14
11
15
13
22
18
22
17
29
24
27
23
27
25
1
2
1
0
0
0
1
1
-
-
-
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
2
1
1
3
4
5
4
2
47
45
44
42
53
48
65
63
51
51
58
58
66
66
57
57
62
62
74
74
79
77
2
-
2
-
5
-
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
9
6
14
10
21
12
16
11
10
9
20
18
18
18
17
17
24
24
20
20
21
21
3
4
9
5
1
2
-
-
-
-
-
112
107
101
95
92
87
92
87
107
101
107
103
126
122
142
137
153
147
118
113
122
115
3
3
PHYS Physics - Self Pace
MTH3 Mathematical Physics
SOCIOLOGY COMBINED
SOC
Sociology
SOC1
SOC3
Sociology Social Studies 7-12 2
BA/SociologyMA/Criminology&Just
SPANISH COMBINED
SPA
Spanish
SPA1
Spanish 7-12
2
SPEECH COMBINED
SPE
Speech Pathology & Audiology
SPE1
SPE2
Speech (Public Address)
Speech
5
0
6
0
5
0
5
0
5
1
4
0
4
0
5
0
6
0
5
0
6
1
ANT
Anthropology
8
7
6
5
7
9
5
6
16
22
20
ASC
Asian Studies
3
3
4
2
7
10
13
14
17
14
10
ASP
American Studies 2
0
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
PSY
Psychology
392
371
421
468
483
503
500
503
541
513
519
THE
Theology
11
16
18
19
22
19
21
22
23
16
18
0000
Undeclared
449
417
425
429
483
553
560
674
602
626
670
NM
Non-Matriculated
25
53
56
37
39
45
38
70
43
46
68
TOTAL:
PERCENT CHANGE:
2,176
2,235
2,387
2,397
2,555
2,716
2,761
2,999
3,024
3,004
3,186
2.7%
6.8%
0.4%
6.6%
6.3%
1.7%
8.6%
0.8%
-0.7%
6.1%
2
No longer offered
Not a program
Prepared by: Office of Institutional Research (wm)
3
Based on data as of 10/14/2008
St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (21)
Student Enrollment - Graduate Division
Queens Campus
Fall 1998 - Fall 2008
PROGRAM
ASIAN STUDIES COMBINED
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
13
19
19
13
15
14
10
13
13
11
11
ASC
Asian Studies
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
0
0
0
0
CHS
Chinese Studies
3
7
10
6
5
2
1
4
2
1
2
EAS
East Asian Studies
10
12
9
7
10
12
8
9
11
10
9
118
118
125
127
127
139
164
153
136
158
158
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4
7
12
36
118
118
125
127
127
139
164
149
129
146
122
AUDIOLOGOGY & SPEECH COMBINED
AUD
Audiology (AuD)
SPE
Speech Path & Aud
BIOLOGY COMBINED
BIO
Biology
53
52
51
50
48
50
52
46
46
44
40
MS
25
30
24
21
16
14
16
10
16
10
10
NM
4
4
2
2
2
1
3
5
1
4
1
24
18
25
27
30
35
33
31
29
30
29
Ph.D.
ENGLISH COMBINED
ENG
English
54
48
43
46
43
42
54
51
60
73
73
MA & NM
23
18
19
23
25
20
27
24
26
35
23
DA
31
30
24
23
18
22
27
27
34
38
50
GOVERNMENT COMBINED
81
76
76
74
62
59
60
69
66
55
53
GOV
Government & Politics
80
73
75
73
61
58
59
69
65
55
53
GOV3
Gov & Pol/Library Science
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
HISTORY COMBINED
60
53
56
45
51
51
50
49
52
49
51
HIS
History
26
22
27
18
19
19
22
18
25
23
17
HIS2
Modern World History (DA)
34
31
29
27
32
32
28
31
27
26
34
LIBRARY SCIENCE COMBINED
84
86
86
74
106
116
94
90
92
105
143
LIS
Library Science
79
84
83
73
105
116
93
90
90
104
143
LIS1
Library & Info Studies
5
2
3
1
1
0
1
0
2
1
0
PSYCHOLOGY COMBINED
222
238
227
255
255
261
274
291
263
254
260
PSY1
Gen-Exper Psychology
22
14
14
12
19
21
26
26
21
17
15
PSY2
Clinical Psychology
56
58
46
51
47
45
40
37
34
35
35
PSY3
Clinical Psy (Child)
58
61
51
50
47
46
39
39
35
29
32
PSY5
School Psychologist
63
59
47
40
26
29
45
54
44
51
52
PSY5
School Psychologist (Psy.D)
-
28
54
82
90
90
94
101
99
94
90
PSY6
Sch Psy/Bilingual Ext
23
15
8
9
7
5
7
9
8
9
11
PSY6
Sch Psy/Bilingual Ext (Psy.D)
-
3
7
11
19
25
23
25
22
19
25
THEOLOGY COMBINED
50
43
45
55
56
59
68
64
55
51
40
THE
Theology
44
39
42
50
52
55
66
62
50
49
39
THE2
Theo Catechetic Ministry
6
4
3
5
4
4
2
2
5
2
1
Note: Queens figures include Distance Learning and Oakdale Students. Please refer
to the Distance Learning and Oakdale Enrollment Reports.
Prepared by: Office of Institutional Research (wm)
Based on data as of 10/14/2008
St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (21)
Student Enrollment - Graduate Division
Queens Campus
Fall 1998 - Fall 2008
PROGRAM
CHE
Chemistry
CRIM
Criminology and Justice
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
22
13
17
15
19
17
23
33
35
27
21
-
-
-
-
13
29
33
37
38
39
30
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
3
2
0
3
14
14
4
7
6
8
7
10
15
12
8
Latin American and
LAC
Caribbean Studies
MTH
Mathematics
MIN
Ministerial Studies
4
5
6
8
7
7
4
4
5
4
4
PAS
Pastoral Ministry
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
SOC
Sociology
34
27
29
23
25
17
22
21
33
38
29
SPA
Spanish
13
19
15
14
15
14
22
21
19
16
9
0000
Undeclared
8
8
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
NM
Non-Matriculated
6
26
29
37
30
60
9
6
34
20
67
TOTAL QUEENS:
855
PERCENT CHANGE:
846
829
844
879
944
949
961
964
956
1,000
-1.1%
-2.0%
1.8%
4.1%
7.4%
0.5%
1.3%
0.3%
-0.8%
4.6%
FORMERLY METROPOLITAN COLLEGE*
LST
Liberal Studies*
NM
Non-Matric
St. John's College
24
17
16
20
13
15
15
12
31
60
-
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
845
864
892
959
964
973
995
1,016
1,055
2.2%
3.2%
7.5%
0.5%
0.9%
2.3%
2.1%
3.8%
2006
2007
2008
TOTAL:
PERCENT CHANGE:
55
-
Rome Campus
PROGRAM
GOV
Government & Politics
NM
Non-Matric
TOTAL ROME:
1998
1999
2001
28
32
32
-
-
-
28
PERCENT CHANGE:
QUEENS & ROME TOTAL:
2000
883
PERCENT CHANGE:
2002
2003
2004
2005
37
46
56
55
66
64
43
46
1
-
2
1
1
1
0
1
32
32
38
46
58
56
67
65
43
47
14.3%
0.0%
18.8%
21.1%
26.1%
-3.4%
19.6%
-3.0%
-33.8%
9.3%
878
877
902
938
1,017
1,020
1,040
1,060
1,059
1,102
-0.6%
-0.1%
2.9%
4.0%
8.4%
0.3%
2.0%
1.9%
-0.1%
4.1%
Note: Queens figures include Distance Learning and Oakdale Students. Please refer
to the Distance Learning and Oakdale Enrollment Reports.
Prepared by: Office of Institutional Research (wm)
Based on data as of 10/14/2008
St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (51)
The School of Education (62)
Staten Island Campus - Undergraduate
Fall 1998 - Fall 2008
St. John's College of
Notre Dame College*
PROGRAM
Arts and Sciences
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
COMPUTER SCIENCE COMBINED
89
117
112
104
78
52
25
14
22
16
17
CUS
Computer Science
89
116
110
104
78
52
25
14
22
16
17
CUS2
Computer Science Business Option
0
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
ENGLISH COMBINED
51
54
46
45
42
52
50
43
49
41
32
ENG
English
41
37
34
39
40
52
49
43
49
41
32
ENG1
English 7-12
10
14
12
6
2
0
1
-
-
-
-
ENG3
English (BA/MA)
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
MATHEMATICS COMBINED
25
23
21
14
11
4
7
6
4
5
4
MTH
12
9
11
5
7
4
6
6
4
5
4
13
14
10
9
4
0
1
-
-
-
-
2
Mathematics
MTH1 Mathematics 7-12
2
PHILOSOPHY COMBINED
5
0
3
2
4
1
1
2
2
0
1
PHI
Philosophy
1
0
2
1
4
1
1
2
2
0
1
PHI1
Philosophy - Theology
4
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
SOCIOLOGY/SOCIAL STUDIES COMBINED
32
24
14
12
10
4
17
19
22
16
23
SOC
Sociology
17
9
7
8
7
1
10
9
10
11
10
SST
Social Studies
0
0
0
1
2
3
6
9
12
5
13
SST1
Social Studies 7-12
15
15
7
3
1
0
1
1
-
-
-
2
SPEECH COMBINED
59
55
53
42
39
36
30
30
44
53
55
SPE
Speech Pathology & Audiology
18
48
48
40
38
36
30
30
44
53
55
SPE2
Speech
41
7
5
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
ECO
Economics
3
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
3
2
GOV
Government and Politics
0
6
18
23
27
23
20
25
25
21
24
HIS
History
5
8
9
10
12
11
12
14
19
23
21
LAS
Liberal Arts
145
157
153
162
153
144
130
97
44
17
8
NUR
Nursing
42
31
39
24
41
8
-
-
-
-
-
PSC
Political Science
36
27
9
6
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
PSY
Psychology
91
77
83
73
73
85
75
85
75
79
97
2,9
2
2
No longer offered
8
Now in the College of Professional Studies
9
In affiliation with St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers of New York.
Prepared by: Office of Institutional Research (wm)
Based on data as of 10/14/2008
St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (51)
The School of Education (62)
Staten Island Campus - Undergraduate
Fall 1998 - Fall 2008
St. John's College of
Notre Dame College*
PROGRAM
THE
Theology
0000
Undeclared
NM
Non-Matriculated
SUBTOTAL
Arts and Sciences
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
1
2
0
1
1
2
4
3
3
3
4
149
145
145
140
154
135
105
91
78
81
91
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
15
2
0
733
726
705
658
646
559
476
430
402
360
379
The School of Education
PROGRAM
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
ADOLESCENCE COMBINED
9
24
33
30
31
34
31
33
AEE
Adolescence Ed /English
-
-
-
3
9
16
9
6
11
10
16
AEM
Adolescence Ed /Math
-
-
-
3
5
8
10
9
11
9
8
AESS
Adolescence Ed /Social Studies
-
-
-
3
10
9
11
16
11
12
9
ADE
Adolescence Ed - Non Cert.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
0
0
209
212
EDUCATION PRE K-6/CHILDHOOD COMBINED
EDU
Elem Ed Grades Pre K-6
2,10
EDUD Elem Ed & Special Ed K-6
CED
2,10
Childhood Education 1-6
198
182
164
124
115
118
111
104
116
175
170
164
89
54
5
-
-
-
-
-
34
42
34
28
15
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
61
89
107
101
96
95
89
102
CEDS
Childhood Ed and Special Ed 1-6
-
-
-
4
6
12
13
20
16
13
14
CHD
Childhood Edu & Non Certification
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
2
0
2
0
212
198
191
188
157
145
149
145
135
149
1.4% -6.6%
-3.5%
-1.6%
-16.5%
-7.6%
2.8%
-2.7%
-6.9%
10.4%
SUBTOTAL
209
PERCENTAGE CHANGE
TOTAL NOTRE DAME COLLEGE:
942
PERCENT CHANGE:
TOTAL ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
726
PERCENT CHANGE:
TOTAL THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION:
PERCENT CHANGE:
-
705
658
646
559
476
430
402
360
379
-2.9%
-6.7%
-1.8%
-13.5%
-14.8%
-9.7%
-6.5%
-10.4%
5.3%
212
198
191
188
157
145
149
145
135
149
-6.6%
-3.5%
-1.6%
-16.5%
-7.6%
2.8%
-2.7%
-6.9%
10.4%
*Notre Dame College merged with St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Spring 1999.
Elementary Education majors (EDU & EDUD) are now in the School of Education.
2
No longer offered
8
Now in the College of Professional Studies
9
In affiliation with St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers of New York.
10
Beginning in Fall 2001, entering students majoring in Elementary Education Pre K-6 are coded as Childhood Education majors.
Prepared by: Office of Institutional Research (wm)
Based on data as of 10/14/2008
St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Queens Campus Undergraduate Division
Enrollment Projections
St. John's College - Queens
Fall 2009 Fall 2010 Fall 2011 Fall 2012
New Students
External Transfers
Continuing Students, Readmitted, Internal
Transfers, Non-matriculated, visiting & special
students
1008
152
950
129
900
120
900
120
2238
2291
2250
2230
Grand Total
3398
3370
3270
3250
Assumptions
1. We anticipate that new freshmen enrollment will remain stable this year and then decrease for the next three years.
SJC Summary Enrollment Projections UG 07 31 09.xls
1
Prepared by J. Lawlor 10/21/2009
St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Staten Island Campus Undergraduate Division
Enrollment Projections
St. John's College - Staten Island
Fall 2009 Fall 2010 Fall 2011 Fall 2012
New Students
External Transfers
Continuing Students, Readmitted, Internal
Transfers, Non-matriculated, visiting & special
students
92
9
90
10
90
10
90
10
271
273
275
275
Grand Total
372
373
375
375
Assumptions
1. We anticipate that new freshmen enrollment will slightly decrease
this year and then remain stable for the next three years.
SJC Summary Enrollment Projections UG 07 31 09.xls
2
Prepared by J. Lawlor 10/21/2009
SJC GRADUATE ENROLLMENT 1999 - 2008
ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS 2009 - 2011
DEPARTMENT
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
*2009
*2010
*2011
Biological Sciences
MS
PhD
NM
Total
30
18
4
52
24
25
2
51
23
27
2
52
16
30
2
48
14
35
1
50
16
33
3
52
10
31
5
46
16
29
1
46
10
30
4
44
10
29
1
40
12
32
0
44
14
34
0
48
14
34
0
48
Asian Studies
MA
Total
19
19
19
19
13
13
15
15
14
14
10
10
13
13
13
13
11
11
11
11
13
13
14
14
15
15
Chemistry
MS
Total
13
13
17
17
15
15
19
19
17
17
23
23
33
33
35
35
27
27
21
21
22
22
24
24
24
24
English
MA & NM
DA ##
Total
18
30
48
19
24
43
23
23
46
25
18
43
20
22
42
27
27
54
24
27
51
26
34
60
35
38
73
23
50
73
25
50
75
27
40
67
27
38
65
19
19
40
40
41
41
47
47
49
49
49
49
Global Dev. & Social Justice
MA Global Dev & Soc Jus
Total
Government & Politics
MA
MA/MLS
Rome Campus - MA
Rome Campus - NM
Total
73
3
32
75
1
32
108
History
MA
DA
Total
Liberal Studies
MA
Total
LIS
MLS
Adv. Cert.
Oakdale Campus
Total
Mathematics
MA
Total
Psychology
MA Gen. Experimental
MS School Psychology
MS Sch. Psy. Bilingual
MS Sch. Psy. Oakdale
PhD Clin. Psy. Adult
PhD Clin. Psy. Child
Psy.D. School Psy.
Psy.D. Sch. Psy. Biling.
Total
Sociology
MA
MA Crim. & Justice
Total
Spanish
MA
Total
108
73
1
37
1
112
61
1
46
0
108
58
1
56
2
117
59
1
55
1
116
69
0
66
1
136
65
1
64
1
131
55
0
43
0
98
53
0
46
1
100
50
0
42
0
92
54
0
45
0
99
57
0
48
0
105
22
31
53
25
25
50
18
27
45
19
32
51
19
32
51
22
28
50
18
31
49
25
27
52
23
26
49
17
34
51
19
35
54
21
37
58
22
37
59
19
19
16
16
20
20
13
13
15
15
15
15
12
12
12
12
20
20
14
14
16
16
18
18
18
18
84
2
83
3
73
1
86
86
74
70
1
35
106
75
0
41
116
49
1
44
94
42
0
48
90
45
2
45
92
63
1
41
105
104
2
37
143
110
2
40
152
110
2
42
154
115
2
42
159
14
14
4
4
7
7
6
6
8
8
7
7
10
10
15
15
12
12
8
8
8
8
9
9
10
10
14
59
15
14
47
8
12
40
9
19
26
7
21
29
5
47
47
90
19
255
45
46
90
25
261
17
28
9
23
35
29
94
19
254
15
30
11
22
35
32
90
25
260
19
65#
51
50
82
11
255
21
25
8
19
34
35
99
22
263
18
65#
46
51
54
7
227
26
23
9
22
37
39
101
25
282
17
65#
58
61
28
3
238
26
35
7
10
40
39
94
23
274
68#
68#
68#
98#
92#
92#
248
263
264
27
29
23
27
29
23
25
13
38
17
29
46
22
33
55
21
37
58
33
38
71
38
39
77
29
30
59
31
33
64
33
35
68
35
37
72
19
19
15
15
14
14
15
15
14
14
22
22
24
24
21
21
16
16
12
12
13
13
14
14
15
15
SJC GRADUATE ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS 07 09 (NO CHARTS).xls Page
. 1
Prepared by J. Lawlor 10/21/2009
SJC GRADUATE ENROLLMENT 1999 - 2008
ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS 2009 - 2011
DEPARTMENT
Speech Path. & Aud.
MA
AuD
Total
Theology
MA
M.Div.
Adv. Cert.
Total
Non-Matriculated
Grand Total
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
*2009
*2010
*2011
118
125
127
127
139
164
118
125
127
127
139
164
149
4
153
130
7
137
146
12
158
122
12
134
130
14
144
130
16
146
130
16
146
44
5
46
6
56
7
59
7
68
4
49
52
55
8
1
64
63
66
72
54
4
10
68
52
5
3
60
51
4
2
57
40
4
0
44
42
4
0
46
44
4
0
48
44
4
0
48
34
29
37
30
60
9
6
34
20
15
15
15
15
878
871
904
937
1016
1017
1031
1061
1061
1026
1053
1094
1112
* Projected Enrollment
# Combined Tracks
## Projected DA enrollment for 2009 - 2011 is based upon increased efforts to graduate students who have completed all requirements except the doctoral research essay.
SJC GRADUATE ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS 07 09 (NO CHARTS).xls Page
.x 2
Prepared by J. Lawlor 10/21/2009
Undergraduate and Graduate Divisions
Queens, Staten Island and Rome Campuses
Fall 2008
™ Total Enrollment students: 4,667 (5% increase over Fall 2007)
™ Gender
Fall 2007
Fall 2008
St. John's College
St. John's University
St. John's College
St. John's University
Female
64%
58%
64%
57%
Male
36%
42%
36%
43%
™ Average age: 22
Ethnicity
70%
60%
50%
Religious Affiliation
St. John's College
St. John's University
39%
43%
40%
30%
15%
20%
13%
15% 12% 12% 15%
10%
0%
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
14%
11%
5%6%
NonResidents
Unknown
St. Jo hn's Co llege
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
St. Jo hn's University
48% 48%
19% 18%
13% 12%
3% 3%
Ro man
Catho lic
P ro testant
Jewish
6% 7%
No ne
Other
11%11%
Unkno wn
Geographic Distribution
60%
50%
St. John's College
St. John's University
49%51%
40%
30%
20%
13%15%
10%
19%
8% 8%
6% 5%
Su ffo lk
Coun ty
Oth er N ew
Yo rk State
15%
5% 6%
0%
N ew York
City
Nassau
Cou nty
Other States
Non Resid ents
™
Students come from 38 states, District of Columbia, & Guam and International Students (Non-Residents) from 60 countries.
™
Largest programs (excluding undeclared students)
ƒ
Psychology, Biology and Government & Politics
™ During the 2007-2008 academic year, 890 degrees were conferred (8% decrease over 06-07).
Prepared by: Office of Institutional Research
Based on data as of 10/14/2008
Undergraduate Division
Queens and Staten Island Campuses
Fall 2008
™ Total Enrollment students: 3,568( 6% increase over Fall 2007)
™ New freshmen
• 15,233 Applied
• 7,817 Accepted (51% of Applied)
™ Gender
Fall 2007
™ Mean SAT Scores
Fall 2008
St. John's College - UG
St. John's University – UG
St. John's College – UG
St. John's University - UG
Female
62%
56%
62%
55%
Male
38%
44%
38%
SAT Math
™ Average age: 20
45%
SAT Verbal
SAT Combined
2007
2008
2007
2008
2007
2008
544
548
540
543
1085
1091
Queens
545
549
540
544
1085
1093
Staten Island
535
540
539
529
1074
1069
545
554
530
533
1075
1087
Total St. John's College
Total St. John's University
Ethnicity
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
• 1,107 Enrolled (14% of Accepted)
Religious Affiliation
St. John's College - UG
St. John's University - UG
36%
17% 15%
17% 14% 14% 16%
4%4%
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
NonResidents
St. John's College - UG
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
42%
12%9%
Unknown
St. John's Uni versity - UG
51% 53%
21% 19%
14% 13%
2% 2%
Roman
Catholic
Protestant
6% 7%
Jewish
None
6% 6%
Other
Unknown
Geographic Distribution
60%
50%
49%
St. John's College - UG
St. John's University - UG
52%
40%
30%
23%
20%
15%
12%
10%
16%
6% 8%
6% 5%
Su ffo lk
Co un ty
Other N ew
Yo rk State
4% 4%
0%
N ew York
City
Nassau
C ou nty
Other States
Non Resid ents
™
Students come from 37 states, District of Columbia & Guam and International Students (Non-Residents) from 56 countries.
™
Largest programs (excluding undeclared students) : Psychology, Biology and Government & Politics.
™ During the 2007-2008 academic year, 557 degrees were conferred (12% decrease over 06-07).
™
™
One-year Retention Rates (Full-time Baccalaureate Students)
Fall 2006 – 2007
ƒ
St. John’s College
78%
ƒ
Queens
77%
ƒ
Staten Island
84%
ƒ
St. John’s University
79%
Fall 2007 - 2008
73%
73%
77%
76%
Six-year Graduation Rates of 2002 cohort (Full-time Baccalaureate Students)
ƒ
St. John’s College
61%
ƒ
Queens
60%
ƒ
Staten Island
69%
ƒ
St. John's University
61%
Prepared by: Office of Institutional Research
Based on data as of 10/14/2008
Graduate Division
Queens, Staten Island and Rome Campuses
Fall 2008
™ Total Enrollment students: 1,102 (4% increase over Fall 2007)
™ New First Time Graduate
• 1,518 Applied
• 629 Accepted (41% of Applied)
™ Gender
• 307 Enrolled (49% of Accepted)
Fall 2007
Fall 2008
St. John's College –GR
St. John's University -GR
St. John's College -GR
St. John's University -GR
Female
72%
64%
73%
64%
Male
28%
36%
27%
36%
™ Average age: 31
Ethnicity
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Religiou s Affiliation
St. John's College - GR
St. John's University - GR
St. John's College - GR
St. John's University - GR
70%
47% 45%
60%
50%
7% 8%
10% 8%
12%
5%
9%13%
40%
40%
22%
14%
37%
20%
9% 9%
7%5%
7%8%
Protestant
Jewish
None
10%
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
NonResidents
23%
17%18% 20%
30%
Unknown
0%
Roman
Catholic
Other
Unknown
Geographic Distribution
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
St. John's College - GR
St. John's Univer sity - GR
47%50%
14% 16% 13%
New York
City
Nassau
County
9%
Suffolk
County
5% 4%
9% 7%
13%
9%
Other New
York State
Other
States
NonResidents
3% 1%
Unknown
™
Students come from 22 states, District of Columbia and International Students (Non-Residents) from 30 countries.
™
Largest Programs
ƒ
Psychology, Library Science, Speech Pathology, and Government & Politics
™
During the 2007-2008 academic year, 332 degrees were conferred (6% increase over 2006-2007).
Prepared by: Office of Institutional Research
Based on data as of 10/14/2008
ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
AND SCIENCES
ANNUAL PLAN
FISCAL YEAR 2011
ACADEMIC YEAR 2010-2011
July 2009
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 3
Purpose................................................................................................................. 3
Planning Process .................................................................................................. 3
Organizational Chart........................................................................................... 4
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Mission ................................................ 5
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Vision ................................................... 5
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Goals for FY2011................................. 6
Asian Studies ........................................................................................................ 6
Biological Sciences ............................................................................................... 6
Chemistry.............................................................................................................. 7
Communication Sciences and Disorders ............................................................. 9
English ................................................................................................................ 12
Fine Arts ............................................................................................................. 13
Government and Politics ................................................................................... 14
History ................................................................................................................ 14
Languages and Literatures ................................................................................ 15
Library and Information Science ....................................................................... 16
Mathematics and Computer Science ................................................................ 17
Philosophy .......................................................................................................... 17
Physics................................................................................................................. 18
Psychology.......................................................................................................... 18
Rhetoric, Communication, and Theater ........................................................... 25
Sociology/Anthropology.................................................................................... 25
Theology and Religious Studies ........................................................................ 26
2
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
INTRODUCTION
Purpose: The purpose of this document is to provide an outline of the initiatives planned
by the departments in St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for the 2010-2011
academic year (FY11), many of which will be begun during the 2009-2010 academic year
(FY10). This reflects the ongoing nature of much of what the College and its faculty do.
Requests for funding to support the plan have and will be been aligned with the College’s
and University’s strategic priorities, especially those of mission, student engagement, and
global education as expressed in the 2008-2013 University Strategic Plan
Planning Process: Planning and outcomes assessment in St. John’s College is conducted at
the department level chiefly by the department chairs and program directors in
consultation with their faculty. Currently, these are:
Dr. Bernadette Li, Asian Studies
Dr. Jay Zimmerman, Biological Sciences
Dr. Richard Rosso, Chemistry
Dr. Stephen Sicari, English
Assistant Dean William Nieter, Environmental Studies
Prof. Louis DiGena, Fine Arts
Dr. Luba Racanska, Government and Politics
Dr. Mauricio Borrero, History
Dr. Jeffrey Olson, Library and Information Science
Dr. Charles Traina, Mathematics and Computer Science
Dr. Herbert Pierson, Languages and Literatures
Dr. Robert Finkel, Physics
Dr. Raymond DiGiuseppe, Psychology
Dr. Dawn Esposito, Sociology/Anthropology
Dr. Fredericka Bell-Berti, Speech, Communication Sciences and Theater
Rev. Michael Whalen, C.M., Theology and Religious Studies
Oversight is provided by the Dean of St. John’s College working closely with the college’s
four Associate Deans and its Director of Planning. The Dean also relies heavily on the
chairpersons advisory committee, which meets monthly. Academic governance of St. John’s
College resides chiefly with the Liberal Arts Faculty Council.
3
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
Dean
Dr. Jeffrey Fagen
Associate Dean
Queens
Undergraduate
Dr. Nicholas Healy
Assistant Dean
William Nieter
Assistant Dean
Gregory Gades
Asian Studies
Dr. Bernadette Li
Speech and
Hearing Center
Dr. Donna Geffner
Communication
Sciences and
Disorders
Dr. Fredericka
Bell-Berti
University Art
Gallery
Parvez Moshin
Fine Arts
Prof. Louis
DiGena
Government
and Politics
Dr. Luba
Racanska
Assistant Dean
Ekaterini
Georgiadis
History
Dr. Mauricio
Borrero
Language
Laboratory
Dr. Michelle
Jones
Languages and
Literatures
Dr. Herbert
Pierson
Assistant Dean
Marilyn Nemzer
Philosophy
Dr. Paul Gaffney
Assistant Dean
Maria Allegretti
Associate Dean
Information and
Records
Joyce Lawlor
Chemistry
Dr. Richard Rosso
English
Dr. Stephen Sicari
Assistant Dean
Andres Laurito
Associate Dean
Staten Island
Undergraduate
Dr. Kelly Rocca
Biological Science
Dr. Jay
Zimmerman
Rhetoric,
Communication,
and Theatre
Dr. Michael
Hostetler
Africana Studies
Dr. Konrad
Tuchscherer
Director of
Plannning
Eileen O’Connor
New York Studies
Dr. Judith DeSena
Linguistics and
Classics
Dr. Walter
Petrovitz
4
Environmental
Studies
William Nieter
Library and
Information
Science
Dr. Jeffery Olson
Associate Dean
Graduate Division
Dr. Michael Wolfe
Master of Arts in
Liberal Studies
Rev. Jean-Pierre
Ruiz, S.T.D.
Assistant Dean
Beverly Fields
Assistant Dean
Dr. Suzanne
Henderson
Assistant Dean
Rome
Margherita
Panzera
Mathematics and
Computer Science
Dr. Charles Traina
Physics
Dr. Robert Finkel
Psychology
Dr. Raymond
DiGiuseppe
Sociology/
Anthropology
Dr. Dawn Esposito
Theology and
Religious Studies
Rev. Michael
Whalen, C.M.
Women’s Studies
Dr. Barbara
Koziak
Social Justice:
Vincentian
Tradition
Rev. Jean-Pierre
Ruiz, S.T.D.
Center for
Psychological
Services
Dr. Richard
Morrissey
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE MISSION
St. John’s College fulfills the commitment to academic excellence expressed in the
University’s Mission Statement, and the Catholic, Vincentian, and metropolitan character
of a St. John’s education, in three principal ways. First, the college provides a universitywide core curriculum in the liberal arts and sciences which serves as a foundation for a
distinct and unified undergraduate education. Required courses in theology and
philosophy play a pivotal role in creating the integral vision of Catholic and Vincentian
education that stands at the center of the St. John’s University experience. The acquisition
of critical thinking evidenced in articulate verbal and written skills is expected of every
student in all courses of study offered by the college. St. John’s College emphasizes
student learning as an active rather than a passive process. The college offers a holistic
education with special attention given to compassionate concern for others, to cultural
diversity, and to the challenges of an interdependent world. Second, St. John’s College
offers undergraduate majors in many basic liberal arts and sciences disciplines. The majors
challenge students with broad academic underpinnings that have developed through the
centuries, and they challenge students to make current application of this knowledge.
Students also acquire the appropriate theoretical perspectives and research competencies
for advanced study in their chosen discipline. Third, St. John’s College offers graduate
programs at both the masters and doctoral levels in select arts and sciences disciplines.
Through these programs, St. John’s College offers quality education for the leaders of
tomorrow, especially the academic leaders. Where appropriate, the graduate programs of
the college meet the standards of their respective accreditation agencies.
ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE VISION
As a learning community, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is committed to
student-centered teaching, social diversity, and a modern educational environment. We
seek to develop in our students a critical consciousness and ethical perspective that will
prepare them for service and leadership roles in the local, national, and international
spheres. In both our graduate and undergraduate programs, we seek the highest
standards of scholarly inquiry and creative expression. Through their research, our faculty
will contribute to the creation, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge. As we
proceed into the new millennium, St. John's College will continue to serve the university
with broad graduate and undergraduate offerings in the arts and sciences.
Approved by the Liberal Arts Faculty Council, May 2003
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES GOALS FOR FY2011
Asian Studies
1. Hire a tenure-track faculty member in Chinese Studies
2. Continue the mission of promoting multiculturalism at St. John’s.
3. Continue to explore and present Asia as a vast source of opportunities in business,
education, diplomatic service, and technology.
4. Continue to initiate new curriculum to prepare students for professional opportunities
in the expanding Asian marketplace.
5. Help students to earn valuable credentials for career advancement in business,
education, journalism, government service, and other fields.
6. Strengthen undergraduate and graduate language courses, especially Chinese,
Japanese, and Korean.
7. Promote global educational and cultural exchanges.
Biological Sciences
1. Hire three full-time faculty members: a continuation of an ongoing search for a tenuretrack physiologist, a non-tenure track, three-year position teaching general biology as
well as histology, and a non-tenure track, three-year position teaching general biology
as well as an online introductory biology course for non-majors
2. Mission:
a. We will leverage the outstanding experience of Dr. Schramm in adding an academic
service learning component to her course by featuring this activity at faculty
meetings as a way of encouraging our faculty add ASL to their individual courses.
Our goal is to have at least one additional upper level course incorporate ASL.
b. The Department will sponsor a day at the St. John’s Bread and Life Soup Kitchen.
All of our faculty, staff and students will be invited and encouraged to participate
in a day of caring for others less fortunate than themselves.
3. Student Engagement:
a. The increasing number of Biology majors who are also members of the Honors
Program places a considerable obligation on the faculty and staff of the
department as we attempt to meet the needs of these outstanding students. We
will institute a section of BIO 1000 at the honors level, and will offer two sections of
HON 1070, which has become overenrolled because many honors students in
addition to Biology majors are in this course.
b. We will continue to work with the other science chairs, the Freshman Center and
the Admissions Office to “right-size” the Biology Department. Our hope is that we
will be able to reduce class size at all levels, thereby increasing in-class student
engagement.
c. We will submit an application to the US Department of Education’s GAANN
Program with a proposal to support 6 doctoral students. In the past, fellowships
under this program have attracted some of the best doctoral students in our
program, and we hope to use its generous support to do so in the future.
4. Global Education:
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
a. We will offer a course in “Tropical Biology” in Vietnam during Spring 2010
immediately after final examinations. This course will offer science students a study
abroad opportunity while allowing them to stay “on track” with their science
requirements.
Chemistry
1. Hire two new tenure-track faculty members, one in physical chemistry and one in
organic chemistry, to fulfill our need for instructors for organic/physical/chemical
biology courses and to fulfill research mentoring needs for increasing graduate and
undergraduate population.
2. Continue to Improve the Academic Profile of the Chemistry Department.
a. Submit and resubmit grants to agencies that fund program and faculty
development to further enhance the quality of the department.
b. Submit department wide proposals to programs such as NSF/CCLI and Department
of Commerce/GAAN.
c. Resubmit proposal to NSF/REU to create a funded summer research program
3. Continue to strengthen, modernize, and invigorate the chemistry major
a. Increase in average SAT scores for incoming chemistry students. Increase the
number of students applying to the department.
b. Hold a departmental retreat to evaluate our major sequence and course offerings.
4. Continue to increase the quality and quantity of graduate students in the department
of chemistry.
a. Increase in average GRE scores for incoming students.
b. Increase the number of students applying to the department.
c. Increase the number of Graduate Assistant Lines for the Department of Chemistry.
d. Develop a brochure for the master’s program suitable for mailing to companies in
the area and other institutions.
e. Encourage faculty to send graduate students to local and national meetings to
increase exposure.
f. Work with other departments to increase the amount of stipend offered to
graduate students to attract student of higher quality.
5. Improve faculty interaction within the learning community within the Department of
Chemistry.
a. Survey student population on exposure to full-time faculty.
b. Investigate the possibility of a majors only freshman/sophomore course and/or lab
(CHE 1410-1420).
c. Increase collaborative efforts with the Student American Chemical Society on
campus.
d. Target freshman and sophomore students to become more involved in Department
functions and social activities.
e. Continue to encourage student involvement in programming and attendance at
departmental seminars through the student ACS.
f. Improve the environment in the department meeting/resource room to a more
student friendly environment.
g. Continue to explore the possibility of outside funding to improve the resource and
instrument rooms.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
6. Increase student expertise in technical writing and communication.
a. Improve the workshop held last year for students wishing to apply to graduate
school to inform them of the process and evaluate their applications based on
student feedback.
b. Incorporate knowledge gained from faculty attending the writing workshops in
Rome during the summer of 2008.
c. Work directly with the writing center to integrate writing across the curriculum in
department upper level laboratory classes.
d. Continue to enforce the department approved reference style (ACS), and require
upper level chemistry majors to purchase the ACS style guide.
7. Increase the number of undergraduate Chemistry Majors to conduct research inside
and outside the department.
a. Continue to familiarize students with real world experiences in the chemical
workforce and further familiarize outside industry and academia with our
department.
b. Invite former students who have gone on to graduate programs or employment in
industry to return and present their work and engage with the students.
c. Create a centralized information source for students about summer research
opportunities.
d. Develop a brochure detailing the research opportunities with the faculty at St.
John’s.
8. Provide quality laboratory environments for chemistry instruction.
a. Increase the facilities and space available for faculty and students to conduct
research.
b. Continue to search for outside funding for department renovation.
c. Increase the number of hoods available for researchers who need additional space.
9. Continue to improve the quality of the laboratory equipment throughout the
curriculum.
a. Assess the current equipment and target replacement of any outdated
instrumentation.
b. Continue to evaluate the need for additional equipment in the upper level
laboratories based on the significant increase in enrollment in the Chemistry major.
10. Increase the quality of laboratory instruction in the freshman and sophomore courses.
a. Increase the number of Graduate Assistants teaching these courses.
b. Encourage laboratory supervisors to attend ACS training courses and seminars in
laboratory instruction and reimburse them for their participation.
11. Increase Internal and External Visibility of the Chemistry Department.
a. Increase awareness of our programs to local industry, high school students, high
school advisors, and local community colleges.
b. Continue to develop Department Website.
c. Develop new brochures for the department’s programs.
d. Include local high schools, community colleges and industry in our advertisement of
departmental events.
12. Conduct a National Symposium on a Chemistry related topic once per year.
a. Identify faculty willing to organize and develop the topic for the symposium.
b. Seek outside funding from local industry.
c. Publicize the event through local and national means.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
d. Make available department literature for recruitment.
13. Establish a network between the chemistry department and its alumni.
a. Establish a departmental committee to work on alumni relations.
b. Work with Alumni Relations to compile a list of chemistry alumni.
c. Utilize current department events such as symposiums and end of the year
celebrations as alumni reunions and fundraising events.
d. Establish an ongoing communication (departmental newsletter, web based
communication) between the department and alum.
e. Establish a “Meet Alumni” day to foster networking between students past and
present.
14. Establish departmental committees responsible for each of the various goals in the
department plan.
Communication Sciences and Disorders
1. Hire a tenure-track faculty member in speech language pathology to replace Dr. Nancy
Eng.
2. Mission: Inherent in being charged with educating students for the ministry of
improving the communication abilities of persons with communication impairments,
we must insure that we encourage the development of our students’ appreciation of
the diversity of our society and the value of all members of that society–especially, for
us, those with communication disabilities. This involves being sure that course content
reflects a framework that integrates the fundamental principles of STJ’s Catholic,
Vincentian, and Metropolitan mission.
a. We will foster this transformation by increasing the number of courses having a
Service Learning component, as well developing additional courses with Service
Learning as a major component, including a course on the effects of poverty on
language development.
b. Through their provision of clinical services, Departmental faculty will model St.
John’s mission, and students are invited to join these faculty in their clinical
activities.
c. Consistent with both professional mandates and STJ’s mission, course content
throughout the curriculum reflects teaching that would enhance our students’
awareness of the special characteristics and needs of minority groups and
disadvantaged communities in the country
d. We will increase our efforts to encourage our graduate and undergraduate
students to be sensitive to cultural and individual differences that influence
communication by encouraging them to complete courses that lead to increased
understanding of and sensitivity to cultural and individual differences that
influence communication.
3. Engagement: We will continue to encourage our faculty to employ student-centered
interactions, engaging in regular conversation both inside and outside of the
classroom. A number of outside-the-classroom initiatives, which were described in the
summary of Student Engagement discussions that took place during the 2008-09
academic year, will be continued. These included formal meetings of faculty with
student groups as well as individual student-faculty research activities.
a. Inside the classroom
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
i)
We will continue to meet with students outside the classroom in both
professional and social meetings.
ii) Even in lecture-style classes, faculty will continue to pose questions in ongoing
assessment of student understanding, and to encourage student questions
during class. (Student questions will continue to be one assessment mechanism
for both departmental faculty and administrators to gauge the quality of
instruction and related aspects of the Department that may have an impact on
our students’ classroom performance.)
iii) Faculty will be encouraged to schedule course review sessions during the
semester to assess the need for any corrective steps that would improve
learning.
b. Outside of the classroom
i) Students will continue to be encouraged to visit faculty in their offices for
conversation about the profession as well as to discuss coursework and to use
the Department lounge as a meeting place for working on group projects.
ii) We will continue our practice of sending a program assessment questionnaire to
our M.A. graduates to further obtain their feedback on their clinical and
classroom experiences while at our training program.
iii) We will continue to hold both professional and social meetings during the
school year:.
(1) The Department will host colloquia to which all students (B.A. and M.A.) are
invited.
(2) We will to hold Question-and-Answer sessions about the major sequence
and respond to general questions about the fields of Speech-Language
Pathology and Audiology on the Queens and Staten Island campuses.
(3) We will hold “Graduate School Application” information sessions during the
fall (for Seniors) and the Spring (for Juniors) to explain aspects of completing
a successful application. Sessions will be held on the Staten island and the
Queens campuses.
(4) On the Queens campus, we will continue the practice of hosting a luncheon,
sponsored by the Freshmen Center, for freshmen majors. The luncheon will
be held in the Department Conference Room and students will have the
opportunity to meet the Department faculty.
(5) On the Staten Island campus, during the Fall 2010 we will invite our majors
and adjunct faculty to a breakfast with the faculty that includes a
presentation of research by one of the faculty members.
(6) Majors from the Staten Island campus will visit the Queens campus, meeting
with Department faculty and visiting the Speech and Hearing Center,
fostering the understanding that we are one Department living in separate
locations.
(7) We will hold meetings of the Department faculty and our M.A. students
early in the Fall semester to review procedures and entertain student
questions.
(8) We will continue our traditional social gatherings: the Speech and Hearing
Club sponsors a Student-Faculty Luncheon (Queens campus); the Annual
End-of-Year Dinner attended by most of the undergraduates (and their
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
families), many of the M.A. students, and most of the faculty. This is an
opportunity to bestow several department-level awards.
4. Global Education:
a. We will foster this transformation by developing courses to be offered through
Global Studies
i) Undergraduate: We plan to offer a major-area course in Paris during Spring
2011 to meet the needs of our majors should they otherwise be able to spend a
semester studying abroad. This will require that a FT faculty member be able to
spend 5 weeks abroad during the semester; we are exploring the ways in which
the faculty member can complete a semester’s teaching load that includes 5
weeks abroad.
ii) Graduate: Through Global Studies we plan to offer at least one course that
address communication disorders of persons in less advantaged countries during
the 2010-2011 academic year. (We have already developed one course, CSD 341:
Management of Pediatric Dysphagia in a Developing Country; a second, on the
effects of poverty on language development, is under development.)
b. We will continue to expose our students to knowledge on diversity and
multiculturalism in order to expand their awareness of and understanding of other
racial/cultural groups.
i)
Through our course CSD 381 (Cultural Diversity in SLP and Audiology),
graduate students obtain classroom knowledge on a number of immigrant
groups in the country in order to enhance students awareness of the impact
that immigrants’ original backgrounds may have on the clinical services given to
these individuals.
ii)
Through our undergraduate course (CSD/RCT 1155) we encourage our
students to be sensitive to cultural and individual differences that influence
communication.
5. Developing our academic and institutional culture to be student-centered and
committed to lifelong learning.
a. The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders will continue to strive
toward providing the highest possible quality instruction in Speech-Language
Pathology and Audiology, to ensure that students’ knowledge and skills are
developed as completely as possible, reflecting our student-centeredness,
encouraging the students to be active learners throughout their lives.
i) With the addition of one fulltime faculty member on the Queens campus, we
will move closer to compliance with the student/faculty ratio (6:1) recommended
for graduate programs by our accrediting organization, the American SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association (ASHA), from our present ration of more than
11:1.
ii) We plan to have developed and to offer at least three 1-credit courses during
FY11. These 1-credit survey courses will provide an overview of areas of
Communication Disorders for students who are not able to fit an in-depth (3credit course) into the 48-credit degree requirements; this will provide the
opportunity for students to fulfill the credentialing requirement of
demonstrating the acquisition of knowledge of the broad range of
communication disorders.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
iii) We will complete our efforts to have students complete major-area courses in
the sequence we have used on the Queens campus for more than 20 years,
providing our students with a stronger academic experience, and avoid teachers
having to provide information that should have been received in earlier courses.
We hope to have all students ‘in sequence’ by the end of the 2010-2011
Academic Year.
iv) We will continue to review all of the internship placements that have been
available to our Speech Pathology and Audiology majors on the Staten Island
campus, as well as seeking new facilities for internship placements. We hope to
have a stronger set of placements that are better suited to our students growth
by the end of the 2010-2011 Academic Year.
v) We will put a ‘contract’ protocol into place during the 2009-2010 Academic
Year; this should help students have a clearer understanding of their
responsibilities and develop strengthen their clinical practicum experiences.
vi) To maintain the currency of instruction in the Communication Sciences and
Disorders, we will continue to review our collection of video materials, software,
and diagnostic instruments used as teaching resources in basic communication
science and clinical courses, acquiring new editions of some instruments and
acquiring newly available diagnostic instruments, software, and video materials.
6. To enhance resource development and prioritize resource allocation to achieve our
vision, we plan to develop additional distance learning courses and to make effective
use of the Speech Laboratory facilities on the Queens and Staten Island campuses:
a. We will develop an Observation course in Distance Learning format available to
students on both campuses with instructor on one–maximum use of resources. We
plan to have this in place by Spring 2011.
b. We have established a Speech Lab on the Staten Island campus and have begun to
develop a collection of video materials, software, and diagnostic instruments to use
as a teaching resources in clinical courses.
i) During the 2009-2010 academic year, the faculty on the S.I. campus will begin
holding sessions of introductory courses in the lab (when appropriate); by the
2010-2011 Academic Year we plan to have sessions of upper level courses
meeting in the lab (as appropriate and as necessary materials are acquired).
ii) During the 2010-2011 academic year, adequate hardware and software will
make it possible for faculty to carry out research involving acoustic analyses of
speech.
c. The Speech Lab on the Queens campus will continued to be used for course-related
laboratory assignments as well as for faculty and student research.
English
1. If our two requests for new faculty are granted, in this academic year we should be
able to offer new courses in poetics and poetry writing and in Romantic literature. This
is crucial to our development of new courses for our graduate programs especially, as
we emphasize writing and pedagogy in our effort to make our DA in English a
distinctive and attractive degree (engagement). This is in line with the University’s plan
for increased emphasis on writing in our programs.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
2. To begin a new phase of publicity for the department and its graduate programs, as we
continue to hire new faculty in writing and global literature and to develop new
courses in these areas. With the already established strength of the department in
traditional areas, the recent and continuing hires promise to make us a department of
such strength that we should be able to compete with the best in the region. This is
perhaps the most significant action for this year, as we think by then we will be able to
describe our MA and DA programs in ways that should make them very attractive and
competitive in the region. We especially think we can make our DA program
distinctive for its emphasis on writing and pedagogy as well as literature and theory,
making St John’s the place to come for writing positions in higher education (which is
where the majority of new positions across the nation come from). With our writing
faculty and global studies faculty joining a strong “traditional” English faculty, we will
be a very competitive program. (engagement, mission).
3. To further our service to the Core, we would like to have formal control over all
sections of E. 1100C (Literature in a Global Context) through the agency of a Director
of Global Literature. We feel as if an informal relation with faculty will not be
sufficient to ensure the proper teaching of this course as a global studies course. This is
part of our extension plan, and if this request is granted then we can supervise this
crucial course in global education that is also writing intensive. We fear that we are
losing students because of the often mediocre and generally improper teaching of such
courses, and this position would be a major step in enhancing the quality of the Core.
(global).
4. This year will be crucial as we try to maintain and enhance our various measures taken
to improve our student engagement. Our job seminars, our graduate and law school
application seminars, our series of poetry readings and events: all these must be
coordinated in relation to one another, as we show our students the various
opportunities we create for engagement and the enhancement of their education
outside the classroom. We will be proposing the creation of an “events coordinator”
for all these initiatives.
Fine Arts
1. Address the poor quality and location of existing Fine Arts Studio facilities by obtaining
approval to move into a new more suitable location. The overall goal is to bring all of
the Fine Arts facilities, which are spread out over three buildings and four floors of one
of those buildings, together into a new renovated space.
2. Increase enrollment in Department of Fine Arts.
3. Develop a Masters of Fine Arts program in Digital Media for the Manhattan Campus.
4. Create a speaker series that brings one distinguished Artist/Art Historian a year to St
John’s.
a. Create a dynamic forum of ideas to inspire current students and bring alumni back
to campus.
b. Obtain funding.
c. Network to attract top quality speakers.
5. Expand our offerings in printmaking to include more experimental and digital
processes and deploying recent upgrades (digital and tradition) to printmaking
facilities.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
a. Continue and complete renovations to the printmaking facilities including a
location to house both digital and tradition methodologies.
b. Obtain approval on a suitable location.
c. Organize a design strategy for the new space.
d. Fundraising .
6. Launch Master of Arts in Museum Studies for Queens and Rome Campus.
7. Hire Full-Time Faculty Member in Art History with specialization Museum Studies. To
expand course offerings in the history of art and in coordination with expanded
program opportunities on the Rome campus a new faculty member will be hired to
teach at the undergraduate level with possibility of future teaching responsibilities at
the graduate level. The Department of Fine Arts will initiate a search for a new
tenured-track faculty member specializing in Museum Studies and Italian art
(Ancient/Renaissance/Baroque). Museum experience and research interests in the
history of collecting strongly desired.
8. Establish a fund to provide Apple Laptops to incoming freshmen.
Government and Politics
1. Enlarge student advisement in order to expertly counsel students about research,
academic matters, career choices, and professional interests.
2. Incorporate new technology in classroom instruction to provide stimulating teaching
experience and increase the transmission of relevant information to our students in
order to foster their lifelong learning.
3. Engage with our students, particularly with faculty, both within and outside the
classroom by becoming mentors for academic activities such as independent studies,
directed readings, thesis, and experimental courses as well as for non-academic
activities such as faculty moderators for student organizations, attending cultural
events with students and student-faculty trips.
4. Enhance international program and global education by incopporating a new global
course offered on location in one of the four international regions: Eastern Europe,
Asia, North Africa, and Latin America in order to provide hands-on global experience to
graduate students.
History
1. Retain and recruit new full-time faculty in accordance with priorities of university
strategic plan.
a. Convert 3-year contract position in World History to tenure-track position in World
History/ History of Science and Technology.
b. Hire tenure-track faculty in Public History with a secondary concentration in archival
information and management to teach in both the History Department and the
Division of Library and Information Sciences as part of a larger collaboration among
projected graduate programs in Public History, Museum Studies and Archival
Studies.
c. Renew the contract position in World history on the Staten Island campus.
2. Continue to address issue of student engagement and retention rates of freshmen and
sophomores.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
a. Maintain or increase presence of full-time faculty in our Core Curriculum course, HIS
1000/HON 2200.
b. Increase participation of History faculty in Learning Communities.
c. Work with Freshman Center towards an earlier involvement by department faculty
with freshman class.
Continue efforts to position the History Department as an active participant in Study
Abroad programs.
Continue to recognize the importance of our Core Curriculum course to the
department and the university.
a. Continue and broaden the activities of the World History Faculty Group as a forum
for Provide opportunities for full-time and part-time faculty teaching the course to
exchange ideas about pedagogy and research in world history.
b. Continue past practice of bringing outside speakers in the field of world history as
part of our lecture series, “Conversations in World History.” Encourage student
attendance at these lectures by integrating them into the curriculum of sections of
HIS 1000.
c. Reevaluate content and design of HIS 1000 in response to outcomes assessment.
Continue efforts to foster a departmental learning community that includes students,
faculty, and alumni.
Continue cooperation with other departments and divisions of the College with the
goal of promoting greater interdisciplinary communication among departments in the
College.
Increase internal and external visibility of the department, its faculty, and its programs.
Continue efforts to make our programs responsive to new challenges and
opportunities.
Increase interaction between full-time and part-time faculty.
Languages and Literatures
1. The department is committed to upgrading its language curricula. At present we are
working toward more rigorous language standards so that when students complete
their foreign language requirements they possess a higher level of proficiency in all
four language skill areas than was previously expected.
2. The department needs to ensure that there is one additional tenure track faculty line in
French studies to replace the current contract faculty lines and possibly a FT faculty
(contract or tenure tract) proficient in several languages and an expert in language
pedagogy, stationed on the SI campus to coordinate and oversee the language courses
offered there. Also, Italian studies would like to have an additional FT line.
3. The department will continue to work more closely with personnel in the Study Aboard
program to ensure that a steady stream of students are encouraged to partake in this
valuable educational experience where language and culture play a major role.
4. The department has made strides in improving the organization of its language
placement system and tests to ensure that all language students are placed in a class at
an appropriate level. The Freshman Center has been extremely cooperative in
providing the department with high-school transcripts, which enable the language
coordinators to determine the right course level for the freshman cohort. With
language placement of upper classmen we must go through the tedious process of
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
examining scanned high-school transcripts on Banner. Because of our current
cooperation with the freshman center, this will not be necessary in the future.
Moreover, with the university’s purchase of licenses for the Tell Me More computer
assisted language learning software for the entire campus, we might possess a
potentially good on-line language placement system to supplement our present
language placement system.
5. With establishment of the Global Language and Culture Center and the eventual
closing of the language lab in St. Augustine Hall, a problem exists of how to migrate
the lab’s relevant and useable language resources to a web-based environment so that
that students have 24/7 access to these materials with their laptop computers. Also, we
must find a venue to administer our computer based language placement tests. We will
work very closely with personnel from the IT section to find a solution. Finally the
department, in cooperation with the university, must determine and articulate the
staffing, management, and budget structure of the center.
Library and Information Science
1. Prepare for reaccreditation.
2. Recruit a replacement in reference for Dr. Becker, who will begin partial retirement
that year.
3. Collaborate with History and Fine Arts on establishing an interdisciplinary program in
Public History and Museum and Archive Studies.
a. Recruit students for the archives concentration and increase offerings for it and the
Public History and Museum Studies students.
b. Joint list courses.
c. Co-host colloquia.
d. Seek grants together.
4. Undertake service and research for the underserved in the Metropolitan area and
Africa.
a. Explore information needs of the underserved in the Metropolitan area and begin
to address them through service and research.
b. Establish a cooperative relationship with a library science program in Africa to
support information services in Africa.
c. Have faculty, administrators and students seek Fulbright and other fellowships in
underserved areas, with a service and research emphasis.
5. Continue to establish a world-class special libraries program in Manhattan.
a. Seek another IMLS grant.
6. Continue to work with the New York Metropolitan area public libraries and schools on
preparing children/young adult/school media librarians to serve the underserved.
7. Continue to implement the plan to model best information practices as a division.
8. Continue to work on improving the quality of teaching and learning by fulltime and
part-time faculty.
9. Explore the opportunity for offering programs on global campuses, such as special
libraries in Rome and Paris.
10. Pilot various formats of continuing professional education and develop a continuing
education and alumni plan as part of the strategic plan.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
Mathematics/Computer Science
1. Hire two tenure track faculty members for Queens. This will help to increase the
presence of full-time faculty teaching mathematics in the Distributed Core, since this is
where the bulk of the department’s courses are.
2. Develop and initiate a university wide Math Placement Exam.
3. Pursue the proposal to offer our B.A./M.A. program to schools that do not have a
master’s program in Mathematics.
4. Develop new tracks for the Master’s Program. One in Applied and Computational
Mathematics, and one in Financial Mathematics.
5. Pursue internship for our undergraduates.
6. Continue to refine our method of assessment.
Philosophy
1. The most important part of our plan is to continue to ensure the highest quality of
instruction in our undergraduate offerings, especially in the core curriculum.
Specifically I have tried to identify those professors who are most successful in their
teaching of the core courses; some full time faculty have volunteered to teach some of
these courses, such as Philosophy 1000c, for the first time in their career. I believe that
excellence in this objective is by far the most effective way for our department to
advance the goals articulated in the strategic plan, such as student engagement. Part
of this effort will include a greater emphasis on clear and detailed syllabi, timely
feedback, regular offices hours, and the training of all professors in new technologies,
such as Turnitin.
2. In addition to the above academic-centered manner of engaging our students, this year
we are in the process of putting together an undergraduate Philosophy Conference, I
believe the first one ever held on our campus. This idea was initiated by students, some
of whom have had a taste of participation at Philosophy Conferences at the invitation
of their Philosophy professors (for example, Matthew Knotts is the students
spearheading this effort; Matthew had a positive experience at the Long Island
Philosophy Society conference last year, which he participated in at the suggestion of
Dr. Glenn Statile). There appear to be many interested undergraduates in this projects;
we feel that this kind of activity could be a very valuable experience for them. We hope
for a Spring semester conference.
3. We had great success with our initial Research Colloquium series, which included six
presentations by our faculty members, and we will try to build on that success in the
upcoming year. Most of these presentations were made by adjunct faculty members, in
part as a way to encourage a greater sense of inclusion and departmental
communication. The presentations were uniformly excellent; our attendance averaged
about 10-15 people (faculty and students, including faculty from other departments);
this is an area that I would like to see improved.
4. Maintain the four full-time contract lines.
5. Maintain the number of majors and minors in Philosophy; circulate information to
those who might be interested in adding a Philosophy minor to their undergraduate
major.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
6. Encourage the faculty participation in the many local philosophy conferences, in view
of the fact that there is no travel budget this year. All information about these
conferences (and other important information, such as submission dates, locations,
travel options) will be circulated.
7. Continue our participation in Honors Program activities.
8. Continue to implement the findings and objectives of the Assessment Program.
Physics
1. The department aspires to create one of the few recognized biophysical research
centers in the region outside of the major research institutions.
a. Increase collaborations between faculty in physics and those in biological sciences
and pharmaceutical sciences.
b. Seek external funding for research in biophysics.
2. Hire a tenure-track faculty member to help cover our teaching load and sustain our
major programs and research.
3. Hire a contract faculty member to help cover our teaching load.
4. Support and promote the biomedical engineering BS/MS track.
5. Support and promote the new electrical engineering BS/MS track.
6. Organize and present a speaker’s program.
7. Given that the graduate Biomedical Engineering program is approved by SJU, complete
the curriculum and apply to the state.
8. Certify a permanent faculty member for Distance Learning with the ultimate objective
of offering physics for Staten Island and Study Abroad.
Psychology
Mission:
1. The department hopes to increase the number of courses that include a service
learning component.
a. We strive to have 50% of full time faculty and 10% of adjunct faculty who teach
undergraduate course to include a service learning component in their section.
b. The department will continue the service learning components in the graduate
programs. Our clinical and school psychology programs incorporate service learning
and service to the mission in the design and nature of the programs.
i) We will continue our efforts to have our students perform their practica,
externships, and internships in schools, agencies, hospitals, and settings that
service the poor and immigrant populations.
ii) We will encourage students to pick training sites that serve the mission
whenever possible.
2. The department recently received a grant from the New York State Department of
Mental Hygiene to serve returning Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. We have used
this money to purchase Virtual Reality computer systems that provide a research
supported, effective psychological intervention for PTSD in veterans. This year we will
have this program operational to train our graduate students and faculty on the use of
the system, and to treat 20 veterans with PTSD.
3. The Psychology Department will support many research projects that address issues
relevant to the missions. This goal applies to faculty research and scholarship, masters’
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
thesis, and doctoral dissertations. We hope to expand the number of publications,
thesis, and dissertations on topics that serve the mission. This past year many students
completed dissertations relevant to the mission. We will measure the dissertations that
serve this mission and faculty will start encouraging students to do research in
Vincentian mission. The Department will share the University’s Strategic Mission will all
graduate students and ask them to read it before they begin their research.
4. The Psychology Department will ensure that all applicants for new faculty positions
become aware of the University’s mission and we will attempt to have job
advertisements aimed at recruiting faculty whose research and scholarship serves the
Vincentian Mission where applicable. We will include the web site for the University’s
strategic mission in all job applications.
5. The psychology department has expertise that can serve the Mission and will make
psychology course part of programs that serve the mission.
a. We will change our syllabi, create new courses, and attempt to include existing
courses that represent the University’s mission in graduate programs designed to
serve the mission such as the masters program in Social Justice. We will propose
that Cross Cultural Psychology be considered as an elective course offering in this
program.
b. We will propose that more of our courses be included in such mission-based
programs as Africana Studies, Women Studies, Multicultural and Multiethnic
Studies. This goal also services the Global Education aspects of the strategic plan.
6. Training our students to deliver psychological services to the poor and new immigrant
populations to New York is a primary goal of the department. To accomplish this goal
we need to expose our students to providing services to the poor. The Center for
Psychological Services is crucial to meeting this goal. Presently 50 percent of the
families served at our Center are below the poverty line. The department seeks to keep
the percentage of families we serve who are below the poverty line at 50%.
7. To serve the mission further, the department wishes to provide services in our Center
for Psychological Services to new immigrants to the US. It is difficult to get accurate
statistics on the percentage of families we serve who are recent immigrants. This year
we will work to better estimate the percentage of our clients who are immigrants and
try to have our Center achieve the goal of having 30% of the families we serve be
recent immigrants to this country. We recognize that many of the emigrants we serve
may be reluctant to reveal their legal status. We do not want to encourage and
assessment that will discourage families from seeking services.
Engagement:
1. The faculty will work to ensure that all of our courses are challenging, current, and
engaging. Faculty will continually update their syllabi and course outlines to reflect
new developments in the field, and feedback from students and peers.
2. The Psychology Department P & B will allocate the department‘s resources to the
faculty who work toward student engagement, and will reallocate resources away
from faculty who fail to work toward engagement.
a. The P & B will consider a list of faculty activities that engage students and ask all
faculty to complete it when they request reappointment, promotion, research
funds, doctoral fellows, and space.
3. The Psychology faculty will offer students quick, competent, and professional
advisement.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
a. Faculty members will be available to their advisees and attempt to answer all of
their questions and concerns. This behavior is part of the student evaluation of
courses. The chair will discuss this information with the P & B when they discuss
faculty request for resources.
b. The department will develop an assessment system for students to provide
feedback on faculty engagement in advisement.
The Psychology Department faculty will provide students timely feedback on exams,
papers, theses, and dissertations and will submit their final grades within the
established 72-hr timeframe.
The Psychology Department faculty will have better attendance at department and
student run events such as the Psi Chi induction ceremonies, and events run by the
student organizations.
The Psychology Department will offer our graduate students competent mentors and
committee members to work with the students on masters thesis and doctoral
dissertations.
a. Preferences for department resources will be given to faculty who engage students
in these activities.
b. We will require sufficient faculty to accommodate our students’ research needs.
This will require additional faculty and the speedy replacement of any faculty who
retire or leave the department.
c. We will request one new faculty member to meet this goal this year.
d. The graduate program directors will attempt to guide students to pick dissertation
mentors and committee members towards those who are rarely chosen to better
distribute the work load among the faculty.
Many of our undergraduate majors (83%) plan to pursue graduate education. Our
department has not focused our resources on preparing large numbers of psychology
majors for graduate education. Preparing our students for their goals requires that
they receive more information about graduate education and careers in psychology,
mental health services, and the behavioral and neurosciences. They will also require
more experiences in activities that prepare them for graduate school and enhance their
applications to graduate school. These include increased opportunities in lab courses,
fieldwork courses, independent research courses, and mentorship in the labs of our
faculty.
a. To meet the plans of student body we will over more section of Field Work, and
Experimental psychology lab. We will attempt to increase the number of undergrad
students who enroll in independent research sections by 10%.
b. We will have to encourage faculty to mentor more undergraduate students in their
laboratories.
To encourage the accomplishment these goals, the department will design a better
system for tracking faculty participation in independent studies and mentoring of
undergraduate and graduate students’ research projects.
The department needs to revise the psychology undergraduate curriculum to ensure
that all students receive the information they need concerning graduate educations
and career options. Presently confusion exists concerning where this information
should be taught in the major and how early in the sequence of courses this material
should be taught. The UEPC will take up this discussion and prepare a plan for the
annual retreat.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
10. The field of psychology has changed and new subfields of psychology have emerged.
Our undergraduate majors have requested some specialty course in these new
emerging areas of psychology. These include Forensic, Health, and Positive Psychology.
This spring the department UEPC approved several new courses. The department will
usher these new course through the Liberal Arts Faculty Council.
11. 0ver the last 30 years, the Psychology Department has met its space limitations by
hiring faculty members with applied interests who completed their research in the
field. Now and in the foreseeable future, we require an infusion of faculty in the basic,
experimental areas of psychology. This is required to prepare our undergrads for their
goals and to meet the teaching needs of our acclaimed and accredited doctoral
programs.
12. The psychology department will require more faculty to meet the engagement goals
set above. Our graduate programs require faculty who can mentor theses and
dissertations. Our undergraduate majors require faculty who will provide them with
the individual mentoring required to prepare for careers that require a graduate
degree lab courses, fieldwork courses, and independent research sections.
a. The department will seek a replacement for Dr Rex Stanford who retired two years
ago. This position will teach courses in cognitive experimental psychology.
Cognitive psychology course are required by the undergraduate major and three of
our graduate programs.
b. The department will seek another psychologist who can mentor dissertations in the
doctoral programs in school and child clinical psychology. We will ask for one new
faculty member to do this.
13. The Psychology Department is committed to self-assessment. Knowing how our peers
and students see us allows us to grow and improve. The department is committed to
the following assessment goals.
a. We will prepare for the next accreditation visit of our doctoral program in school
psychology by reviewing our program, professional developments in the field and
feedback from our student, graduates and field placement supervisors. The core
school psychology faculty under the direction of Dr. Flanagan will pursue this goal.
The faculty will redesign the practica experiences in school psychology.
b. The National Association of School Psychologists has developed revised program
accreditation goals. The core faculty in school psychology under the direction of Dr.
Flanagan will prepare for our next accreditation of this program.
c. In the Spring 2009 semester, the Psychology Department used the items from the
NSSE survey along with our own items to assess our undergraduate majors’ view of
our department. This provided valuable information. We shall continue this
initiative.
d. The department will attempt to do a similar NSSE survey of our graduate students.
14. As part of our attempt to enhance the academic experience for our students, the
faculty of the psychology department will increase the teaching of writing within the
Psychology Major. Five psychology department members have attended the Summer
Writing Institutes on the Rome campus. This has resulted in an ongoing discussion
concerning the teaching of writing and how to increase the quality of writing in the
major and in our graduate programs.
a. The department will set the goal of having 50% of full-time faculty member create
assignments in their course for low stakes writing by the students.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
b. We will work to have 50% of the undergraduate psychology sections to have
formal writing assignments.
15. The graduate programs in clinical and school require that we teach our students
applied clinical skills. To help ensure that the faculty are succeeding in this area, the
Center for Psychological Services will perform audits of the services delivered by our
students and present the results to the faculty.
a. The Center will perform an audit on the psychological assessment performed by our
students to ensure that the resulting reports answered the referral question, used
appropriate tests, and reached appropriate conclusions. This goal will be completed
in this year.
b. The Center will perform an audit on students’ record keeping at the end of each
semester. These results will be shared with the students and the program directors.
c. The Center will begin to develop a means to audit the treatments provided by our
students to assess whether the services provided follow the principle of empirically
based practice. The Center staff will present their progress on this to the faculty at
the annual department retreat.
16. Over the years, the department has scheduled most of its colloquia speakers and events
for graduate students. We have begun inviting undergraduates and schedule events
for the undergraduate majors. We will work to have more speakers and events.
a. The department will invite undergrad majors to all colloquium events, and schedule
two colloquium events each semester during the common hour for the
undergraduates on the Queens campus.
17. Over the years, the department’s colloquia have occurred offered almost exclusively on
the Queens campus. We have offer many programs aimed at our graduate students at
the Oakdale campus that have also served the purpose of advertising our program in
that area. This past year we offered a colloquia speaker on the Staten Island campus.
The department will offer more programs and speakers on our Staten Island campus to
serve these majors better.
18. The psychology department has fortunately renovated the facilities in MAR SB15 and
SB15a. This has provided better space for faculty and student research and appropriate
faculty offices to meet with students. Our biggest problem remains insufficient
laboratory space. Several faculty members have submitted grants to fund clinical trials.
We will need more space to accommodate these and future grants. Also, we anticipate
that the next generation of faculty to be hired will require more research space than
we presently have. The University has now made scholarship a requirement for every
faculty member in the College of Arts & Sciences. Faculty hired in previous decades had
no such expectation. As they retire, new faculty with a different set of expectations will
require more lab space to perform the work required to attain tenure and the post
tenure expectations of scholarship. The Psychology epartment has reacted to this space
shortage by hiring faculty with applied psychology interests rather than experimental
psychology interests. Our applied psychology faculty are more actively involved in
research than in previous years. We presently require lab space for clinical trials and
other types of research. At some point, we need to replace and expand our basic
psychological science faculty and new lab space will be necessary to support this new
generation of faculty members in the future.
a. The Psychology Department will work with Grants, Development, and Facilitates to
identify new space for faculty with clinical trials grants.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
b. The Psychology Department will work with the administration to identify ways to
meet the future space needs of the psychology department
19. The Psychology Department wishes to remain in the forefront of technology usage for
the success of our teaching and research. Students will not feel engaged if the perceive
the University and the department as outdated in technology. The Psychology
Department will strive to use the latest technology to teach our class and will strive the
train our students to use the most recent technologies in service of psychological
research and practice.
a. Over the last 10 years, significant advances have occurred in the statistical
procedures used by psychologists to analyze data. Given our produce faculty and
acclaimed graduate programs, it remains crucial that our faculty and student have
the latest technology. Presently, the majority of our faculty use the SPSS software
package for most of our teaching and research. This package holds somewhat of a
monopoly in the field. SPSS is slow to include new statistical procedures in their
basic package and modules. New statistical procedures and software developed by
smaller companies often serve our needs. Thus, additional statistical packages may
be necessary to compliment our reliance on SPSS. We have purchased programs for
structural equation modeling and item response theory. As more of our faculty
become trained in modern statistical procedures, the department will require more
copies of such programs. The Psychology Department will work with Information
Technology to ensure that the faculty and students have the statistical software
necessary to have their work published in the best psychological journals.
b. Much data in psychological research is collected by self-report questionnaires and
surveys. Collecting these data is carbon intensive. Within our own Institutional
Research (IR) office, paper and pencil surveys have long since ceased. IR collects all
its data on web-based questionnaires. The Psychology Department wishes to move
in the same directions. This would make data collection easier for faculty and
graduate and undergraduate students engaged in independent studies, theses, and
dissertations. The department has worked with IT to explore various programs that
can do this on the scale we would require and the hardware necessary to run the
programs. The IT Web Team also needs to be consulted. If a program such as the
one we are exploring were presently operating, more than 10 faculty, 12
dissertation students and an equal number of masters or undergrad students would
be using it now. In addition, many software packages exist to assess other human
information processing and social emotional functioning. These data collection
systems collect more reliable data than can be done by hand and information that
is not possible to collect without computes. The Psychology Department will
purchase a web-based survey software system and corresponding hardware by as
soon as possible. The capital for project will come from the Faculty Salary Recovery
Fund. The continued maintenances of the system would come from future
departmental budget lines.
c. The Psychology Department will make better use of emerging technologies in our
research and teaching. The use of clickers, Wikis, and other new technologies in our
teaching will increase in during the period of this strategic plan.
d. The department will attempt to provide faculty and students with the software
necessary to complete their research.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
e. Technology has also found its way into psychological practice. The Psychology
Department and our training clinic already use software for the scoring of
psychological tests. The department is committed to remaining current in the use of
computer-based psychological assessment software.
f. Technology has also recently appeared in psychological interventions. The
department recently purchased a Virtual Reality (VR) System that employs exposurebased treatments for US veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The
hardware that we purchased can run programs to treat other psychological
disorders. Over the next several years, VR applications of psychological treatments
will become more effective and more widely used. We will be part of these changes
and will need to purchase additional software to remain current in this area.
Accomplishing this goal will help us recruit the best graduate students and prepare
our undergraduates for the latest changes in psychological interventions.
Global Education:
1. Through advisement, the psychology faculty will encourage a great number of our
majors to take advantage of the Study Aboard program.
2. The department will offer undergraduate and graduate courses on the Paris or Rome
campuses each summer to engage our students and faculty in the study aboard
program.
3. The department will continue to support the Vietnamese initiative. Under the direction
of Ms. Cathy Lancellotti and Dr. Mark Terjesen, we will train faculty from Vietnam’s
Hanoi National University of Education for their new program in child/school
psychology, the only program of its kind in Vietnam or Southeast Asia. We will also
plan to send our graduate students and faculty to Vietnam as we have in past summers
to continue this cultural exchange.
4. Our diverse world requires a greater number of bilingual psychologists, and there are
several things our department can do to expand their number.
a. The department will attempt to expand the enrollment in its bilingual school
psychology program.
b. Through advisement, the department will encourage more psychology majors to
double major in psychology and a language.
5. The Psychology Department strongly values the goal of preparing our students to work
in a multicultural world.
a. The department will work to retain and promote all our ethnically divers faculty.
b. The faculty will work to recruit diverse faculty.
c. The faculty will work to recruit diverse students into our graduate programs.
d. The Psychology Department has expertise that can serve the University’s Global
Education initiative.
e. We will attempt to change our syllabi and create new courses or attempt to include
existing courses that will compliment the undergraduate minors in the college that
serve this initiative such as the programs in Africana Studies, Women Studies,
Multicultural and Multiethnic Studies.
6. The Psychology Department will offer a one day training program to its entire faculty
(full time and part time) in cultural competence.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
Rhetoric, Communication, and Theatre
1. Set a goal for the number of core sections with an ASL component.
2. New fulltime faculty will enhance the core courses by improving our ft:pt ratio.
3. New Asst. Prof./Assistant Director of Debate will assist Director with further
strengthening the Debate Society at Staten Island. Part-time work of Prof. Wright will
end.
4. UEPC follow through with LAFC Curriculum Committee on rhetoric program
requirements and course additions and eliminations.
5. UEPC will initiate a review of theatre course offerings and the minor program in
theatre.
6. Debate Society will participate in at least two international tournaments and continue
to bring international debaters to STJ.
7. Offer a study abroad course through Global Education.
Sociology/Anthropology
1. Hire a methodology and statistics specialist to teach graduate statistics and methods in
the sociology and criminology programs.
2. Provide opportunities that contribute to the experiential aspect of a St. John’s
Education with an emphasis on direct experience to the poor.
a. Increase the number of full-time faculty who offer an Academic Service-Learning
(ASL) component in the courses they teach.
b. Encourage adjunct faculty to offer an ASL component.
c. Support the ASL component of Discover the World.
d. Build on the department’s relationship with St. John’s Bread and Life.
3. Hold a graduate colloquium on a topic that emphasizes the University’s
mission of service to the poor.
4. Support student engagement with faculty inside and outside the classroom.
a. Encourage faculty participation in learning communities.
b. Offer outreach talks for undecided majors.
c. Schedule brown-bag talks by faculty for undergraduate majors.
d. Develop student mentoring program for first semester majors.
e. Encourage faculty participation in programming organized by the
Sociology
Honor Society and the Sociology Student Organization.
5. Encourage Writing Across the Curriculum in the department’s course offerings.
a. Schedule department meeting with Writing Center staff.
b. Encourage faculty participation in programs offered by the Writing Center.
6. Support faculty development in the area of student engagement.
a. Encourage participation in CTL and other programs related to
engagement, teaching, and pedagogy.
b. Encourage discussion among faculty on student engagement in and out of the class.
7. Support faculty use of technology.
a. Encourage participation in programs related to technology.
b. Communicate using St. John’s Central and Blackboard.
8. Develop a new 5 year BA – MA program in Psychology and Criminology and Justice.
9. Enrich the current curriculum by incorporating a Global perspective.
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St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2011
a. Support the initiatives of the Discover the World Program.
b. Encourage faculty to develop Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology
intersession courses that support the University’s initiatives in Rome and Paris.
c. Incorporate a global perspective to already existing courses whenever possible.
d. Encourage faculty to attend programs that support the enhancement of global
education.
10. Hold a graduate colloquium featuring a scholar known in the field of globalization
research.
Theology and Religious Studies
1. Hire tenure-track faculty members in moral theology, theology of world religions,
biblical theology, and the history of Christianity.
26
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2008-2009 ACADEMIC YEAR
Liberal Arts Faculty Council (see Appendix E for Minutes)
Approved a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies program.
Approved a Master of Arts in Global Development and Social Justice program.
Approved a Master of Arts in Museum Studies program.
Approved a revised major and minor sequence in History and a change in requirements for the Master of
Arts in History.
Approved a change in the title of Division IV to 20th Century Literature for the undergraduate English
program.
Approved 19 new undergraduate courses. The subject distribution was as follows: Art (1),
Communication Sciences and Disorders (1), English (2), Environmental Studies (1), Government (1),
History (7), Italian (1), Philosophy (1), Psychology (1), Theology (3).
Approved revisions in the policy permitting undergraduate students to enroll in a graduate course.
Approved revisions in policy on the deadlines to submit work to satisfy Incomplete grades.
Biological Sciences
Mission
For the first time this past year an advanced Biology course (Cell and Molecular Biology) added a
component of Service Learning to the student experience. All of the students participated in teaching
molecular and cell biology to a class of elementary school children, and did so with great success to judge
by the reports and demonstrations produced by the children. Further success is evidenced by the reflective
pieces written by the college student instructors, one of whom decided to change her path and pursue a
teaching career. We intend to feature this program at a future departmental faculty meeting as a way to
show our faculty how service learning can be incorporated into their courses.
Engagement
Dr. Carter, of the Biology Department, tested a capstone course, “The Biology of Cancer” with a group
consisting of seniors and selected honors program freshmen. As part of the course, the students attended
the national meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Colorado. While there they
visited surrounding institutions, attended seminars and spoke with prominent researchers in the field. The
student’s reactions were overwhelmingly positive, and several spoke passionately about pursuing careers
in research. All of these students were strongly engaged in the academy, and we are currently exploring
ways to institutionalize this approach in the future. One barrier to realizing this goal is funding. This
year’s trip to Colorado was subsidized by multiple sources, but we are hoping to find a single funding
source so that students, regardless of their ability to pay, can participate in this worthy educational
endeavor.
The Communication Committee of the Department was expanded to three faculty members (Drs. Carter,
Zufferey and Howarth) to better utilize technology to engage students in the life of the Department. Since
1
first impressions generally count heavily, their focus will be on producing a friendly and informative
newsletter to be distributed to incoming freshmen on the first day of classes in Fundamentals of Biology.
Global Education
Science majors are at a disadvantage when they desire to study abroad since the cascading feature of
required courses in multiple departments precludes taking a semester for study abroad. As an alternative,
several years ago we developed a mini-course, offered during the winter intersession, on the subject of
“Evolution”. The course is given in the Galapagos Islands, and has proven to be successful in attracting
majors and non-majors alike. This past summer one of our faculty, Dr. Cantelmo, offered a course in
Bermuda beginning shortly after finals ended in the spring. This course, an examination of resource
allocation and conservation in an island ecosystem, also proved to be popular with students, and we are
exploring the possibility of offering a similar course (resource allocation and conservation in the
developing world) in Vietnam. Finally, we intend to offer “Tropical Biology” in Vietnam in the spring of
2010. All of these courses are available to science majors since they meet in the “holes” in the academic
calendar, allowing the required courses to be taken in their normal sequence.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: Increase the presence of full-time faculty in our introductory courses. We intend to hire two new
contract faculty who will focus their efforts in these courses, as well as in SCI 1000C. This endeavor will
increase student engagement by having instructors who are always present on campus and who are
committed to student interaction and development.
Status: Although one of the planned hires was actually approved, subsequent events precluded our
carrying out this hire. However, we have increased the time that many of our adjunct faculty spend on
campus by providing a dedicated shared office, complete with computer facilities, for their use.
Goal 2: Continue our efforts in the Learning Communities initiative. This year Drs. Cantelmo and Stalter
will pair with chemistry instructors in a reformulated LC program that will focus on learning across
disciplines. This will increase student engagement in their courses and, not coincidentally, align the
Department with some of the goals of the National Academy of Sciences initiative, “Biology 2010”.
Status: The Learning Community initiative produced more activities this year, and attendance by students
was increased. We do not yet have outcomes assessments capable of evaluating the actual success in
meeting the “Biology 2010” initiative, but it is worth noting that there was considerable cross attendance
(chemistry majors attend biology-originated program, and vice versa), indicating that students were open
to cross-disciplinary concepts.
Goal 3: We will continue to publish the “Good News Bulletin” to keep our students informed about
happenings in the department. The new St. John’s Central Group “Biology Undergraduates” has proven to
be an effective communication tool, and we will continue to develop this site under the direction of Dr.
Howarth.
Status: The Communication Committee was expanded this past year, reflecting increased expectations
and increased activity. They will take over maintenance of the Department web site in the coming year.
Goal 4: We will develop an Honors Biology 1000 course so that honors students can study all three
semesters of Fundamentals of Biology at the honors level. This will further engage this important group
of students in the biology program.
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Status: We hope to have this syllabus developed during the summer of 2009.
Goal 5: Improve writing skills of our students. We will implement a laboratory report requirement in
every undergraduate laboratory. To do so, we will develop a standardized report format and a grading
rubric that will be provided to the students and the teaching assistants.
Status: We have field-tested the rubric in two laboratory sections and are in the process of modifying it
for final distribution. Graduate assistants will receive training in its use early in September, 2009.
Goal 6: We have completed the initial phases of the learning outcomes assessment project, and will
continue to implement the assessment on a wider scale.
Status: The outcomes assessment team of the department continued to conduct assessments, focusing on
presentation skills.
Goal 7: We have developed a new comprehensive/qualifying examination procedures that will identify
students well qualified to pursue the doctorate and, conversely, identify unqualified students early in their
graduate careers. We will implement these new procedures in the coming year.
Status: The initial effort with the new examination procedure revealed some awkward features that we are
presently addressing, but the overall concept was well received by faculty and students alike.
Goal 8: As fulfillment of the previous College Strategic Plan, we will strive to work with the University
to attain financial relief for our graduate teaching assistants and doctoral fellows, who receive stipends
well below national or regional norms, and well below levels required for survival in New York City.
Status: As a result of the financial plight of the University, this initiative has slowed, but we intend to
continue at every level to resolve this problem.
Goal 9: We will develop new undergraduate courses in Evolution, Insect Physiology and Human Genetics
in order to offer our students a greater selection of courses, thereby reducing average class size, which is
already well above the University average.
Status: Syllabi for these three courses are complete, and we will submit them to the Curriculum
Committee in the coming year. However, the problem we have encountered is that, in order to offer these
courses, we need to cancel other Biology courses in order to produce classroom space. This defeats the
goal of increasing the number of courses offered in order to reduce class size.
Goal 10: We will offer a summer course in Vietnam in Tropical Biology. This is part of a strategy to
attract more Vietnamese undergraduate and graduate students to our programs. In addition, in
combination with courses in the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon River, we will be able to offer our
own students, who find it impossible to take advantage of the myriad of study abroad opportunities
offered by St. John's University, an opportunity to experience another culture. All of our offshore courses
meet at times that do not conflict with the academic calendar, so science students, who are locked into a
course sequence, can still go abroad to study and live for a short time.
Status: We did not offer the Tropical Biology course, since the only qualified member chose to remove
himself from the course. However, it now appears that Dr. Charles Raymond, our Director of Laboratory
Instruction, is qualified to teach this course, and we will work to obtain permission for him to do so in the
summer of 2010.
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Chemistry
Engagement
The Department of Chemistry has focused on increasing the level of student engagement through a
variety of endeavors and initiatives. The primary means of engaging our students is through their
involvement in faculty mentored research projects. All students are encouraged to participate, at some
level, by working with one of our faculty members. Chemistry is a hands-on science and these projects
always involve direct mentoring by the faculty member on a continual basis. Student who participate in
research tend to be more involved in the Department both academically and socially, and have a more
fulfilling experience here at St. John’s. Therefore, we have started several initiatives to 1) increase
participation in research at the undergraduate level and 2) support the development of a viable community
of scholars for the students who conduct research, and 3) encourage those students to continue their
studies at other prestigious universities.
First we sought to increase attendance of the undergraduate students at our weekly seminars by offering a
small amount of extra credit in the chemistry courses the students are taking. Several talks consisted of
the faculty presenting their research to expose the students to possible projects. In order to show the
students what they could accomplish in research, another set of talks were given by current undergraduate
research students on the projects they worked on during the summer.
Several social events were planned to bring this community of students together. Students were invited to
attend the annual Nichol’s Medal Symposium and dinner, a formal affair honoring a prominent scientist
in the chemical sciences. The department also invited the students to our annual November 1st
Symposium and dinner. Both of these events were well attended by the upper level students and graduate
students.
Other social events were targeted towards the freshman and sophomore students; groups that traditionally
shy away from departmental events. At the beginning of the year, the department held a welcome
luncheon for both the incoming freshman students as well as the upper level majors. During the event we
paired up the freshmen and sophomore students with the upper level majors. Although attendance was
still low for the freshman as only 5 out of a total of 35 freshman showed up, we believe that the event was
worthwhile. We are exploring other ways to encourage them to attending the event next year (offer bonus
points, contests, etc.). It appears they are still hesitant to meet us outside the classroom environment
during their first two years.
To help upper level students to continue their studies by applying for graduate and professional programs,
we held an application workshop for the chemistry majors. This workshop focused on developing
application essays for applying to summer research programs, graduate school and medical and dental
school. It was held over three days (including one Saturday) and had a high amount of faculty and student
participation.
The Department also initiated the “Ask a Graduate Student for Help” program. As part of their academic
stipend graduate students now serve as additional source of assistance for the students taking any
chemistry class. Each graduate student serves for three hours a week in our conference room. This was
highly successful as both the undergraduate students benefited from another source of academic
assistance, and by helping these students, the graduate students sharpened their knowledge of chemistry,
since one of the best way to learn any subject matter is to teach it to another.
We started using a clicker system in the general and organic chemistry courses. This has proved to be
useful in keeping the interest of the students as well as giving immediate feedback on their understanding
4
of the material. In addition to the use of clickers, Dr. Steven Graham has made major changes to his
teaching pedagogy in his organic chemistry class, by incorporating cooperative learning (group work),
inquiry based learning, and making students responsible for constructing their own knowledge. This is a
unique approach of teaching for an organic chemistry class. Through this effort, his students have
improved their exam average from 47% of the students getting at least a C- average to over 60% earning
the C- average. This means that a significantly higher percent of his students are passing organic
chemistry, and withdrawals are down from 10% to 2% over the same time period. These results were so
impressive that he is submitting the pedagogy for teaching organic chemistry for publication to a peer
reviewed education journal.
We also offered our first elective chemistry course for chemistry majors and minors in many years. The
first of these courses, Bioorganic Chemistry was offered in the Spring 2009 semester. It was well attended
and the student appreciated having more options available to them to complete their degree requirements.
Dr. Florio also set up tours at three different research facilities for the students: a visit to the Brookhaven
National Laboratory, a tour of the Ross Hall of Meteorites at the American Museum of Natural History
guided by the Curator of Meteorites and a special seminar on art restoration at the Guggenheim Museum.
Finally, Dr. Hyslop, with Dr. Anne Geller in the Institute for Writing Studies, was instrumental in
initiating the expansion of St. John's University's Student Research Day to include oral presentations,
which several departments took advantage of.
Global Education
The department is also developing opportunities to allow our students to study abroad. Traditionally it is
difficult for chemistry majors to participate in such programs as the degree is a very structured one and
typically students who would go abroad for a semester ended up staying an extra year to finish the degree.
Upon evaluation of our program we can recommend those students who wish to participate can do so in
either the second semester in their sophomore year, but then must take the second half of organic
chemistry over the summer or can go abroad in the first semester of their junior year, but must take
physical chemistry the following fall. This required some small curriculum changes and still requires
some careful planning by the students but they can now participate. Finally, we also are exploring the
possibility of offering a either a chemistry elective or a Science 1000c class taught abroad by one of our
faculty members.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: Hire three new tenure-track faculty members in chemistry to fulfill our need for instructors for
organic/physical/chemical biology courses and to fulfill research mentoring needs for increasing graduate
and undergraduate population.
Status: Unfortunately, due to the financial crisis the Department was not given authorization to conduct
searches for any new faculty. We still believe that having full time tenure track faculty teach our organic,
physical, and chemical biology courses is imperative for both the quality of our program and increasing
student engagement. Full time faculty have more physical presence on campus than adjunct faculty, are
more committed to the university, and are more likely to utilize technology in the classroom environment,
two key aspects to the current strategic plan.
Goal 2: Normalize and regulate recitation activity by hiring a full-time recitation supervisor.
5
Status: Similar to the request for the full time faculty, we have planned on requesting a full-time recitation
supervisor, but have been unable to hire someone for this position. For the time being, a full time faculty
member was assigned to teach one section of recitation for CHE 1210, the General Chemistry course.
This recitation is populated with the chemistry majors. While this only benefits a small population of
those students taking General Chemistry, it has allowed us to try new teaching methodologies and ways to
engage the students (the students were invited to department seminars, gatherings and trips). This has also
given the chemistry majors an opportunity to get to know a full time faculty member in the more relaxed
setting of a recitation and to foster more of a sense of community with them.
Goal 3: Submit and resubmit grants to agencies that fund program and faculty development to further
enhance the quality of the department.
Status: The department is resubmitting a grant to the Gladys Brooks Foundation to renovate our
department meeting room into an area for student community building and engagement centered on the
chemical sciences. The center will have a meeting area, modernized teaching and learning facilities, such
as computers with access to science databases, a print library, a ceiling mounted projector, and a
Smartboard.
Goal 4: Continue to strengthen, modernize, and invigorate the chemistry major.
Status: Last year we held several department meetings on the subject of student engagement and
increasing the use of technology in the classroom. As a result we decided to implement the use of student
clickers in some of the general and organic chemistry sections. We have found these to be effective in
keeping the students both engaged in the lecture as well as providing feedback to instructor if the students
are truly following the material. In addition to the use of clickers in the classroom, Dr. Steven Graham
has made additional changes to his teaching pedagogy in his organic chemistry class. By incorporating
cooperative learning and inquiry based learning he has made the students more responsible for their own
education, in a class that is traditionally very lecture based. He has recently reported that his students have
improved their exam average from 47% of the students getting at least a C- average or better to over 60%
earning the C- or better. Therefore, this is a significant increase in the numbers of students passing
organic chemistry. We also offered our first elective chemistry course for chemistry majors and minors in
many years in order to give the students a broader choice in topics available to them to complete their
degree. The first of these courses, Bioorganic Chemistry was offered in the Spring 2009 semester. It was
well attended and the student appreciated having more options available to them to complete their degree
requirements. Finally, we are planning a full departmental retreat for the 2009-2010 winter break to
discuss many of the initiatives above and possible curriculum changes to modernize our course offerings
and explore other methods of increasing student engagement.
Goal 5: Continue to increase the quality and quantity of graduate students in the Department of
Chemistry.
Status: One major indication of the increased quality of our graduate students within the Department is
that many more students are attending local, regional and national meetings of the American Chemical
Society. This allows students to present their work in a professional environment and this brings
recognition to the outside world that our department is a place where exceptional work is being done. The
Department was also granted two new graduate assistant lines in order to cover the increased number of
laboratory sections in general and organic chemistry that were offered due to the increase enrollment in
these courses. Having the graduate students as instructors for the labs resulted in much higher level of
student engagement than hiring an adjunct professor based on student feedback. These students have
much more presence on campus, they have chosen to attend St. John's University, and they are very
positive about the Chemistry Department. For us this was both highly beneficial and made sound
6
financial sense. Since we use our graduate assistants to teach labs, granting assistantships lowered the
amount of funds needed to pay adjunct faculty. Unfortunately, those lines were removed the following
year (even though we still have the increased number of lab sections). We are now back to offering the
courses with adjunct faculty teaching them, and decreased student engagement. This Department has also
joined with others on the graduate council in submitting a formal request to increase the amount of
restitution in graduate stipends to a competitive level with other surrounding Universities.
Goal 6: Improve faculty interaction within the Chemistry community in the Department of Chemistry.
Status: Last year we separated out the chemistry majors into their own learning community in General
and Organic chemistry. They were placed in the same lecture, laboratory, and for General Chemistry,
recitation class. Each of these classes was taught by a full time faculty member or lab supervisor. In
effect, the students were exposed to more of the faculty in their major and to an increased in the sense of
community within the department. During the past year, the faculty of the chemistry department held
several joint events with the chemistry student organization on campus, St. John's University's Student
Affiliate Committee of the American Chemical Society. For National Chemistry Week, we participated at
the Hall of Science's Chemistry Day, during which the students and faculty ran hands on chemistry
experiments for young children. We also worked with them to bring in outside seminar speaker of special
interest to them throughout the year. The student chapter has also become very active in the national
ACS. They held two seminars, Making the Most of Being a Student Affiliate and Tapping into the
Excitement: Strategies for Building – or Rebuilding – a Student Affiliates Chapter during this year’s
MidAtlantic Regional Conference of the American Chemical Society. Having the chemistry freshman and
sophomore students in their own subsections of class had a slight effect in increasing their participation
and awareness of departmental activities as their attendance at events has been higher than previous years.
We are working on developing initiatives in increasing their participation even further. The Department
initiated an “Ask a Graduate Student for Help” program where graduate students were held help sessions
in the department meeting room as another source for assistance for students having difficulty with
chemistry related courses. This was highly successful as both the undergraduate students benefited from
another source of academic assistance; and by helping these students, the graduate students sharpened
their knowledge of chemistry, since the best way to learn is to teach. The Department held its own end of
the year awards ceremony for all chemistry majors. We presented an award for each of the chemistry
courses our majors take during an end of the year party. The awards include a certificate and the textbook
for the following year’s class. We ask for these textbooks from the publishers as a donation to the
department. Dr. Florio also set up tours at three different research facilities: a visit to the Brookhaven
National Laboratory, a tour of the Ross Hall of Meteorites at the American Museum of Natural History
guided by the Curator of Meteorites and a special seminar on art restoration at the Guggenheim Museum.
At graduation, we host the graduating students and their families for a breakfast prior to the ceremony.
This is the main opportunity we have to meet the parents and families of these students and for the
students to show off the department to their families. This has been well received in past years, and we
enjoy meeting the families and celebrating the students' accomplishments.
Goal 7: Increase student expertise in technical writing and communication.
Status: This year we held a revised version of the technical writing workshop that began the previous year
students wishing to apply to graduate school to inform them of the process and evaluate their applications
based on student feedback. The second year’s attendance was on the order of ten students. This year we
had assistance from the Institute for Writing Studies. Students in the upper level laboratories were
encouraged to seek help when there writing of lab reports warranted revision. Few students took
advantage of the Institute for Writing Studies. We are considering making this a requirement when the
grade is below a certain score. We are continuing to enforce the department approved reference style
(ACS) and looking to require upper level chemistry majors to purchase the ACS style guide starting next
7
fall in physical chemistry. Currently we are inquiring if we can get the students a bulk discount to save on
costs.
Goal 8: Increase the number of undergraduate Chemistry Majors who conduct research inside and outside
the department.
One of our primary sources of student engagement is through mentoring students in undergraduate
research. Several talks given by faculty on their research areas were given at the beginning of the
semester to expose the students to possible projects. In order to show the students what they could
accomplish in research, another set of talks were given by current undergraduate research students on the
projects they worked on during the summer. Social events were targeted towards the freshman and
sophomore students; groups that traditionally shy away from departmental events and participation in
research. At the beginning of the year, the department held a welcome luncheon for both the incoming
freshman students as well as the upper level majors. During the event we paired up the freshmen and
sophomore students with the upper level majors. Although attendance was still low for the freshman as
only 5 out of a total of 35 freshman showed up, we believe that the event was worthwhile. We are
exploring other ways to encourage them to attending the event next year (offer bonus points, contests,
etc.). It appears they are still hesitant to meet us outside the classroom environment during their first two
years. We believe that if we can increase their awareness of research earlier, more students will
participate later in their academic careers.
Goal 9: Provide quality laboratory environments for chemistry research and instruction.
Status: The department acquired additional laboratory space for Dr. Gina Florio in the garden level of St.
Albert Hall. The department also acquired additional research space for one new hire. We are working
with Michael Brady the Director of Development here at St. John’s to obtain outside donors to refurbish
several of the research labs. The department had several submissions for new instrumentation approved
through the SAC the last year to upgrade several instruments in the teaching laboratories.
Goal 10: Increase the quality of laboratory instruction in the freshman and sophomore courses.
The department was granted two new assistantships during the 2008 – 2009 academic year. This was
highly beneficial from both a teaching quality issue and a student engagement issue. Unfortunately those
assistantships were not granted the following year and we once again must depend on adjunct faculty. We
have also worked to reinforce the responsibility of Laboratory Supervisors and other personnel this year.
The Department Chair met with all of the supervisors and revisited their job descriptions and
responsibilities. A comprehensive list detailing those responsibilities is being worked out and a copy of
which will be sent to the personnel office.
Goal 11: Conduct a national symposium on a Chemistry related topic once per year.
Status: The department held a national symposium on Nov 1, 2008, "Photochemistry and Photophysics,
Harnessing Light to do Our Work". It was well attended by faculty from our own department as well as
surrounding institutions. Many of our graduate students and undergraduates also attended this worthwhile
event.
Goal 12: Decrease the possibility of plagiarism or cheating in laboratory reports.
Status: Students in lab classes are now made aware of department and university polices regarding
plagiarism. They are made more aware of what constitutes plagiarism and cheating (changing data, using
others results, using old lab reports, etc).
8
Goal 13: Strengthen departmental ties with alumni.
Status: The department has a compiled a list of past chemistry graduate and undergraduate students. We
are planning on using this list to invite alumni relations to future department events such as symposiums
and end of the year celebrations. We hope this will increase networking opportunities for our current
students and increase donations to the department.
Communication Sciences and Disorders (new department)
Mission
Inherent in being charged with educating students for the ministry of improving the communication
abilities of persons with communication disabilities, we must insure that we encourage the development
of our students’ appreciation of the diversity of our society and the value of all members of that society–
especially, for us, those with communication disabilities.
We have been attempting to foster this transformation with traditional Service Learning activities for
many years, and are developing additional courses with Service Learning as a major component. Service
Learning components are included in courses for undergraduate and graduate students; they provide (nonclinical) service in a number of venues, including Momma’s House (graduate students), Ozanam Hall
Nursing Home (undergraduate and graduate students), and the Lexington Institute for the Deaf
(undergraduate students).
Dr. Nancy Colodny has just developed a graduate-level course, CSD 341: Pediatric Dysphagia in a
Developing Country that she will offered, in Guatemala during the Post-Session 2009, as an academic
course with a substantial Service Learning component.
Dr. Peggy Jacobson continues to have a Service Learning component in her graduate courses, a
component that is devoted to understanding at the effects of poverty on language development. She is
currently developing a graduate course on the effects of poverty on language development, and hopes to
be able to offer the course on the Queens campus and also at a facility in Nicaragua where she has done
mission work for several years. Both versions of the course will have a substantial Service Learning
component.
In addition, we also encourage our students to be sensitive to cultural and individual differences that
influence communication. All of our students complete a course that focuses on cultural differences in
communication styles, either with a more general, societal, focus (CSD 1155: Intercultural
Communication), or with a focus on how communication disorders are viewed and must be treated in
persons from different cultures (CSD 381: Cultural Diversity in SLP and Audiology).
All undergraduate students are required to observe Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology clinical
session. To improve the coherence and quality of these observation experiences, we are developing a
Distance-Learning course that (a) will insure that all students (on both campuses) have the opportunity to
have the same structured observation experiences and (b) will have the opportunity to develop clinical
observation and reporting skills.
Furthermore, through their provision of clinical services, Department faculty model St. John’s mission,
and students are invited to join these faculty in these clinical activities: Dr. Linda Carozza provides pro
bono Speech-Language Pathology services to aphasia and dementia patients whose insurance coverage no
longer supports such services. Dr. Jose Centeno has created and works, pro bono, with a group of
bilingual aphasia patients who have no other treatment options.
9
Engagement
We encourage our faculty and our students to engage in regular conversation, both inside and outside of
the classroom. A number of outside-the-classroom initiatives were described in the summary of Student
Engagement discussions that took place during the 2008-09 academic year. These included formal
meetings of faculty with student groups as well as individual student-faculty research activities.
In the classroom:
a) Even in lecture-style classes, our faculty pose questions in ongoing assessment of student
understanding, and we encourage student questions during class. Indeed, student questions
contribute to our assessment of the effectiveness of instruction.
b) Several faculty members schedule review sessions that are held in addition to regularly scheduled
class times.
c) A sign of students engagement with department faculty is their regular appearance ‘wandering the
hall’ on their way to visit with faculty for conversation about the profession as well as to discuss
coursework.
Outside the classroom:
a) Both our B.A. and M.A. students, faculty, and clinical supervisors attended colloquia presented
by specialists in various communication disorders
b) Meetings of faculty members with groups of undergraduates:
1. We held a Question-and-Answer session about the major sequence and respond to
general questions about the fields of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
2. In the early Fall 2008, we held a “Graduate School Application” information session
meeting for seniors year, to explain aspects of completing a successful application
c) The Department faculty meet with the M.A. students early in the Fall and in the Spring semesters
to review procedures and entertain students’ questions.
d) A luncheon for freshmen was held in the Department Conference Room in the Spring 2009. The
students had the opportunity to find their way to the Department offices if they have not already
done so, and to meet some of the faculty, as well as meet each other and learn about the filed
during Dr. McGarr’s presentation.
e) The Speech and Hearing Club sponsored a Student-Faculty Luncheon attended by most of the UG
majors and many members of the faculty.
f) In November 2008, our faculty on S.I. hosted a breakfast for all of our majors on S.I., which
included informal conversation and a presentation on communication difficulties of persons with
dementia.
g) In March, a group of 24 majors from the Staten Island campus visited the Queens campus and the
Speech and Hearing Center. They toured the Center, had lunch with about 15 members of the
Speech and Hearing Club and several Queens faculty members, and then toured the Queens
campus.
Global Education
We have developed a course with a Service Learning component, CSD 341: Pediatric Dysphagia in a
Developing Country. It is being be offered in Guatemala, through Global Studies, for the first time
during the Post-Session 2009.
Other
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Queens:
a) We have revised the course sequencing in our M.A. program to provide a more effective
educational experience for our M.A. students. Beginning in the Fall 2009, entering students will
follow a ‘lock-step’ curriculum in which the order in which courses are completed will be
regularized (although with a modest amount of flexibility). This will assure that students
complete coursework that must precede clinical placements in a more orderly way, thus
improving the quality of their clinical experiences.
b) We reviewed our undergraduate Major sequence required and elective courses. This has led us to
develop a proposal to revise our Major Sequence; this will be presented to the Curriculum
Committee and LAFC during the Fall 2009 semester.
Staten Island:
a) With the assistance of the Dean’s Office, we have begun reviewing all of the internship
placements that have been available to our Speech Pathology and Audiology majors on the Staten
Island campus, as well as seeking new facilities for internship placements. We hope to have a set
of placements that are better suited to our students growth by the end of the 2009-2010 Academic
Year. (This work on behalf of the Department has been done by Dr. Linda Carozza, who has
been visiting sites with Dean Allegretti.)
b) We have established a Speech Lab on the Staten Island campus and have begun to develop a
collection of video materials, software, and diagnostic instruments to use as a teaching resources
in clinical courses, as well as acquiring linguistic and acoustic analysis software that will provide
our faculty with the facilities needed for developing research studies.
Major Challenge
Dr. Nancy Eng resigned at the end of the fall 2009 semester. This will move us further out of compliance
with the student/faculty ratio (6:1) recommended for graduate programs by our accrediting organization,
the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Our ratio during Fall 2008 was about
10:1. In order to maintain our ASHA accreditation, we will need to replace Dr. Eng.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders will continue to strive toward
providing the highest possible quality instruction in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, to
ensure that students’ knowledge and skills are developed as completely as possible, reflecting our studentcenteredness, encouraging the students to be active learners throughout their lives.
Status: We continue to review our Baccalaureate and Master’s level programs to identify areas in which
we can improve our students’ educational experiences and the quality of our mentoring. During the 200809 academic year, we reviewed our undergraduate Major sequence required and elective courses. This
has led us to develop a proposal to revise our Major Sequence; this will be presented to the Curriculum
Committee and LAFC during the Fall 2009 semester. We have also developed programs to increase our
interaction with students outside the classroom. Although these have been reported in the ‘Student
Engagement’ discussion reports, but a few are listed here, to provide an indication of our mentoring
efforts.
a) A few majors on the Staten Island campus are beginning independent research projects with Dr.
Carozza.
11
b) A student in the McNair program has been working with Dr. Jupiter, and will spend undertake her
summer research project at Gallaudet University under the supervision of Dr. Corine Bickley, an
internationally recognized acoustician.
c) On the Queens campus, a luncheon meeting with freshmen majors was held in early Spring 2009
in the Department conference room, so that students had the opportunity to see where the
Department faculty ‘live’ and to meet with several faculty members.
d) On the Staten Island campus, all majors were invited to a ‘breakfast with the faculty’ at which
there was both an opportunity for informal communication and then a presentation of research in
which one faculty member is engaged.
Goal 2: We have begun to develop a collection of video materials, software, and diagnostic instruments to
use as a teaching resources in clinical courses. During FY10 we will acquire new editions of some
instruments, to maintain currency, and also acquire newly available diagnostic instruments, software, and
video materials.
Status: We continue to review our collection of video materials, software, and diagnostic instruments used
as teaching resources in basic communication science and clinical courses, acquiring new editions of
some instruments and acquiring newly available diagnostic instruments, software, and video materials.
We purchased editions of several diagnostic instruments during FY09, including an extensive set of
materials for our Staten Island colleagues, so that these resources are available for instruction on that
campus as well as on the Queens campus. In addition, we now have Speech Labs on the Queens and
Staten Island campuses.
a) On the Queens campus we now have sufficient computer stations for undergraduate and graduate
students to complete course laboratory assignments.
b) We have established a Speech Lab on the Staten Island campus and have begun to develop a
collection of video materials, software, and diagnostic instruments to use as a teaching resources
in clinical courses. During the 2009-2010 academic year, the faculty on the S.I. campus plan to
hold select class sessions (when appropriate) to provide instruction that makes use of the
hardware and software that are now available.
Goal 3: We will attempt to secure funding to support the development of teaching materials for student
observations of clinical practice, so that our students will a have fuller experience, observing a wide
variety of communication disorders and clinical intervention, without the need to dramatically change the
nature of the Speech and Hearing Center.
a) Obtain recordings of a variety of clinical treatment and evaluation sessions, covering a number of
communication disorders affecting persons across the life span and of different cultural
backgrounds
b) Develop a list of the communication disorders to be included and clinical facilities at which such
disorders may be recorded for observation by our students; obtain permission from the facilities
and clients to make the recordings; make the recordings.
Status: To improve the Clinical Observation experience of our students on the Queens and Staten Island
campuses, we are developing an observation course that will be required of all of our majors. The course
is being developed as a distance learning course, and will provide observations of a wide variety of
communication disorders and clinical intervention, and also will include a unit on professional report
writing. As a Distance Learning course, it will be available to students on both campuses. We anticipate
that the proposed course will be available for UEPC review by early Fall 2009 and ready to submit to the
Curriculum Committee and LAFC by late Fall 2009 or early Spring 2010.
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Goal 4: Encourage faculty commitment to continued professional growth, increasing their professional
engagement.
a) Increase faculty involvement in research, with expanded computer facilities, including two
additional Macintosh computers for acoustic analysis of speech (faculty will no longer be
competing with students for use of the single computer that was used for all course laboratory
assignments), and two new PCs to replace the older computers that were in our lab. However, we
have less space for research instrumentation this year (our laboratory has become faculty office
space and our lab equipment is now housed in one half of the Department faculty Lounge (Room
347).
b) Increase faculty publications and presentations at scholarly and professional society meetings—
this should be enhanced by the additional computer facilities (though space remains an issue).
c) Increase support for research in terms of time, facilities, and graduate assistants (where possible).
d) Increase support for travel to scholarly and professional society meetings for faculty who are not
making presentations.
Status: We now have a Speech Lab on the Queens and Staten Island campuses. This makes it possible:
a) On the Queens campus we now have sufficient computer stations for faculty to be able to
carryout linguistic and acoustic data analyses necessary to for developing presentations for
scientific meetings and manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals.
b) With the establishment of a Speech Lab on the Staten Island campus, our faculty there now have
the facilities needed for developing research studies that can be presented at scientific meetings
and manuscripts to be submitted to peer-reviewed journals.
Goal 5: Provide the strongest possible education in our M.A. Program in Speech-Language Pathology,
including holding our annual retreat of the faculty in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology to
develop an evaluation report identifying program strengths and offering suggestions for the correcting the
weaknesses.
Status: At our annual retreat in 2008, we identified two areas in which we felt our M.A. Program would
benefit from changes in our approach: advising/course sequencing and a developing mechanism for
providing instruction in a broader area of Communication Disorders. To that end, we have made the
following changes:
a) We have developed a ‘lock-step’ curriculum for the students in the M.A. Program, to assure that
students complete coursework that must precede clinical placements in a more orderly way.
Although there will continue to be modest flexibility in the structure of the curriculum, it will be
limited to the timing of a relatively few courses within the 48-credit degree.
b) We have begun to develop and offer a series of 1-credit courses, each of which will provide an
overview of one area of Communication Disorders; these courses are not intended to supplant the
more complete coverage of our traditional 3-credit courses, but will offer students the opportunity
to have academic instruction in areas in which they are not able to fit the in-depth 3-credit course
into the 48-credit degree requirements.
Goal 6: Have course content reflect a framework that integrates course content with STJ’s Catholic,
Vincentian, and Metropolitan mission.
a) Develop additional courses for inclusion as an elective in the Social Justice Minor.
b) Increase the number of sections of courses having a Academic Service Learning component.
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c) Increase the integration of STJ’s Catholic, Vincentian, and Metropolitan mission with
professional education in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology by ensuring that course
content includes discussion and/or experiences related to multiethnic demographic trends in the
NYC area and how they have an impact on professional service delivery.
Status: We continue to work towards greater integration of course content with the Mission of St. John’s
University.
a) We continue to make every effort to insure that our course content and clinical experiences
provide our student with an appreciation of the diversity of our society and concern for those
whose life situations and experiences are different from those of our students.
b) We have developed a course with a Service Learning component, CSD 341: Pediatric Dysphagia
in a Developing Country. It is being be offered in Guatemala, through Global Studies, for the
first time during the Post-Session 2009.
c) Each semester, several of our undergraduate and graduate courses contain a Service Learning
component–including a course this Spring that had students working at the Lexington School for
the Deaf.
English
Engagement
This past year the Department of English has developed several new strategies to foster student
engagement. We focused most closely on the advising process of our majors and minors, sending out a
timed series of email blasts that detailed the registration dates and procedures; that set up students with
advisors; that sent out course descriptions; that detailed program requirements and prerequisites; that sent
out updates about closed courses. The students expressed their satisfaction in these efforts to
communicate and to watch over this important process
We also targeted students that we may label “at risk” by first identifying those students whose major
GPAs were under 2.5 or whose overall GPAs were under 2.0. This allowed their advisors to take extra
care in advising and counseling. We are planning to hold advising meetings for such students and help
them develop strategies for dealing with their issues.
We also met with the Freshmen Center to facilitate communication between the Department of English
and freshmen who expressed interest in the major.
One of the challenges facing us is the current job market that has everyone nervous about future
employment. To encourage our students to remain optimistic, we held a “Jobs Seminar” in the spring
semester, with a diverse panel describing the different job paths there are in English (we had a lawyer, a
publisher, a writing teacher, and a development director, all former English who have become
successful.). The students seem appreciative of this event, as a sign that their professors are indeed in
touch with their reality and want to help develop their employment potential by developing their
academic skills. The success of this event has led us to plan a series of these for next year.
On the graduate level we continued to hold our own informal “new student orientation” and our “graduate
school application seminars.” The St John’s Humanities Review, our graduate student journal, continues
to motivate and interest students in professional activities and brings the lessons of the classroom into a
quasi-professional enterprise. These measures have helped develop a graduate student cohort that feels
part of a community, part of a group project, cared for and nurtured by a committed department.
14
The Department of English has also worked to transform our culture through the assessment process that
has been initiated at the University. We have revised our Master’s portfolio project, our doctoral
comprehensive exams, our prerequisites in our undergraduate major, our introductory courses in our
major, all because of findings from the assessment process.
Global Education
In the classroom, we have worked to develop our course offerings to reflect more contemporary issues,
with a focus on the interdisciplinary and global aspects of professing English. In the past two years we
have developed seven new courses, three in film and literature and four in global literature, in our
undergraduate program, and four new global lit courses in our graduate programs. (We are able to do this
because of the new faculty we have been hiring.) These developments on curriculum have allowed us to
make our programs more rigorous, more attractive, and more “up-to-date” (actually, we are helping lead
the way). We long ago made our freshmen requirement in the Core a course on global literature, and now
can offer a substantial number of courses in global lit. One of our newest members of the department, Dr
Tsou, has recently submitted to the UEPC three new undergraduate courses in Ethnic Literatures, and
they have been approved at our level and will be sent up to the Curriculum Committee of the LAFC at the
start of the fall term. This is an on-going effort to make our programs reflect the University’s commitment
to Global Education.
Major Challenges
Our chief challenge at the present has to do with faculty development: for the first time in years we did
not hire any new faculty this past year, and that limits our ability to develop new courses and extend our
offerings in the way we have been able to accomplish recently. We need to keep up with professional
curricula developments, and the expertise of newly-minted PhDs with specialties in areas no of the
current faculty possesses is something we have come to rely upon. We need to be able to continue
development in spite of the current financial strains limiting this aspect of departmental growth.
Related to this is the drastic reduction in the number of research reductions given for next
year. The Department of English has been able to do all the things it has been doing (teaching well,
advising well, mentoring theses and dissertations and independent studies and portfolio projects and
comprehensive exams, as well as performing outstanding research (see appendices) largely because of the
generous support of the University in granting release time. With the increase in teaching load for the
majority of this faculty, something has to give. My own challenge as chair will be to encourage junior
faculty to continue research as they continue teach well, and to advise senior faculty to continue to serve
our students as they continue to teach well. We need to be able to keep the high level of collegiality and
morale during this period of fiscal restraint.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: The development of our Creative Writing minor, as part of our plan to continue to develop
writing in our undergraduate programs.
Status: We need at least two more faculty in writing, one with an expertise in poetics and one with an
expertise in non-fiction (i.e., memoir, autobiography) writing. Our challenge is to develop this part of our
curriculum under the present fiscal circumstances. Professor Brownstein has created a new course for the
graduate program on Autobiography and Fiction and is planning to create a similar one for the
undergraduate programs. This goal is part of our commitment to the University’s goal of developing a
culture of writing.
15
Goal 2: The development of writing courses in our graduate program.
Status: We were able to have a new course on Autobiography approved as well as one (designed by Dr
Kynard) on Critical Race Theory and Pedagogy. These two new courses extend the range of our offerings
in our grad programs and help bolster our already growing reputation as a program with significant
offerings in writing and pedagogy. This is where most job opportunities lie for graduates of doctoral
programs, in teaching writing and literature at two-year and four-year colleges. We have seen a dramatic
growth in the number of applications to our DA program and an even greater increased in the quality of
students.
Goal 3: The continued development of literature and culture offerings in all our programs as we develop
the writing emphases.
Update: We were able to develop new courses, in global literature and film and literature, and these are
important as we continue to grow. But we still have some gaps in our offerings: we have no one with a
poetry specialty between Shakespeare and the 2oth century, and that calls for two new hires. We also
need another person teaching Ethnic Literatures with a Latino/a emphasis to complement Dr Tsou’s
expertise in Asian-American Literature. We have been able to progress here, but we are most likely about
to be stalled in this area until we can hire again.
Goal 4: We stated as a goal our hope to enhance our ability to oversee the Core course in Global
Literature (E. 1100C).
Update: This is hugely important to the University’s goals of enhancing Global education and student
engagement, for the Core is the place where we either win or lose the freshmen. It is the place where we
feel we as a department can do the most good regarding our retention initiatives. In this goal we have not
been at all successful, mainly because CPS teaches the vast majority of these courses and faculty from
that college have no motivation (it appears) to be mentored by the three faculty members we have in our
department who are actually expert in this field. When the First-Year Writing Faculty were hired to teach
1000C, full-time “English” faculty from CPS lost one of their staple courses and needed this course to fill
out their schedules. The faculty in CPS do not seem to be teaching the course as a global course, with its
emphasis on multicultural literature but still as a western world lit course. These are vastly different
courses, and with our student body and the University’s goal of enhancing Global Education, to teach the
course as a western world lit course is recalcitrant and detrimental. This is why we included as part of our
Extension proposal that there be created the position of Director of Global Literature, to give official
status and University authority to someone with this expertise. Until this happens, this situation will not
change.
Goal 5: To extend our symposia events to include events for non-majors and for students in the Core.
Update: We were not funded for the extension plan, and so our larger ambitions of holding symposia for
non-majors and students in the Core did not materialize. We were able to host a number of departmental
events for students: many poetry readings, a poetry contest, lectures by visiting scholars, lectures by St
John’s faculty. These were successful in drawing good audiences and successful in fostering a sense of
community and engagement.
We very much want to become host to a series of well-planned events for E 1100C (Literature in a Global
Context, our course in the University Core) as a way of fostering in our freshmen a sense of community
and of academic excitement. These last two goals from last year were not met but can easily become
central to the English Department’s mission.
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Environmental Studies
Mission
Across this academic year we have been set the stage for a substantial increase in Academic Service
Learning. Planning within the program and with the Academic Service Learning offices will now allow a
much expanded service learning opportunity in all of our classes starting the Fall 2009 semester.
Engagement
This last academic year was a growth year in terms of our connections and contributions to the Learning
Communities Initiative. A wide variety of faculty-organized and student-based event allowed student in
the major and students in the freshmen learning communities to participate in field trips, speaking
engagements and out of classroom activities both on and off campus. Several key moves were made to
make the theme of “sustainability,” a central part of the program and campus life.
Global Education
Through the efforts of Dr. Frank Cantelmo the program planned and offered a very successful study
abroad program in Bermuda (new course title: ESP 1060 Discover Bermuda: Adaptive Ecosystem
Management, Sustainability and Socioeconomic Issues). The response to this first effort has been
extremely positive. All feedback from students and from lead faculty and administration indicate that this
is a program that will be offered again on a regular basis.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: As part of their general syllabus faculty will be asked to publish the specific course learning
objectives in each of the major program courses; furthermore they will be asked to review these with the
class (at appropriate points in the term) and to measure results against these objectives through
specifically designed testing and assignment work.
Status: This is a successful but continuing effort; courses from this past year (2008-2009) featured their
learning goals and these were discussed during the first week of class with students along with the other
relevant syllabi information. As new courses rotate in each future semester these same techniques and
efforts will be made in these courses. Faculty used these objectives in the design of tests and other course
assessments.
Goal 2: Following the introduction of software in select courses in previous years, we plan to refine this
effort and improve the delivery of technological course components in upper level courses; in addition we
will investigate possibilities of introducing similar free software in larger, introductory course settings.
Status: We continue to use and improve on the use of software within major courses. However from this
year’s experience it is clear that it is easier and more productive to use some kinds of technological
applications in more advanced courses rather than in introductory courses. The introductory courses have
larger numbers and a wider range of students only some of whom are beginning ES majors. These courses
are more issue-oriented and have a somewhat less direct application of principles and practices. Therefore
it is more reasonable from a pedagogical standpoint to use software and technology in a demonstrative
and illustrative way in introductory courses and allow for more student application of technology in more
advanced courses.
17
Goal 3: Within the developing Learning Communities Initiative the program will have one or more of its
basic courses included in the science/environmental learning community groups. Faculty will plan New
York-based field trips and other outside of class activities that will engage the students in exciting
work/study and travel situations.
Status: This was a great success this year and should continue on an expanded level next year. This the
assistance of the learning community coordinators we were able to hold multi-class field trips and events
in both fall and spring semesters that brought faculty and students together in a variety of academically
valuable field trips and campus activities.
Goal 4: As always the need to maintain and hopefully expand the majors/minors base is a continuing
need. Besides all traditional channels like University events, majors fairs, recruitment days, transfer fairs
etc. the program will make a concerted effort through various University channels (Marketing and
Communications, Website development and Career Center) to make sure the program is well positioned
to attract new students.
Status: Recruitment for majors and minors continued as stated in the plan. Based upon preliminary
information now available (May 6, 2009) on applications, acceptances and paid deposits It appears at this
point that we may expect some substantial increase in the students enrolling in the major next Fall. There
is also a higher than expected number of students recently inquiring about the program and changing their
major or minor orientation towards both the BA and BS programs.
Goal 5: The annual portfolio requirement for the current majors is successful but the quality of work,
especially for initial submissions, is irregular and highly variable. During the early part of the academic
year the faculty will provide guidance through workshops and small group feedback to students on how
more polished and varied types of information can be included in the annual portfolios.
Status: This year the program conducted common hour seminars in both the fall and spring semester to
provide more active guidance to the students about their portfolio products. These were well received and
should prove helpful to them in preparing their final products. These are due in the middle of June and
we will evaluate the results and compare these to ones received last year. If improvements are evident we
can continue this into next year and also experiment with a monthly communication e-mail tor remind and
encourage students about current happenings in the field and what they might consider including in their
portfolios on a regular basis.
Goal 6: Along with the senior seminar, internship opportunities and guided undergraduate research which
are offered every year, the program will provide both on-campus speakers including recent graduates and
alumni and off-campus meetings and events to engage the students and to stimulate their professional
development. The St. Johns Central ES majors/minors group plays a key role in this planning element and
will be expanded as our primary means of communication between faculty and students outside of the
classroom.
Status: Speakers were included inside and outside of the classroom and in several different formal and
informal settings. Alumni of the program who are in expert positions worked with the students in the
senior seminar class to produce a professional quality report and other influential speakers were brought
into classroom and forum settings to speak directly to the students interests and concerns.
Fine Arts
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In the Department of Fine Arts we constantly engage out students towards free inquiry of the human
experience. Art reflects all that make us human, and engages all aspects of our student’s university
experience. Art enriches the lives our students and servers them while here at St. John’s University and
when they graduate to engage in the human experience through the arts. This is a life long process and we
provide them the structure for life learning of the human experience.
Mission
Associate Professor Joseph Adolphe was involved with the promotion of Vincentian activities both on
and off campus. He prepared projects that are aimed specifically at interpreting, through the visual arts,
the annual Vincentian Founder’s week theme. The results of which were featured in The Founder’s Week
Student Art Exhibit held in the Library.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Planning Committee—VCSJ Poverty Conferences 2008
Founder’s Week Planning Committee
Vincentian Heritage Art Project
University Vincentian Mission Council
Associate Professor Belenna Lauto:
a) Provided activity for Founder’s Week involving origami projects and assisted in the distribution
and hands-on activity during various events.
b) Led a panel discussion during Founder’s Week with two other faculty members, on the topic of
the book, Three Cups of Tea. The discussion centered on the power of education towards the
emergence of peace in the Middle East.
c) Organizing the Queens Very Special Arts Festival to be held at St. John’s May 21st, 2009.
d) Member of Mission Council
e) Appointed Senior Fellow, Vincentian Center for Church and Society
Assistant Professor Claudia Sbrissa is working on and participated in the following Mission-related
activities:
a) Upcoming Community Outreach; Local Queen’s public school
b) Working with Gina Molliano, an alumnus of St. John’s University and an art teacher working in
public school in Queen’s. Many of her students come from disadvantaged situations. I would like
to create opportunities for our students to work together. Prof. Sbrissa has been in touch with
NEVAS, the art student organization and several of her senior students about their ideas about
their involvement with these younger students. Some suggestions include a mentoring program,
an exhibition, workshops, and class visits.
c) Global Injustice Film Series, Global Awareness Project (GAP), St. John's University.
d) Working with Reggie Barnes, Director of Multicultural Affairs, Prof. Sbrissa will be bringing a
series of films to St John’s campus. The films are from The Independent Film and Television
College in Baghdad. The college provides free-of-charge intensive short courses in film and
television technique, theory and production to young Iraqi filmmakers. The films have been used
as educational tools and have been shown throughout the world. She will also bring in a speaker
in conjunction with the screening.
Assistant Professor Aaris Sherin is the Faculty Advisor/Overseer for 2008-2010 Sober 24/7 Media
Campaign. The Department of Student Wellness is the recipient of a grant by the Department of
Education to reduce drinking and related high-risk behavior among freshmen students. Prof. Sherin
worked with Dr. Kathryn Hutchinson to write the grant in such a way that students could be directly
19
involved in creating the deliverables for the media campaign. They used the phrase “for students by
students” as part of the funding proposal. Eight students from four majors were hired (with funding from
the grant) to produce materials for the campaign. Working with The Department of Student Wellness has
been an excellent way to expose students to professional accountability and mission related activities.
This project provides opportunities collaborative learning and for students to engage in an area of design
that deals with producing work for social and ethical causes. Students and their advisors used Facebook to
communicate, share ideas, and upload visual files that they all were able to download and work on. While
the number of students chosen for employment is relatively small, the project engages the larger campus
community both by using other students as models and “helpers” for photo shoots and through the
dissemination of mission related materials that are being produced.
Engagement
Associate Professor «GreetingLine»:
a) Participated in Learning Communities Welcome Lunch, September 2008.
b) Organized and Participated in DNY & Learning Communities Field Trips as follows:
1. Two trips to the Tenement Museum
2. Trip to the African Burial Ground (LC linked class activity)
3. On-site History of the Brooklyn Bridge - and walk across bridge to photograph.
4. Trip to the Museum of the City of New York
5. Afternoon at the New York Public Library to view the collection of Lewis Hine and
Bernice Abbott with assistant curator of the photography/print collection.
6. Trip to the Jackson Pollock Museum and the Parrish Museum in South Hampton.
7. Trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
8. On-site history of Central Park Lecture
9. Trip to the Chelsea Galleries
10. Photography Scavenger Hunt and Pizza lunch
11. Organized Trip to the Cloisters Museum with the assistance of the Learning Communities
Staff
c) Curated and organized a Student exhibition at the Syosset Library. Exhibition featured from
September 30th - October 30th 2008.
d) Coordinated exhibitions of student work for the display cases in the Basement level of
St. John Hall.
Associate Professor Paul Fabozzi:
a) Organized a visit to the Department of Prints and Illustrated Books at The Museum of Modern
Art for students in my mixed media class. This gave the students an opportunity to engage firsthand with major works of art not often on public view as well as get a sense for the workings of a
curatorial department in a major museum. Enclosed are three testimonials from students who
participated in this unique event.
b) Organized an exhibition of the work from my mixed media class in the Mezzanine of St. John's
Hall in the fall of 2008. This yearly event has become a benchmark for involving the students in
the exhibiting of their own work and has become a yearly event the whole department looks
forward to.
c) Organized an exhibition of work from my Color Theory class for the B-level hallway space in St.
John’s Hall in the spring of 2009.
d) Organized a field trip for my Creative Experiments students to visit the Museum of Modern Art
in the fall of 2008.
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e) Brought in four New York artists to talk about their work and engage the students in a discussion
about being a professional artist in New York.
1. Tim and Mike Raush/Animator/Writer
2. Andreas Rentsch/Photographer
3. Annette Cords/Painter
4. Victor DeLeon/Designer
f) As Executive Director of the University Gallery he works very closely with Gallery Director,
Parvez Mohsin, to design an exhibition and lecture program that has as its main mission the goal
of engaging the students in a conversation about the diversity and relevance of artistic practice.
Assistant Professor Susan Rosenberg conducted Saturday museum visits with students:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Museum of Modern Art: Marlene Dumas Exhibition
Pollock-Krasner House, Easthampton, NY (sponsored by Learning Communities)
Museum of Modern Art; Permanent Collection Galleries
Metropolitan Museum of Art: Greek and Roman Galleries
Scheduled (required) one-on-one meetings with all students in upper level art history courses
(20th Century Art and Women in Art) increased student engagement and encouraged student
research. Meetings were devised to discover and support student’s individual academic interests
and to enable course success; students developed confidence sharing ideas in class and meetings
provided encouragement and direction for research projects devised to personalize student
learning (as well as clarify expectations for performance). Subsequent to the meetings students
were asked to informally share their research projects/progress with peers in class and engage in
discussion.
Assistant Professor Aaris Sherin:
a) Conducted Class Field Trip to Unicorn Graphics Printer. Students were able to see offset printing
first hand and learn about how to use this medium in professional work.
b) Hosted Research visit by Professors from Kyoto University. Gave the group a tour of the
University and answered interview questions about the University and Design Education in the
U.S. Material to be collected in research document.
c) Conducted Class Field Trip to Homeless Drop in Center – MainChance.
d) Faculty Advisor NEVAS – New Vision Art Society, St. John’s University Student Organization
helped organize speaker and art related student events.
e) Supervisor for St. John’s Studio – the student design group that will design and implement the
new anti drinking campaign for St. John’s University – worked to identify, recruit, hire and
mentor Department of Fine Arts students who are participating in the campaign. Using
departmental talent to help in a University and Community based program.
f) Primary Faculty Advisor for Sequoya, interdisciplinary literary and arts magazine organized,
edited, and designed by students from the Department of Fine Arts and the English Department of
St. John’s College.
Global
Associate Professor Paul Fabozzi worked extensively with Fine Arts Faculty members Liz DeLuna and
Claudia Sbrissa to properly prepare each of them to teach for the first time in Rome. His presentations
focused on course materials, pedagogical strategies, and general logistics.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
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Goal 1: Address the poor quality and location of existing Fine Arts Studio facilities by obtaining approval
to move into a new more suitable location.
Status:
a) Conformation from James P. Pellow, Ed.D., that the UC to house Department of Fine Arts.
b) University Strategic Plan 2008- 2013, page 53 item 7 “Relocation and expansion of Fine Arts
within a portion of the old University Center.”
c) 316 Micro Lab partway completed.
d) Reviewed facilities with Eileen O'Connor and Diane S. Hergenrother
e) Working with Eileen O'Connor we are trying to secure funds to update all the art studios with
new furniture, lighting and technology. Current finding request are $80,000 per studio, but
funding is not secured.
Goal 2: Increase enrollment in Department of Fine Arts
Status:
a) Faculty attended 2 University Open Houses, 1 Majors Day, 12 NPDA Portfolio review expanding
reviews to Midwest and West Coast
b) DoFA Faculty review over 321 Portfolios a 22% increase from 2008
c) As of 6/3/08:
1012 Applications compared to last year’s 686 and increase of 32%
69 Accepted Freshman compared to last year’s 71 a decrease of 3%
21 Deposits compared to last year’s 18 an increase of 17%
d) Working with admissions I set an email blast to students who we had a Portfolio but no
application.
e) Working with admission we are trying to optimize the 2009-2010 recruitment events.
Goal 3: Develop a Masters of Fine Arts program in Digital Media for the Manhattan Campus
Status: Revisions are being made to the MFA in Digital Media proposal.
Goal 4: Create a speaker series that brings one distinguished Artist/Art Historian a year to St John’s.
Status: Artists and alumni spoke with students in classes and during common hour and dance and music
performances were held in Art 1000C classes.
Goal 5: Expand our offerings in printmaking to include more experimental and digital processes and
deploying recent upgrades (digital and tradition) to printmaking facilities.
Status: Funds were use to purchase materials to introduce Planographic techniques.
Goal 6: Hire a full-time faculty member in Digital Media to be responsible for courses in Graphic Design,
and Digital Printmaking.
Status: Not approved.
Goal 7: Develop a Masters in Museum Studies for Queens and Rome Campus
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Status: The proposal to create the MA in Museum Studies Was approved by the Department faculty and
the Liberal Arts Faculty Council. It awaits approval by the Provost. A Committee on Public History and
Museum and Archival Studies (PHMAS) was created to study the joining of resources among Library
Studies, Public History, and Museum Studies
Goal 8: Hire a full-time faculty member in Art History with specialization in Italian Art
(Ancient/Renaissance/Baroque/History of Collecting).
Status: Not approved.
Goal 9: Establish a fund to provide Apple Laptops to incoming freshmen.
Status: The Department Chair met with Institutional Advancement to review possible funding
opportunities and passed giving to the Department of Fine Arts. Estimated funds need to provide Apple
laptops to freshman $50,000.00
Goal 10: Renew Department of Fine Arts NASAD accreditation for 2009-2010
Status:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
NASAD Consultative Visit: John Cox reviewed our facilities and program.
Report was shared with Dean and Provost to aid in gaining funding for upgrades.
Self study report being completed by Prof. Belenna Lauto.
Most course syllabi have been updated.
BFA programs are under review and Alumni Survey is on line.
Government and Politics
Engagement
The Government and Politics faculty are highly motivated to provide excellent teaching by incorporating
new ideas from research into the classroom, utilizing technology to infuse courses with cutting-edge
developments around the globe, and engender life-long learning by mentoring independent studies,
theses, research and conference presentations.
In order to enhance engagement, the Department of Government and Politics has initiated a two-pronged
strategy to bring students and faculty into a closer and more productive cooperative relationship. In the
classroom, Government and Politics faculty incorporate innovative teaching techniques such as
simulations, case study discussions, and group projects that foster student initiative and ownership of the
learning process. Innovative teaching techniques utilize greater use of available technology both in and
out of the classroom. Five full-time faculty members are trained in Distance Learning Pedagogy (Drs.
Gangi, Koziak, Layachi, Racanska, and Tripathi) which benefits all students on or off campus. Most of
the Government and Politics faculty participated in technology learning workshops such as Portable
Professor I and II.
The classroom student engagement is complimented by the equally important outside-the-classroom
student engagement outreach initiatives. Every semester, the department hosts several workshops tailored
to specific student needs, such as “Get to Know the Department” pizza party for freshmen, “Study Abroad
Opportunity” reception for all undergraduates, and informative panels that highlight a particular career
option for Government and Politics students. Our last panel was composed of recent BA and MA
Government and Politics graduates who attended law schools. The four panelists shared their experiences
23
at St. John's University as well as strategies for getting into law school and answered many questions
from the audience during Q&A at the end of the presentation.
During the past academic year the department of Government and Politics completed a successful
colloquium program for both undergraduate and graduate students. The evening presentations were
designed to exchange ideas, provide a venue for further discussion of politics and current issues that
interest students and faculty alike and provide a more relaxed environment for further student-faculty
engagement. Overall, the attendance was very encouraging and the discussion was often spirited. We are
looking forward to another successful year of great speakers and discussion.
Global Education
The second aspect of the department’s outreach strategy coincides with the vision of global education. It
is essential that our graduates are trained and prepared to function and excel in the 21st century. As part of
the program assessment process, the department has reviewed its courses and incorporated, where
appropriate, greater global instruction and material. On the undergraduate level, the department
participates in two study abroad programs that emphasize global education. We successfully completed
global study programs that are now offering carefully selected undergraduate international relations
courses as part of the semester study abroad program in Rome and, starting this fall, in Paris. The
department offers up to three upper-level international relations courses allowing our majors to continue
their required study on either overseas campus while providing excellent global education and
international experience for all participating students. In addition, on each campus, we offer an
international internship that provides enriching hands-on experience for undergraduate students who also
master the native language of the respective country.
On the graduate level, the department created a two-week intensive global study abroad course that will
be offered, on rotating basis, in one of the following four international locations: Eastern Europe, Asia,
North Africa, and Latin America. The selected locations will include local university sites that will
provide the maximum learning experience for our graduate students. This course will be available to the
MA students in both Queens and Rome and will bring the two groups of MA students together to travel,
study and explore the governments, foreign policies and political developments in selected countries,
meet with indigenous students and faculty, and participate in practical and academic projects that will
foster links and future opportunities for international research and life-long learning.
In creating this global course as part of our graduate program offering, the department struggled with the
clear challenge of making the course financially feasible for all students, as it includes international
travel, and, at the same time, retaining its academic integrity by incorporating the necessary requirements
for all departmental classes. A compromise became possible due to the fact that graduate students are
allowed extra time to finish their research projects. Thus, students can spend the two weeks learning about
the political situation in the country, collect necessary data and learn from their personal experience and
interactions. The written part of the course will take place after their return to Queens or Rome.
Major Challenge
One of the disappointments of 2008-2009 was the inability to complete our search for a tenure track
position in American Government. The department sought to hire a tenure-track Assistant Professor with
specialization in Campaigns and Elections to enlarge the American Politics course offerings for both
undergraduate and graduate students as well as create a certificate in Campaigns and Elections that would
serve as a recruitment tool to increase enrollment. Unfortunately, the unfavorable economic situation
during the fall semester resulted in the termination of the position and thus our search, which was nearing
the selection of three finalists for the campus visit, came to an abrupt end. On a positive side, in August
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2008 we welcomed a new tenure-track Assistant Professor, Dr. David Kearn, who teaches courses in
International Relations and provides an expertise in military and national security issues to the
department’s offerings.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: Hire a tenure-tract assistant professor in American Government with focus on campaigns and
elections, congress, parties, and interest groups. We do not have a faculty member with the expertise to
fill this important concentration in American Government that would attract both undergraduate and
graduate students to Government and Politics. This would become an important recruitment tool.
Status: Not approved.
Goal 2: Create new courses in campaigns and elections that would form the core of the new certificate in
Campaigns and Elections and increase enrollment in Government and Politics.
Status: Not done (see Major Challenge above).
History
Mission
Although the History Department does not often address the University’s mission directly in ways that
other department might, the broader concerns of the mission are seldom far from the material covered in
our courses. Historians as a whole have embraced a broad range of methodologies, such as social history
and gender history, that allow us to provide students with a wealth of empirical, historical, and crosscultural examples that are relevant to their understanding of the core tenets of our mission (Catholic,
Vincentian, and metropolitan) as they relate to the world today. Issues of poverty, unequal distribution of
wealth, ethnic diversity, and justice are part of the regular curriculum that we explore in our courses, be
they ancient history, 19th century U.S. history, or the History of Mexico. Even the more specific aspects of
the university’s mission are covered in many of our courses, ranging from our Core Curriculum course
“The Emergence of Global Society” to our most advanced courses in the Doctor of Arts program, such as
“Religious Evolution in the Technological Age.”
Engagement
This past year, the History department took important steps towards fostering a learning environment
where faculty and students interact more in academic activities beyond the classroom. Our main event
was an international conference designed to mark the fortieth anniversary of the global political events of
1968. The conference was well-attended by students. In the spring several faculty worked with students
to create a departmental blog and used a well-attended lecture to create a dialogue between students and
faculty about the lecture. Now that we have done a test run of the blog, we expect to start it off in the fall.
Improving our links to freshmen was at the center of our engagement activities this past year. This was
driven in part by the declining rates of retention that have affected the university as a whole, and in part
by a rise in the number of freshmen history majors. Four faculty members will be taking part in Learning
Communities for the Fall 2009. This is the first time the department will be actively participating in the
learning communities program. The department also invited representatives of the Freshman Center to
speak at one of its meetings; we expect to be working more closely with them in the future in engaging
with freshmen who have declared the history major.
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Closer links were also established with Phi Alpha Theta, our Honors Society. We worked with students in
the society to set up a faculty forum for careers in history. We expect to do this again next year to
coincide with the majors’ fairs in the fall.
Other activities of note included a film series on 1968, which featured four films moderated by four
faculty members of the department. On Student Research day, with faculty encouragement, nine students
presented their research in a conference format.
Overall, we feel that the department is increasingly seen by students as one that has faculty who is
interested in engaging with them, and that is open to their concerns and interests.
Global Education
We understand “global education” to have two main components: a) teaching students an awareness of
global societies and events and b) global education as conducted through “study abroad.” As a discipline,
history provides an ideal venue for students to learn about societies other than theirs. The university
Common Core includes 3 credits in a course entitled “The Emergence of Global Society.” For history
majors, we have structured our major to make this possible, by requiring that students take 6 credits in
each of three broad areas: United States, Europe, and what we call the non-Western world for lack of a
better term, but essentially Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In both cases, for majors and non-majors, the
department continues to provide a forum where students can study with faculty who are experts in
virtually every major region of the world and where cross-cultural conversations are common and
encouraged. Our recent faculty hires have resulted in a highly diverse department, with faculty who can
speak to and serve as role models for our highly diverse student body.
During the past year we made great progress in continuing to strengthen this aspect of global education.
Six courses, ranging from “Medieval Women” to “History of the Modern Caribbean” were approved by
the LAFC. The department approved an additional two courses, including “The World in the Twentieth
Century” and “The History of Iran,” which we expect to offer, beginning in Fall 2010.
Major Challenge
The biggest challenge was the uncertainty about the coming years, due to the economic downturn that is
currently affecting the university and the nation. There is great excitement in the department about new
programs and initiatives, but given the budget-cutting climate that took hold in Spring 2009, there was
some hesitation about how all this will affect the efforts we have undertaken.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: Convert 3-year contract position in World History/Medieval History to tenure-track position in
World History/Medieval History.
Status: Completed. Dr. Tracey-Anne Cooper, holder of the contract position, will begin a tenure-track
appointment in Fall 2009. Dr. Cooper has been one of the faculty members who has most engaged with
students. By placing her on a tenure-track appointment as her three-year contract was expiring we will be
able to retain a top-notch faculty member. With her expertise in the medieval period, Dr. Cooper gives a
greater global coverage, not only for the contemporary period, which we already have, but also for the
earlier centuries of world history. She has also expressed interest in participating in our Study Abroad
programs in Rome and Paris. As a medieval specialist, she will be extremely well positioned to contribute
to these programs. Dr. Cooper is also one of our most technologically savvy colleagues. She integrates
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this expertise into her classroom. She is now also qualified to teach distance learning and mixed mode
classes.
Goal 2: Hire full-time faculty to direct new MA program in Public History and offer courses in this field.
Status: Our request for a full-time position to serve the newly-approved MA program in Public History
was not approved. However, in line with Dr. James Benson’s vision of optimizing the synergies of three
new graduate programs (MA in Public History (History), MA in Museum Studies (Fine Arts), and a
degree in archival administration (Library Science)), we will resubmit our request this summer.
Goal 3: Position the History Department as an active participant in Study Abroad programs by increasing
the representation of History courses and faculty in these programs.
Status: In progress. Several faculty members expressed an interest in participating in Study Abroad
programs or developing special courses for mini-sessions. A productive informational meeting with Dale
Gardner from the Office of Global Studies led to more concrete ideas that we expect will begin to come to
fruition in the coming academic year. The Chair and the Director of Graduate Studies met with Dean
Margherita Panzera and Dale Gardner to discuss study abroad initiatives, particularly at the graduate level
and on the Rome campus. Pending more concrete information about the student market and internship
opportunities in Rome, we hope to take these discussions to a higher plane.
History is a natural subject for students to pursue while studying abroad; it helps them better understand
the cultures they are immersed in. The History department should be a more active participant in these
programs, both in terms of courses and of participating faculty. A stronger participation from us will
enhance even more the already strong programs that have been developed and are being developed. We
have begun to take steps in this direction and will continue to do so in the coming years.
Goal 4: Continue to recognize the importance of our Core Curriculum course to the department and the
university.
a) Continue to facilitate the use of full-time faculty to teach sections of the Core course, HIS
1000/HON 2200, “The Emergence of Global Society.”
b) Provide opportunities for full-time and part-time faculty teaching the course to exchange ideas
about pedagogy and research in world history.
c) Continue past practice of bringing outside speakers in the field of world history as part of our
lecture series, “Conversations in World History.
d) Reevaluate content and design of HIS 1000 in response to outcomes assessment.
Status: The Common Core Curriculum has been designed to provide a balanced yet distinctively
Vincentian foundation for all St. John’s students. Our concentrated efforts to refresh and strengthen our
course in the Core will ultimately benefit the whole Core. Because the course is taken mostly by freshmen
and sophomore, our efforts will help engagement and retention. And because, the topic of the course
itself is “the emergence of global society,” student will continue to obtain a solid understanding of the
historical roots of our current globalized world.
a) Close to 45 percent of the total amount of sections of the Core course in Queens were taught by
full-time faculty. In Staten Island, the number was closer to 80 percent, in great part due to the
hire of a full-time contract faculty member for Fall 2008. Altogether, 9 of the 16 full-time faculty
members in Queens taught at least one section of HIS 1000/HON 2200 during the 2008-09
academic year. All four full-time members in Staten Island taught in the Core.
b) The department established a “World History Faculty Group,” that brought together full-time
faculty teaching our Core course (including those in CPS and ICS) as well as faculty from the
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Institute for Writing Studies. The group will continue its work next year. We hope to extend our
initiative to part-time faculty.
c) The department brought in five speakers who addressed faculty and students on a variety of
topics from how to integrate Islamic history into the world history survey to the early years of
rock ‘n’ roll in Hamburg, Germany.
d) Ongoing activity. The World History Faculty Group has been and will continue to work on this
topic. Rather than suggesting a top-down, one size fits all approach for all sections of this class,
we expect that new content and design will emerge organically from our common work and
shared experiences.
Goal 5: Increase efforts to foster a departmental learning community that includes students, faculty, and
alumni.
a) Maintain existing St. John’s Central majors group to better communicate with students.
b) Develop “brown bag” lunches where faculty members can conduct informal discussions about
their research, debates and controversies in the field of history, or the historical context of
contemporary problems.
c) Collaborate with our student honor society, Phi Alpha Theta to increase opportunities for students
to learn about professional opportunities in history.
d) Strengthen departmental outreach to alumni.
Status:
a) The St. John’s Central majors group was used to a greater degree than before to communicate
with students on matters ranging from registration deadlines to upcoming lectures. The
department also initiated a pilot “blog,” where faculty and students could interact. We used it
with some success to initiate a discussion about student’s reaction to an interesting, challenging
lecture by a speaking on science fiction portrayals of women and androids in literature and film.
We expect to develop the blog next year with greater student participation.
b) In progress. We will work to develop this next year, perhaps in collaboration with our honor
society, as part of our efforts at greater student engagement.
c) We worked with Phi Alpha Theta to organize a forum about professional opportunities in history.
Two faculty members, a current graduate student, and a recent graduate participated and fielded
questions from history majors.
d) In progress. Chair met twice with Michael Brady, Director of Development for St. John’s College
and with Deborah Perlicz, from Alumni Relations, to discuss how to best begin reaching out to
alumni.
Goal 6: Continue efforts to strengthen the motivation, engagement, and collegiality of faculty in our
department.
a) Hold a departmental retreat to exchange ideas about current programs and future plans.
b) Encourage and facilitate faculty activities in seeking grants and attending conferences and
workshops related to their research and teaching.
c) Encourage and facilitate faculty participation in university activities and initiatives outside the
department.
Status : Although a retreat was not held, the department is a highly collegial one, which finds ways to
promote engagement through its meetings and informal conversations. Faculty applied for 17 grants from
various sources, mostly external. We made a total of 47 presentations at conferences and other venues.
We were extremely active in university activities.
Goal 7: Continue curriculum cooperation with other departments with the goal of promoting greater
interdisciplinary communication among departments in the College.
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a) Continue to provide course offerings in existing interdisciplinary programs such as Women’s
Studies and facilitate cross listing of courses with other units such as Asian Studies and Classics.
b) Increase departmental offerings in newer programs such as the minor in Social Justice.
c) Increase participation of faculty from other departments in our interdisciplinary Doctor of Arts
program in Modern World History.
Status: The department now regularly cross-lists courses with Asian Studies and Classics. This past spring
we reciprocated with Classics by cross-listing a mixed mode course on Roman historians taught by Prof.
Cassidy. Our offerings in the area of women studies and gender are substantial and form a significant part
of the offerings of the Women’s Studies minor. We added two new courses this past year, HIS 3460
“Gender in Islamic History” and HIS 3560 “Medieval Women,” both of which are scheduled to be
offered in Fall 2009. We have reached out to other departments in our efforts to maintain and expand the
interdisciplinary identity of our DA program. Last fall we added a new colleague, Dr. Alina CamachoGingerich, to our roster of faculty for the introductory DA seminars. We have begun discussions with the
English Department about the possibility of cross-listing some courses and developing other synergies.
Goal 8: Increase visibility of the department, its faculty, and its programs.
a) Continue efforts to develop departmental website.
b) Work with Marketing and Communications to publicize our new MA program in Public History
as well as other existing programs.
Status:
a) In progress. Department formed a committee which has been working with Giscard James and
supervising changes to the website, beginning with the faculty profiles. The committee will
continue its activities next year.
b) With the Public History program temporarily on hold at the Provost’s office we have not had an
opportunity to develop this goal. Once the program is taken off the shelf, we expect to mover
forward with greater publicity.
Goal 9: Continue efforts to make our program responsive to new challenges and opportunities.
a) Implement recent changes to requirements for BA majors and minors and MA students, and
develop mechanisms to assess their effectiveness in meeting departmental learning goals.
b) Encourage faculty, especially new hires, to develop new courses in their fields of specialization.
c) Strengthen the department’s commitment to teaching and research in the historical study of
globalization.
d) Continue to refresh and update our undergraduate and graduate course offerings at the
undergraduate and graduate levels, Explore expansion of existing distance learning courses and
encourage development of hybrid courses.
e) Continue to develop internship opportunities for history majors.
Status:
a) A new undergraduate freshman/sophomore seminar, required of all new history majors (HIS
2990: Introduction to History) was approved by the LAFC in December 2008. Two sections
(mixed-mode) will be offered in Fall 2009 with a cap of 15 students in each section. Beginning
with this cohort of students, the department will begin to track its progress through the
completion of the major program, including the exit senior seminar. We will continue to discuss
ways to assess their progress in terms of our learning goals. For the MA program, the department
began scheduling its required introductory course HIS 401 “Modern Historical Methods” for the
fall semester, rather than the spring as previously done. We feel that this is a course that students
should take as soon as possible in their graduate careers. We introduced and offered for the first
time, HIS 402 “Global Historical Explanations” taught by Dr. Frank Ninkovich in Spring 2009.
This is a new course that was made part of the requirements for the MA program in the Fall 2008
semester, as a way of providing students with broader analytical frameworks and of assessing
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b)
c)
d)
e)
their ability to synthesize the courses they have taken. It will usually be taken by students towards
the end of their program.
A total of 6 new courses were approved by the LAFC in the 2008-09 AY. Two additional new
courses were approved by the department in the Spring 2009 semester and will be sent to the
Curriculum Committee in Fall 2009.
Ongoing.
For new courses, see above under b). The department will be offering a total of 4 mixed-mode
sections next fall.
This year we added the Queens Historical Society to the list of venues where students can carry
out their internship. The supervisors at the QHS spoke very positively of our students’
performance. The newly-approved Public History MA program has a strong internship
component. We expect to develop more venues and closer relationships with institutions in
anticipation of the launching of the program in Fall 2010.
All of the measures listed above, show the high degree to which the department is committed to creating a
vibrant learning culture that is responsive to the needs and interests of our students and that reflects our
ongoing research and pedagogical interests.
Languages and Literatures
Engagement
The department has embarked on several initiatives inspired and guided by the Strategic Plan’s goal to
“transform our institutional culture into one in which the quality of how we serve our students both in and
out of the classroom is truly exceptional.” One initiative has been to organize weekly luncheon
conversation groups with local and international students during the common hours, called the English
Language Table. These weekly language table sessions were sponsored by the department along with the
Office of Student Life. Free pizza was served. About 190 students, 135 international students and 55
DNY freshmen students, participated in this activity during the 2008-2009 academic year. There were 34
students who attended more than 80% of the 17 sessions held during the academic year.
A second engagement initiative has been the planning of a new language center, called the Global Center
for Language and Culture, with Information Technology (IT) and the Department of Facilities Services.
Council Hall has been identified as the venue on campus for this facility. The GLCC will be a place
where students can engage faculty and other students who are native speakers of a foreign language to
enhance their language skills and cultural knowledge. The new facility should be seen as a 21st century
language center addressing student linguistic and cultural needs that have been driven by the forces of
globalization. The center will promote student engagement consistent with the global mission of the
university and serve as a valuable complement to the university’s major and minor and core curriculum
language programs and the Study Abroad programs. Besides possessing the latest educational technology,
the center will have faculty language counselors present to assist students in planning self-access
language study, thus encouraging faculty-student engagement at a higher academic level and creating a
culture of language at the university. Moreover, the center will be a venue where language learners can
interact on a regular basis with native speakers of a target language who have been recruited from the
university’s diverse student population.
Other
The department has made strides in improving the organization of its language placement system and
tests to ensure that all language students are placed in a class at an appropriate level. The Freshman
Center has been extremely cooperative in providing the department with high-school transcripts, which
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enable the language coordinators to determine the right course level for the freshman cohort. With
language placement of upper classmen we must go through the tedious process of examining scanned
high-school transcripts on Banner. Because of our current cooperation with the freshman center, this will
not be necessary in the future. Moreover, with the university’s purchase of licenses for the Tell Me More
computer assisted language learning software for the entire campus, we will possess a potentially
powerful on-line language placement system, which might supplement our present language placement
system.
Major Challenges
Once the present economic crisis has passed, the department needs to ensure that there is one additional
tenure track faculty line in French studies and one in Italian studies to replace the current contract faculty
lines and a FT faculty (contract or tenure tract), proficient in several languages and an expert in language
pedagogy, stationed on the SI campus to coordinate and oversee the language courses offered there.
The GLCC will be managed by the Chair, the current language laboratory staff, and the Senior Language
Coordinator. There is a need to hire additional clerical staff, similar to what exists in the Institute for
Writing Studies. If this is not economically feasible at the moment, we might transfer one of our current
department secretaries to the GLCC to take up this crucial responsibility.
With the eventual closing of the language lab is St. Augustine Hall, a problem exists of how to migrate its
relevant and useable language resources to a web-based environment so that that students have 24/7
access to these materials with their laptop computers. Also, we must find a way and a place to administer
our computer based language placement tests. We will work very closely with personnel from the IT
section to find a solution.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: Prepare for the increase in the number of students taking basic language courses due to the
institution of a foreign language requirement for communications, hospitality, and sports management
majors in the College of Professional Studies.
Status: We do not know the present number of students and new freshmen, but the recent decrease of
classes offered this semester has left a number of good adjuncts out of our staff lists for the Fall of 2009,
and our presently hired adjuncts are teaching one class only. Many could easily be persuaded to teach
two. Once registration of freshmen has become normal and the recession times past we will revisit this.
Goal 2: Replace Dr. Eric Touya, a tenure-track faculty member who unexpectedly left St. John’s.
Status: Not approved.
Goal 3: Launch a Certificate in International Communication program in Rome which will draw many of
the 800 Communication majors (who have a new language requirement), a Certificate in Hotel
Management with the University of Perugia, and a Certificate and a European Union Master’s program in
Sport Management with the IUSM University in Rome.
Status: The certificate for International Communication, Hotel Management and Sport management are in
place and are awarded after the completion of the internship. The courses in Rome for international
communication are in place. We are still working with Dean MacDonald on the European Union
Master’s program in Sport Management with the IUSM University in Rome.
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Library and Information Science
Mission
The mission was stressed in the advisement of each new student.
Several mission related activities were held during the year, including a University-Service-Day activity
at the Queens Library in which 40 students participated.
The mission is emphasized in LIS 204, the Introductory course required of each student.
Faculty members are encouraged to include the mission in other courses, although no data have been
gathered on this.
Engagement
DLIS had a 99% retention rate between Fall 2007 and Fall 2008.
Global Education
DLIS began planning to offer Discover Rome Libraries and Discover Paris Libraries courses.
DLIS also began discussions with influential librarians about a project to help establish libraries and
information centers in Africa.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: Revise the MLS program in light of technology to develop more fully its potential value for
students and society. Obtain laptops for all students.
Status: Done
Goal 2: Redesign courses to be the best possible mix of online and on-campus to achieve the program
outcomes for the students on the various campuses.
a) Join WISE.
b) Hold faculty workshops.
c) Establish a division wiki for syllabi.
Status:
a) The funds were not in the budget for this year.
b) This has been rescheduled for fall 2009.
c) This is a summer 2009 project.
Goal 3: Increase the division’s visibility academically and professionally.
a) Increase conference presentations by one per faculty member. The Division director will confer
with faculty members about conferences that will be most appropriate for them and about faculty
collaboration within the Division and externally.
b) Increase article submissions by one per faculty member. The Division director will confer with
faculty members about how to convert previous work and conference presentations into article
submissions and will offer assistance.
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c) Increase grant participation by one per faculty member. Dr. Rioux will lead faculty collaboration
in grantsmanship, with the support of the other directors, involving all faculty members in at least
one grant application.
d) Provide clerical support for faculty members to participate in leadership roles in the academic
association or SIG of their choice.
Status:
a) This was accomplished for four of the eight faculty-level individuals.
b) Conversations were conducted with faculty members. Articles or similar publications did increase
for two.
c) This did not occur. It has been scheduled for fall 2009.
d) This was deferred until the budget situation improves.
Goal 4: Establish a world-class special libraries program in Manhattan.
a) Implement the new IMLS grant.
b) Prepare a proposal to the university to request space in Manhattan and funds to support student
recruitment for this initiative.
c) Create one or more individual credentialing programs in Knowledge Management, Competitive
Intelligence, and Marketing Research.
d) Recruit at least five law library students and at least five special library students for an initial
cohort to start in Manhattan in January.
Status:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Forty students have enrolled and the program is well underway.
A formal proposal is nearly completed.
A committee of faculty and distinguished librarians is meeting to develop these programs.
Five students were recruited.
Goal 5: Prepare 40 librarians to engage underserved children and their families in using public and school
libraries. The Division has received a grant for almost $1 million to prepare 40 public and school
librarians to engage underserved children and their families in using public and school libraries.
a) Recruit 40 individuals qualified to excel in their LIS studies and committed to children. The
majority are expected to come from schools and libraries in the New York Metropolitan area.
b) Provide the highest quality educational experience for them.
Status:
a) Forty students are enrolled and well into their studies.
b) They have had many remarkable supplemental experiences. For example, some have received
grants based on coursework. Six are making professional presentations at the ALA Annual
Meeting in Chicago.
Goal 6: Expand and support the MLS programs in Oakdale and at STAC.
a) Expand enrollment in Oakdale and recruit a cohort of 10 students for STAC.
b) Ensure that the quality of the Oakdale and STAC programs is equivalent to the quality of the
Queens program.
Status:
a) Oakdale enrollment remained the same and STAC had eight students enroll.
b) Most of the courses are taught by the fulltime faculty. The laptops that students received have
enabled them to have a more comparable educational experience.
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Goal 7: Explore the opportunity for offering programs on global campuses, such as special libraries in
Rome and Paris.
Status: Plans are being developed to co-host this with Pratt Institute, because they have expertise in
French and Italian libraries and information centers.
Goal 8: Serve undergraduate students through minors in Children’s Information Services and Information
Science.
Status: Recruitment efforts were not very successful, and DLIS has many initiatives, so this initiative is
being shelved for now.
Goal 9:Pilot various formats of continuing professional education and develop a continuing education and
alumni plan as part of the strategic plan.
Status: The foundation for continuing professional education is being laid through the meetings of the
faculty and distinguished librarians who are creating knowledge management, competitive intelligence
and other programs in Manhattan.
Mathematics and Computer Science
Engagement
The faculty strive to provide a solid math education to its students, always cognizant of the needs and
concerns of students. Since our courses are designed for each of the units we service (SJC, TCB,
Education, Pharmacy), faculty incorporate into their lectures not only the necessary mathematics but also
relevant examples, based on real data, that are specific to each discipline. For example, SJC students in
the Liberal arts are introduce through MTH 1000 to the various uses of mathematics in the Arts and
Sciences, TCB students learn how their mathematics is used in a business setting, Education students
learn how mathematics is used by educators, and Pharmacy majors see practical uses in the Life Sciences.
In addition, where possible, faculty introduce computer programs designed to solve specific problems in
the discipline.
The main challenge that the department faces is the diverse mathematical backgrounds that we find
students bring to the class. The problem is to reach all students in the class, without overwhelming those
who may not be well prepared, without boring those with strong backgrounds. In order to address this
challenge, the department has prepared a short “Placement Exam” for our courses. It is administered
during the first class meeting, and graded by the instructor. Students who score poorly on it are advised
of this and urged to meet with the Instructor, attend tutoring in the Math Learning Center, and to meet
with their academic advisor to decide on the best course of action. If possible, a recommendation is made
to the student to change to a preparatory class. In cooperation with the University Freshman Center
(UFC) , and the St. John’s College Dean’s Office , a more formal “ Placement Exam” is being
considered. The Dept. works closely with the UFC in the placing of students in their Mathematics class.
Many faculty members have increased student engagement in their classes through the following:
a) Requiring students to do homework problems on the board , and have them explain their
solution to the class.
b) Assigning class projects, either individually or jointly; the projects designed to reinforce the
material or expand on the material.
c) In our major classes, there is a greater emphasis on problem sets, and student presentations.
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d) Several faculty do part of their Office Hours in the Math Learning Center, allowing for
additional interaction with students.
e) The department sponsors guest lectures, social events such as the Annual Picnic, and a problem
solving competition.
f) To encourage students to participate in class, we start with small projects and simply continue to
encourage them but not force them if they are uncomfortable.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: Hire new faculty
Status: The department was given a one-year faculty appointment for the 2010 Academic Year. We were
able to hire Oleg Friedman, a continuing adjunct, in this position. The hope is to convert his position to a
tenure track one.
Goal 2: Placement Exams
Status: The department initiated its own placement exam in our core courses. It is administered during the
first class meeting, and is used to identify students who will need to attend tutoring in the Math Learning
Center, and in some cases, allow the student to change their class to a preparatory course.
Goal 3: ALEKS Computer Software
Status: During the Fall 2008 semester, several of our faculty implemented this software into their courses,
to help students. At the end of the semester, based on data collected, it was determined that the software
did not significantly improve student performance. In its place, faculty have returned to the tried and true
method of working with students during office hours and in the Math Learning Center.
Goal 4: B.A./M.A. Proposal
Status: The proposal was to expand the current B.A./M.A. program to other Universities, similar to the
Sociology Department. It was submitted to the Dean, but no action has been taken on it yet.
Goal 5: Research Component
Status: We have begun on a small scale, a research component in MTH 4990-Senior Seminar. It requires
students to give presentations resulting in research on existing mathematics. We are still evaluating
whether to do this in a more formal manner.
Philosophy
Mission
We were fortunate to have Dr. John Haught with us as the D’Angelo Chair (Fall 2008), who taught a
course in our department (Science and Religion) and presented five public lectures to the University
community (two directed exclusively to undergraduates).
Dr. Marie George took students to a lecture by Dr. Alveda King on racial issues in abortion practice; she
also took a group to the March 2009 STAND movie documenting rampant abuse of women in the Congo.
Engagement
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The most important element in the transformation of our department this year has been an increased
emphasis on engagement, especially intellectual engagement. In addition to the usual social and extracurricular interactions, members of our department have made an effort to include the students in
challenging and informative forums. For example, Dr. Douglas Rasmussen continued to conduct his Film
Series for the Honors Program, focused on the theme of Liberty and Responsibility. These events allowed
for a sustained and serious discussion of fundamental themes, and have grown in popularity every year
since they began.
We are currently in the planning stages of a St. John’s University Undergraduate Philosophy Conference
to be hosted at our campus in the Spring of 2010. Matthew Knotts is the student spearheading this project.
We hope to have many students from other Universities, as well as many of our own students, participate
in this conference, giving them an excellent opportunity to gain experience and confidence in the
presentation of their ideas.
A number of students applied for the Summer Research Grant: one student (Matthew Knotts) was chosen
for this award. Matthew will be working with Dr. Glenn Statile on “Faith and Reason: Towards An
Understanding of a Personal God”
Global Education
Dr. Robert Delfino led a group of students on a two-week, inter-session Service Learning trip to Rome
last January.
Major Challenges
One of the challenges we have encountered is finding times that are optimal for meeting with students to
have conferences, movies, colloquia. The students express a desire to engage in these activities but
finding a time that works, and also providing some refreshments that make the event more attractive is
something we will pay more attention to this year. We have decided to hold our research colloquia series
during some Common Hours this upcoming year, as opposed to the later afternoon schedule we had this
past year. Also we will try to use some of our Lecture and Seminar budget to provide for these events
(especially the Undergraduate Philosophy Conference).
Office space is a serious issue, especially for Adjuncts (who are very generous with their time and among
the most engaging members of the Department). We currently have 5 FT contract positions (for which we
are very grateful) operating out of one cubicle in the Theology hallway. That means that 700 students per
semester are expected to meeting with their professors in one cubicle (5 adjuncts × 4 courses × 35
students) – this is not adequate. Of course we understand the problems with office space on campus but
this is an issue for us. We have tried to minimize the problems by utilizing room B 7 (which we cleaned
up this past year, making it an attractive seminar room and meeting space), but even that is not always
successful.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1:Maintain current lines of contract faculty.
Status: Completed
Goal 2: Increase the participation of faculty members at international, national, and regional academic
conferences.
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Status: Of the 25 FT members in the Department, at least 20 members of the Department made at least 3
presentations at international, national, and regional conferences. One of our members, Dr. Glenn Statile,
organized and hosted, on our campus, an important regional conference—the Long Island Philosophy
Society conference which has been active for over 40 years (12 members of the Department presented
their work at this conference). At least 7 members of the Department hold high level offices in national or
international societies, which have regular conferences.
Goal 3: Organize a Department of Philosophy Colloquium Series, focused on theme of Justice and
Human Dignity. We will invite four prominent scholars to address the Department and the University
community. In addition, we will sponsor a number of in-house presentations by members of the
department (particularly junior faculty). These are intended to foster greater social and academic
interaction between part-time and full-time faculty, as well as to facilitate the development of works in
progress.
Status: We were especially happy with the success of the Research Colloquia Series that we instituted in
the Spring semester and plan to continue in the upcoming academic year (our committee is already
planning the program). We had a series of five presentations made by members of the Department, with a
formal response by another member and then a discussion. The primary objective of this series was to
bring the Adjunct Faculty into the life and activity of the Department; preference was, therefore, given to
their proposals. The quality of these discussions was truly excellent: it gave some of the presenters a
valuable opportunity a valuable professional experience in the presentation of their work and fostered a
better sense of departmental community and inclusion. Students attended many of these presentations (we
will find a way, as I mentioned above, to bring them more into this discussion).
Part of the success of this Colloquia Series was our ability to bring other faculty into the discussion. For
example, on the respondents this past semester was Father Patrick Flanagan, from Department of
Theology and Religious Studies, who offered a response to the presentation of Dr. Thomas Avery on the
issue of Corporate Social Responsibility. One of the presenters in the Fall Semester was a visiting scholar
from China, Dr. Qiang Li, who is an expert in Confucian ethics. Dr. Li made a valuable and fascinating
presentation to us (this type of dialogue contributes to the Global Education element of the Strategic
Plan).
Goal 4: Develop and strengthen the Common Core courses, maintaining the highest possible quality of
instruction as well as optimal interaction between students and instructors. Standardize certain
components of the syllabi, such as the St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences policy on
plagiarism.
Status: We have worked hard to identify the best ways to improve Core Curriculum instruction, especially
in the Philosophy 1000C course which has been identified as an especially challenging course for
incoming freshmen. A number of our full-time faculty members have volunteered to prepare this course
and teach it more than they had previously; some will teach it for the first time. The department chair has
been careful to assign some of the faculty to other courses (higher level courses) where their teaching
styles might be more appropriate.
Goal 5: Inform all department members of opportunities to implement Academic Service Learning
components into their courses, and encourage greater participation.
Status: Many members of the Department already incorporate Service Learning components into their
courses; all information about how to do so is regularly communicated to the members of the Department
(both FT and PT members) and we pass along all the announcements that are sent to us (from the CTL,
37
for example). This is not, however, a goal that has been advanced much in the last year and could be an
area for improvement next year.
Goal 6: Continue to implement the Outcomes Assessment measures as they relate to our departmental
offerings.
Status: Completed
Goal 7: Maintain the number of majors and increase the number of minors.
Status: The total majors are down slightly (67 to 65, which is 3%) although these statistics are hard to
read because often Philosophy majors have double majors, and are therefore difficult to track. We do not
have reliable data for the number of minors.
Goal 8: Participate fully in Honors Program activities.
a) Attend the Honor Program’s Common Hours.
b) Continue the practice of conducting a film series focused in central philosophical themes.
c) Participate in Honors Program Faculty Forums.
Status: The members have been active in the Honors Program activities through the years because we
teach so many sections of the Honors students and know them so well. Many have attended the Common
Hours (an exact number is hard to estimate).
Dr. Douglas Rasmussen conducted his Film Series this past year as he has done in years past. We did not
participate in any Faculty Forums sponsored by the Honors Program this past year (I don’t know how
many they had this year), although we had, as a Department, a total of 13 lectures this past academic year,
all of which the Honors Program helped publicize and promote. Many students, not only from the Honors
Program, attended these lectures.
Physics
Mission
The department has supported diversity in hiring and encouraged students to be accepting of peoples race,
religion, gender, and ethnicity. Our full-time faculty members included two Asians, one African, and
three whites. Two of these seven are women and a third woman in the chemistry department has a joint
appointment with physics.
Statistics for students in our representative Modern Physics course were 14 female and 19 male—a
substantial improvement for a field that was once almost entirely populated by men. The same class
consisted of 14 white and 19 non-white students.
The department takes special care in guiding our less privileged majors to receive summer grants in
prestigious programs and to pursue studies that will be advantageous in the marketplace. We distribute a
monthly magazine, Careers for Minorities, to our classes.
Engagement
Student engagement continues to be a priority for the physics department. The department chair advises
each major in detailed interviews that consider student interests and goals, progress, research
opportunities, and course requirements. Lecturers in the intermediate and upper-level courses know their
38
students by name and they encourage communication with the students. Student research and meetings of
the physics society and physics club also support engagement.
a) Physics Society: This was the Physics Society’s third year of operation. The members are a subset
of enthusiasts from the Physics Club. The society provides scientific publications, career advice,
and travel support for worthy projects. The university recognized the society and is giving
support with several hundred dollars for speakers and projects. The society is part of a national
organization with our faculty as the local sponsors, but the members act independently. Students
engaged in a number of projects that they initiated themselves.
b) Physics Club: The Physics Club consists of a variable group of about 50 members, most of them
majors or double-majors in our department. Sandwiches or pizza are served and meetings begin
with a brief student or faculty presentation on current research or topics of interest. The club is
meeting in two or three week intervals. It has its own website and it generates enthusiasm among
the members.
c) Student Research: The Physics Department sponsored increased participation in mentoring and
undergraduate research. Three students undertook research for credit, three accepted summer
grants from prestigious REU (Research Education for Undergraduates) institutions, and two were
awarded summer research grants for investigations in the department. Several students in the
Physics Society initiated projects of their own choosing and were supported by the Physics
Department.
Major Challenges
Our single greatest challenge is to provide coverage by committed full-time faculty members. The growth
of the department continues to stretch our ability to cover important coursework and student research.
Procuring a new tenure-track line is our highest priority.
The department seeks to introduce a graduate program in biomedical engineering. This will utilize the
strengths of the sciences at St. John’s and enhance the prestige and revenue of the university. Here the
challenge is to enlist the support of the administration.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: The department aspires to create one of the few recognized biophysical research centers in the
region outside of the major research institutions.
a) Increase collaborations between faculty in physics and those in biological sciences and
pharmaceutical sciences.
b) Seek external funding for research in biophysics.
Status: The Department of Physics progressed toward its goal of developing a distinguished center of
nanoparticle research in biological physics. The researchers prepared apparatus for florescence analyses
of biomaterials and for single-molecule microscopy and, in theoretical studies, examined the role of
quantum behavior in living cells. A pioneer in the field of quantum computing joined the physics faculty,
Dr. Huizhong Xu. He is building a cutting-edge nano-optical laboratory to investigate physical properties
at the level of single molecules.
a) Dr. Sadoqi was instated as a member of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and produced
research in collaboration with Dr. Lau-Cam and Dr. Shao from the College of Pharmacy. Dr.
Gina Florio in the chemistry department has a joint appointment with physics. She mentored
research for three of our majors and was a valued resource for our optics researchers.
39
b) Two grant applications are presently under review: an NSF proposal for $138,216.00, and an
EFRI-BSBA Preliminary Proposal for $1,093,711. Dr. Xu is also preparing a grant application
this summer.
Goal 2: Rehire a contract faculty member to help cover our increasing teaching load.
Status: Dr. Samuilov was rehired.
Goal 3: Hire a tenure-track faculty member to help cover our increasing teaching load and sustain our
major programs and research.
Status: Not approved.
Goal 4: Support and promote the new biomedical engineering BS/MS track.
Status: This was the first year that a group of students transferred to NYU-Poly under the Biomedical
Engineering track. Five transfers were made and we spent considerable efforts with NYU in formulating
the transfer mechanisms and forms. This is an extremely popular track and many more students are
entering the pipeline.
Goal 5: Support and promote the new electrical engineering BS/MS track.
Status: The articulation agreement we negotiated with NYU-Polytechnic Institute was signed by both SJU
and NYU-Poly. We agreed to a cooperative curriculum whereby students will attend three years at St.
John’s and two years at NYU-Poly. Successful students will be awarded a BS from St. John’s and a
MSEE from Polytechnic. One third-year student had the necessary background and transferred for the fall
semester.
Goal 6: Organize and present a speakers’ program.
Status: The Physics Society had faculty members (Florio, Xu, Sadoqi, Samuilov, and Finkel) speak about
their research and students spoke about topics of interest to them. We did not invite external speakers this
year because the urgent press of new programs, assessments, new preparations, and student recruitment
activities occupied us. We think that exposure to scientists outside of our department is important and we
plan to reintroduce external speakers next year.
Psychology
Mission
The psychology department continues to serve the University’s Vincentian mission through our graduate
programs in clinical and school psychology. The department stresses the training of psychologists to work
with all people, especially the poor and recent immigrants to this country. We continue to do this by the
selection of practica, externship, and internship sites that serve the poor. The dedication to the mission is
also reflected in the research projects and grant applications developed by some of the faculty and the
dissertation topics of some our doctoral students. Examples of this are the grant supported research grants
presently underway by Dr. Wallace on the health behaviors of African-American adolescents, and the
grant proposal by Dr. Bergman on working with inner-city emerging adults who have not completed high
school with the Flowers for Care arm of Catholic Charities. An examination of the titles of the
dissertations read at this year’s doctoral hooding ceremony indicated that most involved studies of
psychological phenomena or interventions with populations consistent with the university mission.
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Several new initiatives began this year that extended our work toward the mission. We have extended our
practica program for students to include an ongoing relationship from Flowers with Care/Catholic
Charities. We have provided matching funds to support a full time psychology intern, and supervision
provided by Drs. Bergman and Clauselle to develop a practica experience with our second year graduate
school psychology students offering services to their clients. Also, through the efforts of State
Assemblyman Rory Lancman, the Center for Psychological Services received a $10,000.00 grant for 2009
fiscal year and a second $10,000.00 grant for 2010 fiscal year from the New York State Office of Mental
Hygiene Military Services Initiative. We leveraged this money with some department funds to purchase
VIRTUAL IRAQ, a virtual reality computer program. Virtual Reality systems provide life-like exposure
to stressful, traumatic events as part of successful treatments for people with posttraumatic stress disorder.
The Center will use this system to treat returning war veterans in Queens who have developed war related
PTSD. We have expanded our ability to service veterans and our ability to train our students in state of
the art PTSD interventions.
The Center for Psychological Services and the department have also helped the University Counseling
Center expand the services they provide our neediest students. We agreed to do psychoeducational
assessments the Counseling Center needs through the Center for Psychological Services. This has freed
up the Counseling Center staffs’ time to delivery more therapeutic services and has provided
opportunities for our practica students to complete assessments. We have also helped the Counseling
Center recruit our best fourth year clinical psychology doctoral students to work in the Counseling Center
on graduate assistantships. The Center and the department have developed a collaborative relationship
that delivers more help to students and provides us with training opportunities.
Engagement
In the spring semester, the psychology department faculty focused on ensuring that our entire faculty met
with all of our advisees. During the spring semester, we distributed an online survey to our undergraduate
majors. We used items from a questionnaire that we used before; we worked with Institutional Research
to add questions from the NSSE survey of student engagement. We received a 25 percent response rate
and about a third of the responders were freshman. We disseminated the data from this survey to the
faculty and discussed the results at our department retreat in May.
A large number of our students (83%) plan to pursue graduate school in psychology, behavioral sciences,
or mental health services. Most want to attend doctoral not masters programs. The faculty expressed
surprise at the number of students who desired to pursue doctoral degrees. Some of them thought that the
students may have unrealistic expectations and will not be prepared well for the graduate application
process. We need to work harder and better to help students prepare for graduate school and change our
advisement to ensure that they are prepared, realistic, and successful. We discussed various ways to do
this. Since the retreat, we have circulated syllabi of 1-credit courses at other universities that focus on
preparing students for a better understanding of the discipline and the profession. This would discuss and
the career paths open to psychology majors and the educational steps needed to reach them. We will
renew these conversations in the fall.
The overwhelming majority of students indicated that they believed that the department faculty showed
an interest in helping students and respect for students in general and for themselves in particular. Most
students have received the psychology major handbook and find it helpful. Since this handbook is
available on the St. John’s Central group for majors, students do visit this site. Although the majority of
psychology majors do find the SJC group helpful, these ratings were not as high as we hoped.
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Students’ ratings on questions concerning the faculty members’ helpfulness on career advisement and
guidance on the requirements for the major were low. These are two areas we need to improve. The
students indicated that they met with their advisors for advisement. This was better than we had thought.
However, the students expressed dissatisfaction with the advisement process in the department. They
reported that they did not feel close to their advisors. We provided a space for open-ended comments. The
most frequent comments concerned faculty members’ failure to engage them during advisement. The
students described some faculty as only wanting to sign their form to send them on their away. Few
students reported that they felt welcomed or engaged in the advisement process. The students identified
some faculty members as exceptionally good and engaging advisors. We need to plan how to honor,
acknowledge, and reward the faculty who excel at this aspect of our job.
The issue of students’ satisfaction with advisement generated considerable debate among the faculty.
Some faculty suggested that those of us who are good and engaging students during advisement should do
more of it, leaving those who fail to engage the students or are poor advisors to do other things. Others
faculty argued that advisement is the responsibility of everyone and those who fail to engage the students
in advisement shirk their responsibility and push their work on to others. This issue raised the most
emotional, hostile, and forceful discussion that has ever occurred at our annual retreat. The consensus of
the group was that we would take no measures to relieve the non-engaging faculty of their advisement
responsibilities. A change in the department culture was recommended. We should consider engagement
to be a necessary contribution expected of all faculty members before they receive department resources
and support such as research money, doctoral fellows, or votes for research reduction, tenure, and
promotion. The faculty also recommended that we develop an assessment strategy that allows students to
rate their advisors immediately after the advisement period. This would be similar to the teaching
evaluation ratings. Although some present thought this may violate union rules, the consensus among the
faculty was to explore this policy. The chair and the P & B will take this issue up in the new year.
Several other issues emerged as problems on the student engagement questionnaire. Few undergrad
students had attended the department colloquia. Graduate students still primarily attend these events. We
will explore changes in the scheduling or dissemination of information to increase such attendance.
Students are less likely to study as a group, join psychology oriented groups, and attended psychology
related events. They are also likely to come to class without reading assignments, and students are less
likely to believe that the chair, department leadership, and staff are approachable. We will continue to
address these problems in future faculty meetings to find solutions.
This assessment process was lengthy, but we discovered much that was right and wrong with our
department. Given that the information revealed can lead to specific changes in the department, the
process seemed worth it. We will work with IR to repeat this next spring. It is uncertain whether we need
to pay a royalty to the NSSE questionnaire when use their questions. However, for the foreseeable future
this would appear worth the cost.
One of the most important issues to engage our graduate students is the attainment and continuation of
accreditation of our graduate programs. This fall semester, we had a site visit from the American
Psychological Association’s Committee on Accreditation to evaluate our PhD program in Clinical
Psychology. We received renewal of our accreditation for seven years. This is the longest period of
accreditation without a renewal application granted by APA’s CoA. The students were very happy with
these results. Accreditation also helps with recruitment. This spring we admitted the most talented
incoming class yet into this program. The department remains indebted to Dr. Nevid for his leadership of
the program.
A critical aspect of engagement is the physical plant of the department. The three experienced site visitors
from the APA commented that, overall, this was the worse space they had ever seen in the many
42
universities they had visited over their years as site visitors. We have made some important improvements
in the physical plant of the Psychology Department this year. Marillac SB-15 is a room that houses some
faculty offices and research labs for graduate and undergraduate students. We had been planning to
refurbish this area for some time. This fall the APA CoA site team described these labs as “abominable.”
The department worked with the Dean and the Provost to upgrade the lab in MAR SB-15. The department
agreed to spend part of the salary buyback account that comes to the department from grants. The first
phase of this construction was completed in April. Because this work was completed under budget,
money was available to go toward the last phase of the planed renovations this year. We started this
second phase in June, and the work is almost complete. The space looks more professional and modern
and provides attractive facilities for students and faculty to work together.
Global Education
This year the psychology department continued our association with Hanoi National University of
Education (HNUE). We have formed an alliance to help HNUE develop a graduate program to train
professional child/school psychologists. This May, two faulty members offered two classes to ten of our
graduate students at HNUE through the Study Abroad program. Also, nine faculty members from HNUE
came to study with our faculty here in May, June, and July. We have one of their faculty members
enrolled in our PsyD program and will have another attending in the fall. The Psychology Department
supports this exchange through the funding of the Director of Vietnamese Initiatives from release time in
her primary job in the Center for Psychological Services.
This exchange has had a tremendous effect on our department. The students who went to Vietnam have
developed an expanded worldview and report that the experience has changed them forever. Having the
HNUE faculty here this summer and in our classes throughout the year has enriched our course
discussions. This exchange has helped us understand the cultural context of psychology and focused on
pursuing a cross-cultural psychology.
We had offered to run undergraduate sections in Vietnam; however, enrollment failed to reach the levels
necessary to run the courses. We will develop a plan earlier in the year to allow the students more time to
plan their trips.
We have started a discussion among the faculty on strategies to offer more psychology courses through
study abroad and to encourage psychology majors to take advantage of global opportunities at the
university.
Major Challenges
Space continues to be the major challenge that faces our department. We do not have sufficient research
space of our faculty. The situation will become worse with time. Many of our older faculty came to St. St.
John’s with little or no expectation that they would pursue scholarship as part of their careers. They see
their job as teaching. The present contract makes it clear that scholarship remains an expectation of all
faculty. We anticipate that we will have too little lab space as faculty retire and new faculty join the
department who need to achieve tenure and remain active scholars for their career. As we face the future,
space is and will remain our major concern. The lack of space limits the type and quality of faculty we
can hire.
Another issue concerns the problem of dissertation and theses mentoring. Some faculty members consider
this a crisis in our department. It remains a discussion topic at each faculty meeting and our retreat. The
workload in this area is uneven distributed. Some faculty have mentored up to 20 dissertations at a time
43
and many other have mentored none. Nothing in the union contract mentions that faculty must participate
in these activities. We need to ensure that we hire new faculty who see this as part of their role.
This problem developed for several reasons. First, when the PsyD program started we admitted many
students with advanced standing. This group worked slowly at completing their dissertations. Second, the
existence of two doctoral programs has a high demand for dissertation mentoring. Third, in September of
2006, 2007, and 2008, the PsyD program admitted more PsyD students at the advanced standing level that
we had planned to do. This created a number of students who needed dissertation mentoring almost
immediately upon admission. Fourth, the PhD program changed to offer a Masters degree with a research
thesis for all students on the way toward the PhD. These events created a large amount of work for the
faculty.
The department has attempted to resolve this problem. First, Dr. Dawn Flanagan, the Director of the
School Psychology program, has monitored ABD students closely and encouraged them to finish. She has
suggested that those who are not making progress should leave the program. Also, Dr. Flanagan has
reduced the number of advanced standing students admitted to the PsyD program to two or three students,
the number in the original proposal. We have changed the status of Dr. Marlene Sotelo-Dynega from a
contract faculty to a tenure track faculty member. This allows her to mentor dissertations. The department
P&B has recommended that some psychologists on campus in administrative, non-faculty roles could
serve as dissertation committees members. This includes Drs. Renee Clauselle, Katherine Hutchinson,
Richard Morrissey, Tara Rooney, and Florence Sisenwein. These psychologists were chosen because of
their commitment to the department, their acknowledged expertise in science and practice, and the belief
by the P&B that they could contribute to dissertation committees and set high standards for scholarship.
This reduces the workload for department members. The chair and the program directors will work with
the students to encourage them to work with faculty who have participated less in mentoring and serving
on committees. We will continue to monitor this situation. Our concern is that students will feel
unwelcomed and discouraged if they have difficulty finding mentors and committee members for their
dissertations.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: Hire the best tenure-track faculty members in the basic science areas of psychology to replace any
faculty members that may retire in the 2009 fiscal year.
Status: We were did not hire any new faculty this year because of the fiscal environment.
Goal 2: Renew the contract faculty position in school psychology on the Oakdale campus.
Status: The department had two contract faculty on the Oakdale campus. These were Drs. Sotelo-Dynega
and Owens. Dr. Sotelo-Dynega received an offer of a tenure track position from a competing university.
She has emerged as one of our best teachers and an outstanding scholar. The department requested that
the university change her line to a tenure track position, and this request was granted. She was the highest
ranked teacher this year and her presence fosters diversity, engagement, and scholarship. Dr. Owens
position expired and we needed to hire a new person to replace him. We were able to hire Dr. Dana
Liebling.
Goal 3: Continue to provide state of the art hardware and software that faculty require to complete their
research and to utilize the most up to date statistical and experimental procedures.
Status: This year the department used the SONA software system for the first time to manage our subject
pool on both the Queens and Staten Island campuses. This was a major success. Faculty could recruit
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participants more easily, Students could participate easier, and we could monitor the students’
participation more easily. Also, this software provided us with some opportunities for researcher to collect
data on the web. We discussed the use of this software at our annual retreat and the faculty thought it was
a great success. We shall continue to use it in the future.
The Department discussed plans to extend its use of technology in two other areas. This year we explored
the purchase of software from SPSS to have all data collect on the web. This would make data collect
involving survey research easier and would allow all research to enter data directly on the web. This could
do away with the mountains of paper data forms we store in the department. Also, the program puts data
directly into the software format needed for statistical analysis. One step in all research projects, data
entry, would be eliminated. The buyback grant account would cover the cost of the software and servers
to host the web sites. We are working with IT to finalize the purchase of this system.
We also have purchased the Virtual Iraq system mentioned above. This provides us with virtual reality
software and computers that can easily convert to provide other types of VR experiences beside combat
related PTSD.
Goal 4: Start the process of preparing the application for re-accreditation to the American Psychological
Association’s Council on Accreditation for the PsyD program in School Psychology.
Status: Last year the PsyD program in School Psychology achieved its initial accreditation by the APA’s
CoA. The next date for accreditation was four year from this September. The program director and core
faculty meet several times over the course of this year to discuss the concerns raised by the CoA and plan
to address them. The faculty refined the goals of the program and discussed new methods of outcomes
assessment. Also, they reviewed the practica experiences and discussed how to improve them. Some
plans for revising the practica will be finalized this coming year.
Goal 5: Continue advertising, marketing, and promotion of the all of our graduate and undergraduate
programs.
Status: We had several problems in the promotion of our graduate programs this year. Several of our
competitor universities have advertised heavily in Newsday. We are unsure of the effect of this
advertising had on potential applicants. The number of applications we received appeared unchanged.
The department did experience trouble receiving the application dockets in time for us to process them.
Once our faculty made admission decisions, the appropriate letters were not mailed to the applicants on
time. Many phone calls by the faculty were required to keep the applicants we had accepted committed to
our program. Once this was fixed, we encountered another problem. Applicants who were rejected
received an email welcoming them to our programs. The situations with graduate admissions required
extensive work on the part of our faculty. We need speedy turn-around time from the application deadline
to the dockets arrival in the department. We need speedy and accurate communications with our
applicants to ensure that they do not accept offers from competing programs because they did not here
from us.
We also experienced some problems with our MS applicants this year because of how we processed
applications and the set the deadlines. The doctoral applicants have an early deadline and are reviewed
first. The MS application deadline was later; however, our deadline was too late. Some of the applicants
to our MS program had not heard from us until after they accepted admission from other schools. We
decided to move the MS program to rolling admissions. We can now respond to these applicants as they
come in and will not wait until the application deadline to act on them. This will require that we process
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MS and PsyD applications concurrently, but earlier decisions on admissions are needed for us to be
competitive.
Goal 6: Increase the representation of Psychology courses in the study abroad and honors programs.
Status: We have run several honors course each semester and these have been most successful. The
department’s activities in study abroad are noted in the paragraph on the Global goals above.
Goal 7: Increase the number of faculty and graduate students from underrepresented groups.
Status: We made no new hires this year, so we could increase the number of faculty from
underrepresented groups. However, we admitted a very diverse class into our Ph.D. program this year.
Goal 8: Continue to provide the latest psychological tests to students in our graduate programs.
Status: We have been able to stay current with the new psychological tests with the use of our
instructional supplies budget and have required no further support.
Goal 9: Increase the space available for treatment efficacy research that will support expected faculty
grants in this area of study.
Status: We have made several requests to the administration concerning space needs to support faculty
grants and research in this area. Presently Dr. Brown is conducting a series of meetings with Facilities and
Eileen O’Connor to complete this goal.
Goal 10: Support the continued evolution of the graduate programs in Clinical and School Psychology to
incorporate evidence based practice into the curriculum.
Status: Leadership in the department has kept this topic in the mind of the faculty at every meeting at
every level of the department. We have had discussions at the core school psychology and core clinical
psychology faculty meetings to ensure that scientific outcome research supports the psychological
practice we teach in our classes and practica. We have worked closely with the Center for Psychological
Services to ensure that science-based practice is represented in our training clinic. One concrete result of
these discussions has been a change in the way we structure practica sections in the PhD program.
Starting this summer, we stopped offering a psychodynamic/child focus practica section because outcome
research fails to support the efficacy of this treatment with this population. This had the consequences of
reducing the required number of therapy practica sections in the second year of the program from four to
three, saving one section per semester.
Goal 11: Enhance and maintain the unique position and reputation of the Center for Psychological
Services as a community service center and training site for graduate students in psychology.
a) Work closely with community agencies to provide information about services available for the
community via direct mails and face-to-face contacts.
b) Work closely with the Office of Marketing and Communication to provide periodic highlights to
newspapers and other media sources about different offerings at the Center.
c) Maintain updated information in our website to allow easy access to information about the Center
and its activities.
d) Improve ability to assess client’s satisfaction via personal meetings, direct communication with
clients and/or surveys.
e) Maintain regular contacts with students via regular meetings, written communications, etc. to
assess the extent to which their clinical training needs are being responded to.
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f) Continue to monitor retention rate of clients seeking services at the Center.
g) Continue to monitor students’ performance regarding their clinical responsibilities at the Center.
Status: The department is extremely happy with our relationship with Center for Psychological Services.
At the close of each semester, the program directors and the chair receive reports on each student’s
participation in the practica and whether they have attained the required hours of participation in the
practica. We have met our goals each semester. We are offering a service to the community and providing
training opportunities to our students. We have also instituted an audit system to ensure students are
recording patient chart notes and the faculty are reviewing these.
Goal 12: Maintain and enhance opportunities for clinical training of graduate students.
a) Work closely with Graduate Education Policy Committee and Department Chair to assess
training opportunities for graduate students offered at the Center for Psychological Services.
b) Increase referral sources to allow for more training opportunities in the context of services to the
community.
c) Continue to work with hospitals, schools, and community agencies in establishing training
affiliation agreements to facilitate assignments of graduate students to these agencies for training
purposes.
Status: The program directors (Drs. Flanagan & Nevid) and Dr Bobrow have done a fine job maintaining
good relationships with the many hospitals, clinics, schools and agencies that service our students as
externship and internship sites. We have high quality placements, good and timely feedback to our
students and excellent rapport with these sites thanks to the work Drs. Flanagan, Nevid, and Bobrow.
Goal 13: Enhance the ability of the Center for Psychological Services to serve the multicultural and
multilinguisitc community.
The department has discussed the topic of diversity at all of our meetings and has infused this topic into
our classes and CE activities. The enrollment in the bilingual tracks of the MS and PsyD programs rose
this year and for the incoming class in September. Also, we have accepted a much more culturally
diverse class into the PhD program.
Rhetoric, Communication, and Theatre (new department)
Mission
Academic Service Learning was incorporated into one of the sections of the core course in public
speaking. Although results were minimal (one student participating), lessons were learned and
experience gained for the future.
Engagement
Ongoing email communication between the department and Rhetoric and Public Address majors was
initiated.
The number of Rhetoric and Public Address majors nearly tripled (to about 13), well on our way to the
goal of 25 majors. However, up-to-date, accurate information on students who have declared a major or
minor in the discipline is exceedingly hard to obtain.
A plan was proposed and accepted for 2009-2010 to provide enhanced Debate Society participation at the
Staten Island campus.
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Participation in international tournaments (Slovenia and Ireland), continued to be a strong component of
the Debate Society program.
Global Education
A proposal has been submitted to Global Studies for an advanced rhetoric course in Berlin during the
2010 winter intersession.
Major Challenge
Retirements and contract terminations will soon seriously reduce the department’s presence on the Staten
Island campus. New faculty will be needed to maintain strong instruction and student engagement at SI.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: Provide the highest possible quality instruction in Common Core courses to ensure that students
knowledge and skills in public communication are developed as completely as possible, reflecting our
student-centeredness and encouraging the students to be active learners throughout their lives.
Status: Greater care in the hiring and supervision of adjunct instructors was initiated. The core
communication course for the College of Pharmacy (RCT 1005C) was added to the Honors Program
course offerings.
Goal 2: The Department of Rhetoric, Communication, and Theatre will also continue to foster the
recently revived Debate Program, encouraging participation of students of all units of the University and
providing them with opportunities for the exchange of ideas with students from universities in the United
States and Europe.
Status: The Debate Society continued to thrive (see above). Two faculty members (Llano and Hostetler)
were featured in national and regional media in connection with the rhetoric of the 2008 Presidential
election.
Goal 3: The Department of Rhetoric, Communication, and Theatre will also continue to encourage
students to seek major and minor courses of study within the Department.
Status: The number of majors and minors in the department grew (see above).
Sociology/Anthropology
Mission
Sociology as a discipline has two central problematics that guide research: understanding the nature of
social order and the nature of social change. The study of structural inequality and correctives to
inequality are foundational in the department’s curriculum. This imperative to strive for social justice
directly reflects the university’s values and goals. Anthropology’s focus on global cultural diversity and
understanding reflect these as well.
Specific undergraduate courses that reflect the mission’s commitment to social justice and global
education include The Sociology of Poverty in America, Global Poverty, Inequality, Culture and Global
Change and Social Movements and Change. This focus is reflected in graduate courses as well: Global
Social Movements and Change; Global Education; Global Crime, Global Poverty and Globalization:
Origins and Meanings
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The university’s metropolitan character is supported by department offerings in the Minor in New York
Studies: Ant 4820 Archaeological Fieldwork; Soc 1080 Neighborhoods; Soc 2460 Social Justice and the
City; Soc 2630 Urban Sociology and Soc 1190 Soc of Poverty.
The department supports the doctoral program in history and offers courses in the M.A. degree in Global
Development
Each semester the department offers a distance learning Global Poverty course for Ozanam scholars in the
Discover the World program. This course has a significant service-learning component as does the
Selected Topics in Poverty Studies course taken by Ozanam scholars during the winter and spring presession semesters.
Department faculty incorporate service-learning in the courses they teach.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: Hire a methodology and statistics specialist to teach graduate statistics and methods in the
sociology and criminology programs.
Status: The search conducted in the early fall semester yielded outstanding job candidates; unfortunately
the line was withdrawn for budgetary reasons. But given the response, the department is optimistic that an
outstanding methodologist can be hired if given an opportunity.
Goal 2: Develop a new 5 year BA – MA program in Psychology and Criminology and Justice.
Status: The department did not pursue this program. There are only two full-time faculty currently
teaching in the Criminology and Justice program and class-size is a concern. We believe that this 5-year
program would be popular with undergraduate psychology majors but since our program is structured
around student-centered seminars and close student-faculty interaction, we need to avoid overcrowding in
graduate courses. This is a goal we are committed to pursing when the staffing situation improves.
Goal 3:Pursue faculty grant opportunities.
Status: Nine external grant proposals were submitted by faculty; six are pending including a U.S. National
Institute of Justice grant for $469,000 and a U.S. Department of Education Title VI Grant to develop an
undergraduate degree in Global Development. One grant was funded and two were not.
Goal 4: Participate in innovative programming opportunities on the Staten Island campus.
Status: The department is offering courses in the Certificate in Human Resources on the Staten Island
campus.
Goal 5: Encourage faculty participation in Portable Professor Program.
Status: 71% (N=10) of the department faculty have received Portable Professor training and incorporate
technology in their classes.
Goal 6: Increase participation at national and regional academic conferences.
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Status: All faculty attended academic conferences on both the national and international level. Each
tenure- track faculty member participated in more than one conference; one participated in an
international sociology conference. This demonstrates strong participation in their academic disciplines.
Goal 7: Increase participation in workshops conducted by CTL.
Status: Department faculty attended 14 CTL workshops during the academic year.
8. Increase faculty participation in Academic Service-Learning program.
Status: 29% (N=4) of the faculty incorporate Academic Service-Learning in the courses they teach.
Goal 9: Increase department’s course offerings in Social Justice minor.
Status: The department has submitted a request to the curriculum committee to add an additional course:
Ant 1060 The Anthropology of Poverty.
Goal 10: Hold a graduate colloquium on a topic reflecting the University’s Vincentian mission.
Status: The topic of this year’s colloquium was “Women’s Community Activism and Globalization;” the
speaker was Dr. Nancy Naples who has widely published in the field.
Theology and Religious Studies
Mission
Theology and religious studies are at the heart of St. John’s University as a Catholic, Vincentian and
metropolitan university. The Department of Theology and Religious Studies by its very nature
participates in that mission. All undergraduate students must take Theology 1000C as well as two
additional courses in the distributed core. More particularly the members have sought to embody that
mission in the following ways:
a) Catholic
1. Providing a broad and diverse curriculum of offerings in theology in the Roman Catholic
tradition that is cognizant and respectful of that tradition, yet also open to ecumenical and
inter-religious developments.
2. Seeking to foster communication with the local church in the person of the bishop and his
representatives.
3. Seeking to reach out to the clergy of our domicile diocese, especially through frequent
hiring of presbyters and deacons among our part-time faculty.
4. Participating in reaching out to the local Catholic community through the “Three Things
Catholics Should Know” Program.
5. Providing a curriculum of graduate offerings with a distinctive pastoral and Vincentian
approach geared especially towards the development of lay ministers in the surrounding
dioceses.
6. Investigating the possibility of developing a Ph.D. Program in Pastoral Theology in the
Roman Catholic tradition.
7. Investigating the possibility of developing a Catholic Studies minor (and possibly major)
on the Queens campus to be housed in the Department of Theology and Religious
Studies.
b) Vincentian
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1. Fostering and incorporating service learning into approximately 35-50% of our
undergraduate course offerings.
2. Fostering the Vincentian charism by regularly scheduling Theology 3410 “Helping
the Neighbor: Vincent de Paul and Christian Service.”
3. Seeking to cooperate with university programs that are especially attentive to the
Vincentian charism (for instance, Masters in Global Development, Ozanam Scholars,
Vincentian Center for Church and State, VISA, Advantage Program, Vincentian
Mission Certificate Program).
4. Fostering the Vincentian charism as a dimension of our identity among department
new (and old) hires – both full-time and part-time.
5. Providing training in ways in which we can move towards “greening” our theology
courses in light of both university initiatives and the manner in which this impacts the
earth’s poor.
c) Metropolitan
1. Fostering conversation and fellowship with other churches and religious traditions in
the surrounding metropolitan area.
2. Actively working to hire part-time faculty from other Christian traditions and
religions (currently three rabbis, two Orthodox priests, one priest from the Old
Catholic tradition, and one Protestant).
3. Providing a variety of religious studies courses that meet the needs of our religiously
diverse student population which is so representative of the metropolitan area in
which we are located.
Engagement
The following points summarize discussions that have taken place among the members of the department
in the following contexts: P&B meeting, GEPC meeting, UEPC meetings, and meetings of the full-time
and part-time faculty since September 2008. These discussions will continue during the Fall 2009
semester. Since we reach out to two different groups of students, namely the general student body as well
as our majors and minors, there are two levels presented.
The Student Body at Large:
As a department we tend to think that the question of engagement (and retention) is very much tethered to
students’ sense that they are “connected” with St. John’s University. This connection happens, of course,
in many different ways. Here we simply want to focus on our context, that is, responsibility for teaching
the common and distributed core theology and religious studies courses to the general population of
undergraduate students. Teaching the M.A. and M.Div. students is also a matter to be examined as well.
At this level our main priority is the undergraduate population.
Goal I: To ensure that undergraduate students in our theology and religious courses experience a sense of
personal connection with St. John’s University, particularly in our theology and religious studies classes.
Among some of the strategies we will seek to employ are:
• Learning the names and interests of the students who come into our classrooms as best as we can
(given the rather large classes that we teach).
• Sharing some of our own personal stories, interests, and concerns within the classroom context
with students where this is advisable and appropriate.
• Making a greater effort to reach out to students who are consistently absent from class.
• Making a greater effort to reach out to students who appear to be experiencing academic (or
personal) difficulties in our classes.
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•
On occasion and as budget permits, treating students to a pizza, tea, etc. (It was observed that
these little kindnesses have a wonderful way of making students sense they are connected.)
Goal II: To ensure that our undergraduate students are receiving the best quality education in theology
and religious studies that we can possibly provide.
• Improving our craft of teaching especially regarding advances in technology without allowing
those technologies to become a substitute for personal engagement and interaction with students.
• Engaging the students through creative and critical writing as well as other forms of selfexpression.
• Keeping up to date as best as possible both in the general disciplines of theology and religious
studies as well as in our areas of specialization.
• Sharing our current research interests and accomplishments with our students.
• Making ourselves more readily available to students not only during office hours but at other
times as well. (In a related matter, to respond to student e-mails within a reasonable amount of
time.)
• Providing as best as we can reasonably quick feedback to students regarding their work (tests,
papers, etc.).
• Taking a critical look at our current curriculum to make sure that it both forms and inspires our
students with a passion for theology and religious studies.
• Providing department training sessions in the use of St. John’s Central and PowerPoint in the
classroom, especially for new hires.
• Encouraging all members of the department – full-time and part-time - to engage in the on-line
pedagogy courses provided by the university. To date approximately 15% have taken the course
and we are hoping to increase this number.
• Providing additional on-line (distance learning courses) for our undergraduate students.
Goal III: To generate a greater interest among the general student body in pursuing theology and religious
studies as a major or minor.
• Explaining the advantages of majoring or minoring in theology and religious studies with the
students in class.
• Explaining the program of studies to the students in class.
• Inviting the Chairperson, Assistant Chairperson, and/or members of the P&B Committee to speak
about the theology and religious studies major in our classes.
• Sharing the new pamphlets for the major and minor which have been developed by the
department.
• Finding ways to enhance our departmental presence at the Majors Fair and the Open Houses on
the Queens and Staten Island Campuses.
Current Majors and Minors in Theology and Religious Studies:
Goal I: To engage with the majors and minors on a more regular basis both in academic and informal
settings.
• Providing more non-classroom academic settings in which the undergraduate majors and minors
can engage with both the full-time and part-time faculty.
• Providing more informal settings (for instance, pizza lunches, coffee hours during the common
hour) in which the faculty and undergraduate majors and minors can engage one another.
• Encouraging greater interest and participation in Theta Alpha Kappa (TAK) the National Honor
Society in Theology and Religious Studies.
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•
•
•
•
Providing the opportunity for majors and minors (as well as undergraduate students) to showcase
their writing such as Diakonos (the departmental theology and religious studies publication) and a
possible essay contest.
Improving where necessary the academic advisement of our majors and minors.
Examining the current undergraduate curriculum for majors to insure that it provides the best
approach possible to the study of theology and religious studies.
Currently discussing the possibility of providing on-line graduate courses and possibly a hybrid
graduate degree consisting of both on-line and in-class courses.
It should be noted that there are varying levels of interest in this endeavor. While some are enthusiastic
and most are interested, there is also a small level of disinterest that has been manifested.
Global Education:
There are various ways in which the department and its various members seek to be more attentive to
globalization and global education. Among some of these are the following:
• By being attentive to the global dimensions of the Roman Catholic Church (and more broadly,
Christianity) as it becomes more diverse especially in light of growth in the southern hemisphere.
We are making a greater effort to incorporate this dimension into our curriculum.
• By fostering the presence of a rather diverse population in our undergraduate and graduate
theology and religious studies programs.
• A number of our professors (three in particular – Marilyn Martone, Jean-Pierre Ruiz, and
Christopher) have been actively engaged in the Masters of Global Development Program.
• By being attentive to hiring a more diverse part-time faculty representative of the global face of
Catholicism, Christianity, and other religious traditions.
Major Challenges:
We need additional lines of hire for the full-time faculty; at a minimum we need replacement hires. We
need additional full-time professors in light of members who divide their time between the department
and other university programs as well as the one member who is currently on step-down.
It is difficult to foster a fuller approach to the use of technology in the department because there are an
inordinate number of part-time professors. The problem is that, unlike the students and the full-time
professors, they do not receive a laptop computer. It would be very helpful if the part-timers received
laptop computers (especially if and when they have worked within the department for two or more
semesters). In addition, the current arrangement for “office” and “work” space for the part-time faculty
needs reconsideration.
The department recently lost a nine-month staff member who was not replaced; this has impaired, in part,
the work of the Chair as well as the work of the department in general. In addition, one of the full-time
staff members works (very) part-time for the department. This impairs both the work of the Chair and the
work of the department, especially its committee work. In general we could use an additional staff
member; minimally we need to have the staff person who does not currently work for us full-time to be
returned to the department full-time.
2008-2009 Annual Plan Goals
Goal 1: Continue to develop and advocate for new full-time lines of hire in the various theological
disciplines in order to strengthen the department overall, but also with the hope of correcting the current
53
imbalance of part-time faculty to full-time faculty, especially on the Queens campus. To request five new
lines of hire 2009-2010 (FY 2010).
Status: The department Personnel and Budget Committee requested five new lines of hire from the
administration for the 2009-2010 FY; one was granted in the area of Pastoral Theology with a
concentration in catechetics and religious education. We interviewed three very fine candidates but in
light of the current economic crisis as well as other intervening factors, we decided to return the line of
hire to the university. We will again request five lines of hire this coming year and hope to be given
preferential consideration.
Goal 3: Secure a more just and professionally competitive salary for full-time faculty by continuing to
advocate for a salary review for all members of the department, especially for the associate professors.
Status: We did engage in a salary review especially for the associate professors and as a result five
members of the department (in the middle range) were given a salary adjustment.
Goal 3: To continue to foster greater interaction between the full-time and part-time faculty.
a) Meet as Chair biannually with part-time faculty.
b) Create opportunities for full-time and part-time interaction by way of two joint luncheons
and one joint meeting.
Status: The Chair facilitated two major meetings for the part-time faculty – one in August 2008 and a
second in January 2009. Attendance by the part-time faculty was approximately 75-80%. There were also
four joint luncheons and one dinner during the year attended by both the full-time and part-time faculty
members. To date we have not yet had a joint department meeting of both the full-time and part-time
faculty members. One is planned for the 2009-10 academic year.
Goal 4: Continue to increase various budget lines especially for faculty development and travel in order to
bring those into line with the needs of the department.
Status: We requested $6,000 in additional travel money but this is obviously on hold in light of the
current economic situation.
Goal 5: Develop professional development sessions on pedagogy for the full-time and part-time
department faculty in order to improve the quality of teaching. This will happen through a number of
strategies.
a) Engage in peer reviews for full-time faculty and observation of part-time faculty on a
rotating basis by select full-time faculty.
b) Facilitate greater use of St. John’s Central by full-time and part-time faculty.
Status: We continued this past year an in-class evaluation of the various part-time teachers. These will
continue on a cycled basis. These evaluations were conducted by the Chair and assistant Chair, the
members of the department Personnel and Budget Committee, and select full-time department members.
During the past year six optional “pedagogy sessions” for the part-time faculty were facilitated by the
Chair. These sessions addressed particular issues related to teaching undergraduate theology and
religious studies. Attendance at these sessions numbered between six and fifteen. We intend to continue
with these sessions during the coming year.
At one of the meetings of the part-time faculty, Cynthia Chambers was invited to offer some additional
possibilities for the use of St. John’s Central.
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Goal 6: Develop biannual departmental colloquia.
Status: We were not able to facilitate these colloquia during the past year. We intend to sponsor two such
colloquia during the coming year.
Goal 7: Initiate a search for the next holder of the McKeever Chair.
Status: In light of the current economic situation this search has been postponed. In its place we are
considering inviting a major moral theologian each semester to give a lecture in some topic germane to
moral theology. If this proves successful, we might actually morph into that format permanently.
Goal 8: Encourage attention to the work of minority theologians especially in the area of social justice
issues.
Status: One of our goals in considering the possible new hire was to seek a person from a minority
background. As noted, this endeavor has been postponed. One of the means of seeking to compensate has
been to search for part-time faculty who might assist us in realizing this goal. During the coming year we
will continue to discuss this.
Goal 9: Explore the possibility of having an independent theologian or team of theologians evaluate the
departmental curriculum.
Status: In light of the current economic situation, this goal has been postponed. For the time being, in its
place, we are comparing our own undergraduate and graduate programs and curricula with those of
benchmark institutions.
Goal 10: Generate interest in the Graduate Theology Program that translates into additional students and
seats.
a) Work with Marketing and Communications to develop advertising in terms of print
pamphlets and website.
b) Develop an annual conference geared towards clergy and laity in the surrounding
dioceses.
c) Revivify biannual Graduate Newsletter (with a broader focus than simply graduate
students).
Status: During the past year we worked on the revision of a print brochure. There has been some
discussion regarding to the weight we should give to the Master of Divinity Program. We will send this
revised brochure to the printer during the coming year.
In light of the development of the “Three Things Catholics Should Know Series” we are cooperating with
Fr. Patrick Griffin to provide speakers. The department is also discussing a possible conference geared
toward the clergy and laity of the local churches. One possible topic being considered is the revised
translation of the Roman Missal.
We have revivified the bi-annual Graduate Newsletter. Among two changes are: it is now tri-annual and
we have tried to broaden the scope and audience. This past year we published two issues and the third is
ready to go to print. We also intend to initiate an electronic PDF format.
Goal 11: Assess overall graduate theology curriculum.
a) Delete courses not offered, obsolete.
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b) Add new courses where desirable or necessary in light of curricular development.
c) Develop rotating schedule of courses.
d) Implement a new capstone course for the MA program.
Status: We began an assessment of the graduate curriculum over the past nine months in both general
faculty meetings, and more particularly in the Graduate Educational Policy Committee. Over the past year
we added two new courses (445 Theology of Mary, 200 Liturgical Year and Liturgy of Hours). We are
currently developing new courses in the area of catechesis and religious education. To date, no courses
have been targeted as “obsolete.”
The rotation of course offerings has currently been impacted by the economic situation. Our graduate
course offerings have been reduced from nine to seven.
We are currently considering either a required pro-seminar (possibly non-credit) at the beginning of the
program, a research course, or a capstone course.
Goal 12: Collect and disseminate information on available scholarships for both graduate theology
students.
Status: The director of the graduate program has investigated the scholarships available and has targeted
students.
Goal 13: Continue to focus on the core course, Theology 1000C.
a) Hold all full-time members of the department accountable for teaching one-third of the
1000C sections.
b) Evaluate the present form and requirements of the BA program in theology with
reference to departmental goals and curriculum objectives.
Status: Approximately 25% to 35% of the Theology 1000C courses are currently taught by full-time
department members.
The Undergraduate Educational Policy Committee is currently reviewing the required courses for the BA
program in theology and religious studies. We have also devoted two department meetings to this topic.
We have added three new courses this past year (3270 Theology in Literature; 3265 Theology and Film;
3235 Ministry, Orders, Religious Life) and are currently developing additional courses in light of current
curricular needs and student interests.
Goal 14: Generate interest in Theology and Religious Studies as a major and/or minor that translates into
additional students in the program.
a) Work with Marketing and Communication in developing an undergraduate pamphlet and
website.
b) Visit and evaluate various undergraduate classes.
c) Increase the number of majors annually by 5-10%% and minors by 20%.
Status: During the past year we have developed and printed new undergraduate brochures for both the
major and minor.
The number of students who are majors remains stable while the number of minors increased by
approximately 10%. While there is an expressed interest among the students in theology and religious
studies, one of the haunting questions remains: “What can a person do with a theology degree?” We are
attempting to address this legitimate concern.
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Goal 15: Assess overall undergraduate curriculum.
a) Delete courses not offered or obsolete in the light of curricular developments.
b) Generate new courses where desirable or necessary in light of curricular development.
c) Offer the entire curriculum on regular rotating basis.
d) Improve advisement of majors and minors.
e) Generate additional possibilities for student-faculty interaction outside the classroom by
way of luncheons and academic gatherings.
f) Evaluate the present format of the senior seminar.
Status: As noted above three new courses were developed and approved this past year. We are currently
developing five additional courses. As a rule, the entire curriculum is now offered on a two-year cycle
(with the exception of three courses).
We are attending to the quality of advisement that undergraduate majors and minors receive. Select fulltime faculty member are advising students on a regular basis.
During the past year the department sponsored several “pizza lunches” for the undergraduate majors and
minors, and full-time and part-time faculty. Theta Alpha Kappa (the theology honor society) has also
sponsored several more academic gatherings for members as well as for majors, minors, and others who
are not majors. These have been well-attended.
Goal 16: Continue to foster the importance of and membership in national theology society Theta Alpha
Kappa.
Status: Theta Alpha Kappa is moderated by two full-time faculty members; has experienced increased
membership, and has sponsored several academic gatherings.
Goal 17: Continue to develop undergraduate theology and religious studies publication (Diakonos).
Status: The second volume of Diakonos is in print and the third volume is in preparation.
Goal 18: Foster additional on-line sections of courses.
Status: We have increased the number of on-line sections, but not significantly. We currently offer
between four and six on-line sections per semester and two on-line sections in the summer.
Goal 19: Collect and disseminate information on available scholarships for undergraduate theology
students
Status: We continue to investigate the possibilities for scholarships for undergraduate students in
theology.
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