The Department of Political Science will hire and maintain high quality research track faculty.
Objective
Research Track Faculty
Research faculty will engage in scholarly activities.
Indicator
Faculty Research
Research faculty's progress will be measured by the number of publications.
Criterion
Faculty Research
Over a rolling 3 year period research track faculty will produce an average of 1 peer reviewed article per year or 1 book during the 3 year period.
Finding
Research Faculty Progress
The mean number of publications we had antitipated was 1.0. The actual mean number of publications was 1.5
Action
Faculty Research
We will continue to encourage faculty research efforts.
Goal
Academic Program Improvement
The Department of Political Science will provide and maintain high quality academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Objective
High Quality Curriculum
The department will maintain high quality curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Indicator
High Quality Curriculum
Curriculum will be reviewed annually by the deparment's Curriculum Committee.
Criterion
High Quality Curriculum
Curriculum (hours required and courses offered) will be comparable to curriculum found at universities and colleges ranked by US News and World Report as the top 10% universities and colleges for the study of political science and government.
Finding
High Quality Curriculum
The Curriculum Committee reviewed the department's curriculum (hours required and courses offered) and concluded that it was comparable to curriculum found at universities and colleges ranked by US News and World Report as the top 10% universities and colleges for the study of political science and government
Action
High Quality Curriculum
The committee will continue its annual review of the department's curriculum.
Objective
Student Satisfaction
The Department of Political Science will improve students' overall satisfaction with academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Indicator
Student Satisfaction
Student satisfaction will be measured using an anonymous exit survey. All undergraduate and graduate students will complete the survey prior to graduation.
Criterion
Student Satisfaction
At least 80% of our graduates will provide a positive answer to question 12 on the graduate exit survey and at least 80% of our undergraduates will provide a positive answer to question 9 on the undergraduate exit survey. Respondents'' answers will be considered positive if they describe their overall experience with the programs as satisfactory or very satisfactory.
Finding
Student Satisfaction
Fall 2006: 1/16 undergraduates completed the survey. The student offered a positive response to question 9. 3/4 graduates completed the survey. All students offered a positive response to question 12. Spring 2007: 7/27 undergraduates completed the survey. All students offered a positive response to question 9. 1/3 graduates completed the survey. The student offered a positive response to question 12. Although the students'' responses were positive in most cases the response rates for the surveys were too low to allow for accurate assessment of student satisfaction.
Action
Student Satisfaction
The department''s website has been revised to include online versions of the graduate and undergraduate exit survey. We believe online surveys will increase the response rate as online surveys are more accessible to students than mail out surveys. Three weeks before graduation students will be sent an email message encouraging them to complete the surveys.
Objective
Professional And Political Markets
The department will enhance students' exposure to the professional and political/government markets.
Indicator
Professional And Political Markets
The Department's ability to offer students the opportunity to participate in professional and political/government markets will be measured according to the number of internships offered each year.
Criterion
Professional and Political Markets
The Department of Political Science will offer at least 10 - 15 internships per academic year.
Finding
Internships
We had anticipated 10 - 15 internships. However, we secured over 40 internships at the local, state, and national level. This number reflects the pent-up demand in the department following a long period of time without a real undergraduate internship program. Although we were pleased with most of the internships we found that roughly half of the internships did not offer students consistent exposure to education and professionalism.
Action
Internships
Now that the backlog of potential interns has been utilized, we are settling into a more manageable and realistic number of twenty or so interns per year. Such a strategy allows us to place only high-quality students while also ensuring that their work-place experience is rewarding.
Objective
Faculty Teaching
The Department will provide high quality teaching.
Indicator
Faculty Teaching
Faculty will be evaluated using the data collected through the Individual Development and Educational Assessment program.
Criterion
Faculty Teaching
60% of the department''s courses will be scored at or above the national average as indentified by the Individual Development and Educational Assessment program.
Finding
Faculty Teaching
For fall of 2006 76% of the courses taught in the department were scored at or above the national average. For spring 2007 70% of the courses taught in the department were scored at or above the national average
Action
Faculty Teaching
The department will continue providing quality teaching.
Goal
Teaching Track Faculty
The Department of Political Science teaching track faculty will provide high quality instruction and engage in substantive projects designed to promote the department, college, and university.
Objective
Teaching Track Faculty
Teaching track faculty will engage in service work designed to promote the department, college, and university.
Indicator
Teaching Track Faculty
Teaching track faculty's progress will be measured by the the number of service projects completed in a year. Service projects include: membership in college and university committees, participation in department recruitment programs, organizer of major campus event, etc
Criterion
Teaching Track Faculty
We expect our teaching faculty to complete at least 2 service projects per faculty per year.
Finding
Teaching Track Faculty
Two out of four of our teaching track faculty completed at least two service projects. Projects included Academic Challenge, student recruitment drives, special speaker presentations, and more.
Action
Teaching Track Faculty
The department chair will explore various means for increasing the number of service projects completed by teaching track faculty.