The Department of History will enhance its image and increase its public exposure
Objective
Faculty Scholarship
The Department of History will increase faculty research and scholarly activities.
Indicator
Faculty Research
The History faculty will contribute to the field by presenting at professional meetings and by publishing in scholarly venues.
Criterion
Faculty Research
At least 50% of the graduate faculty will publish a scholarly work each year. The total number of pages published by history faculty will average at least 30 published pages per graduate faculty member per year.
Finding
Faculty Publications
During 2008, 77% (as opposed to 70% in 2007 and 68% in 2006) of the tenure or tenure track faculty published a scholarly work. The average per capita number of pages published during 2008 among this group was 106 pages (or 66 pages after our downward reduction of pages for multiauthored publications, later editions of previous published volumes, and edited collections). Both the total and adjusted percapita pages of publications in 2008 compared favorably with these publication levels in the preceeding two years, which were, respectively, 96 total and 63 adjusted pages in 2007 and 72 total pages and 67 adjusted pages in 2006. The levels of scholarship in 2008 exceeded our expectations for faculty scholarly productivity.
Criterion
Faculty Research--presentations
At least 50% of the graduate faculty will present in scholarly venues each year.
Finding
Faculty Presentations
During 2008, 73% of the tenure or tenure track faculty presented papers or served on a panel at scholarly meetings. This percentage of active scholars exceeded our percentages of activity in each of the preceeding two years (65% activity in 2007 and 68% in 2006). This level of success was in part a result of the fact that the department was able to provide $2000 per faculty for the support of scholarly activity. The level of scholarly activity in 2008 met our expectations.
Indicator
Grant Activity
The history department will be involved in seeking grants to support student enrichment opportunities, professional development and scholarly research.
Criterion
Grant Activity
At least 50% of the graduate history faculty will submit at least one grant proposal each year, and at least one of these proposals will be funded.
Finding
Grant Activity
During 2008, 41% (as opposed to 50% in 2007 and 64% in 2006) of the tenure or tenure track faculty were active in seeking external and/or internal grants. This did not meet our expectations.
Action
Grant Activity
To encourage more overall grant activity and greater efforts to secure large grants, in future years more weight will be given to grant activity in our Faculty Evaluation System (FES) merit award process. Specifically, beginning in 2009 one research point will be awarded for every $50,000 of grant funds sought in external grants, and two points will be awarded to the PI for every $50,000 of external grants funded in any FES cycle.
Action
% Faculty Publishing
The data suggests that the incentives built into the department's Faculty Evaluation System are creating the desired outcomes. To build upon our current success, during 2009-2010 the department will raise its benchmark expectations by 10% by adjusting the benchmark criteria from 50% to 55% of the faculty demonstrating the defined levels of scholarly productivity each year. Graduate faculty who for two consecutive years fail to demonstrate progress toward scholarly accomplishments will present to the departmental chair a plan for professional development, and after three years of unsatisfactory progress, will be removed from the graduate teaching faculty.
Action
Faculty Presentations
The department is meeting its benchmarks in this area. To build upon our current success, during 2009-2010 the department will raise its benchmark expectations by 10% by adjusting the benchmark criteria from 50% to 55% of the faculty presenting scholarly papers each year.
Because conference presentations are only interim and not final products, the department does not impose any penalty for failure to present at scholarly meetings. However, graduate faculty who for two consecutive years fail to demonstrate progress toward any scholarly activity will present to the departmental chair a plan for professional development, and after three years of unsatisfactory progress, will be removed from the graduate teaching faculty.
Objective
Faculty Diversity
The Department of History will recruit, maintain and development a faculty that represents the gender and ethnic diversity of the student body.
Indicator
Faculty Diversity
When hiring tenure track faculty, the Department of History will advertise widely and actively seek women and minority faculty
Criterion
Maintaining diverse faculty
The Department of History will maintain and development a faculty that represents the gender and ethnic diversity of the student body.
Finding
Maintaining diverse faculty
During 2008-09, the department conducted national searches for five positions: one senior hire in the history of science/medicine, one tenure track hire in military history, and three Visiting Assistant Professorships (VAP) in a variety of fields. The reason for the high number of VAP hirings was to fill instructional gaps that resulted from two tenured faculty receiving sabbaticals during 2009-2010 and one tenure track faculty member receiving a Fulbright Award to teach in China.
Multiple applicants applied for each position and first round interviews were conducted at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association in January 2009. During the ensuing months ten finalists (six males and four females) were invited to on-campus interviews.
The selection process for one position is still in progress, but among the four candidates who have accepted offers are three males and one female. Job offers also were extended to two other female candidates, but in each of these cases, the offer ultimately was declined.
Action
Faculty Diversity
During 2008-09 the department was able to hire faculty with expertise in fields not previously covered by tenure track faculty. However, national searches in these areas demonstrated that the number of minority candidates, especically African-American and Hispanic candidates, is small. Although special invitations were extended to minority candidates to apply for the advertized positions, and in one case a job offer was extended, no ethnic minorities were hired as new faculty members during 2008-09. As a result, efforts to attract a wider ethnic diversity of facutly needs to be continued in future job searches by extending special invitations to pipeline minority pre-PhDs with teaching fields in the areas of the published openings.
Objective
Doctoral Program
The Department of History will bring to approval a History doctoral program.
Indicator
Doctoral Program
SHSU will receive a letter from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board indicating final approval of a History PhD Program
Criterion
THECB Approval of PhD Program
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will approve a new History PhD Program
Finding
PhD Approval Denied
During 2008, the University learned from the Texas Coordinating Board that the state will not approve any additional PhD programs in History at this time.
Action
PhD Proposal
The decision of the Texas Coordinating Board has placed on hold the department's efforts to establish a PhD program in History. Upon receiving knowledge of this decision, the department established a new goal -- to build the MA program into one of the ten largest MA programs in the nation.
Objective
Faculty Teaching
History instructors will be rated above the national average on the Individual Development and Educational Assessment (IDEA) instrument.
Indicator
IDEA Student Ratings
History students will use the IDEA student evaluations
Criterion
IDEA Student Ratings: % Classes
At least 60% of the classes taught by History faculty will have IDEA Student ratings at or above the national average among professors of history at institutions using the IDEA system.
Finding
IDEA Student Ratings By Class
During Fall 2008, 52% of the classes taught by History Faculty received student ratings significantly above the national average while 37% were at the national average and 11% were significantly below the national average.
Criterion
IDEA Student Ratings: Average
The average adjusted student evaluation of all SHSU History teachers as measured by the IDEA Center will place the History faculty in the top one-third among History teachers in the nation.
Finding
IDEA Student Ratings - Average Percentile Rankings
During 2008-09, 86% of the tenure or tenure track history faculty received student ratings above the nationwide 50th percentile; 68% of this group had student ratings that placed them within the top 30% of teachers in the nation while 41% were placed by their students within the top 20% of US college and university teachers. Overall, the IDEA ratings of SHSU students placed tenure or tenure track history faculty in the 78th percentile among other college and university teachers employed at institutions using the IDEA Database. This percentile ranking was statistically similar to the 81st percentile ranking achieved during 2007-08.
Indicator
Students Taught By PhD Faculty
Undergraduate students will be taught by faculty holding the PhD.
Criterion
PhD faculty
The number and the percentage of history students taught by faculty holding the PhD will exceed the number and percentage of history students taught by faculty holding the PhD during the previous year.
Finding
PhD faculty
During 2008-09, 5661 of 7035 History students (80.5%) took classes from History faculty holding the PhD degree. During the previous two academic years (2007-08 and 2006-07) the number and % of students taught by PhD faculty were 5923 and 5539 and 78.4% and 78.8%. Comparisons of this earlier data with current data indicate that the percentage of students taught this year by PhD faculty was higher than in the previous two years, while the total number taught by PhD faculty was above 2006-07 but below 2007-08 levels.
Action
PhD Faculty
The department is meeting its benchmarks for increasing the percentage of PhD faculty instructing students. To build upon this success, the department will raise its benchmark expections. For 2009-2010, the department will strive to ensure that 80% or more of history students at SHSU will be taught by faculty who have completed the PhD.
Action
Quality Of Teaching
The department met all of its benchmarks for successful teaching. As a result of this success, the department will raise its benchmarks for 2009-2010. One previous teaching benchmark was that at least 60% of the classes taught by History faculty will have IDEA Student ratings at or above the national average among professors of history at institutions using the IDEA system. For 2009-2010, this benchmark will be raised from 60% to 65% of the classes above the nation average.
Teachers who for three consecutive years fall significantly below the national average on the IDEA benchmarks, and who are judged by the chair to demonstrate underaverage classroom performance will be asked to submit to the chair a plan for classroom improvement. This report will be included in the tenure or the tenure review files of the faculty members with consistent below average classroom performances.
Goal
Quality Programs
The Department of History will provide quality programs at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels.
Objective
Faculty Scholarship
The Department of History will increase faculty research and scholarly activities.
Indicator
Faculty Research
The History faculty will contribute to the field by presenting at professional meetings and by publishing in scholarly venues.
Criterion
Faculty Research
At least 50% of the graduate faculty will publish a scholarly work each year. The total number of pages published by history faculty will average at least 30 published pages per graduate faculty member per year.
Finding
Faculty Publications
During 2008, 77% (as opposed to 70% in 2007 and 68% in 2006) of the tenure or tenure track faculty published a scholarly work. The average per capita number of pages published during 2008 among this group was 106 pages (or 66 pages after our downward reduction of pages for multiauthored publications, later editions of previous published volumes, and edited collections). Both the total and adjusted percapita pages of publications in 2008 compared favorably with these publication levels in the preceeding two years, which were, respectively, 96 total and 63 adjusted pages in 2007 and 72 total pages and 67 adjusted pages in 2006. The levels of scholarship in 2008 exceeded our expectations for faculty scholarly productivity.
Criterion
Faculty Research--presentations
At least 50% of the graduate faculty will present in scholarly venues each year.
Finding
Faculty Presentations
During 2008, 73% of the tenure or tenure track faculty presented papers or served on a panel at scholarly meetings. This percentage of active scholars exceeded our percentages of activity in each of the preceeding two years (65% activity in 2007 and 68% in 2006). This level of success was in part a result of the fact that the department was able to provide $2000 per faculty for the support of scholarly activity. The level of scholarly activity in 2008 met our expectations.
Indicator
Grant Activity
The history department will be involved in seeking grants to support student enrichment opportunities, professional development and scholarly research.
Criterion
Grant Activity
At least 50% of the graduate history faculty will submit at least one grant proposal each year, and at least one of these proposals will be funded.
Finding
Grant Activity
During 2008, 41% (as opposed to 50% in 2007 and 64% in 2006) of the tenure or tenure track faculty were active in seeking external and/or internal grants. This did not meet our expectations.
Action
Grant Activity
To encourage more overall grant activity and greater efforts to secure large grants, in future years more weight will be given to grant activity in our Faculty Evaluation System (FES) merit award process. Specifically, beginning in 2009 one research point will be awarded for every $50,000 of grant funds sought in external grants, and two points will be awarded to the PI for every $50,000 of external grants funded in any FES cycle.
Action
% Faculty Publishing
The data suggests that the incentives built into the department's Faculty Evaluation System are creating the desired outcomes. To build upon our current success, during 2009-2010 the department will raise its benchmark expectations by 10% by adjusting the benchmark criteria from 50% to 55% of the faculty demonstrating the defined levels of scholarly productivity each year. Graduate faculty who for two consecutive years fail to demonstrate progress toward scholarly accomplishments will present to the departmental chair a plan for professional development, and after three years of unsatisfactory progress, will be removed from the graduate teaching faculty.
Action
Faculty Presentations
The department is meeting its benchmarks in this area. To build upon our current success, during 2009-2010 the department will raise its benchmark expectations by 10% by adjusting the benchmark criteria from 50% to 55% of the faculty presenting scholarly papers each year.
Because conference presentations are only interim and not final products, the department does not impose any penalty for failure to present at scholarly meetings. However, graduate faculty who for two consecutive years fail to demonstrate progress toward any scholarly activity will present to the departmental chair a plan for professional development, and after three years of unsatisfactory progress, will be removed from the graduate teaching faculty.
Objective
Faculty Diversity
The Department of History will recruit, maintain and development a faculty that represents the gender and ethnic diversity of the student body.
Indicator
Faculty Diversity
When hiring tenure track faculty, the Department of History will advertise widely and actively seek women and minority faculty
Criterion
Maintaining diverse faculty
The Department of History will maintain and development a faculty that represents the gender and ethnic diversity of the student body.
Finding
Maintaining diverse faculty
During 2008-09, the department conducted national searches for five positions: one senior hire in the history of science/medicine, one tenure track hire in military history, and three Visiting Assistant Professorships (VAP) in a variety of fields. The reason for the high number of VAP hirings was to fill instructional gaps that resulted from two tenured faculty receiving sabbaticals during 2009-2010 and one tenure track faculty member receiving a Fulbright Award to teach in China.
Multiple applicants applied for each position and first round interviews were conducted at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association in January 2009. During the ensuing months ten finalists (six males and four females) were invited to on-campus interviews.
The selection process for one position is still in progress, but among the four candidates who have accepted offers are three males and one female. Job offers also were extended to two other female candidates, but in each of these cases, the offer ultimately was declined.
Action
Faculty Diversity
During 2008-09 the department was able to hire faculty with expertise in fields not previously covered by tenure track faculty. However, national searches in these areas demonstrated that the number of minority candidates, especically African-American and Hispanic candidates, is small. Although special invitations were extended to minority candidates to apply for the advertized positions, and in one case a job offer was extended, no ethnic minorities were hired as new faculty members during 2008-09. As a result, efforts to attract a wider ethnic diversity of facutly needs to be continued in future job searches by extending special invitations to pipeline minority pre-PhDs with teaching fields in the areas of the published openings.
Objective
Faculty Teaching
History instructors will be rated above the national average on the Individual Development and Educational Assessment (IDEA) instrument.
Indicator
IDEA Student Ratings
History students will use the IDEA student evaluations
Criterion
IDEA Student Ratings: % Classes
At least 60% of the classes taught by History faculty will have IDEA Student ratings at or above the national average among professors of history at institutions using the IDEA system.
Finding
IDEA Student Ratings By Class
During Fall 2008, 52% of the classes taught by History Faculty received student ratings significantly above the national average while 37% were at the national average and 11% were significantly below the national average.
Criterion
IDEA Student Ratings: Average
The average adjusted student evaluation of all SHSU History teachers as measured by the IDEA Center will place the History faculty in the top one-third among History teachers in the nation.
Finding
IDEA Student Ratings - Average Percentile Rankings
During 2008-09, 86% of the tenure or tenure track history faculty received student ratings above the nationwide 50th percentile; 68% of this group had student ratings that placed them within the top 30% of teachers in the nation while 41% were placed by their students within the top 20% of US college and university teachers. Overall, the IDEA ratings of SHSU students placed tenure or tenure track history faculty in the 78th percentile among other college and university teachers employed at institutions using the IDEA Database. This percentile ranking was statistically similar to the 81st percentile ranking achieved during 2007-08.
Indicator
Students Taught By PhD Faculty
Undergraduate students will be taught by faculty holding the PhD.
Criterion
PhD faculty
The number and the percentage of history students taught by faculty holding the PhD will exceed the number and percentage of history students taught by faculty holding the PhD during the previous year.
Finding
PhD faculty
During 2008-09, 5661 of 7035 History students (80.5%) took classes from History faculty holding the PhD degree. During the previous two academic years (2007-08 and 2006-07) the number and % of students taught by PhD faculty were 5923 and 5539 and 78.4% and 78.8%. Comparisons of this earlier data with current data indicate that the percentage of students taught this year by PhD faculty was higher than in the previous two years, while the total number taught by PhD faculty was above 2006-07 but below 2007-08 levels.
Action
PhD Faculty
The department is meeting its benchmarks for increasing the percentage of PhD faculty instructing students. To build upon this success, the department will raise its benchmark expections. For 2009-2010, the department will strive to ensure that 80% or more of history students at SHSU will be taught by faculty who have completed the PhD.
Action
Quality Of Teaching
The department met all of its benchmarks for successful teaching. As a result of this success, the department will raise its benchmarks for 2009-2010. One previous teaching benchmark was that at least 60% of the classes taught by History faculty will have IDEA Student ratings at or above the national average among professors of history at institutions using the IDEA system. For 2009-2010, this benchmark will be raised from 60% to 65% of the classes above the nation average.
Teachers who for three consecutive years fall significantly below the national average on the IDEA benchmarks, and who are judged by the chair to demonstrate underaverage classroom performance will be asked to submit to the chair a plan for classroom improvement. This report will be included in the tenure or the tenure review files of the faculty members with consistent below average classroom performances.
Objective
Careers In History
History graduates will reach their career objectives.
Indicator
Alumni Publications
The History Department will prepare its graduates to publish in their respective fields.
Criterion
Alumni Publications
At least once every two years, a SHSU history graduate will publish a scholarly work within his/her field that was begun while he or she was a student at SHSU.
Finding
Alum Publications
During 2008-09, two former MA students had works published by major univeristy presses. A revision of Phil Caudill's MA thesis was published by Texas A&M University Press under the title Moss Bluff Rebel: A Texas Pioneer in the Civil War. In addition, Phillip Sinitiere, a former MA student in the history of American religion, co-authored a New York University Press monograph entitled Holy Mavericks: Evangelical Innovators and the Spiritual Marketplace.
Indicator
Career Advancement Of Graduates
The History Department will monitor the career advancement of graduates.
Criterion
Alumni Career Progress
At least once every three years the History Department will send a survey instrument to former history graduates. This survey will assess the degree that the history curriculum and training prepared graduates for a successful career trajectory. In the years during which this evaluation is made, at least 80% of the history graduates who respond to the survey will report that the degree skills they acquired as students have enabled them to meet their career goals.
Finding
Alumni Survey
No surveys were sent to former graduates during 2008-2009. The next survey to history graduates will be sent during the spring semester of 2010.
Action
Alum Publications
To encourage current and future students to aspire to be authors of scholarly works like the former graduates with significant 2009 publications, the department will publish on its website a link that celebrates the scholarly accomplishments of its former graduates.
Action
Alumni Survey
In 2008 the History Department recognized that its earlier plan to measure its effectiveness with an annual survey instrument sent to former students five years after graduation was not effective because of the small sample size of returned surveys. As a result, the History Department agreed to adopt a new strategy for assessment by sending an instrument to all history graduates for whom it has addresses. This survey will take place at least once every three years. The next scheduled time for sending this instrument is spring 2010.