OATdb Archive

2010 - 2011

Communication Studies, Department Of

Goal
Teaching Excellence
To perform with excellence in classroom instruction.

Objective
Teaching Excellence
Faculty members will sustain an above average level of classroom instruction.

Indicator
Student Evaluation Of Teaching
The measure of teaching effectiveness will be the average IDEA System score for all classes taught during the evaluation period.

Criterion
Student Evaluation Of Teaching
An average grade for all classes taught in the evaluation period of 4.25 or better will indicate excellence in classroom instruction.

Finding
Teaching Excellence
The average IDEA score for all teachers and all classes during the evaluation period was 4.3.

Action
Teaching Excellence
Although the faculty met the criterion for teaching excellence, there is the desire to improve this number.  New courses have been proposed this year to address current students' needs, and new online courses have been developed.

Goal
Research Productivity
To establish and maintain an ongoing program of research and publication by the tenured and tenure-track faculty.

Objective
Research Productivity
Tenured and tenure-track faculty members will maintain an ongoing program of research and publication.

Indicator
Research Productivity
The measure of research productivity will be the number of convention presentations and publications (published or accepted for publication) during the evaluation period.

Criterion
Research Productivity
A total of two convention papers or one paper published or accepted for publication and two papers submitted for publication during the evaluation period will indicate an ongoing program of research and publication.

Finding
Research Productivity
Each faculty member met this criterion, with four of six exceeding it substantially. One faculty member who had one convention presentation did submit two manuscripts for publication.

Action
Research Productivity
This department has a record of ongoing research and productivity at a high level.  However, a disparity has developed between those who are most productive and those who are least.  Since the department primarily conducts team research, there will be efforts made to involve the least productive members in the ongoing programs of the most productive.

Goal
Professional Activity And Service
To promote regular faculty participation in and service to state, regional, national, and international professional organizations.

Objective
Professional Activity And Service
Tenured and tenure-track faculty members will participate regularly and perform service in the state, regional, national, and international profesional organizations of the field.

Indicator
Professional Activity And Service
Professional activity and service will be measured by the number of professional organization conventions attended during the evaluation period or by service performed as a member of a professional organization.

Criterion
Professional Activity And Service
Participation in two regional or national, or one international, professional organization meeting during the evaluation period will indicate a satisfactory level of professional activity. Service as a committee member or the like equals participation in one organization meeting.

Finding
Professional Activity And Service
Two faculty members attended and presented papers or participated in organizational meetings at a regional, a national, and two international professional organizations.  Four others attended and participated in one regional or one national organization meeting.

Action
Professional Activity And Service
While the faculty met this criterion, two faculty members were less active than they had been in the past.  These two will be encouraged to increase their professional participation in the coming year.

Goal
Graduate Recruitment And Admission
To increase the enrollment of graduate students.

Objective
Graduate Recruitment And Admission
The graduate faculty will recruit and admit four or more new qualified applicants.

Indicator
Graduate Recruitment And Admission
This objective will be attained by identifying qualified graduate applicants and admitting them to the program.

Criterion
Graduate Recruitment And Admission
Recruitment and admission of four or more qualified graduate students will satisfy this goal.

Finding
Graduate Recruitment And Admission
Seven new graduate students were admitted to the program during the reporting period.

Action
Graduate Recruitment And Admission
The department is meeting its goals for admitting students to the graduate program.  However, it recognizes that its minimal goal may need to be increased to ensure adequate productivity.  It is contemplating putting the MA program online.


Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement

Plan for continuous improvement The Department of Communication Studies is firmly committed to excellent teaching, a high level or research productivity, and active professional participation.  It met its goals with respect to these commitments this year, but the level was marginally lower than in the previous reporting period.  For that reason, the department will redouble its efforts, although it is unlikely that the dropoff was anything more than a normal fluctuation.  Its graduate recruiting efforts were successful, but there is a need to prevent drop outs.  The graduate director and the chair will be making plans to address that need.