Faculty in the Department of English will demonstrate quality in the instruction of their classes.
Objective
Quality Instruction
The Department's faculty will maintain a level of instruction at or above the average for all departments at SHSU.
KPI
Quality Instruction
Successful teaching will be demonstrated by faculty performance on the Individual Development and Educational Assessment (IDEA) Class Evaluation System. The IDEA survey is a nationally normed, university-adopted evaluation instrument developed at Kansas State University and scored by the IDEA Center at KSU that measures student perception of instructor teaching. The faculty of the Department of English will average at least 3.9 (the university's average) on the IDEA student evaluations of teaching. Part of the quality instruction is also adherence to stringent student evaluation; courses need to be interesting yet not too easy.
Result
English IDEA Scores
FACULTY (FULL, i.e., TENURED & TENURE-TRACK, N=24/23)/Fall 2011 and Spring 2012
The average IDEA score for twenty-four (24) English professors during Fall 2011 was 4.4. This performance indicator is 0.5 higher than the university's average. The range of English tenured and tenure-track scores is 3.5-4.9.
For Spring, the average IDEA score for twenty-three (23) English professors was 4.5, with the range from 3.7-4.9. The average is 0.6 higher than the university's average and higher than last year's 4.37. For full faculty, the goal was, thus, reached for the entire academic year 2011-2012.
ADJUNCTS (N=19)/Fall 2011
For Fall 2011, the pool faculty average was 3.9, with the range of 2.7-4.7. The English pool faculty are thus right at the university's average. That this score is lower than that of full faculty score is understandable because adjuncts teach mostly freshman writing courses that are taken by many non-majors. Compared to last year's, the average was the same, but the lowest score has risen from 2.04 to 2.7. Also, the highest score has risen from 4.57 to 4.7.
TEACHING ASSISTANTS (N=10)/Fall 2011
English teaching assistants teach only developmental and freshman writing courses. Their IDEA average was 4.2 (i.e., 0.3 higher than university's average), with the range of 3.8-4.6. Our teaching assistants take a practicum in teaching college composition; in addition, they have individual mentors. This, evidently helps to reach these relatively high scores.
Action
Bringing All Instructors To Current University Average
English prides itself with good teaching, which is reflected in the full faculty's and TAs' relatively high IDEA score averages. The goal was met. Three actions are, however, to be taken: (1) All full faculty should score at university's average level. A couple of faculty members are scoring lower, but even their scores improved from fall to spring. The issue of low scores was addressed in a private brainstorming session, and possible reasons were identified. This consciousness-raising will continue. (2) Adjuncts' scores are lower than full faculty's or TAs' scores. The reason is probably the nature of the classes that adjuncts mostly teach. Three mandatory meetings, where specifically teaching-related issues were addressed, were held during AY 2011-2012; it is to be hoped that these raise the consciousness of good teaching. Classroom-management tips were given during one of these sessions and also in private meetings with Associate Chair and Chair when problems arose. Spring 2012 IDEA scores have not arrived yet; it will be interesting to see whether spring scores for the past year were higher than fall scores. Classroom observations of adjunct classes will commence next year, with explicit feedback. An individual feedback session was also held in the spring with all adjuncts. These, too, will be ongoing. (3) TAs have been assigned faculty mentors who observe their classes. This will continue next year.
Goal
Research And Creative Activities Productivity
The Department's tenured and tenure-track faculty will engage in research and publication.
Objective
Research Agenda
Each of the Department's faculty will develop and maintain an active research agenda.
KPI
Research Agenda
The number of peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and grant proposals by the Department's tenured and tenure-track faculty will serve as indicators of active research agendas.
Presenting a paper at a meeting of a professional association and/or publication of one article will certify research productivity. [Note: given that the research interests of English faculty range widely, "article" will be construed to mean creative work that is article length--e.g., short story, 5 poems, or book-length work.] Presenting papers at conferences must not be weighed as much as publishing peer-reviewed articles.
Last year, we rose 32 percent from 2009 in research productivity. It seems unrealistic to think that we will increase that much from 2010-2011 to this year. Thus, this year the goal will be that research productivity will increase (and not decrease) from 2010-2011 through 2011-2012.
Result
Increased Research Activity
In the year 2011, the Department of English published 3 books, 1 textbook, 2 edited books, 8 articles, 5 book chapters, 2 conference proceedings, 10 poems (equals roughly 2 articles according to our set criteria), 2 short stories, 1 creative nonfiction essay, 1 book review, 1 creative work, and 2 other tokens. Not counting the last three categories, the Department published 26 (at least) article-equivalent tokens of publications per 23 faculty members. Faculty also presented 36 conference papers. The sum of publications and presentations is 62. This gives 2.7 tokens of research per one faculty member, which clearly satisfies the goal. The goal is to weigh publications more than presentations; the Department average is 1.1, which is more than last year's 0.8 per professor. English is thus moving in the right direction.
Action
All Faculty Members Are Encouraged To Publish Or Present
Even though all English faculty are engaged in scholarly activities, not everyone has chosen to publish or present. We will encourage everyone to do so. An international conference on Medieval and Renaissance Thought is being planned to take place on campus, organized by English faculty. This conference will be a suitable venue to present (and consequently publish) for many English professors.
Goal
Professional Service And Activity
The Department's faculty will engage in professional activities and service at a level appropriate for the individual faculty member's rank.
Objective
Professional Service Activities
English faculty will take part in service activities at local, state, regional, national, and/or international levels.
KPI
Professional Service Activities
The number of professional service activities--local, state, regional, national, and/or international--by the Department's tenured and tenure-track faculty will indicate engagement in professional service. Areas of service averaged 9 per faculty member last year. This year, we hope to average 10 service activities per faculty member.
Result
Service Activities
The average service tokens per faculty is 10.1; hence, our goal was met.
Action
Realistic Acceptance Of The Number Of Service Tokens
The Department of English is active in service; increasing department, college, and university service would take time away from faculty research, which the Department is dedicated to increase. Therefore, keeping the number of service tokens at 10 is realistic and prudent. Since we have met our goal, it will be ongoing but retired from this database.
Goal
MA In English Program Faculty Development
We will continue to develop the existing English MA Program by periodically reviewing the curriculum and introducing new courses that reflect developments in the field and best serve the needs of our students; by encouraging English graduate faculty to provide the best professional models as researchers, writers, and teachers; and by recruiting qualified students.
Objective
Graduate Faculty Credentials
English graduate faculty will demonstrate their professional competency and credentials for teaching graduate courses and serving as models for students continuing their graduate education, entering the teaching profession, and entering other professions that require graduate-level training in English language and literature.
KPI
Graduate Faculty Credentials
English graduate faculty will demonstrate that they are current in their fields and are qualified to teach graduate courses and to serve as models for students entering the profession.
As demonstration that they are current in their fields and are qualified to teach graduate courses, all graduate English faculty will show that they are actively engaged in the profession by one or more of the following means: one article or significant creative work published in a peer-reviewed publication every three years; one book published by a recognized press every seven years; one conference presentation every two years; one significant editorial project every three years; a leadership role in a professional organization. As part of the faculty research colloquium established to encourage scholarly and creative production, at least two graduate faculty members will present their work to the Department during each assessment period. As mentioned last year, we are hoping that more faculty will participate in scholarly publishing.
Result
Increased Scholarly Activity
Twenty-two English professors are members of the graduate faculty. All 22 met the requirements of graduate faculty credentials over the period of every two years. In 2011, of the 22 English graduate faculty members, 14 published books, textbooks, or edited books (6), articles (8), book chapters (5), conference proceedings (2), poems (10), short stories (2), creative nonfiction essays (1), or book reviews (1). This means that while 35 pieces of publication (from full-length monographs to poems and book reviews) were published in 2011, all this publication activity was carried out by only 63 percent of graduate faculty during 2011. The average number of publications per English graduate faculty is 1.6. Accepted and submitted research is not reported.
KPI
Maintaining Currency
Graduate faculty will strengthen their credentials by active participation in research activities. The faculty are encouraged to be strategically engaged in publication activities: always have something coming out, something submitted, something being revised, something in the plans.
Our goal will be to increase our productivity from what it was in 2010-2011.
Result
Increase Productivity By Everyone
Even though research productivity by graduate faculty was increased--5 published books, 8 published articles, and 5 published book chapters in one year, 2011, shows respectable productivity by English faculty--not every graduate faculty member had publications come out in 2011. However, most had submitted work, had articles accepted for publication for next year, or had presented at conferences.
Action
Encouraging Peer-reviewed Publication
Especially graduate faculty will be encouraged, via consciousness-raising, to publish annually. Something should always be in the so-called pipeline. Graduate faculty will be informed about the numbers of publications and the fact that they were completed by only 64 percent of faculty. The remaining 36 percent will be encouraged to submit in 2012, should they already not have done so. One incentive is that at SHSU a graduate faculty member has to publish in the academic area to retain graduate faculty status.
Goal
MA In English Program Student Recruitment
We will continue to develop the existing English MA Program by periodically reviewing the curriculum and introducing new courses that reflect developments in the field and best serve the needs of our students; by encouraging English graduate faculty to provide the best professional models as researchers, writers, and teachers; and by recruiting qualified students.
Objective
Graduate Student Recruitment
The English MA Program will recruit qualified graduate students. There is a conscious effort to increase the numbers of graduate students also.
KPI
Graduate Student Recruitment
The English MA Program will demonstrate its commitment to recruiting qualified graduate students by continuing to identify graduate prospects with promise, advertising the program, and inviting qualified individuals to apply. Without compromising the high admission standards, the graduate faculty will contact larger numbers of qualified students with the aim of recruiting them. Last year we increased our program by 20 students as we graduated 10 graduates. Our goal this year will remain at 20 students being enrolled for 2011-2012.
Result
Successful Recruitment
Twenty-one new graduate students have been admitted during Summer and Fall 2012.
Action
Strong Recruitment
Recruitment will be active and ongoing. All applicants will be promptly contacted (as in the past too), and the Graduate Director and Graduate Secretary will be in frequent touch with those who have not completed their applications. New recruits are actively looked for among our own undergraduates. Recruiting materials will be disseminated.
Goal
Advanced Graduate Studies
To produce graduates who are measurably well-prepared for further graduate studies in English (PhD or MFA)
Objective
Preparation For Continued Graduate Education
MA graduates will evidence the knowledge, skills, and professional readiness to be well-prepared for further graduate education in English (as for example, the PhD in literature, creative writing, and composition and rhetoric; or the MFA in creative writing).
KPI
Acceptance Into Advanced Degree Programs
Acceptance of a representative number of English MA students and recent graduates into advanced degree programs will serve as an indicator that students have acquired the breadth of disciplinary knowledge and the necessary critical thinking and writing skills for advanced graduate education in English and related fields. Advanced degree programs could include the PhD in literature, creative writing, technical and professional writing, and composition and rhetoric; the MFA in creative writing; the JD; and the terminal professional degree in a discipline like Library Science or Speech Pathology.
As demonstration that the English MA Program has successfully prepared its students for advanced graduate work, at least three students and/or recent graduates will be accepted into advanced degree programs (PhD or MFA) during the assessment period.
Although five students were enrolled in terminal degrees last year, it seems reasonable to have our goal remain at three until we determine that last year was not a chance occurrence.
Result
Acceptance To Graduate Programs
During 2011-2012, eight English graduate students received their MA degrees: one (1) in Summer 2011, four (4) in Fall 2011, and three (3) in Spring 2012. Four (4) more will graduate during Summer 2012. Most are continuing in their current jobs as teachers at high schools or community colleges; some will teach for our composition program in the fall. Two have been accepted into graduate programs at Oklahoma State University (PhD in English) and University of Memphis (MFA in creative writing). Of our past graduates, one was accepted to the University of Texas School of Law and another to a speech pathology program at Texas State at San Marcos.
Action
Encouraging MAs To Apply For Further Graduate Study
It seems to be a trend among our graduate students that they prefer to stay to teach in our composition program for a year or two. Even though this is not a bad idea per se because this gives them valuable experience of university-level teaching, we will encourage our new graduates to apply for graduate programs immediately after completing their MA with us.
Goal
Advanced Professions - Teaching
Preparation to enter the teaching professions requiring graduate-level training in English language and literature.
Objective
Preparation For Professions
Master of Arts graduates will be well-prepared to enter teaching professions requiring graduate-level training in English language and literature
KPI
Teaching Positions
The number of recent MA graduates as instructors at two-year and four-year institutions and/or dual credit teachers at high schools will serve as an indicator.
As demonstration that the English MA Program has successfully prepared its students for advanced graduate work, at least three students and/or recent graduates will be accepted into advanced degree programs (PhD or MFA) during the assessment period.
Last year, only four students met the criteria; we hope this year to increase that number to at least five students employed in criterion positions.
Result
English Graduates Prepared To Teach College-level English
Many (if not most) of our current and recent graduates have landed teaching positions at two- and four-year institutions teaching composition.
Action
Preparing Students Both For Teaching And Research
We will prepare our MA graduates to teach at 2- and 4-year institutions while also encouraging them to apply for PhD and MFA programs to further their marketability and raise the status of our program as a preparatory program for further graduate study.