The Department of History will engage in scholarly activities to maintain a high-quality curriculum.
Objective
Faculty Scholarship
The Department of History will increase faculty research and scholarly activities.
KPI
Faculty Research Publications
The History faculty will contribute to the field by publishing in scholarly venues. At least 55% of the graduate faculty will publish a scholarly work each year. The history faculty will average at least 35 published pages per graduate faculty member per year.
Result
Faculty Research Publications
In 2012, 11 of the 23 members of the graduate faculty, or 48%, published in scholarly venues, and the 23 averaged 63 pages apiece. In a discipline in which monographs of many pages are the preferred venue for publication, we expect some yearly variation in the patricipation and pagination metrics.
In the previous three years, the percentage of publishing faculty was 63%, 48%, and 42%. The pagination average for the previous three years was 41, 99, and 104.
KPI
Grant Activity
At least 60% of the graduate history faculty will submit at least one grant proposal each year, and at least one of these proposals will be funded.
Result
Grant Activity
In 2012, 8 of 23 members of the History graduate faculty, or 35%, applied for grants. 5 professors won grant funding in Spring 2013. The grant success of the current year will encourage grant participation in future years.
In the previous three years, the percentages of faculty submitting grants was 50%, 57%, and 68%.
KPI
Faculty Research Presentations
At least 60% of the graduate faculty will present in scholarly venues each year.
Result
Faculty Research Presenttaions
10 of 20 tenure-track faculty, or 50%, presented at scholarly venues this year.
In the previous three years, the rates were 50%, 57%, and 68%.
Action
Faculty Research Publications
Our participation per professor was below the goal this year, but our pagination per professor was comfortably above. The variation owes to the convention in the field of producing monographs after a long period of gestation and research. Five professors currently are at work on monographs that will be published over the next two years (much on the basis of institutional support form the department), suggesting that our pagination average should comfortably exceed the benchmark in the future.
Action
Grant Activity
Large government grants (such as in Teaching American History) have been shut down in the wake of the Great Recession. Having been successful in this area in the past, our members have switched to targeting smaller, more specific grants, often with a sole Principal Investigator as opposed to six to ten. While this has led to a smaller participation ratio, the high scuccess rate (as well as the prestige of these grants) is notable in its own right and will prompt a greater proportion of the faculty to follow suit.
Action
Faculty Research Presentations
We are striving to get our presentation ratio up, chiefly by means of providing support for archival research to our faculty. We should maintain the benchmark at the high level in expectation of hitting if not exceeding it.
Goal
Advanced Education
The history department will promote matriculation undergraduate students into advanced educational programs
Objective
Promoting Advanced Degree Work
History majors will demonstrate competency in knowledge and skills in historiography with the ability to seek advanced degrees in history and related fields.
KPI
Admission Into Graduate School
Admission of history students to history graduate programs will indicate success. The department will seek to place at least 10% of BA or BS graduates into history MA or other history graduate programs.
Result
Admission Into Graduate School
8 of the expected 74 graduates of the 2012-13 year (11%) have been accepted into a history MA program.
KPI
Advanced Degree Programs Outside Of History
Admission of history graduates to programs for other advanced other degrees, such as the PhD, the JD, and the M.L.S. will indicate success. The History Department will encourage such study and will seek to place at least 3 BA, BS, or MA graduates in programs for advanced or specialized degrees at other universities.
Result
Advanced Degree Programs Outside Of History
2012-13, at least two of our graduates have been accepted into Ph.D. programs, one at the University of Arkansas and another at the University at Buffalo. Information on J.D. acceptances in 2012-13 will not be available until late 2013. The most recent data for J.D. acceptances is for 2011-12, data which was not recorded in last year's OAT DB. There were two matriculations of History graduates in this year, including one to the Georgetown Law Center, which by the lights of the Universitry's pre-law advisor is among the most prestigious placements the University has ever gained.
Action
Promoting Advanced Degree Work
We are distinctly satisfied with our record in this area in this year and will seek to maintain the momentum. Collecting comprehensive records remains a challenge, and we are committed to improving in this area.
Goal
Faculty Recruitment And Retention
The department will recruit and retain high quality faculty.
Objective
Faculty Diversity
The Department of History will recruit, maintain and develop a faculty that is able to offer a well-rounded curriculum and that represents the gender and ethnic diversity of the student body.
KPI
New Hires
When hiring tenure track faculty, the Department of History will advertise widely and actively seek PhD faculty able to offer courses that support a well-rounded curriculum. Special efforts will be made to attract minority candidates for these open positions. Actual new hires will be indicator.
Result
New Hires
One of our first-year tenure-track members is Hispanic, and another tenure-track member hired this year and scheduled to start in fall 2013 is a female of South Asian descent.
Action
New Hires
The Department is looking forward to several searches in 2013-14 that will build on the substantial success of our recent searches.
Goal
Instructional Evaluation
Instructional faculty receive high ratings of their teaching.
Objective
Faculty Teaching
History instructors will be rated above the national average on the Individual Development and Educational Assessment (IDEA) instrument.
KPI
IDEA Student Ratings: % Classes
At least 70% 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.
Result
IDEA Student Ratings: % Classes
In 2012-13, 79% of History classes were at or above the IDEA database average. In the previous two years, the levels were 88%, and 90%.
KPI
Students Taught By PhD Faculty
During any academic year the percentage of history students taught by faculty holding the PhD will exceed 85%.
Result
Students Taught By Ph.D. Faculty
2012-13, 86% of our students (5628 out of 6567) were taught by faculty holding the Ph.D. The previous year, the rate was 88%.
KPI
IDEA Student Ratings: Average
The average adjusted student evaluation of all SHSU History teachers as measured by the IDEA Center will place the average SHSU History faculty in the top 30% among teachers in the nation who use the IDEA instrument.
Result
IDEA Student Ratings: Average
In fall 2012, 84% of all History teachers (26 of 31) had scores in the top 30%.
Action
Instructional Evaluation
The Department shall increase its use of techniques for interpreting the IDEA instrument as increasingly offered by the IDEA Center.
Goal
Graduate Success
Students who graduate from the Department of History with a major or minor will find success in their endeavors.
Objective
Careers In History
History graduates will reach their career objectives
KPI
History TExES Exam
80% of all teacher education students who major or minor in History will pass the TEXES examination.
Result
History TExES Exam
In 2012-13, 82% of such students passed the TExES Exam.
KPI
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/she was a student at SHSU.
Result
Alumni Publications
In December 2012, a volume compiled from the work of eight of the Department's recent graduate students was published by the Historical Publishing Network, titled "Historic Walker County: The Story of Huntsville & Walker County." The Department is exploring greater opportunities in public and local history, and this volume represents a first step in developing programs in this area.
Action
Graduate Success
We plan on teaming with other University offices to enhance our ability, through technology and social media, to keep track of alumni achievements in scholarship and in careers.