The Department of History will engage in scholarly activities to maintain a high-quality curriculum.
Objective
Faculty Scholarship
The Department of History will maintain a constant flow of 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 2014-15, 12 of 19 History faculty published in scholarly venues, a rate of 63%. The average page count of such publications per graduate-faculty member was 84.
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
10 of 19 graduate history faculty, or 53%, applied for grants in 2014-15. Three of these applications won awards and were funded.
KPI
Faculty Research Presentations
At least 60% of the graduate faculty will present in scholarly venues each year.
Result
Faculty Research Presentations
16 of 19, or 84% of history graduate faculty presented in scholarly venues over the year.
Goal
Advanced Education
The history department will promote matriculation of undergraduate students into advanced educational programs
Objective
Promoting Advanced Degree Work
History majors will demonstrate competency in knowledge and skills necessary 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
BA/BS Admission To Graduate School In History
Of 53 fall and spring History BA/BS undergraduates, we know of 5 that were admitted to History graduate programs -- a rate of just below 10%.
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 Programs At Other Universities
We know of 5 students who gained admissions offers from major graduate schools. 1 BS student gained acceptance to teh Baylor College of Medicine. 1 BA to Howard University Law School. And 3 MA to Research 1 PhD programs with full funding.
Action
Collation Of Data
It is possible that some information that sporadically came in about History students' success in gaining adminssion to further programs was not fully collected. We shall institute a process whereby all such information received, incidentally or otherwise, will be collected in a single repository.
Goal
Teaching Excellence
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 Ratings At Or Above National Average.
In fall 2014, 81% of History courses received student ratings above the national average. In spring 2015, this figure was 87%.
KPI
Students Taught By PhD Faculty
During any academic year the percentage of history students taught by tenured and tenure track faculty holding the PhD will exceed 85%.
Result
History Students Taught By Tenure-track And Tenured Faculty
During the fall of 2014, students enrolled in History programs were taught by tenured and tenure-track professors at the rate of 78%. In spring 2015, the rate was 73%.
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 History Teacher Evaluation Vs. National Average
In fall 2014, 78% of History faculty exceeded the national average of History teachers rated nationally. In spring 2015, thefigure was 82%. Both figures placed History faculty within the top 30%among teachers nationwide using the instrument.
KPI
Teaching Reviews
Each year, members of our tenured faculty meet with our assistant professors to discuss teaching quality. This involves classroom observations, evaluations of the syllabi, and post-observation discussions. The department will collect reports from these experiences and score their results.
Result
Meetings On Teaching Quality
This year, History's three tenure-track faculty members received mentorship from a senior History faculty members including pre-class, class, and post-class visits; syllabus analysis; and written assessments of teaching.
We ascertained that given the status of such mentorship within the policy of the Collge and the Department, it is not possible to share this information in a committee and be evaluated at that level. (The written reports were received and reviewed by the Chair.) We shall develop a new process that can obviatre such problems, as discussed in the Action below.
Action
Teaching Reviews And Tenure-track Average
We shall develop a new assessment mechanism for Teaching Reviews, probably a random slecetion of 3-5 classes that will be evaluated outside of any other process or policy in the Department. This mechanism will be developed in the fall and implemented in the spring.
The ratio of History students receiving instruction from tenure-track and tenured professors remains below the desired goal. We shall run three searches next year at the tenure-track.