Academic Program Review

ACADEMIC YEAR	2014-2015	Basic Skills Transfer Career Technical Education (CTE)
PROGRAM	SOCIOLOGY
DESCRIPTION/PURPOSE	Sociology is the study of the groups people build, the makeup of human groups, and changes in their makeup over time. This study of human groups assists students to learn who we are, to get closer to the truth about social work, and to become aware of ways to achieve desired social ends. Sociology, like other social sciences disciplines does not educate students in specialized skills. Sociology and other liberal arts majors stress the ability to observe, organize, and write clearly, as well as the development of skills in the analysis of data and in collaborating with others. The Associate of Arts for Transfer (AA-T) is intended for students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree in a similar major at a CSU campus. Students completing this degree (AA-T) are guaranteed admission to the CSU system, but not to a particular campus or major.
DIVISION	Health and Sciences
DEPARTMENT	Behavioral and Social Sciences
SUBMITTED BY:	Kevin White, Chair

INSTITUTIONAL GOAL 1	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL 2	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL 3	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL 4
INSTITUTIONAL MISSION AND EFFECTIVENESS – The College will maintain programs and services that focus on the mission of the College supported by data-driven assessments to measure student learning and student success. 1.1 Develop systems and procedures that establish the mission of the college as the central mechanism for planning and decision making. 1.2 Develop an institutional score card to assess student learning that drives integrated planning and resource allocation. 1.3 Develop systems and procedures to ensure that the college maintains a collegial and self-reflective dialogue that improves effectiveness. 1.4 Develop systems that are inclusive, cyclical, and understood by all stakeholders.	STUDENT LEARNING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES – The College will maintain instructional programs and services which support student success and the attainment of student educational goals. 2.1 Ensure that all instructional programs, regardless of location or means of delivery, address and meet the current and future needs of students. 2.2 Review program learning outcomes annually (or biennially) to assure currency, improve teaching and learning strategies, and raise student success rates. 2.3 Ensure that all Student Services programs, regardless of location or means of delivery, address and meet the current and future needs of students. 2.4 Ensure that all Student Services programs engage in a process of sustainable continuous quality improvement by annual review of Service Area Outcomes, and annual Program Review. 2.5 Ensure that the Library meets as closely as possible that “Standards of Practice for California Community College Library Faculty and Programs” of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. 2.6 Ensure that instructional labs continue to collaborate in sharing financial and human resources, thus maintaining continuous quality improvement.	RESOURCES – The College will develop and manage human, technological, physical, and financial resources to effectively support the College mission and the campus learning environment. 3.1 Develop and implement a resource allocation plan that leads to fiscal stability. 3.2 Implement a robust technological infrastructure and the enterprise software to support the college process. 3.3 Build new facilities and modernize existing ones as prioritized in the facility master plan. 3.4 Design and commit to a long-term professional development plan. 3.5 Raise the health awareness of faculty, staff, and students.	LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE – The Board of Trustees and the Superintendent/President will establish policies that assure the quality, integrity, and effectiveness of student learning programs and services, and the financial stability of the institution. 4.1 Review all Board policies annually to ensure that they are consistent with the College mission statement, that they address the quality, integrity, and effectiveness of student learning programs and services, and that they guard the financial stability of the institution. 4.2 Maintain a clearly defined Code of Ethics that includes appropriate responses to unprofessional behavior. 4.3 Ensure that the Board of Trustees is informed and involved in the accreditation process. 4.4 Ensure that processes for the evaluation of the Board of Trustees and the Superintendent/President are clearly defined, implemented, and publicized. 4.5 Establish a governance structure, processes, and practices that guarantee that the governing board, administration, faculty, staff, and students will be involved in the decision making process.

I. INSTITUTIONAL GOALS

II. PROGRAM GOALS

PAST – EVALUATION OF PREVIOUS CYCLE OBJECTIVES/PROGRAM GOALS (SET IN PREVIOUS YEAR)

List your previous objectives/goals and associated Institutional Goals. All program goals must address at least one of the institutional goals.

1	PAST PROGRAM GOAL #1	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S) (Select one primary goal.)
Identify Program Goal and Budget request, if any, from the Program Review completed in 2013-2014 (Section II C): Hire a full-time, tenure track instructor to replace an instructor who resigned.	1 Mission & Effectiveness 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.4 2 Student Learning Outcomes 2.1 2.4 2.2 2.5 2.3 2.6 3 Resources 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.5 3.3 4 Leadership & Governance 4.1 4.4 4.2 4.5 4.3
Met	Partially Met	Not Met
Describe how this program goal increased student achievement and/or program effectiveness in 2014-2015: Hired a full-time, tenure track instructor.

2	PAST PROGRAM GOAL #2	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S) (Select one primary goal.)
Identify Program Goal and Budget request, if any, from the Program Review completed in 2013-2014 (Section II C): Align the new AA-T with course offerings.	1 Mission & Effectiveness 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.4 2 Student Learning Outcomes 2.1 2.4 2.2 2.5 2.3 2.6 3 Resources 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.5 3.3 4 Leadership & Governance 4.1 4.4 4.2 4.5 4.3
Met	Partially Met	Not Met
Describe how this program goal increased student achievement and/or program effectiveness in 2014-2015: The new AA-T is in the process of being fully implemented. It is listed in our College catalog and a Program Pathway has been developed.

3	PAST PROGRAM GOAL #3	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S) (Select one primary goal.)
Identify Program Goal and Budget request, if any, from the Program Review completed in 2013-2014 (Section II C): Create more delivery options, including web-enhanced, hybrid, and online classes	1 Mission & Effectiveness 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.4 2 Student Learning Outcomes 2.1 2.4 2.2 2.5 2.3 2.6 3 Resources 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.5 3.3 4 Leadership & Governance 4.1 4.4 4.2 4.5 4.3
Met	Partially Met	Not Met
Describe how this program goal increased student achievement and/or program effectiveness in 2014-2015: Web-enhanced classes are encouraged for all instructors. The use of Blackboard is also highly encouraged. As of this review there are no hybrid or online classes for Sociology and both will be on hold until current or new faculty express a desire to develop them.

PRESENT – DATA ANALYSIS AND PROGRAM HEALTH – ACCREDITATION

Summarize and analyze all disaggregated data by day, evening, gender, ethnicity, and distance education. Narrative only. Submit electronic excel file with graphs or trend data.

Enrollment and Fill Rates

Discuss the trends in enrollment and fill rate for each program by day and evening at the program level.

Enrollment: Day enrollment is in high demand. We offer 5-6 sections on average; though the range is 5-12. Spring 2013 had 12 sections but was the anomaly. Forty-one sections were offered over the three year period. Evening enrollment offered 28 sections of the same period with 4-6 sections being the average.

Fill-Rates: The averages for both Day and Evening are very high—109% for Day and 110% for Evening. All the rates were above 100 percent for both Day and Evening. Day rates ranged from 101 to118 percent while Evening rates ranged from 100 to 119 percent. These are the highest rates in the BSS Department and clear demonstrate high demand and instructor willingness to go beyond cap—truly outstanding rates!

Productivity

What are the trends in productivity?

The average productivity rate was 568. The rates ranged from 518 to 600. Only Fall 2013 had a rate below the State standard of 525.

Success and Retention

Discuss the success and retention rates by day, evening (extended day), and online classes in each program and identify gaps.

Success: The average success rate for Day sections was 60 percent, with a range of rates from 52 to 64 percent. By contrast, Evening sections averaged 71 percent and ranged from 64 to 77 percent. Ironically, Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 had low success rates at 52 and 54 percent respectively. Success rates for the last three Evening semesters were higher at 74, 77, and 74 percent respectively.

Retention: Day retention averaged 85 percent and ranged from 76 to 92 percent. It was mixed over the period covered with no clear trend evident. The average retention rate for Evening classes was 89 percent, ranging from 83 to 95 percent. Retention for Evening sections was stronger in the last three semesters registering 91, 96, and 91 consecutively.

Success and Retention by Ethnicity

Discuss the success and retention rates by demographic diversity of students.

Success: The percentages are skewed by the low numbers of some groups. The success rate and number of students for each group is as follows: African Americans – 70% (20); Hispanics – 62% (2,492); White – 71% (42); Other – 100% (8); and Unknown – 75% (211). As one can see twenty for African American and eight for Other are low, and Unknown is 211 which is second only to Hispanic. However, which students are included in the Other categorical is anybody’s guess—which compounds the problem of addressing these students’ needs if they cannot be identified beyond being “other.”

Retention: Retention among all groups was high: 85% for African Americans; 86% for Hispanic; 83% for White; 100% for Other; and 91% for Unknown.

Degrees and Certificates

Discuss the trends in the number of degrees and/or certificates awarded.

In 2012-13 six (6) of the new AA-T degree were awarded and in 2013-14 the number increased by two to eight.

Program Changes

What program changes, if any, do you expect to have a positive effect on students?

The establishment of a SPSS Social Science lab on campus has helped students in the new major. Replacing the full-time, tenure track faculty member has had a very positive effect on students.

Summarize revisions, additions, deletions, and alternate delivery methods to courses and/or program based on the last program review.

There were no revisions, additions, deletions, or alternative delivery methods to Sociology courses since the last program review.

Evaluate the program’s viability by addressing program completion, size (FTES), projections (growing/stable/declining), and quality of outcomes.

The Sociology program is stable and solid. Fill-rates are some of the highest across campus and reflect the growing demand for classes. However, the success rates are low, especially for the Day, yet they are somewhat better (11% points) for the Evening courses. Productivity is generally higher than the State average but remains an area of opportunity for improvement. Success by the various ethnic groups is roughly equal except for Hispanic, which is about eight percentage points lower. This is due, in part, to the large numbers represented.

Overall, the Sociology program is solid but can benefit from more part-time staff and the development of online and hybrid courses to expand the delivery options.

C. FUTURE – LIST OF “SMART” (SPECIFIC MEASURABLE ATTAINABLE RELEVANT TIME-LIMITED) PROGRAM OBJECTIVES FOR NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR TO ADDRESS PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT, GROWTH, OR UNMET NEEDS/GOALS. ALL PROGRAM GOALS MUST ADDRESS AT LEAST ONE OF THE INSTITUTIONAL GOALS.

FUTURE PROGRAM GOALS (Describe future program goals. List in order of budget priority.) You are not required to list 3 goals. Only list/identify goals that are viable in one year’s time or can be carried over a number of program cycles.	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S) (Select one primary institutional goal)
1	2015-2016 PROGRAM GOAL #1 Budget Priority #1	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S)
Identify Future Global Goal: Provide students with a sequential pattern of courses developed to improve student success.	1 Mission & Effectiveness 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.4 2 Student Learning Outcomes 2.1 2.4 2.2 2.5 2.3 2.6 3 Resources 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.5 3.3 4 Leadership & Governance 4.1 4.4 4.2 4.5 4.3
Objective: Identify courses necessary to take before enrollment into Sociology 101.
RESOURCE PLAN (Check all that apply.)
Facilities Marketing Technology Professional Development Staffing
Task(s)
Require prerequisites or concurrent enrollment in English 110 for Sociology 101.
Timeline: December 2015
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$__0______________
Timeline:
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
C.
Timeline:
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
How will this objective be measured? By establishing prerequisites and tracking retention and success rates of students who complete the them.
How will the completion of tasks identified improve student/program success? Completion of prerequisites or concurrent enrollment will help student with the coursework required in Sociology 101.
Who are the responsible party(ies) and assigned user(s)? Academic Services, Sociology faculty, and BSS Chair.
FUTURE PROGRAM GOALS (Describe future program goals. List in order of budget priority.) You are not required to list 3 goals. Only list/identify goals that are viable in one year’s time or can be carried over a number of program cycles.	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S) (Select one primary institutional goal)
2	2015-2016 PROGRAM GOAL #2 Budget Priority #1	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S)
Identify Future Global Goal: Provide more classes in Sociology to meet student demand.	1 Mission & Effectiveness 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.4 2 Student Learning Outcomes 2.1 2.4 2.2 2.5 2.3 2.6 3 Resources 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.5 3.3 4 Leadership & Governance 4.1 4.4 4.2 4.5 4.3
Objective: Coordinate efforts by Human Resources, the Marketing Department, California Community College Registry, and colleagues at other Community Colleges to identify and recruit part-time instructors.
RESOURCE PLAN (Check all that apply.)
Facilities Marketing Technology Professional Development Staffing
Task(s)
A. Hire part-time instructors for employment at IVC in Sociology.
Timeline: December 2015
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$__21,600__________
Timeline:
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
C.
Timeline:
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
How will this objective be measured? By hiring a pool of part-time instructors.
How will the completion of tasks identified improve student/program success? Students will have more choices across day and evening classes spread over the week
Who are the responsible party(ies) and assigned user(s)? Academic Services, Human Resources, Marketing Department, Sociology faculty, BSS Chair.
FUTURE PROGRAM GOALS (Describe future program goals. List in order of budget priority.) You are not required to list 3 goals. Only list/identify goals that are viable in one year’s time or can be carried over a number of program cycles.	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S) (Select one primary institutional goal)
3	2015-2016 PROGRAM GOAL #3 Budget Priority #1	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S)
Identify Future Global Goal: Expand the courses offered by the Sociology program.	1 Mission & Effectiveness 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.4 2 Student Learning Outcomes 2.1 2.4 2.2 2.5 2.3 2.6 3 Resources 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.5 3.3 4 Leadership & Governance 4.1 4.4 4.2 4.5 4.3
Objective: Provide students with Sociology courses that present a comprehensive approach to the study of Sociology.
RESOURCE PLAN (Check all that apply.)
Facilities Marketing Technology Professional Development Staffing
Task(s)
Develop a Sociology of Gender course.
Timeline: December 2015
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$__0______________
B.
Timeline:
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
Timeline:
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
How will this objective be measured? By the development and approval of the course by the curriculum committee.
How will the completion of tasks identified improve student/program success? It will provide students will more academic resources for mastering the discipline of Sociology.
Who are the responsible party(ies) and assigned user(s)? Academic Services, Sociology faculty, Curriculum Committee, and BSS Chair.

(WSCH/FTEF) The goal is 525 as per state guidelines. A low number means that we are below target levels for productivity. For example, in a small class that has a mandated cap of 15 students, the fill rate may be 100% but the productivity number (WSCH/FTEF) will be very low. A class with a cap of 40 students with a 100% fill rate will have a productivity number close to or above 525.