MissionC1

Program review took place in 2006-2007. Implementation of recommendations is incremental and we have had very little time to begin this process. Nevertheless, important initiatives are under way. The primary recommendations are to:

a. integrate assessments into program – We are in the process of working out a way to assign regular assessment processes as part of departmental governance structure, s.t. interpretation of assessment results are reported to faculty and implementation of appropriate responses to assessment are discussed and implemented. One proposal is to have either an individual faculty member allocated workload to gather and analyse assessment data or a standing committee to perform this work on a shared basis.

b. combine program courses in order to achieve equitable workloads and achieve integration of programs (ANTH, REM, PB & E, Museum). We are developing 3xx/4xx versions of several courses so that they can meet requirements in several programs at once. We are evaluating required courses for the major to streamline them and have recently updated our 2-year course rotation plan to regularize offerings. We are also hiring an additional faculty member which will reduce our adjunct needs and help to regularize course offerings and teaching of required courses by department faculty.

c. fully support the equipping and move to Dean Hall: Faculty do not have time to accomplish moving collections, and because we are in desperate need to new lab space, the new locations need to be fully equipped and ready for use. “not to do so would punish faculty for their success.” We are fully participating in the Dean Hall Planning Committee and negotiations over furnishings and equipment. The building is seriously under-funded at this time, but we are hopeful that the supplemental budget request will reduce the almost $3million shortfall by $1.3 million.

d. strongly develop the museum as an outreach effort.
The new Museum space in Dean Hall will allow for the Museum Studies Program and the Anthropology Museum to become a fully functioning means of outreach to the campus, local and regional community. The recommendation is to support this effort because of the valuable ties and good will toward the university that it will create. The Department is undertaking a major planning process re: structure and organization, collections care and management, and programming and public outreach via committees dedicated to these aspects of the museum. The Museum Studies curriculum is being revised to incorporate REM students and to offer advanced course work and a wider variety of internships opportunities.

e. develop a cohesive identity as a practice-based anthropology program, bringing Museum Studies, CRM Archaeology, Forensic, Primate Studies and Resource Management together under one label/identity. This would provide a focus for recruiting qualified students as undergraduate majors and graduate students. Initial response from faculty to this suggestion was lukewarm, but it merits further discussion. The current identity of the department is strongly four-field. An applied orientation is not currently the emphasis of the core courses in the undergraduate curriculum.

The following recommendations were provided by external program reviewer:

Faculty
Recommendations:
     1. Hire two additional tenure-track faculty [one with airline operations and/or maintenance experience]

     2.	Develop procedures that allow faculty participation in FAR Part 141 stage checks, is considerate of L&I requirements, and is considered part of faculty workloads

     3.	Include FAA unique requirements such as stage checks, simulator instruction, and FAA appointed Chief Ground Instructor as part of faculty workloads

     4.	Look to the airlines [retiring captains] and graduate schools as a source of applicants for faculty positions.  Market strengths to prospective faculty; i.e. low cost of living, high quality of life, great location, and the only four year program in the Pacific Northwest, etc.

     5.	Examine salary structure and improve entry-level salary

III. Facilities
Recommendations:

     1.	CWU has several short and/or long term options available relating to facilities

     2.	Remain in existing facilities and do nothing

     3.	Remain in existing facilities and expand them

     4.	Construct new facilities at the existing location

     5.	Construct new faculties on the leased land located on Bowers Filed

     6.	Relocate the program to main campus
	
     7. That CWU develop a long term strategy consistent with a comprehensive and compelling vision for the program and university master plan 

     8.	Consider moving lower division courses back to main campus

IV.  Program/Curriculum
Recommendations:

     1.	Rename the department to one that represents the more comprehensive nature of the programs and vision for the future

     2.	Develop a comprehensive and compelling vision for the department and programs based on demographics, industry and student demand, and university goals

     3.	Offer more internships/cooperative experiences for management students

     4.	Develop closer relationships with two year aviation programs, offer 2+2 degree options, and offering more upper division courses through University Centers and ITV to remote location

     5.	Establish an aviation advisory committee comprised of governmental, industry, and higher education representatives

     6.	Eliminate the Airway Science Aircraft Systems Management Specialization.  This degree was developed to support employment in the aviation industry and the Federal Aviation Administration and in many respects is redundant with other flight related degrees offered.  This option has not been well supported by enrollment and is no longer actively supported by the FAA

     7.	Focus on program quality rather than growth until adequate facilities and faculty are available to support growth

V.  Students
Recommendations:

     1.	Develop an alumni tracking system

     2.	Utilize strengths and future market demand to market programs

     3.	Address facility issues

VI.  Equipment and Instructional Media
Recommendation:

     1.	Develop and implement a fee structure that provides develops resources over time to replace aging flight simulators rather than relying on capital project resources or certificates of participation

     2.	Replace and/or upgrade existing fleet of simulators and flight training devices

     3.	Improve relationship with Mid-State Aviation.  CWU should not consider acquiring a fleet of university owned aircraft.  The long term effect of acquisition, maintenance, replacement, operational costs, and managing flight training operations are too costly in fiscal and human resources for CWU to sustain

     4.	Provide a student computer lab to support Flight Technology students

VII.  Mid-State Aviation
Recommendation:

That CWU: 

     1.	That CWU acquire copies of agreements between other college and universities that utilize vendors to deliver flight training as a basis for comparison.  The University Aviation Association may be able to assist:
	
        University Aviation Association
	3410 Skyway Drive
	Auburn, AL 36830-6444
	(334) 844-2434 

     2.	The existing contract between CWU and Mid-State Aviation will be open for renewal in 2-3 years.  Open discussions with Mid-State to remedy this situation and clarify who has responsibility and authority for oversight of curriculum, faculty qualifications, and student progress. CWU must be involved to ensure that curriculum delivered by Mid-State Aviation meets university criteria, that instructors meet university requirements, and student progress must be monitored [faculty involvement in flight stage checks remedy this situation].

     3.	Develop an A-6 agreement with Mid-State Aviation in accordance with criteria outlined in Policy A-6 NWCCU.

Recommendation:
 
That a documented student complaint/grievance process be instituted that parallels the University student grievance process.  This will provide an audit trail, ability to follow-up with Mid-State Aviation, and provide a feedback loop for continuous improvement.

VIII. Library Resources 
Recommendation:

     1.	Allocate a library resource budget to the Flight Technology Department

     2.	Assess and determine the need for additional publications relating to aviation psychology and crew performance

IX.  Information Literacy
Recommendation:

     1.	Once a decision is made regarding facility disposition a student computer lab be made available for flight technology students at that location

     2.	That flight simulators be replaced or upgraded to reflect state-of-the-art systems with current data bases

X.  Budget
Recommendation:

     1.	That Departmental Goods and Services budget be increased by $5,000

The Flight Technology Department and faculty offer quality aviation related programming.  This Department has the potential to be THE leader in western United States for aviation related education, not just flight technology.  That potential is based on location, industry relationships, quality faculty, relative low costs, and the only program in the Pacific Northwest.  However, potential is currently limited by; 1) lack of sufficient faculty which contributes to overwhelming faculty workloads, 2) inadequate facilities, and 3) lack of a comprehensive and compelling departmental vision.  Addressing these concerns while improving Mid-State Aviation relationship will position CWU Flight Technology Department to become that leader.

The Flight Technology Department faculty and staff are to be commended for their dedication to CWU, commitment to students, and attempting to meet all requirements while being under-staffed.  I would like to thank CWU administration for support of the program and hospitality extended to me during my visit.

Recommendations:
"It is recommended that the Department undertake a proactive planning exercise where its faculty and staff come to a consensus as to what they want their Department to become in the next five to ten years, how they want it to develop.  They need to establish goals and measurable objectives as milestones of progress."

Department Response: 
Based on these recommendations, the Chemistry Department dedicated a department retreat to visioning for the future.  We particularly noted our external reviewers comment that “it is time for the Department to become proactive in setting its course for development, rather than to react to circumstances that befall it.” While we feel that we have been as proactive as possible given the changes we have undergone as a University and a Department, we decided that we could be more proactive on certain issues.  On September 20, 2005 we gathered to discuss our vision.  Each faculty member was asked to write a personal vision for the department.  These were read by the individuals and discussed as a whole.  The staff joined the retreat and shared their thoughts on the future of our department.  We will have another discussion about our shared vision during the 2008-2009 academic year when four new faculty are on board.  These four represent a quarter of the tenured faculty so it will be important to have their input and buyin.

2003-04 Review:

1. Faculty spread too thin

2. Need to develop a better focus

3. Need to have a better alignment with university goals

4. Work on collegiality issues.

5. Develop a long-range plan

The department started with addressing collegiality issues. A facilitator was brought in to help the department work on personal issues. The department also met with colleagues from University of Washington who had recently merged oral communication with mass communication (the two major disciplines in the CWU Communication Department as well.) As part of the transition from one chair to the next, the department met informally throughout the summer to better understand the discipline perspectives of individual faculty and their hopes for the future.

From those sessions, a growth plan was developed for the next ten years. The department began working on how that might be translated into curriuculum. After two years of work, the department has developed a new curriculum approach that addresses the reviewer's concerns about focus and faculty who are stretched too thin.

As we gained more knowledge of each other in the department, it became easier for the department to promote faculty accomplishments to the rest of the university. As the university has become more knowledgeable of the department's accomplishments, the feelings that we are unappreciated have abated.

2008-09 Review:
1. Improve Web Site.
2. Establish more formal connections with alumni and professions through an advisory board.
3. Hone a vision statement to emphasize the focus of the department.
4. Continue the First Amendment Festival.
5. Find university funding for Bridges.
6. Secure an advertising faculty line.
7. Think about online portfolios.
8. Devise a scheduling system to solve class scheduling conflicts.

For administration:
1. Determine the role of public speaking in general education.
2. Get the radio station to join the student media board.
3. Support the expansion of Communication to the branch campuses.
4. Fund a department Mac lab. (The department is funding this to open Fall 2009.

January, 2008
Reponses to "Four Immediate Needs" indentified in the last program review.

1. Air-conditioning in Hebeler Hall

In a meeting with Dean Miller of the College of the Sciences and Bill Vertrees, AVP for Facilities Planning, Bill indicated that he believed that funding for the air conditioning project would be approved by the legislature for this biennium. Since that funding would be available in July 2007 at the earliest, the estimate was that the air conditioning project could be completed by the summer of 2008.

2. Multimedia presentation equipment for labs and classrooms

As of October 2006, all classrooms that Computer Science uses for instruction will have new multimedia presentation equipment installed since the program review. This includes HB 106, 112, 116, and 121. At the same meeting mentioned in the prior point, Bill indicated that he would work with Doug Ryder and David Kaufman to bring multimedia presentation equipment into the instructional computing lab HB 203.

3. Space

a. Faculty/Student Research Labs

This fall the Department completed moving and revamping three student faculty research labs and one student project lab. The CWU Imaging lab was moved to a larger space in HB 208. This lab is used to support the research done by Dr. Kovalerchuk and his students. A new distributing computing research lab was developed in the space vacated by the Imaging Lab, HB 205. This lab is used to support the research done by Drs. Andonie and Schwing and their students. A research lab dedicated to Accessibility computing was built in HB 204A. This lab is used to support the research of Dr. Gellenbeck and his students. Computing equipment was upgraded for each of these labs. Finally, the Linux and Networking Lab in HB 207 had its equipment upgraded this summer. Dr. Eastman and his students conduct projects in this lab. On an additional note, the Computer Science Department Systems Engineer, Fred Stanley has been able
to flexibly respond to Senior Project needs. For example this year Fred will put together systems for three project teams that special server access. These teams will be housed in HB 204A, HB 205 and HB 214A.

b. Students

With the consolidation of Academic Services in Hertz Hall, the Writing Center moved out of the former Library space in Hebeler. This space was then reassigned to Computer Science. With the help of Doug Ryder and Carmen Rahm, the department has built an excellent project and study area for Computer Science students. Approximately half the room is dedicated to space for computer workstations with the other half of the room holding work tables and whiteboards. This has proved to be a popular venue for students to work on projects and form study groups.

c. Adjunct Office Space

At this point the department has two adjunct faculty sharing one office. We do not agree with the reviewer that changing this room assignment is an immediate need. (Since that time the department has added a third adjunct who has a separate office in HB 205B. We continue to believe this is adequate space for adjunct faculty.)

4. Master's Degree in CS

The Department has just completed an NOI which is being reviewed for submission to the HECB.

University-Wide Issues

1. Completely reform the treatment of adjuncts, not only in the department, but in the college and the university. The CBA has made some improvements, but the implementation of annual contracts for NTT faculty has been problematic because of teaching loads. NTT faculty in our department teach composition and writing-intensive courses that make more than three 4-credit classes per term unworkable. We have discussed moving to 5-credit classes, which would address the problem for NTTs, but which would also create problems for curriculum and pedagogy. At the general education level, it would mean adding two more hours of composition for all students. At the major level, it would require either adding hours to graduation requirements or restructuring courses in a way that would ultimately reduce the focus and diversity of our offerings.
We have created a department travel budget for NTT faculty using summer money.

2. Put teachers’ and students’ needs first in room scheduling. Almost all of the classrooms in L & L have now been equipped with technology. Scheduling classrooms remains a challenge.

3. Develop adequate office space and staff for the department and its programs. We continue to make some progress with additional office space in Black and Hertz, though we still have as many as three NTT faculty assigned to a single office.

4. Revise policies and procedures supporting faculty development, research, and professional travel so that they are more transparent and the resources are easier to identify and access. The CBA has made the process simpler, and we have developed Individual Development accounts in the department.

Departmental Issues:

5. Develop long-term hiring strategies to address problems that might occur when the department’s very senior faculty begins to retire. We hired one new faculty member last year and have no projected retirements in existing lines in the near future. A more immediate concern will be the retirements of FTNTT faculty. Our current pool of NTT faculty includes promising candidates.

6. Build “big picture” issues into the advising routine. A new two-year course scheduling plan addresses this in part by making it possible to plan farther in advance. We have dedicated advisors for each program. We have used the website and bulletin boards to provide more information on program requirements and graduate program opportunities. We still need to make progress in this, perhaps with advising meetings scheduled at the time of the advising holds.

7. Schedule classes with an eye toward maximizing students’ options and accommodating faculty research agendas. (p.12) Scheduling remains a challenge because of space limitations, but the two-year plan provides some help, and every effort is made to avoid conflicts for students. An increased use of block scheduling for film classes and other courses has created some new problems because of overlapping class times. We have also had some success with the kind of undergraduate/graduate coordination recommended in the program review, but faculty rarely teach graduate courses more than once every two years. Separating undergraduate and graduate sections of our major authors courses is preferable for pedagogical reasons and for creating research opportunities for faculty. At the same time, it has created enrollment problems and the major authors approach often does not fit faculty research agendas. Solving this may require curriculum changes.

8. Take advantage of de facto learning communities among majors. Dr. Condon’s specific suggestion was to create a space for students to gather and discuss common interests and to conduct a focus group to determine how to promote learning communities. We have created a student space the 4th floor lobby, and have had some discussion about using the first-floor lounge in some way. For 2007-2008 we have offered linked ENG 101 courses for the STEP program and ENG 110 (African-American Studies.)

9. Develop means of exploiting the major portfolios as an assessment tool for improving faculty practice, undergraduate curriculum, and departmental planning. We have developed a new portfolio review process for program assessment. A sampling of portfolios will be assessed independent of our capstone course using a rubric based on program-level outcomes.

10. Develop the composition program so that it is sustainable and so that it presents a reasonable workload for its director. We have not made much progress toward this goal because of budgets, but we are currently discussing ways of addressing the composition director’s workload and spreading mentoring of teaching assistants among faculty.

UPDATED January 30, 2008
Recommendations made by the department external evaluator and responses from the dean are included below, as are reflection statements about how the department has addressed these recommendations.

External evaluator: With the inclusion of research activities in the mission statement of the university, incorporation of adequate time to conduct research should be included in the standard workload. Discussion with the faculty points to the need for a reduction in instructional activities to 2/3 of the current load with the remaining 1/3 attributed to verifiable research activities.

Dean response: Faculty work. This department knows well the challenges and compromises made by those who sustain high-level research programs given the current mix. Progress at the college or university level in rewarding research and student research productivity is needed to sustain this model.

The 2/3, 1/3 suggestion made by the external evaluator implies that teaching loads would be approximately 24 workload units per year (i.e., 2/3 of 36, which is the nominal teaching requirement for tenure track faculty. Thirty-six workload units devoted to teaching leaves 9 workload units/contact hours for scholarship and service). Through a combination of credit given to those who successfully garner external funds, some reduction in the department teaching loads has been achieved. However, there is at present no consistent reduction in support of verifiable research activities. Although department members have done a remarkable job over the years of sustaining funding, the increasingly competitive nature of the funding environment will impact the sustainability of our externally funded programs. It should be recognized that because of the cost of field and laboratory work, external funding is essential for faculty and students to conduct research in many branches of the geological sciences.

External evaluator: A major ingredient in the maintenance of a vibrant instructional and research environment is the close proximity of faculty, staff, and students and ready access to facility resources. The current state of separation of the Geological Sciences Department in two buildings located across campus from one another is problematic. Where as the space limitations of Lind Hall are clear and unassailable, the division of the department has resulted in a breakdown of ready communication amongst several members of the faculty and removes the potential for serendipitous discovery. Reinstatement to a common facility is critical for the continued well-being and growth of the department.

Dean response: Facilities. The fragmentation of this program into several buildings is eroding department culture and undermining its success. Near term reunification should continue to be a high priority for facilities planning at the college and university level.

Planning for Science Phase II (the proposed long-term home for the Department of Geological Sciences) has been a priority for the last two years. Several department members, together with representatives from Physics and other departments, produced an academic prospectus that detailed how the proposed building would meet current and emerging academic needs. At present, Science Phase II is apparently the highest capital funding priority for academic affairs. The priority the building has in the overall university capital budget is currently unclear. Science Phase Ii remains a priority for the department. If this building is not funded, it is essential that the university provide an alternate long-term home to the department in order to solve the fragmentation issue.

External Evaluator: In its current state, the support staffing for the department is inadequate to carry out daily operational duties. The during discussions, the faculty developed a prioritized list of staff positions needed to carry out the departmental instructional and research activities. Highest priority is given to filling the anticipated opening, due to retirement, in the administrative assistant position. The next highest priority lies in technical support for the instrumentation laboratories in the department followed by a departmental curator responsible for the maintenance of instructional resources. The faculty recognized the growth in earth science cyber infrastructure and anticipate greater use of computer resources in education and research. Expansion of the existing half-time position in computer technology is viewed as the fourth tier necessity.

Dean response: Support staff: The only analytical laboratories within the college that lack technical staff are those in Geology. In order to capitalize on the Murdock and NSF investments in this curriculum, technical support is badly needed.

The department has made progress on this issue. The department has a 10-month, full time secretary. This position will convert to a 12-month full time position starting in May 2008. Fiscal support is provided by a 0.5 FTE position in the Dean’s office that oversees internal budgets. A 0.75 FTE fiscal specialist provides support for external grants, primarily in the departments of geological sciences, biology and chemistry. These three departments also share 1.0 FTE and 0.75 FTE instrument technicians. Geological Sciences is pleased with the progress on this issue, but some challenges remain. Support for instrumentation is still inadequate. The instrumentation we have is complex and requires more attention that can be provided by 1.75 FTE shared among three instrument and laboratory intensive departments. We will continue to pursue additional technical support.

Recommendations from past program review and implementation
1.Strategic Opportunities
•New building, design funding is in the Gov’s budget, house budget, and we hope the legislature will fund the design this biennium…new construction in the following biennium!!!

•IET faculty are spread too thin. We are rigidly applying the work planning model. We are also trying to staff our lab classes differently to provide faculty more time to do other work duties. For example we rewrote two staff positions to help staff the labs. Additionally we are utilizing more graduate students as lab TA or instructors.

•We have also developed a two year planning model to efficiently offer classes

2.Program and Course Focus
•A course audit was somewhat successful. An analysis of course offerings versus students loading was performed.

•The department now only offers courses that have a high probability of being full. The department only offers the minimal number of sections or certain courses are only offered every other year.

•Some undergraduate and graduate courses are cross listed to offer a more efficient and robust course offering.

•Other efficiencies such as combining classes were not realized due to the nature of the department programs with vested interest in specific classes.

3.Student Advisory Council
•Met in AY 2005/06 and was helpful in providing guidance on SEOI guidance to the IET faculty handbook.

•Will meet again in AY 2006/07 during spring 2007.

4.IET Vision PR
•Created an IET brochure (attached).

•Hired a part time web mistress to keep web pages updated.

•Have not hired professionals or collaborated with the communications department on remaking our image….but need to find time and recourses to do this…

5.Graduate Program
•Hired a new MSET coordinator, Dr. Geoff Dean. Graduate program has been slightly revised. We are working on cross listing several undergraduate and graduate classes to create greater efficiencies and provide a better learning environment for the students.

•Dr. Dean will manage our MSET program at the Des Moines center in AY 2007/8 and we are searching for a new MSET coordinator for the Ellensburg campus. Dr. Dean will remain engaged on the Ellensburg campus by teaching at least one class on campus and chairing graduate committees in Ellensburg.

6. Off Campus Programs
•We moved the EET program from Peirce to Des Moines to improve communications and provide synergy with faculty and classes.

•We plan to start the BAS in Industrial Technology in Des Moines in the fall of 07, provided that some of the proposed budget for high demand enrollment goes to IET.

•The three programs in Des Moines; EET, MSET, BAS will be coordinated by Dr. Dean.

7.Program Enrollments
•Recruitment has been in the form of advertising in the summer observer, creating posters, creating an IET brochure, and visiting community colleges across the state.

•Will continue to host the ACES summer camp for young women.

8.Technology Teacher Education
•Hosted the Technical Students Association (TSA), had over 300 high school students in the building for technical competitions.

•Due to limited staffing we have been unable to modify curriculum to match standards as outlined in the National Standard for Technology Literacy.

9.Research and Development Grants
•Have partnered with departments in the College of the Sciences on NSF grants, so far these have gone unfunded. Planning to submit a NSF grant summer 07.

•Were successful in a Sphere of Distinction grant AY 2006/7 to create a program in sustainable design and construction.

•Need to become more active in grant writing, all new faculty have this written into their work load plans for AY 2007/8.

10.Fund Raising
•Limited success with advisory boards for hard cash except for the Construction Management program.

•Very limited success with CEPS development officer.

•Remains a priority.

1. Development of an assessment plan for both programs and students. This assessment plan will be developed during the 2007-2008 academic year.

2. A capstone course in our program as part of the assessment plan. Students could demonstrate in this capstone course their meeting of the program outcomes established by the ITAM faculty. Our IT 461 Systems Analysis and IT 462 Systems Design were intended as our capstone courses – these two courses have been in our curriculum for over 15 years. A new faculty member, Dr. Bernadas, is bringing to these courses her background in Project Management and Systems Analysis and Design.

3. Establishment of an Advisory Council. Drs. Klemin and Rawlinson began working on a proposal last year for an Advisory Council, which we will establish during the 2007-2008 academic year. Ms. Shani Watkins, BAS-ITAM Program Coordinator, is also developing an Advisory Council for the BAS-ITAM program.

4. Curriculum review with focus on the specializations and minors. Dr. Chalupa, our program review consultant, specifically mentioned reviewing advertising and fashion merchandising as possible outliers for a strong information technology program. An extensive curriculum review was conducted by the faculty during 2005-2006, with a resulting program more robust in information technology and management. The advertising minor was dropped from the department and the Retail Management and Technology specialization now incorporates more retail technology and less fashion merchandising. Additionally, Busines Education and Marketing Education were moved to another department at CWU.

5. Reviewing IT 101 Computer Applications and our other lower division application courses to reduce duplication of learning. Faculty teaching IT 101 and computer application courses now use different textbooks and articulate course objectives so that duplication does not occur.

6. A broader interdisciplinary approach to our programs, incorporating coursework from other departments in our curriculum. The ITAM specializations attempt to do this as much as possible; however, the Computer Science Department and Art Department have prerequisites to those courses that might be used in our program that prohibit our students from taking those courses. We do incorporate Acct 301 Financial Accounting, HRM 381 Human Resource Management, and HRM 424 Training and Development from the College of Business into our Administrative Management Specialization. We also accept several Computer Science courses as electives.

7. Working the Computer Science Department to develop standards for information literacy within the basic skills section of the general education program. I met with the General Education committee twice in 2006-2007 through their work on examining and refining the CWU General Education program. Additionally, Dean Bowers recommended establishing a method whereby students could challenge the IT 101 course. CWU has a Credit by Examination program whereby any student can challenge the IT 101 course. We normally have between 10-15 students per year challenge IT 101.

8. Faculty scholarship published to reflect the information technology field. Drs. Bartel and Rawlinson have recently published an article in Educause concerning the use of portable technology in the classroom. Drs. Braunstein, Lupton, and Rawlinson have presented yearly at the Marketing Educators’ Association – our topics always focus on the use of technology in business. Dr. Lupton has completed and published several studies on the attitudes and perceptions of software piracy in Europe and Asia. Dr. Rawlinson traveled to the Czech Republic in Summer 2006 to present a paper on the effect of technology in the global marketplace. ITAM research tends to focus on the use of technologies in business, which fits with what Information Technology is – the design, development, installation, and implementation of technologies in business place.

9. New department name to reflect what we teach and what careers students are pursuing. In 2005, the department proposed a new name - Information Technology Management - to support our major curriculum shift. While the department followed all processes in place and met all deadlines for this name and curriculum change, the College of Business - after the deadline period - insisted that our new name would put into jeopardy their attempt at AASCB acreditation. We were asked by the Provost to withdraw our name change and we complied.

While the ITAM Department has met some of these recommendations, we will be working more specifically during the upcoming academic year to:
1. Develop and implement a program assessment plan.
2. Develop and implement an Advisory Council.

Additionally, we will continue:
1. Disseminating research in Information Technology,
2. Evaluating our curriculum to serve the current needs of our employers and students,
3. Providing excellent teaching and service to our ITAM students.

Implementation of Previous Program Review Recommendations
1. Undergraduate curriculum and outcomes-based assessment.
We have made great strides in establishing outcomes-based assessment. While we have much yet to do, we have established a methodology and framework for continual assessment and feedback. Both student learning expectations and knowledge and skill-based learned outcomes have been built into course syllabi and expectations. Periodic review of all faculty course syllabi ensures the development of standard expectations and course uniformity across campuses. Alumni survey results largely confirm positive outcomes and satisfaction with the program.
2. Faculty credentials performance standards and department culture/ leadership.
We have developed departmental performance standards which have been approved by the Provost. Peer review of instruction has been implemented via syllabus review and an annual retreat to discuss this issue. A standard checklist for syllabi has been established and periodic evaluations of part-time adjuncts have been instituted to develop adequate consistency and maintain rigorous standards.
The three new tenure track faculty hired since the last review, Professors Britto, Noga-Styron and Francis, have excellent credentials and have greatly enhanced the department in teaching, scholarship and service. As evidenced from the current review, the more recent, younger additions to faculty have made great contributions to the faculty.
In terms of culture and leadership, the more recent members of the faculty have helped to invigorate and change the culture in a positive way. As they rise through the ranks, new leadership will be forthcoming. As noted in the challenges section, this, in part, necessitates larger changes in inducements/rewards for those assuming leadership roles.
Some indicees of changed culture include representation of law and justice in wider university committees. For example, we had a faculty member, Mary Ellen Reimund, on the Dean’s Search Committee, among other committees. Along with faculty member Mike Olivero, our Secretary Senior, Sharon Talley serves on the President’s Art Selection and Permanent Collection Committee. In addition, two sabbaticals were awarded during this review period to Professors Reasons and Sun. These are the first sabbaticals in the history of the department. Two books were published by Professors Britto and Sun, with Britto’s gaining national honors. The greatly increased diversity of the department faculty has provided positive cultural changes. All of the above portend a vibrant, active, and creative future for the program.
3. Completing the transition to an academic model and staging for the Master’s program.
This has progressed well with the addition of a theory course (LAJ 451) as part of our core required courses, plus the addition of several new courses such as African Americans and the Constitution and Crime and the Media. The addition of three new faculty, Professors Britto, Noga-Styron, and Francis, who have been strong contributors to our academic/professional advancement, adds to our transition and staging for our Master’s.
4. The most critical direction for the department is to fund additional faculty positions so that the dependence on adjuncts can be reduced to acceptable levels.
As evident from our average class size, faculty advising load and proportion of non-tenured/tenure track faculty, we continue to need more faculty to obtain acceptable staffing levels with quality assurance and to establish a graduate program. Our specific need is for the addition of two new Ph.D. positions, one in policing and one as a generalist. While 40% of our majors in Ellensburg are law enforcement oriented, we do not have a tenure track faculty with this specialization. This is crucial to correct the above noted deficiencies and to set the conditions for the establishment of a Master’s during the next five year cycle.
5. Additional support staff to address the demands of increased enrollment in the major and address the needs of students at five locations.
This has been partially met by the addition of a regular part-time office assistant III position, filled by Crystal Boothman. Given the demands of the program at five locations, this should be a full-time position.
6. Implementation of the graduate program.
Issues with the undergraduate program regarding standardization, academic integrity, learner objectives/outcomes, among others, are being addressed. The principle need for implementing the graduate program is the addition of two new Ph.D. Faculty.
7. Revision of departmental mission and goals.
This has been completed.
8. Continue to address the issue of faculty diversity in full time and adjunct hires.
Of our current nine tenured/tenure track positions, we have five men and four women. Of these nine positions, we have three faculty of color, including African American, Hispanic and Asian. In 2003, of our six tenured/tenure track positions, we had five men and one woman, including one person of color. This is a dramatic increase in gender/racial ethnic diversity.

The following are the actions taken as a result of the Departmental Program Review. Actions were taken based on the recommendations of the external evaluator and we highlight those areas that were emphasized by either the Dean of the College of the Sciences or the Associate Vice-President for Undergraduate Studies.

Recommendation 1: Continued and expanded support for the Chair.
Recommendation 2: Departmental Steering Committee to advise and assist the Chair.

The Dean of the College of the Sciences emphasized these recommendations, both of which involve support for the position of Department Chair. While the total number of workload units supplied to support the Department Chair has not increased, the Chair has been given latitude to divide the allotment between him/herself and others in the department. A Departmental Steering Committee has not been formally created, it has been discussed at Departmental Meetings, and the Program Directors are currently serving the role of an informal Steering Committee.

Recommendation 3: Consider discontinuation of the BA degree program.
The Dean of the College of the Sciences emphasized this recommendation. The department has folded its BA degree into a lower-credit option for the BS degree. This effort was done in conjunction with the creation of new program goals (see Recommendation 10).

Recommendation 3: Revise the BS degree to allow alternatives to the Introductory Physics Sequence.
The Dean of the College of the Sciences emphasized this recommendation. The department has replaced the Physics requirement with a more general requirement of a lab science sequence culminating in a calculus based science course.

Recommendation 4: Increase publicity and recruiting for all degree programs in the department.
While the department recognizes the importance of recruitment, no action has been taken on this item. However, the 2+2 program offered at Lynnwood is planning a recruitment drive this year.

Recommendation 5: Improve availability and timeliness of institutional data on majors and degrees awarded.
While the Mathematics Department recognizes this as an important recommendation, the administrative offices of the University would be better able to implement this recommendation.

Recommendation 6: Continue clarification of expectations and a review of the faculty reporting process to see if they are too burdensome. Annual performance portfolios require enormous investments of time and energy, both physical and emotional.
The Dean of the College of the Sciences emphasized this recommendation. While the Mathematics Department recognizes this as an important recommendation, the administrative offices of the University would be better able to implement this recommendation.

Recommendation 7: Increase efforts to reward faculty performances with merit pay increases.
The Dean of the College of the Sciences seems to have emphasized this recommendation by stating “Linking merit to scholarly productivity is a key recommendation to the administration by this reviewer.” The Department would like to note that the reviewer does not link merit to “scholarly activity,” but rather to a more general category of “faculty performance.” There are efforts on campus to more closely tie merit pay increases to performance; however, there is little the department can do internally.

Recommendation 8: Clearly delineate the kinds of scholarship (but not necessarily quantified as in one publication every two years) that is desired or accepted.
The Dean of the College of the Sciences emphasized this recommendation. The Mathematics Department continues to refine its Reappointment, Tenure, Promotion and Merit policies. Hopefully a final form that is acceptable to both the department and the Dean will appear this year.

Recommendation 9: Analyze the effect of increased class sizes on instructional practices and faculty workloads with an eye towards higher quality instruction and efficient use of faculty resources.
No such analysis has taken place. At this point, all classes have increased to a maximum size (imposed by physical classroom space) and so any study would be limited by the lack of a subpopulation with smaller (or larger) class sizes.

Recommendation 10: The mathematics department should examine closely the purpose of the BS and BA Mathematics degree programs, whether both are needed, the learning goals, and the assessment of these learning goals.
This is being undertaken as part of Recommendations 3 (listed above) and 12 (listed below).

Recommendation 11: The mathematics faculty should explore ways and means of making the BS/BA degree programs special among those at four-year institutions.
No action has been taken on this recommendation.

Recommendation 12: The assessment learning of the BA/BS programs should be reviewed, clarified, and implemented.
The Associate Vice-President emphasized this recommendation and an assessment plan has been drafted. The department will implement a Capstone Seminar that will allow the collection of assessment data. This Capstone Seminar should be offered for the first time in Winter 2009.

Recommendation 13: Develop an interim solution to the office, storage, and classroom shortages.
The Dean of the College of the Sciences emphasized this recommendation. There is still no long-term plan to solve the space shortages in the Mathematics Department. Since the reviewer’s visit, another 2 full time faculty positions and one office assistant position have been added. The result is that more faculty members are being assigned offices in Hertz music practice rooms or in Black Hall.

Recommendation 14: The mathematics requirement for future elementary teachers should be reviewed with an eye toward increasing the mathematics requirement to at least two courses that are especially designed for future elementary school teachers and take into account the recommendations in the MET Report and other recent publications on the mathematics of teaching.
There has been a new tenure-track position created for the purposes of increasing support for the Elementary Education program. However, the 36 credits per year gained as part of the new position are offset by a need to add 45 credits per year in coursework. The net result will be the need for 9 more credits of adjunct or non-tenure-track teaching each year. The Elementary Education program has added increased courses in mathematics to their program.

Recommendation 15: The mathematics required by all majors should be reviewed with special attention to business and biology.
While the Mathematics Department recognizes this as an important recommendation, those in control of the curriculum of the other majors would be in a better position to implement it. The Mathematics Department has been in discussion with other departments (including both business and biology) about what mathematics courses could be offered or adjusted to provide better service to these majors.

(1) Our external reviewer made the following recommendations: (1) The department in consultation with the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities should revisit its curricular assessment process, formalize and regularize it, and tie it to planning and resource allocation. (NWCCU Standard 2.B., Policy 2.2)

(2) The Department together with the Associate Vice-President for Graduate Studies should re-examine the structure and goals of and support for the MA in Individual Studies in Philosophy or Religious Studies to insure that it satisfies NWCCU Standards 2.D & E and 5.A, and Policy 2.2.

(3) The Department, through the appropriate channels, needs to join with the Administration and other concerned members of the University in thoughtful discussion toward meaningfully addressing the morale issues created by the implementation of the collective bargaining agreement. (NWCCU Standard 4.A.3 and Policy 6.2.)

In implementing these recommendations, we have been establishing a formal assessment plan for our programs. The Individual Studies MA is not a formal program in our department; it is a university program in which some of our faculty participate. It is therefore appropriate for the program to be examined at the university level. We have discussed ways to improve the Individual Studies MA program if some of our faculty choose to continue their participation; currently there is no student working with this department. We have been working with the dean of our college to improve the environment to address faculty morale issues.

Primary recommendations by the external reviewer, Dr. Ken Krane, Department of Physics, Oregon State University and supported by Dean Meghan Miller:

1. Personnel and department culture: Two new tenure-track lines were recommended.

2. Facilities: A better facility is needed for the Department. In particular space that better supports the integration of scholarship into instruction and instruction into scholarship.

3. Curriculum and Course Delivery: Increasing the student capacity for the general education courses; continue the implementation of current pedagogical teaching techniques in physics courses; needs of Physics majors in intermediate-level mathematics; resolving scheduling conflicts with other COTS Departments, such as Mathematics and Chemistry.

4. Outreach and recruiting: Improvement of the website; develop a targeted recruitment plan at the community colleges.

Implementation:
1. A new Department Chair was hired for the Fall 2007 academic year. Another tenure-track position, to start in Fall 2009, has been requested.

2. This continues to be a major problem with no solution in sight. To accommodate the research need of the new Department Chair, an introductory physics laboratory was converted into a laser laboratory. Although the Department gained a research lab, it lost an introductory teaching lab, further limiting the Department’s ability to increase enrollment in the introductory courses. The lecture hall in the building is another limiting factor – only 76 seats are available with a layout that does not promote recommended pedagogical techniques. The Geography Department is schedule to move out in the 2008 fall quarter, so some relief may be provided. The Department is hoping there will be enough space for a 50 student lecture/lab room, a computer room and a research laboratory for the new tenure-track faculty member.

3. During the 2007 Fall quarter, the Department revised its introductory astronomy courses so that the lab and lecture components were combined into a single course. The Department also proposed two general education courses (that are in the process of being approved). Enrollments in these classes will be approximately 40 students (for a cost of 4 to 6 faculty contact hours). All courses utilize inquiry-based pedagogical techniques.

Another problem that has persisted is the condition of the upper-division labs. For example, PHYS 334 will be taught in Spring 2008, there is only equipment available for one two/three-week experiment. Additional equipment for the remaining weeks in the quarter is necessary.

However, there are two difficulties associated with the new courses. The first is the space issue, as there is no room in the building suited for course delivery in this fashion. It is important that physics courses be taught in Lind Hall because of the necessity for using sensitive demonstration and lab equipment. The second is equipment for the new general education courses. Equipment for the inquiry-based activities is currently not available. The Department will apply for funding from the National Science Foundation to help alleviate this problem, but there will be a need for internal funding as well.

The resolution of appropriate course content and scheduling conflicts will continue to be addressed through discussions with the respective departments.

4. The COTS office is funding a student to revise websites and the Department is taking advantage of this opportunity. However, the overall structure of and navigation through the University’s website remains difficult.

The Department is currently developing a recruitment plan. During the 2007 fall quarter, the Office of Admissions sent out several hundred recruitment letters on behalf of the Physics Department.

We are still waiting for the official response from the administration.

However, the external reviewer, Dr. Frank Baber (see letter in Dept. Program Review documents) made several recommendations (paraphrased below):
 1) Dept. should experiment with alternatives (class size, delivery, etc.) and Univ. give flexibility to balance its large, general-education and service courses with more advanced courses in the major;
 2)The joint public-policy degree may need to become a free-standing major, or should allow students to use geography and economics electives within the major/political science, and in any event should be marketed more aggressively;
 3) Faculty workload issues should be reexamined, including perhaps a focus on FTE generation rather than mere course-hour/workload units (so that, for example, a faculty member could teach a large section of a lower-divison course in lieu of 2 smaller, etc.).
 4) More univ. support in scholarship of teaching would potentially help address increased workload demands and tradeoffs between teaching and scholarship
 5) More library and information resources are necessary to support faculty scholarship 
 6) Dept. should consider incorporating disciplinary standards of integrity into the intro course.

--The Dept. has not had the opportunity to implement or address these yet.
[Mar. 08]

(January 2008)
• Increase the “niche definition” and curriculum currency of the department: Faculty scholarship expectations have been made more explicit; criteria for reappointment, promotion and tenure have been aligned with those of the college; staffing and curriculum of the undergraduate major have been realigned with national standards, and an applied behavior analyst track has been added to the M.S. Experimental degree

• Increase collegiality among the faculty: We made collegiality a program goal. By attending to professional relations, we have improved our climate of civility and respect.

• Reexamine the role of graduate programs and resources allocated to them: Our Master of Science in Organization Development program is no longer active, allowing us to reallocate faculty to undergraduate instruction. Our school counseling program has enrolled more students, becoming a equal partner with our other professional masters programs. We expect that our applied behavior analyst track and broader emphasis on primate behavior will strengthen the M.S. Experimental degree.

• Examine the utility of having two levels of major: In 2006-2007, the department studied these programs. We found that about half of our students select our 45-credit major and half the 60-credit major. The student GPAs in both majors were very similar. The core of courses is the same in both majors. We concluded that both majors serve purposes valued by our students.

• Consider a capstone course for the major: We added PSY 489 partially in response to this evaluation.

• Consider a pre-major assessment of skills and knowledge: We have considered, but not adopted, various means of assessing our students before they begin the major.

• Offer the major at our university centers: We have begun to offer the major at our Des Moines center, potentially available to other centers students via distance education technology.

• Offer extended contracts to successful full-time non-tenure track instructors: This was not a matter under department purview and university policy is now part of the collective bargaining agreement.

• Add computer statistical packages to our curriculum. We are phasing in computer support in the second statistics course in our major. Standardization, classroom access, and expense to students pose problems.

Program review took place in 2005-2006. Primary recommendations from the external reviewer and COTS Dean are:
1. Establishing a set of comprehensive programmatic goals to support all aspects of the curriculum.

2. Focusing of the Sociology major program into a single degree option that adequately addresses the desired skill sets and retains the opportunities currently embedded in the B.S. degree.

3. Enhancing the reputation and visibility of the department.

Department Response:
1. We began the discussion of the program goals and learner outcomes in the spring of 2007 and worked intensively on expanding them in the fall of 2007. A revised set of program goals and learner outcomes was submitted to the Office of Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies in December, 2007. Faculty members also updated learner outcomes for the courses they teach regularly.

2. Curriculum revision is incremental. We made several changes to the curriculum. First we strengthened the 45-credit sociology major by adding a statistics requirement to the coursework. As a result, theory, research methods, and statistics are required core courses for all department majors. Second, we revised the sociology honors program requirements to promote the visibility of the program and provide greater opportunities for students wishing to pursue a more rigorous course of study and in-depth experience for our students. Third, we added GPA requirement for department majors. Both sociology and social services majors must have a GPA of 2.3 in the major coursework to graduate. Finally, we designed and added a capstone course for all majors. The recommendation of a single degree option for the sociology major was not adopted by the department because the current three sociology major options (45 credits, 60 credits, and 75 credits) enable the department to serve diverse student populations.

3. Faculty members will continue working on finding ways to increase the visibility of the sociology program on campus through university service and scholarship activities.

Increase and update lighting and sound inventory.

• About ½ of the required lighting was acquired with a partnership of the Department and the office of the Provost which supported our hosting of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

• The remainder of the light inventory and a sound proposal is on the current Capitol Requests listing for the University; both proposals have significant Department financial contributions. The Department is investigating sources for sound equipment and will move forward as funds allow.

Replace aging seating in Milo Smith Tower Theatre.

• $238, 00 was allocated Fall 2007 for replacement and we anticipate project completion for Spring Quarter

Search out ways for faculty to be more closely connected to scholarship opportunities and professional development off-campus and not feel they are tied to summer income.

• The Department has allocated funding to assist with faculty pursuing outside opportunities minimizing financial impact of lost summer salaries.
o Two faculty members took advantage of the initiative during the summer of 2007.

• Workloads have also been revisited with one faculty member shifting assignments to allow for a “late start” to teaching to allow outside scholarship opportunities.

• Two other faculty members found time over summer break to work in professional development opportunities as a result of overall encouragement.

• The department has initiated master classes during summer months focusing on areas that might benefit both Master candidates, regional professionals and faculty in order that faculty have opportunities come to them rather than having to get out for such.

Discover who we are as a department and solidify a unified core, especially in the Performance areas.

• Immediate action was initialed with two faculty retreat focused on curriculum and program goals. The core is now streamlined and focuses toward program mission and goals.

Additional staff specifically a Production Manager

• No addition funding has come from the administration. The Department has increased its commitment funding a 3/4 position and supplemented it with adjunct opportunities in related fields funded by the administration. The Department considers the establishmen tof a full-time excempt poistion a major priority for administrative funding.

Increase dedicated classroom space.

• Although additional space has not been allocated for needed studio spaces, the move of Music from Hertz Hall has provided some relieve for overburdened schedules in the Theatre building

Transfer of Dance from HHPN to Theatre Arts for programmatic reasons.

• The HHPN department has chosen not to divest itself of Dance at this time. During 2004-05 serious negotiations were carried on but to no avail.

QUESTION: MissionC1