PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM/UNIT REVIEW SELF STUDY

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2011-12

Truckee Meadows

Community College

School of Liberal Arts

PSYCHOLOGY

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Truckee Meadows Community College | Description of Program/Unit 1

Psychology

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM/UNIT

The Associate of Arts Degree in Psychology is designed for students seeking careers in psychology or related fields. The degree requirements include a well-balanced general education curriculum. Specific curriculum provides students with major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and empirical findings in psychology. In addition, students will come to understand and apply basic research methods in psychology. This course of study is designed as a university transfer program that substantially meets the requirements for the first two years of study for the B.A. in Psychology at UNR. In addition, students have the possibility to begin work on a minor in Addiction Treatment Services that is available at UNR. Students wishing to transfer to any other baccalaureate program should work closely with TMCC advisors and advisors at the institution of transfer to obtain recommended courses for transfer.

Mission Statement

The Psychology discipline provides a breadth of quality introductory Psychology offerings. These offerings support a variety of student needs: general education, foundational coursework to pursue a degree in Psychology, core

requirements for allied fields, and lifelong learning/personal interest needs. The Psychology discipline emphasizes quality instruction and a sound curriculum that will expose students to contemporary theories, research methods, and beginning skills used to interpret and use scientific psychological knowledge. The Psychology discipline serves to support the TMCC’s mission in terms of supporting general education, transfer degree programs, and

occupational/technical degrees. In addition, the psychology faculty have been involved in supporting student services by providing consultation to College counselors, the Disability Resource Center, student tutoring centers, and have developed two student clubs (Psychology and Psi Beta, the honorary society in Psychology). Thus, the Psychology discipline is an important and integral part of the College and its mission.

Degrees, Certificates, and/or Non-Credit Courses offered

TMCC offers the following courses in the discipline of Psychology: PSY 101 – General Psychology, PSY 102 – Psychology of Personal and Social Adjustment, PSY 109 – Learning Difficulties of the Student, PSY 130 – Human Sexuality, PSY 207 – Psychology of the family, PSY 210 – Introduction to Statistical Methods, PSY 228 –

Psychology of Dreams, PSY 233 – Child Psychology, PSY 234 – Psychology of Adolescence, PSY 240 –

Introduction to Research Method, PSY 241 – Introduction to Abnormal Psychology, PSY 261 – Introduction to Social Psychology, PSY 270 – Understanding Psychology through Film, PSY 275 – Undergraduate Research, PSY 276 – Aging in Modern American Society, PSY 290 – Internship in Psychology, and PSY 299 – Special problems in Psychology. Currently we also offer the Associate of Arts Degree: Psychology Emphasis

Primary Goals and Objectives

The primary goal of the Psychology discipline is to provide a quality educational experience that promotes students’ ability to understand, interpret, and use scientific psychological knowledge across a variety of areas within

Psychology. This goal is supported by introducing students to basic theories, principles, research methods, and concepts in Psychology through coursework. Students also have separate objectives for taking Psychology courses that impact the discipline. Students generally are either meeting a general education and/or diversity requirement, a core requirement for an allied field of study (e.g., Applied Anthropology, Mental Health Technician, Mental Health Developmental Disabilities Technician, Substance Abuse Counselor, Early Childhood Education Teacher),

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2 | Truckee Meadows Community College

statistics, for admittance), foundational coursework for a degree in Psychology, or personal interest/lifelong learning goals, thus the courses must meet these diverse objectives as well.

Factors Expected to Affect Future

The American Psychological Association (APA) Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major suggested 10 goals and related learning outcomes for undergraduate education in Psychology programs. These goals were adopted by APA (August, 2006) and are grouped into two major categories: I. knowledge, skills, and values consistent with the science and application of psychology, and II. knowledge, skills, and values consistent with liberal arts education that are further developed in psychology. As mentioned in a previous report (2006), the TMCC Psychology discipline started its work on assessment with these goals in mind. In the past two years the Psychology discipline has reviewed and implemented the Master Course Outline with precise objectives and outcomes and measures to be adopted by each Psychology course offered at TMCC. A new assessment cycle plan was developed and collected data will be described later in this report. American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force on Undergraduate Education in Psychology (May, 2003)

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School of Liberal Arts | Curriculum 3

CURRICULUM

Program/Unit Review Assessment Reports

List title(s) of past Program/Unit Reviews; indicate whether a program, discipline, or course review.

2 005 -06 2 006 -07 2 007 -08 2 008 -09 2 009 -10 2 010 -11 2 011 -12 2 012 -13 2 013 -14 2 014 -15 2 015 -16 Psychology (program) X

The last comprehensive Psychology Discipline Assessment Report was completed in 2006, and is attached and labeled in this report as Appendix D.

Course Assessment Report Summaries

Prefix Number Title

Indicate date of assessment in the department assessment cycle

PDCAR

Date Modifications

PSY 101 General Psychology Every Semester 2010-11* Under Review PSY 102 Psychology of Per & Soc

Adjustment

2011 Under Review

PSY 130 Human Sexuality 2011 Under Review

PSY 210 Intro to Stat Methods 2013 Under Review

PSY 228 Psychology Of Dreams 2011 Under Review

PSY 233 Child Psychology 2012 Under Review

PSY 240 Intro to Research Methods 2012 Under Review

PSY 241 Intro to Abnormal Psychology

2013 Under Review

PSY 261 Intro Social Psychology 2013 Under Review

PSY 276 Aging/Modern American Society

2013 Under Review

PSY 299 Spec Problems/Psychology As needed Under Review

The above table outlines the schedule of outcomes assessment for each Psychology class over the next three years. As the Psychology discipline’s outcomes assessment procedures are in the process of being implemented in a

programmatic manner across the curricula, including data collection methodologies, no summary of data analysis and modifications made to classes is yet available.

Assessment Driven Improvements

As discussed in Appendix C, the outcomes assessment methodology is currently being implemented across the curricula following the established schedule discussed immediately above. A more standardized student learning outcomes assessment has been developed and piloted for Psychology 101 and the first valid data collection process is underway this Fall 2011 semester. Moreover, all full- and part-time faculty members have been instructed by the Dean of the School of Liberal Arts (SOLA) to conduct outcomes assessment data collection this Fall 2011 semester (in accordance with the schedule above) and will be reporting their findings and discussions (including assessment driven implications of the analyses) in early Spring semester 2012. Given that the Psychology discipline is in the midst of establishing/implementing outcomes assessments standardized procedures in Psychology 101 starting in the

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4 Curriculum | Truckee Meadows Community College

fall 2011 semester, and requiring all instructors to provide reports of individualized student learning outcomes assessment implications per the schedule above, no data is currently available about specific outcomes assessment-driven improvements.

Evaluating Relevancy of Curriculum

Course Content

The course content is of high quality, rigorous, and appropriate. The course content is reviewed regularly by the faculty and the curriculum is updated as needed. Moreover, course content is modeled after the suggested ten goals as outlined in the American Psychological Association (APA) Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major and related learning outcomes for undergraduate education in Psychology programs. Last, each Psychology course has clearly enunciated student learning outcomes statements on the master course outlines (on file with the

College).

Degree/Certificate Requirements

The Psychology discipline currently offers an Associates of Arts Degree with an emphasis in Psychology. For specific details regarding the requirements for the AA, Psychology Emphasis, see Appendix B.

Methods of Instruction

Traditional and online courses are regularly offered in Psychology every term. During the 2010/2011 academic year, one Psychology Professor offered hybrid sections of Psychology 101 (e.g., a course that has a combination of lecture and online modalities), but this was discontinued this 2011/2012 academic year given this teaching platform was the least desired by students.

Faculty Qualifications

In order to qualify as a part or full-time Psychology faculty member, the individual must hold a minimum of a Masters Degree in Psychology. Currently, the Psychology discipline has four full-time and fifteen part-time faculty members. Three of the 4 full-time Psychology faculty have earned doctoral degrees. Six of the 15 part-time Psychology faculty members have earned doctoral degrees. There are two additional Psychology faculty defined as part-time that are employed full-time at TMCC; Maria Teirumniks, Ph.D. of the Sociology Department (teaching online Social Psychology) and Armida Fruzzetti, Ph.D., currently the Acting Dean of the School of Liberal Arts.

Post Completion Objectives (transfer, job placement, etc.)

Three of the TMCC mission statements/objectives are met within the Psychology discipline. First, students enroll in Psychology classes to meet general education requirements and to complete lower division coursework in preparation to transfer to a university. This includes those transfer students interested in majoring in Psychology at a university who complete the applicable freshman and sophomore Psychology courses that will apply towards a Bachelor’s Degree. Second, TMCC students pursuing various Associate of Applied Science Degrees take required Psychology courses, an example being that TMCC Nursing Students are required to complete Psychology 102. Third, some students take classes for life-long learning motivations, these individuals generally enrolling in more specifically focused courses such as Child Psychology.

Secondary Student Preparation Efforts

High School students who complete the Advanced Placement Psychology course in their respective high schools can earn credit for Psychology 101 at TMCC.

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School of Liberal Arts | Curriculum 5

External Review

N/A

Non-credit Training Offered

N/A

Curriculum Development Strategies

Assessment Findings and Strategies

Programmatic outcomes assessment procedures intended to collect the first valid and reliable student learning outcomes data are currently being implemented this fall 2011 semester. For a detailed discussion of this methodology and progress to date, see Appendix C.

External Resource Recommendations and Implementation Plans

N/A

Anticipated Factors Affecting Curriculum and Strategies

Student interest in online instruction and online assisted coursework has increased significantly. For example, for the Fall 2011 semester, psychology course offerings are as follows:

Psychology 101, 30 total sections, 23 lecture and 7 online classes Psychology 102, 4 total sections, 2 lecture and 2 online

Psychology 130, 3 total sections, 1 lecture and 2 online Psychology 210, 1 lecture section

Psychology 241, 3 total sections, 2 lecture and 1 online Psychology 261, one online section

For the Spring 2012 semester, the following courses are planned: Psychology 101, 30 total sections, 23 lecture and 7 online classes Psychology 102, 4 total sections, 2 lecture and 2 online

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6 Curriculum | Truckee Meadows Community College Psychology 241, 3 total sections, 2 lecture and 1 online Psychology 261, one online section

Online instruction accounts for 31% of the course offerings in Psychology during the 2011/2012 academic year. Additionally, regardless of instructional platform, Psychology 101 courses generally fill to capacity, and it is rarely observed that any of the Psychology course offerings are cancelled due to low enrollments.

Moreover, of the 45 Psychology courses offered during the Fall and Spring semesters of the 2011/2012 academic year, 20 are scheduled to be taught by full-time faculty members. This translates into 56% of psychology courses being taught by part-time faculty. When comparing the need for adding full-time faculty to the Psychology discipline to other areas of the campus, the data based argument that Psychology has access to a highly qualified part-time faculty pool has been asserted as a reason to assign new full-time faculty positions to other disciplines and/or areas within TMCC that does not have the luxury of access to a highly qualified part-time pool. Although this may be a valid argument, this does not detract from the high percentage of Psychology courses offered by part-time faculty, nor weaken the argument that having a greater percentage of courses within the discipline taught by full-time faculty would strengthen the curricula.

Currently, the Psychology discipline is effectively meeting its mission of offering a variety of courses addressing the TMCC missions of transfer education, general education for TMCC AAS candidates, and the lifelong learning interests of members of our community.

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School of Liberal Arts | Demographics and Enrollment 7

DEMOGRAPHICS AND ENROLLMENT

General Student Demographics

Age

The number of students enrolled in Psychology courses who declare Psychology as their academic major grew to 274 in Spring of 2011 after the new emphasis was implemented in Fall of 2009. Improvement in enrollment occurred for each semester-to-semester studied. The group of students 18-24 years old is the main group that enrolled in Psychology for the period. Increase in enrollment in this age group increased 475%. Psychology majors reveal age demographics significantly younger than TMCC as a whole. This may reflect that more students

enrolled in Psychology are doing so to fulfill the baccalaureate requirements for transfer as opposed to taking the courses for personal interest. Almost half of this difference is offset by the lower 50+ year olds. All age groups, however, showed highly significant increases in enrollment.

Under 18 yrs. 18-24 yrs. 25-34 yrs. 35-49 yrs. 50+ yrs. Total

N 0 36 6 6 0 48 % 0% 75% 13% 13% 0% 100% N 0 65 22 14 2 103 % 0% 63% 21% 14% 2% 100% N 1 171 48 26 5 251 % 0% 68% 19% 10% 2% 100% N 1 171 70 29 3 274 % 0% 62% 26% 11% 1% 100% Psych. Avg % <1% 66% 22% 11% 1% 100% TMCC Avg % 2% 54% 25% 13% 6% 100% Spr 11 Fall 10 Fall 09 Spr 10 0% 66% 22% 11% 1% 2% 54% 25% 13% 6%

Under 18 yrs. 18-24 yrs. 25-34 yrs. 35-49 yrs. 50+ yrs.

2 -year Average Headcount

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8 Demographics and Enrollment | Truckee Meadows Community College

Gender

As illustrated in the above graph, female enrollment outnumbers male enrollment for Psychology majors, as well as the college as a whole. These ratios held steady during the duration of the period studied, varying just 1percentage point from the averages. The difference is more pronounced when comparing males to the college demographic.

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Female Male Total

N 35 13 48 % 73% 27% 100% N 73 30 103 % 71% 29% 100% N 179 72 251 % 71% 29% 100% N 196 78 274 % 72% 28% 100% Psych. Avg % 71% 29% 100% TMCC Avg % 56% 44% 100% Spr 11 Fall 09 Spr 10 Fall 10 71% 29% 56% 44%

2-year Average Headcount

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Ethnicity

Similar to the college as a whole, the “white” enrollment headcount far exceeds the numbers found in other ethnicities. Psychology also shows consistency with the other ethnicities found in the college as a whole. The exception to this ethnic consistency is found in those remaining “Unreported.” Psychology contains 12% of unreported ethnicities compare to just 1% in the college. During the period under study, the number of unreported students climbed from 2 to 60.

African American Asian Hawaiian or Pacific Islander Hispanic Native American White Two or more races Inter-national S tudents Un-reported Total Fall N 1 4 7 0 34 0 2 48 09 % 2% 8% 15% 0% 71% 0% 4% 100% Spr N 4 4 16 2 70 0 7 103 10 % 4% 4% 16% 2% 68% 0% 7% 100% Fall N 11 10 0 44 7 163 0 1 15 251 10 % 4% 4% 0% 18% 3% 65% 0% 0% 6% 100% Spr N 9 8 0 43 8 146 0 0 60 274 11 % 3% 3% 0% 16% 3% 53% 0% 0% 22% 100% 4% 4% <1% 16% 3% 61% <1% <1% 12% 100% 3% 5% 1% 18% 2% 67% 3% 1% 1% 100%

Note: Ethnicity categories were changed in Fall 2009 to align with new IPEDS and NSHE reporting requirements Psych. Avg TMCC Avg 4% 4% 0% 16% 3% 61% 0% 0% 12% 3% 5% _1% 18% 2% 67% 3% _1% _1% African American Asian Hawaiian or Pacific Islander Hispanic Native American

White Two or more races Inter-national Students Un-reported

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Student Status

Educational Goals

More students have declared a degree emphasis in Psychology as their educational goal and this has been a growing trend over the five years covered. Fewer students declare personal enrichment for a goal in psychology classes and this was the case for all 5 years. The enrichment numbers peaked in Spring of 2010 and then plummeted to 3% in 2010-11. Earn a Degree Earn a Certificate Improve Job Skills Personal

Enrichment Transfer Undecided Total

N 886 41 6 76 19 54 1,082 % 82% 4% 1% 7% 2% 5% 100% N 843 30 9 57 18 62 1,019 % 83% 3% 1% 6% 2% 6% 100% N 930 34 7 92 39 23 1,125 % 83% 3% 1% 8% 3% 2% 100% N 946 32 3 85 39 28 1,133 % 83% 3% 0% 8% 3% 2% 100% N 1,079 30 1 108 34 21 1,273 % 85% 2% 0% 8% 3% 2% 100% N 1,032 46 6 102 23 20 1,229 % 84% 4% 0% 8% 2% 2% 100% N 1,201 41 3 110 26 18 1,399 % 86% 3% 0% 8% 2% 1% 100% N 1,348 35 0 126 27 25 1,561 % 86% 2% 0% 8% 2% 2% 100% N 1,379 26 2 35 27 2 1,471 % 94% 2% 0% 2% 2% 0% 100% N 1,386 40 0 40 35 1 1,502 % 92% 3% 0% 3% 2% 0% 100% PSY Avg % 86% 3% 0% 6% 2% 2% 100% TMCC Avg % 75% 5% 2% 12% 3% 3% 100% Spr 11 Fall 06 Spr 07 Fall 07 Spr 08 Fall 08 Spr 09 Fall 09 Spr 10 Fall 10 86% 3% _0% 6% 2% 2% 75% 5% _2% 12% _3% _3%

Earn a Degree Earn a Certificate Improve Job Skills Personal Enrichment

Transfer Undecided

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Educational Status

Psychology has fewer continuing students and more new students than TMCC as a whole. New transfer students parallel the whole college.

Continuing Students New Transfers New Students Total

N 26 7 15 48 % 54% 15% 31% 100% N 61 18 24 103 % 59% 17% 23% 100% N 124 25 102 251 % 49% 10% 41% 100% N 239 13 22 274 % 87% 5% 8% 100% Psych. Avg % 67% 9% 24% 100% TMCC Avg % 77% 10% 13% 100% Spr 11 Fall 09 Spr 10 Fall 10 67% 9% 24% 77% 10% 13%

Continuing Students New Transfers New Students

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Enrollment Status

Psychology majors taking 12+ credits per semester is significantly higher than the college as a whole. In addition, there are far fewer majors taking less than 6 credits. This finding is consistent with the number of all students taking credits at all workloads increasing rapidly over the last four semesters. For instance, full-time student majors grew from 30 students to 111 students over those four semesters.

Student Recruitment Activities

Psychology faculty participate in each “Welcome Back Faire” held in the student center. It should be noted that the student needs for Psychology curricula exceeds the ability of the department to offer classes, in particular for Psychology 101. To date, given the high interest/enrollment patterns in our university transfer courses, actively recruiting students for Psychology courses has not been necessary.

Underserved Student Populations

There is no formal process by which the Psychology discipline is actively recruiting underserved populations, although faculty do participate in student information and recruitment activities as requested. The Psychology discipline is ethnically diverse in comparison to the College, but this is not due to active recruitment efforts.

12+ 9-11.9 6-8.9 Less than 6 N 30 9 9 0 48 % 63% 19% 19% 0% 100% N 52 11 27 13 103 % 50% 11% 26% 13% 100% N 128 50 58 15 251 % 51% 20% 23% 6% 100% N 111 63 75 25 274 % 41% 23% 27% 9% 100% Psych. Avg % 47% 20% 25% 8% 100% TMCC Avg % 30% 17% 24% 29% 100% Fall 10 Spr 11 Fall 09 Spr 10 Credits Earned Total 47% 20% 25% 8% 30% 17% 24% 29%

12+ 9-11.9 6-8.9 Less than 6 credits

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Enrollment Patterns

Number of Sections

The above graphs show the changing number of sections offered in all psychology classes from Fall to Fall and Spring to Spring. While the number of students taking psychology coursework has increased each semester (see full-time equivalent enrollment), our number of sections available for students has been less consistent. In the Fall of 06, TMCC offered 38 sections of psychology coursework, then cut back 2 sections to 36 sections in the Fall 07.

Academic Years Fall % Change Spring % Change

2006-07 38 -- 38 --2007-08 36 -5% 37 -3% 2008-09 40 11% 39 5% 2009-10 44 10% 48 23% 2010-11 44 0% 46 -4% PSY (5 yr Avg) 40 4% 42 5% SOLA (5 yr Avg) 710 1% 717 1% TMCC (5 yr Avg) 1629 0% 1623 0%

*SOLA = School of Liberal Arts

38 36 40 44 44 25 30 35 40 45 50 55

Fall 06 Fall 07 Fall 08 Fall 09 Fall 10

Number of Sections: Fall Semesters

38 ₃₇ 39 48 46 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 Spr 07 Spr 08 Spr 09 Spr 10 Spr 11

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Fall 08 saw an increase of 4 sections from the previous fall to a total of 40. In Fall 09 and Fall 10 there were an additional 4 sections added with a total of 44 sections offered in each. Spring sections followed this mixed growth pattern, with 38 sections available in Spring 07 and a slight cut back to 37 sections in Spring 08. An additional 2 sections were added in Spring 09 bringing the total to 39. Spring 10 saw the most dramatic change and increase in sections for fall or spring, with an increase of 9 sections from Spring 09 to Spring 10 (a 23% increase). Spring 10 ended with a slight downturn from the high of 48 in Spring 10 to 46 sections. While the number of sections offered to students varied from year to year and semester to semester, the five year average growth in psychology sections was 4%. This increase outpaced both the Division (SOLA) which increased its sections by 1% and the college as a whole, which did not grow in offered sections.

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Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment

The above graphs show the number of FTE students enrolled in psychology coursework from Fall to Fall and Spring to Spring. Except for Spring 2011, Fall to Fall growth and Spring to Spring growth has been continuous. Fall FTE began at 227 in Fall 06 and increased each Fall ending with 311 FTE in Fall 10. Spring FTE also increased continuously from Spring 07 with an FTE of 215, through Spring 10 with 328. Spring 11 FTE did fall, however, to 316. Psychology FTE grew faster in both Fall and Spring than SOLA or TMCC. The five year

2006-07 227 -- 215 --2007-08 236 4% 239 11% 2008-09 267 13% 260 9% 2009-10 292 9% 328 26% 2010-11 311 7% 316 -4% PSY (5 yr Avg) 267 8% 271 11% SOLA (5 yr Avg) 3260 6% 3168 7% TMCC (5 yr Avg) 6809 4% 6692 4%

227 236 267 292 311 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

FTE: Fall Semesters

215 239 260 328 ₃₁₆ 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 Spr 07 Spr 08 Spr 09 Spr 10 Spr 11

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average Fall FTE growth for psychology was 8%, SOLA 6%, and TMCC 4%. Spring FTE growth was even more dramatic, with a five year average of 11% in comparison to SOLA, 7% and TMCC 4%.

Retention Rates

The above chart outlines the retention rates of enrolled psychology students from Fall 06 until Spring 11. During this cycle, retention rates in psychology have varied from a low of 64% in Spring 07 to a high of 72% in Spring 09. When comparing the average five year retention rates of students enrolled in psychology coursework to the

Division and TMCC, we see that psychology retains 68%, the division 72%, and TMCC 76%.

Term Total Enrollments Number Retained Retention Rate

Fall 06 1,130 776 69% Spr 07 1,068 687 64% Fall 07 1,179 800 68% Spr 08 1,189 784 66% Fall 08 1,329 933 70% Spr 09 1,292 929 72% Fall 09 1,453 957 66% Spr 10 1,630 1,115 68% Fall 10 1,545 1,078 70% Spring 11 1,569 1,038 66%

PSY (5 year Avg) 1,338 910 68%

SOLA Fall 10 18,213 13,787 76%

TMCC Fall 10 36,505 26,346 72%

70%

76%

72%

Retention Rate

Fall 2010 Retention Rates

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Student to Faculty Ratios

The SFR at TMCC is calculated by taking the number of students enrolled and dividing by the number of sections offered. So SFR at TMCC is roughly the same as “average class size”. The above graph shows the relatively consistent increase in SFR Fall to Fall and Spring to Spring. SFR for Fall 06 was 30.2 and increased each semester except Fall 09 in which it fell from 33.2 (Fall 08) to 32.9. Fall SFR increased in Fall 10 again to 35.1. Spring SFR has steadily grown with a low of 28.1 in Spring 07 and a high of 34.1 in Spring 11. We can see that SFR in

2006-07 30.2 -- 28.1 --2007-08 32.8 9% 32.0 14% 2008-09 33.2 1% 33.0 3% 2009-10 32.9 -1% 33.9 3% 2010-11 35.1 7% 34.1 0% PSY (5 yr Avg) 32.8 4% 32.2 5% SOLA (5 yr Avg) 23.5 4% 22.6 5% TMCC (5 yr Avg) 20.7 4% 20.4 5%

30.2 32.8 33.2 32.9 35.1 1.0 6.0 11.0 16.0 21.0 26.0 31.0 36.0 41.0 46.0

Student to Faculty Ratio: Fall Semesters

28.1 32.0 33.0 33.9 34.1 1.0 6.0 11.0 16.0 21.0 26.0 31.0 36.0 41.0 46.0 Spr 07 Spr 08 Spr 09 Spr 10 Spr 11

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psychology has grown on an average 4% in Fall semesters and 5% in Spring semesters. The increase in five year average class size is matched by a 4% increase in Fall and 5% increase in Spring in both the division SOLA, and in the college as a whole.

Number of Declared Degree/Emphasis Seekers

In the Fall of 2009, TMCC offered our AA degree with an emphasis in psychology for the first time. Since then, over 676 students have declared this degree/emphasis.

Student Success Rates

The new major delivered its first graduates in Fall 11 with 2 students. Given how new the major is at TMCC it is unclear what this means in terms of future graduates in the AA with the emphasis in psychology.

Enrollment Development Strategies

Demographic Findings and Strategies

The TMCC catalog presented the Psychology Emphasis within the Associates of Arts degree for the first time in 2009. This may help explain the rapid increase in the number of Psychology-declared students since the

Psychology Emphasis was instituted. The fact that Psychology majors are younger than the college as a whole may be due to the nature of the field itself. Psychology is a field with graduate education as the main gateway to

practice, although many other bachelor-level careers recruit Psychology, as well. Thus, the length of study required may account for students beginning the study of this field at earlier ages than other fields. The American

Psychological Association published, “The changing gender composition of psychology,” in which it reports the gender composition of the field rising from 20% female to 72%. This trend is evident in the TMCC Psychology

Year # of Graduates

2009-10 0

2010-11 2

Acadplan Number of Students % # of Grads

AA Psychology 676 100% 2

Number of Declared Degree/Emphasis Seekers Fall 2009 - Spring 2011

0

2

2009-10 2010-11

Number of Students Earning a Degree

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School of Liberal Arts | Demographics and Enrollment 19 demographics, as well. Further study may be warranted to determine reasons for Psychology majors reporting “Unreported” in greater numbers than is evident in the college as a whole.

Student Status Findings and Strategies

The combined major and non-major student enrollment in Psychology courses demonstrates the effect of the Core Curriculum-Social Sciences requirement upon Psychology enrollments. The marked drop for enrolling for personal interest most likely reflects the severe economic conditions found in Nevada. The populace is more likely to seek employment qualifications in such times and to have fewer resources for personal enrichment, as well. The TMCC Personal Enrichment data dropped from 5% to 4%. Since the Psychology Dept. dropped substantially more, the department may want to consider marketing the personal enrichment factor of studying Psychology.

The data revealing students continuing their educations in lower percentages than the college as a whole is probably explained by the higher percentage in new students. As the new major emphasis was discovered by more students over the period studied, the “New Students” category would naturally be higher statistically.

Enrollment Patterns and Strategies

Faculty and Staff FTE

Spring 2007 Spring 2008 Spring 2009 Spring 2010 Spring 2011 Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time 25 90 33 79 21 97 39 106 66 73 Program Data Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008 Fall 2009 Fall 2010 Psychology Sections 38 36 40 44 44 Student FTE 227 236 267 292 311 Retention Rate 69% 68% 70% 66% 70%

The first chart entitled “Faculty and Staff FTE” compares Spring Full time Faculty FTE to Part-time FTE . The proportion varied greatly during the five year period, from 21% Full Time in Fall 07 and 09 to 90% Full Time in Fall 2011. Spring 10 had 36% Full time FTE.

The second chart entitled shows growth of psychology sections and student FTE as well as retention rates from each Fall semester. From Fall 2008 until Fall 2010, Fall sections increased from 38 to 44 (15% increase in sections). At the same time, student FTE went from 227 in Fall 05 to 311 in Fall 2010 (37% increase in student FTE). The chart also shows Retention rates vary with a low of 66% in Fall 08 to a high of 70% in Fall 2010.

Student Success Rates and Strategies

Ninety-three percent of all Psychology majors that list educational goals are pursuing a degree in Spring 2011. Only 26 of these 274 majors, however, are reporting their educational goals. This would suggest a need for the department to intervene directly with its majors in order to stimulate more self-reports in this category.

Furthermore, 2% reported pursuing a certificate in the field, when no such certificate exists. The difference in the “Personal Enrichment” category may reflect a non-degree nature of the category. Perhaps, most TMCC

psychology students pursuing personal enrichment meet their enrichment needs without pursuing an entire degree. The data revealing Psychology students continuing their educations in lower percentages than the college as a whole is probably explained by the higher percentage in new students. As the new major emphasis was discovered by more students over the period studied, the “New Students” category would naturally be higher statistically.

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20 Resources | Truckee Meadows Community College

RESOURCES

Faculty and Staff

Required Faculty Credentials

TMCC instructional mission is to hire the most qualified individuals for teaching positions. A master degree in the field of Psychology or closely related areas is the minimum requirement for faculty teaching Psychology courses. To maintain academic excellence, every semester the coordinator scrutinizes TMCC’s Psychology pool to ensure that faculty members are capable of providing high quality instruction. Currently, the discipline of Psychology has 4 tenured full-time faculty members (one serving as Acting Dean of School of Liberal Arts); one full-time faculty under temporary, non-tenure track, annual contract; and 14 part-time faculty. The entire Psychology faculty consists of qualified instructors that possess required credentials. Forty-three percent of our part-time instructors have Psychology Ph.D. degrees, and 57% have Master in Arts or Science.

Name FTE

Degree(s), Certificates List conferring institutions

Professional Certification List agency/organization Years at TMCC Total Years John Coles 1 Ph.D., Counseling,

Oregon State University M.A., Counseling, Arizona State University B.S., Business Finance, Arizona State University

Nationally Certified Counselor by The National Board of Certified Counselors

27 27

Kevin Dugan 1 Ph.D., Counseling

Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno

M.A., Counseling Psychology, CSU, Chico B.A., Psychology, CSU, Stanislaus

Licensed Psychologist – Board of Psychology

22 28

Bob Fletcher 1 M.A., Counseling Psychology California State University, Chico B.A., Philosophy California State University, Chico

15 20

Paula Frioli-Peters 1 Ph.D., Experimental Psychology, University of Sao Paulo – Brazil M.S., Experimental Psychology, University of Sao Paulo – Brazil B.S., Biological Sciences, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP) – Brazil

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School of Liberal Arts | Resources 21 Armida Fruzzetti .2 Ph.D., Clinical

Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno

M.A., Psychology, College of William and Mary

B.S., Psychology, Radford University

12 13

Maria Teirumniks .2 Ph.D., Sociology, State University of New York at Albany

M.A., Sociology, Indiana University

B.A., Economics, Indiana University

30 30

Nicole Ballardini .47 Ph.D., Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno M.A. Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno B.A. Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno 4 4

Thomas Wade Brown .2 M.A., Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno B.A., Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno 1.5 1.5

Karen Murphy Erikson .4 Ph.D., Clinical

Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno M.A. Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno B.S. Psychology, Drake University, Des Moines, IA

2 2

Valerie Fisher Haskin .4 Ph.D., Psychology, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA B.A., Psychology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 17 18

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22 Resources | Truckee Meadows Community College Jennifer Rea Highsmith .4 M.A., Psychology:

Cognitive and Brain Sciences program B.A., Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno

4 4

Sheri Hixon .4 Ph.D., Clinical

Psychology, Saybrook Graduate School, San Francisco, CA M.A., Clinical

Psychology, Saybrook Graduate School, San Francisco, CA

B.A., Psychology, Union Institute and University, Sacramento, CA

5 5

Cindy Lynn Owings .4 M.A., Secondary School Counseling, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO B.A., Theatre Arts, University of Denver, CO Nevada School Counselors License Teaching Strategies Improvement, Nevada Board of Education 19.5 22

Carrie Paras .4 Ph.D., Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno M.A. Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno B.A., Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno B.S., Biology, University of Nevada, Reno 2 2

Dwight James Peterson .2 M.A., Psychology, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA B.A., Psychology, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA

1 1

Janice R. Russell .4 M.S. Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA B.A. Psychology, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA

3.5 3.5

Matthew Todd Sewell .2 M.A., Clinical Psychology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ

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School of Liberal Arts | Resources 23 Mirit Sloves .6 Ph.D., Clinical

Hypnotherapy, Pebble Hill University

M.S., Counseling, University of Phoenix B.A., Hebrew literature – Gratz College

1 1

Gregory Scott Smith .4 M.A., Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno B.S., Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 2.5 2.5

Alicia Summers .4 M.S., Counseling Psychology, Radford University, Radford, VA B.S., Psychology, Radford University, Radford, VA

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24 Resources | Truckee Meadows Community College Full-Time to Part-Time Faculty Ratio

These graphs show the percentage of credit hours taught by part-time faculty from Fall to Fall and from Spring to Spring during the past five years. During Fall semester of 2006 part-time faculty was responsible for teaching 77% of credit hours in psychology courses, in Fall 2007 the percentage was 69%. During Fall semester of 2008 one full-time faculty was in sabbatical, thus part-time faculty was responsible for teaching 83% of the total credit hours. In Fall 2009 one part-time faculty was hired in a temporary, non-tenure track, annual full-time position and there was a decrease in the number of credit hours taught by part-time faculty – 68% of total credit hours. In Fall semester of 2010

2006-07 77% -- 78% --2007-08 69% -8% 71% -8% 2008-09 83% 13% 82% 12% 2009-10 68% -14% 73% -9% 2010-11 48% -20% 53% -21% PSY (5 yr Avg) 69% -7% 71% -6% SOLA (5 yr Avg) 46% 1% 45% 0% TMCC (5 yr Avg) 48% 1% 47% 0%

77% 69% 83% 68% 48% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Percentage of Credit Hours Taught by Part-time Faculty

Fall Semesters 78% 71% 82% 73% 53% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Spr 07 Spr 08 Spr 09 Spr 10 Spr 11

Percentage of Credit Hours Taught by Part-time Faculty

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School of Liberal Arts | Resources 25 the Psychology discipline hired a new full-time faculty, and then the percentage of credit hours taught by part-time faculty decreased to 48%.

During Spring semesters the percentage of credit hours taught by part-time faculty was 78% in 2007, 71% in 2008, 82% in 2009, 73% in 2010 and 53% in 2011.

During the past five years, on average, part-time faculty was responsible for teaching 69% of the total credit hours during Fall semesters, while this average was 46% for SOLA and 48% for TMCC as a whole. For Spring semesters the average of credit hours taught by part-time faculty was 71% for Psychology, but only 45% for SOLA and 47% for TMCC.

Required Classified Credentials

High school degree is the minimum required to an Administrative Assistant at Social Sciences. Classified FTE

The Social Sciences Department has one Administrative Assistant that works full time. The assistant is responsible to assist Anthropology, Education, Psychology, Sociology and Social Work. Psychology alone represents 2% of TMCC students, this may be a reason to assign a new assistant position to the discipline of Psychology.

Facilities

All psychology courses use smart classrooms. Lately, scheduling new courses, or adding sections has been difficult due to the lack of rooms in specific time slots. The TMCC Admissions and Records Office is working with the Social Sciences Department to develop scheduling strategies to mitigate this problem.

Technology

As mentioned above all psychology courses use smart classrooms. There is a need to replace and maintain computers, projectors, and software in order to be able to provide high-level, quality education to our students. Associated with classroom technology the discipline offers several online sections, creating a high demand to the WebCollege.

Funding Sources

N/A

Resource Development Strategies

Staffing Issues and Strategies

The Social Sciences department has only one Administrative Assistant (FTE = 1) to take care of Anthropology, Early Childhood Education, Child Care, Psychology, and Sociology. As discussed before, the number of students interested in psychology has had a steady increase since 2006, indicating a strong need for faculty (full-time, tenure track) and staff (Administrative Assistant) to meet this demand.

Facilities and Desired Capital Improvements

N/A

Funding Allocations and Development Strategies

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School of Liberal Arts | APPENDIX A

APPENDIX A

Analysis of Funding Resources

Account Expense Analysis Trend Psychology

Actual Budget Projected

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Permanent Empolyee FTE (1) 7.00 7.00 7.00 - - -Expense Type

Letters of Appointment $ 115,886 $ 231,410 $ - $ - $ - $ Salaries & Wages 368,207 611,872 505,455 - - Fringe Benefits 105,497 170,577 153,270 - - Operating Expense 9,760 11,928 11,600 - - -Total Expenses $ 599,350 $ 1,025,787 $ 670,325 $ - $ - $ -Student FTE (annual) 310.00 313.50 - - -Expense/Student FTE $ 1,933 $ 3,272

Notes:

(1) Amounts shown are budget for the respective period.

The operating expense budget amount is not solely designated for Psychology it is a shared budget with the following disciplines; Anthropology, Sociology, Mental Health, CEP/EPY (Counseling, Ed. Psychology), and CPD (Counseling and Personal Development).

State-Supported Operating Budgets

As indicated above, the Psychology discipline has a shared budget within the Social Sciences department. However, the majority of its funds go to making copies (i.e., syllabi, handouts, exams, quizzes) the remainder of the funds, which is a small amount, go to cover the expenses that the department needs (i.e., postage, long distance, instructional supplies, etc.) which is shared with the other five disciplines.

Lab Fees

N/A

Special Fees

N/A

Grants

N/A

Non-Credit Training Income

N/A

Donations

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School of Liberal Arts | APPENDIX B

APPENDIX B

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School of Liberal Arts | APPENDIX C

APPENDIX C

Program, Discipline, and Course Assessment Reports

Description of Outcomes Assessment Methodologies and Progress to Date

The Psychology outcomes assessment and student learning outcomes assessment methodology, data

collection and analysis, and application of results to curriculum development/teaching effectiveness is well

under way. We have a clear schedule of student learning outcomes assessment for each class taught within

the Psychology discipline (this schedule was presented in the Curriculum section of this report), the most

poignant being the focus on Psychology 101, General Psychology, the class with the most enrollment in any

given semester. For all classes other than Psychology 101, starting Fall 2011 semester, full- and part-time

instructors have been instructed by the Dean of the School of Liberal Arts (SLOA) to conduct student

learning outcomes assessments in each of their classes in accordance with the schedule listed on page three

of this report, examining the student learning outcomes statements for each course as defined in the

applicable Master Course Outline(s) which are on file with the College. These procedures are currently

underway with summaries of these results to be submitted by February 15, 2012 for the data collected and

analyzed during the Fall 2011 semester.

The more difficult student learning outcomes assessment task pertains to the operational definitions

and methodologies for assessing student learning outcomes (SLOs) in the General Psychology curriculum

(e.g., Psychology 101) given the large overall enrollment in this class, the number of sections taught each

semester (e.g., about 30 Psychology 101 sections in any given semester), and the many different faculty that

teach this curriculum every term. This difficulty lies not only in establishing procedures that allow

individual faculty members to conduct outcomes assessment procedures as s/he sees fit in any given class,

but also to establish some uniform procedures of data collection, analysis, and application of results of the

Psychology 101 curriculum across instructors and semesters, allowing for a broader discipline-focus on

SLOs. In Fall 2010, Kevin Dugan, Psychology Professor within the Social Sciences Department at TMCC,

proposed developing a SLOs method that can be used by all full- and part-time Psychology 101 instructors

allowing for this broader data collection and analysis. This proposal was approved by the Dean of SOLA.

The following bulleted summary outlines the progress to date in developing and applying this

broader SLOs Psychology 101 methodology:

a.

The remainder of Fall 2010 semester was spent developing/refining the operational definitions

of SLOs within Psychology 101 (based on and incorporating in part the definitions as discussed

in the 2006 Psychology Discipline Review),

b.

As a start, instruments were developed to be used in the assessment of two chapters of the

Psychology 101 course, Chapter 5 (Developing Through the Life Span) and Chapter 11

(Emotions, Stress and Health). Two different chapters within the Psychology 101 curriculum

will be assessed every semester, culminating in a method that assesses SLOs in all content areas

within Psychology 101 approximately every 3.5 years.

c.

The methodology was developed that requires students to access and complete the two SLOs

instruments for each of the two chapters via ANGEL (regardless of whether the class was

lecture, online, or hybrid) with the goal of establishing uniform procedures across instructors and

classes to control for test administration effects,

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32 Appendix C | Truckee Meadows Community College

d.

A pilot data collection process was completed in Spring 2011 with the involvement at that time

of only full-time Psychology faculty (Robert Fletcher, John Coles, Paula Frioli, Kevin Dugan).

The main goal was to use the pilot study as a “practice” effort to identify methodological flaws

prior to involving all part-time faculty as well as full-time faculty during the Fall 2011 semester.

e.

The first formal administration of this broader SLOs methodology is underway this Fall 2011

semester utilizing all Psychology 101 classes for all full- and part-time faculty, with the data

summaries due to Kevin Dugan by February 15, 2012.

In addition, all Psychology faculty are being asked to provide a brief summary of any

individualized/unique SLOs procedures they used in their individual classes, the data collected, findings,

and applications of findings towards teaching effectiveness and/or curriculum development starting with

Fall 2012 semester. These reports are requested to be provided to Kevin Dugan by February 15, 2012.

Due to unanticipated flaws in the SLOs methodologies during the pilot study completed in Spring

2011, and inconsistent application of the procedure, these data were deemed to have limited validity and

reliability. The involved faculty met and unanimously decided to use the Spring 2011 pilot study as

intended; a medium to further revise and refine the SLOs method to be formally run the first time during

Fall 2011, which is currently underway. Specifically, the problems identified were as follows: inconsistent

amount of time allowed for students to complete the instruments and inconsistent date parameters for

students to access instruments.

Regarding the instruments themselves, each chapter in Psychology will be assessed by two online

ANGEL quizzes, one focusing on the conceptual understanding of course content, the other focusing on the

application of course content. This methodology is in accordance with the approved SLOs statements on

the Psychology 101 Master Course File. In fact, of the two instruments developed thus far, one is titled

“conceptual” and the other “application.” Conceptual instruments focus on a student’s abilities at defining

and identifying concepts covered in any given chapter, while the application instrument, without providing

conceptual definitions, asks students to apply a concept in any given chapter, such as choosing the correct

answer in hypothetical examples provided. This dichotomous approach (e.g., conceptual and application) is

modeled after the standards for undergraduate psychology curricula adopted by the American Psychological

Association (APA) in 2006.

On any given SLOs outcomes assessment instrument, each consisting of fifteen (15) separately

administered multiple choice questions, students will be deemed to:

a.

Exceed expectations if they earn 12 out of 15 points

b.

Meet expectations of they earn 10 out of 15 points

c.

Not meet expectations if they earn below 10 points

Moreover, quiz results will be run through an item analysis within ANGEL to compile data

regarding overall student performance on any given question, each item representing a different concept, or

different application of a concept, to assess for needed curricular and/or teaching effectiveness

improvement.

Three other outcomes assessment procedures will be followed every semester across the Psychology

curricula as well. First, all psychology students will be asked to complete a student satisfaction survey

(included at the end of this narrative) sometime within the last three to four weeks of the semester. These

surveys will be administered and the results collected by the instructor of each class. Second, as stated on

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the Master Course Outline for Psychology 101, instructors will develop an assignment that requires students

to demonstrate their abilities in evaluating research articles in Psychology. Third, the Institutional Research

Department at the University of Nevada, Reno will be asked to provide data regarding the student success of

TMCC students who transferred into the Psychology Department at UNR.

The Psychology Satisfaction Survey and an example of a research article review assignment/rubric

are provided below.

Student Satisfaction Survey

The Psychology discipline is currently undergoing a self-study and your responses as students are extremely

important. We appreciate the few minutes that it will take you to complete this survey. Your responses are

anonymous and will be used so that we can learn how to better improve this discipline.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Kevin Dugan, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology 775-673-7283;

[email protected]

Thank you!

Psychology Discipline Survey

1. How many Psychology courses have you taken at TMCC? ______

2. Including this course, how many of the Psychology courses have been part of a requirement for your

current field of study? _____

3. Including this course, how would you rate all of the instructor’s knowledge of the course content?

Not at all

Very little

Somewhat

Average

Very

knowledgeable

Extremely

0 1 2 3 4 5

4. Including this course, were the courses you have taken so far relevant to your career goals?

Yes No

5. How many times have you made an appointment with an advisor (either a TMCC advisor, or a

Psychology faculty)? _____

6. Including this course, how would you rate your overall satisfaction with the Psychology courses you

have taken?

Not at all

satisfied

Very little

Somewhat

satisfied

Average Very

satisfied Extremely

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34 Appendix C | Truckee Meadows Community College

7. Please rate your interest in pursuing a associates degree with an emphasis (major) in Psychology at

TMCC?

Not at all

Very little

Somewhat

Average

Very

Extremely

0 1 2 3 4 5

8. Please list any courses that you would like to see offered through the Psychology Discipline that you

feel would be directly relevant to your field of study:

9. Please list what you feel are the strengths of the Psychology courses you have taken so far:

10. Please list what you feel are the weaknesses of the Psychology courses you have taken so far:

Example of Research Article Evaluation Assignment

Journal Article Review Paper

Psychology 101

Kevin Dugan, Ph.D.

DIRECTIONS: This assignment is to assist you in learning to evaluate psychological research and any

information/conclusions presented by the research. This assignment will require you to find a journal article

in Psychology. Our TMCC Library has many fine Psychology journals available both on-line in full-text,

and in hard copy. Please choose an article that has personal and/or professional (or educational) meaning

for you. Regardless of your interests, you can find research articles that will be meaningful in some fashion.

For assistance, please ask one of our reference librarians. They are very knowledgeable and love to help!

The article you choose has to be a data-based article. As discussed in class, research articles in Psychology

typically have four components: introduction, method, results, and discussion. Usually, these components

are entitled with these names in the text of the article. A research article will always involve the collection

and analysis of data (e.g., numbers), and usually presents their results using tables and/or graphs in addition

to the narrative.

If you have any doubt about whether the article you choose is a data-based, research article, please bring it

to class before writing your paper. I’ll be happy to evaluate your article on the spot, and doing so will help

your student colleagues evaluate their own choices as well.

After you have chosen a suitable research article in Psychology, please write a paper addressing the

following:

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