Dana Wright, Director for Academic Program Development

Office of Programs and Academic Assessment (MC 103)

2630 University Hall

601 South Morgan Street

Chicago, IL 60607

January 27, 2014

TO: Ilene Harris, Chair

Senate Committee on Educational Policy

FROM: Dana Wright, Director for Academic Program Development

I am submitting for review and action by the Senate Committee on Educational Policy

the attached Proposal to Revise the Campus Certificate in Survey Research

Methods.

The proposal was approved by the Department of Public Administration on November

19, 2013; the Education Policy Committee of the College of Urban Planning and Public

Affairs (CUPPA) on December 9, 2013; and the CUPPA Faculty on December 12,

2013. In addition, the proposal was shared with the Graduate College Executive

Committee as an information item on January 24, 2014.

ATTACHMENT

Title: Proposal to Revise the Campus Certificate in Survey Research Methods Sponsor: Department of Public Administration,

College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs

Executive Summary:

The campus certificate in Survey Research Methods is an 11-hour online certificate program that is ideal for individuals who routinely produce, analyze or utilize survey data as part of their employment in government, nonprofit and research organizations. The current SRM Certificate requires that students take five courses in applied survey sampling (PA 576 – 2 hours), survey data collection methods (PA 582 – 2 hours), survey data reduction and analysis (PA 588 – 2 hours), survey planning and management (PA 575 – 2 hours), and survey questionnaire design (PA 577 – 3 hours). The department proposes to combine the four 2-hours courses into two 4- hour courses. This will result in a change to certificate requirements. While the certificate will still require 11 hours, students will be required to take three (instead of five) courses.

Description: The campus certificate in Survey Research Methods is an 11-hour online certificate program that is ideal for individuals who routinely produce, analyze or utilize survey data as part of their employment in government, nonprofit and research organizations. The current SRM Certificate requires that students take five courses in applied survey sampling (PA 576 – 2 hours), survey data collection methods (PA 582 – 2 hours), survey data reduction and analysis (PA 588 – 2 hours), survey planning and management (PA 575 – 2 hours), and survey questionnaire design (PA 577 – 3 hours).

The department proposes to combine the four 2-hours courses into two 4-hour courses. Specifically:

 The content of PA 575 (Survey Planning and Management) will be incorporated into PA 582 (Survey Data Collection Methods).

 PA 582 will be renamed Survey Data Collection Methods: Theory and Practice and the credit hours increased from 2 to 4.

 The content of PA 576 (Applied Survey Sampling) will be incorporated into PA 588 (Survey Data Reduction and Analysis).

 PA 588 will be renamed Applied Survey Sampling and Analysis and the credit hours increased from 2 to 4.

 PA 575 and PA 576 will be eliminated as courses and as requirements for the certificate in Survey Research Methods.

These actions will result in a change to certificate requirements. While the certificate will still require 11 hours, students will be required to take three (instead of five) courses: CHSC/PA 577 (3 credit hours); PA 582 (4 credit hours); and PA 588 (4 credit hours). Students will still be learning the same concepts and skills in the same number of hours.

Justification: This streamlining of the program is essentially a structural change only. Students will still be learning the same concepts and skills in the same number of hours. But the change will make it easier for students to understand and complete the online certificate. The combining of 4 courses into 2 will also make it simpler for the Department of Public Administration to schedule courses and manage student demand. PA 582 and PA588 are taken as electives by students in other

Request System (CRS) as they are not required for any other program/department. Further, the department will determine how many current students still need to complete these courses and provide accommodations so students can complete existing degree requirements. As these courses are offered online and content is available in modules, students could easily complete these courses via Independent Study.

Catalog Statement:

The campus certificate does not appear in the UIC Graduate Catalog. Content is shared with prospective and current students via the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs website at http://www.uic.edu/cuppa/pa/srm/.

Current Catalog Course Descriptions PA 575 Survey Planning and Management 2 hours. Leads students through the steps of planning and conducting a survey including linking survey goals or research questions to survey design, sampling, sample management, and basic descriptive analysis of survey data. Extensive computer use required. Field work required. Meets eight weeks of the semester. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor. PA 576 Applied Survey Sampling 2 hours. Provides an overview of current methods and issues in survey sample design. Emphasis will be placed on practical application of sampling methods and procedures to applied research problems. Extensive computer use required. Meets eight weeks of the semester. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor. CHSC/PA 577 Survey Questionnaire Design 3 hours. Concepts and strategies for

developing survey questionnaires for various modes of survey data collection. Same as CHSC 577. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing and CHSC 446 or CHSC 447; or approval of the department.

PA 582 Survey Data Collection Methods 2 hours. This course will address the impact of data collection methods on survey responses and data quality. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing or consent of the instructor.

Revised Catalog Course Descriptions DROP

DROP

SAME

PA 582 Survey Data Collection Methods: Theory and Practice

4 hours. This course will address the impact of data collection methods on survey responses and data quality and the decisions researchers make when designing survey research. Students will be asked to go through the steps of designing and planning a survey including linking survey goals or research questions to survey design, budgeting, sampling, sample management, and basic descriptive analysis of survey data. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing or consent of the instructor.

PA 588 Survey Data Reduction and Analysis 2 hours. Provides an in-depth overview of available procedures and standards for survey data reduction and data analysis

activities. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the MPA or Ph.D. in Public Administration program or consent of the instructor.

PA 588 Applied Survey Sampling and Analysis4 hours. Provides an overview of current methods and issues in survey sample design and the analysis of survey data.

Emphasis will be placed on practical application of sampling methods and procedures to applied research problems. Extensive computer use required. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the MPA or Ph.D. in Public Administration program or consent of the instructor.

Minority Impact Statement:

This revision will not affect minority students in any way. It is a structural change in how course content is delivered (in 3 classes instead of 5). The courses will take the same amount of time to complete as under the previous structure (3 semesters if a student continuously takes courses). Budgetary

and Staff Implications:

Streamlining the courses and SRM Certificate program requirements will make it easier for the Public Administration Department to schedule the courses and to allow students to enroll (e.g., currently, staff have to give a student separate permission to enroll in each 2-credit course and this will minimize staff time).

Library Resource Implications:

These changes will not affect the necessary library resources. These changes are a restructuring of existing courses rather than the addition of new courses.

Space Implications:

There are no space implications because these courses are online.

Unit (e.g. department) approval date: College (educational policy committee, faculty) approval dates:

Department of Public Administration: November 19, 2013

College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs Education Policy Committee: December 9, 2013 CUPPA Faculty: December 12, 2013

Contact

Person:

Allyson Holbrook, Associate Professor,

Sharon Mastracci, Associate Professor, [email protected] Proposed

Effective Date/Term:

Fall, 2014