Assessment Details
Academic Year: 2021-2022 Level: Graduate
Campus Department: Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences [UG and Grad]
Program Type: Major [UG] / Program [Grad]
Program Name: Sociology PhD (Link)
Description of Data Collection:
Direct assessment: MA theses/papers; PhD dissertations; PhD area exams; publications; job placement. Indirect assessment: Surveys of MA and PhD students; surveys of faculty; data on alumni current positions. The Graduate Studies Committee selects the means of assessment each semester depending on the formal learning outcome under consideration.
Review Process:
On a continuing basis, the Graduate Studies Committee (comprised of 3-4 faculty members and 1-2 PhD students) collects direct and/or indirect assessment data in response to concerns raised by the Sociology Graduate Student Association (SGSA) and/or the Sociology faculty. The Graduate Studies Committee interprets the aggregate data so as to assess overall departmental success regarding the formal learning outcomes, and makes recommendations. The committee’s recommendations are discussed at faculty meetings and meetings of the SGSA and amended as necessary. Changes are agreed upon during faculty meetings either informally (i.e., recorded in the minutes) or formally (i.e., voted upon and recorded in the Guide to Graduate Study: http://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/schools/cas_sites/sociology/pdf/bluebook.pdf)
Resulting Program Changes:
AY2022-23
This year’s assessment indicated that there has been a long-term decline in our MA and PhD applications. In lieu of hard data to determine the reason for the decline (e.g., how it compares to national trends), we have elected to make a very simple change to our admissions procedures: to make GREs “strongly recommended” instead of “required.” This year’s assessment, based on data from several years of incoming students, indicated that there was a mismatch between the timing of our required statistical methods sequence (which begins with basic statistics in the fall, followed by intermediate statistics in the spring) and the profile of our students, who have mostly already had basic statistics in college or a prior MA program. After discussing, we decided to switch the order of the statistics classes. From now on, intermediate statistics will be offered in the fall and basic statistics in the spring. Thus, students who have no prior statistics training will start studying statistics in the spring, while students who do have prior statistics background will start in the fall. This year’s assessment indicated that many students felt that there was insufficient support for our take-home area exams, and wide discrepancy in the length of area exam reading lists. Our assessment was based on conversations with students, as well as a quantitative comparative study of area exam reading lists. Based on this feedback, we developed an online library of sample reading lists, available to students via the departmental website, as well as best practices for the length of take-home area exam reading lists.
Date of Most Recent Program Review:
AY2022-23
This year’s assessment indicated that there has been a long-term decline in our MA and PhD applications. In lieu of hard data to determine the reason for the decline (e.g., how it compares to national trends), we have elected to make a very simple change to our admissions procedures: to make GREs “strongly recommended” instead of “required.” This year’s assessment, based on data from several years of incoming students, indicated that there was a mismatch between the timing of our required statistical methods sequence (which begins with basic statistics in the fall, followed by intermediate statistics in the spring) and the profile of our students, who have mostly already had basic statistics in college or a prior MA program. After discussing, we decided to switch the order of the statistics classes. From now on, intermediate statistics will be offered in the fall and basic statistics in the spring. Thus, students who have no prior statistics training will start studying statistics in the spring, while students who do have prior statistics background will start in the fall. This year’s assessment indicated that many students felt that there was insufficient support for our take-home area exams, and wide discrepancy in the length of area exam reading lists. Our assessment was based on conversations with students, as well as a quantitative comparative study of area exam reading lists. Based on this feedback, we developed an online library of sample reading lists, available to students via the departmental website, as well as best practices for the length of take-home area exam reading lists.
Attachments (if available)