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The Year of the Department: A Call to Engagement

Facilitating Academic Quality Work “Where Faculty Live”

Larry GouldFort Hays State University

Presentation to the Academic Affairs Summer Meeting of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), July 27, 2007,

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

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What is The Year of the Department?

Conceptually, The Year of the Department (YOTD) is an ongoing strategic initiative for orchestrating change and aligning people, systems and culture within academic departments in the Division of Academic Affairs at Fort Hays State University (FHSU).

Operationally, YOTD is best seen as a structured conversation among faculty and chair with a focus on “educational quality” process improvement at the academic department level.

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What is The Year of the Department? (continued)

The structured conversation is framed around an “academic audit” system that includes five essential quality domains (see Massey et al., Academic Quality Work, 2007):

Desired Learning OutcomesDesign of CurriculaDesign of Teaching and Learning ProcessesStudent Learning AssessmentUse of Results/Applying Feedback for Curricula

Improvement and Quality Assurance

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What is The Year of the Department? (continued)

The essential dynamic catalyzed and directed by YOTD is the following:

“Faculty reflect on how they can work collegially within their departmental or program units to improve teaching and research quality. Then they put their ideas into practice and track results.” (Massey et al.,2007, p.16).

It is important to emphasize that “doing the work” (the teaching and learning) is NOT the same as “assuring and improving its quality”

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Why Engage Faculty and Chairs in “YOTD?”

To make the university’s Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) accreditation activities relevant to faculty and chairs

To help them understand what it means to conduct “academic quality work” with a focus on “educational processes”

To provide an opportunity to experience how faculty participation in department quality work is essential to academic citizenship and institutional-level quality improvement

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Why Engage Faculty and Chairs in “YOTD?”(continued)

To provide an opportunity to clarify and emphasize that “doing the work” of teaching and learning are not the same as “assuring and improving its quality” (time needs to be set aside for each)

To demonstrate “how to do educational process quality improvement” by employing existing affinity diagrams of course curricula, stakeholder input and benchmarking initiatives across institutions and programs

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Why Engage Faculty and Chairs in “YOTD?”(continued)

Research papers; given topics for critical thinking

Computer exercises

Internships (Service learning approaches)

Student evaluations of advisor

Alumni Survey

Senior Survey

Senior Thesis

CORE COURSES FOR THE MAJOR

Orientation to Political Science 1 hr.Political Science Methods 3 hrs.Intro. to Political Philosophy 3 hrs.Choice of Adv. Political Theory course 3 hrs.State and Local Government 3 hrs.American Government 3 hrs.Intro. to International Relations 3 hrs.Intro. to Public Administration 3 hrs.Introduction to Law 3 hrs.Choice of Seminar 3 hrs.Internship 1 hrs.Senior Thesis 1 hrs.TOTAL 30 hrs.

CHOICE OF TRACKSInternational Studies 12 hrs.Public Administration 12 hrs.Pre-Law 12 hrs.Political Management 12 hrs.Political Theory 12 hrs.TOTAL 42 hrs.

MINOR

20 hours minimum, no prerequisites or required courses.

GOAL 1--To understand the tactics and techniques of politics at the local, state, national, and international level.

GOAL 2--To understand the connection of political science to other disciplines - especially history and economics.

GOAL 3--To be able to communicate effectively, orally and in writing.

GOAL 4--To use computers effectively(a) to do on-line searches, (b) to write an essay or paper,(c) to store, analyze, and retrieve data

GOAL 5--(International Studies)--To understand the international nation-state system and how it works.

GOAL 6--(Public Administration)--To understand the structure, functions and processes of bureaucracies in the American political system; and become familiar with decision-making techniques used in the public sector.

GOAL 7--(Pre-Law)--To understand the basic principles of the American legal systems, including statutory law, common law, and the judicial system.

GOAL 8--(Political Management)--To understand the political system of the United States under its constitutional structure.GOAL 9--((Political Theory)--To understand inductive and deductive reasoning in problem solving and empirical and descriptive theory construction.GOAL 10--To understand and explain an open and pluralistic society and become involved in some community activity.

KNOWLEDGEABLE

1. Understands the concepts of government, politics, and law and how they work.

2. Understands empirical and descriptive theory construction.

3. Uses analytical and critical thinking skills to solve problems and take advantage of opportunities.

4. Able to write and speak effectively.

COMPUTER LITERATE

Possesses information literacy skills. Uses computers for information storage, analysis, and retrieval; e.g., word processing, data processing, statistical packages, etc.

COMMITTED TO A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY

1. Uses leadership skills in addressing opportunities and challenges of the various communities of which the person is a part.

2. Cross-culturally competent and empathetic to others' points of view.

Assessment Approachand Methods

CurriculumExpected Learning

OutcomesCharacteristics ofPolitical Scientists

College of Arts and SciencesCollege of Arts and SciencesAffinity Diagram for Major in Political ScienceAffinity Diagram for Major in Political Science

What are the elements/building blocks of a degree program in the Department of Political Science that will meet the educational needs of the prospective political science major?

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Why Engage Faculty and Chairs in YOTD?(continued)

To facilitate faculty and department participation in the Regents and institutional performance improvement cycle by working collegially and with the university’s goals in mind (pass out scorecard)

To help renew and remind faculty of the “academic compact” (the belief that all faculty want departments and personal activities to be a part of a successful and reputable institution of higher education

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Why Engage Faculty and Chairs in YOTD?(continued)

To position YOTD as a “variable theme” change agent for leveraging other academic initiatives and opportunities for improvement (civic engagement outcomes (ADP), internationalization of the campus and the curriculum, mobile teaching and learning, reinventing distance education course development process, etc.)

To engage and facilitate faculty leadership in future institutional change and improvement

To make national discussions on assessment, accountability and accreditation more relevant and local

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How is YOTD Conducted in Practice?

Initiated with two YOTD workshopsAcademic Quality Work 101: BasicsAcademic Quality Work 102: Advanced

YOTD is being conducted as a 12-18 month structured conversation and process (Fall, 2007 celebrations)

There is an expectation that departments will set aside one faculty meeting per month to discuss YOTD issues and items (department notebooks, documents, etc. are inundating the campus)

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How is YOTD Conducted in Practice?

Intermittent reports are shared with the Office of Quality Management to encourage progress, reflection and mid-stream corrections/additions

Affinity diagrams, assessment plans, course initiatives and other strategic and operational documents are the focus of attention

Departments are sharing results throughUnit performance agreementsSpecial reportsForumsDepartment Annual Reports

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How is YOTD Conducted in Practice?(continued)

Funding is primarily process and project dependent (provost/deans)

Assessment plans become applications and funded distributed through Offices of Quality Management and Provost

Action plans are being generated for funding through strategic planning (president)

Reward, recognition and merit structure modified and applied

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How is YOTD Conducted in Practice?Exclusions

Individual efforts by chairs to conduct academic audits instead of chair and faculty collaboration (recognition that time spent on YOTD is a trade-off/no time excuse unacceptable)

Failure to use current affinity diagrams and the basic five academic audit questions to conduct a review

A focus on course or program content to the exclusion of process improvement and an assessment of existing learning outcomes

Substitution of accreditation or professional requirements in lieu of a focus on academic audit and questions

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Who Has What Responsibilities in YOTD?

Provost Manage, empower, and fund

Provost’s Council Approve, communicate, implement, and report

Department Chairs/Faculty Feedback, commitment, implement and report

All must nurture the “virtuous circle” and facilitate the turning of the “flywheel” (see Jim Collins, From Good to Great, 2003 and Massey et al, 2007, pp. 16-23)

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What are the YOTD Deliverables?

Final department/program YOTD academic audit results included in department annual reports

Revised/updated affinity diagrams with new/modified/affirmed program learning outcomes

A plan for implementing changes included in the revised/updated affinity diagrams

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What are the YOTD Deliverables?(continued)

An more precisely defined and appropriate number of assessment initiatives to include both direct and indirect measures. Linkage with institutional assessment, strategic planning, KBOR performance agreements, AQIP, and annual strategic themes should be clear where appropriate (e.g. intensive writing, civic engagement, internationalization measures, mobile teaching and learning, etc.)

A continually updated YOTD Institutional Report Card maintained by the Office of Provost

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What Resources are Available to Align YOTD with Institutional Effectiveness Efforts?

Charter and ScopeDirections for FHSU Academic Audit

Process/Affinity Diagram SampleAcademic Audit FAQs/More Sample

Academic Audit QuestionsExample Departmental Performance

AgreementExample Departmental Scorecard

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What Resources are Available to Align YOTD with Institutional Effectiveness Efforts?

Charter and ScopeDirections for FHSU Academic Audit

Process/Affinity Diagram SampleAcademic Audit FAQs/More Sample

Academic Audit QuestionsExample Departmental Performance

AgreementExample Departmental Scorecard

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What Resources are Available to Align YOTD with Institutional Effectiveness Efforts?

Basic FHSU Documents: University Strategic PlanKBOR Performance AgreementUniversity Performance ScorecardElements of Quality DepartmentsAQIP/PA Matrix of GoalsComprehensive Assessment Report and Strategic

PlanListing of Current Major Improvement Initiatives

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YOTD

Thanks

Questions?

Availability: <http://www.fhsu.edu/provost