The
Fall 2004
The Global Studies program began its life at the
In 2002 the former International Relations major was redesigned and renamed to better reflect the realities of nomenclature (international relations has always been seen as a subfield of political science) and to create a more coherent set of courses. The degree continued to require students to take courses from many different disciplines in both the humanities and the social sciences and to allow a significant amount of flexibility, but it added a gateway course (GLST 2000, Principles of Global Studies) and a capstone course (GLST 4900, Senior Seminar in Global Studies). It also required students to design a program that included five courses that focus on one area of the world (such as Asia, Africa, Middle East, Western Europe, or Pacific Rim) and five courses that focus on one international issue area (such as peace, gender, development, or intercultural understanding).
In addition to revising the major, the college also created an academic minor in Global Studies.
The program is administered by an adviser and is loosely associated with the Department of Political Science and Public Administration. There are no associated faculty or faculty lines. All of the courses for the major (except for the gateway and capstone courses mentioned above) are offered by other departments in the college. There is no clerical assistance, other than that provided by the secretary of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, and no office, except the faculty office of the program’s adviser. Oversight for the program is housed only in the position of the adviser, there is no advisory committee or other personnel for the program.
The field of Global Studies (also called International
Studies on some campuses) has not been well defined, despite the fact that
academic programs have existed in the
The overall mission of the program in Global Studies is to prepare students for employment (in government, organizations, and business), graduate studies and to be responsible global citizens. More specifically the program will provide undergraduate students with a solid grounding in the field of Global Studies, including (1) a well rounded, and multidisciplinary understanding of global processes from a variety of perspectives, including political, geographic, social, historical, and cultural; (2) a grasp of the intellectual tools for critical appraisal of global processes; (3) attainment of research skills to effectively study global processes and issues; (4) the ability to think critically and analytically; (5) achieve an understanding of the ways that individuals are affected by and can themselves affect international processes.
Goal 1. Students will demonstrate a broad understanding of the development and current functioning of the international system.
Objective A. Students will demonstrate the knowledge of the subject areas of global studies and understand the political, cultural, geographic and social development of today’s international system.
Objective B. Students will demonstrate the ability to accurately describe and analyze the functioning of the international system and its effects of groups and individuals.
Goal 2. Students will exhibit critical thinking and well developed writing skills.
Objective A. Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze issues in the global environment and clearly and efficiently formulate both description and argument using basic concepts in the field.
Objective B. Students will communicate their thoughts clearly through effective writing, demonstrating their ability to analyze, criticize and synthesize informational and evaluation from a variety of sources.
Goal 3. Students will have an appreciation for diversity in a global context.
Objective A. Students will demonstrate the ability to recognize the different cultural, political, and ideological perspectives that are represented in the global environment.
Objective B. Students will demonstrate the ability to use another perspective to analyze and evaluate global issues, processes and debates.
Goal 4. Students will gain an acquaintance with the breadth of the field of Global Students and its related disciplines.
Objective A. Students will demonstrate the ability to utilize the perspectives, methodology and language of two or more disciplines associated with global studies.
Goal 5. Students will exhibit an ability to be an active and responsible participant in global processes.
Objective A. Students will display an understanding of how individuals affect global issues and processes as well as their personal role is addressing international issues and problems.
As an interdisciplinary program, Global Studies depends on other departments in the College of all but two of the courses that students take. Consequently, Global Studies is also dependent on those departments’ assessment procedures related to individual courses and performance of faculty. The Program will create student portfolios that will include the following materials:
I. Writing samples from various stages of student’s programs
1. At least one assignment in the major’s gateway course (GLST 2000, Principle of Global Studies) will ask students to address their accomplishment of some or all of the goals for assessment listed above. A copy of the final, submitted draft, of the paper will be kept in the students assessment file for evaluation.
2 . A copy of the research product that students produce for the capstone course (GLST 4900, Senior Seminar in Global Studies)
3. A third paper, of the student’s choice, written for a course in related/cognate discipline will be made a part of the portfolio. This paper will normally be collected as a part of the capstone course.
The program’s adviser and other professors that she/he may recruit according to the set of rubrics included in this assessment plan will assess these papers.
II. Exit Interview
The program adviser will distribute an “exit interview questionnaire” to students in the last 30 hours of their program. This questionnaire will solicit opinions about the effectiveness of the program, the degree of satisfaction with the program, its courses and personnel, and suggestions for ways to improve the experience of future students. The questionnaire will also request information about future plans (employment, graduate school, etc.) and contact information.
III. Transcript Review
The program adviser will examine the transcript of students at or near the completion of their programs, to assess the courses taken and the grades received.
The gateway course (GLST 2000) is offered in the Fall semester, every other year. It will next be offered in Fall 2005. The capstone courses (GLST 4900) is offered every-other year in the Spring semester. It will next be offered in Spring 2005.
Spring 2005: Begin assessment by collecting papers from GLST 4900, creating and administering the “exit interview questionnaire” to graduating students, and reviewing transcripts of students at or near completion of their degree requirements.
Fall 2005: Review papers collected from the previous Spring’s GLST 4900 and “exit interview questionnaire” and transcripts of students at or near completion. Although there will be no “beginning data” for these students from their gateway course, it will still be possible to make some evaluation the achievement of assessed program goals. In addition, papers will be collected from GLST 2000 that will be offered this semester.
Spring 06: Materials will continue to be collected as described for Spring 05. In addition, information gathered from the assessment process will be used to consider altering and restructuring the program and/or specific courses to maximize results.