Sociology Master’s Program

Assessment Plan

Student Outcomes

A Master's student in Sociology should be able to identify the major tenets of a combination of the following contemporary sociological perspectives: fuctionalist, symbolic interactionist, network and exchange, ethnomethodological, feminist, neo-Marxist, critical, post-structuralist, and post-modern sociological theories. They should also be able to recognize logical problems in sociological theories, including reductionism, reification and tautological reasoning.

A Master's student in Sociology should be able to design and carry out an original social research project that will produce reliable and valid results and defend their analysis. Students should be able to examine and understand the analysis/research done by others.

A Master’s student in Sociology should be able to do statistical data analyses, such as multiple regression, using SPSS and be able to interpret the results. Students also should be able to interpret the results from research reports using statistical techniques.

A Master’s student in Sociology should be able to think critically and to apply sociological principles to “real-life situations.”

Mission:

The Sociology Master’s program is designed to provide an understanding of sociological theory, research methods, and statistical techniques. Within the confines of the program, students may choose to develop specific substantive expertise in one of the following areas of study: (1) Applied Social Research; (2) Law and Society; and (3) Social Informatics. We encourage students to engage in collaborative efforts with faculty members, which culminate in a thesis project. However, students may also choose to complete program requirements by doing an internship or additional course work.

Educational Objectives:

· The M.A. in Sociology prepares graduates for additional professional study in Sociology and related disciplines and research-related or teaching positions requiring the M.A. degree. Graduates with M.A degrees have careers in such varied fields as sociology, business, community work, criminal justice, education, law, public administration, public health, and human service.

Types of Assessment

· We will assess students’ knowledge of Sociology by using a portfolio approach. In our Introduction to Graduate Studies in Sociology course, faculty will familiarize students with the Master’s Portfolio in Sociology. All Master’s degree students will be required to submit four electronic copies of papers or projects, plus entrance and exit essays, to the Director of Graduate Study for assessment purposes. While we will explore other forms of electronic portfolios, initially we will provide students with disks on which they will save and submit their work. The Sociology Assessment Committee will evaluate second-year students’ portfolios using an assessment rubric that can be found at the end of this document in Appendix. At the end of the two-year Master’s program, students’ portfolios should contain: (1) An Entrance Essay on the students’ view of Sociology and their expectations regarding their Masters’ work, including what areas of Sociology they would like to focus on during their Master’s program. This will be written during the semester the students are enrolled in the Introduction to Graduate Studies in Sociology course. (2) Four papers or projects that are representative of the student’s work while a Master’s student. Since all students are required to take Advanced Sociological Theory or Advanced Social Theory and Political Economy, Advanced Social Research Methods, and Advanced Social Research Statistics, a paper or project from each of these areas is required. The students will select the remaining portfolio entry from any Sociology Master’s coursework. (3) During students’ final semester of coursework, students will write an Exit Essay on their view of Sociology and reflect on their experiences in the Sociology Master’s program, acknowledging personal and /or program strengths and weaknesses, identifying academic work that they found most valuable, and discussing their post-graduate plans.

We also have instituted a post-graduate assessment plan that we conduct every five-years. We initiated this approach in 2001 when we surveyed graduates of our Master’s program to determine how well the program prepared them for additional graduate study or their career. This questionnaire is located at:

http://comm-org.utoledo.edu/survey/sasurvey.htm

Timeline for Assessment

During the academic year 2003-04, we are pilot testing the portfolio by collecting a year of data from both first- and second-year Master’s students. The Sociology Assessment Committee will evaluate the Master’s program each fall based on two years of materials submitted by second-year students. In the case of our initial pilot testing, all of the second-year students may not have saved their papers/projects from the previous year. Therefore, for this first cohort’s assessment, we may not have a complete two years of data.

Beginning in 2001, we surveyed our graduates to determine how well the program prepared them for additional graduate study or their career.

Specific Program/Curriculum Changes

Based on the data collected from our post-graduate assessment, we have begun implementing changes in the graduate program to increase the amount of training we provide for students planning to enter applied fields. Thus, we have restructured the areas of substantive expertise in the Master’s program. Students can choose to specialize in Applied Social Research, Law and Society, or Social Informatics.

Specific Changes to Planning and Reallocation

· We have recently completed the search for an Assistant Professor of Sociology whose areas of expertise include Law and Society. She will start at UT in the fall of 2004.

Assessment Liaisons

· The department chairperson (Barbara Chesney) and the Sociology Assessment Committee (in 2003-04: Barbara Coventry, Elias Nigem, Randy Stoecker, and Jerry Van Hoy) will be responsible for analyzing the unit’s assessment findings.

APPENDIX

Scoring Rubric for the Evaluation of the Sociology Students’ Portfolios

REASONING

· Underdeveloped ideas

· Shows little understanding of the topic

· No clear point of view

· Develops a variety of simple ideas

· Shows some understanding of the topic

· Point of view somewhat clear

· Presents ideas of some complexity

· Shows understanding of the topic

· Point of view clearly expressed

· Develops ideas fully to create greater understanding

· Shows thorough understanding of the topic

· Point of view clearly & convincingly expressed

STYLE

· Weak vocabulary

· One type of sentence

· Contains some good vocabulary

· Contains a variety of sentences

· Contains good vocabulary

· Contains a variety of sentences

· Contains new terminology that supports the work

· Contains a wide variety of sentences effectively used

ORGANIZATION

· Several major errors & major omissions

· No clear structure or organization

· No thesis has been stated

· Several errors or major omissions

· Some evidence of structure

· A thesis is present but not clearly expressed

· Only a few errors or omissions

· Structure is logical & effective

· A thesis is clearly stated

· Practically no errors or omissions

· Structure supports the thesis & enhances the argument

· Thesis is clearly expressed & resolved

RESEARCH

· Rudimentary research undertaken

· No references or citations

· Evidence of research

· References present

· Several sources of varied types

· References & proper citations present

· Extensive, varied, & appropriate resources used

· Detailed references correctly presented & sophisticated use of quotes presented