Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University

• Department of Psychology Assessment Plan

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Assessment Outline

• Define Mission and Organization
• Establish Goals and Objectives
• Identify Expected Outcomes
• Define Outcome Indicators and Assessment
  Procedures
• Outline the Implementation of the Assessment
• How will data be used

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Department of Psychology Mission and Organization

• The Mission of the psychology department is to
  support the university and the larger community
  by providing a personalized learning environment
  and meaningful learning experiences that foster
  academic excellence, instill ethics and values,
  and encourage a lifelong love of learning.
• The psychology department offers an academic
  major and minor, an education minor, and other
  informal areas of emphasis. It also serves the
  general education needs of students, and provides
  a foundation for other academic and professional
  programs

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Department of Psychology Goals and Objectives

• Provide Expert Classroom Instruction
• Provide Expert Laboratory and Research
  Application Experience
• Provide Expert Professional/Agency Practicum
  Experience and Service
• Meet or Exceed the Standards Set by the American
  Psychological Association for Undergraduate
  Education (Professional Ethics)

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Objectives 1. Provide Expert Classroom
Instruction

• 1a. Courses will be taught by qualified faculty
  members with expertise in their areas of
  teaching.
• 1b. Students will demonstrate a well-rounded
  knowledge and understanding of psychology its
  language, methodologies, findings, and
  applications.

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Objectives2. Provide Expert Laboratory and
Research Application Experience

• 2a. Psychological labs and research opportunities
  will be offered by faculty members with expertise
  in the areas of their lab/research activities.
• 2b. Students will demonstrate their ability to
  conduct scientific inquiry within the domain of
  psychology by designing research activities,
  using assessment and other information collecting
  tools, and statistically analyzing and
  interpreting data.
• 2c. Students (Graduate School Track) will develop
  and demonstrate their ability to locate, analyze,
  and communicate scientific findings.

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Objectives3. Provide Expert Professional/Agency
Practicum Experience and Service

• 3a. Psychology professional/agency practicum
  experience will be offered and/or supervised by
  faculty members with expertise in the area of
  their practice and service activities.
• 3b. Students (Professional/Agency Track) will
  develop and demonstrate their abilities in the
  area of their practice and service activities

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Objectives4. Meet or Exceed Standards Set by the
APA for Undergraduate Education

• 4a. Curriculum will be consistent with the
  guidelines established by the APA for
  undergraduate education in psychology.
• 4b. Students will demonstrate their knowledge and
  understanding of the Ethical Principles of
  Psychologists and Code of Conduct as published by
  the APA and the National Animal Care Committee
  (for those students involved in animal research).

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Assessment Activities1. Provide Expert Classroom
Instruction

• 1a. The psychology department will hire, promote,
  and recommend for tenure, faculty members who are
  qualified and demonstrate teaching excellence.
• 1b. Psychology majors will pass all psychology
  classes with a minimum grade of C.

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Assessment Activities2. Provide Expert
Laboratory and Research Experience and Service

• 2a. The department will assign faculty members
  with expertise to offer lab and research
  opportunities. The department will also encourage
  faculty to be involved in research and to involve
  their students in research.
• 2b. Graduating psychology majors will
  successfully complete one statistics and two
  research methods courses.
• 2c. Graduating majors will review the literature
  on at least one area of research and write at
  least one acceptable APA style paper.

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Assessment Activities3. Provide Expert
Professional/Agency Practicum Experience and
Service

• 3a. The department will assign faculty with
  expertise to offer professional/practicum
  opportunities. The department will encourage
  faculty to be involved in professional
  clinical/service activities.
• 3b Graduating majors (Professional/Agency Track)
  will successfully complete practicum, internship,
  or some other equivalent practical exercise.

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Assessment Activities4. Meet or Exceed the
Standards Set by the APA for Undergraduate
Education

• 4a. Faculty will carry out a yearly APA-based
  curriculum review.
• 4b.All students in Psy 2010, 3410, 3800, 3820,
  and 4340 will demonstrate their knowledge and
  understanding of the Ethical Principles and Code
  of Conduct for Psychologists of the APA (or the
  NACC guidelines when appropriate).

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Implementation 1. Provide Expert Classroom
Instruction

• 1a. Faculty members will be informed of
  department, college, and university expectations,
  policies, and procedures. Faculty performance
  will be evaluated on a yearly basis using the
  psychology departments Faculty Evaluation Plan.
• 1b. Students will be informed of course
  objectives, assessment instruments, and
  assignments in each course syllabus. They will
  be informed of departmental requirements through
  the Catalog, department handouts, PSY 2010, the
  Department web site, and in student advisement.

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Implementation Continued

• 1b continuedStudent performance will be
  monitored through curriculum audits and review of
  the student portfolio.

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Implementation 2. Provide Expert Laboratory
and Research Application Experience

• 2a. Faculty will be informed of department,
  college, and university expectations, policies,
  and procedures. Faculty will be evaluated yearly
  using the psychology departments Faculty
  Evaluation Plan.
• 2b Students will be informed of the course
  objectives, assessment instruments, and
  assignments using the same methods as in 1b above.

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Implementation 2. Provide Expert Laboratory
and Research Application ExperienceContinued

• 2c. Students are required to develop and maintain
  a portfolio of work in order to fulfill
  requirements for graduation. Students will be
  informed in the same manner as in 1b. Above.

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Implementation 3. Provide Expert
Professional/Agency Practicum Experience and
Service

• 3a. Faculty will be informed of department,
  college, and university expectations. Their
  performance will be reviewed yearly using the
  psychology departments Faculty Evaluation Plan.
• 3b. Student portfolios will be reviewed during a
  curriculum audit for the required
  practicum/service activities have been completed.

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Implementation 4. Meet or Exceed the Standards
Set by the APA for Undergraduate Education

• 4a. Curriculum will be adjusted according to APA
  standards and institutional needs.
• 4b. Student portfolios will be reviewed before
  graduation approval is given to ensure that the
  standards of the APA are met and that the student
  has had exposure to the Ethical Standards and
  Code of Conduct for Psychologists of the APA .

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Program Response to Assessment Data

• The Department meets yearly to establish criteria
  for faculty evaluation as part of the Faculty
  Evaluation Plan.
• The Department meets each semester to review and
  adjust program and curriculum if needed.
• The Department meets weekly to address and
  resolve related issues and routine functions.
• Curricula are adjusted to meet the needs of the
  students, to fit within the scope of the
  institution, to take advantage of faculty
  expertise, and to meet the standards set by the
  APA.