Attachment C
Faculty Senate Agenda
September 19, 2002

SUMMARY OF COMMENDATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 
CONTAINED IN PROGRAM REVIEW REPORT 
SOCIAL SCIENCE PROGRAM

Commendations

1. The Review Team commends Social Science Program Coordinator, Dr. Richard Kornweibel, for his commitment to maintaining the program and for the equanimity with which he performs the duties and responsibilities entailed in coordinating this multifaceted program.
   
2. The Review Team commends Dean Sheley for his interest in the Social Science Program and his commitment to improving the quality of the Social Science Program and to meeting the needs of both groups of students in the Social Science Program.
   
3. The Review Team commends the individual faculty members who have assisted the Social Science Program Coordinator by advising, reading student portfolios, and using creative classroom strategies which (according to student course evaluations) have stimulated student learning and modeled various pedagogies for teaching social science concepts--especially Professors Curry, Quade, Garosi, Kirby, and Dillon.
   

Recommendations

The Review Team

1. recommends that renewed efforts be made to ensure that students receive accurate, informed advising about the CSUS Social Science Single Subject Teacher Credential Preparation Program from faculty at CSUS and area community colleges. (p. 9)

1. suggests that the Social Science Program Coordinator, in conjunction with the Dean of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies and the Dean of Arts and Letters, identify a core faculty who teach required courses for Social Science Credential Majors and that each fall, beginning in Spring 2003, the Coordinator hold a yearly structured orientation session for these social science faculty. (p. 9)
   
2. recommends that the Social Science Program Coordinator begin immediately to develop the following materials for Fall 2003 orientation and advising. Specifically, we recommend the development of both (a) a short (10-15 minute) powerpoint presentation covering basic Social Science Teacher Preparation advising information, and (b) 100-200 relatively slick, new (easy, inexpensive to do with desktop publishing and good quality paper) Social Science Teacher Preparation Track advising brochures and check-off sheets. (p. 10)
   
3. recommends that each semester during, ideally, the 1-2 weeks community colleges are in session before CSUS begins), the Social Science Coordinator make it a point to visit each of the area community colleges. (p. 10)

2. recommends that renewed efforts be made to ensure that CSUS Social Science BA Major students receive accurate, informed advising from concerned faculty. (p. 11)

1. suggests that the Dean of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies sponsor and the Social Science Program Coordinator organize an annual fall orientation session (perhaps at which refreshments are served as a small perk for attending) for these faculty beginning in Fall 2003. (p. 12)
   
2. suggests that 100-300 hundred slick new (easy, inexpensive to do with desktop publishing and good quality paper) advising brochures and check-off sheets be created for both social science major tracks (the general academic BA track and the teacher credential preparation track) to help faculty and currently enrolled students with program advising during the 2002-2003 academic year while the Social Science Program is undergoing revision. (p. 12)

3. recommends that one section of the capstone course, Social Sciences 193, which is required for Social Science Single Subject Teacher Credential Preparation track students, be taught at night at least once each year beginning with Fall 2002. (p. 12)
   
4. recommends that within the next four years, the Social Science Program Coordinator work with the Dean of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies, the Dean of Arts and Letters, and the Vice President of Academic Affairs to implement a course rotation schedule in which required major courses are taught during evening hours (after 5:30 p.m.) or on Saturdays at least once every two years. (p. 12)
   
5. recommends that within the next three years, the Social Science Program Coordinator assume a proactive role in creating and advising an academic social science major student organization which provides students in the major with peer advising/mentoring, shared intellectual/academic experiences related to the major, develops a network or community of social science scholars and professionals, and introduces social science students to professional networks in the community. (p. 13)
   
6. recommends that within the next three years, the Social Science Program Coordinator assume a proactive role in developing, organizing, participating in, and involving social science teacher preparation students in a viable student professional support organization for future social science teachers. for the purposes of (a) introducing students to social science master teachers, school principals, and counselors and enabling them to talk with these working professionals; (b) developing pre-credential school teacher mentor relationships, (c) facilitating teacher-supervised early field/school observational visits, etc. (p. 13)
   
7. recommends that within the next four years, the Dean of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies, working with the Social Science Coordinator, convene an Advisory Council of social science faculty and direct this Advisory Council to work with the Social Science Program Coordinator to examine and revise significantly the BA program in Social Science in order to provide adequate, supportive advising, and a coherent curricular program that meets the needs of the majority of social science academic majors who are interested in obtaining an undergraduate degree in social science but not in pursuing a teaching credential. (p. 13)

1. recommends that within the next year the Dean of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies convene an Advisory Council (which includes faculty from the various social sciences as well as the Social Science Coordinator) to review and begin to revise of the general Social Science B. A. major track. (p. 14)
   
2. recommends that separate hegis codes be developed and instituted (via proposals to the University Curriculum Course/Program Subcommittee) for the two major tracks within social science (BA major and single subject teacher credential preparation). (p. 15)
   
3. recommends that the revised Social Science Program include both an introductory course in theory/methods common to various areas within the social sciences and a capstone course that are separate from similar courses provided for social science single subject teacher credential preparation students. (p. 15)

8. recommends that the Social Science Coordinator, the Dean of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies, the Dean of Arts and Letters, and the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs work together to develop within the next four years social science learning communities for both BA major track students and teacher credential track students. (p. 15)
   
9. recommends that within the next four years the Social Science Program Teacher Credential Preparation Track be revised to include early field experiences for all students in this prospective teacher track. (p. 16)
   
10. recommends that the Dean of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies convene an Advisory Council and direct that Council to review the course syllabi of faculty teaching required courses in social science to ensure (a) that substantially the same material is being taught in all sections of a course and (b) that there is some common agreement across social science courses on standards of good writing. (p. 16)
    
11. recommends that the Social Science Coordinator, working with the Advisory Council, (a) revise, complete, and implement the preliminary Assessment Plan for the Social Science Single Subject Teacher Credential Preparation Track already in place, and (b) develop a preliminary Assessment Plan for the Social Science BA Major track of the Social Science Program and begin to implement this assessment plan within the next four years. (p. 17)
    
12. recommends that a standing Social Science Advisory Committee (not unlike the Liberal Studies Advisory Committee) be established to review and provide recommendations to the Dean of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies about course and program guidelines. (p. 18)
    
13. recommends that the Dean of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies provide three units of advisory assigned time each semester which will be rotate among faculty members teaching courses in the social science program. (p. 18)
    
14. suggests that, beginning in Fall 2003, a core faculty be identified who teach required courses for Social Science Credential Majors and who regard themselves as Social Science Faculty. We suggest that these faculty be asked to keep one hour free for monthly or semi-monthly meetings of the social science single subject teacher preparation faculty. (p. 19)
    
15. recommends that the Dean of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies work with departments providing several social science courses which anticipate hiring in the next few years to design job descriptions that include, as part of the positions' responsibilities, teaching courses for the Social Science BA major program. (p. 19)
    

Recommendation to the Faculty Senate

The Review Team recommends the conditional approval of the Social Science Program for a period of four years. We recommend that no later than October 15, 2004, the Social Science Program Coordinator, working with the Dean of Social Science and Interdisciplinary Studies, present to the Program Review Subcommittee of the Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee a preliminary report. The report should contain the following: 1) For those recommendations that have been addressed, details of progress, and 2) For those recommendations that have not been addressed, plans for addressing these recommendations prior to the next program review.

The Subcommittee will determine if satisfactory progress has been made and, if so, recommend approval until the next program review.