DATA AND INTERPRETATION
Enrollment patterns in the major, minors, concentrations, credentials.
Since 1998, there has been a slight decrease in the number of majors; however, as the following table indicates, after the initial decrease, the number of majors has mostly stabilized and has remained consistent over the past five years. Since the number of majors in the department has remained constant for the past five years, even as enrollments in the college and the university have slightly increased, the department does not believe this is a serious problem. Moreover, it is consistent with a national trend in the recent years that has seen a decline in political science majors overall.
Enrollment Patterns in Major (Undergraduate)
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
489 |
438 |
379 |
398 |
423 |
406 |
Enrollment Patterns in College (Undergraduate)
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
N/A |
3301 |
3378 |
3651 |
3738 |
3979 |
Enrollment Patterns in University (Undergraduate)
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
N/A |
18,702 |
19,343 |
20,342 |
21,503 |
22,564 |
Gender and ethnic composition.
Gender: The department has experienced a gradual and sustained increase in the number of women majors. Whereas in 1998 women comprised slightly less than half of all government majors, in 2002, they constitute slightly more than half of all majors. Such percentages nearly match the gender composition of the University, but are less than those for the College. Consequently, the department does not feel that the trend in gender composition warrants a response except to say that it offers a gender-neutral environment and warmly welcomes all students to major in Government.
Gender Composition (Percentage of Women) in Department (Undergraduate)
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
N/A |
49% |
51% |
51% |
52% |
55% |
Gender Composition (Percentage of Women) in College (Undergraduate)
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
N/A |
71% |
72% |
72% |
73% |
75% |
Gender Composition (Percentage of Women) in University (Undergraduate)
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
N/A |
56% |
56% |
57% |
57% |
57% |
Ethnic Composition: The ethnic composition of department majors mostly mirrors those of the College and the University. Over the past five years both the department and the University have acquired minority majority enrollments, while the College is close with a 50% white, 50% minority population. Within the department, Hispanics are the second largest group, followed by Asians, African-Americans, American Indians and those designated as Other. The department strongly embraces a diverse student population that reflects the changing demographics of California .
Ethnic Composition in Department (Undergraduate)
|
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
Am. Indian |
1% |
2% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
Asian |
7% |
8% |
9% |
9% |
10% |
Af.-Am. |
7% |
8% |
8% |
7% |
6% |
Hispanic |
15% |
11% |
14% |
14% |
16% |
White |
50% |
53% |
47% |
49% |
49% |
Other |
19% |
19% |
21% |
19% |
18% |
Ethnic Composition in College (Undergraduate)
|
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
Am. Indian |
2% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
Asian |
12% |
12% |
12% |
12% |
12% |
Af.-Am. |
7% |
7% |
7% |
6% |
6% |
Hispanic |
13% |
13% |
13% |
14% |
15% |
White |
52% |
52% |
51% |
51% |
50% |
Other |
14% |
15% |
16% |
16% |
16% |
Ethnic Composition in University (Undergraduate)
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
|
Am. Indian |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
Asian |
18% |
18% |
19% |
19% |
19% |
Af.-Am. |
7% |
7% |
7% |
6% |
6% |
Hispanic |
13% |
13% |
13% |
14% |
14% |
White |
46% |
46% |
45% |
45% |
45% |
Other |
14% |
15% |
15% |
16% |
16% |
Retention and Graduation Rates.
The Office of Institutional Research (OIR) at CSUS classifies its retention data according to the following categories: one to five year retention rates for first-time freshmen Government majors; one to five year retention rates for undergraduate transfer Government majors; and one year and five year retention rates that compare the department's performance to that of the College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies (SSIS) and to the University.
The aggregate 1992-2001 retention data for first-time freshmen indicates that the department retained 65% of these students after the first year; 46% after the second; 25% after the third; and 22% after completion of the fourth and, also, the fifth year of study.
Retention (within Major) of First-time Freshmen
Entry Term |
Percent Retained |
||||
|
1 year |
2 year |
3 year |
4 year |
5 year |
Fall 1992 to Fall 2001 |
65% |
46% |
25% |
22% |
22% |
Based on the OIR's one-year and five-year figures for first-time freshmen, the department's retention rates compare favorably to those of the College (SSIS) and the University. For example, the department's one-year retention rate of 66% surpasses the College's 62% rate and nearly matches the 72% mark of the University. However, the department's five-year rate of 22% falls slightly below that of both the College, at 29%, and the University, at 42%.
Retention of First-time Freshmen
Entry Term |
One year Retention |
|
Five year Retention |
||||
|
GOVT |
SSIS |
University |
|
GOVT |
SSIS |
University |
Fall ‘92-Fall '01 |
66% |
62% |
72% |
|
22% |
29% |
42% |
The retention statistics for undergraduate transfer students limn a similar scenario. For undergraduate transfer Government majors 69% remained in school after one year at CSUS; 55% after two years; and 48%, 45% and 40% after three, four and five years, respectively.
Retention (within Major) of Undergraduate Transfers
Entry Term |
Percent Retained |
||||
1 year |
2 year |
3 year |
4 year |
5 year |
|
Fall ‘92-Fall'01 |
69% |
55% |
48% |
45% |
40% |
Similar to the retention figures for first-time freshmen, the department's one-year and five-year rates for undergraduate transfer Government majors compare favorably to College and University statistics. Whereas the departmental rate for this group averaged 69%, the College and University attained rates of 68% and 79%, respectively. For five year rates, the department's 48% ranked slightly below the College rate of 51% and 63% for the University.
Retention of Undergraduate Transfers
Entry Term |
One Year Retention |
Five Year Retention |
||||
|
GOVT |
SSIS |
University |
GOVT |
SSIS |
University |
Fall ‘92-Fall '01 |
69% |
68% |
79% |
48% |
51% |
63% |
Three categories—six-year graduation rates, 1998-2002; five and eight year first-time freshmen graduation rates, 1992-2001; and three and eight year undergraduate transfer graduation rates, 1992-2001—comprise the OIR's graduation rates data. As the following tables suggest, the department's 36% six year graduation rates, 1998-2002, is slightly below both the College's 43% rate and the University's 38% rate, with the department's three year and eight year undergraduate transfer graduation rates, 1992-2001, basically following a similar pattern. 40% of undergraduate transfer Government majors graduate by their third year compared to 43% and 48% with SSIS and the University, respectively. Likewise, 45% of undergraduate transfer Government majors graduate by their eighth year compared to 50% for those in SSIS and 58% for the University.
While the department's five and eight year first-time 1992-2001 graduation rates are somewhat slightly below those of SSIS (16% GOVT/21% SSIS and 16% GOVT/25% SSIS), the gap widens when the department's rates are compared to the University's (16% GOVT/31 % University and 16% GOVT/39 % University ).
Six Year Graduation Rates
Year |
GOVT |
SSIS |
University |
1998 |
37% |
44% |
43% |
1999 |
38% |
46% |
38% |
2000 |
36% |
42% |
37% |
2001 |
32% |
44% |
41% |
2002 |
35% |
39% |
33% |
Average |
36% |
43% |
38% |
First-time Freshmen Graduation Rates, 1992-2001
Five year graduation rate Eight year graduation rate
GOVT |
SSIS |
University |
GOVT |
SSIS |
University |
16% |
21% |
31% |
16% |
25% |
39% |
Undergraduate Transfer Graduation Rates, 1992-2001
GOVT |
SSIS |
University |
GOVT |
SSIS |
University |
40% |
43% |
48% |
45% |
50% |
58% |
For the most part, the department's retention and graduation rates compare favorably to those of SSIS and the University. A few categories, though, such as the five-year retention for first-time freshmen, the five-year retention for undergraduate transfer students, the eight-year graduation rate for first-time freshmen, and the eight-year graduation rates for undergraduate transfer students show a fairly significant gap between the performance of the department and the University. While the department has yet to articulate a specific strategy to improve in these areas, starting in the fall (2003) the newer faculty members will participate in a training session to improve their advising skills. With improved advising, there is a strong possibility that the department can improve its retention and graduation rates.
Part and full-time enrollments.
As the following tables demonstrate, while the number of full-time majors has remained fairly constant over the past five years, the number of part-time majors has shown a slight decrease. Nonetheless, given that the decrease is slight, the figures do not warrant a response to this trend.
Full and Part-Time Enrollments in Department (Undergraduate)
|
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
Full-time |
319 |
278 |
306 |
320 |
323 |
Part-time |
119 |
101 |
92 |
103 |
83 |
Full and Part-Time Enrollments in College (Undergraduate)
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
|
Full-time |
2408 |
2535 |
2708 |
2743 |
3010 |
Part-time |
893 |
843 |
943 |
995 |
969 |
Full and Part-Time Enrollments in University (Undergraduate)
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
|
Full-time |
13,952 |
14,454 |
15,172 |
16,050 |
17,031 |
Part-time |
4,750 |
4,889 |
5,170 |
5,453 |
5,533 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Full-Time Government Majors as % of College (Undergraduate)
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
13% |
11% |
11% |
12% |
11% |
Full-Time Government Majors as % of University (Undergraduate)
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
Part-Time Government Majors as % of College (Undergraduate)
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
13% |
12% |
10% |
10% |
9% |
Part-Time Government Majors as % of University (Undergraduate)
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
3% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
“Native” and transfer students.
From 1992-2001, three hundred and thirty-six first-time freshmen and seven hundred and seventy undergraduate transfer students joined the department. Within this section of the self-study, the retention and graduation rates are the only data that identify “native” and transfer students. Based on the statistics and discussion provided above (III. A. 3.), transfer students consistently attained higher retention and graduation rates than “native” students did. In general, then, it seems that transfer students mostly have adjusted to the department. The data does not indicate a need for a response.
Student Academic Performance
Grading distribution.
The grading distribution data from Fall 1998 to Fall 2002 has been disaggregated according to lower and upper division courses. For lower division courses, the department awarded fewer As than either SSIS or the University, more Bs and Cs than SSIS and the University, and the same percentages of Ds and Fs as the University, but slightly fewer than in the College of SSIS .
Apropos upper division courses, the department distributed fewer As than either SSIS or the University, slightly more Bs and Cs than SSIS and the University, the same percentage of Ds as SSIS, both being slightly more than the percentage allocated by the University, and somewhat more Fs than either SSIS or the University.
The data does not indicate a need for a response.
Lower Division Grade Distribution, Fall 1998-Fall 2002*
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
F |
GOVT |
19% |
36% |
27% |
5% |
4% |
SSIS |
22% |
31% |
26% |
7% |
5% |
University |
24% |
25% |
19% |
5% |
4% |
Upper Division Grade Distribution, Fall 1998-Fall 2002*
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
F |
GOVT |
20% |
37% |
22% |
4% |
3% |
SSIS |
27% |
34% |
19% |
4% |
2% |
University |
32% |
30% |
16% |
3% |
2% |
(*Grades of CR, NC, I are omitted from these calculations.)
GPAs.
For the past five years, Government majors averaged a 2.77 GPA, SSIS majors a 2.85, and majors in the University a 2.84. The data does not indicate a need for a response.
Overall GPA
Year |
GOVT |
SSIS |
University |
1998 |
2.69 |
2.81 |
2.82 |
1999 |
2.72 |
2.83 |
2.83 |
2000 |
2.79 |
2.85 |
2.84 |
2001 |
2.79 |
2.87 |
2.85 |
2002 |
2.85 |
2.88 |
2.86 |
Average |
2.77 |
2.85 |
2.84 |
Students on probation.
For the years 1998-2002, 16% of Government majors landed on probation, compared to 15% for SSIS and 16.2% for the University. The data does not indicate a need for a response.
Year Percentage on Probation
|
GOVT |
SSIS |
University |
1998 |
17% |
14% |
14% |
1999 |
14% |
13% |
14% |
2000 |
16% |
17% |
20% |
2001 |
18% |
17% |
17% |
2002 |
15% |
14% |
16% |
Average |
16% |
15% |
16.2% |
WPE pass rates.
Nearly 90% of “native” Government majors passed the WPE in the past five years, compared to 76% for SSIS and 71% for the University. During the same time period, nearly 80% of “transfer” Government majors passed the WPE, compared to 72% for SSIS and 67% for the University.
For the most part, the discrepancy between “native” and “transfer” Government majors' pass rates is rather small. Government faculty might be able to reduce the gap in the future through advising. That is, in advising sessions, Government faculty members will encourage transfer students to use the writing center to improve their skills and to take more writing intensive classes.
WPE Pass Rates
Native
Year |
GOVT |
SSIS |
University |
1998 |
86% |
77% |
76% |
1999 |
67% |
66% |
67% |
2000 |
90% |
75% |
70% |
2001 |
100% |
77% |
72% |
2002 |
85% |
83% |
68% |
Average |
85.6% |
75.6% |
70.6% |
Transfer
Year |
GOVT |
SSIS |
University |
1998 |
76% |
74% |
69% |
1999 |
78% |
68% |
66% |
2000 |
86% |
75% |
69% |
2001 |
79% |
72% |
67% |
2002 |
70% |
70% |
62% |
Average |
77.8% |
71.8% |
66.6% |
Preparation for upper division/graduate coursework (no comparison data available under this heading).
The department offers three introductory courses to prepare its students for its upper division coursework. Students have the option to take either Government 1 (Essentials of American Government) or Government 150 (American Governments). Both survey courses emphasize the historical origins of the American Republic , the constitution, federalism, civil rights and liberties, Congress, the Presidency, the bureaucracy, the judiciary, interest groups, parties, ideologies, domestic and foreign policy, and California government.
Government 35 (World Politics) is a composite introductory comparative and international politics course. The first third of the course examines basic issues in comparative politics, with an emphasis on the institutions, political culture and domestic and foreign policies of Britain , Germany , Russia , and China . The remainder of the course covers basic issues in international politics, such as theoretical approaches to international politics, the evolution of the international political system, international organizations (EU and UN), nationalism, transnationalism, arms control, international political economy, and international environmental issues.
In our introductory courses, readings from textbooks, academic journals and high brow journalism ( New Yorker , New York Times , New Republic , The Nation , Dissent , etc .,. ) provide students with a quality and comprehensive introduction to either American or world politics, and short essays (one to five pages), short research papers (five pages) and essay exams prepare students for more intensive writing assignments required of the department's upper division courses.
As explained in section I. A., the mission of our department is not explicitly to prepare our students for graduate school. However, our upper division courses require intensive reading and writing assignments and emphasize critical thinking and research skills, skills that will prepare our best students for competitive graduate and profession programs.
