standards
Applied Sociology, Clinical
Sociology, Public Sociology
and Sociologcial Practice Programs
at the Master’s Level
Copyright
ã 2009 by
Commission on Applied and Clinical Sociology
Executive
Office:
Phone:
860-429-6422 Fax: 860-429-5907
E-Mail: eleanor.lyon@uconn.edu
Web: www.sociologycommission.org
Standards
for
Applied
Sociology, Clinical Sociology, Public Sociology and Sociological Practice
Programs
at
the Master’s Level
In this
document, the Commission on Applied and Clinical Sociology (
Although applied sociology and
clinical sociology are the two major types of sociological practice, the
Commission recognizes that training and education in sociological practice
occurs in many different types of institutions and may be called by many
different names. Therefore, in this
document, a program is any coherent sequence of courses and/or learning
experiences that has as its core the application of sociological knowledge,
methods, and skills in a practice setting.
This may include professional master’s programs and programs in public
sociology, criminology, gerontology, and policy analysis. These programs may be based in sociology
departments, parts of other degrees, or in multidisciplinary departments
usually within an institution of higher learning.
This
document is to be used by the applicant program, in conjunction with the
Guidelines for Completing the Accreditation Self Study Report, to facilitate
the Self Study process and to prepare the Self Study Report. The Accreditation Policies and Procedures
document and the Accreditation Review Process Guidelines are to be used by the
applicant Program, in conjunction with these Standards, to prepare for the Site
Visit.
In the
sections that follow, introductory comments summarize the content of the
section and are followed by the standards.
Italicized text following a
standard summarizes Commission thinking about a particular issue. Selected
terms are defined in the Glossary
(see Appendix A).
1.0 PRECONDITIONS FOR REVIEW
Programs in sociological practice
applying for accreditation review at a master’s degree level are required to
meet a number of preconditions. Programs
must demonstrate and explain in their self-study documentation how they meet
these preconditions. If a Program does
not meet these preconditions in a strictly literal sense, but it meets the spirit of these provisions, the Program
may petition the Commission on Applied and Clinical Sociology (CACS) for
special consideration.
1.1 The Institution
The institution in which the Program
is housed shall meet the following criteria:
1.1.1 It shall be
accredited by a regional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher
Education Accreditation (CHEA) or by its successor organization.
1.1.2 The Program
shall be housed within an institution that grants a master’s degree.
1.1.3 It shall have no policies or procedures that violate or contradict the
ethical standards of the profession.
1.1.4 It shall
have policies and procedures for accommodation of both student and faculty
grievances, and the Program shall use procedures available in the larger
institution. This information shall be
distributed to the faculty and students of the Program.
1.1.5 It shall have policies, procedures and activities regarding
hiring, promotion and admissions that are
nondiscriminatory.
At a minimum, they shall conform to the principles of
nondiscrimination with regard to race, ethnicity, creed, age, sexual
orientation, disabilities, and marital status.
1.1.6 It shall
have appropriate policies and procedures for maintaining the confidentiality of
student records. These policies shall be
consistent with applicable laws.
1.2 The Program
While the Program may be housed in a
variety of administrative structures or units, it is important that it be
identified as sociological practice, applied sociology, clinical sociology, professional
sociology or public sociology. As a precondition for review, the Program shall
have authority, responsibility, and resources to determine and meet its goals
and objectives and to maintain the program over time.
1.2.1 The formal title of the Program shall
contain any combination of the terms sociological practice, applied sociology,
clinical sociology, professional sociology or public sociology.
In such situations where the Program
name cannot include the terms applied sociology, clinical sociology, professional
sociology, public sociology or sociological practice, this standard may be
waived. In such instances, the Program
shall demonstrate its identification with sociological practice through
documentation acceptable to the Commission.
1.2.2 The Program
shall have an established governance and administrative structure ensuring its
authority and responsibility for decision-making with respect to goal setting,
program planning, assessing and documenting program outcomes, and achieving
specified goals.
1.2.3 The Program
shall have resources sufficient to ensure its continued operation.
Resources
shall be sufficient to ensure the retention of a well-qualified faculty and
professional staff, the maintenance of library resources, ongoing expenses of
the practice component, including field experiences, and the effective
operation of facilities. These factors shall
be examined within the context of the resources of the institution.
1.2.4 The Program
shall have been in operation for at least two years and the department or unit
in which the Program is housed shall have at least three (3) full-time faculty
members, one of whom shall be the director/coordinator of the Program. The
majority of the full-time faculty shall have graduate degrees in sociology or
closely related fields.
The Program shall have enrolled students for at least 2
years and shall have been recognized, through the institution's literature, at
the time of application.
2.0 PROGRAMMATIC STRUCTURE
The Program in sociological practice, applied sociology, clinical
sociology, professional sociology and/or public sociology may be a free
standing program, or may be a specialization, concentration, or track within
the graduate program. Further
specialization within a practice program is also expected in substantive areas
(See 2.7). Programs
in fields closely related to sociology also may be considered for
accreditation. For example, a program in criminology that incorporates the
components of an applied, clinical, professional or public sociology program
would be eligible to apply.
The Program
shall have a mission statement that clearly articulates its purpose as a
program in sociological practice with the programmatic structures to support
and reflect that mission. The Program's mission shall be reflected in: a) its goals and objectives;
b) its administrative and organizational structures; c) the services it
provides to its students; d) its faculty characteristics and professional
development; and, e) the nature of its public and professional services.
2.1
The Program
shall clearly articulate its philosophy and vision as a program in sociological
practice, applied sociology, clinical sociology, professional sociology or
public sociology. It shall have a
mission statement that is translated into a set of program goals and objectives
and an associated curriculum of study. The student learning outcomes attached
to the Program's goals and objectives shall be quantitatively and/or
qualitatively measurable and shall encompass those listed in sections 2.7.1a and 3.1 to 3.5 of
these Standards.
2.1.1 The Program
shall have a mission statement that clearly articulates its purpose as a
program in sociological practice.
2.1.2 The
Program shall have a set of program goals that clearly reflect the Program’s
mission.
2.1.3 The Program
shall have a set of learning goals and associated learning outcomes that
specify what students will be able to do upon completion of the Program.
a) The student learning outcomes attached to
the Program’s learning goals shall be
quantitatively
and/or qualitatively measured.
b) The student learning outcomes attached to
the Program’s learning goals shall
encompass those listed in
sections 2.7.1a and 3.1 to 3.5 of these Standards.
2.1.4 The Program
shall construct a matrix or curriculum map that displays the courses or other
program activities in which each student learning goal (2.7, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and
3.4) and outcomes (2.7.1a, 3.1.1 a-d, 3.1.2 a-d, 3.2.1 a-h, 3.3.1 a-g, and
3.4.1 a-f) will be addressed.
2.1.5 The Program
shall provide for a learning environment in which the Program's student
learning goals and outcomes can be achieved.
2.2 Essential
Sociological Elements
The Program must provide students with the essential
elements listed here.
2.2.1 At minimum the Program shall:
a) Examine in-depth a range of major sociological paradigms, theories,
and perspectives.
b) Examine a variety of
methods used in both qualitative and quantitative sociological research including concept and problem formation,
research design, data collection, data analysis and interpretation.
c) Provide knowledge
about diverse populations in diverse settings.
d) Cover a range of communication skills and appropriate use of computer
technology.
e)
Provide knowledge of the social and political issues involved in sociological
practice.
f)
Infuse professional ethics throughout the curriculum and learning experiences.
g)
Foster professional identity including the responsibility to continue
professional growth and development.
2.3 Administrative and Organizational Structure
The Program shall accurately reflect
its characteristics and the nature of its offerings in public documents. It shall maintain ongoing relationships with
sociological practitioners.
2.3.1 The Program
shall establish and maintain close, reciprocal, and ongoing relationships with
sociological practitioners and practitioner associations.
As part of the ongoing relationships with other programs,
departmental or program membership in practice-oriented professional
organizations, such as the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology, is
encouraged.
2.3.2 The current
institutional catalogue or bulletin shall accurately describe the academic unit
and the program(s) offered, including admission criteria, minimum Program
requirements, matriculation requirements, opportunities for supervised practice
experiences, and financial aid information.
2.3.3 The Program
shall have access to resources to support teaching, research, and practice
experiences for students (e.g., field placements, internships, practica).
This is interpreted to mean that the Program has direct
access to or control over resources including, but not limited to:
a) data analysis and word processing capabilities;
b) statistical consultation and computer assistance for
ongoing research and data analysis activities;
c) clerical support;
d) administrative support to assist the Program in
securing resources for sociological practice activities, including supervised practice
experience for students; and
e) professional, technical, and financial support for
faculty and curriculum development and assessment.
2.3.4 The Program
shall have access to library facilities and resources that are appropriate for
scholarly inquiry, research, and practice by Program faculty and students. The Program shall provide access to historical
and current scholarly materials relevant to sociological practice such as the Journal of Applied Social Science (supersedes
2.3.5 The Program shall maintain on file, for five years, syllabi for all courses taught that include, at a minimum, course objectives/student learning outcomes, course content, course assignments, and mechanisms used to evaluate the progress of students in the course.
2.3.6 Accurate and comprehensive information about the Program shall be provided to prospective and enrolled students.
This Program information should include, but is not
limited to:
a) career information, including information about the
job placements of alumni of the program;
b) Program requirements, prerequisites, and offerings, including appropriate courses offered through other departments;
c) student learning outcomes and assessment processes as
described in Sections 2.7.1a, 3.0 and 4.0;
d) admission processes and procedures;
e) additional cost of the Program to the student, if
applicable;
f) course registration, including information about
frequency of course offerings;
g) student financial aid;
h) withdrawal and dismissal polices and procedures; and
i) when applicable, accreditation status of the Program.
2.4 The
Students
The Program shall maintain accurate
and timely information about students' progress in the Program. Support services available to the student
(e.g., through the institution) shall include Program and career advisement and
employment assistance.
2.4.1 The Program shall clearly articulate criteria and implement processes for student admission.
2.4.2 An advisor shall be assigned to each student during enrollment in the Program. The advisor shall assist the student to develop a plan of study.
Generally, the planned program of study identifies how
the student learning outcomes will be met and assessed. It should include the following:
a) student learning outcomes for the Program;
b) curricular experiences required to meet student learning
outcomes (this shall include core requirements along with specialized and
elective curricular requirements, as appropriate);
c) supervised practice experience requirements; and,
d) methods of assessing achievement of student learning
outcomes.
2.4.3 An
up-to-date file on each student shall be kept.
This file should include, but is not limited to,
documentation of student progress, including such items as:
a) a
plan of study;
b)
academic record/transcript;
c)
documents related to the practice experience;and
d) if
applicable, documents related to thesis progress (e.g., proposal,
administrative forms).
2.4.4 Students
shall receive advice and assistance in making career decisions and in seeking
employment.
2.5 The Faculty and Staff
The Program's learning goals and
objectives shall be supported and advanced by: a) the quality, composition, and
size of the faculty and staff, and b) the nature of the Program's curricular,
scholarly, outreach, and community service endeavors.
2.5.1
The
department or unit in which the Program is housed shall have at least three (3)
full-time faculty members, one of
whom shall be the director/coordinator of the Program.
2.5.2 The director/coordinator of the Program shall be a full-time member of the faculty. This director/coordinator is responsible for the coordination of the Program, and is the one to whom inquiries regarding the overall Program are addressed. The director/coordinator shall have:
a) a doctoral degree in
sociology.
In situations where the director's/coordinator’s doctoral
degree is NOT in sociology this requirement may be waived. In such cases, the
Program shall document how the work of the director/coordinator is essentially
sociological.
b) documented experience in
sociological practice, applied sociology, clinical sociology, professional
sociology, public sociology or related field.
c)
membership(s) in the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology,
American Sociological Association (Practice Section) or other
relevant professional association.
In cases where the department
or unit in which the Program is housed has a director/coordinator for all MA
programs, the Program must document the availability of faculty with documented
experience in sociological practice and membership in the Association for
Applied and Clinical Sociology or other relevant professional association.
d) sufficient release time to adequately fulfill the administrative duties associated with the program.
Because programs will vary in size,
institutional context, and designation of an MA coordinator, the time needed
for administrative duties will vary. A
Program shall document the administrative tasks, the time required for their
completion, and the adequacy of the personnel and time to complete these
tasks.
2.5.3 Program faculty shall have:
a) an advanced degree in sociology or other
closely related field.
b) documented experience in
sociological practice, applied sociology, clinical sociology, professional
sociology, public sociology, or related field.
c)
membership(s) in the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology,
American Sociological Association (Practice and Public Sociology Section) or other relevant professional association.
2.5.4 Program
faculty shall be assigned to provide classroom instruction only in areas for
which they have experience and/or training.
2.5.5 There shall
be an effort to recruit and retain Program faculty:
a) from practice as well as academic settings;
and,
b) who represent a diversity among people in society (e.g., women, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities).
This is interpreted to mean that the Program follows the
institutional guidelines related to equal employment opportunities.
2.5.6
Individuals from practice settings shall be involved as adjunct faculty
(if qualified academically), guest speakers, members of an advisory group,
and/or in other roles as deemed appropriate by the program.
2.5.7 Faculty
members in the Program shall provide evidence of continued involvement in some
aspect of scholarly, practice, and/or professional development and renewal, in
addition to teaching, to keep up-to-date and well-informed.
A wide variety of scholarly activities
are appropriate to a practice program.
They include contributions to basic scholarship, application, and
instructional development. While
scholarship may be in any area, programs are encouraged to emphasize practice
oriented contributions as part of the scholarly
activities of the Program.
Dissemination of scholarly
activities shall be through appropriate media for the activity. The manner of
dissemination may include publications in academic or practice refereed
journals, public or trade magazines, in-house journals or papers, and through
workshops and trade presentations, as well as through other formats that are
appropriate to the area of application.
Dissemination also may occur through presentations at appropriate
professional meetings. Institutions and Programs are encouraged to take these
varied means of dissemination into account in their appointment, promotion, and
tenure practices.
Programs are encouraged to support
peer review of scholarly activities by practitioners as well as academicians.
2.5.8 Resources shall be provided for faculty participation in scholarly
and professional organizations that are relevant to the Program's mission.
2.5.9 Faculty shall be involved in public and
professional outreach and service (local, state, national, and/or international
levels) that is consistent with the Program's goals, institutional setting, and
external context.
Faculty should be encouraged to
support the advancement of the profession in a variety of ways. Appropriate activities include, but are not
limited to, development of professional organizations; support of registration,
certification and licensure when appropriate; and provision of information to
the general public. Institutions and programs are encouraged to take these
activities into account in their appointment, promotion, and tenure decisions.
2.6 Structure
of Practice Experience
The practice experience shall consist of an academically
relevant integrated project with coordinated supervision. The experience shall be supervised by an
on-campus academic advisor and by a practice site supervisor as approved by the
practice Program director/coordinator; in some cases the on-campus academic
advisor may serve both roles. It shall be designed to permit the student to
complete a single project in a given area of practice. The practice experience
should involve the professional activities of the sponsoring organization, be a
professional experience, and address the learning goal and outcomes cited in
section 3.3 of these Standards.
2.6.1 The practice experience shall consist of a minimum of 200
practice hours, plus at least an additional 40 hours for academic activities
supportive of the practice experience.
These additional activities may include training, project development/planning,
meetings with academic advisor, written reports, et cetera.
In the event that the practice experience involves more
than a single site, the Program must demonstrate that the practice experience
is integrated through a single problem or issue or area of practice.
2.6.2 The Program shall document its expectations
for the practice experience. These
expectations shall be available to academic and site supervisors as well as to
the students.
Generally
the documentation should include:
a)
site supervisor
and academic supervisor rights and responsibilities;
b)
student rights
and responsibilities, including reasonable work hours;
c)
appropriate
participation in the professional activities of the sponsoring organizations;
d)
grievance
policies and procedures for supervisors and students;
e)
code of ethics
for clinical, applied, public and practice sociologists;
f)
safety
responsibility agreement.
2.6.3 The Program’s student file documentation
shall include, at minimum, the following:
a) a practice experience agreement between
the Program, the site organization and the student; b) a stated period covered
by the agreement;
c) an evaluation of the student's
progress; and,
d) a mechanism, such as a portfolio, to document student
learning outcomes in the practice experience.
2.6.4 The Program shall demonstrate having
adequate time and resources to support faculty and students in the practice
experience.
a) The
site supervisor shall have at least a baccalaureate degree and a minimum of
five (5) years of relevant professional experience; a master’s degree is
preferred.
b) The
academic supervisor shall have a minimum of a doctoral degree in sociology, or
related field, and a minimum of two (2) years of applied, clinical, professional
sociology or public sociology practice.
c) The
academic supervisor shall receive teaching credit or equivalent compensation
(such as additional pay, release time, or banked time) for coordinating and
supervising the practice experience.
For
example, this may mean credit equivalent to one (1) three hour course per
semester for every 20 students.
2.6.5 The
Program shall develop and maintain connections in the community enabling the
developing and sustaining of appropriate field placements. This may include working with a centralized
internship, field placement, or career counseling center.
2.7 Areas of
Specialization/Concentration
Programs are required to provide
opportunities for students to specialize or concentrate in a substantive
area. This specialization or
concentration may characterize the Program as a whole, or exist as a sub-area
of the program, or opportunities may be developed for individual students in
consultation with their faculty committee. Some examples include gerontology,
criminology, marketing research, program evaluation, organizational
development, human service practice, or individual/group counseling, among
others.
2.7.1 For each area of Program or individual specialization or
concentration, a Program shall:
a) Identify student learning goals and outcomes for each area of
specialization or concentration; these learning goals and outcomes shall
pertain to the distinct aspects of the specialization or concentration and
shall be in addition to those listed in sections 3.1 (knowledge), 3.2 (skills),
3.3 (practice experience), and 3.4 (professional orientation and ethics).
b) Provide evidence that
there are faculty members with the special qualifications in the area of
specialization or concentration.
c) Provide a practice
experience that is directly relevant to both the area of specialization or
concentration and to sociological practice, applied sociology, clinical sociology,
professional sociology or public sociology.
d) Provide
appropriate advising for students in their area of specialization or concentration.
3.0 STUDENT LEARNING GOALS AND OUTCOMES
A master’s
program in sociological practice shall enable students to integrate
sociological knowledge and skills. These students will develop a professional
identity, demonstrate a capacity for leadership, and adhere to a set of ethical
standards in their practice endeavors.
The Program shall instill a comprehensive knowledge of the field and a
specialized content area, as well as educate students in critical analysis and
application. The Program shall prepare
students to communicate effectively in oral and written form. To that end, the
Program shall incorporate a broad foundation within the entire master’s
curriculum and learning experiences.
Programs in sociological practice shall be developed and organized as a
coherent and integrated whole. Standards encompassing student learning goals
and outcomes are listed in Sections 2.7.1a and 3.1 to 3.4.
These educational
standards are framed as learning goals and outcomes in keeping with current
trends toward outcomes‑based assessment and the creation of learning
environments. Focusing on student
learning goals and outcomes of education recognizes the need for and value of
various routes to achieving these outcomes.
Students may take a variety of routes to acquiring a degree in sociological
practice. Some student learning outcomes have been identified, but programs are
encouraged to identify outcomes that reflect the distinctive character of their
mission and program. All program
graduates prepared at the Master’s level must demonstrate the identified
knowledge, skills, and professional orientation as specified in this document.
3.1 Knowledge
Comprehensive
knowledge of the field includes an understanding of sociological theory and
methods. Sociological theory provides the knowledge of how and why social
phenomena operate the way they do.
Sociological research methods provide the tools for examining the nature
of social phenomena in a systematic manner.
3.1.1 Sociological
Theory
Students
who complete the Program will demonstrate an in-depth mastery of the role of
theory in sociological practice, and the interaction between theory and
practice. Specifically, they will:
a) Compare
and contrast the basic theoretical perspectives of sociology with particular
emphasis on those that relate to social action, change, and intervention.
b) Assess
the role of practice in the modification of sociological theory.
c)
Demonstrate the link between theory and practice
in their area of concentration or specialization.
d)
Demonstrate additional learning outcomes in
their area of specialization or concentration relevant to sociological theory,
if appropriate.
3.1.2 Sociological Research Methods
Students
who complete the Program will demonstrate an in-depth mastery of the role of
evidence as it relates to qualitative and quantitative methods in
sociology. Specifically, they will:
a) Compare and contrast the types of
methodological approaches that are particularly relevant to sociological
practice.
b) Assess
the role of data as the basis for examining issues and making recommendations
for change.
c) Demonstrate the link between research
methods and practice in their areas of concentration or specialization.
d)
Demonstrate additional learning outcomes in their area of specialization
or concentration relevant to research methods, if appropriate.
Students
should learn about a range of qualitative and quantitative methods. Such methods might include: surveys, case
studies, in-depth interviews, focus groups, conversational analysis,
ethnography, content analysis, observation, secondary data analysis, needs
assessments, program evaluations, experiments/quasi-experiments, and single
subject designs. Types of sampling and
data analysis techniques also should be included, as appropriate for a
particular type of design.
3.2 Skills
Students
who complete the Program will have skills needed in sociological practice.
3.2.1 Specifically, they will:
a) Make written,
oral, and graphic presentations to appropriate audiences.
b) Address social
problems and/or issues through intervention at the appropriate level.
c) Relate
specific practice tasks to the broader organizational and socio-political
context.
d) Effectively
lead, supervise and collaborate with diverse colleagues and clients.
e) Identify,
locate, and retrieve information relevant to the practice of sociology.
f) Respond to
requests for proposals for research, services or interventions.
g) Demonstrate
the link between these skills and practice in their areas of concentration or
specialization.
h) Demonstrate
additional learning outcomes in their area of specialization or
concentration relevant to these skills,
if appropriate.
3.3 Practice
Experience
Students
will be able to integrate academic studies with occupational realities through
a practice experience. The purpose of the practice experience is to provide
students with supervised work experiences at a site where they can learn how to
apply sociological theories, methods, skills, a professional orientation, and
ethics.
The practice experience shall involve a project
with clearly defined goals and outcomes and shall focus on an actual problem or
issue at the practice site. Some
examples of possible projects include a portfolio, the creation of a new
program at a human service agency; the evaluation of an existing program; or
the development of a major document such as a grant proposal or a personnel
manual.
3.3.1 Students who complete the practice
experience shall:
a)
Demonstrate the ability to utilize theory, methods and skills in their
practice experience.
b) Analyze
problems and their solutions, showing how these relate to individual, group,
and/or organizational processes.
c) Analyze
ethical issues related to work assignments.
d) Assess
the value orientations and biases they bring to the work environment.
e)
Identify policy implications of their work in
terms of organizational, community, and national policy, when appropriate.
f)
Demonstrate the link between their practice
experience and their area of specialization or concentration.
g)
Demonstrate additional learning outcomes in
their area of specialization or concentration relevant to their practice
experience, if appropriate.
3.4 Professional
Orientation and Ethics
Professional orientation and ethics
provide standards and values that guide sociological practitioners in their
work. These also provide important peer
accountability guidelines thus protecting the clients, the practitioner and the
profession.
3.4.1 Students who complete the Program shall:
a) Acquire
and maintain a professional identity as a sociological practitioner.
b) Comply with
the codes of ethics of the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology, the
American Sociological Association, and/or other relevant professional
association.
c) Analyze
the social, ethical, and political constraints on sociological practice.
d) Understand the
procedures of Institutional Review Boards for the protection of research
subjects and the privacy of client records.
e) Demonstrate
the link between professional orientation and ethics in their area of specialization
or concentration.
f) Demonstrate
additional learning outcomes in their area of specialization or concentration
relevant to professional orientation and ethics, if appropriate.
3.5
Integrative
Product
Students shall demonstrate their
ability to integrate sociological theory, methods, skills, and practice
experience in a final product.
Specifically, they will demonstrate mastery of the relevant outcomes
listed in Sections 3.1 to 3.4, as well as relevant outcomes for their area of
specialization/concentration listed in 2.7.1a. The integrative product may be:
a)
a thesis;
b)
a report prepared for a client organization;
c)
a presentation;
d)
a paper suitable for submission for publication
or presentation;
e)
an application suitable for submission of a
grant;
f)
a comprehensive examination; or,
g)
other appropriate mechanism determined by the
Program.
4.0
MONITORING and QUALITY CONTROL
The Program shall demonstrate its commitment to
continuous quality improvement. Quality improvement shall be achieved by having
appropriate mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the Program's
administrative procedures and practices as well as for assessing student
learning. The Program shall document
program improvements made in response to the results of program evaluation and
assessment.
4.1 Evaluation
of Program Implementation
4.1.1 The Program shall annually collect and
maintain records to document its administrative and academic activities.
Generally,
this includes items such as:
a) curriculum materials (e.g., course of study,
syllabi for courses, special projects or assignments, practice experience
requirements, etc.);
b) faculty credentials and professional
development activities;
c) student evaluation of Program advising,
course content, quality of instruction, and practice experiences;
d)
Program data
(e.g., number of students at each level, number graduating, number in various
tracks, graduates' names and addresses and placement information, etc.).
4.1.2 The Program shall identify its goals, annually
collect data on how well these goals are being met, and, based upon these data implement
changes to better meet the Program goals.
4.1.3 The Program shall maintain appropriate
records to document its administrative and academic activities for two (2)
years or from the date of last accreditation.
4.1.4 The Program shall document Program changes made
in response to recommendations from self –studies, accreditation reviews,
and/or external reviews (institutional and/or departmental).
4.2
Assessment of Student
Learning Outcomes and Continuous Quality Improvement
4.2.1 The Program shall have an assessment plan that includes
the following components:
a) a mission statement;
b)
student learning goals and outcomes that encompass those in Sections
2.7.1a and 3.0 of this document;
c) a matrix
showing where the student learning outcomes are met in the Program’s courses or
other activities; and,
d) a timeline
showing which student learning outcomes will be assessed during each year of
the assessment cycle.
4.2.2 Each of the Program’s student learning
outcomes shall be assessed during a cycle not to exceed five years.
a)
Each outcome should be assessed at least once during each assessment
cycle.
b) Each outcome should be assessed in more
than one course.
c)
Multiple measures should be used to assess each outcome, including both
direct and indirect measures of student learning.
4.2.3 Assessment findings should be disseminated
to, discussed by, and acted upon by Program faculty at least once each year.
a) At least one
Program or department meeting per year should be dedicated to discussion of assessment
findings.
b) Program faculty should identify at least
one student learning outcome for improvement each year, based upon discussion
of assessment findings. An improvement may consist of changes in the curriculum,
pedagogy, practice experience, assessment measures, or anything else suggested
by the assessment findings.
c) After changes are implemented, the Program should
collect follow-up data to see if the changes had the intended effect.
Appendix A
– Glossary
Academic
supervisor: faculty charged with overseeing a student's placement
and progress in supervised field work and internships.
Accreditation:
the status earned by a Program after the process of self
study and review by the Accreditation Review Committee. The different levels of accreditation shall
include:
ü Full
accreditation: when the available evidence indicates that an
applicant Program is in substantial compliance with all of the Standards of the
Commission. Full accreditation is awarded for 5 years.
ü Provisional
accreditation: when an applicant Program is in substantial
compliance with most of the Standards of the Commission, and any deficiencies
are such that they can be corrected within a short period of time. Provisional accreditation shall not exceed 2
years. During that time, if the Program
can correct the deficiencies the Program will be awarded Full accreditation for
the remainder of the 5-year accreditation period. If the deficiencies have not
been corrected within the 2 year period, the Program will no longer be
accredited.
ü Probationary
accreditation: when an already accredited Program experiences
changes, which cause the Program to fall below the acceptable level of
compliance with the Standards of the Commission. Programs on Probationary status will be given
a maximum of 2 years to correct the problems that have caused them to fall
below Commission Standards. If the
Program successfully remedies the deficiencies, the Program will be restored to
Full accreditation status. If the
Program is unable to correct the deficiencies within the 2-year period, the
Program will no longer be accredited.
Application: involves the interpretation and transfer of
knowledge in support of the practice of sociology in local, state, national, or
international contexts.
Applied
Sociology: the utilization of
sociological theory, methods, and skills to collect and analyze data and to
communicate the findings to understand and resolve pragmatic problems of
clients.
Assessment
cycle: length of time over which
the full set of student learning outcome for a program will be assessed. This
is generally a five (5) year cycle.
Assessment
of student learning: the process
of gathering evidence to determine the extent to which student learning
outcomes are being met and using this evidence to improve student learning.
Assessment
plan: document that identifies
the student learning goals and outcomes for a program and that states how and
when the outcomes will be assessed. At a minimum, an assessment plan should
include a mission statement, student learning outcomes, a program matrix, and a
timeline.
Basic
scholarship: includes discovery of new knowledge and integration of
knowledge across disciplinary boundaries.
Clinical
Sociology: the application of a
sociological perspective to the analysis and design of intervention for
positive social change at any level of social organization.
Coordinator: Under the general
supervision of the Program director, the coordinator is responsible for
planning, implementing and monitoring the practice experience and related
aspects of the Program.
Direct
measure of student learning:
measure based upon review of student work and performance. Examples include
essay exams, student papers, evaluations of student work by internship
supervisors, and portfolios of student work.
Director:
the person who is responsible to provide the ongoing direction and daily
leadership for the operation and development of the Program.
Elements matrix: a
grid that maps the essential program elements on courses or out-of-course
activities.
Evaluation
of program goals: the process by
which a program gathers evidence to determine how well its goals (other than
learning goals) are being met and uses this evidence for improvement. Evaluation is a counterpart to assessment, which is the process of
gathering and using evidence pertaining to the program’s goals for student learning.
Full
time faculty:
Individuals compensated for full time professional effort to the
employing institution of higher education.
Faculty may have duties in instruction, research, or outreach, or in a
combination of these areas. Full time
faculty may be appointed under the rules of tenure or have fixed term
multi-year appointments.
Indirect
measure of student learning:
measure that does not focus directly on student work and performance. Examples
include surveys of students or alumni, exit interviews, and focus groups.
Insofar as the goal of assessment is to gather evidence about how well students
meet the program’s learning outcomes, indirect measures are inferior to direct
measures. However, indirect measures (such as those that measure perceptions of
learning) may be quite useful for interpreting and acting upon findings from
direct measures.
Instructional
development: includes research in support of the instructional
efforts of the institution or discipline.
Macro
level: the unit of practice which is designated as the social
institutional or large social system level.
Meso
level: the unit of practice which is designated as the
organizational level.
Micro
level: the unit of practice which is designated as the
individual or small group level.
On-site supervisor: professional based in a
formal agency, organization and similar workplace environment who is
commissioned to work directly with interns at their work-site.
Portfolio: a
means of measuring student learning outcomes in which the student presents a
collection of his/her work along with a commentary on it; this work is to
reflect what the student knows and is able to do, as well as the progression of
knowledge and ability over the course of an educational experience.
Practice
experience: A supervised
learning experience that provides the student with the opportunity to apply
knowledge gained in an academic setting and to develop his/her professional
skills. The term used by a program to label its practice experience may vary
(e.g., internship, practicum, field experience).
Professional
development: a process of learning and keeping up-to-date in one's
area of expertise.
Professional
ethics: the principles and standards that underlie one's
responsibilities and conduct in a particular field of expertise (profession).
Professional
orientation: the attitudinal and behavioral characteristics of
individuals that guide them as they fulfill their work related roles.
Program:
any coherent sequence of courses and/or learning experiences within a
department, or other administrative unit recognized by its institution, that
has as its core the application of sociological knowledge, methods, and skills
in a practice setting.
Program
goal: general statement about the
intended effects of program activities. Because program learning goals are of special importance, they are dealt with
separately. The term program goal
generally refers to all other types of goals (such as effects on the community,
relationships with practitioners, or the institution, and so forth).
Program
learning goals: statements about
general aims or purpose of education that are broad, long-range intended
outcomes. Goals are used primarily in policy making and general program
planning.
Program
matrix: a grid that maps
the essential program elements and the identified student learning outcomes in
courses or outside-of-course activities (alumni surveys, standardized tests,
and so forth).
Public
sociology: bringing
sociological theory and methods into dialogue over and in interaction with
larger social issues for the purpose of improving the quality of social life by
working towards viable solutions.
Professional
master’s degree: career-oriented
master’s degree characterized by (1) skill requirements that cross disciplinary boundaries; (2)
an orientation toward practice and experience; (3) linkages to the labor
market; (4) building alumni networks; and, (5) methods to assess the mastery of
skills and knowledge needed for professional practice.
Quality
control: the procedures put into place to continuously assess the
performance of a program; and if it is meeting the goals and objectives, as
specified.
Reaccreditation:
after the initial period of accreditation, a Program may
apply for reaccreditation, which requires the same review process, but
reaccreditation may be awarded for a period of up to seven (7) years.
Research
methods: the various ways in which data can be gathered,
organized, and analyzed, whether it be quantitative or qualitative data and
data analysis.
Safety
responsibility agreement: an agreement between an agency and
student placed in the agency for a practice experience. This agreement specifies the extent of
liability of each party as related to the safety of the student.
Sociological Practice: an umbrella term that encompasses applied,
clinical, professional, and public sociology.
Student
learning outcomes: what a student knows and/or is able
to do as a result of an educational experience.
Timeline: specification of when (which year) within the assessment
cycle each student learning outcome will be assessed.