The University of Texas at Austin
Department of Sociology
Sociology 384M Unique No. 46670
Data Analysis: Department Evaluation T. Pullum, Instructor
Fall Semester 2009 Office Hours MTW10-11, BUR 518
M 12-3, BUR 480 E-mail: tom.pullum@mail.utexas.edu
In the Department of Sociology, 384M is a generic course number for a seminar on practical issues in data analysis. Students are allowed to take different versions of the course. This specific edition of 384M will undertake an evaluation of the Department of Sociology. There are two primary goals: to give students practical experience in evaluation research, and to prepare a report, including detailed descriptions of the undergraduate and graduate programs, assessments, and recommendations for future changes, that will be useful to the Department of Sociology. Students who take this course can count it toward either a methodology or a professionalization requirement.
A review of the graduate program was done in the context of a graduate seminar in Fall Semester 1997, with presentation of the results and recommendations to the the entire department in Spring 1998. The present evaluation will include the undergraduate program, as well, although with more emphasis on the graduate program. There was an external evaluation of the department in 2003. The Department recently had to post a detailed description of a continuous monitoring system for the B.A, M.A., and Ph.D. programs, as part of OATS (Online Assessment Tracking System). This was required as part of the university’s periodic accreditation.
The overall structure of the evaluation will be a group effort, but each student will take primary responsibility for specific components, and secondary or backup responsibility for some other components. The content of the course will depend partly on the number of students, their interests, and the rate of data collection.
Some of the data collection may involve interviews of current students or faculty. These interviews will be restricted to professional topics.
One of the first tasks of the seminar will be to develop an SOW or “Scope of Work” (also called a TOR or “Terms of Reference”) for the evaluation and an outline for the report. Here is a preliminary outline of the report:
Executive Summary
Background and objectives
Methodology and data sources
Questionnaires
In-depth interviews
Group discussions
Websites
Students
Faculty
Alumni
Departmental staff
Comparative perspectives:
Other departments in the university
Sociology departments in other universities
Undergraduate program:
Source of students
Requirements
Courses offered
Areas of specialization
Student-faculty relationship
Honors program
Placements
Recommendations
Graduate program:
Admissions
Requirements
Courses offered
Areas of specialization
Mentoring and professionalization
Financial support and honors
TA and AI selection, preparation, etc.
Placements
Recommendations
Appendices:
Scope of Work
Specific data sources, questionnaires
Dates of class meetings:
August 31
September 14, 21, 28
October 5, 12, 19, 26
November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
