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Click here to see a survey of incoming students in 2007 |
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Click
here to see a survey of
incoming students in 2006 |
Appendix A: Profile of History Majors
The Department distributed a new majors' survey at the Majors/Minors meeting in September 1999. Twenty-six students returned these to the Department. This represents only 10 percent of the students currently registered as majors.
Eighteen of the students completing the survey said they intended to earn a teaching certificate. But many articulated career goals that went behind teaching junior or senior high school history. Two said that they wanted to teach and coach; two expressed an interest in teaching and writing; one intends to become a high school administrator; another to teach and direct high school plays. Several said that they planned to move on from high school teaching to earn a doctorate and teach in college. One said, she hoped "to be the most enlightening, most challenging, and admired High School history teacher ever! Hmmm...."
The eight students who identified themselves as regular history majors identified a wide range of career goals. These included earning an MBA, becoming a lawyer, joining the Peace Corps, working for the National Park Service, teaching at a junior college, becoming a college teacher, and working for a government agency. One student identified these goals: "To live life well and just apply myself to whatever I wish."
The 26 students completing the survey were evenly divided between 13 lower-division students (mainly sophomores) and 13 upper-division students (mainly juniors). More than half were transfer students who came from Ricks (5), UVSC (3), SLCC (3), and LDS Business College (1), and from junior colleges in New York State, Illinois, and Washington State.
Most considered themselves to be "fair" or "good" writers with three describing themselves as "excellent." Sixteen had already taken English 2010 or its equivalent. Nineteen had taken college algebra. A number of students enter our classes with impressive experience in foreign languages. Among the languages various individuals claimed to be able to read are Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Thai, Chinese, Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian, and French. Others are planning to study French, Latin, classical Greek, German, and Spanish.
Most of the students took the trouble to explain why they want to major in History. Here are a few of the responses:
"The little that I do know about history has opened my mind to a completely different outlook on what I am doing and the things that surround me. Learning about the past where other people come from has taught me that everything I do will have an effect on a very large group of people, whether it be good or bad. I want to do more good than bad, thus I want to study history."
"History is a very fascinating subject for me and I want to be able to pass my love for history onto younger generations. I can never learn enough history. I also had a great history teacher in high school who brought history alive, and this is what I want to be able to accomplish."
" I have never fought in a war, been a slave, or been persecuted for what I believe. Many others have. Through my study of history I have found a love for what has gone on before. If we are lucky we'll learn from the past and not be doomed to repeat it.:
"If I write down all the reasons why I want to be a history major and why I think it's important, this would be a 10-page paper taking my hand, the cost of pencil lead, and your time. I will make it extremely short. I love history!"
Appendix B: Results of
the In-House Evaluation Form
The Department administered an in-house evaluation form in a sample of five upper-division courses in the fall, five in the spring, and three in the summer to a total of close to nearly 300 students. As a result of these evaluations, we have a clearer idea of who our students are and why they are taking our courses.
Only 3 percent of the students in the upper-division courses identified themselves as freshmen; 11 percent were sophomores; 38 percent juniors; and 45 percent seniors. Two percent of the students said that they were pursuing a second bachelor's degree; one percent identified themselves as graduate students.
Consistent with this breakdown, 60 percent of the students in the upper-divisions courses said that they had completed all of their general education requirements; 32 percent said that they had completed roughly three-fourths of their general ed; 2 percent put the figure at half; another 2 percent at one-fourth; a final 2 percent at less than one-fourth.
Most of the students in the upper-division courses had previously taken a number of history courses. Thirteen percent said that they had already taken 33 hours or more of history; 18 percent put the figure at 24-33 hours; 24 percent had completed 15-24 hours of history; 20 percent had taken 9-15 hours; another 20 percent had only 3-9 credits in history already; 5 percent had no previous history credit.
Fully 60 percent of the students in the upper-division said they were either majors or minors. Thirty percent came from other fields. Different courses attracted majors from different disciplines. For example, the course on Women and the Family in American History attracted both American Studies majors and Family and Human Development majors. The course on the Balkans attracted students in International Relations, Pre-Law, and Russian. A number of Liberal Arts and Sciences students wound up in History courses. So did students from disciplines so seemingly removed as Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Culinary Arts, Flight Technology, Exercise Science, Parks and Recreation, and Fisheries and Wildlife. The course on the American West actually attracted more non-majors/non-minors than it did majors and minors, and the course on the New American Nation was split almost evenly between majors/minors on the one hand and non-majors/non-minors on the other.
The questionnaire directs the students to indicate all that apply when explaining why they took a course. Nearly 74 percent underscored that they taking the course because it was required for their major or minor. But a slightly higher percentage, 76 percent, indicated that they were taking the course out of personal interest. In addition 5 percent indicated the course was a past of a LAS cluster; 2 percent cited the communications intensive requirement; 2 percent indicated the breadth component of general education; 6 percent cited the depth component.
Only one lower-division course was sampled last year, History 2700. Although the course as taught a year ago was geared largely to majors and minors, the dual-listing of 2700 and 2710 with USU 1300 will change the composition of the students these courses attract in the future. In any case, the department might wish to administer the in-house evaluation form to more lower-division courses in the future.
The in-house evaluation forms also allowed the department to see how well our upper-division courses are meeting the Department's mission "to train undergraduates to research, analyze, synthesize, and communicate accurate conclusions about change over time by using the historical method. At the same time we aim to inculcate cultural literacy and provide the knowledge necessary for informed decision making by citizens of Utah, the United States, and the world."
The consensus that emerges from the close to 300 forms is that the courses do fulfill the department's mission. The following represent only a few of the comments that students made:
"This class required that we piece together crazy bits of history and make sense of them. It was hard, but effective in meeting these goals... We had to use critical thinking and analysis to do well on anything, whether it was class discussions or papers." (History 4340)
"The course was excellent in reaching these goals... I have never had to look at so many primary sources. They gave me a real view into what was happening during the time covered... The reports made me think about my readings and what they meant." (History 3760)
"The diversity of topics resulted in allowing us to see these goals... The course does well. Informed decisions can only be made after information is gathered. The class is a pearl of information." (History 4810)
"This course is wonderful. Understanding, knowledge, critical thinking, and a myriad of other useful abilities come with the study of religious history... [The instructor] assigns essay questions that are not quickly answered. They take much thought analyzing the ideological undercurrents and consequent times and how they lead from one epoch to another." (History 4250)
"The assignments were aimed at not only acquiring information but determining your own conclusions and learning to do research...This class meets the History Department's mission well. Research had to be analyzed and clearly presented to the instructor about the several different cultures studied." (History 3110)
'This class was extremely successful in meeting these goals. The reading material was especially intriguing and full of information, concepts, and ideas. [The instructor} was exceptional in guiding us through these complicated issues. He clearly explained things, and in a fun and interesting way. I fell I have learned both facts and life skills from this course."
Appendix C: History Department Exit Survey
The survey asks students completing their undergraduate degree to analyze how well, in their individual experience, the department fulfilled its mission statement, and what changes in the curriculum they would suggest to ensure that these capacities were more efficiently and effectively taught. Only five students complete the exit survey.
One student recommended the addition of a course, strictly for history majors, "completely designed to make them better writers." Another argued that every history major should have the opportunity to present one paper a year in order to improve their oral communication skills. None of the other students recommended changes to the curriculum.
Other student comments:"History has so much to teach us. It isn't all facts, but ideas and concepts. I honestly believe that the department's goals were met...My education is invaluable to me. Thank you."
" I feel that my college experience has met the goals the department has authored. During my experience here I've learned to analyze events, to go deeper into a subject. When I learn something new I think of how [it] relates, or why specific events happen. I feel that I have become very good at this and have a strong ability to explain things."
"I feel that the department did a wonderful job of teaching us to research, analyze, and synthesize about change over time. We also learned to communicate through writing...I also feel that the department did a great job at providing knowledge for informed decision making. I really enjoyed the past four years here at USU in the history department. I would like to thank all professors for all their hard work and the effort that they placed in teaching me."
'I feel the department in many respects has been successful. The teachers are extraordinary and consistently focus on viewing the world and its experiences in an analytical, rational manner. They have taught me in many ways to think for myself, not to accept information without significant proof, and try to more effectively understand the world in which I live...I have honestly enjoyed my experience in this dept."
Mark
Damen designed this web site and is the current web master. |
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Department
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