Special

(The corresponding HLC core components are noted here in bold.)
 * Attachment #3: Department Self-Study Guidelines **

1. Is the department's curriculum up to date, sufficiently rigorous, and well-organized for majors and minors? (2C)
 * A. Curriculum **

> b. Are sufficient courses being offered to allow majors and minors to graduate in four years > > c. Does the senior capstone experience reflect the goals and objectives of the curriculum?
 * a. What changes have been made in the curriculum since the last review (or in the last five years)? How do these alterations reflect changes in the discipline, faculty or staffing changes, and/or the needs of the College?

2. What does the department offer in regards to General Education?

> > b. Which courses in the curriculum include significant treatment of global issues and/or international perspectives? (How) do the learning objectives in the department's classes prepare students for participation in a global economy? (4C) > > c. How does the department make links to other disciplines or programs that enhance its connections to the liberal arts? What is the potential for building such linkages? (4A)
 * a. Which courses in the curriculum include significant treatment of diversity issues? (How) do the learning objectives in the department’s classes reflect questions about diversity and multiculturalism? (4C)

3. How does the department build connections across disciplines? What is the potential for building such linkages? (For example, a department might look at how many of its majors declare a second major, in what fields, etc.) (4A, 4B)

The department should survey current students and alumni for their self study to demonstrate how well the major/minor serves the needs of its students, and how well the department is accomplishing its learning objectives. In addition to those results, the self study should include information on graduate school and job placement. It should also address the following questions:
 * B. Students **

1. What knowledge, skills, and abilities does the department expect of students graduating with a department major? (3A) How does the department determine if a student has fulfilled these expectations? (2C)

> b. What has the department learned from assessment, and what changes have resulted from assessment? > > c. Do the department’s assessment mechanisms provide information about diversity and multiculturalism? What do the data indicate? > (How) does the department envision its curriculum changing over time in regards to diversity and multiculturalism?
 * a. What assessment mechanisms are in place? How effective are these assessment mechanisms in evaluating students’ skills and abilities?

2. What sorts of extracurricular opportunities does the department provide for majors and minors related to the department’s subject matter?

3. How does the department communicate information about internship opportunities, graduate school, and jobs to its students?

4. What does the department do to help recruit students to the College, and/or to the major?

> > b. What sorts of outreach activities does the department engage in to recruit women and/or students of color if they are underrepresented in the major/minor? > > c. What sorts of opportunities for women and/or persons of color are available for students in the discipline? How have faculty been made aware of these opportunities? How has the department provided resources and information regarding these opportunities for students?
 * a. How many female students are enrolled as majors or minors in your department? How many students of color are enrolled? How does this compare with the college’s overall demographic profile? (4C)


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">C. Faculty **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. What is the department doing to prepare new faculty for success at Alma College?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. How does the department assess and support effective teaching? (3B)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. How is the department encouraging faculty to develop their work as scholars or artists? What are the department’s expectations for professional development, during and after the tenure process? How are these expectations communicated to untenured and tenured faculty?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. What measures have been taken to recruit and to retain a diverse faculty? What might be done to improve these efforts? (4C)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. (How) does the faculty participate in activities that cultivate relationships with diverse constituencies (community outreach programs, service-oriented pedagogies, etc.)? (5A-5D)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6. Do faculty members’ research agendas enhance the department’s commitment to diversity and multiculturalism? Are faculty members in the department involved with co-curricular activities that enhance the department’s commitment to diversity and multiculturalism?


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">D. Resources (2B) **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Provide a summary of the department’s current facilities, equipment, budget, and library holdings. How have these changed since the last review (or in the past five years)?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Is the department able to create effective learning environments with the available resources? Do the existing resources support student learning and effective teaching? What additional resources does the department need in order to create an effective learning environment?


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Reviewer Questions **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 1. From a disciplinary perspective, is the department's curriculum up to date, sufficiently rigorous, and well-organized for majors and minors?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 2. How does the department build connections across disciplines? How well-integrated is the department into the college's liberal arts education?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 3. What knowledge, skills, and abilities does the department expect of students graduating with a department major? How does the department determine if a student has fulfilled these expectations?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 4. Is the department able to create effective learning environments with the available resources? Do the existing resources support student learning and effective teaching? What additional resources does the department need in order to create an effective learning environment?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. What is the department doing to prepare new faculty for success at Alma College?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 6. How does the department assess and support effective teaching, research agenda, and service?


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Joint Questions **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. What is the department’s greatest strength? What can the department do, and what can the College do, to ensure the department’s continued strength in this area?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. What improvements in curriculum, faculty support, and student learning can be done by and for the department?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. What are the challenges the department faces in making these improvements?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. What existing resources can be strengthened by the College, and what new opportunities or resources can the College consider to help the department?