Kansas State University is a comprehensive, research, land-grant institution serving students and the people of Kansas, and also the nation and the world. Since its founding in 1863, the University has evolved into a modern institution of higher education, committed to quality programs, and responsive to a rapidly changing world and the aspirations of an increasingly diverse society. Together with other major comprehensive universities, Kansas State shares responsibilities for developing human potential, expanding knowledge, enriching cultural expression, and extending its expertise to individuals, businesses, education, and government. These responsibilities are addressed through an array of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, research and creative activities, and outreach and public service programs. In addition, its land-grant mandate, based on federal and state legislation, establishes a focus to its instructional, research, and extension activities, which is unique among the Regents’ institutions.
Program review serves the purpose of attainment of future goals, development of fresh curricula, and meeting the needs of students, faculty, and the Board of Regents (BOR). In developing a review process, the Program Review Task Force at K-State seriously considered what faculty and department administrators should provide to make the review useful while avoiding unnecessary work. The materials used to prepare the review were consistent with the six criteria identified by the BOR in their program review document. Departments provided information on their instructional, scholarly, and service activities and programs. Deans received a detailed Statistical Overview prepared by the Office of Planning and Analysis and specified by the BOR. In response to the Program Review process, each department prepared a Program Review Report (PRR) containing common information.
In preparing the PRR, the Colleges and Departments were aware of degree standards for the number of majors, number of degrees granted annually, number of faculty supporting a degree, and quality of undergraduate students suggested by the BOR. After a review of the Program Review Report and the information in the Statistical Overview by the College Dean, the Graduate School Dean, and the College Committees on Planning, additional information could also be requested. The Deans are responsible for preparing the two page summaries. Drafts of the PRR and the two page summaries were provided to the Provost for review and comment.
For this review cycle, K-State reviewed the academic degree programs for the biological sciences, humanities, and fine arts programs within the College of Arts and Sciences. This included the following disciplines:
The one page summaries for each Department are attached. Several departments had more than one discipline and combined the one page reports for all degree programs within their department. In these cases, the one page was extended to two or three pages for that department. The following provides a short review of any significant highlights, changes, or recommendations for the departments and their related degree programs.
The nine departments and 13 degree programs reviewed this year are on the whole strong and viable academic areas. These programs are essential to the general education and academic diversity of Kansas State University. Some of the degree programs reviewed this year are unique to the state and are not offered by any other institution in the Regent System (i.e., Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences and Kinesiology). Each program reviewed confers at least a Bachelor’s degree, nine programs confer Master’s and three PhD’s. Overall, each department and their associated academic programs provide options and opportunities for the advancement of education, research, and service.
All degree programs within the biological science area have very strong undergraduate programs. Each department provides opportunities for undergraduate majors to work within a specific research area to gain knowledge and most of all experience. In many cases, these undergraduate research projects have been presented at national or regional meetings and in some cases, have been published. These experiences have helped undergraduate students in finding excellent employment positions or to continue on to graduate school.
The Kinesiology degree program is unique to the State of Kansas and in the surrounding area. Emphasis is placed on the development of knowledge and understanding of the biomechanical, physiological, and sociological aspects of physical activity. In addition, the department that houses Kinesiology also offers a dual degree program in Nutrition and Exercise Science in conjunction with the Department of Human Nutrition in the College of Human Ecology. Essentially, this dual degree program provides the student with critical background in both Kinesiology and nutrition science that can be applied to a wide range of health and disease problems.
The Fisheries and Wildlife Biology program is the only complete fisheries and wildlife program in the State of Kansas. The Konza Prairie Biological Station, the federal Fisheries/Wildlife Cooperative Unit, student chapters of The Wildlife Society and American Fisheries Socieity each help to augment the educational and research opportunities of the program. Employment success in the Fisheries and Wildlife degree program is high.
The Departments within the biological sciences provide the fundamental biological science service courses required by many degree programs in the university, including the numerous pre-health programs, human nutrition, biological and agricultural engineering and numerous agricultural programs. Many of the courses offered are not only required for specific undergraduate degree program but also for pre-heath programs required for entrance into medical and veterinary medicine schools.
The quality of the graduate programs within the biological sciences are directly related to the to the quality of the research faculty, breadth of research areas encompassed by the faculty, and the monetary resources generated through extramural funding (e.g., full financial support for graduate students). Graduate students are broadly trained, gain invaluable experience in an array of research projects, and graduate with applicable knowledge to enter the workforce and contribute to society. Although the graduate programs have a strong research background and generate one of the largest extramural funding sources, three degree programs are not attracting the number of students to their respective department. A common graduate model is used in the Masters program in Biochemistry whereby students who decide not to pursue the PhD or are asked to leave the program before obtaining a PhD decide to complete the master’s. The result is low enrollments and graduation rates. This is an acceptable model. The Masters and PhD programs in Microbiology have been weak for a number of years in attracting students to either program. The resignations and retirements of faculty members with emphasis in the microbiology area are cited as the source of this problem. With the recent budget constraints, these positions have not been filled and therefore reduce the opportunities for graduate students to acquire assistantships and/or contribute to research projects. These programs are now being examined for discontinuance. As a potential alternative, either both programs must grow to meet BOR standards or the Ph.D. program must become much larger.
Each of the programs within the Humanities area provides an instructional service to undergraduate students outside their respective major. In many cases, one to four courses offered in the department are required for a bachelor’s degree, especially a Bachelors of Arts degree. The MA degree programs offered in two out of the three departments have been a vital resource for graduate teaching assistants and they have contributed to the teaching, research and service missions of the department.
English: The English department offers a BA and MA, as well as an undergraduate minor and a graduate certificate in technical and professional communication. The degree programs have around 250 undergraduate majors and minors and over 60 masters students. The Department’s writing courses are crucial to the University’s core curriculum. Besides the required Expository Writing 1 and 2, technical and professional writing instruction for majors in the Colleges of Engineering, Architecture, Science, Business Administration and Human Ecology are also offered. In addition, the department offers a wide array of literature and humanities courses that serve majors across campus. BA students have been successful in the job market by pursuing careers in editing, professionals and technical writing, a wide variety of other communication-intensive fields, and teaching high school English. In addition, many pursue graduate work in both literary studies and creative writing. After leaving K-State, some MA students continue their education for a PhD or MFA and some enroll in law schools. The largest percentage of students finds employment as technical writers, professional writers, editors, and teachers.
Modern Languages: Through its basic programs in 10 different languages, the Department fulfills its mission of providing a foreign language instruction and cultural exposure to undergraduate students, especially those completing a Bachelors of Arts degree. The course offerings go beyond the traditional foreign language skills by offering majors and minors a diverse program of courses on literature, civilization and culture. Both the BA and MA programs have moderate levels on enrollment. In fact, with the initiation of the minor program for the undergraduate major, demand for degrees in Modern Languages is high. A recent drop in the number of majors is closely associated with an increase in the number of students choosing a minor. Promotion on campus of the study abroad program and an increased awareness (by professional programs) of the need for international language and experience suggest an even greater demand in the future for education in modern languages. The MA program has strong enrollment, although it would appear that the time to finish the degree is lengthening. The opportunities for study abroad, internships, and other outside opportunities appears to be a major source of this delay.
Philosophy: Courses in Philosophy assist undergraduate students in developing skills and insight into ethical dilemmas and contemporary political and cultural controversies. The Department provides at least one required philosophy course for either the BA or BS degree. The Department offers a minor and two baccalaureate degrees (BA/BS). The pre-law and interdisciplinary options have double majors track. Many incoming students may have had no previous exposure to philosophy and therefore are not aware of the practicality of the major. The skill of understanding the analysis of complex arguments and reasoning as well as making careful moral and empirical assessments have been held in increasingly high regard by employers and has enabled students to score higher on standardized tests. Over the past 20 years, no philosophy major graduating from K-State who sought admission to law school failed to secure it. Even though the department fulfills the University mission of instruction, research, and public service, the five-year average number of majors and number of degrees conferred do not meet the Board of Regents minimum criteria. The number of students in philosophy with dual degrees creates difficulties in counting the number of degrees conferred {if the major is in the same College, the IPEDS report rules only allows counting of degrees conferred in the primary major).
Three departments are included within the Fine Arts area. Each department and its respective degree program provide opportunities for students (majors and non-majors) to expand their knowledge and familiarity with the fine arts whether it be art, music, or speech/theater.
Art: The curriculum for art majors provides a balance of studio experiences, art history, and art theory. The Department plays an essential role in providing service and required courses for other academic majors in the University. Students from disciplines such as interior architecture, interior design, and elementary and secondary education utilize course offerings in the Department. A recent revision of the curriculum has helped faculty members to manage the dramatic growth in students choosing this major. In the College of Arts and Sciences, digital imaging ranks at or near the top as an area of interest among entering freshmen. Students graduating in visual communications move directly into careers as designers. Web design, electronic imaging, and animation represent the cutting edge of employment opportunities. With the reviews of portfolios by professionals in the design field, students in graphic design have had a high rate of success in finding employment. In the studio areas, students seek careers in gallery and art center employment, as well as, K-12 educational certificate and prepare for further study in art therapy. The Master of Fine Arts degree is required for artist and teachers in higher education. Current employment opportunities are good due to the unusually high number of faculty retirements across the nation.
Music: The educational experiences students received in the Music Department are based on the studio model. Because much of the music major’s education is measured in terms of his or her experiences with applied teachers (one-on-one instruction) and in ensembles, the students gain valuable experience working closely with distinguished faculty. The music performance degree program has kept a steady enrollment of 23 to 30 juniors and seniors. But, the number of degrees conferred has varied from 4 to 9, never reaching the required average of 10. On the other hand, the Masters in Music has the reverse situation. The number of majors has fluctuated between 11 and 20 but the degrees conferred have always been above 7 over the past five years (only need an average of 5). The Music Department also confers a degree in Music Education. This degree program is very strong with the number of majors but is a little weak in the number of students graduating (9 to 15 degrees conferred). In addition, the Music Department provides invaluable experiences for the non-music major population who participate in large and small ensembles and music courses. Finally, the benefits to the university and to the profession are demonstrated through the 150 performances on campus each year and sponsorship of numerous workshops, festivals, and master classes that bring students and teachers from throughout Kansas and the Region to campus. Faculty and student performances provide contributions to the university’s public image showcasing the talent and expertise in many musical areas.
Speech/Theater: The Department of Speech Communication, Theater, and Dance contributes to the central mission of the university by providing students the ability to think critically, express ideas orally, understand communication processes, experience cultural expression, explore personal and societal values and service to society. The Department offers bachelor’s degrees in speech and in theater and one master’s degree in speech. The Department has expressed concern regarding the low numbers of undergraduate juniors and seniors enrolled in the speech communications curriculum as well as the low number of degrees conferred. Currently, the faculty are engaged in a strategic planning process to determine strategies for increasing the number of majors and degrees conferred. However, the demand for the MA in speech communication is very strong. The attraction of this degree comes from the opportunity for students to be in charge of the their own classroom as a graduate teaching assistant and to coach forensics or debate at one of the premier competitive speech programs in the country. MA students are able to find employment upon graduation. The theater option has also been popular for MA students, mostly due to the opportunities for experience in drama therapy. The bachelor’s in theater meets all of the BOR criteria. The degree prepares students for advanced professional training and/or graduate school. Although, there is no clear job track for students graduating with a theater degree, students are successful in obtaining jobs in professional theater either as actors, technicians, or stage managers. The Department provides the public speaking requirement for all undergraduate students, a core course. In addition, many departments in nearly every college require students to take at least one additional communications course. The department houses the competitive forensics and debate teams which have ranked in the top 10 nationally over the past five years.
During this review, seven programs had low enrollments and/or low degrees conferred. Because this review is one year behind, the number enrolled or the degrees conferred for this coming year did not improve for these programs. Three programs will be monitored for program improvement over the next three years including: a) the bachelor’s and masters of music and b) the biochemistry masters program. The bachelor’s program in speech has a mixed pattern. The number of juniors and seniors are meeting the BOR criteria but the number of majors falls short. For the incoming year, the number of majors exceeds 25 but the number of degrees dropped to one student. Again, this may be the result of the counting of dual degrees.
The enrollment and degree numbers for microbiology speak for themselves. Only 0 to 1 masters student and less than four PhD students have been enrolled which falls way below the BOR criteria. The number of degrees conferred is almost non-existent. This program is under special review and may well be discontinued.
The Philosophy program is bothersome in that over half of the juniors and seniors enrolled are second majors. It appears that Philosophy is not a student’s first choice as a major. Rather students used the “second” degree to improve their chances to be accepted into a professional program (primarily law school). Also, the number of degrees conferred continues to decline. This next reporting year, the number has dropped to three, which would make the five-year average at 5 (decrease from 6). As was stated with speech, a change in reporting of degrees conferred could assist in this phenomenon. However, it is obvious that the Department thrives on second majors. The philosophy degree will be monitored for program improvement over the next three years. Also, the curriculum is being reviewed visa-vi the inefficiency of teaching even a few very small classes for majors only.
Kansas State University believes this program review process is very useful strategy, among others, in keeping academic degree programs focused on program effectiveness. K-State’s internal process includes additional reviews. While these reviews are stringent, there are part of a meaningful review and provide an opportunities for departments and programs to develop improvement plans. Since the inception of this process five years ago, K-State has internally reviewed 13 programs (for program improvement), discontinued eight programs, and has six programs being review for discontinuation.
Since no programs are being discontinued at this time, there will be no fiscal changes.