Program Review Presentation March 17, 2016 Political Science Program Review Presentation March 17, 2016

Program Description What is Political Science? Political science 'is the study of governments, public policies and political processes, systems, and political behavior.' (American Political Science Association) Harold Lasswell said “politics determines the process of "who gets what, when, and how.”

Program Description 4 FT Faculty and 9 Adjunct Faculty Small department— 4 FT Faculty and 9 Adjunct Faculty 2010 - 2015 served 15,304 students Success rates average 68% Prepare POLS majors and non majors for transfer *Offer core Political Science courses in predictable rotations and in diverse delivery methods and varied times/days *Each semester we offer on average 25 sections Emphasize the study of political science in a global perspective *The goal is to make it more meaningful to students from a wide range of backgrounds and exposing all students to many different perspectives about governance For POLS majors POLS Department has 2 AAs *POLS AA Degree and POLS AA-T Degree U.S. History, Constitution and American Ideals category

Program Description ARC Model United Nations Club and Program Since 2004 200 students have participated in this academic club at the forefront of international education Honors Program: Courses and Mentoring Collaboration with the Sociology Department to create the International Studies AA Degree Will be collaborating with Sociology this fall to create a new Global Studies AA-T Fall 2017 MUN Club 2015 Brief Description of your program. Who are you? One Slide, 2 minutes Edna Simbi MUN Alumni

Benchmarks Over the last 5 years the Political Science Department Hired a FT faculty member Created the POLS AA Degree and POLS AA-T Degree Introduced the Honors Program, Courses and Mentoring Program Honors Intro to Government: US Honors Intro to International Relations Created new course: Women and Politics from a Global Perspective Supported the Model United Nations Club Through the MUN club hosted 2 High School Model United Nations Conferences at ARC

Benchmarks Over the last 5 years the Political Science Department Created and funds 2 Political Science Scholarships for transferring students In response to diverse student needs introduced Hybrid POLS 301 course Purchased class sets of “student response” systems— i-Clickers Participated in the 1st Year Experience Program Mentored in the Los Rios Community College District Faculty Diversity Internship Program

Program -- Strengths The Political Science Department Delivers a consistent and meaningful learning environment for students completing transfer-level college work Offers diverse of course offerings and AA degrees Mentors students through individual faculty contact, the Honors Program and the MUN Program Participates in college governance Participates in college-wide symposia “Election Update” series Faculty attend and participate in seminars and conferences focused on their discipline, on issues related to teaching and learning, and publish within their discipline 

Program -- Challenges Need more targeted support services to help our underprepared students succeed Especially for skill sets important for social sciences Offer more than the basic introductory political science courses Specialty classes such as California Government, Constitutional Rights, and Women and Politics from a Global Perspective

Planning Implications Student Performance - Maintain and increase enrollment by offering classes at times/days that meet students' needs Increase student success in the political science classes by encouraging students' use of existing academic support services Support faculty in their efforts to participate in professional development opportunities regarding teaching and learning Pathway to POLS Degree - Ensure students can earn a POLS AA or POLS AA-T Degree Continue to schedule, offer and advocate for commitment to predictable rotation scheduling of specialty courses