Some folks asked a little while ago about info on psych majors, and Rip
(I think) asked about adjunct-full-time ratios. I know Susan (congrats
on the instructors manual!) Frantz responded with some valuable national
info on psych majors and I had meant to share the following but other
work intervened. If others have comparable data I would be interested
in learning of it as meaningful comparisons are hard to obtain. The
following is from our ten-year dept. self-study or from our faculty
contract. We have an enrollment of about 8500 students with 235
full-time faculty (56% tenured). By contract (we have a union) we are
not supposed to have a full-time to adjunct student credit hour ratio
more than 1:4. We have ten full-time faculty and about the same number
of adjuncts in the psych dept. Spring/Summer contracts are in addition
to regular two-semester contracts and pay full-time faculty at a rate of
one-fifth their regular salary.
We have about 120 psych majors and over 200 minors in psychology.
About two-thirds (63-69%)of our majors report they intend to go on for
some kind of post-graduate study/training. According to national apa
surveys 40-60% of undergrad psych students indicate such plans...and 22%
say they intend to go on in psychology. APA surveys in 1996 indicated
less than 10% actually go on to psych grad programs.
Our survey of 51 alumni (only 36% return rate from 143)resulted in 61%
indicating they had completed or were in the process of completing,
further education or training. Of 48 students answering the question,
64.6% said their job was related to their major. Nine of the alumni
(17.6%) indicated actual pursuit of graduate work in psychology. The
most valued classes noted by our alumni were Experimental psych,
Statistics, Abnormal psych, Senior Research, Clinical interviewing,
Neuropsych, and Social psych in that order.
We are immersed (some might say drowning) in a process of assessment
not only for a new General Education program but also as part of a dept.
program. We have developed, or are in the process of developing,
several assessment tools. Our own psych assessment test, based on our
curriculum, is being examined and we are interested in comparative data
from other depts. If you want glowing comments from students and alumni,
check out our web site: www.svsu.edu/psychology
Gary Peterson
Chair, Psychology
Saginaw Valley State University
The following references may be of use to others:
Kyle, T. M., & Williams, S. (2000). 1998-1999 Survey of Undergraduate
Departments of Psychology. Washington, D.C.: APA.
Petrossian, P. J. (1994) APA Adopts as Policy 'Principles for Quality
Undergraduate Psychology Programs.' Washington, D.C: Education
Directorate, APA.
Purdy, J. E., Reinehr, R. C., & Swartz, J.D. (1987). Undergraduate
curricula of leading psychology departments. _American Psychologist,_
42, 757-758.
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