Colleagues: The Board of Educational Affairs of the American Psychological Association just appointed a committee to explore what we should be expecting students to know and do as a result of completing an undergraduate major. The task force is charged with developing a document describing a set of goals and learning outcomes (competencies) for the undergraduate psychology major and should be guided, but not constrained, by reports from national conferences on undergraduate psychology. Further, the outcomes document should be written so as to inform prospective efforts to assess educational outcomes; however, outcomes assessment is not part of the charge for Phase I of the Task Force, but it may become the focus of some future work by the task force. The outcomes developed by the task force should incorporate the broad range of competencies encompassed in a psychology major in a liberal arts and sciences education and will address competencies developed to serve students seeking entrance to graduate/professional schools as well as those entering the labor force upon receipt of baccalaureate degree. Finally, the outcomes will be cast in the form of guidelines or suggestions rather than prescriptive or proscriptive standards. The "Outcomes Task Force" will be meeting in June in DC to formulate some ideas about best practices related to outcomes with a longer-term objective of looking at how to assess those outcomes. The Committee wants to get as much information as possible on how departments are currently dealing with these issues. If you have an electronic version of your department's outcomes, please forward to Jane Halonen at [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you have a print version, please mail to Jane Halonen at James Madison University, MSC 740, Harrisonburg VA 22807. We promise to keep the listserv informed about our progress and welcome any help you might be able to provide in forging expectations for the undergraduate major. Jane Halonen ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) & Bill Hill ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Task Force Members * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Bill Hill Asst. Vice President for Academic Affairs & Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership Kennesaw State University 1000 Chastain Rd. Kennesaw GA 30144 EMAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED] PHONE: 770-423-6257 FAX: 770-423-6752 President-Elect, Society for the Teaching of Psychology, Division 2 of the American Psychological Association * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
