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Home » Academics » Advisory Committees » Psychology

Meeting Minutes: Committee on Psychology

Meeting Minutes
Academic Advisory Committee on Psychology
24 February 2005
Augusta, Georgia

Attending: Barbara Brown (Georgia Perimeter College); Greg Corso (Georgia Tech); Sarah Cook (Georgia State); Lugenia Dixon (Bainbridge College); Karen Hambright, Past-Chair (Coastal Georgia Community College); Alberta Johnson (Floyd College); Nina Lamson (Gainesville College – Oconee); Etta Lee (ABAC); Sarah Peck (University of Georgia); Norman Presse (Dalton State); Deborah Richardson, Chair-Elect (Augusta State); Richard Rogers (Georgia Southern); Mary Schild (Columbus State); Pamela Terry (Gordon College), Jane Wong (Armstrong Atlantic State)

Dr. William Dodd, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Augusta State Univeristy, welcomed the group to Augusta and reported on accomplishments of the Department of Psychology and the University.

Dr. Susan Campbell, Policy Research Associate with Office of Research and Analysis and BOR Liason to the Psychology Advisory Committee, provided an update on legislature and BOR concerns and activities:

• revenues are up; governor recommended 8.3 increase for USG for full funding; must pass legislature
• FY2005 amended budget in senate appropriation committee restored 9.4 million dollar by moving pay to January
• new 4-yr institution in Gwinnett; Gwinnett University Center will be a free-standing institution
• emphasis on graduation rates
• initiative from P-16 division: Education-Go-Get-It is aimed at increasing high school graduation rate and college-going rates. This will be a partnership between public and private sectors to target parents, high school students, and high school counselors
• A task force is addressing the issue of rising cost of textbooks.
• The quality issue continues to be a priority. Senior Vice Chancellor Dan Papp asked that we identify ways quality is affected by rising enrollments and budget constraints.

With the encouragement of Dr. Campbell, the group was organized into four task groups to address the charges before it: learning outcomes for the core curriculum, bylaws, quality with increasing enrollments, AP credit.

Task Groups

1. Advanced Placement: This group suggested that credit be offered only for Introduction to Psychology AP exams and that individual institutions decide the score they will accept for credit. Scores from AP exams for other courses would not be accepted for credit.

   Barbara Brown (Georgia Perimeter) noted that we may face pressure to give credit for international baccalaureate programs and that it would be helpful to have system-wide recommendations in that regard.

   Richard Rogers (Georgia Southern) moved acceptance of the report from the Advanced Placement committee; second from Barbara Brown; no discussion. There was unanimous support for the motion.

   Greg Corso (Georgia Tech) later introduced the motion that the committee vote on AP recommendations at this meeting; second by Barbara. The recommendations were unanimously approved by the committee.

2. Learning Outcomes: The group decided to revisit our learning outcomes. The ones we developed previously were either too vague or too specific. After extensive discussion, Deborah and Karen agreed to develop an outline of learning outcomes and send them out on the listserv for revie

3. Quality in midst of increasing enrollment. The Committee discussed the following:

   • increased use of part-time instructors.
   • GA State has eliminated part-time instructors and uses visiting lecturers, part-time or fulltime; maximum of 3 years.
   • Perimeter has 20 fulltime and 73 part-time faculty
   • part-time faculty can teach no more than half time (according to regulations)
   • lecturer is more expensive
   • not possible to increase quality and increase student/faculty ratio at same time
   • an index of quality might be the number of sections taught by part-time instructors
   • part-time instructors are not part of academic culture
   • do we, or how might we, evaluate part-time instructors

   In sum, because we cannot evaluate part-time instructors, we are unable to monitor quality. And, part-time instructors are not available to interact with students, they are not qualified to do advising, and they are unable to meet with students. Thus the quality of instruction, as we rely so heavily on part-time instructors, is being seriously affected.

   Increased enrollment with decreased budget is affecting quality instruction due to larger class sizes and increased dependence on part-time instructors.

4. Bylaws: The task force designed a set of bylaws; the Committee discussed them and suggested some revisions. The draft of the by-laws will be distributed to the listserv for a vote.

Issues to be addressed at next year's meeting

1. What courses should be taught at 2000-level?
   • What should be offered at sophomore level?
   • What will transfer from 2-year schools?
   • What courses and what skills should be expected at 2000-level?
   • What should be the common set of 2000-level classes?
2. What is the difference between BA and BS degrees? What are the System rules/policies/expectations?

Nina Lamson (Gainesville College - Oconee) was elected to serve as Chair-Elect, so we will meet in Athens next year. The Committee suggested that we meet on Friday not associated with the Southeastern Teaching of Psychology (SETOP) conference.

Before next meeting:

• vote on bylaws
• circulate minutes
• Learning outcomes to be circulated and vote forwarded to BOR.

Barbara Brown (Georgia Perimeter) moved to adjourn; everyone seconded.

Reports and Information

• Alberta Johnson (Floyd College) informed the group about Psi Beta, sister organization to Psi Chi. There are currently four chapters in Georgia: Dalton State, Floyd College, 2 at Georgia Perimeter. Psi Beta is only at 2-yr or community colleges.

• Jessica Sommers, Advanced Learning Technologies (Academic Affairs).

• This unit heads up WebCT/Vista implementation. An update is in progress and the use of Vista is growing; during fall semester it was used at 16 institutions with 1200 course sections -- a 600% increase over the previous fall.

  University system is known throughout country as leader in this area – as being innovative and taking on tough tasks to support instruction. e.g., PeachNet, Galileo (awards), student information system, PeopleSoft implementations for HR and financials. WebCT/Vista – another enterprise function.

  Several members of the committee noted some problems with Vista and recommended some changes.