Chapter 2:

Curricular Content and Quality

INTRODUCTION

SFSU's self study begins with a discussion of curriculum because of its central role in the academic enterprise. Appropriately, the content and quality of the curriculum is the focal point of the SFSU strategic plan, with its emphasis on academic excellence. As stated in the strategic plan:
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. . . the university must provide a challenging curriculum. There should be ample opportunities across the curriculum (including general education and the major) for every student to discover and create contemporary applications of knowledge, to join theory and practice, to use knowledge to solve individual and societal problems, and to communicate both generalizable principles and concrete applications.
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The period since 1992 has been characterized by dynamic developments in the SFSU curriculum. The strategic plan identifies and reinforces trends already reflected in the curriculum; it also urges greater emphasis on priorities where further gains are considered desirable. The plan calls for departments to undertake comprehensive examinations of their undergraduate and graduate curricular content, including attention to the infusion of ethical and moral issues, diversity and multicultural issues, and international perspectives. The plan also encourages better integration of community service learning and information access competence. The plan urges attention to currency and other indicators of quality both in ongoing assessment endeavors and in periodic academic program review. It supports planning for joint doctoral programs, as long as there is recognition of the impact on existing and potential resources.
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This chapter focuses on highlighting developments to date as we proceed in implementing the strategic plan's recommendations in the curricular area—recommendations which are the latest manifestations of ongoing campus concerns. The university expects, over the coming years, to demonstrate even greater progress in achieving these goals in the areas of established priority.
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The chapter begins with an overview of curricular changes and then focuses its attention on the special issues, perspectives, and competencies mentioned above. It then shifts its attention to the matter of curricular quality and concludes with some observations and recommendations for future action. Later self-study chapters will focus in greater detail on undergraduate [and especially general] education, on graduate education, on teacher preparation, and on assessment and program review.
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CURRICULAR CONTENT
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Academic Reorganization
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During the 1993-94 academic year, the university underwent a reorganization to restructure its schools as colleges. The most significant change was the creation of the College of Health and Human Services [CHHS]. Several disciplines were removed from the Colleges of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education and relocated within the new college. In addition, the former School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation-Leisure Studies was dissolved and all of its departments became part of CHHS. This reorganization recognized the importance the university was placing on its role in the human and social services arena and gave programs in these areas an opportunity for greater coherence, visibility, and interaction with each other.
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The increasing need for educators in the state and Bay Area clearly put a newly-streamlined College of Education into a position of leadership and allowed it to establish a clearer mission for the future. The college began to devote all of its energy to the preparation of elementary, secondary, and special education teachers and school administrators. In a final organizational change, the Division of Extended Education was given college status and renamed the College of Extended Learning.
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Undergraduate and Graduate Curriculum
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Academic Program Offerings: When the WASC team visited the campus in 1992, the university awarded undergraduate degrees in 118 areas of concentration. At the graduate level, the university offered degrees in 96 subject areas. At the end of 2000, the university had 117 undergraduate programs and 96 graduate programs. In 1992, the university offered 83 minors. By 2000, this number had increased to 87. Certificate programs that were offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels and through the College of Extended Learning totaled 22 in 1992 and 34 in 2000. Faculty in many disciplines have been actively responding to emerging trends and areas of need in our society. [See http://www.sfsu.edu/~academic/programs.html for a listing of all of the university's instructional programs.]
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As evidenced below, the new programs developed since 1992 typically cross disciplinary boundaries in both content and methodology. This curricular characteristic follows a rich history of SFSU offering vibrant interdisciplinary programs. Degree programs such as Ethnic Studies, Women Studies, Labor Studies, and Gerontology, and minors such as Global Peace, Human Rights, and Justice Studies, Holistic Health, and NEXA are just a few examples of the interdisciplinary character of the SFSU curriculum. Interdisciplinarity is a major feature of upper division General Education clusters as well; and the existence and activities of the University Interdisciplinary Council provide further evidence of the institutional commitments to interdisciplinary approaches.
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Degree Programs: As part of its increasingly-recognized responsibility to the Bay Area and State of California, SFSU developed the B.A. in Child and Adolescent Development with four concentrations. Three of the concentrations focus on various stages of the developmental cycle: Young Child and Family, School Age Child and Family, and Youth and Family. The fourth concentration, Research and Public Policy, trains students to analyze issues of contemporary concern and prepare recommendations or solutions that will benefit children and their families. The concentration dealing with the School Age Child and Family has been approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing as a subject matter program serving as a route to the Multiple Subject Credential.
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The new baccalaureate in Environmental Studies offers B.A. concentrations in Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice, the Urban Environment, and Humanities and the Environment which provide students with the opportunity to address environmental issues in the context of changing needs in urban society, and B.S. concentrations in Earth System Science and Natural Resources Management and Conservation which take advantage of the university's proximity to the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean. Students will be encouraged to conduct research at the university's Romberg Tiburon Center and at the CSU's Moss Landing Marine Laboratory. In a related curricular area, an M.S. in Geosciences was approved for offering in 1995.
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Since 1991, the university has offered a concentration in Criminal Justice under the B.A. in Social Science. During 1999, approval was granted to offer a Bachelor of Arts, and the concentration was eliminated. A unique feature of this new degree is that many classes are offered at the San Francisco Police Academy, thereby meeting a need of individuals within the university's immediate geographic area of service.
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Asian American Studies has been the most popular minor offered over the past decade. Strong interest in this field on the part of both faculty and students has led to the creation of a B.A. (1998) and an M.A. (1999). Both degree programs have a strong community orientation.
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A new Master of Public Health degree was implemented in fall 1998 [with a resulting discontinuance of the M.S. in Health Science]. This new program is focused on community health education, with the primary objective being to train a cadre of public health practitioners to work in partnership with California's diverse urban communities to promote health and disease prevention. The three-year program combines classroom instruction with field placements.
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To offset new curricular initiatives both at the baccalaureate and at the master's level, a total of twenty-two undergraduate degree programs and/or concentrations, two minor programs, and seven graduate degree programs and/or concentrations, were discontinued between Fall 1992 and Spring 2000. These discontinuances demonstrate that significant campus attention has been given to addressing the relevance and appropriateness of curricular offerings and to responding to concerns raised by the WASC team in its 1992 visit regarding the need to "select from among…program alternatives."
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As for graduates by major, it appears that the data are fairly constant since 1992, with approximately 45-50% of undergraduate and graduate students graduating from basic fields in humanities, behavioral and social sciences, and natural and physical sciences and 50-55% graduating from more applied or professional programs in business, health and human services, education, engineering, and the creative arts. The data suggest that approximately half of our students continue to be attracted to the liberal arts and sciences disciplines, while the other half are more attracted to applied or professional program areas.
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Joint Doctorates: The university has offered two joint doctorates (Ph.D. and Ed.D.) in Special Education with U.C. Berkeley for over thirty years. In line with a recommendation in the university strategic plan, there is movement to add to this number, with proposals being developed for possible joint doctorates in the fields of biology, physical therapy, and urban educational leadership.
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Minors: Minors provide the university faculty with a mechanism for curricular creativity and interdisciplinary interaction. Of the institution's 87 minors, almost one-third is truly interdisciplinary in focus. This is also true of four of the seven established since 1992.
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Minors also afford students the opportunity to take a coherent set of course work complementing their often disciplinary-based majors. Unfortunately, data show that only about 9% of students graduating between 1993 and 1998 took advantage of this opportunity. The majority of those students [55%] took one of only ten minors during that period, including popular programs in Asian American studies, human sexuality studies, and criminal justice, and in five different areas of business. However, more recently, minors in counseling and in holistic health have replaced two of those business programs in the top ten.
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At the other end of the spectrum, of the minor programs in existence in the five-year period between 1993 and 1998, 35% awarded a total of five or fewer minors during that period. In fact, eight of the minor programs in existence throughout that period awarded zero minors during the five years. [For detailed data, see www.sfsu.edu/~academic/minors.htm .]
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Certificate Programs: A major focus of curricular activity at the university has been in the area of certificate program development. Certificate programs provide curricula of a specialized—and often of a specific employment-related—nature to students who may or may not be degree seekers. Of the new certificate programs approved since 1992, eight have been in the area of health care and counseling, including highly focused certificate programs in counseling individuals with disabilities and other special needs. To meet the needs of individuals already in the workforce, a number of certificate programs are offered through the College of Extended Learning [see below].
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Credential Programs: Since the university opened its doors to its first students in 1899, it has maintained a strong commitment to teacher education. One hundred years later, a Liberal Studies/Teacher Preparation Integrated Program was launched, in order to enable first-time freshmen to complete the B.A. degree plus all of the requirements for the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, except student teaching, in eight semesters. This program was designed to expedite the preparation of elementary school teachers without compromising the quality of the undergraduate educational experience. Additional university offerings in the teacher education area include preparation for the Single Subject Credential, the Special Education Specialist Instruction Credential, and various School Services Credentials [Administrative Services, Clinical Rehabilitative Services, and Pupil Personnel Services]. A more detailed discussion of the university's endeavors in this area may be found in the teacher preparation chapter in Part Three of the self-study.
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Extended Learning Programs: The College of Extended Learning [CEL] offers a range of certificate programs; programs leading to professional licensure/relicensure; programs to assist teachers in meeting credential requirements; and individual courses that assist students in achieving both degree and personal objectives. CEL programs are developed in collaboration with the academic departments to assure quality control and consonance with the university's mission. Two types of certificate programs are offered: academic credit certificates and professional development certificates earning continuing education units [CEUs].
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In Fall 1998, the SFSU Academic Senate approved a policy that enables students to earn approved SFSU degrees with registration entirely through CEL (www.sfsu.edu/~senate/F98-204.htm ). Departments wanting to use this policy to deliver one of their existing degrees or credential programs must undergo a rigorous review process before the program can be offered. To date, seven programs have been approved under the policy: the M.S. in Communicative Disorders offered on the island of Guam; three different concentrations under the M.A. in Education; the Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Psychology offered on campus; an accelerated, weekend M.B.A. in South San Francisco; and an M.B.A. to be offered in Japan.
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Infusion of Ethical and Moral Issues into the Curriculum
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It has long been both the mission and the "culture" of SFSU to engage in discourse, even political activism, around issues of social justice. Thus, when the curriculum was examined in order to benchmark its focus on ethical and moral issues, it was expected that there would be evidence of a significant degree of values-oriented content; and this is indeed the case.
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All eight academic colleges offer courses which examine questions of ethics, morals, values, and social justice. Approximately 200 courses addressing such issues are offered in over 50 academic programs on campus. Some explore ethical issues as they relate to a specific career, such as journalism, business, or social work. Others take a broader view, examining issues of more general interest and application, e.g., environmental quality, war and peace, ethnic and racial relations, and workplace ethics.
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In addition to individual courses, whole programs emphasize ethical and moral issues. SFSU offers at least ten baccalaureate degree programs, eight master's degree programs, and ten minors which have a significant focus on ethics, morals, values, and social justice. Those added to the curriculum since 1992 include bachelor's degrees in Child and Adolescent Development, Criminal Justice, and Environmental Studies, and Master of Public Health. (An M.A In Human Sexuality Studies is awaiting final Chancellor’s Office approval.)
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Infusion of Diversity and Multicultural Issues into the Curriculum
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San Francisco State has long prided itself on its commitment to providing an educational setting which both profits from the multicultural mosaic of its student population and offers that population a curriculum rich in multiculturalism. The university's College of Ethnic Studies—with its academic programs in American Indian, Asian American, Black, Raza, and Ethnic Studies—was the first [and still is the only] college of its kind in the United States. Furthermore, attention to diversity and multiculturalism pervades numerous curricular offerings throughout the institution. Free-standing minors in Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Studies and in Human Sexuality Studies [and a proposed master's degree program in the latter area] focus curricular attention on important issues of gender and sexual orientation. Bachelor's, master's, and doctoral-level programs dealing with communicative disorders and special education focus attention on the special needs of distinctive populations within our society.
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The university offers at least twelve bachelor's degree programs, eleven master's degree programs, two doctoral degree programs, fifteen minors, and eight certificate programs which have a significant focus on diversity and multiculturalism. There is a wide range of choices for students interested in exploring these issues. Courses are offered in many departments, and in all colleges except Science and Engineering, and give a number of perspectives on these themes. Issues of discrimination and diversity in the United States involving racial and ethnic groups, immigrant communities, people with disabilities, gays, lesbians, and transgendered people, and children and families, among others, are examined in SFSU's "diverse" course offerings. Approximately 220 courses dealing with issues of diversity, discrimination, and multiculturalism are offered in 40 academic programs on campus.
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Students clearly profit from the multitude of offerings. In two administrations of a survey of enrolled students, 85% in 1998 and 84% in 2000 found SFSU course work of help to them in working in an ethnically diverse society [Student Pulse F98, S00]. Additionally, 71% of graduating seniors in 1999 and 69% in 2000 agreed that their experience in their major program helped them understand human diversity [UES S99, S00].
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[Given the importance of this area and its emergence as one of the six foci of institutional endeavor in the university strategic plan, an entire section of the self-study is devoted to human relations, diversity, and multiculturalism. Chapter 10 focuses on the institution's human relations endeavors, while Chapter 11 focuses on the infusion of multicultural perspectives into the curriculum.]
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Infusion of International Perspectives into the Curriculum
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The university's curriculum has traditionally offered course work with a significant focus on the world outside America's borders. From programs in Comparative Literature, International Business, and International Relations, to bachelor's and master's degrees in seven world languages, to courses in the College of Ethnic Studies which focus on the global origins of American ethnic groups, the curriculum offers numerous opportunities for students to learn about their world. In the early 1990s, a decision was made to focus even more explicitly on the study of various regions of the world, leading to the establishment of academic minors in African, Asian, European, Latin American, and World Development Studies. A similar decision was made to increase the international focus of the university's upper division, 9-12 unit, General Education clusters, leading to the establishment of a number of new clusters with an explicit international dimension.
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Today the curriculum contains at least sixteen bachelor's degree programs, fourteen master's degree programs, and twenty-four minors which offer course work with a significant focus on international and global perspectives. Throughout the curriculum, over 300 courses providing international and global perspectives are offered by over 40 academic departments. In a 1998 student survey, 65% of students reported that their coursework exposed them to global issues beyond U.S. borders [Student Pulse F98]. In 2000, 64% of students reported exposure to global issues; 99% agreed that they liked learning about issues from the point of view of different cultures; and, if circumstances and resources permitted, 77% indicated that they would take a portion of their SFSU academic coursework in another country [Student Pulse S00].
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[As campus and curricular internationalization was identified as one of the six foci of institutional endeavor in the university strategic plan, see Chapters 16, 17, and 18 of this self-study for a detailed discussion of campus activities in this arena.]
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Integration of Community Service Learning into the Curriculum
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In a "Viewpoint" article in the November 1, 1999 issue of SFSU's First Monday, President Corrigan wrote that the most exciting reform taking place in higher education today may be "the rediscovery of an old mission—the transmission of fundamental social and ethical values as we prepare our students for lifelong active participation in civic affairs." He went on to call upon the university to become "a civic leader, not simply educating our students but embracing a mission of community partnership, as expressed in courses, community projects, research activities, and publications." [Please see: http://www.sfsu.edu/~pubaff/view_pt/1999/nov.htm].
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This has been a major presidential theme ever since Dr. Corrigan came to SFSU in 1988. The university has responded enthusiastically. Much of that enthusiasm is reflected in a "Strategic Plan to Implement a Community Service Learning Initiative at San Francisco State University: 1996-1999," prepared by the Office of Community Service Learning [see http://thecity.sfsu.edu/~ocsl/resources.html#Init ]. Today, more than half [41] of the university's departments offer community service learning [CSL] courses, while still others offer internship or field study courses which may have a community service component. Between 1995 and 2000, curriculum development awards permitted faculty to integrate community service learning components into approximately 100 new or revised courses. One department—Raza Studies—has worked CSL options into virtually every course in its major.
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The institution now has accounting majors assisting non-English-speaking communities in San Francisco with the completion of income tax forms; chemistry students testing soil samples for heavy metals; biology students classifying plants and animals in local parks; broadcast students creating public service announcements for local community-based organizations; Raza students engaging in ethnographic studies of newly arrived immigrants; philosophy majors assisting with the terminally ill at local hospices and returning to campus to reflect on the decisions being made in the distribution of health care; and much more. Additionally, new CSL courses with an international focus take students abroad to participate in service learning endeavors in such countries as Cuba, Great Britain, and Zimbabwe.
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The university's Community Involvement Center has accepted the responsibility for being the central office where students can come to find placement opportunities at sites matching course requirements. In addition, the Community Connections Database, a web-based database launched in September 1998, allows community agencies to regularly update their placement information, faculty to approve placements for their courses, and students to search for appropriate placements.
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An evaluation of courses in Fall 1997 found CSL students showing greater change on items reflecting a sense of social responsibility than non-CSL students did. CSL students also showed greater positive change than non-CSL students in their sense of their own skills in communication, social interaction, and teamwork, and in their sense of effectiveness in accomplishing their goals [PRI F97 study]. A general survey of students in Fall 1998 found approximately 20% of them indicating that they had taken a course involving community service activities. [Student Pulse F98]. A 1999 survey revealed that students perceived learning more in service learning courses in comparison to traditional classes in the areas of mastery of the subject matter [58%], civic awareness [73%], and exploration of career options [67%] [SNAPS S99]. Furthermore, 68% of students in 1998 and 69% of students in 2000 rated SFSU coursework as excellent or good in preparing them to deal with community problems [Student Pulse F98, S00]. Another survey found 58% of graduating seniors in 1999 and 60% of graduating seniors in 2000 agreeing that there were opportunities in their major to participate in independent projects, internships, or community service [UES S99, S00].
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The Office of Community Service Learning is currently engaged in completing an assessment of cognitive development. An interview protocol (pre/post CSL involvement) was created and a test group identified. Findings will be available in Spring 2001.
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In April of 1999, Governor Gray Davis proposed a community service graduation requirement for all students in each segment of California higher education. San Francisco State, having one of the most developed CSL programs in the CSU, has assumed a position of responsibility in responding to the governor's call. The university's response is consistent with its plan to develop "opportunities and incentives" for all students to participate in CSL before graduation. The campus differs from the governor in two respects: first, in stressing opportunities rather than requirements; and second, in focusing on service learning rather than just service. President Corrigan has been asked by Chancellor Reed to chair a CSU advisory group on this matter, with the group charged to "strengthen CSU initiatives related to community service and to encourage engagement of university members with their surrounding locales." On March 15, 2000, the CSU Board of Trustees passed a resolution in line with the SFSU view on community service learning.
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[As community partnerships, community service, and service learning were identified as components of another of the six foci of institutional endeavor in the university strategic plan, see Chapter 7 on Teaching and Learning at SFSU and Chapter 15 on External Partnerships and Community Service for a further discussion of campus activities in this arena.]
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Integration of Information Access Competence Development Into the Curriculum
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The university has traditionally required all undergraduate students to demonstrate an ability to use the library to access information. In the late 1990s, this requirement was transformed into a more over-arching information competence requirement [see Chapter 3 on Undergraduate Education and the University Library chapter in Volume II for a discussion of this requirement]. The change in policy also strengthened the expectation that the new requirement would be met by students at the beginning of their academic career on campus and that basic information access skills would be further developed in the context of General Education courses and of individual academic majors.
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Typically, departments offer courses in discipline-based research, research methods and strategies, data analysis, and scientific inquiry as a mechanism for helping students develop information access competence [e.g., Economic Inquiry and Analysis; Sociological Analysis; Nursing Research; Research Methods in Women and Gender Studies; Introduction to Research and Statistics in Health; and Research Methods in Black Studies]. More recently, however, a number of departments and programs have begun offering courses focusing on discipline-based computer applications. Thus one sees in, for example, the behavioral and social sciences, computer applications courses in History, in International Relations, and in Political Science; and, in the health and human services area, computer applications courses in Consumer and Family Sciences and in Kinesiology.
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Surveys provide some relevant information regarding student and faculty perceptions of student skill development in this area. 74% of a stratified sample of students on campus in Spring 1999 reported little or no difficulty in locating and retrieving information in doing their coursework; 72% reported little or no difficulty in evaluating the accuracy and validity of the information they retrieved; and 76% reported little or no difficulty in organizing and using that information [SNAPS S99]. Additionally, 62% of graduating seniors in 1999 and 61% in 2000 agreed that their experience in their major program helped them learn how to access information from various electronic and print resources [UES S99, S00]; and 67% of faculty, staff, and administrators agreed that students graduate from SFSU with a high level of competence in accessing information [FSA Pulse S99].
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CURRICULAR QUALITY
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This section provides an overview of three endeavors the university engages in to monitor the quality of the curriculum—academic program review, assessment, and university-wide survey research.
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Academic Program Review
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Academic program review at SFSU evaluates undergraduate and graduate degree programs on a six-year cycle. The evaluation addresses numerous aspects of program quality in its focus on the curriculum, on faculty and students, and on program resources. Factors related specifically to curricular quality include how well the curriculum organizes and presents discipline-based knowledge; how current and relevant the curriculum is; how well the curriculum prepares students for post-graduate experiences (e.g., job market, graduate school, licensure examinations, etc.); how well faculty are able to deliver the curriculum; and how well students progress through the curriculum.
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In academic program review, data from graduating student exit surveys and alumni surveys, as well as other sources, are added to program assessment outcomes to guide the self-study process. The completed self-study report is reviewed by a team of visiting external reviewers. The self-study, together with the external review report and campus responses to it, is subsequently reviewed by the Academic Senate’s Academic Program Review Committee [APRC]. APRC’s report and recommendations form the basis of a memorandum of understanding [MOU] developed jointly by the program faculty and the administration. The MOU embodies agreements emerging from the entire process and maps out an action plan for program improvement. Since the 1980s, nationally accredited programs have undergone an abbreviated version of academic program review. In the future, accreditation review will substitute, in all aspects except the final MOU, for program review.
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During 1998-99, the university's Academic Program Review Committee revised program self-study guidelines to give additional attention to curriculum content and quality. The new guidelines that were adopted included the use of introductory courses to set standards of study in the discipline; the use of advisory boards to help to strengthen the currency of programs; and the use of systematic assessment of student learning outcomes to provide data for program improvement. These were added in order to more clearly focus self studies on program content and quality. A chapter on program review and accreditation in volume III of the self-study describes the academic program review policies and procedures in greater detail and additional information can be found at www.sfsu.edu/~apd/.
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Academic Assessment
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In the Spring of 1990, the SFSU Academic Senate passed a resolution endorsing student outcomes assessment and a plan of action for implementing assessment. This action was followed by a period of budget crisis and downsizing, which resulted in delaying the implementation of this resolution and plan. Assessment reemerged as a campus priority during the mid-1990s. By this time, institutional strategic planning efforts and systemwide planning efforts were under way and early campus discussions and preparations for the upcoming WASC reaccreditation visit were being initiated. In the summer of 1997, the Office of Academic Affairs developed a document entitled New Perspectives on Assessment [see http://www.sfsu.edu/~acadplan/newpersp.html] which helped to reestablish a priority and focus on assessment and on the use of assessment results for program improvement.
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During 1997-98, academic programs, at the request of the provost, developed assessment plans that related program missions to goals and learning objectives, identified where in the curriculum objectives would be attained, and proposed assessment activities. Program assessment plans were implemented in 1998-99 and 1999-00. Program assessment reports were summarized and submitted to the provost in September 1999 and September 2000, with indications and evidence regarding what program improvements were envisaged as a result.
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There is good indication that the university's assessment program is being used as a tool for quality control and improvement at the program level—the level most appropriate for monitoring and ensuring program quality and for effecting change. Given the importance of this endeavor, an entire volume of the self-study is devoted to university assessment activities, describing the academic assessment program, procedures, and activities in greater detail.
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University-Wide Research Related to the Currency and Relevance of the Curriculum: Feedback from Students, Faculty, Staff, Administrators, and Alumni
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Several university-wide surveys [http://www.sfsu.edu/~acadplan/surveys.html] have been undertaken as part of the university's commitment to assess its performance. The surveys include the Student Pulse; Faculty, Staff, Administrator Pulse; Undergraduate Exit Survey; Graduate Exit Survey; and Alumni Survey. These surveys have been designed to provide ongoing indicators of performance. The results are used to inform program improvement discussions and decision-making. Survey questions related to curriculum content, quality, and currency are highlighted below. The chapter on university-wide surveys in Volume III provides a more complete discussion of survey findings.
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Student Pulse
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The SFSU Pulse Program was established in 1998 to provide ongoing indicators of institutional performance regarding the implementation of the university strategic plan. The purpose of the campus-developed Student Pulse is to determine the extent to which students believe that the university's strategic directions are being implemented.
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The first Student Pulse was administered during the Fall of 1998 to a convenience sample of 13,403 currently enrolled students participating in add/drop course registration. With reference to items related to curriculum quality, students felt that their major program was successful in helping them to develop written and oral communication skills (80%) and in providing them with technical and research skills (74%). Most respondents reported that their major program prepared them for success in a career (69%) and that their coursework prepared them to work in an ethnically diverse society (85%). 73% found their academic major, and 78% found the university's teaching, excellent or good; and 96% intended to graduate from SFSU.
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A second administration of the Student Pulse occurred during Spring 1999, with more than 19,000 students participating. The set of thirty questions was repeated from the Fall 1998 Student Pulse with similar results. Overall, student responses in the Spring regarding curricular quality were similar to Fall 1998 responses.
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Student Pulse questions were revised during Summer and Fall 1999. The revised version was administered during Spring 2000. Fourteen of the thirty items were new; twelve items were repeated from previous Student Pulse administrations; and four were slightly revised items from the previous two administrations. The Spring 2000 Student Pulse was administered to 2,149 randomly selected students. Overall, students perceived they were able to learn the skills appropriate to their major (70%) and three fourths were satisfied with their advisors for General Education and major course work. Over three fourths rated the teaching of SFSU faculty as excellent or good.
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Faculty, Staff, Administrator Pulse
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The Faculty, Staff, Administrator Pulse (FSA Pulse) was another component of the SFSU Pulse Program. It was also established to provide ongoing indicators of institutional performance regarding the implementation of the university strategic plan. The purpose of the campus-developed FSA Pulse is to determine the extent to which faculty, staff, and administrators believe that the strategic directions are being implemented.
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A total of 904 faculty, staff, and administrators responded to the survey in Spring 1999. With reference to questions related to curriculum, respondents agreed that students seeking high quality education can find it at SFSU (86%); SFSU provides a challenging curriculum (79%); academic programs are socially relevant (93%) and sufficiently up-to-date to meet student needs (79%); and students graduate with a high level of competence in their major field of study (79%). In addition, 66% of the respondents agreed that SFSU provides its undergraduate students with opportunities for research and/or creative activity; and 81% agreed that graduate students are provided similar opportunities. However, only 58% agreed that students graduate with a high level of critical thinking skills.
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Undergraduate Exit Survey
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The purpose of the SFSU-developed Undergraduate Exit Survey is to determine the extent to which graduating students are satisfied with their program of study and with their overall experience at SFSU. Of the 1889 graduating seniors responding to the survey during Spring 1999, 80% of the respondents rated a majority of the courses (70% to 100% of courses) in the major as being high in quality. Over three fourths (77%) were satisfied with the content and structure of the major; 66% agreed that course content reflected current trends in their field of study; and 61% agreed that degree requirements were relevant to their professional goals. The majority of respondents agreed that the experience in the major program provided a sense of competence in their field of study (66%); provided a foundation for graduate study (58%); helped them understand current issues (70%); provided opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations (66%); and helped them to understand human diversity (71%).
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Respondents believed that their major program helped them to develop or enhance critical thinking skills (73%); quantitative reasoning skills (63%); written (75%) and oral (73%) communication skills; and leadership skills (61%). Many were very or somewhat satisfied with the usefulness of texts and course materials (73%); the overall quality of instruction (82%); and the access to faculty (71%). 63% were satisfied with the quality of advising in the major; and 66% would recommend SFSU to others who are interested in their field of study. Overall, most respondents (89%) reported that their education at SFSU had been moderately to extremely useful in preparing them for life in general and for a career or advanced study.
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Students had less positive perceptions of the availability of classes. Fewer than half of the respondents (48%) were very or somewhat satisfied with class availability. In a related question, fewer than half (42%) felt that required courses were offered with reasonable frequency.
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During the 1999-2000 academic year, 2606 graduating seniors responded to the survey. Their results are markedly similar to the findings from the Spring 1999 survey, usually within one or two percentage points.
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Graduate Exit Survey
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The Graduate Division uses a standardized exit survey, the Graduate Program Self Assessment (GPSA) published by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The purpose of GPSA is to provide indicators of institutional performance related to graduate programs. Ten master's level program characteristics addressed by GPSA questions are highlighted in this section. (For data analysis purposes, GPSA questions are grouped by program characteristics making up a set of ten factors; e.g., environment for learning, scholarly excellence, quality of teaching, etc.) Graduate students are asked to complete the GPSA as a part of the application for graduation process.
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Of the 681 respondents during Spring 1995, Fall 1996, and Spring 1997, most were very positive in rating their academic program's environment for learning (87%); scholarly excellence (91%); quality of teaching (87%); faculty concern for students (81%); curriculum (68%); departmental procedures (63%); and internship experiences (83%).
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Respondents agreed that program faculty were scholarly and professionally competent (84%); that students in their program demonstrated scholarly and professional promise (74%); and that the program provided intellectual stimulation (82%). 74% of respondents rated their program's curriculum as being relevant to their anticipated work in the field. 90% reported having learned a great deal in their program; 80% believed they had received very good preparation for future professional work; 83% indicated a willingness to recommend the program to a friend; and 77% would enroll in the program again.
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A second report was prepared for GPSA results received from 421 respondents who applied for graduation during Fall 1997, Spring 1998, and Spring 1999; and a third report was prepared for results from 740 respondents during Fall 1999 and Spring 2000. Overall, student responses regarding curriculum quality were similar to the first report. Responses were also quite similar with regard to selected GPSA items related to student satisfaction with the program and curriculum. However, in all administrations of the survey between 1995 and 2000, students were relatively unhappy with the availability and accessibility of both program and campus support services.
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Alumni Survey
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The purpose of the SFSU-developed Alumni Survey is to monitor alumni perceptions regarding the usefulness of the education received as a result of attending SFSU. The survey is also designed to determine the extent to which alumni enter and sustain employment related to their major, as well as their level of satisfaction with the educational experience at SFSU. The Alumni Survey was first administered as a pilot during 1997-98 to alumni from the Engineering and Liberal Studies programs and from programs in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Based on the pilot administrations, the instrument was revised in 1999. Because of the importance of data regarding alumni to the Academic Program Review process, the administration of the alumni survey is now linked into the calendar of program review. Beginning in Spring 2000, all alumni five years post-graduation are being mailed a copy of the Alumni Survey. In addition, the survey can be completed on the World Wide Web. Data is being banked and reports will be prepared to coincide with the preparation of an individual program’s Academic Program Review self-study.
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Overall, most alumni in the programs surveyed during the pilot phase reported being currently employed and working full time in a job related to their field of study or intended careers. Satisfaction levels of the respondents were high with respect to faculty enthusiasm for teaching, quality of instruction, access to faculty, and the overall quality of core courses. About two-thirds of the respondents indicated that the skills, knowledge, and understandings they had acquired in their program of study were extremely or very useful. Over half reported that the overall program had been either extremely or very useful in preparing them for employment and for life in general.
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When asked to rate their improvement in specific skill areas, respondents indicated the greatest amount of improvement was in problem-solving and critical thinking. Many respondents recommended an increased course orientation toward practical applications and an increase in the number of faculty, course offerings, internship opportunities, and extracurricular activities within their respective programs.
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An additional survey of 402 alumni was conducted by Lipman Hearne, Inc. in 1998 to gather information on alumni attitudes and perceptions regarding SFSU. The respondents represented four groupings: alumni graduating in 1960 or before, between 1961 and 1970, between 1971 and 1980, and after 1980. The methods included focus groups and telephone interviews. Survey topics included perceptions of SFSU and satisfaction with the SFSU experience. The survey found that alumni appreciated the value of their degree, with a mean rating of 4.5 on a 5-point scale. Other findings included that they had been challenged intellectually (4.2) and had experienced supportive faculty (4.2) and excellent teaching (4.1).
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Collegiate Results Project
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In 1999, SFSU became a participant in the Collegiate Results Project developed by the Knight Collaborative of the Institute for Research on Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania. The Collegiate Results Instrument (CRI) was mailed to a random sample of 750 SFSU alumni six years after they received their baccalaureate degrees. It attempted to measure inclinations toward particular attributes or characteristics. Results for the 169 SFSU respondents were as follows:
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Area	Characteristic	Level
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Personal values	Civic/community	strong
	Arts and culture	weak
	Religious	weak
	Physical fitness	weak
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Abilities	Communicate/organize	Strong
	Quantitative	Strong
	Find information	Strong
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Work skills	Analyzing	Strong
	Writing/presenting	Strong
	Organizing	Strong
	Customer/client	Strong
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Lifelong learning	Keep informed	strong
	Like to learn	strongest
	Certificates/credentials	strongest
	Advanced degrees	weak
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Across all university surveys, the findings show that students have a high regard for their experiences related to learning, the curriculum, and the faculty. However, campus support services and the availability of classes received lower ratings. The university is responding to this feedback through extended hours for student support services and a new "one-stop" student services building, enrollment management endeavors, and an increase in offerings for high demand courses. Several initiatives have been implemented to further increase students’ skills, particularly in writing and critical thinking. More detailed information and discussion regarding program improvement endeavors related to university surveys will be found in later chapters of the self-study.
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CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE
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San Francisco State has a very healthy and dynamic curricular process. As has been shown above, the curriculum is under constant review and revision, with new programs being added and existing programs revised or discontinued. In such a dynamic context, it is natural that questions be asked about curricular trends, about curricular balance [e.g., the proportion of undergraduate to graduate offerings], and about the way in which the curriculum is reflecting and implementing the university's mission. As a campus which has little room for curricular growth, it is becoming increasingly apparent that greater attention needs to be paid to making determinations about appropriate areas of curricular emphasis in the university's second century. Previous efforts to engage in this task have quickly generated hostility and defensiveness and were aborted with no significant effect. The lesson learned was that it will be difficult, at best, to systematically, comprehensively, and objectively confront the challenge of reshaping the curriculum in any meaningful ways. This may be one of the toughest, though potentially one of the most consequential, projects this campus will face in the next decade. As such, it should be a focal point for the next phase of institutional strategic planning.
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On the issue of infusing and integrating ethical and moral perspectives, international perspectives, multicultural perspectives, and community service learning into the curriculum, there clearly has been much success in these various arenas. Nevertheless, there is still much additional work to be done. In some cases it is easier to develop new courses than to rethink ones already on the books. While this chapter has shown that there is a large body of coursework devoted to offering these various perspectives, this is not the same as saying that the perspectives are infused throughout the curriculum. Nevertheless, the university stands by its considerable accomplishments in these areas and commits itself to continue to move in the curricular directions articulated in the strategic plan.
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On a related front, questions need to be and are being raised regarding the purpose and functionality of the institution's various minor programs. It is clear from what was said earlier in this chapter that a number of minors are not attracting student interest. One could argue that, even though related courses exist and can be pulled together to represent an interesting and meaningful program, this is not a sufficient rationale for creating a minor. Unless there is a significant and explicitly understood purpose for such a program, such as complementing or enhancing an undergraduate major, structuring an aggregate of courses into a minor will not attract students who are concerned about completing the prescribed requirements for the baccalaureate degree and finding a job or pursuing graduate study.
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At present, there is no formal way in which minors may be reviewed [although review of interdisciplinary minors is within the purview of the University Interdisciplinary Council]. The university's academic program review process very deliberately focuses only on degree programs. One might question whether the process should be expanded to assess the viability of the university's minor programs. Another alternative would be to institute a parallel process to undertake such an assessment. Still another alternative would be to individualize minors, making them a matter between the student and the advisor rather than pre-packaging them as a formalized set of courses. The university will need to ask itself some hard questions about student interest and societal need in order to determine which minor programs should be continued and whether any new minors should be developed and approved.
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Regarding the problem of class availability, the university has undertaken a significant campaign of enrollment management to increase high demand courses by reallocating resources from under-enrolled courses. As a result of this initiative, we are adding fifty-six sections of basic math, English, oral communication, and critical thinking courses, totaling approximately 1500 seats, in Spring 2001. It has been estimated that, by Spring 2002, the sustaining of this level of course offerings will reduce the remaining demand for such courses by about one-third. We are also adding sixty-six sections of high demand, upper division, General Education and major courses. We have estimated that, by Spring 2002, this will reduce remaining demand by one-third in all colleges except Business and Creative Arts. The demand in those colleges is too great to accommodate within this campaign; but we are hoping to address at least some of the problems in those colleges by enhancing our state-supported Summer Session as the campus moves to year-round operation.
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Turning finally to issues of curricular quality and quality control, campus achievements in this arena have been significant. The institution of a university-wide survey research process to learn more about the perceptions, expectations, and levels of satisfaction of students and staff permits the campus to measure performance and effectiveness on a number of important institutional parameters. The establishment of a process of assessing learning outcomes in a systematic and comprehensive fashion provides evidence of student achievement in ways which can be used to initiate program improvements. The integration of both learning and satisfaction data into the cyclical process of academic program review further strengthens and institutionalizes this process as the university's central mechanism of academic quality control. Taken together, these endeavors—with the intensive faculty participation demanded in their undertaking—demonstrate a strong institutional commitment to accountability for the quality of its academic program.

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