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Sociology Program Review Self Study Fall 2005
Section I: Program Description
A. Description of Program
Sociology is currently a non-major, elective discipline at LPC. All courses
currently CSU/UC transferable.
B. Program’s Mission
Sociology develops critical thinking, writing and research skills in its students.
It particularly focuses on the current effects of globalization on identities,
economies, and political realities. In addition to these “hard skills”, sociology
also offers a level of social understanding which can enhance the softer
“people” skills. These skills can be transferable to almost any occupation.
C. Relationship to LPC’s Mission and
D. How It Fulfills LPC’s Mission
Sociology reflects the academic mission of the college in numerous ways. It
fulfills requirements for both associate and bachelor degrees. All classes are
CSU/UC transferable and Sociology 3 satisfies the Americans cultures
requirement. It contributes to the community by offering classes that explore
the quickly diversifying population, fostering tolerance between and within
groups.
E. Program’s Connection to Other Programs
Several of Sociology’s classes are part of the requirements for other
disciplines’ majors: Psychology, Nursing, ECD, Social Work.
Section II: Program Function and Assessment
A. Program Access
Sociology offers both evening and daytime classes, and has offered
Saturday classes (with varying levels of success). Sociology could fill
more daytime classes had we the space and staffing to do so).
Semester
Daytime
Evening
Saturday
Fall 02
5
3
2
Spring 03
7
3
1
Fall 03
6
2
0
Spring 04
7
3
0
Fall 04
8
2
0
Spring 05
6
2
0
The Distance Education Program is strong, with 3-4 sections being offered
each term. This is really the area with great potential for growth. We could
offer many more DE classes providing we had the staff to do so. Even
course with traditionally lower enrollments – Sociology 3 Cultural and
Racial Minorities, and Sociology 6 Social Problems - fill to the maximum
very quickly when offered on-line.
Semester
DE Sections
Fall 02
4
Spring 03
3
Fall 03
4
Spring 04
3
Fall 04
3
Spring 05
4
Sociology does not currently have a major, but one will be introduced in
the 2007-2008 school year providing its full time faculty member goes on
sabbatical in the 2006-2007 school year. This should increase our already
high enrollments and FTES.
Semester
Enrollments FTES
Fall 02
508
38.46
Spring 03
585
47.32
Fall 03
595
47.51
Spring 04
540
43.05
Fall 04
624
53.3
Spring 04
594
48.9
B. Program Resources
1. Human
There is only one full time faculty member in the discipline.
Although it varies from semester to semester there are usually 4-5
part time faculty members.
2. Physical
The completion of the Multidisciplinary Building will definitely be
an asset to supporting the program.
3. Technology
The DE program and its support staff currently helps maintain
about 1/3 of Sociology’s offerings. With the institution of a major,
the programs technology needs will grow (specifically software
and computer access for Methodology courses).
4. Financial
Sociology is a relatively inexpensive program to operate, the
majority of costs are staffing. With a very small budget (of usually
about $400), sociology purchases films and software.
C. Program Efficiency
Sociology is a very cost efficient discipline, as it is largely lecture and DE
based.
Semester
Average class size
Fill rate
WSCH/FTEF
Fall 02
36
76%
520.54
Spring 03
41
81%
549.23
Fall 03
49
97%
697.57
Spring 04
41
79%
532.08
Fall 2004
48
98%
658.94
Spring 05
49
91%
617.50
Cost per FTEF $1614
D. Program Success
Sociology’s “success rates” are appropriate for its transfer level material.
When a major is in place, we can more easily track students as they move
through the Sociology program.
Semester
Success
Non-Success Withdrew
Retention
Fall 02
60%
20%
20%
80%
Spring 03
61%
18%
22%
78%
Fall 03
54%
21%
24%
76%
Spring 04
63%
17%
20%
80%
Fall 04
59%
22%
18%
82%
Spring 05
62%
18%
20%
80%
E. Student Input – Year 2
F. Dialogue with Other Programs – N/A
G. Other Data
Sociology currently has the problem that while all courses are transferable
in terms of credits, most are not directly transferable to other universities’
Sociology Departments. UC Davis, the institution that recognizes the most
of LPC’s Sociology courses, accepts 4/6. In order to create a major, out
courses have to reflect the lower division programs of more universities.
Section III: Assessment and Recommendations
Sociology’s strengths lay primarily in its content. Despite the fact that Sociology
is not a required course for certification, degree or transfer, the classes fill regularly. This
is most likely because Sociology, like Psychology, is a “me” course. That is, the content
of the class will eventually include the students’ experiences and life challenges.
I have tried to take advantage of this natural attraction by keeping a high level of
rigor in the course work. In addition to learning sociological research and theory (that
they can forget the following semester) the students can come away from Sociology
classes with applicable academic/ work skills such as organizing research projects and
learning effective argumentative/persuasive writing styles. In my own personal classes I
also emphasize punctuality and other forms of accountability as I feel these are crucial
work skills (on a recent check of RateMyProfessor.com I found that the only negative
posting said I was a “psycho control freak” and listed as evidence my list of student
obligations from my syllabus – such as no passing of notes, no coming in late, etc. – I
actually found the criticism heartwarming as I’m sure the student will someday come
across a boss more “psycho” than me, and he’ll be prepared!)
Another of sociology’s strengths from an institutional perspective is its sheer numbers.
Both traditional and on-line classes have consistently high enrollments, which in and of
itself supports the hiring of a second full-time Sociologist.
In the late 1990s a student survey revealed a high interest in having both a
psychology and sociology major. Psychology instituted one almost immediately.
Sociology has dragged its feet a bit, but is planning on introducing a major for the 20072008 school year. Psychology experienced a positive impact on enrollments after
introducing their major, and I hope Sociology can expect the same.
There are some barriers, however, to creating a sociology major. Whereas all sociology
courses transfer to UCs/CSUs, most do not transfer directly to the sociology departments
themselves. There is, of course, some territoriality going on here, I’m sure, but a large
part of the problem is that the elective sociology classes (Gender, Marriage and Family,
Sexuality, Cultural and Racial Minorities) are upper level courses, not lower level courses
in many of California’s colleges.
While I do not advocate getting rid of these courses (since, after all, they do fill,
and Cultural and Racial Minorities fulfills the American Cultures requirement), I will
need to add courses so our offerings match those lower level courses at the four-year
institutions. I have chosen UC Davis as our model for several reasons: 1) they have an
excellent undergraduate sociology program (with 3 different majors to choose from), and
2) they transfer 4/6 LPC sociology courses, more than any other California institution.
To match Davis ’s program I would need to introduce 5 new courses: Sociological
Research Methods I, Sociological Research Methods II (both I and II are required for all
3 of Davis ’ major), Globalization and Global Change (also required), Popular Culture
and Self & Society (both electives for their majors). Then the LPC sociology program
would mirror Davis’s. I could then work on getting Marriage and Family and possibly
Gender accepted for direct transfer as well).
The biggest challenge to the creation of a major is personnel. Currently we do not
have the full time or part time staff to accommodate these offerings (especially if we are
to maintain and expand our DE offerings). This is an additional argument for hiring a
second full time sociologist (specifically one who could teach the two methods courses).
Sociology has completed a number of tasks in the SLO process. The program and
course SLOs have both been mapped out. Assessments/measurements for two courses
have been completed, and I’m using one course this semester to test out my assessment
scale.
The biggest problem facing sociology overall is a poor part-time pool. We really
struggle to get qualified, let alone good instructional staff (four years ago I agreed to
allow someone working on a totally unrelated masters to teach a marriage and family
class because it was 3 days before the semester started and the class was full – I just
crossed my fingers and let it go). The good part-timers we do have leave after a semester
or two, generally to full time positions. Again, hiring a second full time faculty member
would alleviate this problem significantly.
Section IV: Planning and Implementation
Here is the timeline I would like to see:
Spring 06, no later than Spring 07 – Hire a new full time Sociologist
Fall 07-Spring 08 – Sarah goes on Sabbatical – formulates Sociology Major, sends all
paperwork to the Curriculum Committee
Fall 08 – Globalization course first offered
Spring 09 – Methods I and Methods II first offered as Fast Track courses one right after
the other
Fall 09 – Popular Culture first offered
Spring 10 – Self and Society first offered
What can you do with a College Degree in
Sociology?
Career options for aspiring sociology majors
It is common for those with sociology degrees to seek employment in one of the following areas
or positions.

Administration: A professional with a degree in sociology is well prepared for
administrative positions, particularly in government and public agencies that administer
human services. Sociologists in leadership roles help define policies toward groups of
people in need of public assistance. By leading teams of researchers and social work
professionals, sociologists can reshape their communities.

Business: A degree in sociology prepares a student for a career in business.
Sociologists research consumer trends and work with market researchers to discover
new opportunities to meet the public's needs. Some corporations employ sociologists to
impact the social effects of major projects like plant relocations or store openings.
Sociologists also help product designers understand the overall trends shaping consumer
culture in order to inspire tomorrow's hot new products.

Corrections: As the prison population in our country continues to expand, many local
governments hire sociologists to understand the impact of tougher laws on
neighborhoods. Sociologists also help corrections officials determine the effects of new
programs and regulations on the prison population.

Counseling: Some counselors and therapists study sociology in order to better
understand some of the larger trends they see among patients. By using the kinds of
pattern analysis techniques that sociologists are known for, counselors can focus their
practices on critical needs in their communities.

Education: A person with a sociology degree may choose to pursue a career in
education. A bachelor's degree and teaching certificate are adequate for teaching
classes such as political science, history, and social science at the high school level.
Ph.D. level graduates may pursue careers at the college and university level.

Investigations: Sociology professionals play larger roles at major investigative bureaus,
especially the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Working with detectives and profilers,
sociologists help law enforcement officials anticipate crime by identifying obscure
patterns. Targeting areas that are likely to be the focus of criminals allows officials to
deploy scarce resources more effectively. Therefore, investigators can close cases more
quickly while improving the quality of life in previously dangerous areas.

Journalism: Sociology majors with a proven ability to communicate well may find a
home for their talents in a variety of news gathering organizations. Newspapers and local
broadcast news outlets employ sociologists to help understand the kinds of stories that
engage readers, viewers, and listeners in a particular region. Sociologists work with
editors and market researchers to identify the right balance of news that audience
members expect with the stories that need to be reported to uphold civic responsibilities.

Politics: Sociology degree holders can play numerous roles in the political community.
Campaign managers hire sociology professionals who can identify critical neighborhoods
that can make or break an election. By understanding the traditional voting patterns of
key districts along with the crucial issues that concern voters, campaigners can deploy
volunteers and activists to win over voters.
At numerous government organizations, sociologists analyze patterns that can affect the
political and economic balance of the county. Examining the trends in housing
construction and measuring the number of citizens who move to new cities can provide
lawmakers with a clear picture of the challenges facing Americans today. Sociologists
can also help lawmakers predict the success or failure of proposed legislation based on
voting patterns and current research findings.
Most importantly, sociologists manage the process of counting citizens in our census
program every ten years. Instead of merely counting individuals in the country, as
mandated by law, sociologists use the opportunity to conduct deeper interviews that
reveal larger trends when compared to past results.

Public Relations: Some sociology majors with an interest in journalism find jobs as
public relations officers for major corporations. By reviewing market research data and
understanding historic trends, sociologists can anticipate challenges when rolling out new
products or building infrastructure. Sociologists who truly understand the motivations of
customers, community activists, and journalists can effectively defuse problems in the
media by responding to the public's concerns with carefully composed solutions.

Research: Some sociology professionals can carve out careers as independent research
consultants who examine trends in human behavior for a variety of clients. By carving out
a solid reputation for reliable work, these specialists attract interesting problems without
having to pursue grants like their colleagues in the academic sector.

Senior Services: Over the next few decades, the United States will experience an
unprecedented explosion in the number of Americans over the age of sixty-five.
Numerous outreach organizations and government agencies are hiring sociologists to
study the effects of an again population on our culture. In addition, many researchers
hope to anticipate the results of the coming contraction of population as baby boomers
die off. Sociologists use scenario planning exercises along with a variety of resources to
predict the opportunities for future generations to thrive in a country with far fewer
residents.

Youth Services: Our society places more value on the lives of children than at any point
in our nation's history. A variety of government agencies and nonprofit institutions monitor
the impact of policies and parental habits on today's young people. Sociologists examine
the challenges that young people face when interacting with people of other generations.
They also examine the significant cultural shifts driven by young people's tastes in
popular culture.