Academic Program ReviewSelf-Study Report

Department of African American StudiesGeorgia State University

Akinyele Umoja, Department Chair

Review Period: Fall 2010 to Summer 2014Approved by Department of African American Studies Faculty,

November 20, 2014

Researched, written, and compiled by the Academic Program Review Committee:

Sarita K. Davis, ChairAkinyele Umoja

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 3

SECTION ONE: WHERE IS YOUR UNIT NOW? 41.a. Undergraduate Education 41.b. Graduate Education 121.c. Research 191.d. Contribution to Challenges to Cities 221.e. Globalizing the University 241.f. Overall Assessment of the Department 26

SECTION TWO: HOW ADEQUATE ARE YOUR UNIT’S RESOURCES 28

SECTION THREE: WHERE DOES YOUR UNIT WANT TO GO? 31

SECTION FOUR: WHAT DO YOU NEED TO CHANGE TO GET THERE?

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Note: Throughout this report, peer departments for undergraduate and graduate programs are: Department of Pan African Studies, Louisville; Department of African American Studies, Temple University; and Department of African American and African Studies, Ohio State University.

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INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The Department of African American Studies was established in 1994 in response to the demands of students and advocacy of faculty at Georgia State University. The origins of our unit reinforce our dedication to academic excellence, social responsibility, and an orientation of social justice. The department conducted its first and only self-study as part of its Academic Program Review in 2004. The prior self-study allowed the department to critically reflect on its development and plan for its future. We have used the opportunity of this second self-study to do the same. In its first self-study, the department described itself as evolving. At the time of the first self-study, the department was small, with five (5) core faculty and approximately 90 undergraduate majors. At the time, the department offered a general bachelor’s degree as well as a concentration in Education. As a result of that self-study, the department turned its attention to expanding and diversifying its focus through faculty recruitment, curriculum development, and launching a master’s program. Since the last self-study, our department has grown to include as many as eight faculty members, including two part-time visiting lecturers, in 2014. During this time the department also lost 2 senior faculty members due to taking a position at another institution and promotion within GSU. A junior faculty member also retired during this time. We have seen moderate fluctuations in our undergraduate student population with an increase of undergraduate majors to 58 (2011) to a drop of 44 majors (2013). Graduate student enrollment has steadily increased since the inception of the program with a high of 20 students in 2011. Consistent with the goals articulated in our last self-study, we have improved the quality of the undergraduate program, established our graduate program, and enhanced our national reputation as a department. The first two sections of this report provide extensive detail on the current status of our program, with comparisons to three peer institutions selected on the basis of similarities both at the department and university-levels. These institutions are Temple University, University of Louisville, and Ohio State University. In the final two sections of this report, we detail our plan for continuing the progress we have experienced since our initial self-study in 2004 and creating a framework for our continued contribution to the university’s strategic plan. Data for this report were drawn from multiple sources ranging from institutional sources (e.g., The Department of African American Studies, IPORT, APR Dashboard, WEAVE online, and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness) to personal communication with peer institutions.1

Finally, while the study review period for this report is 2010 to 2013, some information from 2004 to 2014 is included to provide context.

1 Please note that some institutional data varies based on the nature and source of the data extracted.

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SECTION 1: WHERE IS YOUR UNIT NOW?

1.a. UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

The Department of African American Studies at Georgia State University is one of the largest in the southeast. African American Studies uses a wide range of techniques from the humanities and social sciences to examine the experience of Africans and the descendants of Africans in communities around the world. At Georgia State University, the Department of African American Studies emphasizes critical thinking, community engagement and social justice in our scholarship and in our teaching. We explore issues of race/ethnicity, culture, gender and social structure from the center of the past and current experiences of Africans and African-descended peoples. Our majors build strong skills in research, oral and written communication, as well as practical professional preparation. We believe that through unifying research, teaching and service we elevate our students, our community, and the intellectual environment of the university as a whole. In addition to the standard curriculum, we offer students the opportunity to participate in several signature experiences including service learning, local and regional community development, and a study abroad.

The Department of African American studies offers a general degree in African American Studies as well as a concentration in Education. During the review period, the majority of our 275 majors typically pursued a general degree in African American Studies with a select few (7) choosing a concentration in Education. The Education concentration, or Pre-Education track, offers preparation for students who wish to pursue certification in Social Studies Education.

1.a.1 Quality of MajorsThe Freshman Index is typically used to determine student quality. The Freshman Index is based on a formula (used in GSU’s registrar’s office) that combines SAT and ACT scores. High School students are rarely exposed to African American Studies as a discipline before reaching college. As a result, very few freshmen enter GSU as declared African American Studies majors. Most students don’t select African American Studies as a major until they have taken an introductory level core course or upper-level elective. For example, during this self-study period, only two students entered GSU as declared African American Studies majors. Looking at the Freshman Index data retrospectively tells an interesting story about the impact of African American Studies on the academic performance of our majors.

In Fall 2010, the composite SAT scores of African American Studies majors was 1064, six points higher than GSU (1058) and nine points lower than the College of Arts and Sciences (1073). In Fall 2013, SAT scores in the department, College, and University were all down, at 933, 1065, and 1054 respectively. The Freshman Index for African American Studies majors follows a similar pattern. The Freshman Index for African American Studies majors was 2691 in Fall 2010 and 2561 Fall 2013, both below the College and University averages for the same years.

The impact of the African American Studies program is more clearly seen in the graduation GPAs of our majors. For example, the GPAs of African American Studies majors graduating in 2011 and 2014 were on average 3.10 and 3.08. These GPAs were equivalent to or only slightly

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below, the average GPAs of the College (3.10/3.15) and the University (3.15/3.18) respectively. As a whole, these trends, indicators, and outcomes support the observation that our students are not exposed to African American Studies as a discipline prior to entering GSU. However, upon exposure and declaration of the major, our students perform exceptionally well. We believe a significant factor in the academic success of our undergraduate students is the attention they receive from our faculty. While 75% of students surveyed believed the academic program of our department is, “academically challenging”, the same number also agreed, “faculty are available to answer my questions or discuss my concerns about my program of study.” Mentoring has always been an important aspect of our Department.

The Department of African American Studies has an average of 49 majors each year, ranging from a low of 40 to a high of 62 during the self-study period (see Appendix #2, Table 1). African American Studies majors and graduates increased from 53 to 64 between 2010 and 2011, but declined to 40 students in 2012. There was a slight increase in majors to 44 in 2013. In 2011 African American Studies majors graduated with GPAs ranging from 2.27 to 3.74 with a 2.93 average. In 2012, GPAs ranged from 2.1 to 3.57 with a 2.86 average. And in 2013, GPAs ranged from 2.32 to 4.06, with an average of 2.99.

The increase from the low number of freshmen who major in African American Studies to the amount of undergraduate students who graduate with the degree is quite noteworthy. It speaks to the importance of having African American Studies courses in the core curriculum as well as cross listing courses with other departments in the university. These two points will be explored as future goals for the department.

1.a.2 Scholarship Support for UndergraduatesWhile the department offers a number of undergraduate awards, none currently offer monetary prizes. The first AAS scholarship fund was initiated in 2011. That year, a GSU alumnus from the College of Business pledged $5000 that year to create the Lucille Adams Scholarship in African American Studies. Currently the Hicks fund has over $20,925.70 in its account towards the goal of $25,000 of the establishment of the scholarship.

1.a.3 Student Success and Satisfaction 1.a.3.1 Learning Outcomes The department collects assessment data annually to evaluate students’ learning in one core course (Introduction to African American Studies) and two upper-level required courses (Concepts and Theories and Research Methods). Departmental undergraduate assessment instruments are designed to gather faculty assessments of students’ critical thinking skills. Student learning outcomes are generally measured through CTW courses taught in the department. Overall, faculty judge how well students are able to identify, analyze, and suggest solutions to pressing social problems and analyze contemporary multicultural, global, or international questions. Specifically, students are evaluated on their ability to clearly communicate utilizing appropriate writing conventions and formats; analyze and interpret social and behavioral work, and their ability to use the results of their analyses to formulate new research questions and/or to extend analyses in new directions (acquisition).

Overall, the Department of African American Studies (AAS) has been very successful in meeting its student learning outcomes. Over the 39 data collection events (i.e. student learning

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outcomes by course and year) we have met or exceeded our benchmarks 36 times (92%). Because of the assessment process faculty were able to isolate areas (i.e., analysis, communication, or acquisition) that were challenging to students and make targeted revisions in the either the educational program or assessment process. For example, 2009-2010 in AAS 3975 Theories and Concepts the instructor observed that students understood AAS theories and concepts, but struggled to apply these theories to their own research (Acquisition). The following year, two student-learning outcomes were added to the course to improve student performance on the acquisition outcome: 1) Integrate theoretical operationalization into research problem formulation; and 2) Produce a scholarly presentation or writing sample. The rationale was to help students develop their own scholarly voice and not just merely understand existing theories, but rather apply them and create new knowledge. Subsequent assessments have shown that student performance on ‘acquisition’ has increased in subsequent years from 58% met in 2009-2010 to 98% met in 2010-2011 and 100% met in 2011-2012. Post-hoc analysis revealed that proficiency on this outcome increased among students who expressed an interest pursuing doctoral degrees. An unanticipated outcome of the two additional student learning outcomes’ is an increase in undergraduate presentations at professional conferences as well as an increase in graduate school admissions among AAS undergraduate majors.

1.a.3.2 Recruitment of majorsAs stated earlier, a majority of African American Studies majors are recruited to the discipline after being exposed to an introductory level course in the core curriculum or after taking an upper-level elective.

1.a.3.3 Retention rates and graduation ratesDuring the time period under consideration, 6-year graduation rates among African American Studies majors was 100% for every year with the exception of 2005, in which case one student dropped from the program (see Appendix 2, table 6a). Our faculty to student ratio may be an important factor in our ability to retain and graduate students. Our undergraduate student to faculty ratio is 5:1 this is relatively low compared to our peer institutions (see Appendix 1, table 1). The University of Louisville is the most similar to our department on this measure, with 13 faculty and 53 majors and a student-faculty ratio of 4.16:1. Ohio State University is has the largest undergraduate program among our peer programs and has a slightly higher student-faculty ratio at 6.66:1. The Africana Studies department at Temple University has more students than 7.6:1. With our low faculty ratio, we are able to consistently produce high quality undergraduate educational experiences, driven by student-centered teaching.

1.a.3.4 Placement ratesAccording to Alumni Surveys, 77% of our graduates were employed after graduation with 15% pursing graduate degrees. The percentage of undergraduate students pursuing graduate degrees represents a significant drop from the previous self-study report (28%).

1.a.3.5 Race and gender diversityThe overwhelming majority of AAS students are African-American (92%). A small minority of AAS majors are white students (5%) followed closely by Multi-racial (3%). There is only one white female among our recent graduates. Fifty-five percent of our current undergraduate majors are female and 45% male. Twenty-three percent of the recent graduates of our undergraduate program are male and 77% female.

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1.a.3.6 Level of financial needA significant majority (65%) of African American Studies majors are Pell Eligible (see Appendix 2, Table 5). This average is substantially higher than the university average at 52%. It is also important to note that a third (31%) of African American Studies students are first generation, which is also slightly higher than the university average at 27%.

1.a.3.7 Student SurveysAccording to the undergraduate survey conducted by the Office of Institutional Research (see Appendix 1), our undergraduate majors generally feel they are learning a great deal in African American Studies courses, gaining valuable analytical skills that they feel will enhance their future opportunities, and make them informed citizens. One-hundred percent of students “strongly agree” with the statement that “The program is preparing me for my future career or educational goals.” Students were asked to assess how being an African American Studies major contributed to their ability to “analyze[e] problems from various points of view”; 75% strongly agreed that African American Studies made a “significant contribution.” Seventy-five percent agreed that the African American Studies major program made a “significant contribution” to their ability to “integrate[e] new information with past knowledge and to their capacity to “understand ethical standards.” Eighty-seven percent of majors agreed that: “In general, faculty in the department motivate me to do my best.” Seventy-five percent agreed with the statement: “My program of study is academically challenging.” One-hundred percent agreed with the statement: “Overall, instructors in the department stress high quality work from students.” A majority of the student agreed that the African American Studies undergraduate program “is preparing me for my career or future educational goals.” Current students and alumni made no recommendations for program improvement.

1.a.3.8 Syllabi, degree requirements, advisement procedures Faculty members operate with a great deal of autonomy regarding course material; as a result, course syllabi vary. However, faculty members are expected to incorporate certain common items into each syllabus, including course objectives, attendance policies, make-up policies, grading criteria, information on disability services, and information on the university’s policy on academic dishonesty. Our core curriculum is comparable to our peer institutions and consistent with best practices within the discipline. The National Council on Black Studies (NCBS) Curriculum Committee offered 3 recommendations for a model African American Studies curriculum in 2010. We comply with all of these, such as providing interdisciplinary opportunities and out-of-classroom learning experiences; providing theoretical frameworks and teaching students how to apply them to real-life situations; encouraging critical thinking and theoretical analysis of current domestic and global issues; conducting assessments of student learning; and providing students with effective departmental advising.

The NCBS recommends a two-tiered structure of courses with each tier functioning as a pre-requisite (http://www.ncbsonline.org/black_africana_studies_model_core_curriculum) for the ones that follow it. The NCBS also recommends a “capstone” course, which we also offer. African American Studies majors must take eighteen (18) credit hours of lower-level courses (prerequisites) deemed appropriate to the major field (Area G) and thirty-three (33) credit hours of upper-level major courses (Area G). Prerequisites include four introductory courses

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(Introduction to African American History (AAS 1140); Introduction to African American Studies (AAS 2010); Survey of Art III (AH 1850); and Introduction to Social Problems (SOCI 1160); one foreign language course (Lang 1002 – Elementary II; and one introductory course from the humanities (e.g., Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology or Women’s Studies). Upper-level courses for the major include fifteen (15) credit hours in African Diaspora (AAS 2130); Concepts and Theories (AAS 3975); Research Methods (AAS 3980); African-American Political Thought (AAS 4120); and Seminar and Practicum (AAS 4980). Additionally students must take one literature course; and three courses from one of two concentrations in the humanities or social and behavioral sciences (http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwaad/9348.html ).

Two of the upper-level major courses are Critical Thinking through Writing (CTW) courses (i.e., Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program), which is in keeping with the University’s Critical Thinking Through Writing (CTW) initiative. These courses focus on teaching critical thinking and writing skills, are limited to 25 students, and are taught by full-time faculty members. The CTW initiative mandates that all university departments must identify and develop two required courses in which a significant portion of the grade is determined by writing assignments. The African American Studies department selected Concept and Theories (AAS 3975) and Research Methods (AAS 3980) to fulfill the CTW requirement for our majors - a major course and a capstone course. African American Studies majors must earn at least a C in all major-related courses. Both courses have been completely developed and overseen by African American Studies faculty. During the review period several faculty in the African American Studies department participated in CTW training program to develop innovative writing assignments and appropriate student learning outcomes. The CTW initiative establishes the vital role played by the African American Studies department in furthering GSU’s Quality Enhancement Plan, a critical part of the University’s strategic emphasis on student success.

Our peer institutions have similar requirements for undergraduate majors: One to four introductory-level courses, theory, methods, and history courses and a handful of upper-level electives (typically five) (see Appendix 1). For instance, the University of Louisville requires three introductory level courses, theory, methods, history of discipline, and five electives – one of which must be a writing course and the second must be a capstone course. Consistent with our peers, we typically offer 20 different undergraduate courses each term. In comparison with African American Studies undergraduate programs at our peer institutions, we offer a comparable range of courses but a smaller range than Ohio State which typically offers 30 different undergraduate courses).

Since its inception, our department has had an in-house undergraduate advisor/ director. This position has been slightly modified with the university’s recently restructured advising program aimed at remedying high student-advisor ratios. As such, our department’s in-house Undergraduate Director now works collaboratively with the University Advisement Center to provide our majors with academic guidance, career advisement, and enrollment assistance. Our Undergraduate Director also meets with prospective new majors, students minoring in African American Studies and students planning African American Study coursework. In addition to advising duties, our Undergraduate Director attends regular college-wide meetings about undergraduate matriculation issues. The majority of our current African American Studies

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majors (75%) agree or strongly agree with the statement: “Faculty in the department of African American Studies are available to answer questions or discuss concerns about their program of study” (see Appendix #3). Beyond direct advisement of undergraduate students, our Undergraduate Advisor collaborates with the Director of Graduate Studies and Department Chair in developing course schedules, creating new courses, and implementing curricular changes.

1.a.3.8.b List of CoursesSee Appendix 3 for a full list of course offerings by fiscal year and course level. See Appendix #1 for a detailed account of our degree requirements compared to those of our peer departments. African-American Studies is model of interdisciplinary and interdepartmental collaboration. Over 87% of all African American Studies undergraduate courses are cross-listed with other departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Health and Health Sciences. The cross-listing feature in the African-American Studies curriculum enhances cross-fertilization between the Department of African-American Studies and other traditional departments, benefiting the students in each of the respective programs.

The Department of African-American Studies has also enhanced the multicultural course offerings of traditional departments and programs. In several instances, core faculty members in African-American Studies have borne the primary responsibility for staffing other departments’ courses that focus on people of African descent. For example, until 2012-13 both courses in the Religious Studies program that focus on people of African descent, “Religions of the African World” (AAS 4230/RELS 4230) and “African-American Religion”, were taught by core faculty African-American Studies faculty members during the past three years. A similar pattern also exists between the Department of African-American Studies and the Department of Anthropology. The Department also promoted interdisciplinary perspectives via its faculty affiliations with other academic units. Members of the African-American Studies Department serve as affiliate faculty to the Women’s Studies Institute, the World History faculty, the Institute of Public Health, the Alonzo Crim Center for Urban Excellence, as well as the professional education faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences. African-American Studies faculty members have also served on thesis and dissertation committees of students in other departments. The Department of African American Studies at GSU exhibits comparable curricular variety at the undergraduate level to our peer departments except Ohio State University, which offers four concentrations. Our undergraduate concentration requires common prerequisites in the core. At present our curriculum demands that all African American Studies majors complete one intermediate level course in a foreign language (3 hours total). As shown in Appendix 1, this requirement is not only below that of three peer departments, but the foreign language requirements at all three institutions are rooted in African languages such as Hausa, Yoruba, Swahili, Somali, and Zulu. Currently, no African language is offered as an option for students at GSU.

1.a.3.9 Contribution to the Core curriculumThe Department of African American Studies assumes a critical role in the University’s efforts to promote intercultural perspectives in the core curriculum. It offers two of the only three permanent undergraduate core multicultural courses: “Introduction to African and African –

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American History” (AAS 1140/HIST 1140) and “Introduction to African-American Studies” (AAS 2010). The Department also promotes intercultural perspectives via lecture series and the sponsorship of scholarly conferences.

1.a.4 Signature experiences We offer students multiple opportunities that qualify as signature experiences, including participation in research projects, service learning, and study abroad. Learning outside of the classroom allows students to conduct original research, preparation for professional life, and reinforces social responsibility. Jonathan Gayles, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Learning and Associate Professor in African American Studies, considers signature experiences an example of “best practices” for instruction at the undergraduate level. Gayles modeled this practice as an instructor resulting in several of his students having presented their research at the Undergraduate Research Conference at GSU. AAS has also had undergraduate students participate in signature experiences through civic engagement with local community service and social justice organizations.

We have had students work with the Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society (SICARS). SICARS is the advocacy organization of Gullah/ Geechee residents and descendants of enslaved Africans on Sapelo Island. AAS students have volunteered with SICARS on land retention issues, community and economic development, and historic preservation. Students have also volunteered to support SICARS annual fundraiser, the Sapelo Culture Day. Students enrolled in AAS 3450 (History of African-Americans in Georgia) are recruited to participate in Culture Day as volunteers. AAS majors through their student organization, Sankofa Society, have organized over 150 students to attend Sapelo Culture Day in to examine the African cultural continuities among the Gullah/ Geechee population.

1.a.4.2 Urban service learning programSince its inception AAS has required students to participate in service learning in the metropolitan Atlanta community. Between 2009 and 2014 students performed a significant amount of service learning hours logging in 14,421 hours at over 204 organizations. Students are required to perform 15 hours of service learning in the majority of our AAS 2010 (Introduction to African-American Studies) sections. Majors are also required to enroll in a seminar and practicum course in which they provide 40 hours of service learning while also applying research methods. In spring 2012, we initiated a pilot service learning program to give our majors the opportunity to have a more in-depth experience. We created a special topics course on service learning in the African-American community where 12 students provided a total of 421 hours at a community service or social justice organization. We have developed a service learning course that is open to both majors and the general GSU student body. This proposal has been submitted to the College’s Curriculum Committee.

Our students also have the opportunity to engage in paid internships with several social justice-oriented agencies in metropolitan Atlanta, including the Davis Bozeman Law firm, Forever Family, and A Healing Paradigm. Respectively, these organizations provide legal advocacy, support services to families with incarcerated parents, and mental health services to the most marginalized groups in the African American community.

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1.a.4.4 Study abroadBetween 2010 and 2014, 33 African American Studies majors participated in a study abroad program– to West Africa. In 2004, AAS faculty directed a group of 20 students to Ghana. The program of study was entitled “Nkonsonkonson: West African Cultural Continuities”. Participants visited numerous historical sites, monuments, and museums, and participated in experiential learning within a variety of community contexts, including meetings with community and student leaders, and volunteer work with social service agencies. Classroom instruction focused on the history, religion, music, and literature, with classes taught Ghanaian scholars.

In 2013, students participated in the study abroad program to South Africa led by Makungu Akinyela, Associate professor in African American Studies. The course was entitled, “South Africa: Race, Class and Gender Post-Apartheid.” Students spent 2 weeks in South Africa visiting the cities of Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. In an effort to connect scholarly research to community initiatives, students attended the University of South Africa (UNISA), University of Johannesburg and the University of KwaZulu-Natal for lectures, group outings and historical context seminars. The contacts at the universities facilitated meetings and outings with human rights groups advocating for women’s empowerment initiatives (Sikhulu Sonke Trade Union), housing and land rights (Shack Dwellers’ Movement) and justice for the imprisoned (Phoenix Zululand).  Tours of the Apartheid Museum, the Hector Pieterson Memorial, the monument of the 1994 Constitution, Robben Island, Soweto and Pretoria provided historical framework for the centuries of racial segregation and structural oppression.  Cultural backdrops were enjoyed in visits to LeSedi Village, which highlighted the various ethnicities’ traditions, rituals, architecture and cuisine throughout northern, southern and eastern South Africa, and to a safari game reserve, which provided an day to appreciate the landscape and the beauty of South Africa’s “big 5” wild animals complete with a mountaintop, sunset dinner, al fresco.  Ample free time allowed the students to shop in the local markets, visit the beaches of Durban, explore Indian and South African cuisine and sight-see off the beaten track. 

Currently, AAS faculty are pursuing proposals for international exchanges and study abroad in Barbados, Cuba, and Brazil.

1.a.6 Undergraduate programs within GSU context1.a.6.1 Programs undertaken jointly with other units at GSU, document a significant list of cross-listed courses. During fiscal years 2011-2014, we offered 82 sections of these courses with 3,287 undergraduate students enrolling in them. We offered 123 sections of upper division courses during this time period to 4,021 students. 87% of our undergraduate courses were cross-listed with other departments and colleges (including Anthropology; Criminal Justice; English; Gerontology; Journalism; History; Music; Political Science; Psychology; Religion; Sociology; Theater, and Women’s Sexuality, and Gender Studies). See Appendix #3 for course listings and enrollments. Any curricular overlap that we have would be with these units and it is not currently substantial.

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1.b. GRADUATE EDUCATION Our department offers the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree with two concentrations: Community Empowerment and Cultural Aesthetics. Full-time students typically complete their degree in two years. The Masters of Arts (MA) program in African-American Studies admitted its first class of four (4) students fall 2008. Since that time 43 students have been admitted to the program. African American Studies admits on average nine (9) students each year. Approximately 30% of the students admitted to the program were GSU alumni. Nineteen percent of the GSU alumni were graduates of our undergraduate program. Five students (nearly 12%) were admitted from Atlanta University Center institutions (Clark Atlanta University, Spelman and Morehouse) and 3 (nearly 7%) from Agnes Scott. Over 30% of the students admitted to the MA program were from out of state from institutions such as University of Kansas, Arizona State University, Howard University, the University of Kentucky, California State University, Northridge, Temple University, and the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. Of the students admitted to the MA program between 2008 and 2011, 69% graduated within two year. Forty-seven percent (47%) of the program graduates have been admitted to PhD. Programs, at U.C. Berkeley, Northwestern, and several students continuing their doctoral education at GSU in a variety of disciplines including Sociology, History, and Education.

1.b.1 Quality of Graduate Students The average GRE scores of students who applied to our program between 2010 and 2013 was in the 38 percentile on verbal and the 13th percentile on quantitative. The average GRE scores of students admitted into the program was higher on both verbal and quantitative at the 50th and 17th

percentiles respectively. It should be noted that the GRE examination changed its scoring in 2011. The GRE examination is but one indicator of student quality that our department uses to assess graduate student applications. Other measures include: GPA (within major), a writing sample, personal statement, community service, and letters of recommendation.

Our masters program is in alignment with Goal 2 of the University Strategic Plan: “Significantly strengthen and grow the base of distinctive graduate and professional programs that assure development of the next generation of researchers and societal leaders.” The master’s degree prepares students not only for further graduate study in the field but also for careers in research, teaching, and community service. Additional professionalization activities are built into the program. Students are encouraged to present their research at professional conferences, particularly the National Council of Black Studies (NCBS). The Graduate Director works with students to organize and submit panel presentations under the supervision of African American Studies faculty advisors. First year graduate students also participate in a Mock Review, which is a blind-review of students’ research proposals. Reviewers generally consist of African American Studies faculty and external reviewers. External reviewers have included researchers from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Researchers in GSU’s School of Public Health, Independent Education Consultants, and State Health Officials. These experiences are designed to prepare students for producing and disseminating innovative scholarship in the academy and the community.

1.b.2.1 Number of Graduate Students by year, degree, and concentrationAs shown in Table 1, an average of four students enrolled annually in the graduate program between 2010 and 2013. Our total student enrollment rate between 2010 and 2013 was 27, the lowest average enrollment among our peer institutions. A total of 58 students applied to our

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program between 2010 and 2013, an average of 14.5 applications per year. On average, we accepted 68% of those who applied to our graduate program between fall 2010 and fall 2013. Of those we accepted, 70% actually enrolled in our program. Between 2010 and 2013, we accepted on average 66% of those who applied to the Community Empowerment concentration and 69% of those who applied to the Culture and Aesthetics concentration. We received the largest number of applications over this same time period to the Community Empowerment concentration (35) and a smaller number in the Culture and Aesthetics concentration (23). In summer 2012, we used student applications and follow-up telephone interviews to investigate student reasons for declining enrollment in our program. We observed that when students applied to multiple masters’ programs they were more likely to decline our offer. Follow-up telephone inquiries with students revealed that more competitive offers of financial assistance were typically the reason for their decision to decline enrollment in our program. This issue will be addressed in our goals section.

Currently, 21 students are actively matriculating through our graduate program. Enrollment rates among our peer institutions vary greatly. University of Louisville and Temple University report comparable enrollment rates at 34 (see Appendix 1). Ohio State University reports much smaller graduate student enrollment at 14. With that said, we estimate that ours is the fastest growing master’s program in the southeast. In Fall 2008, we admitted our first and smallest class with four graduate students. In Fall 2014, we accepted 20 applicants into our program, 12 of which enrolled into our program. We attribute this steady growth to our regional recruitment strategy that targets applicants living in the southeast. Specifically, we are actively building recruitment networks with local feeder schools and broadening our admissions policies to include students without undergraduate degrees in African American Studies.

1.b.2 Support for Graduate Students 1.b.2.2 Percentage of graduate students compared to the departmentOur graduate students make up 30% of all African American Studies students (combining graduate students and undergraduate majors). This estimate parallels Georgia State’s graduate/ undergraduate student ratio. The percent of our student body comprised of graduate students is also comparable to all but one of our peer institutions, Ohio State University. The percentage of students who are at the graduate level versus undergraduate status is largest at Ohio State University at 56%. The University of Louisville and Temple University are closest in graduate student enrollment at 39% and 36% respectively. Both have slightly higher number of undergraduate majors (roughly 55).

1.b.2.3 Graduate student financial support Our master’s program is largely unfunded, similar to our peer department at Temple University, but unlike our peer departments at the University of Louisville and Ohio State University. Since the beginning of the graduate program, African American Studies has received five (5) Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) from the Dean’s office. GRAs earn a tuition waiver and a stipend $5,200 for the year in exchange for 10 hours of work per week with an assigned faculty member. Another source of student funding is through the Writing across the Curriculum (WAC) initiative. WAC assistants earn a tuition waiver and $2,000 per semester. WACs are also assigned to work with a faculty member in a WAC approved course for eight (8) hours each week. WAC assistantships also vary from semester to semester depending on course offerings

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and the availability of funding through the WAC office. GRA and generally WAC funding is limited to two years.

As the graduate program has grown from four students to 21, we have had to increasingly rely on WAC assistantships to support graduate students. Since 2008, the department of African American Studies has taken money from our operating budget to make the WAC stipends comparable to that of the GRAs. The total amount used to date is $31800. The limited and fluctuating nature of WAC funding is one of the critical issues affecting the growth of the graduate program. During most of the self-study window, our funding levels lagged woefully behind our peer institutions (see Appendix 1, Table 1). Some of our students have been able to obtain slightly higher stipends through GRAs outside of our department. For example, four of our students were been able to secure GRAs outside of our department. Two GRAs were in the College of Education and two GRAs were in the School of Public Health on a faculty research grant. The GRAs outside of African American Studies paid $5,000 to $8,000 per semester- 2 to 3 times our annual GRAs.

In addition to GRAs and WACs, we offer a competitive summer internship for one graduate student: The Forever Family fellowship in Non-Profit Leadership. This fellowship is endowed by a GSU alumnus and offers one graduate student $2,000 in exchange for six-weeks of work at a summer camp for children and a community-based non-profit serving the African-American community.

When compared with graduate programs at our peer departments (see Appendix 1), the lack of competitive awards is glaring. The University of Louisville and Ohio State University, the larger of our peer departments offer more competitive financial packages than GSU. While Temple’s Africana Studies program is comparable in size to our own, it doesn’t offer any financial assistance to its master’s-level students. While African American Studies has been able to offer some type of funding to 99% of our graduate students, the stipends are very low and don’t provide a livable wage. As a result, a majority of our students work full or part-time jobs while matriculating through our program. The financial demands on our students may be having a negative effect on our graduation rates, such that some of our students are unable to keep up with the 2 to 3 year average time-to-degree. With little resources to recruit competitive students nationwide, our department made a strategic decision to collaborate with local and regional feeder schools to recruit promising scholars.

When compared with graduate programs at our peer departments (see Appendix 1), the lack of graduate student support is critical. Where we are able to guarantee $5,200 to only 5 students each year, our larger peer institutions (i.e., The University of Louisville and Ohio State University) fund larger groups of students at a reported rate of 95% and 92%, respectively. Additionally, the stipend offered by these two institutions is significantly higher at $12,000 and $15,300.

Finally, beyond its obvious impact on our students’ matriculation rates, our funding situation negatively impacts recruitment. If guaranteed budget funding were available in a timely fashion in the admissions cycle, the Director of Graduate Studies could offer funding packages no later than May. As it stands, we cannot offer the best applicants funding until mid-summer, when

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those applicants have already accepted offers elsewhere. In light of this funding situation, it is a testament to the growing reputation of the department that enrollment in our master’s program continues to increase. Nevertheless, the decreasing yield of admitted applicants in recent years suggests that the department cannot continue to grow either the quality or the quantity of its graduate students without significant improvements in funding.

1.b.2.4 Ratio of graduate students to Tenure Track FacultyBetween 2010 and 2013, we experienced relatively steady student to tenure track faculty ratio. This has had a direct impact on the ratio of graduate students to faculty (see Appendix 1, Table 4). In 2010, our ratio of graduate students to tenure track faculty was 2:3. The recent increase in the size of our graduate program has moved those ratios to increase to 2:1. Even at its lowest point in 2010, our student faculty ratio was smaller than all but one of our peer institutions (see Appendix 1). Louisville is 2.6:1, Temple University is 4.2:1, and Ohio State is the lowest at 1.2:1.

1.b.3: Student Success and Satisfaction1.b.3.1: Learning OutcomesGraduate student learning on logical reasoning, communication, and acquisition are measured via student performance on writing a research proposal, an assignment given in AAS 6010 Research Methods. The assignment requires that students demonstrate their ability to: 1) Develop a thesis argument based on a logical set of interrelated concepts; 2) Communicate ideas effectively through clearly written, well organized, and appropriately formatted scholarship; and 3) Demonstrate the ability acquire new knowledge and add to the body of knowledge in the field of African American Studies. Students consistently met learning outcomes on Logical Reasoning and Communication, they generally had difficulty explaining the significance of their research to the discipline of African American Studies. To improve student performance on goal 3, three revisions were made to the assignment in 2010: 1) The research proposal was reduced from 20 to 10 pages; 2) The Oral Presentation assignment was replaced by a Mock Review conducted by external reviewers; and 3) Merit and Impact criteria were added to the assignment and assessment criteria. These changes were designed to help students streamline their research and make the intrinsic value and benefit of their research a core feature. Each proposal goes through a blind review, where it is assessed by two external reviewers. Reviewers independently, then collectively, rate the assigned proposal on a scale of 1 to 9 where 1= exceptionally strong to 9 = Very few strengths and numerous major weaknesses. The outcome goal states that 75% of the students will score between 3 and 5. Since 2011, over 80% of the students have scored between 3 and 5 on the Mock Review and between 2 and 4 on the revised Final Research Proposal, thus ‘exceeding’ all student learning outcome goals.

1.b.3.2: Admission Requirements and Procedures, Advisement, and Recruitment RatesAdmission to our master’s program requires a B.A degree with at least a B average in the major or minor. All applicants must submit transcripts of all previous college-level work; GRE general test scores, a statement of purpose; three letters of recommendation; an 8-12 page critical writing sample, and a personal statement (for comparisons of admissions with peer departments, see Appendix 1). Admission decisions are made in the Spring Semester. Students enter our graduate programs once a year in Fall Semester. The Director of Graduate Studies is primarily responsible for advising all graduate students the first year of study; Thesis directors typically provide

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supervision during the final year of study. The number of applicants admitted to our program has grown significantly since its inception.

From 2010 to 2013, an average of 5.1 people applied to the graduate program per year; beginning in 2011, the department began receiving an average of 12 applications per year. In 2012, 18 students applied to the program, suggesting that the visibility and reputation of the department is growing steadily. The average acceptance rate of applicants is 62% with an enrollment rate of 76%. On average, 9 students per year enter our graduate programs. As addressed in 1.b.1.3, recruitment of the best applicants to our graduate programs is hindered by the lack competitive funding packages and slow budget approval. This issue will be addressed in the goals section.

1.b.4 Student Success and Satisfaction 1.b.4.2 Graduate Student Recruitment, admission requirements, procedures, and advisement Students receive advisement from a number of sources. The Graduate Director provides formal advisement on application procedures for prospective students and program requirements and progress for current students. This advising is done through meetings with students in groups, one-on-one meetings at students’ request, and through written annual evaluation letters. More informal advising centered on mentorship and professional development is provided by department faculty. Each incoming student is mentored by the Graduate Director their first year of the program until they select a faculty member to chair their thesis, and then their chair becomes their official faculty mentor. Finally, all incoming students participate in departmental orientation in the fall as well as thesis/professional development workshop in the spring. These meetings include faculty and graduate student alumni. These meetings are designed to: (1) address expectations of graduate school, (2) identify resources at Georgia State, (3) create informal networks of support, (4) detail professional development, and (5) suggest strategies for work-life balance in graduate school.

Reflective of the department’s goal of providing students with sound epistemological and methodological training, our students are required to take a total of 36 credit hours to fulfill the degree requirements. This includes 18 core credit hours, 12 concentration credit hours, and 6credit thesis hours. Core courses include: Concepts and Theories in African American Studies (AAS 6005), Proseminar in African-American Studies (AAS 6000), both quantitative (AAS 6010) and qualitative (AAS 6012) Research Methods, Black Feminist Thought (AAS 6007), and a global competency with either Africana Women and Social/ Political Change (AAS 6052) or African Social Movements (AAS 6050). Upon the completion of their coursework requirements, students must engage their concentration and prepare for conducting the thesis. These requirements are consistent with all four peer institutions.

1.b.4.3 Retention and Graduation Rates Since the inception of the master’s program we have graduated 21 students (see Appendix 2, Table 6b). This represents an average of 4 graduates per year. These numbers are comparable to Ohio State University, but smaller than some of our peer institutions – Temple University and University of Louisville and (see Appendix 1).

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For master’s cohorts graduating during the review period, the 2-year retention rates and graduation rates across all concentrations were as follows: Fall 2011: 55.0% retained, 50.0% graduated; and Fall 2012: 73.7% retained, 73.7% graduated. For each of these cohorts, more than half of students had completed their degrees within 2 years. As discussed in 1.b.1.1, the 2-year graduation rate for M.A. students more than doubled between Fall 2008 and Fall 2010.

1.b.4.4 Placement rates Our graduates have been very successful after graduating from our program. Over 70% percent of our graduates are employed in community-based organizations and 30% are pursuing doctoral degrees. This outcome supports the most often selected concentration by students ‘Community Empowerment, ’which is practice-based.

1.b.4.5 Race and gender diversity The majority of African American Studies graduate students identify as Black (99%) and female (75%).

1.b.4.6 Level of financial need As stated earlier, our program does not offer competitive financial aid packages. As a result, all of our students rely on financial aid or income from employment for support.

1.b.4.7 Student Surveys According to the graduate student survey administered by the Office of Institutional Research, our graduate students find our program to be rigorous (see Appendix 3). The vast majority of students agree that our program is academically challenging (96% agree) and that faculty expect high quality work from students (87% agree). They also largely agree that faculty are well prepared for the courses they teach and up-to-date in their fields of study (93% and 89% agree). On all of the questions regarding learning outcomes, students rate our department highly. However, only 59% of students report that our program makes a significant contribution to their educational achievements (59%). This weakness is mirrored in relatively low percentages of students’ reporting having sufficient research opportunities available (46% report that they do) and the department offering sufficient support for student conference presentations and publications (66% agree that we do). This finding is likely tied to the general negative student appraisal of the availability of graduate assistantships. Only 54% of students rate our availability of assistantships positively and only 34% agree or strongly agree that they have adequate financial resources to complete their degree. We address the adequacy of graduate funding in Goal #1

1.b.4.8 Student Publications and Presentations Students in the graduate program regularly present their research at professional and academic conferences. Student have presented at conferences ranging from African American Studies, humanities, history, film and media, popular culture, prison reform, and gender studies. These conferences have included both domestic and international locations, including Canada, the UK, London, and Spain. Two students have published articles in peer-reviewed journals based on the research they conducted in our program (i.e., Town and Gown and The Journal of Black Studies). Finally, each year our students have received honors for their academic excellence from

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the department of African American Studies, the University, and the conference of our professional affiliation – the National Council of Black Studies (NCBS).

1.b.4.10 Student outcome after graduationGiven the number of MAs which we grant and the increasingly competitive academic job market for recent graduates, we are pleased to report on the success of our students in obtaining employment. Of the 21 students who have graduated with a master’s degree during the review period, 7 (33%) have thus far have been accepted into doctoral programs and the remainder are currently employed in various administrative and community based jobs. The doctoral programs our graduate students have been accepted into include UC Berkeley, Northwestern University, Emory University, and Georgia State University.

1.b.5 Graduate Program within the GSU Context Appendix 3 lists the courses we have cross-listed with other departments. Our courses are often cross-listed with the Gerontology Institute and the Institute for Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. There are no other programs with which we have substantial overlap or redundancy.

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1.C: RESEARCH 1.c.1.2: Levels of external and internal fundingSince the last self-study, several African American Studies faculty members have spearheaded or collaborated with other GSU faculty on 16 grants, totaling $1,537,338.00. These grants span research on program leadership (Jones: $237,000); K-12 educator professional development and Haitian solidarity (Umoja: $340,000); HIV transmission/service delivery among low-income residents in metropolitan Atlanta, formerly incarcerated prisoners, and Black church HIV service delivery (Davis: $640,000); Housing and Urban Development (Dixon: $141,328); International empowerment among women, teacher education, and mentoring (Presley: $179,000). Grant sources include the Ford Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Council of Black Studies/ National Black United Federated Charities, the Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society, Inc., the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Institutes of Health, the University of Florida, Georgia State University, and the University of Georgia. It should be noted that most of these grants were collaborative efforts with the principal investigator residing in another academic unit at GSU. As a result, the lion’s sharing of the funding remained with the principal investigator’s unit.

Our department was authorized to hire a scholar in the area of Race and Health Disparities to start in the 2014-2015 academic year. One of the reasons for hiring faculty in this area is to strengthen the department’s potential for attracting sponsored research. One of the department’s priorities is to increase sponsored funding of the research of our faculty. This hire was consistent with the GSU Strategic Plan, specifically Goals 3 and 4. Goal 3 is becoming “a leading public research university addressing the most challenging issues of the 21st century,” which includes increasing the University’s competiveness in the award of federal research funds…” Goal 4 is for GSU to become “a leader in understanding the complex challenges of cities and developing effective solutions.” The disparity of life expectancy of African-Americans and other people of color in urban area has been noted as a significant problem of U.S. cities. Our plan is this hire will strengthen our faculty’s research profile and combined with the research of our faculty position us to contribute significantly to the University Strategic Plan in these areas.

1.c.1.4: Research productivity that furthers the strategic goals of the universityThe following summary includes scholarly books, publications in refereed journals, creative projects (documentaries), as well as conference presentations where proposals were accepted through a refereed system.

Since the last self-study, African American Studies faculty members have presented at 177 domestic and 10 international conferences, published 5 books, 62 articles in refereed journals, 9 book reviews, 12 book chapters, and 2 film documentaries. Faculty has also participated in 30 community conferences and numerous radio shows. For example, Akinyele Umoja was a guest on 10 radio shows between 2010 and 2014. African American Studies faculty members have also published books with NYU Press, Edinburgh University Press, and Black Classic Press. Our journal articles and reviews have appeared in such diverse venues as The Caribbean Writer, The Journal of Black Studies, the Journal of Pan African Studies, The Black Scholar, the Journal of Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation the Journal of Social Work Education, Journal of Popular Culture, Souls: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture, and Society, Palimpsest: A Journal on Women, Gender, and the Black International, and the Journal of Popular Culture.

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Our research and scholarship will serve to strengthen initiatives of a local, regional, national, and global nature. Sarita Davis has collaborated with researchers in GSUs School of Public Health on HIV grants focusing on prisoner re-entry, the Black Church and HIV service delivery, and low-income Black women’s HIV risk. The research of Patricia Dixon (African-American Relationships), Makungu Akinyela (African-American Family), and Jonathan Gayles (African-American Masculinity), Maurice Hobson (Urban History) and Umoja (Social Movements) is compatible with colleagues in Sociology, Psychology, History, Social Work, Public Health, and in the Colleges of Education and Policy Studies. However, AAS faculty must strengthen relationships with other units on our campus to collaborate on securing external funding dedicated to the study of “societal issues”. Faculty’s scholarship is supportive of Goal 3, Initiative 2: Interdisciplinary Research that addresses societal problems. Given the strengths of our faculty in Public Health, Health Disparities, and Mental Health of Africans and African descendants domestically and globally, our faculty believes the development of a Health and Human Development concentration would enhance the options offered in undergraduate program.

Two of our faculty members’ research focus is international. Dr. Cora Presley is an expert in African social movements and Women in Africa. Dr. Lia Bascomb works on Cultural Representation in the African Diaspora with a focus on the Caribbean. Dr. Makungu Akinyela – a trained therapist, has conducted narrative therapy workshops in several countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, and South Africa. Additionally a new faculty hire whose research focuses on Health Disparities in African Diaspora, with an emphasis on Gender. The scholarship of these faculty support GSUs Goal 5, Initiative 4: Enhance the global competency of students, faculty, and staff. The increase global orientation also supports need for the department to have a name reflective of its international linkages.

1.c.1.6: Faculty Development, including the number of faculty promoted and/or tenured, the number and ratio of faculty at all ranks, average time in rank, and the recruiting and hiring history

Several faculty members were promoted during the review period: Four faculty members were promoted from the rank of Assistant to Associate Professors. One faculty member was promoted from Associate to Full Professor, but left GSU for another institution. AAS averaged eight tenure track members during the period (five tenured Associate Professors and three tenure track Assistant Professors). Three Assistant Professors were hired consecutively, and began work Fall 2012, 2013, and 2014.

1.c.2.1: Faculty participation in research centers and clusters at the Georgia State University

Dr. Akinyele Umoja is a Faculty Affiliate with the Center for Human Rights and Democracy, Neighborhood and Metropolitan Studies, and the Alonzo Crim Center for Urban Excellence and Dr. Sarita Davis is Affiliate Faculty in the Partnership for Urban Health Research in the School of Public Health.

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1.c.2.3: Evidence of Inter-disciplinary Research

Dr. Davis has served as investigator and co-principle investigator on two NIH research grants with Public Health faculty and produced publications that were products of the sponsored research. Her expertise in qualitative research methods and culturally competent inquiry played a significant role in the interdisciplinary research.

1.c.2.4: Significant Professional Service

Akinyele Umoja has served as Board member of National Council of Black Studies (NCBS) since 2012 and is the chair of the NCBS Civic Engagement committee, which supports Africana Studies departments’ community service projects. Umoja also serves on the editorial board of the historic journal The Black Scholar. He also serves as the Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) of the Centennial Convention of the Association of African-American Life and History (ASALH). Dr. Maurice Hobson is the Secretary of the LAC of the ASALH centennial gathering.

1.c.3.2: External awards, honors, prizes, and fellowships

Six African American Studies faculty members have received a total of 16 awards for their scholarship and service since the last self-study. These awards recognize faculty contributions in the areas of history, leadership, community service, film-making, and the field of Africana Studies.

1.c.4: Department Infrastructure for Supporting Research

1.c.4.1: Department Level Research and Travel GrantsThe department offers does not offer research funds for faculty, however all tenure track faculty are allotted $1200 for professional development.

1.c.4.2: Grant Support: Writing, AdministrationSupport for grant writing in the department consists primarily of informal discussion among faculty members. In surveys several faculty members note that the department does not offer adequate support, time or resources for scholarly research. Recently, the college and university have provided grant-writing resources to faculty.

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1.d: CONTRIBUTION TO CITIES

Our commitment to Goal 4 of the University Strategic Plan is evident in our prominent role in community-based Service Learning. Since its inception AAS has required undergraduate students to participate in service learning in the metropolitan Atlanta community. Students are required to perform 15 hours of service learning in the majority of our AAS 2010 (Introduction to African-American Studies) sections. In Spring 2014, AAS received the Carl V. Patton President’s Award for Community Service and Social Justice, outstanding work under its service learning initiative. Students are also required to do 40 hours of service with a non-profit organization in AAS 4980 (Seminar and Practicum in African-American Studies). We also initiated a pilot in Spring Semester 2012 to give our majors the opportunity to have a signature experience for a semester working with a community-based institution. We created a special topics course on service learning in the African-American community where students provide on average 40 hours each for a total of 421 hours working with a community service or social justice organization. We have submitted a proposal to make this course a permanent part of our curriculum.

Another contribution to CITIES is found in our collaborative research on HIV with the School of Public Health. HIV rates in metropolitan Atlanta are among the highest in the state. Dr. Sarita Davis’ research on HIV among low-income African American women in urban areas in the southeast has implications for understanding how social determinants of health affect patterns of exposure and potential areas of prevention education.

1.d.2: Contributions of the Arts and MediaDr. Jonathan Gayles documentary “White Scripts and Black Supermen: Black Masculinities in Comic Books” was the initial project in our Department in the arena of arts and media. Dr. Gayles has produced and directed another project, “The E Word”, on the Ebonics debate in the Oakland public school system. These projects also create new space and possibilities for professional development for our faculty.

1.d.2.1: Speakers’ seriesThe following academic presentations have been sponsored by the Department of African-American Studies:

1. Muhammad Ahmad, Assistant Professor of African-American Studies, Temple University, “From Malcolm X to the Occupy Movement,” October 2011.

2. G.N. Saibaba, Professor of Literature, Ram Lal Anand College, University of Delhi, “International Social Movements in Historical Perspective: History of the Dalit Social Movement in India and the Diaspora, June 2012

3. Jeffrey Ogbar, Professor of History, University of Connecticut, “African-American Youth and Student Activism in the Golden Age of Hip Hop” November 2012

4. Dr. Deborah Gray-White, Professor of History, Rutgers University, “Lost in the U.S.A.: Race, Gender, Class, and Sexuality in the New Millennium,” April 2013

5. Jonathan Gayles, Associate Professor of African-American Studies, Georgia State University, “From Gus to Obama: Popular Consumption of the Black Male Body, February 2014.

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6. Tiffany King, Assistant Professor of Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies, Georgia State University, “A Funny Little Negro’s Uprising: Remember the 1968 Rebellion and Occupation of Wilmington, Delaware.” February 2014.

7. Lia Bascomb, Assistant Professor of African-American Studies, Georgia State University, “Dimba dia Kongo: Dance, Diaspora, and Healing Movement.” February 2014

8. Maurice Hobson, Assistant Professor of African-American Studies, Georgia State University, “The Mythical Making of the Black Mecca: De-Mystifying Atlanta’s Rise to Olympic City.” February 2014.

9. Leon Dash, “Immersion Journalism and the Growing American Underclass,” Professor of Journalism, University of Illinois, April 2014

10. Jakobi Williams, Associate Professor of African-American Studies, Indiana University, “Fred Hampton, the Black Panther Party, and the Rainbow Coalition in Chicago,” April 2014.

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1.e: GLOBALIZING THE UNIVERSITY1.e.3.1: Faculty International Exchanges Dr. Cora Presley spearheaded two international faculty exchanges.  One was a faculty member from the University of Mauritania.  The second was a teacher from an African University who was working on his Ph. D. He is now at the University of Jos, in Nigeria.  The Mauritanian scholar is now part of the administration of the President of Mauritania. 1.e.3.2: International ForumsOur faculty’s research has been represented at a variety of international forum. An internationally renowned therapist, Dr. Makungu Akinyela, gave keynote addresses at the following international conferences: "Cultural Democracy and Narrative Therapy", International Narrative Therapy and Community Work Conference: Salvador Bahia, Brazil, July 2011; “African History and Mental Health” Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada, February 28, 2008; Ontario College Counselors and the College Committee on Disabilities Annual Conference. Humber College, Toronto, Canada. May 2006; “Rescuing and Reconstructing Our Lives”. Therapeutic Conversations 7 Conference; YaleTown Family Therapy, Vancouver, BC May 2006; “Generations of Resistance”; Annual Conference of the South African Association of Marital and Family Therapy, May 17, 2004. Durban, South Africa. Akinyela also made presentations at international venues including: “Healing and Political Trauma”, Culture and Mental Health: Emerging Tendencies in Psychotherapy and Social Programs.  Havana, Cuba, February 2, 2009; “Once He’s There: African American Men in Couple Therapy”, Therapeutic Conversations 8 Conference.  Toronto, Canada, May 2007; “Building Intentional Communities”; Narrative Cuba Conference; International Conference sponsored by the International Association of Social Workers, Havana Cuba, Jan17 – 19, 2007. Finally, Professor Akinyela conducted workshops at the following international workshops: “Once he’s there: African American men in couple therapy,” Therapeutic Conversations 7 Conference; YaleTown Family Therapy, Vancouver, BC May 2006; “Working with Minority Families” with Camille Hannays-King, MSW; and American Counseling Association and Canadian Counseling Association Convention, Montreal, Canada, March 30, 2006. 

Dr. Jonathan Gayles film White Scripts and Black Supermen: Black Masculinities in Comic Books screened in several international venues. Gayles’ inaugural film project screened at the following international settings; Screening and Discussion, United States Embassy to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean (2013); University of the West Indies (2013); Science Fiction and Fantasy International Conference / Colóquio Internacional sobre Ficção Científica e Fantasia, The University of Lisbon Centre for English Studies (Portugal) (2012); Third International Comics Conference, Bournemouth University, London (2012); Lagos Comic Convention, Nigeria (2012).

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1.e.3.4: Programs Co-ordinated with the University’s International InitiativesThe research of our faculty contributes to the global research of the University. Dr. Cora Presley is an expert on African social movements and Women in Africa. Dr. Lia Bascomb examines popular culture in the Caribbean. A new hire, Dr. Jamae Morris explores Gender and Health Disparities in Africa and the Caribbean. Akinyele Umoja has published on African derived religion in Haiti. Our courses contribute to the global perspectives for undergraduate and graduate students. Our undergraduate majors and minors are required to take African Diaspora (AAS 3120). Other global undergraduate courses taught by our core faculty include Peoples and Cultures of Africa (AAS 3240), Religions of the African World (AAS 4230), Women in Africa (AAS 4772), African Rebellions (AAS 4774), and Representations of Africa in Hollywood (AAS 4776). A course on Gender and Health Disparities in the African Diaspora is being added. AAS core faculty also offered African Social Movements (AAS 6050) or Africana Women and Social and Political Change (AAS 6052) in our graduate program. Our Department offered and participated in Study Abroad to Ghana in 2004 and South Africa in 2012.

1.e.4: Enhancement of Global CompetencyMA students are required to take a course for increasing global competency. AAS graduate students are required to enroll and complete either African Social Movements (AAS 6050) or Africana Women and Social and Political Change (AAS 6052).

1.e.4.2: Number of Students Enrolled in Study Abroad ProgramsApproximately 32 students engaged in the study abroad programs sponsored by our unit during the review period. Ghana (20) and South Africa (12).

1.e.4.6: Contribution of Global/Multicultural Perspectives to Core CoursesIntroduction to African-American History (AAS 1140) and Introduction to African-American Studies (AAS 2010) both contribute to multicultural perspectives of the GSU Core Curriculum as options in the Social Science requirements (Area E).

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1.f: OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT

This academic program review illuminates the pivotal role played by the Department of African American Studies in the educational mission of the College of Arts and Sciences and the University as a whole.  We are actively committed, through our interdisciplinary research, dynamic teaching, and dedicated service, to the five goals of Georgia State University’s Strategic Plan and to initiatives that support the entire University community.  Our scholarly accomplishments have achieved growing recognition, reflecting innovative developments in our disciplines while contributing to GSU’s strategic focus on globalization and excellence in graduate and undergraduate pedagogy.  At a time when the relevancy of ethnic studies is questioned in the popular media, our graduate enrollment has grown steadily with relatively few resources and financial support for graduate students. We have accomplished all of this while consistently maintaining a pleasant work environment based on mutual support and respect despite severe budget limitations. Faculty members rated “Reasonable requirements for achieving tenure”, “Comfort expressing views in department meetings”, and “Compatibility between career and department goals” as some of the greatest advantages of working in the Department of African American Studies.  Awareness of this collegiality extends beyond the department to the faculty and students outside of our department as well as members of the community with whom we regularly engage through our community activism. Nevertheless there is a strong sentiment among our faculty that the department cannot continue to develop its key strengths without greater support from the College and the University and an increase in external funding. In quantitative survey results (see Appendix #2), faculty gave their lowest numerical ratings to “Adequate support and assistance are available to me to achieve tenure and promotion”, “Reasonable workload”, “Adequate support for securing funding for research” and “Adequate time for scholarly research”.  The biggest factor impacting resources for faculty can be linked to the severe shortage of resources for graduate student support.  With only five GRAs to assist faculty with their research, most faculty must rely on WAC assistants, who only provide writing assistance to students and not research support to faculty. The poor graduate funding and lack of adequate support for faculty affects both student mentorship and faculty productivity. The department is prioritizing seeking sponsored funding to support and enhance its research. The increase in sponsored funding will also increase the ability to increase support for graduate students. The goals outlined in Sections 3 and 4 of this report build on the department’s accomplishments while attempting to remedy, through intervention at the College and/or University level, the fundamental programmatic weaknesses associated with inadequate graduate student funding.

The department’s faculty has also discussed whether “African-American Studies” is an adequate designation to describe the scope and mission of our unit. Over the past forty-five years since it’s inception our academic discipline has been identified in numerous ways, from “Black,” to “Afro-American” to “African-American Studies.” These transitions in naming have reflected similar transitions in the self-naming and cultural identification of people of African descent in the United States as well as philosophical and scholarly perspectives on the discipline. In recent years as international connections with the African Diaspora have increased and as populations of African descendant students from around the world have arrived on US campuses the demand

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to broaden the perspective of the discipline from the arguably parochial American-centered “African-American Studies” to a name which reflects the fields intellectual and scholarly interests in the social, cultural, historical and psychological experiences of the peoples of the Diaspora including Africa, Europe, and the Americas. This recognition of the intellectual need to expand the field of knowledge to the wide range of the African world experience has come to be named Africana Studies. A growing number of departments in the field have adopted to name Africana Studies as the identity for their departments. Some of these include Harvard University, Ohio State University Georgetown University, Rutgers University, Brown University, The University of Pennsylvania, Bowling Green University, University of South Florida, California State University, Long Beach, Cornell University and others.  We believe that this growing trend in disciplinary identification is important in that it reflects the need to pay attention to the interests and academic needs of an increasingly diverse student population with a strong interest in international, cross-cultural scholarship. Our faculty agrees that Africana Studies more adequately describe our interdisciplinary field and aligns us with the direction of our research and instruction and Goal 5,of GSU’s Strategic Plan, achieving distinction in globalizing the University.

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SECTION 2: HOW ADEQUATE ARE YOUR DEPARTMENT’S RESOURCES?

2.a: Faculty Resources

2.a.1: Student/Faculty Ratio

As shown in Appendix 1 the ratio of undergraduate students to tenure-track faculty between FY 2011 and FY 2012 was 5:1.

2.a.2: Credit Hour Generation

As shown in Table 5, credit hour generation by the department has remained largely consistent over the review period, from 2,464 in FY 2010, to 2,522 in FY 2011, to 2,262 in FY 2012 and 2,340 in 2013. On average, the department has generated 2,397credit hours per year during the review period and a total of 9,588 credit hours.

2.b: Administrative Resources

The day-to-day functioning of the Department of African American Studies depends on the efforts of our two full-time staff members: Belinda Futrell (Business Manager) and Tiffany Bullock (Administrative Assistant).

The Action Plan from our 2004 APR report authorized a tenure-track faculty and a lecturer position to support the plans for growing the department, particularly with the addition of the M.A. program. Furthermore, there is evidence that we are currently understaffed relative to peer departments both inside and outside GSU.

Because departments categorize and list their employees differently, clear comparisons are difficult to make. Nonetheless, based on staff and faculty directories (and cross-referencing names to look for individuals with dual roles), we observe that, within the College of Arts and Sciences at GSU, The Institute for Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) has five core faculty members, four of which are tenure track positions and one is a senior lecturer. The WGSS also has several dozen affiliated faculty. It has one support staff member. These are faculty housed in other departments who are also committed to research and teaching related to women and gender. These affiliate faculty teach Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) core courses and courses cross-listed with their home departments. They also offer significant assistance with the governance of the WGSS and in working with students. They serve on WGSS committees and on WGSS students’ thesis committees. Dr. Cora Presley, a faculty member in African American Studies serves as an affiliate faculty in WGSS. The Department of Religious Studies at GSU is comparable in size to African American Studies with ten faculty members and three support staff. The distribution of faculty rank varies greatly from both from African American Studies and WGSS. Religious Studies has three full professors, one Associate Professor, four Assistant Professors, and two Lecturers. Among our peer departments at other institutions, the Department of African American Studies at Temple University has 8 full-time professors and lists one full-time staff. The Department of African American Studies at Ohio State lists 17 faculty members and a staff of 1. The Pan African Studies Department at the University of Louisville consists of 13 tenured/tenure-track faculty supported by 2 staff members.

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2.c: Technological Resources

The Department of African American Studies now has adequate computer availability for all full-time faculty, GRAs, and staff (approximately 15 desktops and 1 dedicated copy machine). While our resources are adequate for faculty, our department website has not been updated in three years due to delays at the university level. This occurrence has hampered our ability to advertise new faculty hires, promote department events, and update program changes.

2.d: Space Resources

All full-time faculty members have their own offices. Graduate student office space is less than ideal, with one office serving approximately 21 graduate students. Additionally, African American Studies does not have a conference room. The lack of meeting space affects our ability to conduct faculty meetings or convene small gatherings with students or community people. Our hope is that the planned move to Langdale Hall should alleviate many of these problems. We propose the new office space will feature improved security, window offices for all faculty and staff, and significantly higher-quality infrastructure--in line with what is called for in the Strategic Plan.

2.e: Laboratory Resources

Not applicable

2.f: GSU Foundation Resources and Other Gifts the Department has Received

Through the GSU Foundation, the department maintains the African American Studies Fund.

There has been a slight increase in giving to AAS in this period. This is a result of the work of the College Development Office and the AAS faculty.

Year 2010

Alumni Club 100.00

Alumni Club Scholarship 300.00

AAS 3045.00

Year 2011

Lucille Adams Scholarship 5025.00

Alumni Club 200.00

Alumni Club Scholarship 510.00

AAS 3740.00

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Year 2012

Lucille Adams Scholarship 5075.00

Alumni Club 00.00

Alumni Club Scholarship 640.00

AAS 4455.00

Year 2013

Lucille Adams Scholarship 7500.00

Alumni Club 200.00

Alumni Club Scholarship 640.00

AAS 4765.00

Year 2014

Lucille Adams Scholarship 4500.00

Alumni Club 25.00

Alumni Club Scholarship 335.00

AAS 5630.00

2.g: Library Resources

Because GSU’s Library resources have been declining for several years due to severe budget cuts, the African American Studies Department’s annual allotment for library acquisitions has also decreased. Still, the library has an excellent collection of social science and humanities databases, which has helped to offset the decline in serial subscriptions (journals, both print and electronic). The continuing expansion of large databases to which the library subscribes, like Project Muse, EBSCO, Literature Online Reference Edition, and JSTOR, has also helped to offset the library’s inability to acquire more print serials.

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3 WHERE DOES YOUR UNIT WANT TO GO?

Our list of proposed goals for the coming review cycle has been formulated in light of APR survey results and analysis of data gathered during the self-study process. The overarching aim of this list is to identify initiatives for quality enhancement that will maximize the department’s contribution to the University Strategic Plan. Our first goal is a “disruptive innovation” in that it depends on securing reallocated funds from the College; the remaining six goals are “sustaining innovations” in that they are revenue-neutral at the department level.

Goal 1: Increase funding for the graduate program.Our goal is to continue to grow the graduate program. The College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) expects increased enrollment in all graduate programs. While graduate enrollment has steadily increased, it has come at great expense to our departments operating budget (1.b.2.3). Using money from our operational budget to support our graduate students has severely affected our ability to function. We are requesting five additional Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) from the COAS. Given COAS’s mandate to increase enrollment, even despite uncompetitive funding (1.b.2.3), we believe that this initiative will enable us to recruit more students for graduate study while simultaneously supporting faculty productivity, thus enabling us to fulfill our commitment to Goals 2 and 3 of the Strategic Plan.

One of the department’s priorities is to increase its pursuit of sponsored research for our faculty. Dr. Jamae Morris, a researcher in Race, Gender, and Health Disparities in the African Diaspora, joined our faculty in Fall 2014. The research of Dr. Morris and Dr. Sarita Davis in the Health of African-American Women significantly increases our potential for sponsored funding, which would increase support for our graduate students.

Goal 2: Increase early recruitment of undergraduate students to the discipline.Our university has made significant thrust towards achieving this goal. Given our record of improving the academic success of African American Studies majors, we must recruit more AAS majors in the freshmen and sophomore year. The data demonstrates that the overwhelming majority of AAS majors select the major after their freshmen year (see 1.a.1). Data also demonstrates the composite SAT score of AAS majors is comparable to that of their counterparts in the University. At the same time, many of our majors are not successful in other disciplines and experience positive academic progress in African-American Studies.

Additionally, one-third of our undergraduate majors are first generation college students and over half (65%) are Pell eligible (1.a.3.6). Thus, our ability to identify these vulnerable students early on and offer them some strategic guidance and financial support (e.g., Book Award) should improve their academic performance and post-graduation success. This finding undergirds the necessity of recruiting and supporting students to the major earlier to improve the progression and graduation rates of our students to make a significant contribution to the overall goal. This initiative supports Goal 1 of the Strategic Plan.

Goal 3: Expand undergraduate student participation in Signature experiences. Given our record of improving the academic success of African American Studies majors we must recruit more AAS majors in the freshmen and sophomore year. Building on the

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distinguished performance of our Service Learning initiative, the department will develop a Service Learning course accompanied by field placement and faculty supervision (1.a.4.2).

Goal 4: Increase graduate students’ employability by providing practice-based experiences and learning opportunities.The department realizes that a larger percentage of our graduate students aspire to community service after graduation (1.b.2.1). We would enhance the applied learning experience by adding internships and field supervision to the Community Empowerment concentration. Providing them with practical learning experiences will increase their marketability after graduation. Our goal is thus to create a curriculum and experiential opportunities that increases their employability. This action speaks to a concern raised in an alumni survey: #1. The only major improvement is to provide better advisement and/or resources for students who are not continuing with their PhD after graduation. I would suggest assigning an instructor and/or department staff as an advisor who can aid graduates in searching for employment, programs, and/or fellowships after graduation. Just someone who can provide knowledge/help graduates with their career plans.

Goal 5: Change the name of the department to Africana Studies.Our goal is change the name of the department from African American Studies to Africana Studies to make the title more reflective of our mission statement and faculty’s global area of expertise (see 1.c.1.4). This recommendation was also supported by Alumni comments: “I believe the department would benefit from re-naming itself "AFRICANA STUDIES," which embraces not only the lived experiences and history of people whose birth and lives are grounded in the circumstances of the United States; the program should expand its focus and coursework offerings to the African Diaspora. Students whose histories and lived experiences emanate from other parts of the African Diaspora [Caribbean, Central America, South America, Canada, Europe, Asia], and those from the continent of Africa itself would be more inclined to enroll and to necessarily engage in discursive educational experiences awaiting a less myopic program. Living in the 21st century is much more a global intersection of histories and experiences which African descended populations have in common with non-African peoples.”The growing participation of our faculty in research focused on Africa and the African Diaspora and the global orientation of our curriculum supports this goal (1e). This name change is consistent with the direction of the discipline and will strengthen our ability to attract students with global interests, which supports Goal 5 of GSU’s Strategic Plan.

Goal 6: Establish criteria for evaluating creative worksThe discipline of African American Studies recognizes that written communication is not the only medium through which to disseminate research and the arts are vital part of the discipline. Both can be used to create works that make a substantial contribution to the field. As part of the development of the discipline of African American studies, the two tracks that are generally recognized are cultural-aesthetics and social-behavior. While our faculty have expressed interest in creative production and have written, directed and produced film which we think make substantial contributions to the field, neither GSU nor the department has established a way to evaluate these kinds of works as part of tenure and promotion. In light of the current global trend toward video and film as a way to produce and disseminate research and the fact that Atlanta is

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becoming a major hub for film production, GSU’s has incorporated the arts and media as an initiative under its Strategic Plan (Goal 4, Initiative 2), with a particular goal to stimulate growth in media production that crosses boundaries in the media and arts. To support faculty who have interest in these areas, our goal is to establish criteria to evaluate creative works in the process tenure and promotion.

Goal 7: Concentrations in the Undergraduate CurriculumOnly seven students choose the Pre-Education track concentration in this assessment cycle. The Department’s Curriculum Committee will evaluate the continued viability of the Education concentration. The Curriculum Committee will also prepare a proposal for a concentration in Health and Human Development. This proposal will build on the research strengths of the Department’s core faculty in Public Health, Health Disparities, and Mental Health. A concentration in Health/Human development would focus on the social determinants of health as they affect people of African descent, such as health, education, and socio-economic status. This action would support GSUs goal of understanding complex challenges of cities and developing effective solutions. This expansion is supported by Alumni comments:…[there] needs to be a greater emphasis in terms of required number of hours [10 - 15 credit hours] to accomplish the goals of "teaching" students how and where to learn practical application of such functions [e.g. at social advocacy organizations: NAACP, National Urban League, AFSC, ACLU; art museums: Nat'l Afro-American Museum of Art, & educational organizations in staff positions]. Student social workers, medical doctors, and nurses for example "learn practical applications" of the theories and histories of their professions by being required to engage in lengthy "student practicums.”This kind of curricular reform of the kind supports not only the undergraduate focus of Goal 1 of the Strategic Plan, but also Goal 3 (“Enhancing Georgia State’s contributions to the sciences, and contributions to health and medical education”).

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4 WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO OR CHANGE TO GET THERE?

Goal 1: Increase funding for the graduate program.

Additional Resources Required: At present, about 90% of our master’s students receive funding. Only five GRAs receive $5,200 per year plus a tuition waiver while the majority of our graduate students receive a WAC stipend at $2,000 per semester plus tuition waiver. The department has historically paid the difference in the stipends to make them comparable, thus exhausting our operating budget. In an effort to continue to grow our graduate program and provide faculty with student researchers who can assist them with their research, we would need to fund approximately five additional GRAs. We estimate that it will cost an additional $26,000 to accomplish this.

This goal also requires mentoring for faculty engaged in pursuit of sponsored funding. Faculty have engaged University, College, and NIH resources in the past after unsuccessful proposal and need direction on next steps on projects that have high potential to be funded.

Timeline for Implementation: Implementation will depend on availability of funds.

Goal 2: To increase the numbers of freshmen and sophomores choosing the AAS major we propose the following measures:

1) Video marketing success of alumni and a focus on potential careers with the AAS major. The current College of Arts and Sciences "Major Matters" promo emphasizes that you can learn about "your history and culture" with the AAS major, not what careers can be gained through Africana Studies. Marketing on YouTube and the department website as well social media should be employed to reach students earlier.

2) Develop promotional materials for Incept and Panther Preview recruitment days.

3) Outreach to targeted high schools and community colleges.

4) Offer Book Awards to first generation students with continuing support based on academic performance.

Contingent upon internal fund raising efforts and colleges’ award of five GRAs to the masters’ program, few to no new resources should be required to achieve these goals.

Timeline for Implementation: In year one, a GRA will be assigned to work with our undergraduate student organization, the Sankofa Society. The GRA will be charged with publicizing AAS events and recruiting students to the major. By the three-year point, we expect to see a significant increase in the number of freshman and sophomores declaring AAS

Goal 3: Expand undergraduate student participation in Signature experiences. To accomplish this reform, the department will create an ad hoc committee charged with creating the enhanced service learning experience as well as the health/human development

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concentration. This process will include writing catalogue descriptions, creating syllabi, and course descriptions. The department could also partner with existing programs like the School of Social Work, which already has field practicum experience.

In generating these new Signature Experiences, we will also consult with our majors and alumni about the types of technical, political, and community-based activities in which they are already engaged so as to increase GSU student involvement in, and garner institutional support for, these activities. To ensure the visibility of these programs, we plan to advertise the many courses and Signature Experiences we offer through a revamped and user-friendly website. GSU websites are migrating to a new platform (Wordpress) in the near future, and we will take this opportunity to redesign our webpages to make sure they are easily navigable and up-to-date.

Timeline for Implementation: We estimate that we can approve 4-6 new courses or course descriptions per year, so that we could convert those already regularly taught under other course headings within 3 years. Within 7 years, we anticipate that most of our majors will have been involved in one of the various Signature Experiences open to them in the AAS.

Goal 4: Increase graduate students’ employability by providing practice-based experiences and learning opportunities. This goal is very similar to Goal 3 but functions at the graduate-level. Consequently, the same ad hoc committee can be assigned to work on the aforementioned tasks. No additional funds are required for this task.

Timeline for Implementation: We estimate that we can approve 4-6 new courses or course descriptions per year, so that we could convert those already regularly taught under other course headings within 3 years. Within 7 years, we anticipate that most of our majors will have been involved in one of the various Signature Experiences open to them in the AAS.

Goal 5: Change the name of the department to Africana Studies.This goal requires that the department submit a name change request to the appropriate party. This process requires approval at several levels including the department, college, university and Board of Regents.

Timeline for Implementation: We estimate that we can submit the requisite paperwork by Spring 2015 and receive approval prior to fall 2015.

Goal 6: Establish criteria for evaluating creative works in AASThis goal requires that the department submit a proposal to the appropriate department.

Timeline for Implementation: The time frame for the department to do this is one year. The process requires review of the promotion and tenure guidelines and submission to the appropriate College and University committees.

Goal 7: Concentrations in the Undergraduate CurriculumThe Department’s Curriculum Committee will evaluate the viability of the Pre-Education track. The Curriculum Committee will also submit a proposal for a Health and Human Development concentration as an option for AAS majors.

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Timeline for Implementation: The evaluation of the Pre-Education track will be completed by Spring 2016. A proposal for a Health and Human Development concentration will be submitted to the appropriate College and University committees by Fall 2015.

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