VI.C. Information Technologies Used by Faculty in the Classroom

VII. Analysis of the Review Period

VII.A. What has Gone Well in the Program?

High quality research experiences are consistently available to students at several points throughout the program. Several are embedded in courses (for example, Animal Behavior [BIOL 465]), and others occur through research or independent studies courses (for example, research at CHCI [PRIM 320] or a field school in China [ANTH, BIOL 493, and PSY 498]). These offerings are stable, have cumulative databases spanning multiple years that are available for student research, and demonstrably result in publications and professional presentations for students and program faculty (see section IV.C). Program faculty view these productive research opportunities as a high point of the program, and these form the basis for our development of an MS proposal.

Starting fall quarter 2006, program faculty developed a charter which has been approved at college and university levels. The process of creating the charter helped us to clarify program goals, which was particularly important for our development of an assessment plan for the program.

Due to the program faculty’s recent success in securing grants, the program has state of the art equipment and technology available to the students and faculty (see section V.). The reading room archives articles, books, journals, and audiovisual materials specific to primatology. Challenges remain, however, in making these resources consistently available to the students.

The PBE program was initiated under the leadership of CWU anthropology professor Agustin Fuentes, with the first cohort of students in 1999. Dr. Fuentes left Central in 2002, which left a vacuum and temporarily undermined the stability of the program, particularly with respect to anthropology courses offered. His departure was followed by a one year replacement (Dr. Margie Clarke). Dr. Lori Sheeran was hired beginning in fall 2003, and the program has benefited from increased stability in personnel and course offerings. One or two respondents to the alumni survey comment on the challenges they faced being in the program during that time of transition among these three professors.

Through the National Institutes of Health Bridges to the Baccalaureate grant awarded to Drs. Jensvold and Sheeran, a recruitment plan has been developed, particularly targeting Yakima Valley Community College students. Dr. Jensvold visits YVCC at least once during fall and spring quarters and gives a PowerPoint presentation on the program in psychology, biology, and anthropology classes. Several students have enrolled in the program because of her campus visits. We plan to continue using these recruitment tools beyond the length of the grant. The Bridges to the Baccalaureate grant is intended to increase the numbers of minority students completing degrees in the sciences. It entailed the development of a plan to recruit, retain, and matriculate minority students, and its successful implementation will significantly increase the number of minority students majoring in Primate Behavior and Ecology. The development of a program brochure (included in the Appendix) and the posting of program information on Primate Info Net have helped to recruit students from states other than Washington.

The Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute has played a vital role in attracting students to the Primate Behavior and Ecology program, and the presence of the chimpanzees on campus provides an important husbandry and research opportunity along with consideration of equally vital ethical and philosophical issues related to primatological research. Unique teaching occurs at the Institute, that includes public outreach through Chimposiums, sessions for Central students, summer apprenticeships, Earthwatch volunteers (until recently), and undergraduate and graduate research. In 2007, program faculty Roger and Deborah Fouts were awarded a Spheres of Distinction grant which will enable us to hire a full-time, tenure-track professor to teach in the Primate Behavior and Ecology program, and to serve as Assistant Director of the Institute. This position will help to formalize the relationship between the Institute and the program and is important in building the infrastructure needed for the MS program currently being proposed. The search committee was formed at the end of fall quarter 2007, and the new person will start work at Central fall quarter 2008.

VII.B. What Challenges Remain?

Program faculty are in the process of developing an assessment plan for both the BS and the proposed MS programs. In November 2007, we had a retreat during which we selected an assessment model, with plans to begin collecting data in winter quarter 2008. Incorporating assessment will require some major adjustments in advising and additional time (for example, to conduct exit interviews). Continuity between directors in assessment plan is a concern, and 3 workloads release per year does not seem adequate for the director to oversee these changes. However, program faculty are undergoing review, developed an assessment plan, and proposed an MS degree all in the same year, so in future time invested might be less of an issue.

The biology department faculty have instituted curriculum changes that will impact on the Primate Behavior and Ecology curriculum. They have linked a 100-level chemistry series of three courses (CHEM 181, 182, 183) to the 100-level biology series of three courses (newly numbered BIOL 181, 182, 183) for majors. All six courses are prerequisites for General Ecology (BIOL 360). The three 100-level biology courses and the ecology course are in the Primate Behavior and Ecology core curriculum. The majority of program faculty were concerned about adding three chemistry classes to the program curriculum and the delays this might pose for our students. We eventually voted to make the following curriculum change:

• 
  PBE/BIOL students take CHEM 181, 182, 183; BIOL 181, 182, 183, 360
  
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  PBE/ANTH and PBE/PSY students take BIOL 101, 200, 201, and 302 (for ecology)
  

Some program faculty express frustration over the continuing challenge of offering research opportunities throughout the curriculum. There appears to be scarce recognition of our extracurricular efforts or administrative attempts to facilitate the development and maintenance of research sites. This perceived lack of interest has impacted on faculty morale in this program at least.