36 Review Team: What are the program’s strengths?
- The Psychology Program is a robust program with long-term, dedicated faculty. Current full-timers are well-qualified and accomplished, and appropriate care has been taken to hire qualified adjuncts. A search is underway for an additional full-time faculty member. The Program faculty have done a remarkable job adjusting to curricular and professional trends while also coping with barely sufficient resources.
- Program outcomes are clear and action oriented – individual courses are intentionally and effectively aligned to these program outcomes and GEM. The set of lower-division Psychology Electives is immersive transferable. The “Purpose” statement is succinct, but nicely illustrates that the Program recognizes the range of fields that could benefit from a sound foundation in psychology.
- The rate of success of NIC Psychology students at the bachelor’s level is nicely documented. The numbers look good (although state or national comparison numbers would have been helpful here).
- In the Review document, concern is about student communication and student-faculty community formation. To their credit, the Program has made improvement there a priority. Student community building is a common problem, possibly generational, but well worth attention. A positive sign is the number of students engaged in Directed Study sections. Faculty members also invite guests to classes and meetings to discuss various aspects of the discipline, e.g., career options. They expect to do more as human and other resources improve.
- The Program offers a range of delivery modalities to accommodate diverse student needs. Even though it is not known for being an online program. They feel well-equipped, and our student informant confirmed that. The student regretted the transition from mostly in-person to to mostly online courses (which started during the Covid lockdown) but understood the need.
- Our student informant was effusive in her comments about her experience at NIC. Student developed a strong relationship with one of the regular faculty at NIC, went on to successfully complete her B.S. at a major university, and has been admitted to a very good doctoral program. So strong are her positive feelings that has returned to NIC to guest lecture in NIC Psychology classes. She is very bright and capable, and her success story clearly shows what is possible for students in the Program.