Political Science Assessment Results

• Mission Statement

  Mission Statement:

  The WSU Political Science Department strives to embody and cultivate the habits and skills of clear thought, rigorous analysis, and effective argumentation in writing and speech. We examine politics at all levels: institutions, small groups, voters, social and political organizations, towns and cities, economic systems, countries, nations, transnational flows, and global environmental systems.

  Vision Statement:
  
  Political science as a discipline is uniquely equipped to the cultivation of knowledgeable and participatory members of their communities. When students complete our major or one of our minors they will be empowered to be agents of change in their communities, nations, and the world at large. We contribute to the college, university, region, and state by examining critical questions about power and public life from local, national, transnational, global, and comparative perspectives in partnership with students and members of the community. We do so to foster the capacities of engaged and critical community members who actively pursue questions and meanings of political community, and civic life.  We fully support Weber State University’s commitment to quality teaching (WSU mission statement), and consistently support that broader mission in transforming lives by meeting all students where they are, and challenging and guiding them to achieve their goals academically and in life.  We provide a safe and welcoming learning environment with experienced faculty where students are encouraged to think critically about the world and its problems and to interact intellectually with one another and their professors.
  
  Values:
  
  We are committed to undergraduate education and strive to maintain the highest intellectual standards, to stimulate political discussion from the abstract and theoretical to the immediately practical, and to encourage students to incorporate critical political viewpoints into their everyday lives and careers. 
   

• Student Learning Outcomes
  • Certificate (Not Applicable)

     

  • Associate Degree (Not Applicable)

     

  • Bachelor Degrees

    Values 
    Cultivating Civic Dispositions
    Understand and model civic dispositions conducive to democratic involvement. Specifically, we recommend attention to fostering the civic attitudes of political efficacy, empathy, civic duty, civic confidence, and civic reflection, and an inclination to engage in dialogue across difference.

    Skills
    Political science students will demonstrate an ability to

    1. Analyze political phenomena and critique arguments in a theoretically and empirically informed manner.
    2. Engage as global citizens through problem solving, collective action, and collaborative decision making.
    3. Identify, evaluate, properly use, and cite verifiable sources of evidence.
    4. Engage thoughtfully with competing values and perspectives.
    5. Use qualitative and quantitative methods effectively and appropriately.
    6. Communicate effectively in written and verbal modes to a variety of audiences.
        

    Content
    Political science students will be able to

    1. Understand and apply key concepts used to study political institutions, processes, and actors in a variety of settings.
    2. Understand and evaluate diverse theoretical and disciplinary approaches to the nature, ethical distribution, and uses of power.
    3. Understand, apply, and evaluate approaches and theories that address political phenomena.
    4. Understand the different ways individuals and groups engage in politics at the local, regional, national, and global levels, and evaluate the effectiveness and effects of different strategies of civic engagement.
        

   

• Curriculum Grid

  Update in Progress 
  We are currently transitioning to a different format. Please contact oie@weber.edu to request a copy of the current curriculum grid for this program.
  
  Our Political Science major allows for significant student choice across subfields and concentrations. As a result, there are relatively few courses that every major is guaranteed to take. Because of this curricular flexibility, the department relies on the senior capstone course to assess program-level student learning outcomes.
  
  The capstone serves as the primary site for direct assessment of the major. In this course, students submit a substantial research paper that demonstrates advanced disciplinary knowledge, methodological competence, and analytical skills developed throughout their program. The capstone paper is designed to be an original piece of research that integrates theory, empirical evidence, and critical analysis, providing a comprehensive artifact for evaluating student achievement at the culmination of their Weber State career. Capstone projects are assessed by the course instructor using department-approved learning outcomes and rubrics, allowing the department to evaluate overall program effectiveness. In addition, each capstone paper is reviewed by a committee of three faculty members during an end-of- year paper review. 
   

• Assessment Plan

  The Political Science program uses a program-level, outcome-based assessment strategy that relies on artifacts (such as papers and exams) collected at key curricular points rather than on a single required course sequence. Since the major encompasses several distinct sub-fields - including American politics, comparative/international politics, and political theory - with multiple electives within each area, program assessment is anchored in shared learning outcomes articulated by the American Political Science Association, assessed through aligned assignments in introductory courses and a common capstone experience. This approach enables the program to consistently assess student learning while preserving pedagogical flexibility and instructor autonomy.

  The program follows a rotating multi-year assessment cycle. Entry-level outcomes are assessed through introductory and lower-division courses (e.g., POLS 1010 and other required lower-division offerings), while advanced skills and integrative learning are assessed through upper-division coursework and the capstone (POLS 4990). Data related to all program outcomes are collected on an ongoing basis through multiple courses and assignments. At least once within each five- to seven-year cycle, the program engages in focused review and reflection on each outcome, using the accumulated evidence to evaluate its continued relevance and to consider potential curricular or pedagogical adjustments. (Please note that we are aware that 10 outcomes are a lot; however, they are broadly group in three sections. When we assess each outcome, we also discuss its relevance and whether the subsection (Values, Content, Skills) needs to be adjusted.  Several courses also carry Social Science (SS) and American Institutions (AI) designations (e.g., POLS 1100), enabling the program to assess both general education attributes and program outcomes within the same framework. As each student completes a subset of required lower-division courses, introductory-level outcomes are assessed regularly across the curriculum. All students are also required to complete a capstone project and demonstrate their mastery of the material. 

  Assessment data is collected primarily through Canvas-aligned assignments, exams, and capstone projects. Data is aggregated at the program level, and we plan to review it collectively by program faculty. In 2025, the program began holding dedicated assessment discussions during faculty meetings, marking a shift toward more intentional, program-level review of assessment findings. At this stage, the emphasis is on identifying broad patterns across sections and modalities rather than on evaluating individual courses or instructors.

  Program faculty are engaged in the assessment process through regular program meetings, strategic planning discussions, and shared responsibility for interpreting assessment results. Faculty teaching introductory and capstone courses play a central role in contributing assessment data, and the findings inform ongoing conversations about curriculum design, pedagogical priorities, and future directions for the program’s assessment plan. Here is our initial plan discussed in our program meeting:
   

  Academic Year	Outcomes to be Assessed	Courses/Level	Assessment Report Due
  AY25 (Year 1)	American Institutions attribute (core class)	POLS 1100 POLS 4990	Fall 2025 AI attribute renewal  Biennial Report (AY24-AY25)
  AY 26 (Year 2)	Social Science attribute (core classes)	POLS 1010 POLS 2100 POLS 2200 POLS 2300 POLS 2400  POLS 4990	Fall 2026 SS attribute renewal Program Review
  AY 27 (Year 3)	Skills outcomes	All undergraduate	Biennial Report (AY6-AY27)
  AY 28 (Year 4)	Content outcomes	All undergraduate	No report due
  AY 29 (Year 5)	Values outcomes	All undergraduate	Biennial Report (AY28-AY29)
  AY 30 (Year 6)	American Institutions attribute (core class)	POLS 1100 POLS 4990	AI attribute renewal (we also assess POLS 1100 in general)
  AY 31 (Year 7)	Social Science attribute (core classes)	POLS 1010 POLS 2100 POLS 2200 POLS 2300 POLS 2400 POLS 4990	SS attribute renewal (also assess those classes for POLS Biennial Report (AY30-AY21)

   

• Program and Contact Information

  Program information
  
  Political science as a discipline is uniquely equipped to the cultivation of knowledgeable and participatory members of their communities. When students complete our major or one of our minors they will be empowered to be agents of change in their communities, nations, and the world at large. We contribute to the college, university, region, and state by examining critical questions about power and public life from local, national, transnational, global, and comparative perspectives in partnership with students and members of the community. We do so to foster the capacities of engaged and critical community members who actively pursue questions and meanings of political community, and civic life.  We fully support Weber State University’s commitment to quality teaching (WSU mission statement), and consistently support that broader mission in transforming lives by meeting all students where they are, and challenging and guiding them to achieve their goals academically and in life.  We provide a safe and welcoming learning environment with experienced faculty where students are encouraged to think critically about the world and its problems and to interact intellectually with one another and their professors.
  
  Contact Information
  Dr. Stephanie Wolfe
  Program Coordinator
  stephaniewolfe@weber.edu
  
  Political Science Department Website

• Assessment Report Submissions

  To view assessment report submissions prior to April 2026, please visit our assessment archive here. 

• Program Review

  2021-22

This information is part of the cyclical program review process. Details such as mission statements, learning outcomes, etc., are updated as part of the biennial assessment reporting process, an integral component of program review.