Sociology

• Mission Statement

  As an undergraduate-only program, we are focused on training students in skills that can be marketable in a variety of occupations and careers. This training takes place both inside and outside the traditional classroom as students engage in online education, serve the community through community engaged learning (CEL) courses, conduct primary research, do internships in local companies and organizations, and participate in Study Abroad programs. It's our goal that students who graduate with a Sociology major or minor degree will have acquired discipline-specific content knowledge (concepts, theories, methods, research findings) and had an opportunity to apply sociological analysis and ways of thinking - e.g., the so-called "sociological imagination" - in practice. Regardless of students' future career paths, these skills are both relevant and valuable in the labor market. The program also served the university's Liberal Arts tradition by contributing to the General Education curriculum and thus preparing students as engaged and responsible citizens who can navigate the unique social, political, and economic challenges of the 21^st Century.
  
  Mission goals:

  • Equip students with a broad sociological perspective (or the “sociological imagination”) by teaching them how social structures, individuals, and groups interact in society.
  • Provide knowledge and skills, both sociological (theory, research methods, data analysis) and general (critical thinking, writing), to pursue a broad range of careers and graduate degrees (e.g., in Sociology, Law, Public Administration).
  • Prepare students to recognize a plurality of perspectives, including their own, to navigate today’s multicultural and global society.
  • Build a stimulating learning environment by using a variety of pedagogies, including collaboration, collective learning, and community engagement.
• Student Learning Outcomes
  • Certificate (Not Applicable)

     

  • Associate Degree (Not Applicable)

     

  • Bachelor Degree

    At the end of their study at WSU, students in this program will be able to accomplish the following goals and outcomes:

    Goal I: Equip students with knowledge to confront our complex and shifting world through a sociological perspective that highlights social structures, socialization, stratification, social reproduction, and social change.

    1. Outcome 1: Identify how social structures/institutions shape patterned individual behavior and social outcomes.
    2. Outcome 2: Use sociological perspectives to examine social inequality based on race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion and other status.
        

    Goal II: Teach students to understand their communities, organizations, and workspaces using sociological theories and scientific research methods. They will be able to gather, evaluate, and synthesize data and communicate results to both professional and public audiences.

    • Outcome 3: Use sociological theories and scientific research methods to understand social phenomena in communities, workplaces and society in general.
    • Outcome 4: Communicate research findings and sociological concepts and theories effectively to various audiences.

    
    Goal III: Prepare students for careers and graduate degrees both within and outside the field of sociology. This includes preparing them to work effectively with diverse populations, both locally and globally.

    1. Outcome 5: Develop understandings of the different social positions, perspectives, and needs of various communities.
    2. Outcome 6: Analyze and evaluate policies and practices that perpetuate social inequality, and develop strategies to promote more equitable social arrangements.

     

• Curriculum Grid

• Program and Contact Information

  Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact within these contexts. Since all human behavior is social, the subject matter of sociology includes, but is not limited to, street crime and delinquency, corporate downsizing, how people express emotions, welfare or education reform, how families differ and flourish, divisions of ethnicity, gender and social class, religious cults, medicine, media, and other social phenomena. Because sociology addresses the most challenging issues of our time, it is a rapidly expanding field whose potential is increasingly tapped by those who craft policies and create programs. Few fields have such broad scope and relevance for research, theory, and application of knowledge.

  Sociology is a popular major for students planning futures in such professions as law, business, education, architecture, politics, public administration, urban planning and development, human services, and a myriad of other professions. It also provides a solid foundation for pursuing graduate degrees in related fields. Although a career as a sociologist requires a Master's Degree or PhD, an undergraduate education in sociology can be applied to almost any profession a student pursues.

   

  Contact Information:
  Dr. Huiying Hill
  huiyinghill@weber.edu
  1299 Edvalson St, Dept. 1208
  Ogden, Ut, 94408-1208
  (801) 626-7888
  
  Sociology program website

• Assessment Plan

  Since the Sociology program goals and learning outcomes have changed, updating the assessment plan was necessary. One goal with its two aligned learning outcomes will be assessed every other year with the biennial report being used to assess, report, and implement needed changes. At this point this is an outcome-based assessment using particular courses to collect the assessment data using course assignments, exams, etc. Sociology program faculty will meet early in the fall semester of the biennial report year to discuss the assessment results in order to decide on any changes that need to be implemented.

  Assessment Plan
  Sociology Bachelor’s Degree

  Academic Year	Outcome(s)	Courses	Methods	Assessment Report Due
  AY25	1 - Identify how social structures/ institutions shape patterned individual behavior and social outcomes	SOC 3660 SOC 4900/4930	Research Proposal Capstone Thesis	None
  	2 - Use sociological perspectives to examine social inequality based on race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion and other status.	SOC 2370 or 2600 or 3010 or 3270 or 3410 or 3850 or 4410 SOC 4900/4930	Varies by course Capstone Thesis Lit Review
  AY26	Implement changes for outcomes 1 and 2			Biennial Report
  AY27	3 – Use sociological theories and scientific research methods to understand social phenomena in communities, workplaces and society in general	Soc 3660 SOC 4900/4930	Take home exam Capstone Thesis	None
  	4 – Communicate research findings and sociological concepts and theories effectively to various audiences.	SOC 3600 SOC 4900/4930	Final Project Capstone Thesis
  AY28	Implement changes for outcomes 3 and 4			Biennial Report
  AY29	5 – Develop understandings of the different social positions, perspectives, and needs of various communities	SOC 3500 SOC 4900/4930	Two midterm exams Capstone Thesis	None
  	6 – Analyze and evaluate policies and practices that perpetuate social inequality, and develop strategies to promote more equitable social arrangements.	SOC 2370 or 2600 or 3010 or 3270 or 3850 or 4410 SOC 4900/4930	Varies by course Capstone Thesis
  AY30	Implement changes for outcomes 5 and 6			Biennial Report
  AY31	Summary of findings	Summary of assessment process; issues identified, changes implemented		PR Self-Study

• Assessment Report Submissions
  2023-24
  2021-22
  2019-20
  2017
  2016 - Conducted Program Review
  2015

• Program Review

  2022-23
   

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.