ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW REPORT
WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
Part I	CAO Recommendation

Continue    Modify    Eliminate	

Institution:	Degree Designation as on Diploma:	
Western Kentucky University (00200200)	Specialist in Education	
Program Name:	CIP Code:	
Counselor Education	131101	
WKU Program Reference Number:	Program Type (collaborative, joint, single):	
112	Single Institution	
Program Coordinator:	Program Implementation Date:	
Cynthia Palmer Mason		
Department Head:	Submission Date:	
Jill Duba Sauerheber	04/27/2017	

A. Centrality to the Institutional Mission and Consistency with State Goals (not to exceed current page)	
A.1 How has the program contributed to WKU’s mission?	
 Objective 1.1 Sustain a Vibrant Curriculum.  The Specialist in Education Degree provides another option for individuals who desire to further their education beyond the Master’s Degree at this institution.  Objective 1.4 Promote Research, Creative and Scholarly Activity by Faculty and Students.  Students in the Specialist in Education Program (Ed. S) are required to complete and defend a Specialist Research project which requires them to be involved in research that is directed by the Chairs of their committees.	
A.2 How has the program contributed to the economic and social welfare goals of HB 1 as delineated in the statewide postsecondary education strategic agenda?	
Objective 3.1 Expand WKU’s Economic Impact on the Region through Student, Faculty, and Staff Engagement.  The Ed. S is a post-master’s degree for those holding master’s degrees in education and desire an additional advanced degree.  It is mainly geared toward individuals who are already fully-employed counselors in K-12 schools and wish to advance.  The Ed. S. is also the next step for individuals who desire to pursue a doctorate in the field.  WKU expands its economic impact on the region when educators have the option to receive this degree on its campus.  This contributes to the academic quality and reputation of the university.	
A.3 How does the program align with the statewide postsecondary education strategic implementation plan?	
Objective 1.  The program’s ongoing relationship with national, regional, and state counseling organizations keeps it abreast of opportunities for students to develop ongoing cultural competence and academic excellence.  The program’s reputation and ongoing relationships with schools and counseling agencies within the region directly relate to the quality and quantity of students offered opportunities to work with under-represented populations (including Practicum and Internship placements). 	

B. Program Quality (not to exceed two pages)	
B.1 Describe means of assessment of student learning outcomes at the program level over the review term.  Summarize results of these assessments as well as 'closing-the-loop' strategies undertaken to improve program quality.	
Students in this program are assessed with regard to their academic performance in coursework, participation and attendance, and their ability to engage in reflective practice each semester.  Also, students must successfully defend their Specialist Research Project and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA.  	
B.2 Describe any external awards or other recognition of students, faculty, and/or program over the review period.	
There have not been any external awards or other recognition for students or faculty because we have not had any students in this program for several years.	
B.3 Provide data on actual time and credits to degree of graduates, including general education and supporting coursework.	
			
	Academic Year:	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16		
	Average actual time to degree (Years/N):							
	Average actual credits to degree (Credits/N):							
			
B.4a Document constituents’ satisfaction with the program, through (a) employers’ satisfaction with program graduates	
We have not had graduates in this program during the time frame listed above.	
B.4b Document constituents’ satisfaction with the program, through (b) graduates’/alumni satisfaction with the program.	
When we had students in the Ed. S program, they seemed to have been pleased with their accomplishments.  	

B.5 Provide information the success of program graduates one year after graduation.	
			
	Academic Year:	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16		
	Number of graduating students who sought employment:							
	Percentage of students who sought employment:							
	Number of graduating students who gained employment:							
	Percentage of students who gained employment:							
			
	Academic Year:	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16		
	Type of Job	Percentage of students employed in that type.		

	(Add additional lines as necessary							
			
	Percentage of students finding employment in the area of geographic responsibility:							
	Percentage of students finding employment in Kentucky:							
	Percentage of students finding employment outside of Kentucky:							
			
	Number of graduating students who sought graduate/professional school admission:							
	Percentage of students who sought graduate/professional school admission:							
	Number of graduating students who attained graduate/professional school admission:							
	Percentage of students who attained graduate/professional school admission:							
	We do not have any students to provide this information for during this time frame.		
B.6 If program leads to licensure or certification, provide data on students’ pass rates on relevant exam(s).	
			
	Academic Year:	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16		
	Exam Name	Pass rate		
	Students must Defend their Specialist Project							
	(Maintain a 3.0 GPA average or higher)							
	(Add additional lines as necessary)							
	We do not have students to provide this information for.		

C. Program Demand/Unnecessary Duplication (not to exceed current page)	
C.1 Provide data on student enrollment and number of graduates at the program level over the review period (includes unduplicated AY headcount--summer, fall, and spring).	
			
	Academic Year:	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16		
	Number of enrollments:	1		1				
	Number of graduates:							
	Credit Hour Production	2,795		2,022				
			
C.2 Are there similar programs at other public institutions in the state? Yes	Yes		No		
C.2a If yes, explain how the curriculum of this program is different from existing programs at other institutions or that access to these programs is limited at the other institution.  Information concerning the curriculum of programs at other institutions is not available. 	
	
C.2b If yes, describe specific collaborative opportunities your program is pursuing, or can pursue, with these existing programs.  In your explanation, describe how the collaboration will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of each program.	
There seems to not have been any collaboration with faculty in other institutions in the state.	

D. Cost and Funding (not to exceed current page)	
D.1 Provide data on program student credit hour production by instructional FTE faculty over the review period, based on minimum program hours required.  In the case that faculty participate in more than one program, include only the FTE allocated to the program under review.	
			
	Academic Year:	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16		
	Minimum program hours required:	60		60				
	Number of graduates (from C.1):							
	Program SCHP:	2,795		2,022				
	FTE faculty:	12.6		9.8				
	Program SCHP/FTEF per year as (Min. Hours x Graduates)/FTEF:	222		206				
			
D.2 Indicate the level of extramural funding attracted by program faculty over the review period.	
			
	Academic Year:	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16		
	Funding source and level:							
	Funding source and level:							
	Funding source and level:							
	(Add additional lines as necessary)							
	There is no extramural funding for those interested in the Specialist in Education degree at this institution.		

E. Additional Information	
E.1 Please provide any other information that explains the importance of this program to your campus or community. Include program uniqueness or compelling needs met by program faculty not reflected elsewhere (i.e., contribution to general education, departmental SCHP/FTEF, community engagement).	
The Specialist in Education Degree program provides the opportunity for students in the area to complete an advanced degree in this department and at this university.  Advanced degrees can help with securing positions in teaching and also counseling at the Community College level especially and also with promotions and advancements in positions in the P-12 school system. 	

 	ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW REPORT
WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
Part II		

Academic Year:	2015-16	
WKU Program Reference Number:	112	
Program Name:	Counselor Education	
Program Coordinator:		

A. Evidence of Ongoing Assessment and Improvement of Program Academic Quality (not to exceed two pages)	
A.1 List program student learning outcomes.	
			
	Student Learning Outcomes:		
	1.			
	2.			
	3.	(add additional lines as needed)		
			
A.2 Identify the status of the program with respect to any relevant external accreditations in the field.  If accredited, what was the date of the most recent review?	
	
A.3 Summarize analyses and resulting steps taken since the last review period to improve program academic quality, with particular emphasis on improving students’ performance on student learning outcome indicators.  What processes/data provided the impetus for these changes, and what have been the results?  (Make particular reference to Part I, B.1)	

B. Program Contribution to Institutional Recruitment, Persistence and Graduation Goals (not to exceed two pages)	
B.1 Discuss trends and associated factors influencing the program’s contribution to institutional efforts to attract, enroll and graduate high-quality students.  Make reference to Part I, B.3 and C.1.  As appropriate, include data on part-time and/or transfer students, online delivery, etc.  Discuss any initiatives undertaken (recruitment, advising, student financial support, community-building, etc.) to enhance the programmatic climate.	
For some reason, we are not attracting students for this program at this time; it could be because we now have a 48 hour Master’s Program and our numbers in School Counseling have decreased immensely.	
			
	Academic Year:	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16		
	Applied (First-Time Graduate Students):	1	1	2	2	2		
	Admitted (First-Time Graduate Students):	0	0	0	0	0		
	Enrolled (First-Time Graduate Students):	0	0	0	0	0		
	Average UGGPA/GRE of entering students (GR programs):			N/A (N=1) /  (N=.)				
	Average WKU GPA of graduates							
	Percentage of full-time students in program graduating w/in three years (GR programs):							
	Percentage of part-time students in program graduating w/in six years (GR programs):	0 of 1 = 0.0%						

C. Adequacy and Credentials of Program Faculty (not to exceed current page)	
C.1. List current number and FTE of faculty and graduate teaching assistants contributing to the program, by type of credential.   Total FTEF (i.e., sum of rows 2, 4, 6 and 8) should equal the value entered in Part I, D.1., row 3.	
			
	Personnel Type:		All	Terminally Degreed	Master's with 18 Hours in Discipline	Alternative Qualifications		
	FT, tenure eligible faculty	N	12	12				
		FTE	8.2	8.2				
	FT, non-tenure eligible faculty	N						
		FTE						
	PT and adjunct faculty	N	4	1				
		FTE	0.8	0.2				
	Graduate instructor assistants	N						
		FTE						
			
C.2 Describe the nature of alternative qualifications used to credential program faculty.	
The faculty in this department are terminally degreed.	
C.3 Discuss the allocation of faculty teaching resources over the review period.  In particular, include consideration of the percentage of program courses taught by (1) full-time faculty, and (2) terminally-degreed faculty.	
When we have students in the Specialist in Education Program, they are taught by terminally-degreed faculty.  Full-time faculty teach three courses each semester.	
C.4 Indicate the FTEF salaries of program faculty supported through external grants and contracts.	
The salaries of program faculty for this program are not supported by external grants and contracts.	

Graduate Programs Only	
D. Contributions to Faculty and Student Scholarly Productivity (not to exceed two pages)	
D.1 Summarize the contribution of faculty to the output and success of students over the review period.  (There were no Ed. S students during the review period listed.)	
			
	Academic Year:	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16		
	Average program faculty total course load (contact hrs/semester):							
	Average number of graduate advisees per program faculty:							
	Average thesis/dissertation advising load per program faculty:							
	Full-time faculty members usually teach three (3) courses each semester; the number of advisees is determined by the number of students enrolled in each program.		
D.2 Summarize trends in student support and collaborative scholarship over the review period.	
			
	Academic Year:	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16		
	Number of students supported by institutional assistantships:							
	Number of students supported by external grants and contracts:							
	Average total value of graduate assistantships:							
	There are no graduate scholarships for students in this department for this program.		
D.3 Describe the extent of student scholarly productivity over the review period.	
			
	Academic Year:	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16		
	Number of student refereed publications, juried exhibitions or recitals, etc.:							
	Number of non-refereed presentations, exhibitions, technical reports, etc.:							
	Number of theses/dissertations submitted:							
	There were no students in the Specialist in Education Program during the time listed above.		
D.4 Discuss the relationship between allocation of program personnel and fiscal resources and student scholarly productivity summarized in D.1., D.2, and D.3 above.  Include, as applicable, specific reference to trends and approaches in allocation of graduate assistantships, selection of graduate assistants, and the strategic use of graduate assistantships to student scholarly outcomes.	
We have not had students in the Specialist in Education Program during this review period.	

E. Analysis of Program Status and Potential (not to exceed current page)	
E.1 What do you see as particular strengths of the program, and why?	
It is important to note that the School Counseling Master’s Program is requesting a change from 48 hours to 36 hours – when this is approved, we expect more students to make application to the Specialist in Education Program because we expect more students to enroll in the Master’s Program. Also, the program courses are taught by program faculty so additional faculty will not be required.  The most important strengths of the Ed. S Degree are that it is a stepping stone to the Doctoral Degree, it helps individuals to be more competitive when making applications for teaching or counseling positions in community colleges, and it is considered when those in the P-12 school systems make application for promotions or advancements. 	
E.2 What are perceived to be weaknesses in the program, either by you or by others (external evaluators, accreditors, etc.)?	
There have not been any weaknesses identified that I am aware of.  It seems that the requirement for more hours in the Master’s Program impacted the number of students in our school counseling programs in a negative way.	
	
When more students are enrolled in the School Counseling Program, it seems reasonable to think that more of them would be interested in an advanced degree.	
E.4 What (if any) are potential threats to program viability or quality in the future?  What needs to be addressed in the near term to mitigate these threats?	
Perhaps the requirements for the Master’s Degree Program; if the request for a 36 hour program is approved, we expect more applicants to the Master’s Program and we also expect more of the students to be interested in obtaining an advanced degree specifically because of the benefits of more options for employment as teachers or counselors in the P-12 school systems as well as the community college system.	

F. Response to Previous Academic Program Review and Goals for the Future (not to exceed current page)	
F.1 What was the recommendation put forward by the APR Committee during the last review of the program.  What issues (if any) were raised by the APR Committee at that time? In what ways have the program, department, college and/or university addressed these issues?	
	
F.2 List the goals for continued program improvement over the next six years (prior to the next program review).  What implementation steps will need to occur for these goals to be met?	
			
	Goals:	Implementation Steps:		
	1.	To increase enrollment	Emphasize the significance of this program when we have New Student Orientation and also in our classes in an ongoing manner.		
	2.				
	3.	(add additional lines as needed)			

COURSE	
CNS ***	
CNS 550	
CNS 552	
CNS 554	
CNS 558	
CNS 590	
CNS 699	
EDFN500	
EDFN501	
PSY 512	

Name (ID)	Credit Hrs
in Program	Program SCHP	FTEF =
Credit Hrs/
18(GR) 21(UG)
(typical 4/3 load)	
Full-Time, Tenure Eligible, Terminal Degree	
Bratton, Imelda (800799304)	15	66	0.8	
Burke, Monica (800021602)	12	216	0.7	
Dye, Lacretia (800799130)	15	192	0.8	
Everson, Kimberlee (800977742)	12	135	0.7	
Hughey, Aaron (800018601)	27	498	1.0	
Jenkins, Andrea (801084219)	6	75	0.3	
Mason, Cynthia (800016126)	18	162	1.0	
Sauerheber, Jill Duba (800374984)	6	84	0.3	
Stickle, Fred (800020174)	12	162	0.7	
Wang, Jianliang (800001794)	12	195	0.7	
Wolf, Cheryl (800905101)	15	177	0.8	
Zhang, Jie (800737595)	6	81	0.3	
Part-Time (or Full-Time Staff/PT Faculty), Terminal Degree	
Crisp, Debra (800002559)	3	30	0.2	
Part-Time (or Full-Time Staff/PT Faculty), No Terminal Degree	
Gibson, Georgeanna (800109311)	3	30	0.2	
McCaslin, James (800019458)	3	27	0.2	
Robinson-Wright, Ursula (800781302)	6	51	0.3