Department of Anthropology Self Study 2004-2012

320 Pages·2013·5.91 MB·English

Department of Anthropology
Self Study 2004-2012
College of Liberal Arts
Texas A&M University
18 January 2013
2
Department of
Anthropology
Self-Study 2004-2012
Acknowledgments 2
Executive Summary 3
Charge to the Peer-Review Team 7
Additional Questions Submitted by Department to Re- 11
view Team
Chapter 1. Department of Anthropology Overview 13
Chapter 2. 2011 Strategic Plan 55
Chapter 3. Anthropology Faculty Profile 67
Chapter 4. Graduate Program 101
Chapter 5. Undergraduate Program 143
Chapter 6. Student Assessment Procedures and Results 161
Chapter 7. Contributions to Vision 2020 and Action 2015 169
Appendices
A. Faculty Biographies and Brief CVs 177
B. Program Requirements for Graduate Degrees 255
C. Course Enrollments 269
D. MA and PhD Graduate Placement 275
E. Comments from Graduate Student Survey 285
3
Acknowledgments
This Self-Study Report was prepared by Cynthia Werner and
Ted Goebel, with contributions from Vaughn Bryant and Alston
Thoms. Jessica Dangott, In Huck Choi, Cynthia Hurt, Rebekah
Luza, and Marco Valadez helped collect and organize the data
presented. A draft of the self-study was circulated to the faculty
for comments in December 2012. This final version incorporates
numerous suggestions provided by faculty members.
2
Executive Summary
The Department of Anthropology at Texas A&M University
was established as a department in 1980, after existing for one
decade as a program within a joint sociology/anthropology
department. The department offers BA, MA and PhD degrees
in Anthropology. The department is situated in the heart of the
campus, in the Anthropology Building, a 46,000 square foot
building that is currently in the midst of a major renovation
project which will provide a new heating and cooling (HVAC)
system, electrical power system, phone lines, and flooring.
The faculty currently consists of in 2005. The department is also
23 tenured/tenure-track faculty closely affiliated with the Institute
members, including 10 professors, of Nautical Archaeology (INA), an
12 associate professors, and two as- independent non-profit organiza-
sistant professors. The department tion which arrived on the Texas
also has three additional faculty A&M campus in 1976. Although
members: one half-time senior the department’s strengths have
professor, one half-time research as- always been in archaeology (both
sistant professor, and one full-time prehistoric and nautical), the bio-
visiting assistant professor. logical and cultural anthropology
programs are emerging as equally
Currently, the department is
robust programs with several inter-
administratively divided into four
nationally recognized scholars.
programs (representing three of the
subfields of anthropology): archae- The study period (2004-2012)
ology, biological anthropology, covers the eight year period since
cultural anthropology, and nautical the department was last reviewed
archaeology. The department has in January 2004. A number of sig-
two research centers: the Center for nificant changes have taken place
the Study of the First Americans during this period, including a few
(CSFA), which was brought to Texas changes that were initiated before
A&M in 2002, and the Center for this period, as outlined below.
Maritime Archaeology and Conser-
Administrative Structure. The
vation (CMAC), which was founded
department has completed the
3
transition from a department that continue to serve as a guide for the
contained a semi-autonomous unit university and the College of Liberal
(the nautical archaeology program) Arts. In 2007, the College of Liberal
to a department with four distinct Arts prepared a report for an exter-
programs with equal representation. nal review (which assesses progress
Faculty participation in the gover- towards Vision 2020), and in 2008,
nance of the department remains the university developed a new
strong. During the study period, an Academic Master Plan 2015 (which
increasing amount of work (includ- incorporates and refines the Vision
ing the selection of graduate stu- 2010 goals).
dents and graduate assistantships)
In 2010, the new dean of the
has shifted from department-wide
College of Liberal Arts initiated a
meetings to program committees,
strategic planning process in each
departmental committees (which
department. The Department of
typically include at least one repre-
Anthropology prepared a new
sentative from each program) and
Strategic Plan in May 2011, which
faculty administrative positions.
outlines a number of steps the
In addition to four program com-
department is taking to strengthen
mittees, the department has four
its undergraduate and graduate
standing committees: the Executive
programs. The strategic plan identi-
Committee, the Curriculum Com-
fies two primary areas of strength:
mittee, the Diversity Committee,
Nautical Archaeology and First
and the Assessment Committee.
Americans (or Paleoamerican) Ar-
Since the last review, the depart-
chaeology. The plan also identifies a
ment has added the following
number of metrics that can be used
service roles: Director of Graduate
to benchmark the department’s
Studies, Departmental Curator, As-
progress in improving its overall
sessment Coordinator, and Place-
reputation relative to several peer
ment Coordinator. The department
institutions that have been identi-
has also appointed an Associate
fied in the university’s Vision 2020
Head, after a long period of not hav-
Strategic Planning process. The
ing such a position.
department has identified five goals:
Strategic Plan. In 1997, the uni- improving the funding situation for
versity developed a strategic plan, graduate students, improving the
“Vision 2020: Creating a Culture of placement record for PhD gradu-
Excellence,” with the ultimate goal ates; strengthening the national
of having Texas A&M University profile in archaeology; maintain-
be recognized as one of the top ten ing and strengthening programs in
public universities by 2020. The biological anthropology and cul-
goals put forward in Vision 2020 tural anthropology; and increasing
4
the diversity of faculty and graduate Graduate Program. The depart-
students. ment had 131 registered students in
the Fall of 2012, including 32 MA
Undergraduate Program. The
students and 99 PhD students. Prior
department has a vibrant under-
to the last review, the department
graduate anthropology program.
had started to shift its emphasis
The department is one of the
from the MA program to the PhD
fastest-growing departments in the
program. Between 2004 and 2012,
College of Liberal Arts, with an 85%
the number of PhD students in-
increase in the number of majors
creased by 135%, while the number
since 2004. There are currently 211
of MA students decreased by 52%.
undergraduate majors. The under-
Most of the MA students are in the
graduate student body in anthropol-
Nautical Archaeology Program,
ogy is more diverse in terms of race/
where students acquire conserva-
ethnicity and sex than the university
tion skills and fieldwork experience
and the college student body as a
that can be marketed to a variety
whole. The four-year and six-year
of jobs. In general, the number of
graduation rates for anthropology
applicants to the department has
majors is 29.4% and 57.9% respec-
increased 28% during the study pe-
tively, which are higher than the
riod, while the admissions process
university level rates but slightly
has become more competitive (with
lower than the college level rates.
only 26% of applicants accepted
Beginning in 2011, majors have the
last year). An increasing number of
option of completing an archaeol-
graduate students in the program
ogy track (instead of a general track
are receiving competitive external
with equal coursework in each
grants, presenting their research at
of the subfields). Approximately
national and international confer-
half of our undergraduate majors
ences, and publishing their work in
complete a high-impact learning
peer-reviewed journals. The depart-
experience before graduation, such
ment has awarded 105 MA degrees
as participating in an archaeological
and 41 PhD degrees since 2003. Of
excavation, working in a lab, com-
those PhD graduates, 13 students
pleting an internship, or complet-
earned tenure-track appointments,
ing an independent study. In the
nine earned non-tenure track
past few years, the department
academic appointments, and 13
has introduced a new scholarship
obtained professional positions (as
program for undergraduates and
contract archaeologists, museum
an undergraduate research award
curators, etc.).
competition.
5
6
Charge to Peer-Review
Team
The charge below was presented to our site-visit team during the
Fall of 2012. It is reproduced here to provide a context for the
remainder of the document.
Thank you for assisting us with will have for this assessment are a
continuous quality improvement of self-study to be completed by the
academic programs in the Depart- department, other materials that
ment of Anthropology (ANTH) may be provided by the department
at Texas A&M University. The and our office, information you gain
Academic Program Review (APR) through personal interactions while
to which you are contributing is visiting Texas A&M University, and
part of a periodic review of all any additional information that you
Texas A&M University academic request. Within the broad charge of
programs. APR affords opportu- informing continuous quality im-
nity to assess the standards of our provement are the following specific
programs and to learn from review questions that we would like you to
team members’ experiences with address:
similar programs. In addition to the
1) While evaluating the program,
charge to the committee, this letter
please consider the resource con-
provides you with a brief overview
text within which the department
of the academic programs offered
operates (both human and fiscal)
by the Department of Anthropol-
and the absolute level of support
ogy.
the department receives from the
Peer-Review Team Charge university. Please comment on the
overall efficiency and effectiveness
The review team is charged with
of the department’s use of these hu-
examining the programs listed
man and fiscal resources in pursuit
above and making recommenda-
of its mission.
tions that we may use to inform
2) Please address the follow-
continuous quality improvement
ing questions about assessment of
processes. Resources that you
learning outcomes:
7
a) Has the department identified Anthropology nationally? Top 10%?
specific learning outcomes for its Top 50%?
educational programs?
6) Please address the department’s
b) Please comment on the appro- contributions to two guiding stra-
priateness of these learning out- tegic initiatives developed by Texas
comes for this department. A&M University. The first of these
is a document developed in 1999,
c) Does the curriculum and in-
entitled Vision 2020: Creating a
struction afford students opportuni-
Culture of Excellence, and identi-
ty to achieve the learning outcomes?
fies twelve specific areas of focus
d) Does the department have a
for Texas A&M’s future. The other
written plan for assessment of its
is the more recent Education First:
identified learning outcomes? Is that
Action 2015, intended to build on
plan of acceptable quality? Are the
our gains made since the inception
metrics used for assessment appro-
of Vision 2020. Both documents
priate and of acceptable quality?
may be referenced at http://provost.
e) To what extent is the depart- tamu.edu/strategic-planning-2010.
ment successful in achieving its Summaries of both documents will
learning outcomes? be provided upon your arrival at
Texas A&M University.
f) Does the learning outcome
assessment process inform continu- Overview of the Department
ous quality improvement?
Established in 1971, the Depart-
3) Please share with us any
ment of Anthropology at Texas
strengths, weaknesses, opportuni-
A&M University has been in exis-
ties, and threats related to the cur-
tence for over forty years. Today,
rent and future quality of each or all
the department contains 23 full-
of these academic programs.
time tenure/tenure-track faculty
4) Please comment on the scope, members and 10 affiliated faculty
efficacy, and desirability of current members situated in four distinct
and potential collaboration of this programs: Archaeology, Biological
department with other departments Anthropology, Cultural Anthro-
and groups, both on campus and pology, and Nautical Archaeology.
off. The department is home to two
research centers that relate to the
5) Please provide us your team’s
department’s two primary research
judgment on the national ranking
strengths: the Center for Mari-
of this department, as a percentile
time Archaeology and Conserva-
rank. For example, is this depart-
tion (CMAC) and the Center for
ment in the top 5% of programs in
the Study of the First Americans
8