Curriculum Document

 

Academic Department:

Behavioral Science

School Document Number:

LSS 05-16

Document Author:

Linda Mura

Approved by School Date:

11-07-05

Date:  (mm/dd/yy)

October 17, 2005

CEP Review:

X     Course

o                Program of Study

Type of Document: 

Addition

xxxxxxx

Faculty Senate Approval Date: (mm/dd/yy)

Effective Term:  fall 2006

Deletion

Revisions

Document Subject: Reinstitution of Soc 382. Introduction to Methods of Social Research I.

 

Justification:

Sociology 382 was taught on this campus for many years as the statistics course for sociology majors.  In the early 1980s there were not enough sociology majors to fill a division every semester.  At that time the sociologists and psychologists agreed to develop BHS 201 as a behavioral science statistics course.  Since that time the numbers of majors in both disciplines have grown significantly.  Sociology students would benefit from more exposure to multivariate analyses and statistics more appropriate to sociological research.  We are at a point that we can offer a course focused for these students needs and allow 201 to meet more specifically the needs of the psychology majors.  Reintroducing Soc 382 (which is the current statistics course for sociology in West Lafayette) will offer our majors a course in the statistics they are likely to encounter in their course work and work experiences.


Current:                                                                    

Proposed:

Soc 382 Introduction to Methods of Social Research I. 3-0-3.  Introduction to the basic techniques of statistical analysis applicable to sociological data.  Elementary descriptive statistics and statistical inference.  Introduction to multivariate analysis.

 


Impact on Students:  The students will be better prepared for their later sociology courses since they will be familiar with rates, indices, multivariate analysis, and similar sociological statistics.  The sociology major will have less flexibility as to course availability. 

What other Academic Departments will be impacted?  None. BHS faculty who currently teach BHS 201 are willing and able to teach this course. 

Summarize any discussions with the departments listed above Psychology majors will continue to take BHS 201.  They will have fewer divisions from which to choose.

 

Impact on University Resources:  none.

 

Impact on General Education Requirements: None.  SOC 382 is not to be included in meeting Science and Math Requirement.