The major goal of the Department Geography is to offer informative, enriching, and fully transferable courses in the discipline. All of our courses qualify as General Education "core" courses as defined by the Illinois Articulation Initiative.

We offer social science general education courses (GEG 101, 103, 104, and 210) and physical and natural sciences general education courses (GEG 111 and 112).

Additionally, these courses are offered for people in the community who aren’t necessarily interested in pursuing a four-year degree. For example, Al Larson taught a course specifically geared for senior citizens.

Two geography courses (GEG 101 and 210) are included in the curriculum for the international business AAS degree program.

We feel geographic literacy is important for success in a wide range of other courses and programs and as economic globalization continues, the need for geographic knowledge in other disciplines will grow.

There has been a dramatic increase in enrollment in geography classes. Fiscal year term seatcounts increased 60% from 1996 to 2000 (from 351 to 558) and FTE increased 66% (from 70.20 to 116.53) over the same time period.

Increased enrollment was supported by the addition of new sections of GEG 101 and the addition of GEG 121 Physical Geography (now GEG 111 and 112).

This increase also reflects the significant enrollment increases in geography classes throughout higher education in the United States.

Geography majors with GIS skills are in high demand.

Furthermore, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook states "Overall employment of social scientists is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2008. Prospects are best for those with advanced degrees, and usually are better in disciplines such as sociology and geography, which offer more opportunities in nonacademic settings.".

There is a strong need for a full-time faculty position in the department for the following reasons:

• With an FTE enrollment for fiscal year 2000 of 116.53, geography now compares favorably to several departments in the Business and Social Science Division which have one, or more, full-time faculty ( BFC with an FTE of 29.20, EDU 73.13, FSM 74.00, JNM 39.00, LTE/PLS 124.20, MKT 75.73, PSC 151.20, SEC/OFC 80.32).
  
• We expect the new format for Physical Geography (GEG 111 and GEG 112) will continue the enrollment increases.

• As a department that includes natural science laboratory courses, a full-time faculty member is needed to purchase and maintain laboratory equipment.
  
• As the chair of both the geography and economics departments Mr. Healy has less time to devote solely to geography department issues.

• Like other departments, geography needs a full-time faculty member to:

• Purchase and maintain instructional equipment (e.g. maps, globes, software, posters, etc.)
• Develop new courses (Political Geography, GIS)
• Review and update course outlines
• Maintain LRC holdings
• Incorporate technology into the curriculum

• GEG 101 ONLINE! is offered each semester and during the summer via the internet
• Several part-time faculty (Berigan, Richesin, Daniels) have incorporated multimedia presentations and/or the internet into their class presentations.
• A "Flex-Ed" 12-week course is offered at Elk Grove High School during the fall semester.
• We had two different instructors teaching GEG 112, Physical Geography Laboratory, sections. This is a common practice in the physical and natural sciences, but it was a learning experience for us.
• Without a full-time faculty member in the department it is difficult to do much more than we are already doing, yet geography is a very visual discipline, well-suited to internet and computer multimedia technologies and by its nature it is "multi-disciplinary" and well-suited to learning communities and other non-traditional approaches to teaching and learning.
  

• Continue teaching the internet class, GEG 101 ONLINE!, each semester
• Continue offering the 12-week course at Elk Grove High School
• Investigate offering GEG 111 Physical Geography and possibly GEG 112 Physical Geography Laboratory online
  

• The department has requested the removal of the wall dividing the entries to J-251 and J-253 (see below). Removing this wall and moving the doors closer to the rooms will create an alcove just outside these rooms that can be used for a weather station and wall displays
  

• There is a strong need for another laboratory room in the Business and Social Science Center to accommodate GEG 112 Physical Geography Laboratory, which is currently being taught in a regular classroom.

• The geography department depends on it current budget allocations to maintain and improve its course offerings and instructional supplies such as maps, posters, laboratory equipment, software, etc. Any reduction would be detrimental to our mission.
• The addition of a GIS certificate would require a considerable expense for software and probably for computers.
• The creation of the alcove outside of J-251 & 253 would require new display cases.

• The IT department has been very helpful in the past and we will continue to depend on their expertise.

1. Describe any special admissions policies and procedures currently in place which may impact enrollment in the program. Discuss any anticipated changes to admissions policies or procedures which may impact future enrollment.

• There are no anticipated changes in admissions policies and procedures.
  

1. Describe the general approach taken by the department and/or individual faculty members to recruit students to the courses/certificates/degrees associated with the program and analyze the relative success you believe these efforts have brought.

• We hope to sponsor National Geography Education Awareness Week activities in the future.
• Geography displays in the new alcove outside of J-251 and J-253 would be used by students already taking geography classes and by prospective students.
• The marketing of geography courses via posters, ads in the class schedule, and newspaper press releases appear to have been quite successful in the past if increases in enrollment are used as an indicator of success.

1. Discuss the general student outcomes of the program and describe the measures used to assess the degree to which students achieve these outcomes. Discuss the results from the measures which have been implemented to this point. Document any significant changes in curriculum, pedagogy, etc., implemented in response to the results of your outcomes assessment efforts.

2. Discuss the relative success of former students in gaining employment within related field (career programs), in passing licensing/qualifying examinations (career programs), and/or in transferring to senior institutions in related majors (transfer and career programs.)


Unknown

3. Discuss any feedback received from former students, employers (career programs), career advisory committees (career programs) and senior institutions (transfer programs) in terms of program strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for the future.


None


4. Discuss student retention data in terms of course, certificate, and degree completion and include an explanation of any significant drop/out/stopout patterns.

Overall course retention rates are high ranging from 80 % in the fall of 1996 to 100 % in the fall of 1997 and 1999. (Retention rates were calculated by dividing the number enrolled at the end of the first week of classes by the number at the end of the term.)




5. Discuss the grading patterns from the previous five years and include an explanation of any significant trends as appropriate.

1. Discuss the revenue/expense data provided through the operational analysis process in terms of the costs and benefits of the program.

2. If expenses have been greater than revenues in recent years, describe any efforts (planned or already in place) to move toward a balance of revenue and expenditures in the future.

1. Provide a brief description of the external consultant(s) hired to review the program and describe the activities they employed to gather information for their report.


The external consultant is Dr. Albert Larson who is a retired faculty member from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a part-time instructor at Harper.

2. Please attach the report from the external consultant(s) who reviewed the program and respond to any concerns cited in the report.


Dr. Larson's report is attached.


3. Describe the involvement of advisory committees, external agencies (government or professional), other College faculty/staff, students, et. and discuss their effect on the program and its continuing evaluation.

1. A full-time faculty position. For the rationale see above.
   
2. Investigate the feasibility of offering a GIS certificate.
   
3. Discuss the development of a course in Political Geography.
   
4. Consider offering GEG 111 and possibly GEG 112 as an internet course.
   
5. Continue funding of instructional supplies, software, and other equipment at, or above, current levels.
   
6. Create an alcove outside of J-251 and J-253 for a weather station and other displays as described above.
   
7. Development of a second "social science" laboratory in the Business and Social Science Center.
   
8. Investigate offering more services and/or classes targeted to the general public (continuing education, speakers, etc.).

ICCB COMBINED PROGRAM REVIEW AND PQP REPORT

Part A: Form A-2

(Use separate form for each discipline)

Academic Discipline: GEOGRAPHY

1. Program Review Summary
1. Is there a need for the discipline based on trends in enrollments and retention? Please explain any adverse trends.
   
   Yes. Enrollment has been increases in our geography courses and they are expected to increase more in the future. Furthermore, very few of the classes which we offer are withdrawn because of insufficient enrollment. All of our courses are fully transferable either as core courses or electives.
   
2. Is the program cost effective? How was this determined?
   
   Very! This was determined through analysis of the departmental Operational Analysis which allocates revenue and direct costs to each department.
   
   The Geography Department has classes with an average class size of about 20 students. Currently, our classes in Geography are taught almost entirely by part-time faculty. The addition of a full-time faculty member coupled with continued increases in enrollment will keep the program cost effective.
   
3. Are all courses in the discipline articulated to satisfy general education or major field requirement? Explain exceptions.
   
   Yes.

1. List quality improvements recommended for the discipline as a result of the review.
   
   To continue quality improvements a full-time faculty member in the department is necessary.

5. (Optional) Describe any unique innovations recently implemented for this discipline.
   
   GEG 121 Physical Geography was converted into two separate courses, a lecture-only course for AA degree students (GEG 111) and a laboratory course for AS degree students (GEG 112).
   
6. Based on the program review, will the College:
   

	continue the disciplines (HST, PSC, and GEG) with minor improvements
1	continue the discipline with major modifications
	discontinue the discipline as of __________ (date.)
	other (explain)

1. Was the timeline realistic?
   
   Yes
   
2. Was the data provided clear? helpful? timely? appropriate to your program?
   
   The data provided was appropriate and helpful.
   
3. Did you receive adequate support from Planning and Research? the Division Dean? the Assistant to the VP of Academic Affairs? Strategic Planning? other offices?
   
   The Division Dean and Office of Planning and Research provided necessary support and information.
   
4. Were the questions you were asked to address appropriate? stated clearly? comprehensive?
   
   The questions asked in this program review process were appropriate, clearly stated, and most certainly comprehensive.
   
5. What specific suggestions do you have for improving this process in the future?