2022-23 Unit Plan
Sociology

Mission Statement

The mission of Sociology at Butte College is to apply scientific and critical thinking to  study the dynamics of social systems  and their influence on humanity and the environment.

Program Description

The Sociology program fosters knowledge and critical analysis about how the societies humans create affect ourselves and the natural world. Students examine the social, political and economic institutions that humans build as well as the larger ecosystem in which we live. Courses examine topics that include the dynamics of power and inequality; gender ethnicity and resources; the growing influence of technology and mass media and need for environmental sustainability. Sociology is devoted to inspiring students to understand, appreciate and care for the world in which they live through creative, engaged citizenship. 
- Sociology courses meet the Social and Behavioral Sciences AA as well as GE transfer requirements. 
- Students can also obtain an AA-T in Sociology with over 60 graduates since the major was established in 2012.
- Sociology also established the interdisciplinary Certificate of Sustainability Studies, which is now being developed into an AA pathway.

Student Learning/Administrative Unit Outcomes

Fall 2019 SLO Report - SOC Part A


Fall 2019 SLO Report - SOC Part B

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (Instruction Departments)

Table of FTES for SOC


FTES in SOC remained consistant until the last two years, 2020 and 2021, when there was a 22 percent decrease in FTES. This reduction is consistent with the decrease in enrollment for the college.


 


 


Graph of retention and success rates in SOC


Both retention rate and success rate have remained relatively high and consistent until 2020 and 2021, when both rates dropped, but remain fairly high. Work may be necessary to prevent success rate does not drop below 75 percent.

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (All Other Departments)


        

        
        
        
Strategic Direction

        

        

        
        
        
Program Review

        
The Sociology Department has the following Program Review recommendations:


STILL TO BE ADDRESSED


1.  Hire a Full Time faculty member to support program strength and student success. 


 

        

        
        
        
Department Goals

        
Strategy 1 - Increase enrollments and FTES and support student AA-T completion


Develop and add ONLINE Soc4; Collaborate with CSUC Sociology program.


Strategy 2 - Develop a Butte Sustainability AA Degree Pathway



Butte College has signed two agreements, including the United States University Presidents College Climate Agreement that articulate our college’s commitment to stand up a Sustainability degree program.


Strategy 3 - Develop career/transfer pathways materials. 


Develop promotional materials  for students that clearly identify the future of career paths in the fields of sociology and sustainabilty.


Strategy 4 - Hire one full-time faculty to with skills in Statics for the Social Sciences


Hire a full-time Sociology faculty with expertise in Behavioral Statistics (meets math requirement) and support the programs consideration of a Social Justice pathway.


Strategy 5 - State Identification (C-ID) changes in the components to the Sociology Transfer Model Curriculum.


Late last year (Fall 2021) the state Identification (C-ID) changed the components to the Sociology Transfer Model Curriculum. Besides implementing the common core numbering system (which changes all course within the degree) 2 major changes were included.



 

        



        
Future Development Strategies

        

                    
Strategy 1 - Increase enrollments and FTES and support student AA-T completion

                    

                        
   


    


Develop and add ONLINE Soc4  


Collaborate with CSUC Sociology program

                        

                   
                            Initiatives
                            

                            
    
                                    
  • Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
    • 
                                    
  • Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
    • 
                                    
  • Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning
    • 
                                    
  • Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness
    • 
                            

                            


                        Supporting Rationale

                        
Supports campus wide growth initiative

                        

                    
                    
                        Supporting Rationale Alignment


                        Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: Yes

                        Supports Program Review Recommendations: Yes

                        Supports Course level SLOs: Yes

                        Supports PLOs: No

                        Supports ILO - Think Critically: No

                        Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No

                        Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: No

                        Supports ILO - Work Effectively: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No




    
                        
                    

                    
Strategy 2 - Develop a Butte Sustainability AA Degree Pathway

                    

                        
    

  •  Butte College was awarded funding in 2016 from Strategic Energy Initiatives (SEI) to support sustainability education across campus for faculty and students and facilitate dialogues between ourselves and representatives from Chico State with the goal of developing a transferable AA in Sustainability at Butte College.
    • 

  • An interdisciplinary campus committee invested in the program meets regularly in support.
    • 

  • Butte College has signed two agreements, including the United States University Presidents College Climate Agreement that articulate our college’s commitment to stand up a Sustainability degree program. 
    • 



   

                        

                   
                            Initiatives
                            

                            
    
                                    
  • Modeling Sustainability
    • 
                                    
  • Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
    • 
                                    
  • Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
    • 
                                    
  • Using Data-Informed Processes for Continuous Improvement
    • 
                                    
  • Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning
    • 
                                    
  • Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness
    • 
                            

                            


                        Supporting Rationale

                        
    

  • Develops an AA degree with the same title and mission of the Butte College Strategic Directive #5, Modeling Sustainaiblty by standing up the curriculum for a Sustainabilty Studies AA Degree with courses and career pathways for both transfer career focused students.
    • 

  • The program includes clear career pathways with quick vocational outcomes (permafarming; solar panels) as well as transfer education in a field that students can both believe in and know there will be jobs.
    • 

  • The Butte Certificate in Sustainability Studies was developed in 2007 and has been awarded to over 100 students. Curriculum spans both Career and Transfer with courses from Ethics to Agriculture.
    • 

  • Follows through on two signed commmitments by Butte College, including the United States University Presidents College Climate Agreement, that articulate our college’s commitment to stand up a Sustainability degree program. 
    • 


                        

                    
                    
                        Supporting Rationale Alignment


                        Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: Yes

                        Supports Program Review Recommendations: Yes

                        Supports Course level SLOs: Yes

                        Supports PLOs: No

                        Supports ILO - Think Critically: No

                        Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No

                        Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: No

                        Supports ILO - Work Effectively: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No




    
                        
                    

                    
Strategy 3 - Develop career/transfer pathways 

                    

                        
With a sociology degree a student can utilize the field of study to involve exploring and analyzing issues vital to our personal lives, our communities, our nation, and our world.


The list of areas where employment can be found range from social and community service, corrections, business, college settings, health services public relations, and government services.


The types of employment range from community development agencies and environmental groups, social services, and non-profit organizations.  These organizations work with juveniles, elderly, corrections, marketing and consumer research, and human resources. 



 



 



 



 

                        

                   
                            Initiatives
                            

                            
    
                                    
  • Modeling Sustainability
    • 
                                    
  • Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
    • 
                                    
  • Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
    • 
                                    
  • Using Data-Informed Processes for Continuous Improvement
    • 
                                    
  • Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning
    • 
                                    
  • Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness
    • 
                            

                            


                        Supporting Rationale

                        
Demography, the study of population trends can be vital to family planning and health services to city planning and expansion of services needed for the future.  


In the government sector federal, state, and local level government jobs often includes data analysis along with research methods to assess future housing, transportation, agriculture, labor, and policy groups.


Job Titles can include but not be limited to include: Research Director, Correction Officer, Probation Officer, Social Caseworker, Technical Writer, Evaluation Assistant, State Trooper, Health Facilities Evaluator, Program Coordinator, Management Analyst, Volunteer Coordinator, Program Analysts, Urban Planner, Marketing Researcher, Insurance Underwriter, Health Planner, Child Care Worker, Court paralegal, Police or Fire Officer, Health Statistician.  

                        

                    
                    
                        Supporting Rationale Alignment


                        Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: Yes

                        Supports Program Review Recommendations: Yes

                        Supports Course level SLOs: Yes

                        Supports PLOs: No

                        Supports ILO - Think Critically: No

                        Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No

                        Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: No

                        Supports ILO - Work Effectively: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No




    
                        
                    

                    
Strategy 4 - Full-Time Hire

                    

                        
Hire one full-time faculty to with skills in Statics for the Social Sciences.

                        

                   
                            Initiatives
                            

                            
    
                                    
  • Modeling Sustainability
    • 
                                    
  • Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
    • 
                                    
  • Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
    • 
                                    
  • Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning
    • 
                                    
  • Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness
    • 
                            

                            


                        Supporting Rationale

                        
Hire a full-time Sociology faculty with expertise in Behavioral Statistics (meets math requirement) and support the programs consideration of a Social Justice pathway.


    

  • The addition of a SBS statistics course is projected to be extremely popular as it meets the math requirement 
    • 

  • The Statistics course is the CID recommended course preparation for Social Science majors (Psy, Soc, SBS). 
    • 

  • Because Chico State does NOT offer a Masters Degree in Sociology, finding associate faculty with this expertise is an obstacle.
    • 

  • Long time need for full time leadership in the program:  There has only been one full time faculty in Sociology since 2012.  
    • 



 


  

                        

                    
                    
                        Supporting Rationale Alignment


                        Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: Yes

                        Supports Program Review Recommendations: Yes

                        Supports Course level SLOs: Yes

                        Supports PLOs: No

                        Supports ILO - Think Critically: No

                        Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No

                        Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: No

                        Supports ILO - Work Effectively: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No




    
                        
                    

                    
Strategy 5 - State Identification (C-ID) changes in the components to the Sociology Transfer Model Curriculum.

                    

                        
Late last year (Fall 2021) the state Identification (C-ID) changed the components to the Sociology Transfer Model Curriculum. Besides implementing the common core numbering system (which changes all course within the degree) 2 major changes were included.

                        

                   
                            Initiatives
                            

                            
    
                                    
  • Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
    • 
                                    
  • Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning
    • 
                            

                            


                        Supporting Rationale

                        
In the required core section either a sociology statistics course of a math statistics or a social science statistics course needs to be offered. Presently this is being taught through the psychology department but will probably have to be Articulated before or during Curriculum Review.


Added to List A is the research methods course or an articulated research methods for behavioral science. Another change to the degree in List A is the addition of Social Psychology.  With this addition, Psychology is going to have to schedule this course at least once a year. This curse for sociology, Research Methods, is written and is now housed in the archives of curriculum.  It was written and placed there when the original degree was submitted for approval in January 2013. At the time, Sociology did not have sufficient majors and Psychology was able to handle both statistics and research methods.


In the future it would be advisable for the degrees continuance to see ‘Sociology of Inequality be added to List B. It currently is listed under the Social and Behavioral Science AA Degree Transfer Major.  This is a local degree program.


Another class to be admitted would be ‘Sustainability of Studies Seminar”.


Additionally for Area F, Multicultural Breath courses that can be fitted into this new area need to be duel listed before they should be offered. They include Sociology of Gender, Introduction to Race and Ethnicity and Sociology of Inequality.  


The new Area F will probably accept these courses as part of their area.  A word of caution is that with Area F acceptance – the Sociology Degree is not to be compromised in the process of accepting these courses.  These courses are part of the current degree program and should not be moved, causing the loss of units for the current degree.

                        

                    
                    
                        Supporting Rationale Alignment


                        Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: No

                        Supports Program Review Recommendations: No

                        Supports Course level SLOs: Yes

                        Supports PLOs: Yes

                        Supports ILO - Think Critically: No

                        Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No

                        Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: No

                        Supports ILO - Work Effectively: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No

                        Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No




    
                        
                    


        
    
    
    
        
Requested Non-Financial Resources

        

            
N/A

            
        

    


        
Current Financial Resources

        

            
N/A

        
    
    
    
    
    

    

    
    





 8/2/23