Program Review for Spanish (M.A.)

2006-2007 Recommendations

I. Strengths:

1. The program has joined forces with Texas A&M University to teach doctorate level courses at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, thus creating a graduate-level atmosphere for students.

2. The number of students in this graduate program has grown from 9 to 23 over the past three years.

3. The faculty has outstanding knowledge of the graduate program’s needs.

4. The program has a full-time graduate coordinator who maintains contact with department head and faculty within the discipline. The three faculty members who teach graduate level courses meet periodically as a “Committee of the Whole” to discuss matters pertaining to the Spanish program.

5. Faculty is research-based and has published several scholarly articles.

6. Faculty is student-centered, dedicated and is attempting to find new ways to increase enrollment. Faculty uses "Committee of the Whole" to make decisions.

7. Membership in Sigma Delta Pi, the national Spanish honor society, has increased, according to the Spanish Graduate Program Coordinator's report.

8. As a result of the development of the Hispanic Resource Center, which came about because of the NEH-sponsored Hispanics Studies in South Texas grant, reference books and encyclopedic materials have been purchased by the program for use by graduate students and is currently located on the second floor of Fore Hall. This helped alleviate problem areas in the Jernigan Library holdings and to clear up much of the Inter-Library Loan request to acquire relevant material students needed for their research.

II. Weaknesses:

1. The program lacks sufficient number of faculty to meet SACS requirements. Currently there are only three faculty members teaching graduate level courses. SACS requires four.

2. The number of graduates continues to be low, with only two graduates in two years.

3. Faculty seems over-burdened with teaching, research and graduate level administrative duties. The graduate coordinator is handling too many of the duties and this could be a problem in the future.

4. The program’s number of full-time graduate majors in the subject area remains low (9), in spite of a dramatic increase of eight students since 2004.

5. The program’s technological and informational needs have not been met.

6. Overall student enrollment in the Spanish program and in particular the undergraduate program, continues to decrease. For example, only three of 1,387 student applicants for fall 2008 have indicated Spanish as a major. This will deplete future classes and eventually impact the graduate-level classes.

III. Recommendations:

1. The program cannot continue to be in violation of SACS requirements. Doing so will put the entire Arts and Sciences Division at TAMUK in jeopardy.

2. It is recommended a fourth professor who can teach graduate level courses be hired so that the program can meet minimum SACS requirements. While this has been requested before and turned down, it is essential for this program’s survival.

3. The number of graduates needs to be increased at least to an average of three per year.

4. At present, much of the information, including official files of graduate students, are maintained by the Graduate Student Coordinator. While the "Committee of the Whole" method is working as well because of the small number of faculty, it would be prudent to keep permanent records in a more secure environment such as a departmental office.

5. The expectations for teaching, research and graduate level administrative duties must be alleviated through teaching load reductions and the hiring of graduate teaching assistants or assigning work study clerical positions to the area. It is recommended that this be brought to the attention of the Department chair and the area’s Faculty Council representative. The current workload is unacceptable for faculty who are expected to teach, participate in community and university services, conduct research and be published.

6. The faculty should embark on a coordinated and well-planned recruiting effort in area high school and community colleges in an effort to attract undergraduate and transfer students. Hosting symposiums or a series of speakers that area high school students can be invited to attend on campus could be one solution. Another solution could be to have a Spanish literary contest (poetry, essays, short stories) for area high school students on specific dates like Dîez y Seis de Septiembre (Sept. 16).

7. Members of Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish National Honor Society, seem to have become an integral part of the program’s vitality and are involved in several of the programs efforts. It is recommended that Sigma Delta Pi’s involvement be expanded to recruit graduate students through a series of seminars and fund-raisers. Sigma Delta Pi can also help with the suggestions mentioned in recommendation 6.

8. A thorough review of the program’s technological and informational needs must be under taken as soon as possible. It is recommended that CIS personnel visit with the Spanish Graduate Program Coordinator so that a solution to the current crisis can be addressed.

IV. Program Recommendation:

It is recommended that the Arts and Science Division approve the Spanish Master's Program for continuation on a probationary status. This would allow the Language and Literature Department time to work with the Spanish faculty to try to increase the number of undergraduate students, implement a recruiting plan that would positively impact both the undergraduate and graduate programs, and allow for the program to make a strong case for a fourth professor who would put the program within SACS compliance. Short of these measures it is difficult to imagine how the program can survive.

V. Dean’s Comments (Ronald Hy):

The Spanish Master's Program should be placed on probationary status with the stipulation that it graduate at least eight students over the next three years. If the program fails to do so, it should be eliminated.