Auburn University

Wednesday, November 1, 2006

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Headline Date Outlet
   AU taking steps amid nationwide shortage of nursing instructors 11/01/2006 Opelika-Auburn News
   New guidelines list goals and learning outcomes for psychology majors 11/01/2006 Monitor on Psychology (November 2006)

AU taking steps amid nationwide shortage of nursing instructors
11/01/2006
Opelika-Auburn News
Amy Weaver

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**Barbara Witt, dean of the AU School of Nursing, is the primary source for this story.**


News of a nationwide shortage of nursing instructors is not news to Barbara Witt.

It's a problem Witt has been dealing with since 1999, when she became dean of the College of Nursing at Auburn University.

"I have never, in all that time, had all faculty positions filled," she said.

There are 16 positions at AU and 14 in the School of Nursing at Auburn University Montgomery, where Witt also serves as dean. Having only one vacancy on each campus currently is the best situation Witt said she's ever had. In the past, she's had as many as three or four openings at one campus or the other.

The country has been dealing with a shortage of nurses for years, but as colleges across the country enroll more nursing students, the demand for instructors to teach them increases. Witt called it a "perfect storm."

"Nursing education is not as attractive as clinical work because of the money," Witt said. "The word is out that if you become a nurse, you have economic security."

Certain nursing positions in the highest demand, such as nurse anesthetist, can start at more than $100,000, according to Witt, but most new graduates can expect to earn a salary and benefits worth $50,000 for a staff nursing job, which is more than Witt said first-year faculty at AU or AUM are paid.

Part of the problem lies with the current staff. The Baby Boomer generation is aging, Witt said, creating an older generation of instructors. The average age of a faculty member these days is between 54 and 56.

"As these people start to retire, the ranks will be depleted," she said, making the situation more dire than it is now.

To address the shortage, AU and AUM started a joint master's program last year. Classes for the new Master's of Science in Nursing began this fall. Witt said graduates will be clinical nurse specialists who have a focus on nursing education.

"We are growing our own," she said.

It is a true joint endeavor as classes are offered at either campus by faculty at both, Witt said. Diplomas will list AU and AUM as the degree-granting institutions. The undergraduate programs, which have been under Witt's direction for the past seven years, remain separate.

Witt said enrollment in the undergrad programs has increased in Auburn and Montgomery, creating a need for more faculty at both. Witt said AUM recently received a grant from Baptist Health to pay the salaries of two additional faculty for four years. This fall, AUM was able to admit 80 students rather than its usual 60. AU added eight more for a total of 88 students without additional resources, Witt said.

It's great that the schools were able to admit more, but Witt said many qualified students are turned away year after year because neither campus can accommodate all that apply. Witt said 210 students applied for the 88 spots this year at AU; 240 applied last year for 80. One hundred applicants sought the 80 seats at AUM.

"It's frustrating," she said. "We have well-qualified students we have to say no to. They want to be nurses, but we don't have the room."

Even if AU and AUM could admit more to help the nursing and teacher shortages, there are a limited number of places in the area for students to do their clinicals, such as hospitals and hospice, Witt said. Some have to travel to Columbus, Montgomery or Birmingham.

"We have pretty much maxed out our clinical facilities," she said.

If there is any good news out of the shortage, Witt said employers can rest assured the demand is creating only the most highly qualified graduates to enter the workforce.
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New guidelines list goals and learning outcomes for psychology majors
11/01/2006
Monitor on Psychology (November 2006)
Christopher Munsey

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**Bill Buskist, a psychology professor at Auburn University, is a source for this story.**

Knowing what to teach, and assessing what's been taught
New guidelines list goals and learning outcomes for psychology majors.

For the first time, APA's Council of Representatives has adopted a policy that specifies the basic knowledge, skills and values that psychology departments should impart to undergraduate psychology students by the time they earn a bachelor’s degree.

The "Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major," approved by council during APA's 2006 Annual Convention, give psychology departments a list of 10 goals and learning outcomes for students.

And, to help departments evaluate how well their programs are helping students meet the goals, a Web-based assessment tool called the Assessment CyberGuide is available.

"The goals give you a framework to evaluate the quality of your curriculum," explains Jane Halonen, PhD, chair of the Board of Educational Affairs Task Force on Psychology Major Competencies, which developed the policy. "Departments now have a benchmark against which to begin that conversation."

The goals are designed to provide a solid foundation for the tens of thousands of students entering the job market with a bachelor's degree, and those continuing all the way to a doctorate, Halonen says.

"The majority of students who are majors do not go on to graduate school, so we really need to be paying attention to what the job market is like," she says.

As Halonen describes it, a student educated in all 10 goals will be someone who's an adaptable learner capable of working in a team and delivering a product on deadline. That student will also be adept at analyzing a problem from multiple points of view, sorting out different claims, writing coherently and arguing a point persuasively.

To develop the guidelines, the task force drew together scholars experienced in psychology curriculum development and representing a range of departments from four-year schools to community colleges. They identified curriculum goals achievable in four years of coursework, Halonen says.

The goals are divided into two broad areas: 1.) the knowledge, skills and values consistent with the science and application of psychology, and 2.) the knowledge, skills and values consistent with liberal arts education that are further developed in psychology. The first set of goals mainly concerns what students should know and be able to do related to the scientific aspects of psychology; the second set focuses on what they should know how to do in related skills in the liberal arts, such as information literacy and communication skills, Halonen says.

Task force member Bill Buskist, PhD, a psychology professor at Auburn University, describes the goals as an "deal" for all psychology departments to shoot for in undergraduate instruction.

"This offers departments a chance to step back and look at how all the pieces of their curriculum fit together. It's not expected that every psychology department will meet all 10 goals, but it does give all departments a chance to take aim at a useful bull’s-eye," Buskist says.

The first set of goals related to the science and application of psychology include:

•A basic understanding of psychology's major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings and historical trends.

•A working knowledge of the principles of research design and an ability to apply them.

•The ability to think critically, creatively and, when possible, to use the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes.

•An understanding of the ways psychology is applied in the realms of work, personal life, education and other real-world situations.

•An appreciation of such values as the obligation to act ethically and an ability to tolerate ambiguity when dealing with complex questions.

The second set of goals related to a liberal arts education within psychology include:

•Information and technological literacy, including how to use technology to present graphic information, manage e-mail and store information.

•Effective communication in writing and oral presentations.

•Ability to recognize, understand and respect the complexity of diversity.

•Good "self-regulation," with the ability to set goals and meet obligations.

•Understanding of the career choices open to psychology students and of how to plan individual career goals.

To help departments determine if they are meeting the goals and measure the quality of instruction, the task force developed the Assessment CyberGuide, Halonen says.

First made available in 2003, the CyberGuide is centered on four areas, including understanding assessment; designing viable assessment plans; sustaining an assessment culture; and applying assessment strategies in psychology. By working through those four areas, a psychology department should be able to transition from an approach where assessment only occurs as part of a cyclical accreditation process to one of continuous improvement, she says.

More information about the CyberGuide is available on the Web at www.apa.org/ed/guidehomepage.html. The guidelines will be posted at www.apa.org/ed/resources.html.
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