CCOOLLLLEEGGEE OOFF AARRTTSS AANNDD SSCCIIEENNCCEESS AANNNNUUAALL RREEPPOORRTT 22001122--22001133 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 African and African American Studies 6 Anthropology 17 Art 26 Biology 40 Chemistry 60 College of Arts and Sciences Education Program (CASEP) 76 Communication, Media and Theatre 81 Computer Science 102 Earth Science NA Economics 107 English 115 English Language Program 150 Geography and Environmental Studies 159 History 163 Justice Studies 171 Latino and Latin-American Studies 183 Linguistics 189 Mathematics 201 Mathematics Development 219 Music and Dance Program 222 Office of Cultural Events 238 Philosophy 240 Physics 249 Political Science 255 Psychology and Gerontology MA Program 270 Social Work 308 Sociology 323 Student Center for Science Engagement (SCSE) 347 Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language 364 Women‘s Studies 378 World Languages and Cultures 390 2 CCOOLLLLEEGGEE OOFF AARRTTSS AANNDD SSCCIIEENNCCEESS AANNNNUUAALL RREEPPOORRTT Executive Summary In 2012-2013, the College of Arts and Sciences (College) equaled its 2011-2012 record- breaking total number of degree conferrals – 1118 (949 bachelor and 169 master, in 2012-2013). This number represents a healthy 13% increase over the College total of degree conferrals five years earlier. The six largest baccalaureate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, by number of majors and in order of size, were Biology, Psychology, Justice Studies, Computer Science, Social Work, and Communication, Media, and Theatre. The three largest master‘s programs were TESL/TEFL, Computer Science, and Linguistics. As the university addressed enrollment declines in 2012-2013, College departments and programs continued to design even more efficient scheduling and to strengthen course offerings. The College is pleased that the new Environmental Science major passed through the university governance committees in 2012-2013. Reviewing 2012-2013 highlights, the College is especially proud of the success of its Reimagining Food Initiative. Responding to the call from the university president for innovation, the College organized two major Roundtables in 2012-2013, the first in fall 2012 focusing on ―Public Universities, Social Solutions: Liberal Education Leading the Way.‖ Building on the lively and productive discussion in the first Roundtable, the second Roundtable on April 11, 2013 focused on ―Reimagining Food‖ in the classroom and beyond. This Food Roundtable attracted approximately 350 participants from across different sectors of the university and community and quickly spawned multiple curricular and co-curricular innovative outcomes, including several new food-related courses, food-related theatre productions, and forward movement on a university-based urban community garden. Most satisfyingly, the College of Arts and Sciences-led Reimagining Food Initiative has generated productive new partnerships between the Academic Affairs and Student Affairs divisions of the university and between the university and neighboring community organizations and residents. In 2012-2013, the College was also happy to fund, for the second year in a row, faculty-student summer research projects in the Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. This program was expanded to involve eleven College faculty members and eighteen College students. 3 As documented throughout this annual report, College departments and programs continue to advance the university strategic goals of academic excellence and student success by supporting undergraduate and graduate student research (including engaging more than 100 STEM students in research projects in summer 2013), writing, presentations and publications; organizing student travel and study both in the U.S. and abroad (including a Sociology class trip to Cuba in summer 2013); conducting student- centered assessment; implementing strategies to improve student retention; supporting interdisciplinary programming (such as the Art in Response to Violence conference in fall 2012 that involved faculty and students from Art, Psychology, Political Science, Social Work, and Music and the NEXUS 2013 International Conference on Water that involved faculty, students, and alumni from Computer Science, Earth Science, Biology, Philosophy, History, Geography and Environmental Studies, and Economics); building programs at NEIU‘s satellite locations (including a new Social Work bachelor‘s degree completion program at the University Center of Lake County); co-organizing events with student organizations; creating new student-focused co-curricular activities (such as the English Department-organized Visiting Writers Series); and honoring outstanding students at special award ceremonies and through College-based social media. College students in turn have presented their research both internally (including at the annual symposia of Student Research and Creative Activities, Student Center for Science Engagement, and Psychology) and externally at various conferences; published their research in journals and other forums; performed concerts and recitals; acted in theatrical productions; organized major events; won awards; gained socially beneficial employment; and been accepted to numerous graduate and professional programs. The College was very pleased to hire twelve new tenure-track faculty members in 2013 including Sarah Orlofske (Biology), Graciela Perera (Computer Science), Kristin Hunt (Communication, Media, and Theatre), Elisabet Head (Earth Science), Hardik Marfatia (Economics), Caleb Gallemore (Geography and Environmental Studies), Rachel Birmingham (Justice Studies/Child Advocacy Studies), Joseph Hibdon (Mathematics), Katherine Bird (Mathematics), William Adler (Political Science), Aimee Hilado Villapando (Social Work), and Marcos Feldman (Sociology). College of Arts and Sciences faculty members continued to excel in multiple ways. In 2013, four College faculty members were awarded tenure, five were promoted to the rank of associate professor, and four to full professor. Fifteen College faculty members were recognized for authoring or editing books that were published in 2012 and dozens published articles and presented recitals. Seventeen College faculty members earned 2013 Faculty Excellence Awards for their achievements and contributions in the areas of teaching, research, and service during the 2011-2012 academic year and seven College instructors earned Instructor Excellence Awards for accomplishments during the same period. College alumni Dr. Ann Kalayil (Computer Science 1982) earned the university‘s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2012 and state Representative Sara Feigenholtz (Political Science and Speech and Performing Arts 1978) was honored by the Theta Lambda Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society, in spring 2013. The College established a new annual event in fall 2012, a late-afternoon ―happy hour‖ reception for retired members of the College faculty following the conclusion of the day- long annual Faculty Research Symposium. College chairs and coordinators were also pleased to welcome the new provost in spring 2013 with a gift to him of more than two 4 dozen books authored and edited by members of the College faculty. Finally, College staff and faculty helped to foster deeper university relationships with neighborhood community organizations by attending meeting and events of the Cambodian Association of Illinois and the Albany Park Neighborhood Association, among others. As a community, we continue to foster faculty excellence and to work hard to serve our students and alumni, embracing our wonderful diversity, in the spirit of our values of integrity, excellence, access to opportunity, and empowerment through learning. Wamucii Njogu 5 AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM Annual Report 2012 - 2013 Submitted by Marshall Thompson Executive Summary The African and African American Studies Program (AFAM) is the study, research, interpretation and dissemination of knowledge about Africans, both on the continent of Africa and in the Diaspora. Administratively, AFAM is housed in the Sociology Department as a part of a larger combined department that includes Sociology, Women‘s and Gender Studies, and Latino and Latin American Studies programs. The AFAM minor is designed to provide a curriculum that prepares its minors for advanced graduate studies in African/African American and African Diaspora Studies, international affairs, education, social work, social policy studies, and legal and professional training as well as preparation for such fields as communications, writing, teaching, theatre, and dance. The mission of AFAM is to provide a high quality undergraduate interdisciplinary academic curriculum and services to enrich the educational experiences of Northeastern Illinois University‘s diverse faculty, staff, and student body. The AFAM minor is an 18-credit hour program. The AFAM curriculum consists of three required core courses (9 credit hours). These three courses include: Introduction to African and African American Studies (AFAM 200); Foundations of African Civilization (AFAM 301); and Foundations of Africans in the Diaspora (AFAM 302). The curriculum also includes three elective courses (9 credit hours) spread over 17 departments or programs. Students in the AFAM minor must select their three electives from at least two different departments including Anthropology, Art, Educational Leadership, Teacher Education, English, Foreign Languages, Geography and Environmental Studies, History, Inner