Mission

Vision

The Department of Psychology will achieve recognition for excellence in teaching, research, and service, while maintaining a nationally-recognized inclusive and diverse academic community that respects differences among individuals.

• Recruit, retain, promote and reward outstanding faculty and staff;
• Expand the number and diversity of tenure-track faculty;
• Support innovative and interdisciplinary programs and pedagogy;
• Increase the quality and diversity of undergraduate and graduate students and provide excellent education for them;
• Enhance the climate of support for teaching and research;
• Expand and renovate physical facilities for instruction and research; and
• Maintain educational, service, and research programs to enhance the quality of life and healthy living of the people of Oklahoma.

Core Values

Excellence – We seek excellence in all our endeavors, and we are committed to continuous improvement.

Intellectual Freedom – We believe in ethical and scholarly questioning in an environment that respects the rights of all to freely pursue knowledge.

Integrity – We are committed to the principles of truth and honesty, and we will be equitable, ethical, and professional.

Service – We believe that serving others is a noble and worthy endeavor.

Diversity – We respect others and value diversity of opinion, freedom of expression, and other ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Stewardship of Resources – We are dedicated to the efficient and effective use of resources. We accept responsibility of the public’s trust and are accountable for our actions.

Student Centeredness – We seek outstanding teaching and creative leadership in all areas of student interaction, including instruction, supervision, and research.

Scholarship – We are committed to advancing knowledge, creativity, methodological rigor, critical thinking, effective communication, knowledge of the science of behavior, and cultural and technical literacy.

Integrity – We are committed to maintaining professional ethics, integrity, professionalism, respect, and responsiveness to the needs of students.

Service – We believe in altruism, generous and effective service at all levels, and pro bono service in our areas of expertise.

Development – We promote life-long learning and intellectual development for all faculty, staff, and students.

Intellectual Freedom – We believe in academic freedom, due process, legal protections, and shared governance.

Diversity – We respect individual and cultural diversity and human rights.

Fairness – We support fair and equitable treatment of students, staff, and faculty in all affairs including opportunity and compensation.

Collegiality – We promote an environment of civil and supportive interactions among faculty, staff and students.

Goals, Critical Success Factors, Objectives, and Strategies

Goal 1: Recruit, retain, promote, and reward outstanding faculty and staff.

Critical Success Factors:

• Faculty searches are successful in recruiting top candidates
• Outstanding faculty members do not leave for other universities
• Outstanding staff members do not leave for other positions outside the department
• Faculty salaries are at least at the Big 12 average for rank (i.e., address salary compression)
• Outstanding faculty members receive raises substantially above average
• Staff salaries reflect those of comparable professionals in the region (i.e., address salary compression
• Outstanding staff members receive raises substantially above average

Objectives:

• Explore sources of funding to supplement departmental budget for recruitment costs so that expenses do not drain departmental budget.
• Maintain competitive levels of start-up ($45K-$50K for new PhDs in 2004) to successfully recruit top candidates.
• Pursue proposed plan to relocate UTES to another building and acquire vacated space in North Murray to allow for adequate research and office space for new faculty or locate alternate suitable space in nearby buildings (e.g., renovated space in South Murray).

• Make the advantages of being named Regents Professor known to all faculty.
• Encourage appropriate faculty to apply for Regents Professor.
• Explore additional incentives for those named Regents Professor.

• Obtain funding from central administration to support merit-based programs.
• Identify level of support based on faculty A&D reviews and staff annual reviews.
• Distribute funds based on performance as indicated by A&D or annual reviews for faculty and staff.

• Obtain faculty salary data for Big 12 institutions from annual American Psychological Association and staff salary data from market studies.
• Identify target salary for each faculty member and staff member and current discrepancy in current versus target salary.
• Distribute funds across faculty and staff to address discrepancy in salary.

• Schedule regular meetings between the Head and each untenured faculty member to provide support and feedback in identifying goals and progress toward tenure and promotion.
• Develop yearly plan with each untenured faculty member for mentoring, including identifying mentor(s) other than the head, and scheduling meetings with mentor(s).
• Review mentoring plan on yearly basis and adjust as necessary for each untenured faculty member.

• Maintain participation in training and development programs by all staff.
• Obtain additional funds as needed to provide training and development opportunities for staff.
• Develop yearly plan for training and development for each staff member, and review and update as part of annual review.

• Add staff accomplishments to the Department website.
• Work with the Public Information Office to publicize accomplishments of faculty and staff both within and outside the University.

Goal 2: Expand the number and diversity of tenure-track faculty.

Critical Success Factors:

• Increase the number of faculty to accommodate the number of undergraduate majors and graduate students
• Increase the percentage of courses taught by tenure-track faculty
• Increase the number of minority and female tenure-track faculty
• Ensure that the proportion of successful tenure and promotion bids for minority and female faculty members is comparable to that of non-minority and male faculty members

Objectives:

• Encourage faculty members to contact promising minority and women scholars at professional meetings and conferences, maintain contacts and then encourage to apply when candidates are available.
• Identify supplemental funding to strengthen offers (salary, start-up) to minority and female candidates.

• Identify recurring temporary funding to supplement teaching and develop plan to establish permanent, tenure-track position(s).
• Identify amount of funding increase needed to adequately cover the costs of supplemental courses offered in response to increased enrollment and request this increase to our instructional budget.
• Request new, tenure-track faculty lines to accommodate increased teaching needs and to support increased research and service work as well.

• Explore avenues and mechanisms to develop plan for endowed professorship or chair.
• Work with OSU Foundation personnel and other appropriate units or persons to solicit support for endowed professorship or chair.

• Include mentoring contacts and activities outside the Department in the yearly mentoring plan for untenured minority and female faculty, specifically contacts with other minority and female faculty.
• Schedule occasional workshops or brown bag discussions of topics especially relevant to female and minority faculty.

• Include accomplishments of minority and female faculty members in the Department website.
• Work with the Public Information Office to publicize the accomplishments of minority and female faculty members both within and outside the University.

Goal 3: Support innovative and interdisciplinary programs and pedagogy.

Critical Success Factors:

• Maintain and expand collaborative relationships across disciplines, both within and outside OSU, including state, national and international contacts
• Create specialty undergraduate tracks that take advantage of existing programs outside psychology (e.g., gerontology, animal behavior, women’s studies, quantitative methods)
• Develop new and maintain current partnerships for practicum sites for graduate students with other state-funded agencies to maintain efficient use of resources for training
• Develop relationships for outside research practica for Lifespan Developmental graduate students
• Create successful academic rewards for faculty members working in innovative or interdisciplinary programs
• Achieve external recognition and support for innovative pedagogies

Objectives:

• Encourage faculty to join interdisciplinary programs, such as the School of International Studies, Women’s Faculty Associates.
• Invite faculty from other departments and universities to give colloquia to increase awareness of opportunities for increased collaboration.
• Maintain current contacts resulting in shared grant applications (e.g., Nutritional Sciences, Human Development and Family Science, Food Technology).
• Build upon existing research collaborations with the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the OSU Center for Health Sciences.
• Build upon existing collaboration with the Oklahoma Center for Food Technology to promote economic development opportunities within the pet industry.
• Build upon existing research collaborations in Brazil, Slovenia, Italy, the Netherlands, and Venezuela.
• Build upon existing collaborations with tribal agencies and the Indian Health Service, with local public schools, civic organizations, and physicians.

• Develop plans with recommended courses for students for each new undergraduate track.
• Publicize plans for each track by distributing on the student list-serv and posting on the Department website, and encouraging students to complete these tracks.
• Include undergraduate tracks in student advising.

Goal 4: Increase the quality and diversity of undergraduate students and provide excellent education for them.

Critical Success Factors:

• Students will apply for and be successful in obtaining scholarships
• Students will participate in the honors program
• Students will participate in research (e.g., enrollment in PSYC 4990)
• Students will be able to apply scientific methods and principles, and demonstrate critical thinking
• Increase the number of minority students
• Students will be successful in obtaining employment or admission to graduate school upon graduation
• Students completing honors or senior theses will present their research at professional meetings

Objectives:

• Post announcements of upcoming scholarships on the undergraduate list-serv.
• Identify students working in faculty research labs and have their faculty mentors personally invite students to apply for appropriate scholarships.
• Encourage all students completing honors theses to apply for Wentz and other funding for their projects.

• Continue to offer 4-5 honors sections of PSYC 1113 Introductory Psychology.
• Encourage top students in PSYC 1113 to consider participating in the honors program.
• Encourage honors students to complete honors contracts in upper-division courses.

• Update listings of opportunities for working with faculty in their research and post listings on the undergraduate list-serv prior to pre-enrollment and at the beginning of each semester.
• Emphasize the role of research in preparing majors for graduate school in department panel discussions and on department web pages.
• Continue encouraging attendance by students at Psychology Department colloquia.
• Continue externally funded programs to support training in research for undergraduates, such as Summer Science Academy, and the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates program.

• Emphasize the need for early completion of these courses in student advising.
• Emphasize the need for early completion of these courses through announcements in all lower-division courses.
• Recommend early completion of these courses on department web sites and in newsletters posted on the list-serv prior to pre-enrollment.

• Review current minority student mentoring program.
• Provide increased structure and guidelines for graduate student mentors to aid in their mentoring of undergraduate minority students.
• Identify minority undergraduate students and send personal invitations to participate in the minority mentoring program.

• Maintain program offered to students from the Latino Community Development Center in conjunction with Celebrate Students activities.
• Strengthen contacts with and activities provided to Native American students through tribal agencies.
• Obtain funds to maintain and increase the number of recruiting trips at targeted institutions.
• Use the Psych Mobile to bring Psychology education programs to targeted schools with minority students.

• Add methods for more successful tracking of graduates to the yearly assessment plan.
• Work with the Alumni Association to maintain up-to-date data base of contacts for graduates.
• Develop newsletter highlighting accomplishments of bachelor’s graduates and distribute via list-serv (to be developed) for graduates.
• Coordinate with publishers of A&S Alumni Magazine to include contact with bachelor’s graduates.

• Offer panel discussions hosted by the Psychology Club on careers in psychology, applying to graduate school, and other relevant topics.
• Offer workshops hosted by the Psychology Club and faculty on preparation for the GRE, personal statements, vita, and other materials necessary for application to graduate school.
• Continue faculty mentoring of students.

Goal 5: Increase the quality, diversity and numbers of graduate students and provide excellent education for them.

Critical Success Factors:

• Graduate assistantship stipends and tuition waivers are at least at the Big 12 average
• Programs are successful at recruiting and retaining a proportion of the best applicants
• Numbers of minority graduate applicants continues or increases to maintain minimum of 25% minority graduate students
• Graduate students will be successful at obtaining external fellowships and other sources of support
• Increase the number and quality of graduate applications, especially to the Lifespan Developmental Program
• Continue and expand the activities and numbers of students participating in the Preparing Future Faculty in Psychology Program

Objectives:

• Survey Big 12 institutions to obtain up-to-date information on competitive stipend and tuition waiver levels.
• Work with Arts & Sciences to obtain increase to bring stipend level up to competitive level.
• Work with Graduate College to obtain increase tuition waivers and reverse the trend of the past 5 years of decreasing tuition waivers during a time of increased tuition costs.

• Update list of target sites for visiting to recruit minority applicants on a yearly basis.
• Coordinate recruitment visits to target institutions with the Graduate College to allow for more efficient use of resources (i.e., reduce costs and avoid duplicating visits).

• Obtain funding to support recruiting trips to targeted institutions.
• Present materials including the OSU logo and the banner identifying the PDSP and AIIP programs at professional meetings.
• Promote the PDSP and AIIP programs as model programs for supporting diversity in graduate education.

• Develop plan for second-year activities for PFF fellows.
• Strengthen relationships with current partner institutions.
• Develop yearly assessment to evaluate the functioning of the program and identify areas for improvement.

• Update the Department website to include accomplishments of graduate students, including publications, national awards, etc.
• Work with the Public Information Office to publicize the accomplishments of graduate students both within and outside the University.

Goal 6: Enhance the climate of support for teaching and research.

Critical Success Factors:

• Reduced class size for upper-division courses to allow for more hands-on learning and to improve writing skills
• Graduate students and faculty will develop strong teaching and research skills, and will be knowledgeable about latest software and teaching technology
• Faculty and graduate students will disseminate their teaching and research expertise
• Develop innovative projects for student instruction
• Increase the number of psychology faculty on the University IRB
• Faculty and graduate students will obtain support for their research

Objectives:

• Increase faculty awareness of each faculty member’s research through departmental colloquia.
• Maintain the required PSYC 5660 Teaching Practicum course for graduate students.
• Encourage graduate students and faculty to participate in the Training in the Professoriate Series.
• Select topics for monthly teaching and research seminars or colloquia at the beginning of each semester and publicize schedule to facilitate attendance and participation by all faculty and graduate students.
• Expand use of website materials and the Psychology Museum to enhance teaching by graduate students and faculty.

• Increase the number of grant applications by faculty and graduate students.
• Increase the departmental research budget.
• Solicit donations to a graduate student travel fund from alumni in the newsletter sent to doctoral graduates.

• Increase faculty representation on the University IRB.
• Work with Research Compliance personnel to develop a university-wide subject pool.
• Work with the IRB to maintain compliance with federal standards for research.

Goal 7: Expand and renovate physical facilities for instruction and research.

Critical Success Factors:

• All research laboratories have suitable space
• All instructional laboratories have appropriate facilities
• All classrooms have technology available and appropriate for their instructional uses
• All faculty and staff will have offices in a single building to allow for appropriate communication and efficient use of resources

Objectives:

• Develop plan to identify space and renovation needs to facilitate research for current faculty and graduate students.
• Identify additional space and renovation needs if able to increase number of faculty and add to the space and facilities plan.
• Develop plan to identify additional space to allow for physical merger of Speech Communication with Psychology in North Murray (either obtaining remainder of North Murray if UTES moves or obtaining space in renovated South Murray).
• Obtain funding to hire technical assistant to work with faculty on programming and equipment maintenance for research.

• Update computer lab in 015 North Murray on schedule to maintain adequate equipment and software used in courses.
• Maintain part-time technical assistant to maintain computer lab.
• Work with central administration to identify need for additional classrooms equipped with multimedia equipment to allow for multimedia instruction for all courses.

Goal 8: Maintain educational, service, and research programs to enhance the quality of life and healthy living of the people of Oklahoma.

Critical Success Factors:

• Maintain current involvement in organizations representing minority and women’s issues
• Maintain current outreach activities to teach psychology in the public schools
• Maintain current programs to train community professionals in screening for psychological disorders
• Maintain current collaboration with educational programs
• Maintain and expand role in evaluation of social services programs
• Maintain current departmental representation in national, regional, and state professional and government organizations
• Develop effective remediation to decrease health costs of Oklahomans

Objectives:

• Publicize opportunities to participate in appropriate organizations and encourage faculty participation.
• Publicize accomplishments of faculty engaging in activities of these organizations through the Department website and newsletters, and by working with the Public Information Office for publicizing outside the University.

• Increase the number of Psychology as Science shows and the number of other programs presented to the public.
• Increase the number of faculty involved in programs to bring psychological science to the public.
• Develop programs to present in local public schools to foster knowledge of psychology.

• Continue to provide training for professionals in education and medicine to screen for Autism and ADHD.
• Explore additional opportunities to provide training for continuing education for professionals.
• Continue to provide educational programs to families and community groups on relevant topics (e.g., dealing with chronic illness in children, memory changes in older life, etc.).
• Continue and possibly expand collaborations with HeadStart in Payne County.
• Continue and possibly expand research collaborations with state issues addressing public health issues (e.g., Drug Courts in Oklahoma).
• Increase presence of faculty and staff on boards of government of professional organizations (e.g., OK Tobacco Use Prevention Section of the State Department of Health, the Board of Directors of the OK Psychological Association, and the Society of Indian Psychologists).