Anthropology

• Mission Statement

  The overall mission of the Weber State University Anthropology Program is grounded in the disciplinary body of knowledge which
  provides students with a holistic, comparative understanding of human behavior, human biological and cultural variation across a variety
  of temporal and geographic scales. The program aims to produce students versed in anthropologically-grounded methods in research,
  analysis, and interpretation, and a strong sense of anthropology's relevance to the world today. Students are taught to question and
  examine the significance of beliefs, attitudes and prejudices toward human differences and similarities, and to be informed of the
  anthropological position of relativism and valuing cultural and biological variation. The program prepares students for a broad range of
  both public and private sector employment in anthropology-related fields or to enter professional or graduate schools appropriate to their
  interests.

• Student Learning Outcomes
  • Certificate

    Students completing the Archeological Technician Certificate will:

  • Associate Degree

    Students completing the Associate of Applied Science in Archeological Technician degree will:

  • Bachelor Degree

    At the end of their study at WSU, students completing the Bachelor of Arts or Science  in Anthropology or Anthropology, Archeology Track will:

    Students will understand and/or be able to apply:
    1. the four-field approach of anthropology;
    2. anthropological theory and methods;
    3. critical thinking and communication skills;
    4. human cultural and biological diversity across time and space.

• Curriculum Grid

• Program and Contact Information
  Anthropology takes a holistic approach to describing and explaining human differences and similarities around the world and throughout time. The program offers a holistic, four-field approach to anthropology with its subfields of Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology and Linguistic Anthropology. The program offers both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in Anthropology with tracks in General Anthropology and Archaeology. General Anthropology prepares students for public and private sector careers in anthropology-related fields or to enter professional or graduate schools. Students in this track complete a series of introductory and advanced courses in the four subfields of Anthropology, as well as various elective classes suited to student interests. In addition, a Minor in Anthropology, as well as an Anthropology BIS emphasis are also offered. Through participation in a
  required archaeological field school and Archaeological Laboratory Techniques class in our state-of-the-art lab and collections curation and storage facility, students in the BA or BS Archaeology Track provides students with the knowledge and experience to enter graduate programs and obtain part- and full-time, entry-level positions with cultural resource management firms, environmental consulting firms and public land-managing agencies at the state or federal level. The Anthropology Program also serves students seeking general education, diversity credits, or who wish to take anthropology courses for interest, offering five General Education courses across a range of Gen Ed Learning Outcomes.
  
  Contact Information:
  Dr. Mark A. Stevenson, Associate Professor, Anthropology Program Coordinator
  Department of Sociology and Anthropology
  Weber State University
  1299 Edvalson St., Dept 1208
  Ogden, Utah  84408-1208
  (801) 626-6244
  mstevenson1@weber.edu

  https://www.weber.edu/socanthro/

• Assessment Plan

  At present we plan to continue with a course-based assessment approach. Given the challenges of finding common assessment points for students in both tracks in our program beyond the shared core, discussion about moving to an outcome-based assessment approach is ongoing. The tenure-track faculty of the anthropology program serve as the Assessment Committee to oversee and implement the program’s assessment plan, with the Anthropology Program Coordinator serving as the committee chair. At the end of each academic year (in advance of submitting an annual strategic plan update), the faculty convene to review the assessment plan, assign responsibility for course-based Gen Ed and Program Learning outcome assessment for the coming academic year, and discuss assessment findings.
  
  In the wake of the most recent program review, we have substantially revised our Learning outcomes, reducing them in number
  from 8 to 4. We have also reduced the number of courses in which these are assessed to the shared core of classes common to
  students enrolled in both the General Anthropology and Archaeology Tracks in the program.
  
  In the process of revising Program Learning Outcomes, the Anthropology Program faculty have decided to synchronize PLO assessment with General Education assessment. Moving forward, the program will synchronize General Education and Program Learning Outcomes assessment on a biennial cycle, assessing PLOs in two required, shared core courses per biennial report.

  • Fall 2023 - program faculty have undertaken assessment of both General Education and Program Learning outcomes. PLOs in this report have been assessed in ANTH 4200 Anthropological Theory and ANTH 4300 Anthropological Research Methods. Both courses utilize direct assessment measures.
  • Fall 2025 - next round of biennial course assessment (Gen Ed and Program Learning Outcomes), including ANTH 4900 Senior Capstone Seminar, ANTH 4200 Anthropological Theory and one additional required course for the Archaeology Track (TBD). PLOs are assessed in ANTH 4900 using a combination of direct and indirect assessment measures.
• Assessment Report Submissions
  2023-24
  2021-22 - Conducted Program Review
  2019-20
  2017
  2016 - Conducted Program Review
  2015

• Program Review

  2021-22

  2016-17

This information is part of the cyclical program review process. Details such as mission statements, learning outcomes, etc., are updated as part of the biennial assessment reporting process, an integral component of program review.