Building Graduate and Undergraduate Data Analytics

Programs in SociologyExperiential Education: Understanding the Impact on Underrepresented Populations

Stella & Charles Guttman Community College

April 10, 2019

Panel Organization

• Curricular Shift to Data Analytics in Graduate and Undergraduate Sociology Programs• Experiential Learning and Support for Underrepresented Populations

• From Undergraduate to Graduate Student to Teacher: Personal Account• Discussion

The Challenge: What can you do with a degree in Sociology?

Drop across the country in Sociology majors

At Queens, students flocking to Computer Science, Accounting, and Business

Push for Criminology or Social Work

Working Backwards from Job to Degree to Make Ourselves Relevant• MA in Sociology since 1968

• Catered to teachers seeking MA in Social Science discipline and to people seeking careers in applied social research

• Heavy emphasis on research methods and analytics

• 90% of graduates in 2014 survey had careers in data and/or research

• Challenge of getting in front of recruiters

Rebranding: MA in Data Analytics and Applied Social Research

Funding from CUNY Workforce Development Initiative

Small programmatic change that emphasized job market applications

Five tracks:Applied Social ResearchData ScienceMarket ResearchMedia and MarketingProgram Evaluation and Policy Analysis

Same core, different electives

STEM designation as Applied Statistics program

Data Analytics for

Undergraduates

• Business Higher Education Forum seeking to prepare data enabled undergraduate

• Competencies for the data literate graduate by the American Association of College and Universities (AACU).

• Options:• Data Analytics major• Portable Data Analytics minor• Infusion of Data Analytics into Sociology

program• Accelerated MA Program

Strategy: Data-Infused Sociology Major + Data Analytics Minor

Shared core of research methods and

analytics classes:

Data 205 Introductory Analytics (MQR)

Data 212W Research Methods (SW)

Data 334 Applied Research

Data literacy competencies for

Sociology majors with core +:

Soc 331 Social TheorySoc 381 Senior

Seminar

Data Analytics Minors to be “date

enabled” with core +:Data 235 Data and

Society (SW)Data 306 Data Analysis

and ModelingData 333 Data Management,

Processing, and Visualization

Emphasis on Experiential

Learning

Developing a Pipeline of Data-Literate and Data-Enabled Graduates

Sociology Major

Use data on the job

Data Analytics Minor

Job focused on data Career in data

MA in Data Analytics & Applied Social Research

UndergraduatePrograms

GraduatePrograms

+ 3 data courses

Accelerated MA in Data Analytics & Applied Social Research

B+ or better 3.5 GPA

May take up to 12 graduate credits counted toward both BA & MA

Data Enabled Graduate Pipeline

• First cohorts entering Accelerated MA program• Fast-track admission to MA program for students

with Honors in Sociology• 15 minors after first full semester of availability

of Data Analytics Minor and all 70 seats full in gateway course

• MA enrollment up by 50% and growing

Maximizing Limited Resources

Down 8 lines since 2012

More than 75% reliance on adjuncts

Not easy to staff advanced analytics classes at current adjunct pay rate

Master instructor in lecture/lab format with multiple TAs leading labs

Enlisting MA students as TAs

Challenges and Successful Practices

for Supporting Underrepresented

Populations for Success in STEM

Profile of Graduate Students

• 58% graduate• 75% undergraduateWomen

• 9% graduate• 13% undergraduate

Black or African-American

• 37% graduate• 35% undergraduateHispanic

• 16% graduate• 4% undergraduateInternational Students

Responding to Student Needs

Confidence about skills

Underestimation of accomplishments

Expectations about possible future

Challenges of mastering the material

Wraparound Supports

Mentor in Residence

Availability of Comprehensive

Tutoring

Small classes and individual

attention

Assigned advisors

Skill-enhancing workshops Alumni panels

Personal Experience

Brainstorming for Other Fields

How can we take what we most prize in our academic

disciplines and make it relevant to and supportive of

students’ job prospects?