History

What is the program’s mission statement or statement of purpose? Why does the program exist?

EIU’s History Department promotes the serious exploration of history within and beyond our classrooms. Department faculty and current and former students produce and distribute substantive historical scholarship in various forms from publications to exhibits and to scholarly and popular audiences Faculty work closely with students so that they acquire meaningful knowledge of the past and develop the analytical skills that will enable them to fulfill their responsibilities as informed and engaged citizens. This learning occurs both inside and outside of the classroom through research, study abroad, internships, extracurricular activities, and service projects. In short, students leave the History Department prepared to put their deeper understandings, research and analytical skills, and writing abilities to work in classrooms, museums, libraries, and other settings from the courtroom to the corporate world.

How does the program mission align with the university mission?

The History Department mission aligns with the University mission on the following points:

• Commitment to excellence in teaching, research, creative activity and service
• Commitment to accessibility, diversity, student-faculty collaborations, and applied learning
• Commitment to fostering research, reasoning and communication abilities
• Commitment to fostering community, United States, and global citizenship.

Whom does the program serve?

The program serves History majors and minors; all students seeking teacher certification in all the Social Sciences; students seeking General Education credit in Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences; other majors like Africana Studies, Journalism, Social Science, Anthropology, Political Science with International Option, and Elementary Education, which have requirements and/or electives in History; Minors in Africana Studies, Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, Medieval Studies, Pre-Law, Religious Studies, and Women’s Studies, which also have requirements and/or electives in History.

What are the services provided? How do these services align with the university mission and program mission?

History offers a variety of courses in U.S., African, African-American, Asian, European, Illinois, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Russian, and World history; courses in Historical Research and Writing, Historical Publishing, Archaeology, Public History, Teaching Methods in the Social Sciences, and Historical Administration; Departmental Honors in History; and independent study and thesis opportunities.

These services align with university and program missions though the implementation of the above commitments (under Alignment of Department Mission with University Mission).

Describe the program’s origins (e.g. year established, purpose, expectations).

The history of undergraduate education in the History Department, like that of the university itself, has its roots in teacher preparation and has been intertwined with that of the Social Science program. History originally was part of the collective Social Science department, with its strong emphasis on preparing secondary teachers, and remained so until 1961, when it became a separate department. The two programs remained closely associated within a Social Sciences Division, with a single chairperson. In 1965, President Doudna agreed to break other disciplines out from the Social Sciences, and create separate departments of Political Science, Economics and Anthropology-Sociology. Then, in 1971, Social Science with Teacher Certification and History separated, although the close relationship was maintained, with the coordinator of the inter-disciplinary Social Science BA remaining in the History Department to this day. Until 2004 (despite the reorganization of colleges in 1992 that put History in the CAH and the other Social Sciences in the COS), History and Social Science remained closely cooperating, but separate, programs that shared a Teaching Methods course taught by a History professor and a single Director of Teacher Certification. In 2000, the state of Illinois mandated that by 2004 all certification in the Social Sciences comprise all six disciplines: Economics, Geography, History, Psychology, Political Science and Sociology-Anthropology. As far as the ISBE is concerned, since 2004, we have one program in Social Science Teacher Education, with five possible concentrations (including History, excluding Economics, which chose not to offer a concentration). At EIU, however, because most students seeking Social Science Teacher Certification were in History, we decided to maintain History with Social Science Teacher Certification as a separate major in the History Department. The Social Science major straddles the CAH and the COS; its director remains in History. The two programs continue to cooperate closely and share SOS 3400 (Teaching Methods in the Social Sciences), taught in the History Department. It has been a successful collaboration, with students from EIU earning a 100% pass rate on State of Illinois Subject Area test #114 (Social Studies) during the last two years.

For most of this period, the proportion of History Majors seeking Teacher Certification to those studying only for a straight History major was around two to one. However, since 2009, as a reflection of larger trends in the teaching profession, the economic crisis, and EIU’s drop in enrollment, the numbers of students seeking teacher certification declined dramatically, bringing the total number of undergraduate History majors from an all-time high of nearly 350 in 2006 to around 200 in AY 2013. Fortunately, as teacher certification numbers dropped, the regular History majors grew, though not enough to maintain overall numbers. With FTE faculty in History numbering about twenty-three and two separate graduate curricula to provide, 350 undergraduate majors were clearly too many. An optimal number would be around 250-275, which is our current target.

The graduate program in History was created in 1963. Then, in 1975, the History Department added an Historical Administration option in graduate study, which although officially still an option within a single graduate program, has a completely separate curriculum of study. Thus, History maintains two successful Masters degree programs, one in traditional academic history which serves students who wish to go into (or already are) teaching and those who plan on additional graduate or professional study (in History, Library and Information Science, Law, etc.), and the other in applied History (museums and archives, etc). Several years ago, at the suggestion of outside reviewers, and partly in the interest of greater efficiency, we tried to create partially overlapping curriculum for the two programs, but experience showed that it actually undermined, rather than enhanced, the purpose and cohesion of each program, so we returned to two separate curricula. The Historical Administration program was one of the first of its kind in the nation and despite growing competition regionally and nationally has maintained its reputation for being among the best. History’s graduate programs together were the first to win EIU First Choice status five years ago, and were in spring, 2013, renewed as First Choice programs.

How has the unit changed or adapted over time?

 Significant adaptations in the last two decades:

I. The History faculty decided about fifteen years ago to broaden from its traditional focus on U.S. and European History and add more faculty with non-Western specializations as opportunity arose. This resulted in adding positions in Asian and Middle Eastern history (to existing world positions in African, Latin American and Russian/East European history), making our department more global in coverage. Every year several undergraduate majors choose the International Option in the B.A., and the History M.A. was also able to add a concentration in World history to those in U.S. and European history. History faculty are leaders in Asian, Africana, and Latin American Studies minors.

II. The History Department has made and is steadily advancing a commitment to technological enhancement in its curriculum and objectives. All History classrooms are smart rooms, and one was transformed this summer into a laptop-dedicated room. The History faculty offer several technology-delivered and many hybrid classes each semester, and the number and variety is growing.

III. History is currently revising its undergraduate curriculum and assessment to place more emphasis on the systematic development of transferable skills across the History curriculum, as follows:

1. Critical thinking skills and Language analysis (Analyzing and documenting written primary sources; analyzing historical point of view in book reviews)

2. Writing skills (formulating research into a coherent, clear argument—skills that include mastery of grammar, structure, clarity, style, organization).

3. Visual literacy (Analyzing and documenting paintings, architecture, material culture, political cartoons, film)

4. Numeracy (Analyzing and documenting statistics, graphs, quantitative material from databases)

5. Digital Database Use (search strategies, data mining written/printed primary sources)

6. Research and Citation Management (not simply writing a citation, but saving and re-deploying research in one way for one course or paper, in another for the next; teaching students to build their own reference collection through Zotero or otherwise)

7. Presentation/public speaking

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the program’s history and relevance to university mission.

The History major is essential to the education of citizens.

The History with Social Science Teacher Certification Program and History M.A. have a long and central role in EIU's proud history of preparing teachers.

History is a cornerstone of General Education in both the Humanities and Social Sciences.

The Historical Administration program is a leader nationally in preparing professionals in Public History.

The History M.A. has a strong record of sending students on to PhD programs in history and other professional programs, like Library and Information Science and Law.

History faculty are leaders on campus in shared governance, inter-disciplinary minors, faculty development, and extra-curricular events.

History faculty have established and maintain a rigorous agenda of research, publication and creative activity that puts EIU on the map.

Provide data showing the four-year trend in the number of majors, minors, options, and concentrations.

Provide data showing the four-year trend in student credit hour (SCH) production, percent of SCHs that are general education, and percent of SCHs that are taught to non-majors.

What elements of the program’s curriculum are offered specifically to support other academic majors, minors, options, and concentrations?

The History Department supplies a considerable internal demand.  

 The History Department offers the following courses in General Education. All have Honors versions. All have been approved for on-line delivery as well.

 In Humanities:

HIS 1500G – World History: Society and Religion

HIS 1522G – World History: Slavery and Freedom

HIS 1523G –World History: From Monarchies to Mass Democracies

HIS 1524G –World History: The Age of Sail

HIS 1525G –World History: Empires in Global History

HIS 1526G –World History: The Twentieth-Century World

HIS 2010G – United States History to 1867

HIS 2020G – United States History Since 1867

 In Social and Behavioral Sciences:

HIS 3600G – U.S. Constitution and Nation

HIS 3700G – Religion and Science

The Social Science Teacher Certification major (all concentrations) requires:

HIS 1500G – World History: Society and Religion

HIS 2010G – United States History to 1867

HIS 2020G – United States History Since 1867

HIS 3555 –   The Modern World

The Africana Studies Major requires HIS 3750 (African-American History) and lists HIS 1522G (World History: Slavery and Freedom) and 3250 (History of Africa From 1400) for their History concentration.

The Elementary Education Major requires HIS 3810 (Illinois History) and HIS 2010G or 2020G (US History divided in 1867)

The Journalism Major requires HIS 3940 (History of American Journalism) and lists HIS 1500G, 1522G, 2010G, 2020G and 3700G (Religion and Science) as recommended options in General Education.

The Political Science Major with International Studies Option requires two of the following six History courses: HIS 2560 (Early Modern World), HIS 3210 (Modern Middle East), HIS 3260 (Modern Latin America) HIS 3320 (Modern China), HIS 3350 (Twentieth Century Russia), HIS 3555 (Modern World), and HIS 3800 (U.S. Diplomatic History).

The Anthropology Minor lists HIS 3200 (History of Islam), HIS 3210 (History of the Modern Middle East), HIS 3250 African History, HIS 3255 Colonial Latin America, HIS 3260 Modern Latin America, HIS 3320 History of Modern China, HIS 3510 Ancient History, HIS 3530 Medieval Archaeology, HIS 3780 History of the American West, HIS 3990 Medieval Archaeology, Honors, (cross listed with ESC 3990) as elective options.

The Latin American Studies Minor lists HIS 3255 (Colonial Latin America), HIS 3260 (Modern Latin America), and HIS 4850 (Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean) as elective options

The Asian Studies Minor lists HIS 3320 (History of Modern China), HIS 3330 (Modern East Asia in the Pacific Century), HIS 4400 (Independent Study), HIS 4775 (Special Topics), HIS 4800 (The Two Koreas), HIS 4880 (Modern Japan), HIS 4980 (Vietnam War), HIS 5700 (Seminar in World History) as elective options.

The Medieval Studies Minor lists HIS 3175 (History of Christianity), HIS 3520 (Medieval History), History 3990 (Medieval Archaeology), HIS 3530 (Medieval Archaeology and Cultural Heritage in Europe), and HIS 3990 (Medieval Archaeology) as elective options.

The Pre-Law Minor requires HIS 3600G (The U.S. Constitution and Nation) and lists HIS 3100 (History of England, 1066-1688) as an elective option.

The Religious Studies Minor lists HIS 1500G (Society and Religion), HIS 3175 (History of Christianity), HIS 3200 (History of Islam), HIS 3700G (Religion and Science), and HIS 4875 (Crusade and Jihad) as elective options.

The Women’s Studies Minor lists HIS 3900 (Women in American History) and HIS 4845 (Women and Gender in Modern Europe) as elective options.

The Historical Administration MA has worked collaboratively on projects and exhibits with the Tarble Arts Center and Booth Library over the years.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the internal demand for the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., curriculum changes made by another program) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

History’s drop in undergraduate enrollment over the last several years can only be understood in the context of larger trends (crises) in the teaching profession, the economic downturn, and EIU’s overall drop in enrollment. In response, we have increased our recruitment efforts, including direct outreach to high schools, launching an annual History Careers Day, revising and updating our curriculum, completely revamping our website, and expanding our awards and scholarships. Our freshman numbers for Fall, 2013, suggest that we are beginning to recover. Also: Issues in Teacher Certification that were driving students away are being addressed, respectively, by the State of Illinois and the CEPS here on campus. We have also increased our offerings through Continuing Education, both on-line and at off-campus sites.

List relevant data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) New Graduate Salary Survey, and the EIU Career Services Annual Report.

BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook:

From EIU Career Services Annual Report:

EIU's last annual report shows that 19 of 35 total History graduates responded to the survey. Of these, 14 (74%) were employed or in grad school and 5 were still seeking.

 EIU's last annual report shows that 5 of 17 total History with Teacher Certification graduates responded. Of these, 2 (40%) were employed and 3 were still looking. 

NACE Average Salaries by Discipline:

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

The average increase of just 2 percent offered to

humanities and social sciences majors was the lowest

among the broad categories. This is due, in large part,

to the fact that the category of “other social sciences”

posted a decrease of 15.6 percent. The remaining

majors in the humanities and social sciences, however

all posted increases in the 3- to 4-percent range.

Is the program accredited or approved by a recognized external agency or otherwise certified to meet established professional standards? Provide an executive summary of and link to the program’s most recent accreditation or certification report, if available.

March, 2013: The Illinois State Board of Education approved all five programs for Social Science teaching, including Social Science—History.

The 2011 NCATE/NCSS accreditation review resulted in "accreditation with no qualifications."

The Social Science Studies program is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) as part of the accreditation process for the university's Teacher Education Unit (CEPS and its associated teacher education programs). The NCATE Unit Accreditation Board at its April 2011 meeting granted continuing accreditation without qualifications for both the initial and advanced educator preparation program (Unit Level Accreditation) at Eastern Illinois University. Our next site visit is scheduled for Fall, 2017. In addition, our social science programs (all designations treated as a single broad field program) received national recognition from its Specialty Professional Association (SPA), the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). We were reviewed by NCSS in February 2010 and granted national recognition through our next NCATE accreditation review in Fall, 2017 (although our submission timetable for the SPAs is now mid-way through our NCATE cycle resulting in our next NCSS submission being in early Fall 2014).

History with Social Science teacher certification students achieved a 100% pass rate on Illinois Certification Test Systems test #114 (for History with Social Science Teacher Certification majors) in the last three years running.

Is the program required to meet any regulatory or legal requirements? Is the program subject to any special auditing requirements?

N/a

What are the most important outreach or public service activities supported by the program?

 History with Teacher Certification students are welcomed for clinical observations and student-teaching experience at a wide range of schools throughout the state of Illinois. Our director of Social Science Teacher Certification, Dr. Bonnie Laughlin-Schultz, and our Undergraduate Advisor, Dr. Michael Shirley, work hard to expand and nurture these partnerships.

History Faculty serve as editors and officers on many regional professional journals, boards, etc. For example: Dr. Mark Voss Hubbard is book review editor for the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. Dr. Nora Pat Small serves on the board of the Lincoln-Sargent Farm Foundation and is an ex-officio member of the Charleston Historic Preservation Commission. Dr. Deb Reid is treasurer, Midwest Open-Air Museums Coordinating Council; treasurer, Rural Women’s Studies Association; Vice-President, Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums.

 The Masters in History and HA programs have maintained a long-standing relationship with the Illinois Regional Archives Depository, which funds two annual graduate assistantships, one in each program.

In 2008 The History MA program launched an annual graduate student symposium with the Indiana State University graduate history program, hosted, respectively, by each school in alternating years. In 2010 the history graduate program at University of Illinois-Springfield began participating, most recently hosting the symposium in Springfield in March, 2013.

The HA Program continues to have several external partners funding graduate assistantships. The long-standing partners are Tarble Arts Center, IRAD, and Lincoln-Sargent Farm Foundation.

This is the third year of the Hennings Family Archive Graduate Assistantship in HA.

In addition, HA faculty annually arrange for external partnerships for course projects. These vary from year to year, but include the various sites of annual student exhibit (i.e., Tarble, Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, Booth Library), sites for collections management and archival management projects (including Tarble, Booth Library Archives, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency), and historic preservation projects (Charleston Historic Preservation Commission, Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site).

EIU's History department faculty are working with the Illinois State Historical Society on the 2014 annual symposium, which will be held on EIU's campus and will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Copperhead Riot in Charleston.

How do the local community and the region benefit from the program?

The History department works with all local, state and regional historical agencies and institutions mentioned in the previous section to advance knowledge of our collective history and commitment to community, U.S. and global citizenship. The History department is a key player in EIU's relationship with its local, state and regional communities.

If needed, provide supplemental comments or data sources to help the reader understand the external demand for the program.

The BLS Occupational OUtlook Handbook is of limited use on assessing the prospects of History (and Humanities, in general) graduates, since many of the jobs our graduates are qualified for and hired into are not listed as "historian." Our graduates go on to work in a great variety of fields, including teaching, telecommunications, publishing, business, information science, and law. 

EIU's Career Services Annual report relies on self-reporting, so the statistics it produces reflects only those results that have been reported, which may be representative of the others, but are not necessarily so.

History (B.A.)

Significant Achievements that Document Quality/Improvement

Significant achievements that document support of VPAA and/or University goals

Integrative Learning Opportunities

Student Research/creative Activity

Faculty-student collaboration

Strategies to improve P-16 teaching and learning

External Partnerships

Pass rates on any professional/ occupational licensure exams

Faculty Achievements

Student Achievements

History (M.A.)

Significant Achievements that Document Quality/Improvement

Significant achievements that document support of VPAA and/or University goals

Integrative Learning Opportunities

Student Research/creative Activity

Faculty-student collaboration

Strategies to improve P-16 teaching and learning

External Partnerships

Pass rates on any professional/ occupational licensure exams

Faculty Achievements

Student Achievements

If needed, provide supplemental comments or data sources to help the reader understand the quality of program outcomes.

As one specific story to illustrate what  Integrative Learning and Quality in Student Research in the History Department has led to: In the summer of 2013, Crystal Abbey (History MA 2012),  completed a month-long program "From Nuremberg to the Hague," (run by the Creighton University School of Law) in Germany and the Netherlands on international law, human rights, and the Holocaust. Crystal reports that she found her course work here at EIU prepared her well for the program. While here she developed her interests in and knowledge of global human rights through coursework on the history of violence in early modern England and Germany, civil liberties in the United States, and human rights in the two Koreas and Europe, in addition to  courses in world, Japanese, medieval and Reformation European history.

Crystal is currently working on a law degree at University of Vermont. Her course work here at EIU is an example of what our program does to prepare students for fields outside of academic history. Crystal will be returning to campus on February 22 to talk with current students on History Careers Day.

Note any special benefits (e.g., personnel support, equipment, permanent improvements) that the program has received in the past three years from its grants and other sponsored programs.

History faculty apply for and receive grants to support research. Two examples:

1. Charles Foy has received several grants from other institutions relating to his work on his Black Mariner Database and is actively seeking greater outside support.
2. With Brian Mann as lead scholar, Booth library was awarded a American Library Association and NEH grant ($3,500 + books, film rights, and some other perks) back in May, and will be implementing it (with book discussions, a film series, interfaith panel, and some other events) in the Spring 2014 semester. Dr. Mann also attended a workshop for the grant in Chicago in June, which netted Booth an additional $1,000 bringing the grant total to 4,500. Here is the website about the grant: http://www.programminglibrarian.org/muslimjourneys/mj-ltai.html

How does the program benefit from donor gifts (e.g., scholarships, endowed chairs)? Does donor support provide a significant percentage of the program’s overall funding?

The History Department's Telefund in 2012/13 netted $10,500 in FY 2013 (bringing our current total to nearly $40,000). We use these funds primarily to supplement student departmental scholarships, and support field trips, student travel to conferences, and guest lectures. These are significant enhancements to our program we would not otherwise be able to afford.

The History Department awards scholarships every year from endowments established by the families and friends of the following emeriti: Robert Horak, Robert Sterling, Wolfgang Schlauch, Lawrence Nichols, Donald Tingley, Herbert Lasky, and Lavern Hamand

The Historical Administration Program Alumni host a symposium and fund-raiser every year. The HAPA brings in sufficient funds to support the annual field-trips, purchase materials for program use, and fund an HAPA student scholarship.

The History Department has two Illinois Records Archive Depository graduate assistantships every year.

In AY 2013, the Hennings (emeritus) family funded a graduate assistantship to work on the family archive. The Hennings family has also started to build an endowment for an additional H.A. scholarship. The department additionally benefits from another Hennings endowment to support departmental events and the faculty colloquium.

Family and friends of Barry Riccio established an endowment to fund an annual lecture in American History.

History faculty apply for and receive between four and seven Redden Fund Grants to support undergraduate teaching and learning every year.

As lead scholar, Brian Mann helped Booth apply for a grant (Let's Talk About It: Muslim Journeys) through the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities to familiarize the general public with Islamic faith, culture, politics, etc. The library was awarded the grant ($3,500 + books, film rights, and some other perks) back in May, and will be implementing it (with book discussions, a film series, interfaith panel, and some other events) in the Spring 2014 semester with Mann as the lead project scholar. Dr. Mann also attended a workshop for the grant in Chicago in June, which netted Booth an additional $1,000 bringing the grant total to 4,500. Here is the website about the grant: http://www.programminglibrarian.org/muslimjourneys/mj-ltai.html.

In 2011, the History Department faculty agreed to save money by giving up office phones. Since then, only the chair, secretary, undergraduate advisor, graduate coordinators and inter-disciplinary program directors have office phones. This saves the department well over $3,000 every year, while ensuring that there is still public access by phone to members in the department with special responsibility.

List two or three key relationships that the program maintains with external constituencies (e.g., community colleges, other universities, government bodies). How do these relationships advance the university mission or otherwise benefit the university?

History with Teacher Certification students are welcomed for clinical observations and student-teaching experience at a wide range of schools throughout the state of Illinois. Director of Social Science Teacher Certification, Dr. Bonnie Laughlin-Schultz, and our Undergraduate Advisor, Dr. Michael Shirley, work hard to expand and nurture these partnerships, traveling to schools and presenting to local ROE’s.

History Faculty serve as editors and officers on many professional journals, boards, etc.

A few examples:

The Masters in History program has maintained a relationship with the American Historical Association, Phi Alpha Theta, and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository, which funds an annual graduate assistantship. Additionally, in 2008 it launched an annual graduate student symposium with the Indiana State University graduate history program, hosted by each school in alternating years. In 2010 the history graduate program at University of Illinois-Springfield began participating, hosting the symposium in Springfield last March. Finally, Dr. Mary Coleman has agreed to fund an assistantship for fall, 2013.

The MAHA Program continues to have several external partners funding graduate assistantships. The long-standing partners are Tarble Arts Center, IRAD, Lincoln-Sargent Farm Foundation. This is the third year of the Hennings Graduate Assistantship.

In addition, MAHA faculty annually arrange for external partnerships for course projects. These vary from year to year, but include the various sites of annual student Exhibit (i.e., Tarble, Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, Booth Library), sites for collections management and archival management projects (including Tarble, Booth Library Archives, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency), and historic preservation projects (Charleston Historic Preservation Commission, Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site).

MAHA students continue to secure internships throughout the country for the last six months of their program of study.

These relationships make the university visible, relevant and useful in the local, state, regional, and national communities.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the resources generated by the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., revenue pass-throughs) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

History, and the Humanities in general, do not generate financial resources through outside grants to the same degree that, say, the Sciences can do, but it does generate considerable resources through relationships with institutions of public history, secondary schools, and community engagement.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the productivity of the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., accreditation requirements, curricular changes, program restructuring) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

History’s overall drop in enrollment and SCHP over the last several years can only be understood in the context of larger trends (crises) in the teaching profession, the economic downturn, and EIU’s overall drop in enrollment. In response, we have increased our recruitment efforts, including direct outreach to high schools, launching an annual History Careers Day, revising and updating our curriculum, completely revamping our website, and expanding our awards and scholarships. Our freshman numbers for Fall, 2013, suggest that we are beginning to recover. Also: Issues in Teacher Certification that were driving students away are being addressed, respectively, by the State of Illinois and the CEPS here on campus. We have also increased our offerings through Continuing Education, both on-line and at off-campus sites. We are also reluctantly  decreasing the size of our faculty by 1.5 FTE for FY/AY 2015 in light of the reduced enrollments. Finally, History faculty have consistently been stepping up their research, publication, and creative activity; participation in shared governance, participation in faculty development;  and service on campus, to the profession, and to our communities ... all of which is of enormous valu8e to the university mission, but is not directly reflected in SCHP per faculty person.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the costs associated with the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., expenditures made centrally or externally, expenditures made on behalf of other units) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

The total headcount listed would suggest that the department has grown in size while enrollments have dropped. This is, in fact, not the case. FTE has been reduced (by 5% so far,) and is being further reduced for FY2015.

How does the program seek to distinguish itself from similar programs at other institutions?

Overall: History’s hallmark is that we maintain high expectations and rigor in all endeavors. All faculty in History hold PhD’s.

Faculty and curriculum also boast particular areas of strength and specialization that other programs do not. For example, we are unusually strong in Africana and African-American history and issues (Jon Coit, Charles Foy, Martin Hardeman and Debra Reid all focus on African-American history in their teaching and research, while Roger Beck and David Smith offer courses in African history and the Atlantic slave trade); Atlantic History (Roger Beck, Jose Deustua, Charles Foy, Newton Key, and David Smith all address aspects of the Atlantic World); British history and empire (notably: Roger Beck, Newton Key, Brian Mann, and Michael Shirley).

Also: we have worked to build truly global coverage, with specialists in African, Asian, European, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Russian, U.S., and ancient medieval and modern history. Bailey Young also offers courses in Archaeology (here and for Study Abroad, in Belgium) and the History of Climate (team-taught with Geology).

 The presence of the Historical Administration faculty means we have an unusually strong emphasis also at the undergraduate level on material culture and public history.

 EIU’s History with Teacher Certification program offers a required curriculum that was developed in close cooperation among all the six disciplines to ensure that every one of our graduates will have at least basic competency in every one of the disciplines (unlike some other programs that allow students to choose electives). Our pass rate for the Content Area Test in History is one of the strongest in the state and has stood at 100% for the past two years. The academic rigor of the program is a defining feature: we require a 3.0 major GPA to advance to student teaching . The program requires students to integrate study from all the social science disciplines in lesson plans that deal with the 10 themes established by the National Council on Social Studies. Students receive real-world experience even before their student teaching semester, as they are placed into classrooms throughout central Illinois for an internship with carefully-selected social studies veterans. Finally, History with Teacher Certification majors receive individual attention that is unexpected for an institution the size of EIU. They are individually advised by the undergraduate advisor in history and the Social Science Coordinator, who both have strong high school teaching backgrounds. SOS 3400, the social science teaching methods course is kept intentionally small (twelve or fewer students) so that students can be individually mentored in teaching and preparation the semester prior to student teaching. Dr. Bonnie Laughlin-Schultz is currently working to incorporate the new Core Curriculum State Standards for teachers into SOS 3400 and throughout the secondary level social science teacher certification curriculum.

The MAHA Program is one of the two oldest of the museum studies related programs in Illinois. Of the 8 or so public and private institutions in Illinois that offer degrees or certificates in Public History, Museum Studies, or Public Administration, EIU’s MAHA Program remains unique in its carefully focused, 38-credit hour program preparing students for the museum field through applied history. The three other Illinois institutions that offer an MA in History award that degree either with a concentration in Public History, or as an MA in Public History, giving their programs a different focus than our MAHA Program. The strong alumni network is another of the distinctive aspects of this program.

The History MA stands apart from regional competitors in its rigor and the unique opportunities offered students to present original research to audiences beyond our campus. Among the particularly rigorous aspects of our program is our comprehensive exam structure. Few History M.A. programs nationally and none among our regional peers require a six hour written and one hour oral comprehensive exam of all degree-seeking students. Our capstone projects, in particular the thesis option, likewise demand original research and writing. Alumni confirm that this accounts for the success of our program graduates (currently over a half dozen are in doctoral programs). Additionally, we provide students a variety of diverse venues through which to publish and showcase research; these include an annual co-sponsored mini-conference with Indiana State University and UI-Springfield, the Localités/Localities website, and our department’s annual journal Historia. More difficult to calibrate, yet no less significant, are the strong faculty-student mentor relationships at the core of our program. Again and again, students and graduates confirm this as a central and unique feature of our program.

Note any unique and/or essential contributions that the program makes to the university.

  History contributes to the university beyond its own programs by

• providing teaching and leadership in the Asian, African-American, Latin-American, Medieval, and Women’s Studies Studies programs, providing leadership and teaching for the Humanities Center, and teaching in Pre-Law.
• offering multiple courses in both the Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences segments of General Education, as well as for other degree programs, such as Elementary Education, Political Science with international Studies, and Journalism.
• being active in shared governance: on CAA, Faculty Senate, ATAC, COTE, CUPB, UPI, etc.
• being active in Faculty Development: exs: CAH's D2L Faculty Liaison is Newton Key; Sace Elder offers a Writing and Publication Workshop for faculty through Faculty Development.

Provide any program-specific metrics that help to document program contributions or program quality. Examples of some commonly used program-specific metrics may be found here.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the program impact on the university mission.

History exemplifies why impact on University Mission should not be measured solely in Student Credit Hour Production.

Provide a link to or listing of the program’s goals and/or strategic plan.

Planning: The History Department's current Strategic Plan, is as follows:

History BA Primary Goals:

• To develop a recruitment plan for the History BA that deploys our greatest strength, our faculty, to attract students to History both with and without teacher certification (need: $2,000 to pay for travel to schools and recruitment materials)
• To work to attract the growing pool of Latino/a students to EIU by adding a position in Latino/a/Borderlands history and cooperating with other departments on Latino Studies. (need: $50-55,000, unless a current position comes open and is reassigned)
• To remodel our remaining three still not updated classrooms to make the shift from our outdated, inadequate small individual desk chairs to tables providing sufficient space and outlets for every student to be able to use a laptop in class. (need: $100,000)

 History BA with Social Science Teacher Certification Primary Goals:

• To expand the network of teachers providing internship possibilities for SOS 3400 (Social Science Teaching Methods): Dr. Laughlin-Schultz is working with the CEPS next year to pilot an internship that will incorporate the new literacy course and will allow us to expand the connections between EIU History Department and central IL social studies k12 educators. (need: $1,000 for travel to schools and recruitment materials)
• To work proactively with the CEPS to (1)get ready for the transition to the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment) and (2)develop reflective social studies educators prepared to implement the Common Core and teach historical thinking to students throughout Illinois (no additional cost)
• To acquire equipment to use for video-taping of teacher certification candidates that is required by the edTPA. (need: $2,000)

The History MA Primary Goals:

• To maintain and build program rigor, preserve small seminar teaching atmosphere, sustain and strengthen strong mentor-student relationships. (no additional cost)
• To harness new technology for generating novel research opportunities for students and fresh outlets to present student research and writing. (need: $3,000 for relevant hard- and soft-ware)
• To develop a series of online and hybrid course offerings aimed at meeting the immediate needs of our students and cultivating a cohort of non-traditional students, particularly secondary school teachers in region. Such courses, however, must be fully integrated into the program and reflect the same exacting standards as our classroom-delivered courses. (no additional cost)
• To develop a general recruitment program, including advertising and possibly purchasing GRE names and addresses (need: $5,000)
• To bind together a stronger alumni network—in particular of program graduates continuing in academia. (need: $2,000 for events and focus groups)

Historical Administration MA Primary Goal:

To develop a marketing plan that reaches a diverse national audience and maintains a high level of awareness of the Historical Administration Program in the museum field and among those who aspire to become museum professionals. This is critical at this juncture because new museum studies/public history/ historical administration programs are proliferating. EIU’s HA Program will need to be more aggressive in promoting the program and recruiting new students. (need: $6,000 for faculty travel to represent program at at least one regional and one national conferences, advertising in professional journals and conference brochures, and recruitment materials)

What role will the program have in the implementation of the university’s strategic plan (provide link to strategic plan)?

University Strategic Plan: http://www.eiu.edu/strategicplanning/

As all of the preceding entries demonstrate, History plays a significant role in every aspect of EIU's six Strategic Planning priorities. Academic Excellence demonstrably is the hallmark of all the History programs (see 4. Program Outcomes for evidence). Re. Marketing and Communication, History has extensively remodeled its web pages over summer, 2013, and aligned them with the new EIU branding strategies. We have ramped up our recruitment and retention initiatives. Our goals include several to increase these efforts (see above). We are also extensively engaged with campus and community life and service (see 2. Internal Demand and 3. External Demand for evidence).  History is doing its part to enhance financial sustainability, as demonstrated in 5. Resources Generated, 6. Productivity, and 7. Costs. We make economies wherever we can without compromising quality (for example, by giving up faculty phones) and boast one of the best annual fund records in the CAH. Faculty contribute every year to our departmental scholarships.Our faculty are incorporating Emerging Technologies into both our smart classrooms and revised curriculum and assessment (evidence in 4. Program Outcomes). We are addressing issues relating to Global Competition and Changing Demographics in our hiring and curriculum, which has a global emphasis (see 4. program Outcomes and 9. Future Opportunities for evidence).

What are the program’s two or three most promising opportunities that could help advance the university’s academic mission? Provide an estimate of additional investments or other costs required and additional student credit hours, revenue, or other resources generated.

The History BA Primary Opporunity:

To optimize the benefits to our students of our revised curriculum and assessment that together add transferable skills to the more traditional History objectives and implement a new capstone course and electronic student portfolio. Also to market this effectively to potential majors and minors. See (Planning Goals, above.)

The History BA with Social Science Teacher Certification Primary Opportunity:  

To become more active and effective in the public schools as an agent promoting history education. At this critical moment when the Common Core is transforming education nationwide and there is much debate about whether it is "good" or "bad” for our students in the social sciences, the EIU History department will pursue this opportunity through the History Teachers Conference; networking with alumni, teachers, and the ROE’s; preparatory work with the CEPS on the transition to the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment); and increased student internships during the pre-student teaching semester.

 The History MA Primary Opportunity:

To transform regional EIU-ISU-UI-Springfield graduate colloquium into larger regional history conference (need: $4,000 for start-up costs)

Historical Administration MA Primary Opportunity:

To integrate the vital field of digital humanities more fully into the HA curriculum. The recent hire (in 2013) of a full-time tenure-track faculty member (Malgorzata Rymsza-Pawlowska) in the HA program with a specialization in digital humanities creates this opportunity. Museums of all types are using digital applications in all aspects of their work: to preserve and manage collections, to develop public programming, to involve new audiences and volunteers in all areas of the museum, and to extend their reach.  Augmented reality, social media, data management programs, and digitization are all becoming, or have become, standard elements of museum work. Our opportunity is now to engage the students, through our new curriculum, in this ever-expanding area of the museum world. As we develop this area of expertise, we may require new technologies or new computer programs ourselves. For now, we are able to draw on the expertise and facilities of CATS and other on-campus entities to support our projects. (no additional cost at this time; investment in computer hard- and software anticipated in future)

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand future opportunities for the program.

History's greatest challenge in 2013 is enrollment. This is a challenge that we share with the university as a whole, Arts and Humanities in particular, and other secondaryTeacher Certification programs. In History we are working to meet this challenge by increasing our recruitment activities; bulding alumni relations; explicitly integrating transferable skills across our curriculum and assessment; making sure we are employing new technologies for optimal pedagogical, research, and recruitment benefit; engaging broadly with campus and the community; and challenging ourselves to maintain and increase our already high standards of academic excellence.