Process
Academic department/program review is to be understood as a recurring process and not an intermittent event. Each academic department/program should have an approved Assessment Plan in place prior to entering into the review process.
Programs are scheduled for formal review on a seven-year cycle, with the annual department/program assessment reports serving as small-scale reviews during the interim years. In this way the department/program assessment plan, annual department/program assessment reports, and academic department/program reviews are closely linked.
The academic department/program review process includes three primary elements:
- Self-Study: a thorough assessment of the department/program’s current state based on the previous action plan, previous annual plans and reports, and institutional and program data. It begins with a summary of the department/program’s mission, learning goals and outcomes.
- Summary of Findings: a critical analysis written by the associate dean of the college, supplemented by an external review (if requested), based on an analysis of the department/program directors self-study, and consultation with faculty, students, and the Academic Assessment Committee.
- Action Plan: a plan/timetable written by the chair/director in consultation with members of the department/program that outlines the timeline for implementing changes, and key issues to be addressed through continued self-analysis during the interim years of the program review cycle. This document is submitted to the associate dean and vice president of academic affairs and the dean of the college. The department/program faculty then meet with the associate dean and vice president of academic affairs and sean of the college to discuss and if needed revise the action plan. After any needed revisions are submitted, the vice president of academic affairs and dean of the college writes a memo confirming the elements of the plan and concluding the program review cycle. The department faculty then meet with the assessment coordinator to implement the plan.