Academic Program Review

Description and Cycle

The purposes of program review are:

To evaluate programs to ensure they meet educational standards, currency in the field, and learning objectives for students.

To inform changes to curriculum, teaching methods, or resources via the identification of program strengths and weakness.

To align programs with the university’s overall goals and strategic direction.

To guide decisions about program resource allocation (e.g., faculty, funding, equipment, space) and the future of a program.

To meet accreditation standards.

As a degree granting institution, each academic program at ULV must undergo a program review every five years. Externally accredited programs must submit all documents from their external review and accreditation process to Institutional Effectiveness electronically in a portable document format (.pdf). These documents are submitted in lieu of the campus five-year program review process. The program review cycle entails:

Preparation for program review
Data analysis and self-reflection
External review
Plan of action
Progress to date

Year 1 focuses on gathering information and preparing for the review. Program faculty and the dean may:

Gather Data: While data collection may be performed continuously every year, Year 1 is when data are gathered that are relevant to the report. These may include data on student performance, learning outcomes, graduation rates, enrollment, faculty, faculty qualifications and expertise, employer satisfaction, curriculum map, and resources.
Engage students, alumni, and industry representatives for feedback.
Review the program’s mission, goals, and learning outcomes, and its alignment with college and institutional mission.

Year 2 is the year of self-reflection. Program faculty and the dean perform an in-depth analysis of the program which culminates in a self-study report. See self-study template here.

Program faculty analyze the data collected in Year 1, identify strengths and weaknesses of the program, and recommend areas of improvement.
Self-reflection culminates in a self-study report that summarizes the program’s performance.

Year 3 is when an external reviewer, often an expert from another institution, is brought in to assess the program. They will:

Review the self-study report.
Conduct interviews with faculty, students, and alumni for a deeper understanding of the program.
Evaluate the program’s alignment with institutional goals.
Provide feedback and recommendations.

Year 4 is the development of an action plan by program faculty. This plan covers:

Recommendations for program improvement based on the self-study report, external reviewer’s feedback, and other input for program improvement.
Describes in detail how faculty will address the recommendations and implement changes.
A timeline for implementing these strategies.
Measurable outcomes to track progress.

Year 5 celebrates progress made thus far. Program faculty briefly summarize progress made in implementing the action plan. A presentation to the college may include:

Actions that were taken, outcomes achieved, and ongoing challenges.
Data demonstrating the impact of these changes.
Lessons learned and new areas for improvement identified.
Items for the next review cycle.

Responsibilities and Reports

Self-Study Report (Year 2)

I. Contextual Summary

1. A brief description of the program, program history, aspects of uniqueness, if any, and changes.
2. Description of the curriculum, overview of student learning assessment and program effectiveness, and summary of action recommendations since last review, if any.

Response to Previous Program Review

1. Summary of recommendations from the last program review.
2. Summary of Plan of Action resulting from the last program review.
3. Description of what the program has accomplished on that Plan of Action.

III. Students

1. Discussion of the program’s student population, demographics, and interests, and how the program addresses success and outcomes of students of diverse backgrounds and interests.
2. May provide data on student enrollment, in majors, retention, degree completion, graduation rates, certificates, retention rates, alumni survey, and other feedback and metrics.

Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes (How does the program define student success in measurable and verifiable ways?)

1. Provide a matrix mapping of the program with the institutional learning outcomes and to external professional standards, if applicable.
2. Provide a curriculum mapping of how program learning outcomes are addressed in courses across the program.
3. How does the program align with institutional and college learning outcomes?
4. Description of program learning outcomes, how they were developed, and revisions, if any, since the last program review.
5. Description of the program’s assessment process, measures for evaluating how students achieve the program learning outcomes, and types of data collected each year since the last program review.

Effectiveness of the Program

1. Discuss findings from the annual assessments of student learning since the last program review.
2. Discuss the data and summarize the findings as it relates to the program’s strengths and weaknesses.
3. Discuss other measures of program effectiveness. You may mention:

Faculty expertise, accomplishments, qualifications, publications, research awards, recognitions
ii.      Student to faculty ratio
iii.      Staff contributions to the program
iv.      Curricular innovation, pedagogies, modalities, high impact practices
v.      Advising, mentorship
vi.      Student, faculty staff, alumni feedback
vii.      Alumni achievement
viii.      Credits, courses, workload, and other supporting informationVI.               Program Resources

1. Summarize the data and findings pertaining to program resources. You may mention:

Counts of faculty, tenure track, non-tenure track, adjuncts
ii.      Professional growth, development, and opportunities for faculty and staff in the program
iii.      Cost, allocation, funding, grants
iv.      Space, equipment, program operations, activitiesVII.             Summary and Recommendations

1. Summarize program strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement
2. Recommendation for program improvement over the next five years

External Review (Year 3)

Preparation
1. Selection of External Reviewers:

Identify and invite external reviewers with relevant expertise.
ii. Ensure reviewers have no conflicts of interest.

1. Document Preparation:

Compile self-study reports, course syllabi, faculty CVs, assessment data, and other relevant documents.
ii. Provide a clear outline of the program’s goals, objectives, and outcomes.

1. Scheduling:

Coordinate dates for the site visit that are convenient for all parties.
ii. Arrange logistics such as travel, accommodation, and campus access for reviewers.

Site Visit
1. Hold an introductory meeting with key stakeholders (faculty, administration) to outline the purpose and agenda of the visit.
2. External reviewers examine the prepared documents to understand the program’s structure, strengths, and challenges.
3. Meetings and Interviews:

Conduct interviews with faculty, students, administration, and staff.
ii. Discuss curriculum, teaching methods, resources, support services, and student outcomes.

1. Classroom Observations:

Observe classes and teaching methods.
ii. Evaluate the integration of technology and other instructional tools.

1. Facility Tours:

Tour relevant facilities such as labs, libraries, and classrooms.
ii. Assess the adequacy of resources and infrastructure.

Evaluation and Reporting
1. Feedback Sessions:

Hold debriefing sessions with program leadership to provide preliminary feedback.
ii. Discuss initial observations and areas of concern.

1. External reviewers draft a comprehensive report detailing their findings within one month of the site visit. The report may address:

Scope and depth of student learning relative to the program learning outcomes and the degree, curriculum, and currency in the field.
ii.      The efficacy of the program’s assessment for evaluating student learning and the assessment plan.
iii.      The extent to which students achieve the learning outcomes, the evidence examined, and areas for improvement in student learning, and the systematic evaluation of student work used to improve the program.
iv.      Strengths of the program according to students and other stakeholders (e.g., faculty, staff, alumni, professionals, and employers).
v.      The distribution of academic expertise and professional experience to deliver the degree program, balance of tenure and adjunct faculty, and the extent to which non-faculty integrate specialists into the students’ experience.
vi.      Resources relative to the size and scope of the program, or the stated mission and goals of the program, resources requested and its appropriateness to meet program goals, over or under enrollment, and effectiveness of program actions relative to the program resources and the execution of its Plan of Action.
vii.      Comments on strengths, weaknesses, and provide recommendations for improvement for the next five years.

1. The program reviews the external reviewers’ report.

Plan of Action (Year 4)

Analyze Review Findings
1. Thoroughly analyze the external review report to identify key findings, strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations.
2. Hold meetings with faculty, staff, and administrators to discuss the review findings and gather input.

Prioritize Recommendations
1. Group recommendations into categories such as curriculum, resources, faculty development, student support, and infrastructure.
2. Prioritize recommendations based on factors such as impact on student learning, feasibility, cost, and alignment with institutional goals.

Set Goals and Objectives
1. Set clear, specific, and measurable goals based on the self-study and the external review recommendations.
2. Develop objectives that outline the steps needed to achieve each goal.

Develop Action Steps
1. Break down each objective into actionable steps, detailing what needs to be done, who is responsible, and the timeline for completion.
2. Identify the solutions, resources needed (e.g., human, curricular, programmatic, technological, financial) to implement each action step.

Create a realistic timeline that outlines when each action step will be completed.

Establish key milestones to monitor progress and ensure timely completion of tasks.
1. Assign Responsibilities
2. Determine who will be responsible for each action step, including faculty, staff, administrators, and external partners.
3. Ensure that each responsible party understands their role and the expectations for completing their tasks.

Develop Assessment and Evaluation Methods
1. Establish metrics to measure the success of each action step and the overall progress toward goals.
2. Evaluation Plan:

Create an evaluation plan to regularly assess the effectiveness of the implemented actions and adjust as needed.
ii. Ensure transparency in the implementation process by providing regular updates and soliciting feedback.

Implementation
1. Begin implementing the action steps according to the timeline.
2. Continuously monitor progress, address any challenges or obstacles that arise.

Review and Adjust
1. Conduct regular reviews to evaluate progress against the established milestones and metrics.
2. Make necessary adjustments to the action plan based on the evaluation results and any new insights or changes in circumstances.

Progress to Date (Year 5)

Final Review and Reporting

Conduct a final assessment to determine if the goals and objectives have been met.
Prepare a report summarizing briefly the outcomes of the action plan, including successes, challenges, and lessons learned.
Share the final report with all stakeholders and use the findings to inform future program reviews and improvements.