Program Review
Review of academic programs is an essential component of UMD's mission and enterprise. It provides opportunity for self-evaluation and for outside peer-evaluation. Results can serve to re-enforce the current strategy or to prompt new direction. The results of these reviews can be incorporated into the planning activities of the collegiate unit and the campus. It is important to have an objective evaluation with full disclosure of its findings.
Departments that have both undergraduate and graduate degrees in the same discipline will have both programs reviewed at the same time. Exceptions to this statement may be allowed by the VCAA due to requirements of accrediting bodies. The principles that will inform whether an exception is made include reduction of duplication of effort, the need to conduct reviews of programs accredited by the same accreditation body at the same time, maintenance of a regular cycle of review and optimum resource managment.
Programs will be reviewed every five-seven years, depending on specific accreditation cycles. The self-study process will generally be initiated a year in advance by the VCAA and will include any specific questions that reviewers will be asked to address.
The self-study, guided by the outline below, should use historical data to review performance and quality, but at the same time, should be written with a forward-looking approach. Where and how is the department situated to deliver programs in the next 3-5 years? How are shifts and trends in historical data being used as a basis for planned changes.
The narrative of the report should be 20-25 pages; data can be embedded or included as tables in an appendix. The self-study may be longer for those departments offering several programs being reviewed in the same year. The documents should be submitted to VCAA in electronic format, but the narrative self-study should be formatted for printing if reviewers request a printed copy. Faculty vitae should be included in a separate volume (electronic file).
The self-study should cover the following items, as well as specific questions from administration, in a format that is easy for reviewers to follow, but that makes sense for the department. For departments where program review is coordinated with accreditation, the content and format of the self-study may be mandated by the accrediting agency. In this case, programs should provide a guide to where these items are located in the self-study document and also address items in the outline below that are not in the self-study prepared for the accreditation body.
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Mission, goals and objectives of the department and programs.
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Curriculum for each program under review
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Describe the curriculum including its learning objectives, strengths and weaknesses.
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List the methods used to measure the learning outcomes.
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Explain how results of these measures have affected changes in the program.
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Include course objectives for all required courses in the appendix.
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Discuss changes in the curriculum over the last three-four years, with reference to the last review if applicable.
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Discuss how course offerings serve the needs of students from other departments, and in the case of undergraduate programs, the general education requirements.
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Summarize the scholarly work of the faculty and comment on how this work interfaces with the graduate and/or undergraduate program.
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Summarize the history of sponsored funds for the program and comment on the role that sponsored projects play in the graduate and/or undergraduate program.
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Summarize the outreach activities for the program and comment on the role these activities play in the graduate and/or undergraduate program.
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Describe the advising model for students in the program, and the typical faculty advising loads. What assessment or evaluation of advising is conducted?
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For graduate programs, describe the student admissions processes at the program level, as well as the UMD Graduate Program level.
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Program Viability. Describe current and projected enrollment information: applications, admissions, persistence, graduation rates, number of credits on graduation; average gpa at graduation, etc. Discuss what students do upon graduation from the program.
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Faculty. Describe the makeup of the faculty considering such things as:
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Academic and experiential background of the faculty
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Rationale for the size and composition of the program faculty
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Quantity and quality of the faculty to meet the teaching and advising needs of the program
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Extent of faculty turnover and changes anticipated for the future
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How the faculty composition reflects the diversity goals of the institution and efforts are being made to recruit faculty from underrepresented populations.
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Capacity. Discuss resources for the program, including support staff, facilities, etc.
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Program Administration. Comment on the effectiveness of the administrative and committee structure within the program. How well does it interact with students, the College (especially the Dean’s office and Department Heads), and other governing bodies at UMD and the University as a whole?
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Summary. How successful is the Program in achieving its objectives, as identified by assessment and this review. State the major problems identified by assessment and this review and what can be done to solve the problem without additional resources. What additional resources might be needed to solve this problem?
THE PROCESS
VCAA will initiate the self-study process with data and any specific questions that are to be addressed in the self-study.
Review Team Composition and Selection. The review team will typically consist of two or three members. The department will prepare a list of at least four-six potential reviewers for an undergraduate review. The names of these potential reviewers, along with their resumes and a brief rationale for each choice, will be submitted to the Dean. The nominees should be individuals having experience in programs similar to those being reviewed. The Department should check with these people in advance to determine if they are willing and available. Unless there are special circumstances approved by VCAA, review of programs will be done by individuals outside of the University of Minnesota system. Names should be submitted at least four months prior to a review. The Dean will forward this list, together with his/her recommendations, to the VCAA.
Self-Study Report. The report is the responsibility of the department as a whole and must be submitted to VCAA six weeks prior to the visit by outside evaluators.
Visit. Once the review team has been approved, the Dean of the department under review will appoint and invite the team members and assist in making hotel arrangements, coordinating travel schedules, and the handling of reimbursements. Typically the team will arrive on the evening of day #1 and visit the campus on days #2 and #3. Departure will normally occur during the afternoon of day #3.
The Department will be responsible for arranging the on-campus schedule for the team. Unless otherwise approved by the Dean, a typical visitation schedule will include:
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Dinner with the VCAA and Dean on the evening prior to the campus visit.
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Meeting with the Dean on the first morning of the visit.
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Meetings, individually or in groups, with the department head, department faculty, and undergraduate students.
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Meetings with appropriate individuals in related programs.
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Tour of the department and other related facilities.
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Dinner on day #2 and the rest of that evening will be left open for the team to meet on its own.
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An exit meeting, just before or just after lunch on day #3, with the Chancellor, the VCAA, and the Dean
Post Visit. The team will be requested to submit its report to the VCAA within four weeks of their visit. Copies of the report will subsequently be distributed to the Dean and the Department.
The Department will submit a response to the team's report to the Dean and VCAA. A meeting will be held involving representatives from the Department and appropriate administrators. An administrative summary prepared by the Dean and VCAA will be provided to the Department within two months of receipt of the department's response. This summary will describe the extent to which implementation of the review team's recommendations will or will not occur.
Funding. VCAA will cover honoraria, travel, lodging, and meal expenses for review team members. Meal expenses for department members if a joint meal is planned and/or expenses for a departmental reception are the responsibility of the department/collegiate unit. The expenses of preparing and duplicating the self-study document are borne by the program under review.
Updated October 12, 2009