Orientation for Academic Program Reviews

2014-2015

Introductiono Purpose of this meeting: • Orient academic units to the review process

o Outline for today:• Overview of the review process• Selecting the review committee• Content of the self-study• Site visit• Resources available to you

Purpose of Program Reviewso Primary purpose: evaluate academic excellenceo Emphasis on future-oriented strategic planning

rather than retrospective accountingo Includes all undergraduate and graduate

degree programs, Graduate Certificateso Allows units to plan for the futureo Compliance with University mandateo UW institutional accreditation

How to Prepare for Program Reviews

o Make process transparent• Identify faculty and staff who will be involved in

the review• Inform faculty, staff and students about the

pending review and what it entails; seek their input• Make self-study available to constituents

o The more informed constituents are, the better prepared they will be in giving their input to the review team

How to Prepare for Program Reviews

o Communicate early on with the Dean or Chancellor/Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs about what the institution and unit would like to accomplish in the review.

o How can the review team’s perspective be valuable to the unit—how can they help?

Program Review Timelineo Autumn Quarter – year before review• Unit submits documentation:• suggested site visit dates• proposed review committee members (UW and

external)• unit-defined questions for self-study

Program Review Timelineo Winter and Spring Quarters – year before

review1) Confirm site visit dates2) Establish review committee3) Hold charge meeting

1) Site Visit Dateso 2 days for colleges, schools, departmentso 1 -1 ½ days for smaller programs, individual

degree programs, or graduate certificateso Unit suggests dates when faculty, students

and staff are availableo Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday

2) Review Committee

o Completed Review Committee Recommendation Form contains:• Requested site visit dates• Ranked list of potential reviewers• 8 UW reviewer suggestions• 8 external reviewer suggestions• Indicate potential committee chairs (UW faculty)• Reviewers must have no conflicts of interest• List has been reviewed by Dean’s Office /

Chancellor’s Office before submission

Forming a Review Committeeo Reach for the top in considering external faculty

for the review committee, not only individuals who may be close professional colleagues, but those who can give balanced yet critical perspectives on the unit in relation to peers and future direction of the field

o Propose faculty with diverse backgrounds and perspectives; assure gender and other diversity

Review Committee Member Conflicts of Interest

o Possible conflicts of interest include faculty who:• have a joint, adjunct, or affiliate position in your unit• have been a mentor for or mentee of a faculty member in your unit• are unit alumni• were considered for a position in your unit within the last five years• are currently on a visiting or advisory committee• have previously chaired a review committee or served on a visiting

committee in your unit• have engaged, or are currently engaged, in collaborative research or

published with a member of your unit• have a significant personal or professional relationship with a unit

member

3) Charge Meetingo Attendees:

• review committee• unit leadership• school/college/campus leadership• Graduate School• Undergraduate Academic Affairs• Graduate School Council

o Results in formal charge to the review committee as well formal charge to the unit to write the self-study, taking into account the Part B: Unit-Defined Questions

o Documents available on Program Review Catalyst website (password protected, available only to review committee and staff involved with program review planning)

Prior to Site Visito Unit collaborates with Academic Affairs and Planning

to plan site visit and respond to needs of review committee

o Unit proposes site visit agendao Academic Affairs and Planning makes self-study and

site visit agenda available to all review participants via Catalyst website (website created prior to charge meeting)

o Review committee may request additional information from unit and may suggest revisions to site visit agenda

The Site Visito Meetings with unit constituents and key stakeholders,

including faculty, students, staff, and otherso Graduate & Professional Student Senate (GPSS)

survey and participation in student meeting• Independent of Graduate School process• Exclusively for Seattle campus graduate programs

o Exit discussion between those present at the charge meeting plus a Provost’s Office representative• General session• Executive session (without unit’s leadership)

Final Eventso GPSS Report*o Review Committee Report (within 4 weeks)

• Submitted to Office of Academic Affairs & Planningo Academic Unit’s Response (within 4 weeks)

• Response letter to review committee reporto Graduate School Council consideration of report and

recommendationso Graduate School Recommendations to Dean / Chancellor / Vice

Chancelloro All underlined documents available on Catalyst site and, after

review is formally concluded, on the University’s decennial accreditation website (password protected)

*GPSS participation is exclusive to Seattle campus and is independent of the University’s review process.

Self-Study Structure

o Part A• Unit’s responses to pre-defined questions

o Part B• Unit’s responses to questions it has defined

o Part C• Required appendices

Self-Study• Limit of 25 pages• Units with national accreditation reviews• Submit one hard copy and one digital copy• Submission deadlines:• September 1 for Autumn Quarter site visits• November 1 for Winter Quarter site visits• February 1 for Spring Quarter site visits

Example of Review Process Timeline

o Site Visit• Autumn Quarter, 2014

o GPSS Report (2-3 weeks)• Winter Quarter, 2015

o Review Committee Report (4 weeks): • Winter Quarter, 2015

o Academic Unit’s Response (4 weeks)• Winter Quarter, 2015

o Graduate School Council Review• Spring Quarter, 2015

Another example of Timelineo Site Visit• Winter Quarter, 2015

o GPSS Report (2-3 weeks)• Spring Quarter, 2015

o Review Committee Report (4 weeks) • Spring Quarter, 2015

o Academic Unit’s Response (4 weeks)• Spring Quarter, 2015

o Graduate School Council Review• Autumn Quarter, 2015(next academic year)

Review Process Documentso Review committee charge lettero Site visit agendao Self-study*o GPSS report*o Review committee report*o Unit’s response to report*o Letter to Dean / Chancellor / Vice Chancellor*

*Published on password protected UW Accreditation website upon completion of the review

If you need help…o Contacts in the Office of Academic Affairs &

Planning:• Rebecca Aanerud, Associate Dean• Augustine McCaffery, Senior Academic Program

Specialist• David Canfield-Budde, Academic Program

Specialist• Lillian Gaya, Assistant to the Deans

Next Steps• Due by end of Autumn Quarter 2013

1) Suggested site visit dates2) Proposed review committee members (UW and

external)3) Part B: Unit-Defined Questions for self-study