Transcript Orientation for Academic Program Reviews

Orientation for Academic
Program Reviews
2014-2015
Introduction
o Purpose of this meeting:
• Orient academic units to the review process
o Outline for today:
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Overview of the review process
Selecting the review committee
Content of the self-study
Site visit
Resources available to you
Purpose of Program Reviews
o Primary purpose: evaluate academic excellence
o Emphasis on future-oriented strategic planning
rather than retrospective accounting
o Includes all undergraduate and graduate
degree programs, Graduate Certificates
o Allows units to plan for the future
o Compliance with University mandate
o 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 Timeline
o 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 Timeline
o Winter and Spring Quarters – year before
review
1) Confirm site visit dates
2) Establish review committee
3) Hold charge meeting
1) Site Visit Dates
o 2 days for colleges, schools, departments
o 1 -1 ½ days for smaller programs, individual
degree programs, or graduate certificates
o Unit suggests dates when faculty, students
and staff are available
o Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday
2) Review Committee
o Completed Review Committee
Recommendation Form contains:
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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 Committee
o 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
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3) Charge Meeting
o Attendees:
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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 Visit
o Unit collaborates with Academic Affairs and
Planning to plan site visit and respond to needs of
review committee
o Unit proposes site visit agenda
o 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 Visit
o Meetings with unit constituents and key
stakeholders, including faculty, students, staff, and
others
o 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 Events
o GPSS Report*
o Review Committee Report (within 4 weeks)
• Submitted to Office of Academic Affairs & Planning
o Academic Unit’s Response (within 4 weeks)
• Response letter to review committee report
o Graduate School Council consideration of report and
recommendations
o Graduate School Recommendations to Dean / Chancellor
/ Vice Chancellor
o 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
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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 Timeline
o 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 Documents
o Review committee charge letter
o Site visit agenda
o 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 dates
2) Proposed review committee members (UW and
external)
3) Part B: Unit-Defined Questions for self-study