Program Review Guidelines
The Program Review process provides the most thorough examination of the condition and functioning of an academic unit. It is mandated by the UA Board of Regents and must be completed on a 5-year cycle. Any dean or director may initiate a program review at any time if a more timely review than that addressed in the five-year cycle is necessary. Documents are linked below that describe the process in more detail and provide templates for Program Self Studies and Dean/Director Reviews.
The process has been revised in recent years to reduce the burden on programs and colleges, focusing on the most important aspects of the exercise. Each review begins with a self study, written and reviewed by the faculty, which addresses the points in the guideline. In AY12, program self studies are due to the program's dean or director by February 17, 2012. Based on this initial self study, the Dean or Director evaluates the department or program and may recommend that the program either (1) needs further review, or (2) requires no further review. In AY12, dean/director reviews are due to Academic Affairs by March 9, 2012. The Academic Deans and Community Campus Directors meet at this point to hear the recommendations from each Dean and Director, comment on each program's contributions and collaborations with other units, and vote on whether to pursue further review. In AY12, this work session will be held on March 28, 2012.
The second level review is an opportunity to gather more information, and is particularly useful if the program is undergoing major modifications, in need of additional resources, or proposed for deletion. This additional level of review may also allow time to address an issue that arose in the first round, such as industry demands or student graduation patterns being different than previously predicted. Programs not selected for this additional level of review are finished with the process for this cycle.
If the second level review is recommended, the Dean or Director will develop a more detailed review tailored for the program. In AY12, dean/director charges for extended reviews are due to Academic Affairs and program faculty by April 6, 2012. The timeline for the remaining steps of this process will be determined by the extended review charge designed by the program dean/director. Following the completion of this second level review, a final meeting will be arranged with the Provost, Vice Provost, Program Chair, and the Dean or Campus Director of the program. In this meeting, an action plan is prepared for the program, where appropriate.
The Deans and Directors have established the schedule for review of each program within the 5-year cycle. In many cases, schools and college may elect to schedule divisions (such as Humanities) to occur in the same academic year. In other cases, programs may be scheduled to better align with programmatic accreditation timelines.
Program Review Guidelines 2011-2012 (Note: includes timeline, program self-study template, dean/director review template, and schedule for AY12-16 reviews)
Program Review Schedule for Programs AY12 - AY16
