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Office of Institutional Effectiveness

Academic Program Review

Outcomes Assessment Requirement

Ongoing assessment activity is part of the Program Review process. Each program must have a Student Outcomes Assessment Plan (SOAP). At least one of its activities is to be implemented each year. Results should be discussed by program faculty members and any needed changes to the curriculum, instruction or the SOAP based on those findings are to be put into place. This activity must be documented and reported each Spring in the Annual Report to the Provost. The information can then be easily collected and synthesized for the Program Review self-study. An example of the assessment process is shown in the video, Basic Assessment Steps & Hypothetical Example . (Quicktime is needed to view this file. Click here to download Quicktime. )

Student Data Packet

Program study coordinators should use the appropriate Tableau dashboard to generate their standard data packet. These data will help programs to understand their progress and should inform decisions they make about their future. The data are to be incorporated in the self-study document. The packet must be included in an appendix, but its meaning for the program should be woven into the report narrative. Once programs have reviewed their institutional data, they should meet with an OIE analyst to discuss interpretations of their data, and how to find additional data sources to more fully tell their program's story.

View elements in pdf formatUndergraduate and pdf formatGraduate Data Packets

Using and Interpreting Data

The data show a picture of student demand for the program, the program's enrollment patterns and trends, preparation level and demographics of its majors, and their success as defined by first-year retention and graduation rates and the time it takes them to move through the program. Degrees awarded are an indicator of a program's productivity, especially when viewed in relation to other measures of program size and capacity. Courses offered by semester with enrollment in each give faculty a concise way to review the curriculum for sequencing and student course-taking patterns. Counts of faculty members and their employment and demographics contribute to understanding the program's capacity and program and/or university goals such as assuring diversity. Comparing these program characteristics to college and university patterns and trends provides context and shows the program's progress relative to others. Where relevant, findings from these data should be used to relate program characteristics, outcomes and mission to the university's academic and strategic planning goals.

Details can be found at this link - Program Review Process and Policy

For more information about the Program Review, contact Dr. Bernadette Muscat, Interim Dean of Undergraduate Studies at ext. 8-4468 and Dr. James Marshall, Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, at ext. 8-2448, for undergraduate and graduate programs, respectively.

For more information about student outcomes assessment or the data packet, contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. Additional outcomes assessment resources are available at this link.

Resource Links

Campus Links