Senate Reference No. 01-12

TO: Fort Wayne Senate

FROM: Educational Policy Committee

D. Oberstar, Chair

DATE: February 1, 2002

SUBJECT: Annual Report on Program Reviews

The attached report on program reviews is being forwarded to the Fort Wayne Senate for information only. All questions concerning this report should be directed to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Senate Reference No. 01-12

To: Educational Policy Committee

From: Jeanette Clausen, Program Review Chair

Date: January 22, 2002

Subj: Annual Report on Program Reviews

Senate Document SD 93-26 (Review of Academic Units) states: “The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs shall report to the Fort Wayne Senate each year concerning the number

and general nature of the reviews.” This report is submitted in fulfillment of that stipulation.

Six programs piloted the program review process during 1999-00, following interim guidelines that were revised and published as OAA 00-1 in 2000. Six more programs were identified for program review during 2000-01. Beginning with the “Common Questions” in OAA 00-1, each program develops a set of questions for self-study, with input from the respective school dean and the VCAA. Statistical data are provided by Institutional Research. A peer review team is assembled as appropriate to the needs of each program. The review team’s report, forwarded to the department/program chair and to the VCAA, identifies areas of strength and weakness in the self-study and recommends additional study if needed

2000-01 Program Reviews. As of December 2001, all six of the programs undergoing review during the 2000-01 academic year had completed the review process at least through the level of the campus review. Three of them had submitted responses to the peer review team report, and three were on schedule for completing their responses by early 2002.

1999-00 Update. As of December 2001, the five pilot programs that completed the review process during 2000 were at different stages of their action plans, developed to address issues identified during self-study. The sixth pilot program plans to complete its self-study by fall 2002.

Lessons learned. Experience during two complete cycles of program review has shown that a two-semester time frame is not realistic for most programs. Therefore, OAA 00-1 was revised again in spring 2001 to establish a three-semester time frame and to streamline the process. In some cases, departments can make rapid strides to address issues identified by self-study; others move more slowly. Such variation is to be expected. Overall, the results of the review process in terms of planning and program improvement have been positive. There are six programs working on self-studies during the current academic year. All have made progress; two are likely to complete the process by the end of spring 2002.

cc: VCAA Hannah