Introduction to Academic Self Assessment

Academic departments with their faculty are the heart of the institution. Departments determine the strength of the faculty, quality of offerings, reputation of programs, efficiency of operation, and attainment of institutional aims and goals. The caliber of the educational experience and level of satisfaction of students in the major, the minor, and in service courses are predicated on the careful work of the academic departments.

The review of academic departments is an integral part of university assessment and planning, the department's self-regulatory endeavor, and an indispensable element in the continuous improvement and renewal of departments. The pursuit of institutional excellence is directly tied to carrying out regular, effective, consequential reviews. One experienced planner observed in Doing Academic Planning that "The overarching goal of the review process is to demonstrate how the program fits with the mission and future plans of the institution." One institutional recommendation from the 1996 University Self-Study called for regular campus-wide reviews of all academic departments and educational support units of the institution. The Report noted that these systematic reviews exist for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of the institution in fulfilling its mission, reaching its goals and objectives, being accountable, and furthering collegiality and collaboration. Accomplishment of these ends will lead to the "full realization of human potential" through the educational process (Mission of BYU).

This institution has chosen to conduct its reviews on an integrated, department-wide basis, considering both undergraduate and graduate programs and addressing major education, general education, religious education, teacher education, and continuing and distance education. Periodic department reviews bring together each of these perspectives in a single comprehensive review.

Elements of academic department review include accountability; relationship to the institutional aims and mission; self-reflection and analysis; faculty involvement; peer evaluation, both external and internal; and feedback from students and other stake holders, including parents, employers, and administrative leaders.

The effectiveness of academic departments must be primarily based on the achievement of faculty and students as measured against established performance indicators. These measures assist in making a qualitative appraisal of the department's fundamental activities of teaching and learning. Proper assessment must also consider the processes involved in pursuit of academic objectives. The American Association of Higher Education has called for "attention to outcomes, but also and equally to the experiences that lead to those outcomes." In other words, assessment of departmental performance must focus on processes as well as results.