Departmental Review Process

Although academic departments are expected to engage in a continual process of evaluation and improvement, it is, nevertheless, important to have a more comprehensive evaluation that includes external perspectives. The review process provides an opportunity for the department to display its purpose and goals, organization and personnel, procedures, and activities; to qualitatively and systematically evaluate its performance; and to describe its efficiency of operation, the effectiveness of its endeavors, and the direction it is taking. The department description is conveyed through a self-assessment report and subsequent on-site visits conducted by an internal review team and external reviewers. The on-site visit serves to clarify the department's analysis, to gain first-hand observations and data from faculty, and to achieve common performance standards across the institution. The components and sequence of the review process are as follows:

1. Planning and Assessment conducts a pre-review meeting, outlining the process, setting expectations, offering available data, and requesting external reviewer and reader recommendations.
2. Academic department submits a self-assessment document one month prior to the scheduled on-site visit.
3. Readers and jurors evaluate student performance (e.g., capstone projects, theses, dissertations, exhibits, portfolios, etc.)
4. Review team and external consultant make on-site visits.
5. Review team drafts report and submits it to department for factual clarification.
6. Review team submits final report, including recommendations, to the academic vice- president.
7. Academic vice-president meets with department and college administrators for implementation of recommendations.