SUBJECT: Summary of Program Review Activities during Academic Year 2002-2003

DESCRIPTION: See attached.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None.

RECOMMENDATION: Board of Regents information item.

________________________ ______________________________

(date) Jerry B. Farley, President

Summary of AY2002-2003 Program Review

Introduction

For the past eleven years, Washburn University departments have engaged in a process of self-study and peer review known as "program review." Program review provides the opportunity for every program to evaluate itself and to be evaluated by others on a regular basis. Part introspection and part peer review, Washburn's program review process is an important component of the University's administrative processes.

Every department (academic and administrative) is reviewed on a five-year cycle. Departments that are being reviewed in a given year begin by conducting an internal self-study, looking at mission, goals and objectives, outcomes, strengths and weaknesses, and then suggest plans for improvement over the next five years. This self-study is presented as a report to the Program Review Committee, which is co-chaired by the VPAA and the VPAT, and has a campus-wide representative membership of faculty and staff. The committee reviews the self-study documents, interviews the departments, then prepares a summary report for each department under review. The committee's report includes a rating of the program and recommendations for future action.

Copies of the Program Review Committee's summary reports and the program self-studies are on file in the Academic Affairs Office.

Departments Reviewed in AY2002-2003

Eight academic departments and two administrative areas where reviewed in the last academic year. These include:

Summary of Ratings

Programs may be rated as "outstanding," "operating at an acceptable level," "low," or "significant problems,". In the "grading scale" of the program review process, operating at an acceptable level means that the department is meeting its goals and objectives. In other words, "acceptable" is a good grade. Only programs that are demonstrated to be truly exceptional are given outstanding ratings.

Of the 10 departments reviewed in AY2002-2003, all were evaluated to be operating at an acceptable level. However, a graduate program in one department was evaluated separately from the undergraduate program and was rated "low." No outstanding ratings were given, and no departments were found to have significant problems.

Summary of Recommended Actions

The Program Review Committee paid particularly close attention to the assessment programs of academic departments. Assessment of student learning is becoming part of the culture of the University, so the Program Review Committee wanted to ensure that assessment programs are healthy and thriving. Thus, academic departments with relatively new assessment programs, or who had made significant modifications to their assessment programs, were asked to report back to the Program Review Committee in two years regarding their progress. Recommendations regarding positions, space or equipment were made for some departments. One graduate program was asked to undertake a detailed cost/benefit study and to report to the dean and the VPAA within 12 months.

Conclusion

Academic Year 2002-2003 marked the first year of the third five-year cycle. Program review is an essential activity for the campus, as it requires of each area a time of introspection, and provides all areas with a better understanding of the mission, goals and objectives of each area.

Program Review Committee Members for 2002-2003

Wanda Hill, VPAT, co-chair

Ron Wasserstein, VPAA, co-chair

Denise Ottinger, VPSL

Steve Cann, Professor, Political Science, College of Arts and Sciences

Nora Clark, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing

Jan Guise, Coordinator of Reference and Instruction, Mabee Library

Chris Leach, Director of Finance

Judy McConnell, Associate Professor, Education, College of Arts and Sciences

Pat Mower, Associate Professor, Mathematics & Statistics, College of Arts and Sciences

Pat Munzer, Chair, Allied Health/Association Professor, School of Applied Studies

Tony Naylor, Associate Professor, Theatre, College of Arts and Sciences

Bill Roach, Professor, School of Business

Harold Rood, Professor, Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences

David Ryan, Professor, School of Law

Students: Brandi Jacobs

Denise Cook