Program Review
Baruch College Academic Program Review
Why is Academic Program Review Important?
- Collaboration – Creates a platform for ongoing discussion of expectations and content across the program.
- Improvement – Provides a formal process for faculty and administrators to identify strengths and weaknesses of a curriculum or program, and to make decisions regarding potential improvements.
- Accountability – Acts as a mechanism to measure progress of the program, department, School, and College for prospective students, employers, and accrediting bodies such as Middles States Commission on Higher Education, as well as administrators throughout Baruch College and CUNY.
How is Program defined? In addition to degree programs, many departments are nuanced with courses and programming that contribute to the role of the School/Department/Program and significantly impact Baruch’s students (e.g., Great Works of Literature and the two-course language requirement). These should at least be included within the assessments and showcased in the report.
CUNY Policy on Academic Program Review
CUNY policy mandates Academic Program Reviews (APRs). The policy requires APRs for all programs not subject to external accreditation. In addition to CUNY policy, the Mission of Baruch College, Strategic Plan of Baruch College, Middle States Standard for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation, Academic discipline-based association guidelines, and standards for higher education in the field have shaped these APR guidelines.
The APR process requires the writing of a Program APR report and an external evaluation. The External Review Committee, made up of peers in the field, will use a rubric to classify whether the department is in one of three stages: early development; developing; or developed, as well as provide recommendations. Funding is allocated by the Dean’s Office. Programs have the option of coordinating virtual visits to reduce expenses; however, certain departments will be requested to hold in-person visits when facilities play a key role in program functions. The Dean’s Office should be kept informed throughout the process. The Dean and Provost should review the report prior to the External Review Team’s visit and meet with them during the visit.
If extenuating circumstances arise, program chairs or directors can request with explanation (in writing) to defer the process for a year.
Participants in Academic Program Review
Academic Program Review should engage the entire faculty and staff of an academic program, as well as its students and alumni, and the scope of review should include the broader operational structure of the department, School and College.
- The Program Director or Faculty Chair leads the process and nominates a team of peer evaluators. The Office of the Dean provides feedback on the suggested team as well as administrative support.
- The Dean, Associate Dean, Department Chair, business manager, and assessment manager for the School in collaboration with the Program Director, faculty, and relevant administrators, establish a formal process for analyzing information and data, writing the APR Report, and responding to the External Review Committee’s report. They also have responsibility for establishing guidelines for APR.
- The Office of Assessment, Accreditation, and Institutional Effectiveness will provide guidance and support and act as a liaison between the Department and CUNY Institutional Research for data requests.
Program Review Categories:
The Program Review Process encompasses nine (9) categories:
Category I – Program Overview
Category II – Program Delivery and Planning
Category III – Academic Assessment
Category IV – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Category V – Program Faculty
Category VI – Program Students
Category VII – Program Staff
Category VIII – Reflection
Category IX – Action Plan (finalized after external review)
The Baruch College Program Review Schedule can be found HERE.
The reporting template used for this process can be found HERE. It includes the necessary Categories AND Criteria for the report.
The External Review Checklist for Site Visit Members can be found HERE.
The External Review Checklist for Department Chairs can be found HERE.
Six-year Program Review Cycle
The Program Review Cycle & Stages: Programs will conduct Academic Program Reviews every six years. After YEAR VI, a program would return to the phase of the process described in Year I.
Questions?
The Office of Assessment, Accreditation, and Institutional Effectiveness (OAAIE) can support and assist you in a variety of ways.
If you have any questions about the program review process, please contact Associate Director of Assessment Melissa Sultana.
For data requests, please contact Institutional Research (a department within OAAIE) by completing the data request form.