The Process

1. The department undergoing review shall prepare a packet of materials regarding each program and submit it to the dean/director who will provide materials to the committee once final appointments are made. The data used in the review shall consist of the updated Departmental Notebook (NWCCU Self-Study), dean’s annual audit reports (if any written reports were done), outcomes assessment plan and results, and departmental self-analysis of strengths, weaknesses, needs and significant changes since the last comprehensive review.

2. The committee will review the program(s) and shall write a report for each that addresses the program’s strengths, weaknesses/deficiencies, and shall provide one of the following recommendations: continuation without change, continuation with change, or discontinuation.The report will be submitted to the Dean's office along with all back up materials.

3. The Dean's office forwards the committee's report to the department for response.

4. Department faculty then review the committee's report and respond to the Dean.

5. The departmental faculty shall have an opportunity to review and respond to the committee’s report.

6. The dean/director shall write a response to the report that indicates what actions, if any, will be taken at the college level and any recommendations for university action. Any recommendations to discontinue a program must provide rationale consistent with BOR Policy and University Regulation 10.04.02C, including appropriate review and recommendation by the unit’s academic council.

7. All materials are then forwarded to the provost for final review. The provost’s response will indicate any university actions that will be taken.
Exception

At the discretion of the departmental faculty, any degree program that holds professional accreditation may be reviewed by an alternate process if a substantive accreditation evaluation has been conducted since the last comprehensive review. In this case the departmental faculty may elect to use the report of the accreditation evaluators instead of a report issued by the review committee.

Annual Timetable

December 1 Departmental materials are finalized and committee is appointed.
March 1 Committee report is due to the dean/director.
March 20 Departmental response is due to the dean/director.
April 15 Dean/director response is due to the provost.
June 15 Provost response and actions due.

Degree Program Review Schedule

Relevant links

BOR Policy 10.06.01.A
Regulation 10.06.01
Faculty Senate Motion (meeting #102 on May 7, 2001)