SECTION 300 – ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

 

 

305.01             ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW

 

 

POLICY

 

In accordance with Board of Regents (BOR) Policy 205.01, Georgia Perimeter College shall conduct periodic reviews of all instructional programs and submit reports to the BOR as required.

 

PROCEDURE

 

A.        The Academic Program Review Policy is predicated on the following conditions and understandings:

 

• The faculty of GPC has responsibility for the quality of instructional programs.

 

• All criteria used in the current process have been selected according to the published guidelines in the BOR Academic Affairs Handbook, Section 2.03.05.

 

• The current process supplements, but does not replace, ongoing strategic planning and outcomes assessment activities, both within the academic disciplines and college-wide.

 

• The comprehensive program review provides an opportunity to examine each program objectively, evaluate its effectiveness, and plan for its future.

 

B.         All Associate Degree and Certificate programs will be subject to review, at least once every seven years.

 

C.        The academic program review process is coordinated through the Office of the Vice President for Educational Affairs. Detailed guidelines have been published and are available on the College Web site. The process involves two critical elements, a self-study and an external (peer) review.

 

·        The Vice President for Educational Affairs initiates a schedule of reviews, notifying the chair and coordinating dean of programs proposed for review.

 

·        Under the direction of the discipline executive committees, the program review process begins with a self-study that focuses on measurement of defined expectations, using both internal standards and external benchmarks.

 

·        Following the self-study, the faculty of the program being reviewed will select an external review team who will conduct a site visit in the second half of the review year and submit a report of their findings to the College.

 

·        The Faculty and Administration will use the information gathered in the review process to evaluate and make decisions about effectiveness and improvement of programs.

 

D.        It is appropriate for each program to evaluate the following elements in its review: mission, students, facilities, curriculum, other learning and service activities, research and scholarship, and service. All program reviews must address (but are not limited to) the following performance indicators:

 

·        Dedicated Resources:  Faculty qualifications; Faculty/student ratio; Instructional technology; Facilities and non-instructional technical support; Learning resources for faculty and students; Budget resources

 

·        Program, Learning, and Service Outcomes:   Faculty/graduate ratio; Success of graduates; Scholarly contribution; Community services and outreach; Retention rates; Student learning outcomes.

 

·        Processes:  Curriculum review; Design of learning experiences;
Attrition rates.

 

 

 

Approved by the Academic Affairs Policy Council:            October 29, 2002

Approved by the College Advisory Board:  April 26, 2003