Plan for Assessing Student Success
Program Review Policies & Procedures

Appendix II: Guidelines for Selection of External Reviewers

  1. External reviewers should be respected peers with proficiency in the areas of specialization that are important to the unit being reviewed.
  2. Reviewers should be experienced academicians, who understand university operations and undergraduate education, and who are able to evaluate realistically the unit's strengths and weaknesses relative to similar units at other comparable institutions, the unit's operations, plans for growth and development, and the professional activities of faculty members.
  3. If an undergraduate program review is being conducted in conjunction with another review (e.g., accreditation or graduate review), the reviewers should be aware of the objectives of the undergraduate program review as well as those of the related review.
  4. It is preferable to avoid former mentors or close personal friends of faculty members, former employees or individuals who have applied or are likely to apply for a position at GPC, or individuals from institutions substantially different in character from GPC who will be less likely to understand specific circumstances here.
  5. The long-run viability of the unit, and the credibility of the review, will be enhanced by identifying thoughtful, knowledgeable, and objective external reviewers.
  6. When nomination individuals to serve as external reviewers, the dean and/or department chair should provide names, current addresses and phone numbers, and a brief statement of the individual's qualifications. This should be several sentences summarizing the individual's expertise and any previous experience with this unit or faculty.
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