To meet requirements University System of Georgia (USG) Policy 3.6.3 Comprehensive Program Review, as well as SACSCOC expectation for continuous improvement of academic programs, all academic programs at the University are reviewed on a seven-year cycle under the Academic Program Review Process.
Program reviews are comprehensive and forward-looking, guiding the future development of individual programs and the units that offer those programs. They incorporate and build on related, ongoing processes such as annual reporting, learning outcomes assessment, strategic planning, and external accreditation review.
Administration of Academic Program Reviews is a partnership between the faculty Program Review and Assessment Committee (PRAC) and the Office of Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness. In general, PRAC is responsible for the content and recommendations of the reviews; the Office of Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness coordinates the process and reports results to the USG as required. The Office of Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness partners with the Office of the Vice President for Instruction to support learning outcomes assessment reporting and training for PRAC members.
Resources for Units Undergoing Review
The primary responsibility of the unit undergoing review is to engage in a thorough, forward-looking evaluation of its academic programs, resulting in a self-study packet for the review team. The self-study packet should include a report on each program using the provided template, student learning outcomes assessment reports for recent cycles, and sufficient information about the unit and its faculty to provide context for the team’s review. Each program report should include the unit faculty’s recommendation regarding the continuance of the program. The self-study may may also include additional elements on which the unit seeks evaluation and feedback from the review team. The links below provide additional information.
- UGA Program Review Self-Study Guidelines
- Example Self-Study
- Required appendices for each academic program in self-study:
- Academic Program Review OIR Data Sheet — OIR Data Dashboard
- Learning Outcomes Assessment Reports — Three years of Xitracs Annual Assessment Reports
- Program Action Recommendation Form
Resources for Review Teams
The primary responsibilities of the program review team are to engage in a thorough, objective evaluation of the Unit’s academic programs and the student learning outcomes assessment practices for those programs. The team’s evaluation should result in recommendations regarding each program’s continuance and formative feedback on assessment practice to the unit’s faculty. The review team should also provide evaluation and feedback on any additional elements affecting program delivery or included in the self-study by the unit. Use the following links for more information on review team responsibilities.
