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Additional Data Requests
Once the department has reviewed the standard data elements supplied by the Office of Academic Affairs, they may wish to request additional data. This is most helpful when a department has specific questions related to student progress.
Data available through Banner can be requested through an ITS data request form. For a specific example, a program might request senior test scores for a particular group of students along with when a particular course was taken and what the grade in that course was. This would allow departments to analyze whether success in an elective course was related to improved test scores.
University-wide data are often available within the Assessment Almanac. Specific portfolio data can be requested from the portfolio director, Anne Moody.
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Department-Level Discussions
The department should prepare an overview of the department, and include all of the required elements of the program review. However, the bulk of the word should focus on 2-3 specific issues that the department feels are most relevant to program improvement. Suggested questions for these issues are available. Once the department selects questions, they should submit these questions to their Dean for approval. After the Dean approves the list of questions, departmental discussion on these questions occur.
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Team members draft self-study sections
The Program Review Coordinator incorporates the outcomes of the departmental discussions into the Program Review document. The self-study is based on data about the program and is normally drafted by multiple team members during a spring semester and compiled/edited by the team coordinator in the summer after the five-year period of study. The self-study is an inward focused process and should include:
- A review and report on progress made on any existing programmatic goals, including those from the previous program review;
- Exploration of the relationship between the program’s mission, philosophy, co-curriculum, activities, and goals (et al.) with Truman’s vision, liberal arts and sciences mission, Strategic Plan, and campus-wide initiatives (e.g., Critical Thinking, Transformative Experiences).
- Exploration of program-level outcomes, course-level outcomes, and a corresponding curriculum map showing the relationship across program-level, course-level, and university-wide outcomes (See Appendix Z of this document).
- Examination of the program’s performance metrics and University-wide indicators of program success (e.g., graduation rate), and state-wide indicators such as those used for performance funding.
- Documentation of the programmatic discussions that took place among stakeholders regarding the curriculum, learning outcomes; assessment of learning outcomes; co-curriculum, activities, program quality; performance metrics, and key issues concerning the mission of the program.
- Based on the explorations and examinations above, identification of programmatic strengths, areas in need of improvement, potential opportunities, and current or potential areas of concern;
- An attainable plan of action (goals) for the next five years. What are the compelling curricular and programmatic developments that will be pursued, given current fiscal realities? How will the program continue to evolve in accommodating changing student needs and in continuing forward programmatic progress? How can the program increasingly capitalize on its strengths while addressing areas that are in need of improvement? The plan should include attainable goals that will allow progress to be reflected upon and reported at the next five-year review.
- Appendices:
- Standard data elements provided by Office of Academic Affairs
- Current CVs of faculty members should be filed electronically with the school and made available for reviewers (Using Digital Measures).
- Course-level Syllabi should be filed electronically with the school and made available for reviewers.
- Elements requested by Faculty Senate, if not included elsewhere.