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Final Report Writer Identified
The Final Report Writer may or may not be the same individual as the initial Program Review coordinator. Additionally, the department may choose to split the responsibilities and the stipend among multiple faculty members. The Final Report Writer helps coordinate the visit, prepares the final report, and presents to Faculty Senate.
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Reviewers visit campus and issue report
The program leadership team should plan the visit at least a month in advance, to ensure that the Dean and Director of Assessment are available for at least one lengthy discussion (near the beginning of the visit), that the VPAA (and President, when possible) is available for an exit interview (near the end of the visit), and that other logistics and arrangements flow smoothly. Early in the process, coordinate with DeeDee Moore for the meetings with Academic Affairs.
Ideally, internal and external reviewers should work together to coordinate a review visit. Required elements include meetings with faculty, students, the Dean, and Academic Affairs. Reviewers may also wish to meet with the following entities, depending on the nature of the program: currently enrolled students, alumni, representatives from the Advancement Office, Associate Vice President for Academic Outreach, the Education Department Chair, and important community or industry partners. The leadership team should also consider how the team should meet with the constituents. For example, team members may have to meet with people as individuals or may be able to meet with everybody as a team. Meals involving both faculty and reviewers are discouraged, are prohibited by some accrediting agencies, and will not be compensated by Academic Affairs. Finally, the reviewers should also be given the option of attending classes. These decisions may depend on time, resources, number of faculty, etc., but should be clarified and agreed upon prior to the campus visit.
The department has flexibility in scheduling a review, so the example schedule is merely one option.
The reviewer’s comments should be submitted to the program leadership team by May 15 following a campus visit earlier in the Spring semester. The Dean (in consultation with the program review team and Academic Affairs) should clarify to the reviewers if they are expecting a joint review (where internal and external reviewers contribute to and agree on a final version) or separate reviews from each reviewer. The two formats can – and often do – lead to different interpretations and recommendations. Although there are no strict formatting guidelines for the reviewer’s comments, a typical review is brief (3-5 pages) and includes an overall summary of the program review as well as program strengths and concerns noted as a result of the review. The review may contain recommendations, both specific and general. The review should be submitted as a pdf file in an email to the program leader. The reviewers should also submit an Expense Report through Academic Affairs for travel reimbursement.
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Final Report Writer works with Team and Department to prepare for response and summary
The department should respond to the reviewers’ reports. Any errors of fact should be disputed with evidence. The department should also discuss which suggestions they will and will not pursue, providing explanations.