Program Review of Non-Accrediated Programs

Periodic program reviews provide a mechanism for faculty to evaluate the effectiveness, progress, and status of their academic programs on a cyclical basis. It is an opportunity for the department (or program) to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses within the context of the mission of the university and of current and emerging directions in the discipline. For the purposes of program review, a program is defined as a course of study leading to a degree. Academic programs are reviewed at least once every five years. Except for special instances (e.g., interdisciplinary programs), program reviews include evaluation of all undergraduate and graduate programs offered by the unit.

The traditional Program Review is conducted approximately every five years for programs that do not have accreditation outside of WASC.

The Abbreviated Program Review is for nationally accredited programs and this review typically aligns with the accrediting organization's review and after the site visit (see more here).

The primary purpose of program review is to improve the program by thoroughly and candidly evaluating:

• the mission and goals of the program and their relation to the mission and strategic priorities of the institution,
• the curriculum through which program mission and goals are pursued,
• the assessment of student learning outcomes, program revisions based upon those outcomes, and plans for future assessment activities,
• the range and quality of research activities, emphasizing those involving students,
• the quality and diversity of faculty and staff and their contributions to program mission and goals,
• the quality of entering students (for graduate programs and others with restricted enrollment),
• libraries and other educational resources,
• physical facilities, and
• service and contributions to the community.

These reviews provide an opportunity for faculty to highlight program strengths and achievements, to identify needed improvements, and to address these needs through long-range plans that will endure through short-term administrative changes or budget crises. Program reviews are integral to planning, resource allocation, and other decision-making within the university. Regular program reviews also allow the University to account publicly for its use of public resources and to develop support among its various constituencies.

At California State University, Fresno, the dean of the Division of Graduate Studies, or designee, serves as the review officer for graduate programs and the dean of Undergraduate Studies, or designee, as the review officer for undergraduate programs.

In order to allow for reflection and input, the program review process is long and involved. The department prepares a self-study for each program under review. A review panel examines the self-study, visits the program, and prepares a report. The department and dean must then comment on the review panel’s report. The report and comments are forwarded to the appropriate university-level committee for review. After receiving committee recommendations, the department writes a plan that describes actions to be taken in response to recommendations coming out of the reviews. An action plan meeting is held in which the department, dean, and central administration agree upon priorities and resources for a final action plan. Appendix A provides a timeline for completion of program review activities, in the form of a checklist summarizing the responsibilities of the various participating parties.

In September of the academic year before the review is due, the review officer notifies the chair of the academic department and the appropriate dean that a review is to be scheduled. By that October, the chair of the academic department notifies the review officer and the appropriate dean who the self-study coordinator will be. Between October and November, the review officer(s) schedule an orientation session for school or college deans, department chairs, self-study coordinators, and, if desired, additional department faculty, for all departments participating in a self-study.

The Self-Study should not exceed 20 pages excluding the appendices. The Self-Study Outline and Templates section below provides a detailed outline of the self-study, which should be submitted to the college/school dean no later than March 1st of the same year as the Site Visit. The self-study is a comprehensive written report that is prepared by the academic program scheduled for a review. If the department undergoing review has multiple degrees, a  separate self-study should be prepared for each degree, although a common set of supporting materials may be provided for multiple reports.

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE) provides a standard data set to be included in the self-study. OIE offers assistance in updating the assessment plan and planning and evaluating surveys. The review officer(s) can provide guidance and answer questions about the program review process.

The self-study examines the current status of the academic program based on its activities and achievements since its last program review. The document should identify strengths and weaknesses in curriculum and instruction; student performance; student learning outcomes activities over the period since the prior review and a student outcomes assessment plan (SOAP) for the period until the next review; faculty contributions in teaching, research/creative activities, and service; resource availability and needs; and special features or services provided by the department. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it should serve as a vehicle by which the department, in conjunction with the university, can plan for the future. Goals for program improvement, an action plan to achieve those goals, and strategies for measuring progress towards goal achievement should be included. Thus, the self-study should include mechanisms for solving current problems and avoiding projected problems, for building on existing strengths, and for maximizing opportunities that are likely to develop within the discipline in the near future. The allocation of resources is an important matter to all programs. However, if the self-study report becomes primarily a budget request, the unit misses an excellent opportunity to provide the campus information on its strengths, weaknesses, plans, and goals. Moreover, an unduly self-serving document in some measure loses credibility. The report is likely to have the most favorable impact on readers if the unit seizes the opportunity for creative thinking about plans.

A self-study coordinator, selected from the department faculty by the department faculty, oversees preparation of the report. All program faculty members should be involved in preparation of the self-study and consulted prior to the preparation of the final draft. Since the department chair is responsible for the content, accuracy, and completeness of the self-study, the chair should continually and actively oversee the preparation of the report. It is the responsibility of the self-study coordinator to meet periodically with the college/school dean to review progress on the self-study, to share the content of the self-study as it develops, and to report to the department faculty the comments and recommendations of the dean.

The college/school dean reviews the program’s self-study, provides comments to the self-study coordinator, and works with the department to address any concerns that arise. When satisfied with the quality and content of the self-study, the dean forwards the self-study with a memorandum of approval to the review officer(s) no later than April 1st the same year of the Site Visit. The names of the self-study coordinator, chair, dean and associate dean should be on the cover page of the self-study.

The review officer(s) reviews the self-study for conformity with university guidelines. If all required elements of the self-study have been addressed, the review officer notifies the department to submit an electronic copy of the program self-study.

The site-visit is conducted by a team of at least three consultants including an external expert in the discipline under review who has experience with student outcomes assessment in that discipline, a faculty member from within the department’s school or college, and a faculty member from the campus (but outside the school or college). The department may elect to include a fourth member of the team representing the alumni, community, or other accreditation experts. A fourth member must be pre-approved by the program review officer(s). The chair of the academic department, in consultation with the department faculty and the appropriate dean, submits to the program review officer a list of reviewers by the end of April of the review year (Appendix C). The review officer(s) promptly confirms with the chair, coordinator, and panel members those selected. The university provides a stipend to the external consultant in addition to travel expense reimbursement.

The review officer(s) and the department work together to schedule the review panel site-visit. The department provides the team with an office for use during the visit, as well as a computer and printer. In addition, space should be provided for scheduled meetings of the team with the various groups. It is the unit's responsibility to arrange tours of its facilities; a tour of the library; time for reviewing course syllabi and student work (including randomly selected theses, if applicable); and to schedule the appropriate meetings with faculty, students, and alumni as appropriate. The site-visit should conclude with an exit meeting which should include the review officer(s), the school/college dean, undergraduate dean and/or graduate dean, department chair, and/or graduate program coordinator. If only one program is being reviewed, the panel can complete its work in a single day. For review of multiple programs (e.g., undergraduate and graduate), additional time may be needed. Sample site-visit agendas are provided below.

NOTE: In setting up an on-campus site visit agenda, remember to allow walking time as may be needed between activities, particularly if construction on campus is prevelant.

Sample Site-Visit Agenda (one degree, one day)
Sample Site-Visit Agenda (two degree, two day)

Description of Site-Visit Sessions:

1.   Visit with Review Officer(s)

One of the first meetings scheduled for the review panel is with the review officers. The purpose of this meeting is to orient the site-visit team to the purpose of their visit and to answer any questions they might have on the procedures for the Academic Program Review and/or their role in the review.

2.   Visits with College/School Dean and/or Associate Dean

As part of an effort to incorporate review results into general university planning, meetings are scheduled with the dean of the supervising college or school. Since the recommendations of the site-visitors will affect planning by the unit and college, the dean’s interaction is crucial. Scheduled times for these visits is arranged approximately one month prior to the review to allow for planning. This meeting is arranged by the Program Review Coordinator.

3.   Visits with faculty members

Depending on the size of the department, two or three small group meetings (or individual meetings, where possible) might be desirable so that most faculty members have a chance to express their opinions. In addition, there should be a small meeting with the faculty who prepared the report and with the graduate advisory committee or other committees whose work relates to the program review. The department chair should not attend the meetings with faculty.

4.   Visits with the department chairs

At least an hour should be scheduled for the site visitors to meet with the department chair. Because site visitors will usually have questions from their conversations with students and faculty, some time for this visit with department chairs should be saved rather late in the schedule.

5.    Visits with students

Some of the most helpful meetings are those with students. Because students often bring up questions for which the site visitors will want to seek answers, these meetings should be set up fairly early in the schedule. Class visits also work well. After the visitors are introduced and the purpose of the visit explained, unit faculty members should leave so that students feel free to discuss issues. Since undergraduate and graduate students may have different concerns, a separate meeting should be arranged for each group. It is important to have a substantial number of students in each group.

6.   Review panel’s report (Appendix D)

Time needs to be reserved during the site-visit to allow the consultants to draft a report summarizing their program evaluations and recommendations. If the department undergoing review has multiple degrees, as appropriate, there should be separate reports on undergraduate and graduate programs, delivered to the review officer(s). When completed, the report(s) is distributed to the college/school dean and to the department via the chair and the coordinator.

7.   Exit meeting

Site-visits conclude with an exit meeting comprised of the review officer(s), the college/school dean, undergraduate and/or graduate dean (if not the same as review officers), department chair, the self-study coordinator, and/or graduate program coordinator (if a graduate program).

A Note on Hospitality. Please coordinate faculty members to serve as local hosts, who will pick up out-of-town visitors at their hotel, escort them to meetings, arrange return transportation, and lend general assistance. If it is a two-day visit, please arrange for out-of-town visitors to check out of the hotel before noon on the second day so that the university is not charged for an extra day, unless the visitors have asked to stay over a third night. Most local hotels provide shuttle service to the airport, but if time is tight it may be better for someone in the unit to give the visitor a ride. The site-visit team will have two busy days and will likely appreciate a few hours of quiet. Please leave the evening hours free. Also, no funds have been set aside for entertainment. Lavish entertaining is not expected nor encouraged. If faculty members wish to go out to dinner or lunch with the visitors, they will be responsible for their own expenses.

The self-study coordinator and chair work together with the faculty to complete a written response to the review panel’s report. The departmental response should be a good faith effort to address each of the issues raised in the report and may also discuss significant changes or developments that have taken place in the program subsequent to the self-study. The departmental response is to be submitted to the college/school dean and the review officer(s) within two weeks after receipt of the visiting panel’s report.

The college/school dean should address the issues raised in the review panel report and the chair’s response. The dean’s response shall be submitted within two weeks to the chair and to the review officer(s), and distributed for review by the departmental faculty.

The campus program review committees examines the review panel’s reports and the departmental and dean’s responses. The program review committees then interview representatives of the program and the administration as appropriate, and provide committee recommendations based on the reports provided. They should also comment on the outcomes assessment process in the department and on the updated Student Outcomes Assessment Plan (SOAP). The committee report should be completed no less than one month following receipt of the material and should be delivered to the review officer(s). The following are categories for committee recommendations:

University Committee Recommendations to Approve a Program:

1.   Recommendation to Approve a Program with Notation of Exceptional Quality

Approval is recommended without reservation and with a notation of specific areas of program promise and excellence. Programs recommended in this category may be considered for an award for program excellence. These are programs that exhibit special strength in all aspects of the review process and reflect the very best attributes of commitment, quality, and promise.

2.   Recommendation to Approve a Program of Quality and Promise

Program approval is recommended with identification of specific areas that need to be further developed, and a notation of specific areas of achievement. These programs meet all evaluative measures of quality, but nonetheless could improve in substantial ways (e.g., absence of a strong student recruitment plan.)

3.   Recommendation to Approve a Program for Conditional Continuation

Conditional approval is recommended with identification of specific areas requiring significant improvement, including the conditions and a reasonable time frame for such conditions to be met in achieving unconditional approval. Conditional continuation is appropriate for a program that fails to meet expected quality standards and for which additional time and/or implementation of planned actions to address these weaknesses could be expected to eliminate such deficiencies without impairing student progress (e.g., the need to obtain space or equipment.)

Other University Committee Actions

4.   Recommendation to Suspend a Program

A recommendation for suspension of a program is appropriate upon receipt of a conditional continuation in the most recent program review and when two conditions occur: (1) when the program fails to meet established standards of quality that ensure an appropriate academic experience for students and (2) when there is evidence that these deficiencies may be corrected over a specified period of time. Those standards of quality include, but are not limited to, a minimum critical number of faculty, a minimum critical number of students, adequacy and frequency of required courses, adequate library holdings, and appropriate physical facilities. Please note that a recommendation to suspend a program could lead to administrative action. Administrative action to suspend a program (1) places a moratorium on new student admissions; (2) requires students currently in the program be accommodated so that they may complete the program; (3) places a moratorium on reappointment of faculty to graduate faculty status, if pertinent to a graduate program; and (4) removes program catalog copy. The degree title may be retained on the trustee-approved campus Academic Plan. If evidence suggests that the program may be successfully reconstituted at a later date, then conditions to be fulfilled in order to fully reopen the program should be identified along with a process to support the removal of a recommendation for suspension. Note that discontinuation may result if the program is unable to satisfy the conditions for successful reconstitution as identified.

5.   Recommendation to Discontinue a Program

A recommendation to discontinue a program is appropriate upon receipt of a conditional continuation in the most recent program review and when the program fails to meet established standards of quality that ensure an appropriate academic experience for students, and at the same time when there is no evidence that deficiencies have been corrected over a specified period of time. Please note that a recommendation to discontinue a program could lead to administrative action. Administrative action to discontinue a program (1) places a moratorium on new student admissions; (2) requires students currently in the program be accommodated so that they may complete the program; (3) places a moratorium on reappointment of faculty to graduate faculty status, if pertinent; and (4) removes program catalog copy. A separate process for review of the implications of program termination is implemented. This second and separate level of review follows University policy and includes an assessment of the implications for the University and its service area, faculty, facilities, students, and resources if the program is discontinued.

In consultation with the dean, the department chair and/or program coordinator drafts an action plan, providing for each issue identified during the review the following: (1) proposed action and expected outcome, (2) cost/resource implications, (3) source of funds or resources, and (4) timeline for accomplishing the proposed action. This document is discussed at a Planning and Implementation Meeting called by the provost and including the vice provost, department chair, college/school dean, review officer(s) and a representative from the site-visit team (if requested by the department) to consider all recommendations and comments. The purpose of this meeting is to prioritize the action plan and obtain commitments for any resources needed to achieve the high priority goals. The dean and the provost may propose additional action items. The minutes of the meeting document the formal agreement among parties. The department may be requested to revise the action plan and another action plan meeting may be called if needed. The finalized action plan is signed by the chair, the dean, the program review officer(s) and the provost. Annually, departments report action plan implementation to the dean, and submit assessment reports to the provost which are reviewed by the Learning Assessment Team. Departments receive feedback for closing the loop.

All references to chair are meant as the department chair or program coordinator.

The Program Review Procedures and Guidelines are listed below.  Read the document thoroughly before preparing your self-study for review by the Program Review Officers and Site Visit Panel. 

Procedures & Guidelines for Review of Academic Programs (rev.11.04.24)

In September of the academic year before the review is due, the Program Review Officer or Program Review Coordinator notifies the chairs of the academic departments and the appropriate deans that reviews are to begin. Orientation, held via Zoom, is usually scheduled for mid-October.

How to: Navigate a Program Review (pdf)

Planning a Program Review Site-Visit (pdf)

The self-study is a comprehensive written report that is prepared by the academic program scheduled for a review. Please review the Outline for the Program Review Self-Study before preparing your document.  If the department undergoing review has multiple degrees, a separate self-study should be prepared for each degree, although a common set of supporting materials may be provided for multiple reports.

Self-Study Template - Grad program (Word)

Self-Study Template - Undergrad program (Word)

The site-visit is conducted by a team of at least three consultants including an external expert in the discipline under review who has experience with student outcomes assessment in that discipline, a faculty member from within the school or college of the department, and a faculty member from the campus but outside the school or college of the department.

A note about FERP: For External Reviewers taking part in the Faculty Early Retirement Plan (FERPing) during the semester in which the site-visit is scheduled to take place, going over their workload with CalPERS does not allow them to receive the honorarium. It is the employee's responsibility to ensure they do not exceed the allotted number of hours. They can log into their CalPERS account to see their hours. Human Resources will not involve CalPERS, but the employee will want to monitor their hours closely. If the employee has questions about how the hours related to this external review would impact the hours they have available for their workload, please have the employee contact CalPERS at 888-225-7377.

Nominate three faculty in each category using the nomination form below:

Guidelines for Preparing the Review Panel Report (pdf)

Review Panel Nomination Form

In consultation with the dean, the department chair and/or program coordinator drafts an action plan, providing for each issue identified during the review the following; (1) Proposed action and expected outcome, (2) Cost/resource implications, (3) Source of funds or resources, and (4) Timeline for accomplishing the proposed action. This document is discussed at a Planning and Implementation Meeting called by the Provost and including the chair, college/school dean, review officer(s) and a representative from the site visit team (if requested by the department) to consider all recommendations and comments.

Action Plan Template (Word)

Each department or degree program at Fresno State is required to submit an annual assessment report on September 30.  These reports are submitted to your College Assessment Coordinator and to University Faculty Director of Assessment Dr. Douglas Fraleigh. The reports are evaluated by the Learning Assessment Team. The University Faculty Director of Assessment reports the results to the Vice Provost and ultimately the Provost, and this team follows up if there are concerns about any of the reports.  

The Program Review Coordinator does not track annual reports. Departments discuss assessment in their Program Review self-study in section IIIB1. There are no specific requirements for how the assessment is discussed, though a copy of your SOAP is to be included in Appendix C. The review team and others (e.g., Vice Provost, Provost) determine whether additional assessment activities should be incorporated into the action plan.