Program Review at UNC-Chapel Hill
Conducted by the Office of the Provost and The Graduate School
- Self-Study Outline and Required Key Elements
- Program Review One Page Overview
- Best Practices for a Successful Self-Study Process
- Best Practices for Virtual Review Experiences
- Instructions for Data Collection
- Sample Campus Visit Schedules
- Program Review Team Charge Letter
- Printable Program Review Manual
- Program Review Timeline
“The primary purpose of all program review is the improvement of programs as measured by the quality of the faculty, the students, library and other educational resources, the curriculum, available facilities, and the academic reputation of the program among its peers. It helps set goals and directions for the future [and] also provides a mechanism for change”
Academic Review of Graduate Programs (Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools), p. 3
Program review is:
- Internal, initiated and administered by the university
- Evaluative, not just descriptive
- Forward-looking, directed toward program improvement, not simply assessment
- Based on academic criteria
- As objective as possible
- Independent of other reviews (e.g., accreditation, licensing), with recommendations directed to faculty and university administrators
- Intended to result in action — a plan to implement desired changes, if possible on a specific agreed-upon timetable.
Program Review provides answers to the following kinds of questions:
- Is the program advancing the state of the discipline or profession?
- Is its teaching or training of students useful and effective?
- Does the program meet the institution's goals?
- Does it respond to the profession’s needs?
- How is the program assessed by experts in the field?
Academic Review of Graduate Programs, pp. 6-7
For more information, please visit the links above.
For questions about program review at Carolina, please contact:
Lou Anne Phelps
laphelps@email.unc.edu
Stephanie Schmitt
sschmitt@email.unc.edu