Eligibility: All programs that have existed long enough to have program completers will conduct a self-study on a selected programmatic component each year (e.g., program relevance and viability one year, assessment and improvement of student learning another year, etc.). Program enrollment, retention, and completion rates as well as assessment of student learning outcomes will be reported every year. The fifth year in the review cycle will focus on the policies and procedures of the graduate programs as a whole (i.e., institutional procedures and policies that affect all programs). Schools with multiple graduate programs (e.g., the School of Education) must examine all programs separately within the school (e.g., Master of Arts in Education, Principal, Cross-Categorical Special Education, etc.).
Preparation for Review: Programs analyze data and prepare a self-study report that addresses the criteria outlined in the component review timeline.
Report Due Date: The self-study report is due in electronic form to the chair of Graduate Council by the first Monday in February, or as defined by Graduate Council.
Review Process: Self-study reports on the selected review components will be presented by each program to the committee for discussion. The committee will record minutes of the meetings at which the reviewed components are discussed and will summarize the discussion and recommendations in a report to be archived and presented to Graduate Council.
Graduate Council Discussion. Summary reports are presented to the Graduate Council. The presentations are intended to result in formative feedback to the programs and continuous improvement of all graduate programs through broader conversations on the components under review. This format will promote dialogue, creativity, and manageable goals for improvement for all graduate programs.
Response: An executive summary report including actions taken based upon the previous year's review and recommended actions for subsequent years is submitted to the relevant college Dean, the Chair of Graduate Council, and the Vice President of Academic Affairs by May 30th of each academic year.
Sustainability Evaluation Recommendation: The Graduate Council will include a recommendation for evaluation of a program for sustainability review (to follow the university's Sustainability Review process) when necessary as part of the executive summary report.