PART D. REVIEW OF GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Transcription

1 PART D. REVIEW OF GRADUATE PROGRAMS I. GUIDELINES FOR GRADUATE PROGRAM REVIEW The peridic review f graduate prgrams is necessary t ensure that graduate prgrams maintain quality and currency. The Chancellr and members f RACGS view graduate prgram review as an institutinal respnsibility. The prcess is designed t prvide infrmatin t faculty and administratrs at the lcal level, s that necessary changes can be made t maintain prgram quality. The prcess is nt meant t be used t cmpare prgrams acrss the University System f Ohi r t determine state funding f graduate prgrams. Althugh graduate prgram review is cnsidered an institutinal respnsibility and will necessarily vary slightly frm ne university t anther, all universities must emply graduate prgram review prcedures that are cnsistent with the key features and elements utlined in the Cuncil f Graduate Schls 2011 publicatin, Assessment and Review f Graduate Prgrams 1, and must include a review f each element listed amng RACGS quality standards. A. Cuncil f Graduate Schls (CGS) Key Features and Elements f Prgram Review The CGS publicatin recmmends that graduate prgrams be reviewed every five t ten years accrding t a published timetable. The dcument als utlines a number f imprtant features f prgram review: the reviews shuld be evaluative and frward lking; the reviews shuld be fair and transparent as well as distinct frm ther reviews; and the reviews must result in actin. The CGS publicatin als prvides guidelines regarding the elements that shuld be present in all graduate prgram reviews. The key elements are discussed fully in the CGS publicatin and include cmpnents such as: develping and disseminating clear and cnsistent guidelines; btaining adequate staffing and administrative supprt; cnducting a candid prgram self-study; incrprating apprpriate surveys and questinnaires; including graduate students in the review; using bth internal and external reviewers; btaining a respnse frm prgram faculty; delivering a final reprt with recmmendatins; implementing the recmmendatins; and fllwing up ver time. 1 Baker, M.J., Carter, M.P., Larick, D.K., & King, M.F. (2011). Assessment and Review f Graduate Prgrams. Washingtn, DC: Cuncil f Graduate Schls 23

2 B. Quality Standards Members f RACGS have develped the quality standards listed belw. Assessment f cntinued cmpliance with these standards must be included in the graduate prgram review prcess. 1. Prgram Faculty A level f faculty prductivity and cmmitment shall be required cmmensurate with expectatins f graduate prgram faculty as indicated by the fllwing: The number and qualificatins f graduate faculty members are judged t be adequate fr ffering the graduate degrees in the specified areas, and faculty supervise an apprpriate number f students. The preparatin and experience f the faculty are apprpriate fr ffering the graduate degree in an intellectually challenging academic envirnment as demnstrated by active schlarship and creative activity judged by accepted natinal standards fr the discipline. Faculty members have achieved prfessinal recgnitin (natinally, internatinally). The faculty garners significant external funding, as defined by disciplinary nrms, which enhance the graduate prgram. Directrs f dissertatins and a majrity f cmmittee members generate new knwledge and schlarly and creative activity as determined by disciplinary nrms. 2. Prgram Graduates Since the Mst Recent Review A level f student satisfactin, student accmplishment, and graduate accmplishment exists as evidenced by the fllwing: Students express satisfactin with advisement, teaching, and prgram supprt services. The structure and cnduct f the prgram lead t an apprpriate degree cmpletin rate and time-t-degree. The predminant emplyment f graduates within three t five years after graduatin is in fields cnsistent with the missin f the prgram. 24

3 Graduates demnstrate preparatin fr career-lng learning and success as indicated by peridic surveys f career changes, jb satisfactin, and relevance f dctral training t varius career pprtunities. Accmplishment and ptential f prgram graduates t generate new knwledge r new initiatives in teaching, public service, and/r ther practice. 3. Prgram Vitality A vital graduate prgram is dynamic and shuld pssess the fllwing indicatrs: The envirnment f the dctral prgram prmtes a high level f intellectual interactin amng students, graduate faculty, and the larger academic cmmunity; The curriculum has been updated during the perid under review with disciplinary develpments; Essential resurces are prvided (e.g., library materials, cmputer supprt, labratry facilities and equipment, student financial supprt, etc.); and Requirements fr cmpletin f the degree are deemed apprpriate t the degree. 4. Prgram Demand A graduate prgram shuld be able t demnstrate that there is demand n the part f prspective students and that it is fulfilling a clear need thrugh the fllwing: Student demand/enrllment during the perid under review: applicatin rati, student GPA and GRE scres, r ther indicatrs as apprpriate; and The extent t which the prgram meets cmmunity, regin and state needs and ccupatinal scietal demands. 5. Prgram Interactins Graduate prgrams d nt exist in islatin but rather in relatin t and in cmparisn t similar prgrams in the discipline at ther institutins and t cgnate areas in the same institutin. Infrmatin regarding apprpriate interactins shuld include: 25

4 Centrality f the prgram t advanced study in the specific discipline(s) reginally r natinally; The ability f the faculty and students t make a particular cntributin in this field; Interactins, including interdisciplinary, amng graduate, undergraduate, and prfessinal prgrams, as apprpriate; Interactins with and in cllabratin with similar prgrams at ther universities and rganizatins; and Prgrammatic access t special leveraging assets such as unique ncampus r ff-campus facilities, nn-university experts r cllabrative institutins in the discipline, industrial r ther supprt, endwments, as well as special funding pprtunities. 6. Prgram Access There shuld be evidence that the prgram has established r seeks t establish an apprpriate level f diversity amng its faculty and its graduate student bdy, as evidenced by: Trends and expectatins in student demgraphics; and Prven effrts t sustain and enhance diversity f faculty and students. 7. Assessment Mechanisms Used in Prgram Review Since quality indicatrs are increasingly becming an integral part f nging prgram review, an enhanced recgnitin f the uses f utcmes assessment in the review prcess prvides a useful tl fr prgram imprvement, as demnstrated by: A summary f the apprpriate utcme measures used t assess prgram quality; and Prcedures must be in place t ensure the use f assessment data fr cntinuus quality imprvement f the prgram. II. REPORTS TO THE CHANCELLOR OF THE OHIO BOARD OF REGENTS A. Institutinal Prcess Each RACGS member must prvide the Chancellr with a written dcument utlining the institutin s plicies and prcedures fr cnducting graduate prgram reviews. The dcument must describe the institutinal prcess fr 26

5 graduate prgram review and must indicate the cycle under which such reviews are cnducted. When institutinal plicies and prcedures fr graduate prgram review are revised, the RACGS member must prvide an updated dcument t the Chancellr. B. Annual Reprt By September 1 f each year, each RACGS member will prvide the Chancellr and RACGS with an annual reprt f their existing graduate prgrams that were reviewed in the previus academic year. An Annual Reprt frm must be cmpleted and circulated t Regents staff and RACGS via the RACGS listserve. The frm can be accessed at: The reprt must include: A list f the graduate prgrams reviewed; Fr each prgram reviewed, a summary f the findings related t prgram demand (i.e., student demand and the extent t which the prgram meets reginal, state, natinal and scietal needs); A list f graduate prgrams that have nt been reviewed in the past 10 years with an explanatin fr the lack f review. 27