GUIDELINES FOR PROGRAM REVIEW AND ACADEMIC PLANNING

of 8 LOYOLA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES` IN-DEPTH PROGRAM REVIEWS The process of evaluation is an important ingredient of any successful academic program. Periodic evaluations provide a mechanism for a department or program to assess how well it is accomplishing its objectives, fulfilling the goals of the college and university, and satisfying the needs of its students. Such evaluations can also assist individual programs in identifying and overcoming areas of weaknesses, in obtaining necessary support, and in planning for future changes in student needs and services. Furthermore, a regular evaluative process can help ensure that each academic program provides a curriculum which is both substantive and innovative, which is up-to-date and consistent with current practice in its discipline, which meets Loyola's standards of excellence, and which conforms to Loyola's liberal and Jesuit traditions. Too often, however, the evaluation of academic programs has been confined to self-studies, relying on departments to evaluate themselves, often without the benefit of outside examination. As a result, such self-studies are frequently designed more to make a favorable impression than to identify weaknesses and overcome problems. It is the conviction of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools that the university is better served by an on-going, cyclical process allowing regular, in-depth evaluation of each academic program. The evaluation of all academic departments and programs will be scheduled so that each department and program is evaluated once every five years. This allows for a complete evaluation cycle between each SACS visit, and requires that three or four departments or programs be evaluated each academic year. The evaluation team shall include a chair selected from the same area as the program or department being evaluated (i.e., arts & humanities, social science, science); one faculty member from an area related to that of the department/program being evaluated; one faculty member from a non-related area; and, when appropriate, one evaluation consultant from the same discipline as the department or program being evaluated but from another college or university. Members of the team will be selected by the dean in consultation with the department or program and with the college curriculum committee. GUIDELINES FOR PROGRAM REVIEW AND ACADEMIC PLANNING The first phase of the review and planning process is conducted by the department or program itself. The intention is that through this review the department or program will identify for itself the extent to which it fulfills the mission and educational goals of the university and is moving forward its own, the college's, the division's and the university's plans. Planning will give the department or program an opportunity to establish objectives and the appropriate short-term tactics, and longer range strategies, to achieve those objectives given realistic resource allocation and institutional support. The completed Program Review and Academic Plan should be a cohesive document and conclude with a prioritized list of objectives complete with short-term tactics (up to one year) and longer term strategies (3-5 years) and action plans to achieve those objectives.

of 8 Specific Items to be Included I. Introduction: a brief statement setting the stage for what is to follow. It might include such items as: a brief overview of the department or program, its history, important changes or developments since the last evaluation, highlights of the review and plan. II. Review & Revise III. Mission Statement and Educational Goals. Each department or program should develop its own Mission Statement and Educational Goals consistent with it discipline and/or students served, with the mission and educational goals of the college and university, and with the college's and university's plans. Include specific contributions to the mission and educational goals of the university and the college's and university's plans, such as participation in the common curriculum, student support services, major/minor design, contributions to a liberal education, pre-professional and professional programs, and/or pertinent information regarding preparation of students for job placements or graduate/professional schools. Included in this statement should be an analysis of the market niche and/or the educational need for the department or program. Curriculum. The following questions are intended to elicit a comprehensive discussion of curricular activities, but they are not necessarily all-inclusive. Evaluation teams are welcome to add specific questions of their own, and departments and programs are welcome to raise issues which are not covered by these questions. 1. What are the goals and objectives of your curriculum? What rationale do you offer in support of these goals and objectives? How are these goals and objectives related to the goals and objectives of Loyola University? What differences do you perceive between your goals and those of the college or university? 2. In what specific ways does your curriculum work to achieve the goals and objectives of Loyola University and those of your department or program? What methods do you use to assess how well these goals and objectives are being achieved? What results have you obtained? 3. Provide the following data related to your program and discuss trends in the data and what it means for your program. Department/Program Student Credit Hours (SCH): In Dept SCH (U&G) Out of Dept SCH (U&G) Total 1995-6 1996-7 1997-8 1998-9 1999-00

of 8 Undergraduate SCH Graduate SCH (N.B. Sum of Graduate and Undergraduate SCH should equal sum of In-Dept and Out-of-Dept SCH) Program/Major Headcount Enrollment Fall Fall Fall Fall Fall 1995-6 1996-7 1997-8 1998-9 1999-00 Headcount i. What are the growth prospects for the next three years? (Cite Available Sources) THIS ii. What factors will influence enrollment growth or decline? Program Degree Productivity Degree/Program 1995-6 1996-7 1997-8 1998-9 1999-00 # of Degrees Granted THIS i. What is the expected demand for graduates for the next three years? ii. What are the sources of these projections? 4. What do you regard as a) the strong points, b) the weak points of your curriculum? In what ways would you like to see your curriculum strengthened? 5. Explain how your curriculum conforms to current practice in your discipline. What changes have you made in the past five years, either to strengthen your curriculum or to shift its emphasis? What changes do you anticipate in the near future? Explain the rationale for these changes.

of 8 THIS 6. Does your department/program offer internships? If so, how are internships obtained and how are students selected for internships? Are internships paid or unpaid? In what ways does pay or lack of thereof affect the quality of the internship experience. What are your procedures for faculty supervision of interns, for ensuring the quality of the internship experience, and for obtaining feedback about the interns' performance? What requirements (e.g., number of hours worked per credit, written work, etc.) are placed on your interns? 7. What percentage of your students goes on to graduate school? Professional certification? Professional school? What other career activities do your graduates pursue? Have any of your graduates been rejected for graduate school or professional certification because of the nature of your curriculum? Explain. 8. Explain how each course in your department's list of major courses fits into the developmental sequence of your discipline. Describe your method of rotating courses to ensure that majors or minors can complete their requirements without undue difficulty. 9. For what reasons do you permit waivers of required courses (or other requirements, e.g., GPA or pre-requisites) in your department or program? Which requirements are waived? How frequently have waivers been granted in the past five years? THIS 10. In which areas have institutional rules and procedures impeded your efforts to provide a balanced and effective curriculum? What changes would you like to see made? Explain. 11. What kinds of support does your department or program provide to other departments and programs? What kinds of support do you receive from others? What inadequacies do you perceive in this area? What (changes or improvements would you favor? 12. Explain your student advisement mechanism. What sort of career guidance do you provide. 13. Explain how evaluation of teaching is used to improve instruction.?????? 14. Explain how the department's or program's grade distribution pattern over the last five years relates to the mission and educational goals of the university and department and the university's and college's plans.

of 8 IV. Scholarly Productivity (Summarize the number of publications (books, articles in refereed journals, and creative works) related to the program for the last three years. Document and comment on the quality of the scholarly activity, including a frame of reference on productivity in the discipline) Books: 1998-99 1999-2000 Papers, Patents, and Technical Briefs: 1998-99 1999-2000 Presentations: V. Resources. 1998-99 1999-2000 Program Faculty Profile Full-time: Tenure Hire Name Rank Status Gender Ethnicity Date Extraordinary: Name Credit Hours Taught Part-time: Name Credit Hours Taught

of 8 Program Base Budget Resources (1999-2000) 1. Full-time Faculty Salaries (Number) $ 2. Staff Salaries (Number) $ 3. Graduate Assistantships (Number) $ 4. Extraordinary Faculty Salaries (Number) $ 5. Part-time Faculty Salaries (Number) $ 6. Other Personnel $ 7. Student Assistant monies $ 8. Operating Budget $ 9. Travel funds provided by Dean s Office $ Total $ Program Library Expenditures (1999-2000) Books Serials Total Need this data Frank?? a. Is the current funding adequate to accomplish program goals and objectives? If not, why not? b. Can program costs be reduced? If so, where and by how much? c. What additional resources, if any, would be required to achieve program goals and objectives? 1. Discuss strengths and weaknesses of departmental or program staffing. THIS!!! 2. Discuss the adequacy of your facilities for achieving missions and goals. 3. Discuss the adequacy of your budget for achieving missions and goals. 4. Discuss the adequacy of the library holdings for the department or program, including such matters as currency of holdings. 5. Discuss relationships with support services and the effectiveness of those services.

of 8 VI. Quality Assessments. This section explores areas of quality assessment for departments and programs. It must include linkages to missions, goals and transformations, either actual or intended. This section should include: 1. Results of student interviews and questionnaires. 2. Progress report on recommendations from any previous evaluations; progress report on department's or program's meeting its own goals and targets. 3. Identification of joint efforts between the department or program and other departments or programs to fulfill the university, division, college or department's or program's missions and goals. Review & Revise ALL of this Exit Interv. etc 4. on progress being made toward measurable course objectives, student learning outcomes, exit exams, etc. 5. Alumni survey results. 6. Departmental or program efforts in areas of student recruitment, retention, advising, and any special efforts directed toward freshmen. 7. Description and evaluation of department or program efforts in such areas as producing special program, enhancing student life, sponsoring organizations, certifications, etc. 8. Identification of department or program weaknesses with causes and with corrective steps taken. 9. Indicators of departmental or program excellence (awards, grants, students on dean's list, publications, etc.). VII. Governance. Are the department's or program's administrative and governance structures appropriate and effective. VIII. Plan. THIS!!! 1. Make a prioritized list of departmental or program objectives or goals for the next five years. Justify each objective in relation to university and college missions and goals. Include objectives for quality enhancement. 2. Note the short-term tactics, long-term strategies, and action plans to achieve each objective. 3. Discuss what resources will be needed to achieve each objective (new faculty, additional staff, equipment, space, increased budget, etc.).

of 8 THIS!!! 4. Discuss what impact, if any, each objective will have on various administrative support areas including library, computer facilities, physical facilities, registrar's office, student life, financial aid, admissions, advising, and business office. 5. Progress towards the achievement of approved objectives should be included in the department's or program's annual report to the dean.