Program Review
Regular program review is now a standard feature of academic planning at St. Olaf. Program reviews are intended to support effective academic decision making within and across departments and programs. Each year, approximately 6-8 programs representing a cross-section of the five Faculties are reviewed. The program review schedule is established and regularly updated by the Office of the Provost and Dean of the College. The schedule is governed in part by departmental hiring needs, because requests for tenure line hires must be preceded by a completed program review. However, even programs not anticipating new tenured or tenure-track hires are scheduled for review every 6-8 years.
The major components of a program review include the following:
- A comprehensive self-study conducted by the faculty members
in the department or program;
- An external review conducted by one or more peer colleagues
from other institutions, with a written report provided by the
reviewers;
- A departmental/program response to the external reviewers' report, including a specific action plan.
Below is additional information to assist departments and programs undergoing review.
Purposes and benefits of program review
Program review schedule (under revision as of July 2007)
CEPC principles for appraising departments and programs
Assessment of student learning at the program level
Links to documents and data typically included in self-studies
