Annual Review Process

Program Review links | Guidelines for Systematic Review

As part of the systematic review of undergraduate programs, certain university-wide and program specific information will be collected and reviewed annually.

The Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation will collect, on an annual basis, quantitative information like that monitored by the State Council for its program productivity reviews including:

• Five-year average of graduates, % of the total institutional graduates that they represent, and increases and decreases in trend lines of graduates
• Five-year average of full-time-equivalent (FTE) majors, % of total institutional FTE enrollment that they represent, and increases and decreases in the trend line
• Ratio of program-generated student credit hours (SCH) per full-time equivalent faculty (FTEF) as compared with institutional average
• Total direct program costs per student credit hours, including personnel, non-personal services costs, and outside revenues.

This data will be reviewed annually by the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and the appropriate Dean, who, together, will determine whether specific plans or actions are suggested by the data.

Additionally the Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation will coordinate university-wide surveys of student satisfaction. Student Satisfaction Surveys will be administered to sophomores and seniors biennially with administration for special purposes in alternate years. Working through the Survey Research Lab, the Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation will coordinate an annual survey of recent graduates and a periodic telephone exit interview survey of students academically eligible to return to the university but not returning. (Individual programs are encouraged to work with the Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation to coordinate their student and alumni surveying with the university-wide survey process.)

The Provost requires that each undergraduate program report its assessment activities and how those activities contribute to program improvement as part of the school's Annual Report. Assessment activities include but are not limited to: direct student outcomes measures such as standardized exams and proficiency exams; student satisfaction surveys; assessment of student work in capstone courses; portfolio reviews; analyses of performance critiques; alumni surveys; employer surveys; focus groups; and exit interviews.

Program Review links | Guidelines for Systematic Review

Ginter House
901 West Franklin St.
P.O. Box 842527
Richmond, VA 23284-2527

last updated: 11/29/2005
phone: (804) 828-6162
fax: (804) 828-1887
email: quality@vcu.edu