Introduction

The Program Review process focuses directly on the missions and goals of the programs being evaluated. Thus, a large portion of each Self-Study Report will relate to these missions and goals and must be addressed in several important ways. First, the report should identify and describe in some detail the program’s mission and goals. These should include goals related to instruction, scholarship, and civic engagement. Next, the report should delineate ways in which the program’s mission and goals are consistent with the mission and goals of the university. Finally, the bulk of the report will focus on providing evidence that the program is effectively carrying out its mission and meeting its goals. In this section, issues such as curriculum, enrollment, and faculty must be addressed, as well as measures (student learning outcomes). More information detailed below.

In addition, the report should address several other topics related to the program’s effectiveness. These include student involvement and satisfaction, program resources (e.g., library resources, space, technology), comparisons with appropriate benchmark institutions, evaluation of the program by external evaluators (if desired), and program administration and planning processes. Please be aware that some information that some information is mandated by external agencies and therefore must be included in the report (SACS, Institutional, and CPE).

Self-Study Report Outline
Outline Checksheet
Template for Report (Word)

Program Review Resources
- Program Data
- Self-Study Reports

Prior Year Documents
  2004 and 2005 and 2006

Self- Study Report

As a general guideline, the program review self-study report will be 12-15 pages in length (single-spaced). Here are the components of the report:

1. Brief program profile – this section should serve to orient the reader to the program. It should be no longer than one page in length and should include the following:
   •  Name and a very brief description of academic program.
   • Name and position of the person who is responsible for administering the program? If there is a special coordinator for this program, identify the current coordinator.
   • Any department committees charged with monitoring the program and description of their function with regard to the program.
   • A brief summary of any previous reviews of the program and reference to accreditation status from any professional organization.
2. Program Mission and Goals – this section should describe the program’s mission and goals. Include goals in each of the following areas:
   •  Instruction
   • Scholarship
   • Civic Engagement
   • Other – list any goals in other areas.
3. Relationship to Institutional Mission– this section should delineate the ways in which the program’s mission and goals align with those established by the broader university. Copy of NKU’s current mission and goals will be provided to program.
4. Instructional Effectiveness – this section should provide evidence that the program is effectively meeting the instructional goals defined above, in section 2.
   Curriculum – which courses taught by the program are designed to fulfill the various goals described in section 2?
   1. Does the program provide service courses for the general education program?
   2. If so, identify the courses and describe how they relate to the general education category goals. (Link to general education website)
   3. Are the courses offered regularly and at appropriate times to meet the identified needs of students?
   4. If not, explain why?
   5. How does the department determine the frequency of course offerings for the general education program?
   6. Does the program offer service courses for other degree program?
   7. If so, identify the courses and the program or programs for which they are offered.
   8. Are the courses offered regularly and at appropriate times to meet identified needs?
   9. If not, explain why?
   10. How does the department determine the frequency of course offerings for other department(s)?
   11. Identify specific strengths and weaknesses in the current curriculum. How does the department address the weaknesses, if any?
   12. Describe the role of technology in the delivery of the program’s curriculum. Does the program offer any web-based or web-enhanced courses? If so, list and describe.
   13. Describe use of cooperative education and internships as part of the program’s preparation of its students.
   Enrollment – comment on enrollment data provided by Institutional Research and Curriculum, Accreditation, and Assessment. What trends or patterns are significant? Using the data provided:
   1. Project the number of declared majors for the next three years.
   2. Comment on the number of students who graduated from the program for the past three years. Project numbers of graduates for the next three years.
   3. Provide an estimate of the programs growth or decline in enrollment for the next three years. Explain reasons for growth or decline. What effect will growth or decline have on the program’s resources, both instructional and operating?
   4. Comment on the program’s enrollment capacity. How many majors can the program accommodate? Is the program at capacity?
   5. Describe the program’s recruitment strategies?
   6. Identify any admission standards that apply to the program.
   Faculty – describe the faculty assigned to the program.
   1. How many full-time faculty members currently teach in the program?
   2. List how many of the full-time faculty members are at each of the various faculty ranks (include lecturers).
   3. Indicate the percentage of the program’s courses that have been taught by full-time faculty members.
   4. What percentage of the permanent faculty has appropriate terminal degrees?
   5. How many part-time faculty members currently teach in the program?
   6. List the percentage of the program’s courses that have been taught by part-time faculty during the prior year.
   7. Comment on the appropriateness of the full-time verses part-time faculty ration.
   8. If the ratio is a problem, identify steps planned to correct this imbalance.
   9. What changes have occurred in the program’s faculty over the past five years?
   10. Has the size of the faculty increased or decreased? Explain factors leading to the increase or decrease.
   11. Are there specific recurring issues surrounding retention and recruitment of faculty in the program?
   12. Project the program’s need for full-time and part-time faculty for the next three years in relation to the projection of program growth or decline in enrollment indicted above.
   Learning outcomes/goals for students – this section applies primarily to students who have declared this program as their major field of study. Each degree program should have an established set of specific learning outcomes for its majors. The learning outcomes should specify exactly what knowledge and skills students are expected to have when they complete the program.
   1. Describe the learning outcomes established for students in the program.
   2. Explain how the learning outcomes shape the requirements and electives of the program’s curriculum.
   3. Describe the measures used to assess whether or not students are meeting the learning outcome objective of the program’s curriculum.
   4. Describe how the program communicates the learning outcomes/goals to students.
   5. Discuss the ways the department uses the information gathered through the assessment process to improve and/or maintain the quality of the program?
5. Scholarship – this section should provide evidence that the program is achieving its goals in the area of scholarly activity. - Because scholarly activity is normally conducted by a program’s faculty, most of the data pertaining to this item will be derived from the Faculty Profile Forms, which are to be completed by each full-time faculty member and attached as an appendix. The body of the self study report should contain only a brief section summarizing the program faculty’s work in this area and highlighting some of its most significant accomplishments. Indicate how the department defines scholarship.
6. Civic Engagement - this section should provide evidence that the program is meeting its goals in the area of civic engagement. Once again, much of what the program accomplishes in this area will be done by faculty and reflected on the Faculty Profile Forms, but because this work may take various forms and is often difficult to summarize, a more thorough description of the program’s involvement in civic engagement should be included in this section.
   1. List any special initiatives currently underway with public audiences. What is the scope of such initiatives and who are their audiences?
   2. What are the outcomes of these initiatives (e.g. special events)?
7. Student Involvement and Satisfaction – this section should describe the program’s involvement with students and discuss the students; satisfaction with the program. Answer and provide detail for the following:
   1. Does the program have a website that contains information about program requirements?
   2. Does the program have discipline—related student organizations that are sponsored by faculty?
   3. If so, describe their activities.
   4. Describe the academic advising process for students in the program.
   5. Discuss the results of any assessment process used to evaluate student satisfaction with the program.
8. Information Resources and Instructional Equipment – this section describes the adequacy of the program’s facilities, equipment, and library resources. Provide information on the following:
   1. Adequacy of library holdings for the program.
   2. Strengths and weaknesses of library holdings and department’s information resources, e.g. computers and journals for students).
   3. Quality of current facilities and capital equipment used by the program.
   4. Strengths and weaknesses in facilities and capital equipment.
   5. Most pressing unmet needs of the program as related to facilities and equipment. Explain these needs.
9. Program Benchmarking – this section should help the department gather information about best practices used by NKU’s benchmark institutions. List of NKU’s benchmark institutions provided. Based on your review of materials gathered from the peer institutions, address the following:
   1. Briefly describe the process for gathering information from the benchmark institutions and indicate contacted institutions.
   2. List any significant similarities and differences between your program and related programs at the benchmark institutions. Identify institution and comment on findings.
   3. List features of analogous programs at the benchmark institutions that are not currently practices in your program but that you believe should be considered for adoption by your program. List at least two and explain your choices.
   4. List resources needed to incorporate these features into your program?
10. External Evaluators – the use of external evaluators in program review is not required but may be incorporated in the process at the request of a program undergoing review and with approval of the Dean of the appropriate college ( and Dean of Graduate Programs in the case of graduate programs). Funding for compensating external evaluators and consultants must be requested from and approved by the Provost’s office.
11. Program Planning (SACS, Institutional, CPE) - this section should discuss the program’s planning process for the next 5 years. 10 years.
    1. Describe current and long-range opportunities and challenges facing the program.
    2. What are the program’s strategies for taking advantage of these opportunities and meeting these challenges?
    3. How does the program’s strategic plan relate to Academic Affairs’ Academic Plan (http://programreview.nku.edu/academicstrategicplan2002.pdf) and to the University’s Strategic Agenda (http://president.nku.edu/page.asp?p=0715900)
12. Dean’s Response and Recommendations - The appropriate college dean (and Dean of Graduate Programs in the case of graduate programs) will comment in writing on the program’s self-study and make recommendations about issues raised in the report and a general recommendation as outlined in Program Review Results section above. College deans and the Dean of Graduate Programs will share their comments with each other during the response and recommendation phase of the review process. The dean’s (or deans’ in the case of graduate programs)response and recommendations will be attached to the self-study and the two documents will be forwarded together to the Program Review Steering Committee for review (by March 15).

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