Program Review

What is Program Review?

Program review (PR) is conducted by all programs every four years.  It is a self-study process to:

1. Recognize and acknowledge program/department performance
2. Assist in program/department improvement through self-reflection
3. Enhance student success by offering recommendations to improve their performance in program and student learning outcomes
4. Provide program members the opportunity to discuss and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their programs/departments

Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs conduct a full program review every four years, which includes Supplemental Questions for CTE programs.  In addition, every two years (once between full reviews) CTE programs must conduct a mini-review and answer Supplemental Questions for CTE programs and submit to Academic Affairs.

View the Academic Affairs Program Review Schedule 2022-2026

Why Program Review Matters

"The process has been informative and insightful. I think I speak for all [program] faculty when I say that we came away with a more clear and in-depth understanding of our program goals, objectives, challenges and future direction."

~ Juli Soden, Human Development program

Academic program review is an opportunity for faculty to reflect on the successes and challenges of their academic program; to develop a future direction for the program; and to consider how they can improve their program to enhance student learning and success. In addition, program review provides a vital link between student learning in our classroom and the operation of the College through planning and budgeting.  The funding requests in the recommendation of program review enter into the campus planning and budgeting process.

After considering a variety of quantitative and qualitative data, including SLO assessment results, program review identifies changes to improve student learning and success in the program and its courses.  These changes are sometimes instructional and can be directly implemented by faculty in the classroom without additional cost.  Other times, faculty recommends changes to curriculum or degrees and certificates, which are proposed to the Division and College Curriculum Committees.

INPUTS		OUTPUTS
Institutional Research Data (success, retention, grade distribution, fill rates, etc.)	Your Program Review	Future Vision for Your Program
Curriculum (review, distance education, degrees, certificates, etc.)		Instructional Changes
SLO and PLO Assessments (data and recommendations from assessment)		Curriculum or Program Changes
Operational Issues  (facilities, equipment, technology, staffing)		Operational Funding Requests (facilities, equipment, technology, staffing)
Conditions in the Academic Field or Industry		Prioritized List of Recommendations

Integrating Program Review into Planning and Budget Decisions

In program review, recommendations that incur a cost are carefully prioritized and connected to one or more of the College’s strategic initiatives. Program review recommendations are entered into the Program Plan. Deans and Division Councils consider the recommendations from each program and create a prioritized list for their division. This is included in a Unit Plan. The vice president of Academic Affairs reviews the priorities in each of Unit Plans and determines the top priorities in the area, creating an Area Plan for Academic Affairs. All five vice presidents work together to consider and prioritize all the requests in the area plans to determine the College’s top priorities. These prioritized funding requests are then presented to the Planning and Budgeting Committee, which reviews them to ensure they align with the College mission and strategic initiatives. The funding requests are incorporated into the College budget and are forwarded to the president and the Board for their approval.

Want To Learn More About Program Review?

Read Program Review: Setting a Standard by The Academic Senate of California Community Colleges.