Annual Reports and Program Reviews  

 

Annual Reports. (Due end of September each academic year.)

The University requires programs to submit annual reports using the same format and report form as the five-year review. This process assists programs in gathering and documenting information annually, which makes the five-year review process much simpler. It also helps programs and the university monitor progress in achieving program goals between five-year reviews and provides important information for the annual planning and budgeting process. Note: you do not have to complete an annual report during a year in which you submitted a five year Program Review.

 

Five Year Program Reviews. (Due end of July during assigned year.)

Academic and student support programs must conduct a program review every five years. The program review allows the university to assess current programs, identify strengths and weaknesses, and develop strategies to build upon strengths and improve deficiencies. The Office of the Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education maintains a schedule of program reviews for each of the 14 state universities. Detailed information is provided in the Board of Governors Policy 1986-04-A: Program Review and the related Administrative Procedure . Important change effective AY11-12: at the time of submission of 5-year reports, all course syllabi must have been reviewed and revised within the past five years. See part D of report appendices.

 

Contents of Annual Reports and Program Reviews (updated for 2011-2012):

• Academic Program Report Summary Form
• Learning Outcomes Assessment Report on TracDat (not required for units that do not have student learning as a primary goal)
• Program Outcomes Assessment Worksheet   as attachment to report
• An Appendix (optional for non-instructional departments)

 

Information Sources For Chairs 

• Program Data from Institutional Research

• Program Learning Assessment Reports from TracDat

• Gen Ed Assessment data from your program (OAC)

Instructions for Annual Reports and Program Reviews:   

• The Guidelines for Completing the "Academic Program Report Summary Form" for annual reports and program reviews (rev. 1/07/09)
• A sample report (on a hypothetical Classics major at Imaginary University); the sample is of an annual report (a program review report would be very similar, but reflect the five-year time horizon)

 

Submission of Reports   

Annual and five year reports can be submitted by attaching the report and supporting documents to the TracDat outcome titled "Academic Program Review Summary Form"in TracDat. Attach documents in the Results Section. It is not necessary to attach a report of program learning assessments as those are already available on TracDat. However if a program wishes they may attach supplemental materials. The Deans should be made aware of the posting to TracDat so that they can schedule a meeting.

Information used for Program Evaluation   

During annual program reviews the Deans and Provost will use information contained in two reports produced by the programs: 1) Annual or five-year program reports, 2) annual program learning assessment reports. The administration will also draw upon program statistics related to retention (IR data) and annual General Education learning assessment reports (OAC).

 

Areas of evaluation (see program evaluation rubric )

 

1)    Program support for mission of LHU and PASSHE

2)    Demand for program
        a.# of Majors
        b.External demand for program graduates in workplace/postbac education
        c.Internal demand for courses taught by program

3)    Program Quality
        a.Student scholarship (outside of structured courses)
        b.Faculty Scholarship
        c.Faculty Professional Development
        d.Faculty participation in shared governance
        e.Program flexibility and response to changing global economy

4)    Revenues
        a.FTEs
        b.Cost model

5)    Assessment Plans
        a.Program student learning assessmen
                         i.    Outcomes/plans
             ii.    Data collection
                       iii.    Actions based on data
        b.General Education student learning assessments
                          i.    Outcomes/plans
                         ii.    Data collection 
                        iii.    Actions based on data
        c.Program outcome (non-learning) assessment
                           i.    Outcomes/plans
                          ii.    Data colletion
                         iii.    Actions based on data

6)    Revisions of official course syllabi (for five year, program reviews only)
        a.All program syllabi must have been reviewed/revised within the last five years.

 

  Role of learning assessments in annual reviews.

Beginning with AY11-12, student learning outcome assessments will be given increased emphasis during annual program reviews. The goal is not to reward or penalize programs based on student performance. Instead, emphasis will be placed on a program’s progress towards developing and, subsequently, maintaining a robust assessment program. Additionally, programs will be evaluated on their contributions to assessment of General Education Learning Outcomes, as per the annual sampling distribution provided by the OAC.