Florida Board of Governors

8.015 Academic Program Review 2007-2014

1. Statement of Intent
   1. Academic program review has a lengthy history in the State University System of Florida, as efforts have been made to periodically analyze how degree programs provide students with high quality education and preparation for success in our global economy. Well aligned with regional and discipline-specific accreditation expectations, program review processes in the State University System must emphasize the assessment of student learning outcomes and continuous program improvement.
   2. The Board of Governors (BOG) requires the cyclic review of all academic degree programs in State universities at least every seven years. Program reviews must document how individual academic programs are achieving stated student learning and program objectives within the context of the university's mission, as illustrated in the academic learning compacts. The results of the program reviews are expected to inform strategic planning, program development, and budgeting decisions at the university level and, when appropriate, at the state level.
   3. The Board of Governors supports the ongoing devolution of authority, campus-level decision making, and institutional accountability under the constitutional framework established by Floridians for their system of public universities. The Board also expects university and BOG personnel to ensure that program review processes and summary reports are of high quality and that they comply with the expectations outlined in Board of Governors and university regulations.
2. Program Review Schedule
   1. Each university must establish and maintain a schedule for submission of program review summary reports for every degree program within the 2007-2014 cycle.
   2. The Office of Academic and Student Affairs shall review each university's program review schedule to ensure that all programs receive sufficient review, with appropriate input from external experts, within the established seven-year cycle. Exceptions to the seven-year cycle may be negotiated to align a review with a specialized accreditation cycle.
3. Program Review Policies and Procedures
   1. Each university must establish and publish clearly defined policies and procedures for reviewing academic degree programs during the 2007-2014 cycle and for ensuring continuous program improvement.
   2. University policies and procedures must ensure that the program review and continuous improvement processes include the following components:
      1. The review of the mission(s) and purpose(s) of the program within the context of the university mission and the Board of Governors' Strategic Plan;
      2. The establishment of teaching, research, service, and other program goals and objectives, including expected outcomes, particularly in the area of student learning;
      3. An assessment of:
         1. how well program goals/objectives are being met;
         2. how well students are achieving expected learning outcomes;
         3. how the results of these assessments are used for continuous program improvement; and
         4. the sufficiency of resources and support services to achieve the program goals/objectives.
      4. For baccalaureate programs, a review of lower level prerequisite courses to ensure that the program is in compliance with State-approved common prerequisites and (if appropriate) a review of the limited access status of the program to determine if such status is still warranted.
   3. The Office of Academic and Student Affairs shall review all university program review policies and procedures.
   4. Each university must electronically submit its program review policies and procedures for the 2007-2014 program review cycle to the Office of Academic and Student affairs by April 1, 2007. Thereafter, revisions and updates to university procedures must be submitted to the Office for review by December 15 of each year of the cycle.
4. Program Review Summary Reports
   1. A program review summary report must be completed for every program review that is conducted during the 2007-2014 cycle. Each summary report must include the following components:
      1. The CIP/degree combinations for the program that is reviewed.
      2. An electronic copy of the current Academic Learning Compact for each reviewed baccalaureate program.
      3. An indicator identifying whether or not the program review was conducted in conjunction with any external reviews (e.g., accreditation reviews).
      4. The date of the last review of this program.
      5. A brief description of major changes made since the previous program review.
      6. A summary of the current strengths of the program.
      7. A summary of the current weaknesses of the program.
      8. A summary of the recommendations and/or proposed action plans made as a result of the review.
      9. An official signature of the university provost that will verify that the program review included all of the processes outlined in this BOG regulation and was conducted according to approved university policies and procedures.
   2. A copy of all full program review reports must be maintained at a campus location specified by the university provost.
5. Program Review Summary Report Submission
   Each university must provide its schedule for submission of 2007-2014 program review summary reports in a prescribed electronic format to the Office of Academic and Student affairs by April 1, 2007. Thereafter, revisions and updates to the university's schedule should be submitted to the Office for approval by December 15 of each year of the cycle.
   1. For each program review conducted during the 2007-2014 cycle, a program review summary report must be electronically submitted to the Office of Academic and Student Affairs during the year in which the summary report is scheduled for submission.
   2. The Board of Governors home Web page will have a link to a secure Academic Program Review Web page that will contain a standardized Summary Report template. This form will be accessible by university program review administrators and will allow each university's program review summary reports to be submitted on-line to the BOG office, according to the timeline expressed in the university's schedule for the submission of program review summary reports and in this Board of Governors regulation. The template will contain the components of the summary report listed in (4)(a).
   3. The Academic Program Review Website and all submitted university program review summary reports will be maintained by the Office of Academic and Student Affairs.
   4. The program review summary reports will be utilized by the Office of Academic and Student Affairs to gain knowledge of specific discipline or system-wide issues and to review topics or issues that cross over programs within a university or that cross over universities within the State University System.

Authority: Section 7(d), Art. IX, Fla. Const., 1001.705(1)(b)8, F.S.; History: New __________________.