APPENDIX E

St. Ambrose University

GUIDELINES FOR PROGRAM REVIEW

Every five years at St. Ambrose each department examines its courses, programs, and accomplishments and submits the results of its evaluation to the Educational Policies Committee.

The Program Review is a self-study, assessment, and report of the department and its programs. The document is expected to be a product of department analysis and discussion, involving all of the regular members of the department, including regular part-time members when possible. The components and activities of the department should be included in the comprehensive report. In general, the program should be described in terms which an educated layperson (e.g., a member of the EPC) can understand.

1) TABLE OF CONTENTS

2) PROPOSED ACTIONS to be taken by the Educational Policies Committee

* Request and justify any courses to be added

* Note courses to be changed, deleted, renumbered, required for the major, approved for meeting General Education distribution requirements, etc.

3) OVERALL DESCRIPTION of the Department and its Programs

* Review of the program's description in the current catalog for accuracy and adequacy.

* Significant changes since the last program review

* Any outside consultations since the last program review and any subsequent program effects of such consultations

* Any long-range plans (next five years) for the department

4) ASSESSMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT AND ITS PROGRAMS

* The purpose of doing assessment is to gain information systematically regarding how well our students are learning what we intend them to learn, and to use this knowledge to improve their educational experience.

A) Departmental Major Assessment Plan The Plan should include the following components:

   1) Departmental Mission Statement

      This should show relationship to the St. Ambrose mission, but reflect the department's unique philosophy and goals for its majors.

   2) Learning Objectives for Majors

      Describe student learning objectives which flow from the departmental mission.

   3) Methods for Assessment in the Major A good plan:

      a) Uses multiple methods for assessing student learning of objectives

      b) Explains why these particular methods were chosen over others

      c) Provides for feedback to students during their time with the department so that students have methods, beyond grades, of self-assessment

     d) Explains how each objective is being met by the curriculum

  4) Documentation of Student Learning in the Major

     Assessment information must be collected, stored and organized for departmental study.

     How is this done and who is responsible?

  5) Use of Assessment Information to Improve Education

     * How and at what intervals does the department study the collected documentation and use this information for program improvement? (Typically prior to Program Review Cycle.)

     * How is this information, beyond grades, fed back to students?

  6) Evaluation of the Departmental Assessment Plan

    * The departmental assessment plan should be reviewed at regular intervals (typically, prior to the Program Review cycle) to evaluate the usefulness and effectiveness of the plan. When and how will this be done?

B) Assessment of Teaching and Learning in the Major

   1) Present and describe any data which assesses student learning of departmental objectives.

       a) What does this information reveal about the strengths and weaknesses of the educational experience being offered by the department?

       b) How has this assessment study informed the program changes described in Part 2, "PROPOSED ACTIONS"?

   2) Evaluate the major program in terms of requirements, sequencing of courses, and prerequisites.

C) General Education Assessment of Teaching

    1) ALL courses:

       Indicate how the department's courses teach to the General Education goals (p. 22 of the "1995 Academic Assessment Plan"). (See Attachment 1 for a possible model.)

    2) Designated General Education courses:

      a) Existing courses:

         1) Document that department is teaching General Education courses in accordance with the General Education Program mission, goals, and philosophy outlined on p. 22 of the "1995 Academic Assessment Plan."

          2) Present evidence of teaching to divisional goals in each General Education course.

          3) Indicate which Skills ("Do") and Attitudes/Values ("Think About") each General Education course addresses and present evidence that the course actually does address it. (See Attachment 2 for possible means of documenting evidence.)

      b) New courses:

         Demonstrate how the course strives to meet the General Education Program goals.

5) REVIEW OF COURSES OFFERED

Include:

* Fact sheet for each individual course offered in the department (the 4-point outline for Program Review)

* The most recent syllabus for each course

GENERAL EDUCATION POLICY

1.  Pending completion of the first round of assessment of General Education and potential changes in the General Education Program at St. Ambrose University, a moratorium is placed on substantive changes to the General Education Program.

2.  Although academic departments are NOT responsible for documenting evidence of student "learning" in the current General Education Program, academic departments ARE responsible for documenting that they are teaching their general education courses according to the general education program mission, goals, and philosophy outlined on page 22 of the "1995 Academic Assessment Plan."

It will be the responsibility of the Director of General Education to review this evidence and present a summary of findings to the Educational Policies Committee during a department's five-year review. Departments should provide the Director of General Education a copy of such documentation at least two weeks prior to the time that their five-year review is scheduled.

3.   The General Education Program at St. Ambrose is not the property of just the departments that offer general education courses--the General Education Program is the property of the entire academic community at St.Ambrose. As such, ALL undergraduate academic departments should indicate how their courses teach to the General Educational goals, whether or not those departments offer General Education courses.

When demonstrating evidence that General Education courses are teaching to the General Education Program mission, goals, and philosophy, documentation may include (in addition to syllabi) the following:

-representative exams for each course

-representative copies of student papers

-representative assignments for each course

-results of the analysis of student portfolios

-results of departmental exit or alumni surveys

-any additional documentation that will support continuation of the course as a general education course.

1.TITLE AND DESCRIPTION: What is the name, number, credit hour allocation, prerequisites, frequency of offering and catalogue description of the course?

2.RATIONALE: How does the course fit into the departmental & general educational program? What need does this course fill? What are the learning outcomes for the major (program) it is intended to meet? Explain the credit hours and level.

3.RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER COURSES: If this course is similar to another course in the catalogue, explain why both courses should exist or suggest whether something should be dropped or changed.

4. COURSE RESOURCES: In what format will the course be offered (traditional, electronic, web-based, ICN, accelerated)? Are the resources (library, specialized course materials, supplies, software, facilities, etc.) available to deliver this course in the proposed format?

Please attach a recent syllabus for the course to this sheet.