Guidelines for Preparing the Self-Study for Academic Program Review
The Self-Study is pivotal in the academic program review process, prompting departments to introspect on their accomplishments and future aspirations. This comprehensive review should critically assess the department’s strengths, challenges, and strategic goals, thereby shaping both strategic and operational plans. The Self-Study is not merely a retrospective report but a strategic instrument for sustained growth and continuous improvement.
Developing the Self-Study Narrative
1. Organization and Participation
– Form committees to address various sections of the Self-Study, ensuring a collaborative writing process.
– Engage stakeholders from all faculty ranks and staff for diverse insights into the department’s impact and future opportunities.
– Implement a systematic approach for document management using digital platforms like UA Box to facilitate file storage, sharing and collaboration.
2. Data Utilization
– Employ a data-driven approach to provide an objective evaluation of the department’s performance, challenges and opportunities for growth.
– Balance the Self-Study with both quantitative data and qualitative analysis to create a narrative that truly reflects the department’s identity and its alignment with the university’s strategic direction.
– Present data concisely through appendices and summaries, focusing on the interpretation and implications of the data.
3. Writing the Self-Study Narrative
– Utilize Planning and Self-Study (P&SS) for writing the self-study narrative, and contact the Office for Academic Affairs (OAA) for additional support and training on P&SS.
– Craft a narrative that is clear, complete and succinct, favoring bullet points to enhance readability.
– Balance the retrospective with the prospective, realistically forecasting the department’s potential for growth in the context of peer comparisons.
– Define success metrics within each section, blending quantitative measures with qualitative insights for a comprehensive evaluation.
– Address resource needs in relation to strategic objectives, postponing detailed budgetary discussions for subsequent conversations with the dean’s office.
– Prepare the narrative for a broad audience, ensuring it is comprehensible to those beyond the department, including the APRT.
These guidelines provide a structured framework for departments to develop their Self-Study reports with clarity, ensuring that the documents serve as a foundational tool for the betterment and strategic advancement of academic programs.