COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM REVIEW (CPR)

POLICY: Board of Regents Policy Manual 3.6.3, http://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section3/

USG Academic Affairs Handbook: 2.03.5 http://www.usg.edu/academic_affairs_handbook/section2/

All institutions within the University System of Georgia (USG) are required to conduct a periodic comprehensive review of each degree program. Board of Regents (BOR) policy and guidelines for comprehensive program review are located in section 2.03.05 of the BOR Academic Affairs Handbook.

The goal of comprehensive program review (CPR) is to improve academic programs by analyzing information gathered during a cyclical review period. CPR allows GCSU to examine the strengths and weaknesses of its programs and thus to make informed strategic decisions for continuous improvement of academic programs. This process has been developed to adhere to BOR policy, while simultaneously recognizing the unique mission of our institution.

The CPR process must include an internal analysis by the program faculty, followed by an external review.

Internal analysis: a self-study that analyzes assessment of resource inputs and learning outcomes from the previous four years' assessment-planning reports. (See sections 3.05.02.1-4 for explanation of APR system.)

External review: on-site visitation by a team of qualified peer reviewers.

The external review committee shall consist of an evaluator external to GCSU and two GCSU faculty members external to the program. The latter shall be chosen as follows: (a) one member from the curriculum-and-instruction committee in the college housing the department that administers the program under review and (b) one member from outside the college. Each member of the external review committee must hold faculty rank. The evaluator external to the institution shall chair the review committee. Each department with programs undergoing review shall suggest several external candidates to its college dean, who shall select one, in consultation with the department chair.

Departments with programs that are professionally accredited may use the self-study and external review processes of reaffirmation to satisfy the process requirements for comprehensive program review, but they must submit a CPR report to the Board of Regents in compliance with the guidelines (3.05.05.4) and formatted on the template (3.05.05.5). Programs that are accredited by external agencies may synchronize their CPR cycle with their accreditation cycle as long the period between reviews is seven years or less. BOR policy limits cycle length to a maximum of seven years. (See 3.05.05.1 for review cycle dates.)

All non-accredited programs shall undergo comprehensive program review every five years, unless they fall below thresholds for viability (number of enrollees) or productivity (number of degrees awarded). If a program falls below either of these thresholds, its review cycle is shortened, and it must begin a full CPR process. (See 3.05.05.1 for review cycle dates and 3.05.05.2 for threshold details.)

CPR is a 17-month process that runs from March of one year through August of the next year (See section 3.05.05.3 for the CPR process schedule).

Each March, the Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Assessment shall remind appropriate department chairs and deans about which programs are scheduled to begin the CPR process and which programs, if any, have been triggered for early review.

As soon as notice that a program is to begin the CPR process is received, the chair, in consultation with departmental faculty and the dean, shall begin developing a plan for the process with a specific timeline and assigned responsibilities. This plan shall be set before the end of spring term.

Throughout the review process, the program faculty should be guided by the CPR report guidelines and format, which indicate the areas that must be covered. (See 3.05.05.4 for report guidelines and 3.05.05.5 for report template).

CALCULATING THE STUDENT-TO-FACULTY RATIO

CPR REVIEW CYCLES