Program Review Process FAQ

Reviews are typically conducted on a seven-year cycle.

Yes, by March for fall program reviews. Programs are notified by the chair of the UCC Program Review Committee (PRC), who works with programs to keep the process moving and on time.

Self-studies must be submitted to the chair of the PRC by September 15. The self-study requirements are found on the UCC’s website as well as the provost’s website.

It is highly recommended that programs use the structure reflected in the self-study requirements.

A self-study should provide a strong narrative and relevant data on the program’s past and current work, as well as identify goals and aspirations for the near and long terms. If assembling a self-study is new to a program’s leadership, examples are available from the PRC.

Yes. All instruction on the regional campuses under the umbrella of Athens-campus programs must be included in the Athens-campus program’s review.

The PRC chair selects internal reviewers from a group of OU faculty who have received training and/or have reviewed programs in the past. Compensation for internal reviewers is funded and arranged by the provost’s office, without any need for administrative work on the part of individual programs.

The program is required to submit a list of at least three (3) possible external reviewers to the chair of the PRC by July 30. Be aware of conflicts of interest or other similar issues before submitting the list. The PRC chair will then notify the program as to the acceptability of the proposed reviewers.

The Provost’s office provides $1,000.00 to fund the reviews. Programs/colleges should provide funding as well, given that the standard stipend for an external reviewer is $1,000.00. In the event that the PRC chair and the provost’s office agree that a program’s review warrants two external reviewers, the provost’s office will provide programs $1,000 per external reviewer.

It is important for programs to understand clearly that external reviewers must be compensated through BobcatBUY. The provost’s office does not initiate the compensation process; programs are responsible for initiating all paperwork related to external-reviewer compensation.

It depends on the size and complexity of the program. The typical arrangement sees one external reviewer and two to three internal reviewers. The PRC works with programs to determine the ideal number of reviewers.

Programs are in charge of scheduling. Working with the PRC and the external reviewer, the program identifies site-visit dates, typically for October or November. Once the date is set, the PRC chair assigns internal reviewers, and the program composes a site visit’s agenda/itinerary that includes meetings with faculty, students, and the dean. Sample agendas are available from the PRC chair. In most cases, site visits can be completed in one day.

Yes, they do. The reviewers can choose to submit a single report or two separate reports.

Reports are submitted to the chair of the PRC, who then promptly distributes the report to the program’s chair/director, and the appropriate dean’s office.

Yes. Chairs and deans have two and four weeks respectively from the report’s submission to comment. Those comments are appended to the report, which then flows to Graduate Council (if the program has a graduate component), the PRC, the UCC, and, ultimately, to the Board of Trustees.

All of the program’s UCC business (course approvals, etc.) is tabled until the process is back on track.