Program Review and Assessment for Continuous Improvement: Asking the Right Questions. Occasional Paper No. 48

In October of 2019, I presented at the IUPUI Assessment Institute in Indianapolis on the topic of academic program review. While almost every campus conducts program reviews, the definition, purpose, structure, and integration of assessment in program reviews is not universally understood, accepted, or implemented. This paper summarizes essential questions and discussions campuses should have regarding program reviews and the integration of assessment into such reviews. Unfortunately, too many campuses simply keep doing the same reviews over and over. The goal for this paper is to cause campuses to pause, reflect, answer some questions, and then revise their reviews to ensure a meaningful product. The paper is organized around the essential topics of definitions, accreditation, processes, continuous improvement and "closing the loop," and potential challenges. This paper concludes with templates from McKendree University that may serve as valuable tools which other campuses may use, edit, or compare to their own processes and practices. [For the related Appendices, see ED608781.]