1 Orientation

Each spring, a new cohort of programs is enrolled in the Program Review Course.

Photo by Mark Olsen on Unsplash
Photo by Mark Olsen on Unsplash

In March, the Associate Director, Academic Planning and Continuous Quality Improvement, reaches out to deans and program chairs to remind them of the programs within their Faculty/School that are scheduled for external program review. They are also invited to join a cohort of programs as part of a 14-month Program Review Course.

Each department then forms a program review team of three to five faculty members who have primary responsibility over the review. Once teams are established, the Associate Director registers them in the Program Review Course that is set-up in the university’s learning management system (e.g., Moodle, Blackboard) where they have access to resources including templates, timelines, recommended submission dates, info sessions, and workshops.

In May, the cohort of program review teams attend a half-day Program Review Orientation where they engage in an interactive session facilitated by representatives from the offices of quality assurance and institutional research, and teaching and learning centre. The Orientation is designed to be hands-on, collaborative, and educative in order to set programs up for a successful review. In addition, participants have opportunities to ask questions and share their prior experiences. Alumni who have completed the course are also invited to share their experiences.

Instructions for Program Review Teams

Timeline: April  – May

Recommended Submission Dates: April and May

In preparation for the Orientation, please take some time to complete the following activities:

  • Email the Associate Director with a list of the following people in April:
    1. Program review team members
    2. Program review team lead
  • Your team will the be registered in the Program Review Course in Moodle.
  • You will be invited to attend the Orientation session in May.
  • Accept the calendar invitation to attend the Orientation session or designate someone to attend in your absence. 
  • Read Module 1 in the Program Review Handbook. 

Orientation Agenda

Table 2.1
Time Activity
9:00 – 9:20am Welcome and introductions
9:20 – 9:35am Overview of research-informed approach to program review and participant survey
9:35 – 9:45am Purpose of program review, including internal and external regulatory requirements
9:45 – 10:00am Overview of program review conceptual model and principles
10:00 – 10:30am Activity: Team Values (PDF)
10:30 – 10:45am Refreshment break
10:45 – 11:00am Overview of program review modules and logistics
11:00 – 11:10am Overview of curriculum design and appreciative planning
11:10 – 12:00pm Guest speaker: Reconciliation, Indigenization, and Decolonization in Post-secondary Education
12:00 – 12:35pm Lunch
12:35 – 1:00pm Guest speakers: Program review alumni panel
1:00 – 1:30pm Guest speakers: Institutional research
1:30 – 1:50pm Activity: Program Review Timeline (PDF)1
1:50 – 2:00pm Closing remarks and next steps

Note: To learn more about our experiences delivering the Orientation, which evolves each iteration, please reach out to us (see Authors for our contact information).

Presenters

Office of Quality Assurance

  • Associate Vice President Academic
  • Associate Director, Academic Planning and Continuous Quality Improvement
  • Curriculum Governance Officer

Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching:

  • Director
  • Educational Developer, Indigenous Teaching and Learning

Integrated Planning and Effectiveness

  • Director
  • Manager, Integrated Planning and Effectiveness
  • Senior Institutional Research and Planning Analyst

Faculty

  • Program review alumni (i.e., faculty members and program chairs from previous program review cohorts)

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the Orientation, faculty will be able to:

  • describe the key components of a high-quality self-study
  • identify appropriate data collection methods to assist with their self-study
  • engage colleagues in developing learning outcomes and mapping the curriculum of their programs
  • identify the key personnel at the university who can provide support with elements of their self-study
  • articulate the reporting schedule

 

1 Modified from Hoare, A., Dishke Hondzel, C., Hoessler, C., & Petri. D. (2021, May 13). 2021 Program review orientation [Workshop]. Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC.

License

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Program Review Handbook by Alana Hoare, Catharine Dishke Hondzel, and Shannon Wagner is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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