Supplement: Program Review Timeline

• Allocate a full year before the
  external reviewers

  External Reviewers

  Individuals brought in for their expertise and experience within a particular area to consult with a department and provide feedback. Reviewers’ primary role is advising your department and administrators about the current state of affairs and plans for improvement in the context of common disciplinary practices. Reviewers also provide advice, guidance, and suggestions on your department’s strategic objectives  and proposed actions. Other names used to describe those from outside the institution who contribute to a program review include external visitors, external advisers, external evaluators, and external consultants. For more details, see the section on How to Serve as an Undergraduate Program Reviewer.

  ’ visit for gathering and analyzing data, writing the self-study report, and engaging in departmental discussions that establish preliminary revisions of goals, objectives, and strategic initiatives.
• Select an optimal time in the academic year for the
  external reviewers

  External Reviewers

  Individuals brought in for their expertise and experience within a particular area to consult with a department and provide feedback. Reviewers’ primary role is advising your department and administrators about the current state of affairs and plans for improvement in the context of common disciplinary practices. Reviewers also provide advice, guidance, and suggestions on your department’s strategic objectives  and proposed actions. Other names used to describe those from outside the institution who contribute to a program review include external visitors, external advisers, external evaluators, and external consultants. For more details, see the section on How to Serve as an Undergraduate Program Reviewer.

  ’ visit and work backward to build the schedule.
• Plan for your department to spend two to four months following receipt of
  external reviewers

  External Reviewers

  Individuals brought in for their expertise and experience within a particular area to consult with a department and provide feedback. Reviewers’ primary role is advising your department and administrators about the current state of affairs and plans for improvement in the context of common disciplinary practices. Reviewers also provide advice, guidance, and suggestions on your department’s strategic objectives  and proposed actions. Other names used to describe those from outside the institution who contribute to a program review include external visitors, external advisers, external evaluators, and external consultants. For more details, see the section on How to Serve as an Undergraduate Program Reviewer.

  ’ written report to finalize a new strategic plan.
• Be mindful of critical elements and constraints within the timeline, e.g., institutional reporting deadlines and the need to schedule the reviewers’ visit when students, faculty, and administrators are available.
• If your institution places specific constraints on the timing of review steps, consider how you will address critical elements in the
  review process

  Review Process

  A process encompassing all elements of a periodic review of your undergraduate physics program. The review process includes holding conversations with members of the department and other stakeholders, gathering and analyzing data, writing a self-study report, identifying and hosting external reviewers, and creating or revising a strategic plan (or informally identifying strategic objectives with departmental actions whose progress can be assessed through measurable outcomes). Terms commonly used for this process include external review, external evaluation, academic quality improvement program, self study, comprehensive review, and strategic planning. Each term may be used differently by different institutions and only partially describes the intended process. Consequently, each carries some potential for misinterpretation. For more details, see the section on How to Undertake an Undergraduate Program Review.

  within your institution’s guidelines.
• Establish a process to gather and analyze relevant data on an ongoing (e.g., annual) basis to facilitate departmental conversations based on current data and to lessen the workload associated with periodic review.

Sample Timeline

• In discussions within your department, set parameters and a timeline for the review. Include developing a self-study report, conducting internal discussions, and allowing for flexibility when arranging
  external reviewers

  External Reviewers

  Individuals brought in for their expertise and experience within a particular area to consult with a department and provide feedback. Reviewers’ primary role is advising your department and administrators about the current state of affairs and plans for improvement in the context of common disciplinary practices. Reviewers also provide advice, guidance, and suggestions on your department’s strategic objectives  and proposed actions. Other names used to describe those from outside the institution who contribute to a program review include external visitors, external advisers, external evaluators, and external consultants. For more details, see the section on How to Serve as an Undergraduate Program Reviewer.

  ’ visit dates and travel.
• Get guidance from upper-level administrators and institutional representatives overseeing program reviews on process and the issues that reviewers should address.
• Recruit a committee to conduct the
  review process

  Review Process

  A process encompassing all elements of a periodic review of your undergraduate physics program. The review process includes holding conversations with members of the department and other stakeholders, gathering and analyzing data, writing a self-study report, identifying and hosting external reviewers, and creating or revising a strategic plan (or informally identifying strategic objectives with departmental actions whose progress can be assessed through measurable outcomes). Terms commonly used for this process include external review, external evaluation, academic quality improvement program, self study, comprehensive review, and strategic planning. Each term may be used differently by different institutions and only partially describes the intended process. Consequently, each carries some potential for misinterpretation. For more details, see the section on How to Undertake an Undergraduate Program Review.

  .
• Identify and reserve funding required for the
  review process

  Review Process

  A process encompassing all elements of a periodic review of your undergraduate physics program. The review process includes holding conversations with members of the department and other stakeholders, gathering and analyzing data, writing a self-study report, identifying and hosting external reviewers, and creating or revising a strategic plan (or informally identifying strategic objectives with departmental actions whose progress can be assessed through measurable outcomes). Terms commonly used for this process include external review, external evaluation, academic quality improvement program, self study, comprehensive review, and strategic planning. Each term may be used differently by different institutions and only partially describes the intended process. Consequently, each carries some potential for misinterpretation. For more details, see the section on How to Undertake an Undergraduate Program Review.

  .
• Identify possible
  external reviewers

  External Reviewers

  Individuals brought in for their expertise and experience within a particular area to consult with a department and provide feedback. Reviewers’ primary role is advising your department and administrators about the current state of affairs and plans for improvement in the context of common disciplinary practices. Reviewers also provide advice, guidance, and suggestions on your department’s strategic objectives  and proposed actions. Other names used to describe those from outside the institution who contribute to a program review include external visitors, external advisers, external evaluators, and external consultants. For more details, see the section on How to Serve as an Undergraduate Program Reviewer.

  , request approval from administration, and recruit them.

• Identify topics and issues for the internal review committee to investigate, keeping your department informed.
• Make assignments for components of the review.
• Gather and analyze data on your department, along with characteristics and outcomes of peer and aspirant departments.

• Conduct conversations, discuss data, and identify questions to pose to
  external reviewers

  External Reviewers

  Individuals brought in for their expertise and experience within a particular area to consult with a department and provide feedback. Reviewers’ primary role is advising your department and administrators about the current state of affairs and plans for improvement in the context of common disciplinary practices. Reviewers also provide advice, guidance, and suggestions on your department’s strategic objectives  and proposed actions. Other names used to describe those from outside the institution who contribute to a program review include external visitors, external advisers, external evaluators, and external consultants. For more details, see the section on How to Serve as an Undergraduate Program Reviewer.

  .

• Confirm availability of department members and upper-level administrators to finalize visit dates.

• Make assignments for drafting sections of the self-study report.
• Begin regular committee meetings to discuss findings and potential objectives. As discussions continue, develop possible actions, soliciting department feedback and getting agreement on needed next steps. The more specific you are, the more you can tap into the expertise of the external review team and your administration.

• Confirm availability of reviewers and finalize visit dates.
• Host a videoconference with reviewers to discuss the review timeline, self-study report content, and visit agenda.

• Circulate near-final draft self-study report for discussion by your department.

• Proofread and finalize self-study report.
• Send self-study report to upper-level administrators.
• Finalize visit agenda, travel arrangements, lodging reservations, and meeting appointments.

• Send self-study report to
  external reviewers

  External Reviewers

  Individuals brought in for their expertise and experience within a particular area to consult with a department and provide feedback. Reviewers’ primary role is advising your department and administrators about the current state of affairs and plans for improvement in the context of common disciplinary practices. Reviewers also provide advice, guidance, and suggestions on your department’s strategic objectives  and proposed actions. Other names used to describe those from outside the institution who contribute to a program review include external visitors, external advisers, external evaluators, and external consultants. For more details, see the section on How to Serve as an Undergraduate Program Reviewer.

  .

• Conduct site visit (see the supplement on Sample Agenda for an External Reviewers’ Site Visit)

• Receive reviewers’ written report.
• Process reviewer reimbursements and stipends.

• Reflect on reviewers’ report and start departmental planning discussions.
• Consult with upper-level administrators and appropriate campus committees.
• Draft and distribute a departmental written response to recommendations made by
  external reviewers

  External Reviewers

  Individuals brought in for their expertise and experience within a particular area to consult with a department and provide feedback. Reviewers’ primary role is advising your department and administrators about the current state of affairs and plans for improvement in the context of common disciplinary practices. Reviewers also provide advice, guidance, and suggestions on your department’s strategic objectives  and proposed actions. Other names used to describe those from outside the institution who contribute to a program review include external visitors, external advisers, external evaluators, and external consultants. For more details, see the section on How to Serve as an Undergraduate Program Reviewer.

  .

• Review progress with your department.
• Discuss progress with upper-level administrators.