College and University Review
As indicated in the APR Procedures, college and university committees prove an internal review component for the APR process. Colleges evaluate APRs using their established processes and criteria consistent with univerisity policy and procesdures and accreditation standards.
College-Level Review
Assessment of Student Learning Subcommittee
The Assessment of Student Learning subcommittee reviews the Committment to Student Learning portion of the Academic Program Review self-study report.
General Education Subcommittee
The GE subcommittee reviews the General Education portions of the Academic Program Review. This includes a review of General Education syllabi to ensure alignment with EO 1100 and the approved GE Areas and Outcomes Alignment.
Graduate Council
External Consultant Review
Internal review processes provide a valuable perspective that is essential for program quality. In addition, an external consultant’s perspective may play an important role in the evaluation process.
Review Purpose
The purpose of engaging an external consultant in the Academic Program Review (APR) process is to assist faculty in improving program quality by providing a new comparative and broader perspective on the program and student learning. External consultants will be individuals of significant professional reputation in the field.
External consultants provide insight on programs from the external perspective of outsiders who have expertise in program content. Their critique, when combined with our own review, lends credibility to the quality and effectiveness of the programs, services, resources, and operations. Consultants study components of a program through a series of specific review objectives or answer questions as prepared by program faculty.
Consultant Profile and Support
As faculty prepare the APR self study, questions arise regarding program features, curriculum, assessment, marketing, and future initiatives. The initial criteria for determining an external consultant includes their ability to answer faculty questions.
The qualifications for an external consultant include the highest degree in the relevant discipline; rank of associate professor or professor; experience in conducting academic program reviews; distinguished record in related teaching, research and scholarly activity, and service; rank in the same or similar programs on his/her respective campuses; no conflict of interest – should not be affiliated with the program under review nor should they have past connections such as graduates or former faculty; and ability to complete a site visit and submission of report within the prescribed timeline.
Nominations for external consultant(s) are solicited by the department chair to other institutions, higher education associations, and professional organizations. Consultants may be from a CSU campus or a non‐CSU institution, preferably within California. The nominees are reviewed by the departmental faculty, who may reject any of the nominees for cause. The external consultant is selected from the remaining nominees by the college dean. The dean then issues a formal invitation.
The college dean and department chair coordinate travel arrangements and the visit schedule, in accordance with University travel policy. A consultant contract is issued to the external consultant (normally $600 per day), plus transportation and one‐night lodging, as required. The payment and refunds are processed upon receipt of the written report from the external consultant and documented accommodation and travel costs, as previously approved. Funds are provided by the Office of Assessment and reimbursed to the department upon receipt of a copy of the external consultant’s report.
Consultant Tasks
External consultants receive an electronic copy of the draft APR self study and other relevant documents in advance. Additional materials (e.g., course syllabi) should be available in the department office for review during the site visit. It is essential that examples of student work are available for review as consistent with accreditation standards for direct assessment of student work and are completed in accordance with the University’s Principles for the Assessment of Student Learning. Consultants are asked to review the draft self‐study document; focus on assessment findings, the quality of student learning, and the ability of the program to foster student learning; review sample student work from introductory to culminating courses, as appropriate, and with student and faculty identification removed from documents; conduct selected interview with department chair, program faculty, staff, students, alumni, faculty members outside the department but associated with the program, the college dean, community groups, advisory groups, or other community members as appropriate to the program; conduct an exit meeting with department chair, program/departmental faculty, and college dean; and prepare a report responding to faculty questions and report writing prompts, including making recommendations for quality enhancement.
Questions will vary depending on the type and size of the program; consultants may be asked to respond to questions such as:
- Do references in syllabi adequately cover current knowledge in the field?
- Do CVs of faculty demonstrate appropriate qualifications for teaching in this program?
- Does the curriculum demonstrate an undergraduate / graduate level of instruction?
- Do assessments align with student learning outcomes?
The external consultant visits the campus for one or two days to meet with and interview faculty, students, alumni, staff, community members, and administrators. Consultants focus their visit in three areas: 1) curriculum, 2) assessment of student learning outcomes, and 3) the student experience. A dinner is recommended the evening previous to the site visit for faculty to meet with the consultant and the dean as a way to begin the visit. A schedule for a site visit should be developed jointly by faculty and their dean.
Consultant Report
The consultant is asked to provide a report that includes general comments, singles out features of the program that merit commendations, and makes recommendations for improvement. The consultant’s report varies in length between three and five pages. A preliminary report is generally completed on site prior to departure. The final report is to be completed within two weeks of the campus visit.
The consultant writes a summary of findings of strengths and areas for improvement for each of the criteria identified in the APR and other issues specific to the program as identified by the department chair and college dean. The report is organized in three parts:
- Executive Summary. General observations and comments are provided on the program and curriculum, quality of student learning and the achievement of student learning outcomes, the implementation plan, faculty, students, facilities, and resources. Consultants respond to questions posed by faculty.
- Commendations. Consultants provide comments about what the program is doing well.
- Recommendations. Comments provide future direction for the faculty to use to improve student learning. Evaluative feedback is offered as well as suggestions to improve any aspect of the program. This review is to be forward‐looking and yet realistic in terms of actions that can be accomplished by the department within existing resources, as well as actions that may require additional investment in the program. Recommendations may require no new resources as well as those that do. The report may note recommendations that have been shown to be effective elsewhere.
NOTE: The External Consultant’s Report is submitted to the department chair and college dean and is included as part of program’s APR self study. Findings from the Report may be incorporated into the program’s Implementation Plan as part of the APR self-study report.
Updated: August 22, 2023