Academic Review
Purpose
The Academic Review (AR) process is intended to assess, promote, and support the fulfillment of the academic unit’s mission and vision. The process provides the opportunity to reflect on the unit’s identity and to engage in strategic planning, particularly with respect to (1) educational effectiveness, (2) research, scholarship, and creative endeavors, and (3) service on local to global scales.
In essence, ARs are an opportunity for academic units to reflect on their accomplishments, challenges, and opportunities to address such questions as: How well are we preparing all of our students to meet and exceed the challenges they will experience upon graduation? How well are we supporting faculty and staff in the integration of their teaching, research, scholarship, and creative endeavors, and service? How well are we equipped to meet the emerging challenges and demands of our disciplines and their respective roles in our broader society?
While meaningful and regular ARs are an explicit requirement of the California State University system and its Board of Trustees as well as for continued accreditation through the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), these guidelines are written in a manner that will affirm faculty’s ability to focus on what they care about while providing evidence that can inform program, unit, and college-level decision-making.
Practice
Productive ARs provide an opportunity for thoughtful reflection, productive discussion, and intentional improvement. Thus, academic units are strongly encouraged to articulate an aspirational vision and to discuss recent accomplishments, plans, opportunities, and challenges in that context. Such an approach will facilitate connections to broader strategic planning and resource management at the college and university levels. To this end, a template for the AR Self Study and Site Visit Schedule are provided at the end of the Guidelines for Academic Departments and the Guidelines for Interdisciplinary Majors.
Outcome
The intended outcome of each AR is the collaborative development of an Action Plan among Academic Affairs, the College Dean, and the academic unit that will address identified challenges and opportunities for improvement, primarily with existing resources and secondarily on additional strategic investments.
Contact Us
For specific questions concerning Academic Reviews, please contact Dr. Madhavi McCall at [email protected]
For general inquiries, please contact [email protected]