Towson University
7 Year Academic Program Review Process
The University System of Maryland (USM) requires a program review by external reviewers for all academic degree
programs every seven years. The 7-year program review process is extensive and consists of an internal self-study
of each program within the context of the discipline as a whole and the department in which it resides. Each review
must include feedback from an external reviewer and a comprehensive plan for improvement. The review process
takes approximately one and half years from start to finish. A detailed timeline with due days noted informs the
process (Appendix A).
The primary goal of the academic program reviews is to evaluate the quality of undergraduate and graduate
programs within the context of departmental structures. Reviews are intended to be helpful and supportive in (a)
recognizing strengths and achievements, (b) promoting goal setting and planning, and (c) identifying areas in need of
attention. They should also give the University and USM an informed overview of the strengths, problems, and needs
of academic units.
The following documents are prepared as a part of the 7-Year Program Review process:
 Self-Study Report (Appendix B)
 External Reviewer Report (Appendix C)
 USM Report for the Periodic Review of Academic Programs, including Comprehensive Plan for
Improvement (Appendix D)
Appendix E includes the Program Review Schedule. Programs should begin the self-study the year before the due
date on the table.
Because the programs involved in the self-study process in a particular year do not represent the totality of
programming offered by a particular college, it is crucial that the dean play key roles in the self-study process,
including the selection of the external reviewer, and creation of the improvement plan in the USM Report for the
Periodic Review of Academic Programs. Reviews should primarily seek perspectives useful to the units whose
programs are under review and to their respective academic deans. The results of the review should be used to
inform program and/or departmental change and program development.
The Self-Study Report must demonstrate how the curriculum supports student learning outcomes, how outcomes
are assessed, and how assessment results are used to improve practice. Other issues addressed include
departmental strategic plans, the quality of faculty teaching, comparison of program quality to peer programs,
enrollment trends and program demands, and cost-effectiveness of the program. USM requires that programs under
review identify a Comprehensive Plan for Improvement based on the recommendations of the external reviewer,
including ways progress will be assessed. The external reviewer prepares an External Reviewer Report based
upon the self-study report and information collected during the one-day site visit.
Degree programs accredited by external agencies develop assessment practices that align with accrediting agency
standards. External accreditation has a positive effect on the success of programs in these discipline areas. These
external accrediting agencies tend to have higher standards that are tailored to their fields relative to the internal
standards used for all other programs. If the site visit is within one year of the scheduled program review, the visiting
team report can be substituted for the external consultant review requirement associated with the USM 7-Year
Program Review process. Accredited programs will still need to prepare the 7 Year USM Report on Periodic
Review of Academic Programs and include a Comprehensive Plan for Improvement as a part of that document.
The external review process culminates in review of the 7 Year USM Report on Periodic Review of Academic
Programs by the USM Board of Regents. They review the findings and formally approved the Comprehensive Plan
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for Improvement included in the report. Departments report on the implementation of the Improvement Plan during
the annual assessment reporting process and in the next scheduled external review.
Appendix E includes the Program Review Schedule. Programs should begin the self-study the year before the due
date on the table.
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Appendix A
Timeframe for 7 Year USM Program/Department Review
August/September – Programs involved in reviews due in following year notified of process.
September - Program identifies three potential external reviewers, confirming willingness to serve (External
Reviewers should represent peer institutions in terms of program quality and level).
October 1st - Program submits names and credentials of three external reviewers to its dean.
October 1-30th - Dean reviews nominations and may seek additional nominations from other sources. The dean
selects and invites the chosen external reviewer to campus for the site visit to be scheduled Feb 15-March 15.
Because the site visit should include a meeting with the Provost, contact the Provost’s Executive Administrative
Assistant (4-3501) regarding possible dates prior to confirming the site visit. The dean’s office completes all
necessary paperwork for the consultant and works with the department in creating the site visit schedule.
November 1 - The name of the external reviewer and credentials, along with the confirmed site visit date should be
forwarded to the Assistant Vice President for Accreditation and Compliance.
September through December - Program/Department engages in self-study process:
 Identifies the faculty members who will work on the review.
 Develops a calendar to ensure that the review is completed on schedule and submits draft to dean for feedback
(December 15)
 Identifies what information is needed and how it will be obtained.
 Obtains and analyzes information and drafts the program review report, including assessment data annual
reporting (Compliance Assist)
December 15th - Draft self-study submitted to respective dean’s office for review.
January 5th - Feedback from dean returned to department for incorporation in draft self-study.
February 1st - Updated self-study report sent to external reviewer.
February to March 15th - Department hosts external reviewer (one day site visit), including meeting with the Provost.
March 31st - External reviewer’s written report submitted electronically to the department.
April – June 1st - Department works with dean to revise the self-study, particularly the comprehensive plan for the
future or improvement plan, to reflect departmental/program interest in addressing the findings of the external
reviewer. Department must work collaboratively with dean in updating the comprehensive improvement plan of the
self-study. Programs using their most recent accreditation visit in lieu of the external reviewer must develop the
comprehensive plan for the future or improvement plan as a part of the USM Report on Periodic Review Academic
Programs (electronic submission).
June 1st - Department submits all program review materials including the Self-Study Report, External Reviewer’s
Report, 7 Year USM Reports on Periodic Review Academic Programs to its respective dean. Programs using their
most recent accreditation visit in lieu of the external reviewer report should provide a copy of the accreditation selfstudy, visiting team report, and USM Report on Periodic Review Academic Programs and the signature page. The
dean reviews the materials to confirm college prioritization of resources and plans.
June 15th - Dean submits the following materials to the Assistant Vice President for Accreditation and Compliance
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


Self-Study Report (electronic submission)
External reviewer’s report and accreditation action letter if working with an accrediting agency (electronic
submission)
7 Year USM Report on Periodic Review Academic Programs (Word Version)
June through July – Assistant VP reviews all materials for compliance with USM guidelines, contacting the dean,
chair, director, or coordinator for information or clarification if needed.
August 1 - Department submits final materials electronically via respective dean to Assistant VP
August 15 – Assistant VP submits all materials to the Provost for review and approval. Additional clarification may
be sought from the dean and program area, as necessary.
October 1* – Assistant VP submits the 7 Year USM Report on Periodic Review of Academic Programs to the USM
Office of Academic Affairs.
October* - USM returns the summary reports to Towson for revision, if necessary. Assistant VP submits revised 7
Year USM Report on Periodic Review Academic Programs to the USM Office of Academic Affairs, if necessary
November* – USM Committee on Education Policy and Student Life reviews and acts on 7 Year USM Report on
Periodic Review Academic Programs
December *- USM Board of Regents acts on recommendation by the 7 Year USM Report on Periodic Review
Academic Programs
*USM required deadlines
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Appendix B
Seven Year USM Program/Department Review
Self- Study Format (30-40 pages)
1. Executive Summary of Comprehensive Plan for Improvement (2-3 pages)
2. Overview and Vision
a. Vision, mission and objectives ( 1 page)
b. Relationship to the university mission, vision, and strategic plan and to the college strategic plan
c. Brief overview of program or department
d. Recommendations and actions from previous seven year review
3. Assessment of Quality- Description and Analysis of Quality of and Demand for Programs 1,2,3
a. Program/Department Inputs
i. Program/department focus and reputation
1. Distinguishing characteristics
2. Local, regional, national ranking, metrics of excellence, and visibility
3. Future direction/needs of the profession/discipline
ii. Students by program
1. Number of students who apply, are admitted, and enroll by program (data should
be disaggregated if approved for off-campus or online delivery) – Graduate and
Screened majors only
a. Information on “Screened” undergraduate majors available in home
department, not applicable for other undergraduate majors
b. Contact Admissions (4-3636) for information on graduate programs
2. Qualifications of students who enroll- GPA, entry exams, professional
experience, diversity
3. Graduate assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships, if applicable
iii. Faculty
1. Number of faculty – part time and full time (Departmental information available at
http://www.towson.edu/ir/dept_profiles.asp)
a. FTE commitment by program
b. Faculty rankings
c. Faculty to student ratios
d. Retention Rates
2. Qualifications of faculty – degrees, teaching, scholarship, diversity, professional
experience, university and professional service
iv. Staff support
1. Number of staff - part time and full time
2. Qualification for roles
v. Resources
1. Fiscal
a. Revenues- tuitions, grants, endowments, if applicable
2. Expenditures- salaries, expendable equipment and supplies (Departmental
information available at http://www.towson.edu/ir/dept_profiles.asp)
3. Other resources- equipment, space, library, learning materials, labs and studios
1
Reference University data sources and include tables in appendices, where appropriate
Cite results of accreditation reports and external reviews
3
Address assessment of quality of programming offered at different off-site locations and using distance education
technologies in separate sections
2
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b. Program/Department Processes
i. Curriculum
1. Process for curriculum development and recent activity
2. Curriculum Requirements by Program (from CIM)
3. Course content- rigor, comprehensive, currency, applicability for current and
future needs
4. Course delivery methods
5. Learning experiences- internships, service learning, scholarly engagement
ii. Students1. Learning expectations and learning supports
2. Retention initiatives
iii. Faculty
1. Teaching
a. Number and types of assignments
b. Quality and competency
2. Professional development- expectations and supports
3. Retention initiatives
iv. Quality Improvement Initiatives
c. Program/Department Outcomes
i. Program/department
1. Program/department accreditation and professional ranking, if applicable
2. Program productivity and viability according to MHEC (Program information
included in Department Profile http://www.towson.edu/ir/dept_profiles.asp)
3. See Institutional Research data)
4. Graduates rating of the program/department, if available and applicable.
Undergraduate survey results available at
http://www.towson.edu/ir/studentsurveys.asp. Contact IR to see if data can be
dissagregated by program)
ii. Student
1. Learning outcomes4
a. Assessment Overview by Program (from Compliance Assist)
b. Summary of Findings by year (from Compliance Assist - report 7 years)
c. Ongoing changes made to the program in response to the
assessments (from Compliance Assist – report 7 years)
2. Other possible data5
a. Scholarly and creative productions
b. Internship and service learning scores/evaluations
c. Professional and community engagement
d. National certification and examination pass rate
e. Career placement and continuing education opportunities- number and
types of career and advanced education
f. Employer rating of graduates
g. Exit GPA
h. Time to degree completion
iii. Faculty
1. Faculty scholarly and professional productivity
4
5
Refer to information in Compliance Assist
Include information if applicable and available and not addressed in Learning Outcomes section
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2. Professional and community engagement
4. Summary and Comprehensive Plan for the Futurea. Comparative strengths and distinctiveness, and areas of improvement across all program levels
b. Opportunities to extend existing strengths- and resources in place or needed
c. Positioning of program/department to address future direction of the discipline in the next seven
years
d. improvement plan for next seven years for each program
i. Key objectives, and strategies actions to achieve each objective
ii. Timeline, entity responsible, and milestones and measurable outcomes to determine
progress and measure success
iii. Method of achieving objectives
1. Internal improvements
2. Improvements that can be achieved only with additional resources and plans to
obtain these resources
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Appendix C
External Reviewer’s Report
The report of the external reviewer should include the following:
 Analysis of currency of program compared to peer institutions;
 Program strengths
 Program weaknesses
 Address relationship of programs at different levels in the same discipline
 Recommendations for program improvements, with each accompanied by a brief fact-based rationale.
Recommendations made regarding additional/improved resources (staffing, facilities, operating budgets,
equipment, etc.) must be supported by solid evidence, such as assessment data indicating the area
warrants improvement, disciplinary association standards, resources at peer institutions, etc.
External Review Expenses
The Provost’s Office provides modest support for the program review process. Funding up to a maximum of $750
per program will be provided by the Provost. Any additional costs are the responsibility of the College. Expenses
will not be covered until the final report is submitted by the external reviewer.
Each dean is responsible for selecting the external consultant and submitting the necessary paperwork to hire and
pay the external consultant. The decision to provide additional support, including travel expenses is the decision of
the respective dean. Each dean will determine the appropriate office in his/her college responsible for completing
and processing the necessary paperwork (Honorarium Letter of Invitation, Honorarium Request Application,
Miscellaneous Expense Voucher, and W-9 form.).
The two honorarium forms can be obtained from the procurement website under Forms:
www.towson.edu/adminfinance/fiscalplanning/procurement/infodept.asp
Honorarium Letter of Invitation
Honorarium Request Application
To initiate this process, the College should forward a copy of the final consultant’s report with the Miscellaneous
Expense Voucher and other documentation as described above to the Assistant VP for Accreditation and
Compliance. The request should include the receiving department and account code. The Assistant VP for
Accreditation and Compliance processes the forms.
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Appendix D
7 Year USM Report on Periodic Review of Academic Programs
Institution:
Academic unit:
Program(s) reviewed:
Year in which the review process was Completed and Names(s) of External Reviewer(s):
Enrollments and Degrees Awarded for Each of the Past Five Years in This Program (c):
Year 20xx-xx
Year 20xx-xx
Year 20xx-xx
Year 20xx-xx
Year 20xx-xx
Fall Enrollment
Annual Degrees Awarded
Summary of the INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL REVIEW: (Include major findings and recommendations for action.� For
external reviews associated with regional or programmatic accreditation; please indicate accrediting group and context in
which the review occurred.)
Departmental/college/institutional action plan for addressing recommendations, including mechanisms for following up
and assessing progress:
Issue 1 –
Strategy 1 –
Anticipated Completion Date:
Entity Responsible:
Strategy 2:
Anticipated Completion Date:
Entity Responsible:
Strategy 3
Anticipated Completion Date:
Entity Responsible:
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Issue 2 –
Strategy 1 –
Anticipated Completion Date:
Entity Responsible:
Strategy 2:
Anticipated Completion Date:
Entity Responsible:
Strategy 3
Anticipated Completion Date:
Entity Responsible:
Submitted by:
Date of submission:
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Appendix E
USM Program Report Cycle
Program/Major
Degree
7-Yr Report Due
Applied & Industrial Math
MS
2016
Autism Studies
PBC
2016
Counseling Psychology
CAS
2016
English
BA,BS
2016
Environmental Science
MS, PBC
2016
Environmental Science & Studies
Forensic Chemistry
BA,BS
2016
BA,BS
2016
Forensic Science
MS
2016
Geography & Environmental Planning
BA,BS, MA
2016
Geography & Land Surveying
BA,BS
2016
Instructional Technology
EdD
2016
Interdisciplinary Studies
BA,BS
2016
Mathematics
BA,BS
2016
Occupation and Well-Being
BA,BS
2016
Occupational Science
ScD
2016
Occupational Therapy
MS
2016
Professional Writing
MS
2016
Psychology
BA,BS MA
2016
Religious Studies
BA,BS
2016
Sociology-Anthropology
BA,BS
2017
Applied Physics
MS
2017
Art & Design
BA,BS,BFA
2017
Art History
BA ,BS
2017
Art Studio
MFA
2017
Child Life, Administration, and Family Collaboration
MS
2017
Family and Human Services
BA,BS
2017
Family Science
BA,BS
2017
Family-Professional Collaboration
PBC
2017
Humanities
MA
2017
International Studies
BA,BS
2017
Jewish Communal Service
PBC
2017
Jewish Education
PBC
2017
Jewish Studies
MA
2017
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Leadership in Jewish Education and Communal Services
MA
2017
Philosophy
BA,BS
2017
Physics
BA,BS
2017
Political Science
BA,BS
2017
Women's & Gender Studies
BA,BS MS PBC
2018
Accounting
BA,BS
2018
Accounting and Business Advisory Services (w/UB)
MS
2018
Business Administration
BA,BS
2018
Business Administration (with UB)
MBA
2018
Communication Studies
BA,BS
2018
Communications Management
MS
2018
E-Business
BA,BS
2018
History
BA,BS
2018
PBC
2018
Leadership for Organizations (j/w UB)
Marketing Intelligence
MS
2018
Interactive Marketing
PBC
2018
Mass Communication
BA,BS
2018
Physician Assistant Studies
MS
2018
Project, Program & Portfolio Management
PBC
2018
Supply Chain Management
MS PBC
2019
Acting
BFA
2019
Athletic Training
BA,BS
2019
Biology
BA,BS MS
2019
Computer Science
BA,BS MS
2019
Deaf Studies
BA,BS
2019
Information Systems
BA,BS
2019
Information Technology
BA,BS ScD
2019
Law & American Civilization
BA,BS
2019
Nursing
BA,BS MS
2019
Nursing Education
PBC
2019
Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology
BA,BS
2019
Sport Management
BA,BS
2019
Theatre Arts
BA,BS MFA
2020
Application of Dalcroze, Orff, and Kodaly
PBC
2020
Applied Information Technology
MS
2020
Audiology
AuD
2020
Cultural Studies
BA,BS
2020
Dance Performance & Education
BFA
2020
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Database Management Systems
PBC
2020
Foreign Language
BA,BS
2020
Information Security & Assurance
PBC
2020
Information Systems Management
PBC
2020
Internet Applications Development
PBC
2020
Molecular Biology, Biochemistry & Bioinformatics
BA,BS
2020
Music
BM,BS,MM
2020
Music Education
BA,BS,MS
2020
Networking Technologies
PBC
2020
Professional Studies
MA
2020
Social Science
BA,BS
2020
Social Sciences
MS
2020
Software Engineering
PBC
2020
Speech-Language Pathology
MS
2021
Chemistry
BA,BS
2021
Clinician to Administrator Transition
PBC
2021
Interactive Media Design
PBC
2021
Metropolitan Studies
BA,BS
2022
Action Research for School Improvement
PBC
2022
Allied Health
BTPS
2022
Applied Gerontology
MS,PBC
2022
Art Education
BA,BS,MEd
2022
Arts Integration
PBC
2022
Early Childhood Education
BA,BS MEd,CAS
2022
Earth-Space Science
BA,BS
2022
Economics
BA,BS
2022
Electronic Media & Film
BA,BS
2022
Elementary Education
BA,BS,MEd
2022
Exercise Science
BA,BS
2022
Geology
BA,BS
2022
Gerontology
BA,BS
2022
Health Care Management
BA,BS
2022
Health Science
BA,BS,MS
2022
Human Resources Development
MS
2022
Instructional Technology
MS
2022
Integrated Early Childhood/Special Education:
Infant/Primary
Integrated Elementary Education - Special Education
BA,BS
2022
BA,BS
2022
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Integrated Homeland Security Management
MS
2022
Integrated STEM Instructional Leadership (PreK-6)
PBC
2022
Interdisciplinary Arts Infusion
MA
2022
Kinesiology
MS
2022
Mathematics Education
MS
2022
Middle School Education
BA,BS
2022
Organizational Change
CAS
2022
Physical Education
BA,BS
2022
Reading Education
MEd, CAS
2022
School Psychology
CAS
2022
Secondary Education
MEd
2022
Security Assessment and Management
PBC
2022
Special Education
BA,BS,MEd
2022
Teaching
MAT
2022
Requests to adjust the schedule must be submitted and approved by USM. Adjustments may
be necessary to due extenuating circumstances, e.g., accreditation schedules, FMLA issues, or
high percentages of program faculty involved in promotion and tenure review.
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