PROGRAM QUALITY REVIEW AND PROGRAM PLANNING TEMPLATE
COVER PAGE FORMAT
1. Name of Degree (e.g., Statistics, B.S.):
2. Department:
3. College:
4. Department chair/head:
a. List name, mailing address, telephone number, fax number, and email address for the
primary pre-visit contact person for the program
b. Program/department website URL
5. Faculty Program Plan leader(s):
6. External Reviewer names and affiliations:
7. Date of this Program Plan:
8. Program review process contact:
Jinny Rhee, Chair Program Planning: jinny.rhee@sjsu.edu
a. Undergraduate Studies
b. Nicole Loeser, Catalog, Curriculum and Program Analyst, UGS
Special Note: this template is designed to help you through the Program Planning process. If an area
does not pertain to your department/program, please do not delete it. Instead, place “not applicable.”
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. STANDARD INFORMATION
a. Institution
b. College
c. Program
2. SUMMARY OF PROGRESS, CHANGES, CHALLENGES, PROPOSED ACTIONS
a. Progress on action plan of previous program review
b. Significant changes to the program and context
c. Strengths and achievements
d. Challenges and concerns
e. Recommendations and proposed changes
3. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
a. Program mission and goals
b. Program learning objectives
c. Curriculum description and alignment
d. Service courses
e. Proposed changes and improvements
4. ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING
a. Assessment plan
b. Assessment results
c. Interpretation and use of assessment results
d. Proposed changes and improvements
5. STUDENT SUCCESS MEASURES
a. Enrollment, retention, graduation, and placement trends
b. Student, alumni, and employer feedback
c. Student advising and support
d. Student tutoring/support (if applicable)
e. Proposed changes and improvements
6. PROGRAM RESOURCES
a. Faculty
b. Support staff
c. Facilities
d. Proposed changes and improvements
7. FOCUS THEMES
a. Program-specific theme/mission
b. Institutional theme/mission
c. CSU theme/mission
d. Proposed changes and improvements
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8. APPENDICES CONTENT
a. Required Data Elements
b. (Example) Curriculum flow charts, and mappings
c. (Example) Assessment rubrics
d. (Example) Student success data summary
e. Other (as determined by the program)
SPECIAL NOTE: Report should not exceed 25 pages excluding appendices.
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1. STANDARD INFORMATION
(2-pages)
a.
Institution
 Include a brief narrative summarizing the mission of the institution
b.
College
 Include a brief narrative summarizing the mission of the college of the program and how it
aligns with the above
c.
Program
 Year program implemented
 Department website link
 Program mission statement
 Complete list of programs offered in the department including minors
 Complete list of other programs served by courses provided by this department
 Number of faculty, instructors, lecturers, and support staff
 Number of students enrolled
 Approximate % of teaching effort at undergraduate level
 Approximate % of teaching effort to non-majors
 Total operating budget (including expenses)
 Location of department and faculty offices
 List of specialized facilities, if any
 Accrediting or similar agency, if applicable
 Date of most recent program review/accreditation/certification visit
 Date of any other recent peer review
d. Process
 Outline or briefly describe the process used by the faculty to select the program-specific
theme, if applicable
 Outline or briefly describe faculty engagement in the program review process including
selection of reviewers, involvement in the self-study stage, departmental discussions, etc.
2. SUMMARY OF PROGRESS, CHANGES, CHALLENGES, PROPOSED ACTIONS
(2– 3 pages)
a. Progress on action plan of previous program review
 Briefly summarize the progress on the action plan of the previous program review
b. Significant changes to the program and context
 Describe any significant changes to the program and the context since the last review
c. Strengths and accomplishments
 Summarize strengths and accomplishments of the program
d.
Challenges and concerns
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
Summarize the challenges and concerns of the program
e. Proposed changes and recommendations
 Outline the proposed changes, action timeline, and responsibilities
 Summarize recommendations of the program and proposed changes
3. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
(4 – 8 pages)
a. Program mission and goals
 Summarize the program mission
 Summarize the overall future career and life goals that the program is preparing its
graduates to be able to achieve
o Undergraduates:
o Graduates:
 Indicate whether the primary teaching effort of the department is for this program or in
service to other programs
b. Program learning objectives
 List the program learning objectives
o If the program learning objectives have been established since the previous
program review, describe the process of their development and adoption, and
those who participated internally and externally in that process
 Describe how these program learning objectives are formally communicated to students,
e.g. website, printed materials including advising materials, course syllabi, or other
 Describe any changes to the program learning objectives since the previous program
review and the basis for those changes
 Summarize the program’s self-assessment of the program learning objectives using the
WASC Program Learning Outcomes rubric.
 Produce a map that shows how the program learning objectives relate to the university
learning objectives
 Produce a curriculum map that shows how the program learning objectives relate to
curriculum courses
c. Curriculum description and alignment
 Describe any successful curriculum changes or innovative ideas
 Describe any options, tracks, concentrations, etc., and any special modes including on-line
and web-based instruction
 Produce a map that illustrates how the curriculum and significant co-curricular activities
correlate with the university learning objectives
 Describe how the program learning objectives are implemented into the curriculum over
time
 Describe how the University Learning Objectives are implemented into the curriculum
over time
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
Describe how co-curricular learning experiences relate to the with learning objectives over
time
d. Courses in service to other programs
 If the department provides courses to other programs, list/tabulate courses or sequences
of courses and programs served
 Describe the formal structures that enable the needs of those dependent programs to be
regularly incorporated into the design and regular update of these courses
e. Proposed Changes and Improvements
 Outline any proposed changes and improvements to:
o Program mission and goals
o Program learning objectives
o Curriculum and its alignment with the learning objectives
o Service role of the department
4. ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING
(5 – 10 pages)
a. Assessment Plan
 Give an overview of the assessment plan including
o the schedule used for assessing each of the learning objectives
o responsibilities for continued data collection, analysis, interpretation and
reporting
o formal process of how results of assessment are used by faculty
 Summarize how each of the program learning objectives and university learning objectives
are assessed, identifying direct and indirect methods, and describe performance standards
expected of students [Insert any rubrics used by the department].
 Briefly describe any assessment conducted on a senior project course, or equivalent
capstone or other culminating, educationally integrating experience.
 Briefly describe any assessment that incorporates the use of portfolios
 Describe any surveys of current students, alumni, employers, etc.
 Provide a self-assessment by faculty of the program’s assessment process using the WASC
Program Level Assessment rubric.
b. Assessment results
 Summarize and interpret the assessment results collected since the previous program
review describing levels of student attainment for each learning objective
 Describe any program, curriculum, and/or course changes made due to the assessment
results
 Describe what has been done or is being planned in response to gaps, if any, in student
achievement
 Describe (but do not include) any student work that will be available to the external
reviewing team at the visit (or if accredited, what was available)
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c. Proposed changes and improvements
 Outline proposed changes and improvements to
o Assessment process
o Assessment methods
o Curriculum and courses
5. STUDENT SUCCESS MEASURES
(4 – 8 pages)
a. Key trends, enrollment, retention, graduation, placement trends, and other indicators
 Summarize and interpret the key trends (insert data tables from required data elements)
 Summarize and interpret program trends in regards to enrollment, first-year retention,
graduation, average time-to-degree rates, and placement of graduates
b. Student, alumni and employer feedback
 Summarize results of any student satisfaction surveys on the educational effectiveness of
instruction, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities
 Summarize any alumni feedback on the educational effectiveness of the program
 Summarize any employer feedback on the quality of graduates of the program
c. Student advising
 Report and comment on the student-to-advisor ratio
 Describe the formal processes including faculty (and/or peer advising) and staff roles of
how students are advised for their course selection and preregistration, and career
guidance
 Summarize results of any student satisfaction surveys and other feedback on advising
 Critically comment on the student advising structure, roles, quality, and resources
d. Student tutoring
 Describe the options available for student tutoring
 Critically comment on the student tutoring structure, roles, quality, and resources
e. Proposed changes and improvements
 Outline proposed changes and improvements to
o Student success trends
o Educational effectiveness
o Student advising
o Student tutoring
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6. PROGRAM RESOURCES
(2 – 4 pages)
a. Faculty
 Comment on student to faculty ratios, faculty demographics, diversity, etc.
 Summarize the accomplishments of the whole faculty in relationship to:
o teaching and learning
o scholarship
o service to their profession, community, and university
o other forms of professional growth
b. Support staff
 Report and comment on faculty to support staff ratios, etc.
 Report and comment on department, college, and university staff support including
advising, tutoring, supplemental instruction, Information Technology (IT), etc.
c. Facilities
 Report and comment on program facilities
 Report and comment on college and university facilities
d. Proposed Changes and Improvements
 Outline any proposed changes and improvements to resources
7. FOCUS THEMES
(3 – 6 pages)
a. Program-specific Theme (Mission)
 Summarize the program specific focus theme if different from institutional theme
 Describe the process and methods faculty used to select and then study the theme
 Outline the analysis used
 Summarize the conclusions and recommendations of the faculty on the theme
b. Institutional Theme – Senior Project (or similar culminating experiences)
 Describe the program’s senior project, capstone or culminating experience course(s)
 Outline the assessment methods and rubrics used to evaluate student achievement
 Summarize the results obtained
 Report on faculty self-assessment of the program senior project or equivalent using the
WASC Capstone rubric
 Summarize the conclusions and recommendations of the faculty on the theme
c. CSU Theme – For four year undergraduate programs exceeding 120 units
 Indicate when was the most recent reduction in total units required for graduation
 Explicitly identify the constraints on reducing the number of units further
 For programs without free electives, describe the constraints that prevent free electives
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d. Proposed Changes and Improvements
 Outline proposed changes and improvements to the program, curriculum, resources
needed for each of these themes
8. APPENDICES CONTENT (Suggested)
When students graduate from San José State University they should be able to (based on WASC
rubrics):







Think critically and creatively
Communicate effectively
Demonstrate expertise in a scholarly discipline and understand that discipline in relation
to the larger world of the arts, sciences, and technology
Work productively as individuals and in groups
Use their knowledge and skills to make a positive contribution to society
Make reasoned decisions based on an understanding of ethics, a respect for diversity, and
an awareness of issues related to sustainability;
And engage in lifelong learning
The Diversity Learning Objectives and the Sustainability Learning Objectives are expansions of the
University Learning Objectives.
Diversity Learning Objectives
o
o
o
o
Demonstrate an understanding of relationships between diversity, inequality, and
social, economic, and political power both in the United States and globally
Demonstrate knowledge of contributions made by individuals from diverse and/or
underrepresented groups to our local, national, and global communities
Consider perspectives of diverse groups when making decisions
Function as members of society and as professionals with people who have ideas,
beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that are different from their own
Sustainability Learning Objectives
o
o
o
o
Define and apply sustainability principles within their academic programs
Explain how natural, economic, and social systems interact to foster or prevent
sustainability
Analyze and explain local, national, and global sustainability using a multidisciplinary
approach
Consider sustainability principles while developing personal and professional values
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a. Catalog description, curriculum flow charts, and maps
 Catalog description of program
o Copy from or link to on-line Catalog
 Curriculum flow chart
o Include a curriculum flow chart showing prerequisite structure of courses,
identifying those required and elective
 Mapping
o Program learning objectives to curriculum courses
o University Learning Objectives to curriculum courses
o General Education (GE) to University Learning Objectives
b. Assessment rubrics
 Include any rubrics that were used by the program during the Program Planning process
 Links to WASC rubrics: WASC Rubric on Academic Program Learning Outcomes (PDF),
WASC Capstone Rubric (PDF)
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<date of report>
<Name of degree>
APPENDIX C: WASC Program Learning Outcomes Rubric
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WASC PROGRAM REVIEW RUBRICS
<date of report>
<Name of degree>
Link back to Program Description section.
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WASC PROGRAM REVIEW RUBRICS
<date of report>
<Name of degree>
APPENDIX C: WASC Program Level Assessment Rubric
Link back to Assessment of Student Learning section.
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WASC PROGRAM REVIEW RUBRICS
<date of report>
<Name of degree>
APPENDIX C: WASC Capstone Rubric
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WASC PROGRAM REVIEW RUBRICS
<date of report>
<Name of degree>
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WASC PROGRAM REVIEW RUBRICS
<date of report>
<Name of degree>
Link back to Focus Themes section.
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WASC PROGRAM REVIEW RUBRICS