Program Review

What is Periodic Program Review (PPR)?

The University’s five-year cycle of Periodic Academic Program Review provides academic programs the opportunity to assess curricula, learning outcomes (qualitatively and quantitatively), student demographic and enrollment trends, and other critical academic components, for the purpose of evaluating program effectiveness and identifying possible improvements.

SUNY Brockport is actively engaged in assessing its academic programs as part of a comprehensive self-study and review process. This program review process has been developed to serve four major purposes:

  • To help the University’s academic programs better support Brockport’s overarching mission to be “an inclusive learning community that inspires excellence through growth, engagement, and transformation.”
  • To assist in creating a strong academic culture that embraces continuous improvement for all academic programs and promotes the use of best practices.
  • To comply with SUNY’s guidelines for periodic review of all academic programs.
  • To ensure compliance with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education’s accreditation standards, which require confirmation of academic quality through assessment.

Program Review Procedure

All program reviews will begin with a Self-Study written by the program faculty and staff. The Self-Study will also be subject to review by a team of two external reviewers who will come to campus to visit the program. Recommendations for improvement by program personnel and external reviewers will be evaluated for inclusion in a Joint Action Plan developed between the program personnel and the school Dean and, ultimately, presented to the Provost for approval.

Some departments house multiple academic programs. The focus of the Self-Study should be at the program level, and all the programs (majors only) offered by a department must receive individual attention in the Self-Study and in the external reviewers’ report.

The Office of Accountability and Assessment welcomes feedback, as this process continues to be refined to better achieve the goals of the University’s assessment program.

EXTERNAL REVIEWERS

Once the program’s Self-Study is completed, two external reviewers will examine the document and visit the campus. The program faculty and staff will identify potential reviewers no later than the end of the fall semester and forward their recommendations for approval by the school Dean at the beginning of the spring semester. Once the external reviewers have been approved by the school Dean, the Department Chair is responsible for inviting the approved individuals to be reviewers, arranging travel, and providing copies of the external reviewers’ curriculum vitaes to the Provost and Director of Assessment. The Office of Accountability and Assessment will pay for the external reviewers’ food, lodging, transportation, and honorarium.

During the external reviewers’ visit to campus, they will meet with program administrators, faculty, staff, and students, and observe a class. The administrators who are to be included in the initial and closing meetings are the Provost, Vice-Provost, and Director of Assessment.

After the external reviewers have visited campus, they will file a written report commenting on the program with the school Dean for his/her approval/comments. The external reviewers’ report, with the school Dean’s comments, is provided to the program Department Chair.

Resources for Periodic Program Review

For more information on program review and further resources, refer to the links below.

PPR EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES

2018-2019
2019-2020
2020-2021
2021-2022