Self-Study Format for Coordinated Program Reviews

Each program unit scheduled for review shall submit an Undergraduate/Graduate Program Self-Study and supplementary documentation at least six weeks prior to the on-site visit.

In completing the Self-Study, program faculties are encouraged to conduct a thorough and participatory examination of the current and future status of the programs. The Self-Study is intended to provide an opportunity for the faculty to look at all facets of program operation and outcomes and engage in critical self-examination. The Academic Program and Curriculum Committee (APCC) and the Graduate Faculty Council (GFC) encourage units to be forthright in identifying and addressing weaknesses in the programs. In addition, the Self-Study and accompanying supplementary documentation form the foundation of information supplied to the
outside reviewers.

Discussion points are indicated to guide programs in identifying issues that ought to be
considered in preparing the Self-Study. The questions are intended to provide a guide to discussion and elaboration. Provide sufficient analysis, explanation, and elaboration to allow individuals unfamiliar with your programs to understand their structure, curriculum, students and faculty, resource base and problems and issues.

Note: For purposes of the Self-Study, Academic Year is defined as the period between
September 1, year x and August 31, year x + 1.

Table of Contents

List the major sections of the report and provide titles for all appendices. Provide page numbers wherever possible.

Executive Summary

In an Executive Summary to the report, present an overview of the program, with special attention to issues facing the programs and concerns for the future. The executive summary should include a statement of the programs’ position in relation to its unit’s mission and objectives, the School/College mission, and the University mission. It should provide the number of faculty (including clinical and adjunct faculty) currently contributing to the programs and a general statement about the research or creative activity of the faculty. The summary should include an overview of the current student body, their numbers and distribution within the programs (e.g., by concentration, stages of the program: coursework, thesis, preliminary examination, dissertation).

It should succinctly describe goals and objectives for the next 10 years, in three segments: (1) short term – goals and objectives for the 1st to 4th year post-review; (2) intermediate – goals and objectives for the 5th to 7th year post-review; and (3) long range – goals and objectives for the 8th to 10th year. Each segment should be accompanied by a listing of benchmarks and milestones. For programs ranked nationally or regionally, it should report the most current ranking, or other relevant citations or ratings/benchmarks, and where it expects to be in rank in 10 years.

Contact Persons

At the end of the Executive Summary list the names of the Dean (and where appropriate, Associate Dean) of the school or college that houses the programs, the name or names of the preparers of the self-study report, and faculty and staff contact people with telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.

I. The Programs

A. Description and Evaluation

Program Array: List the baccalaureate and graduate degree programs offered by the department or program and the year each approved program began.

• Example:
  • Bachelor of Science in [name of program] 1969
  • Master of Science in [name of program] 1972

Describe the programs with particular attention to their unique qualities, special features, and strengths. Comment on developments in the programs since their last reviews and implementation of recommendations from previous reviews. In addition, comment on the programmatic and curricular improvements and enhancements being planned for the next 10 years, and explain the rationale for the refinements.

Describe differences between graduate and undergraduate programs in relation to:

1. The curriculum
2. Expectations for graduate and undergraduate students in U/G courses
3. Student assessment
4. Course content and expectations
5. Student learning experiences
6. Student learning outcomes

Discuss opportunities (current and future) for graduate/undergraduate student
interactions. Explain what guidelines are in place to assure the integrity of the course content and learning experiences?

Where appropriate, comment on related programs at UWM (including undergraduate and other graduate degree and certificate programs in your academic unit). Address issues of articulation, duplication, or collaboration with other programs, as those categories represent either problems or opportunities.

If they are relevant, discuss similar programs at other institutions in Wisconsin and elsewhere, in terms of competition or collaboration with those programs.

Describe interdisciplinary and/or inter-program collaborations, partnerships, and linkages in which the department/program currently participates or expects to participate. Discuss plans/opportunities for any future collaborations.

Discuss the current and future projected demands for the programs, including trends in the number and quality of applicants and the placement success of its recent graduates. Detail new trends in the field and the programs’ position/ response to those developments. (Please refer to any surveys of data available on trends and projections.)

What mechanisms are in place for ongoing evaluation of program structure and objectives? What improvements have resulted from internal program assessment?

Identify any obstacles to achieving the programs’ objectives which have arisen in recent years. What steps have been contemplated or taken to deal with these problems?

Discuss the challenges and opportunities present in the modes of instruction employed by the programs (conventional, student cohort, on-line). What changes in modes of instruction are being contemplated by the faculty?

If the programs are currently accredited, summarize the findings of any accreditation reports since the last APCC/GFC review. What was the program’s response to the accreditation report? How is the program positioning itself with respect to the next accreditation review?

Provide critical analyses of content and instructional methodologies in light of scientific developments, technological innovations, and knowledge advancement.

B. Administrative Structure

Describe the administrative and governance structure of the programs. How does the structure promote the achievement of the programs’ objectives? What changes, if any, need to be made in preparation for the next 10 years of refinements and upgrades? Discuss any problems of organization or management within the programs and how these are going to be addressed. Discuss the nature and quality of interactions with its department(s), school or college (including school or college academic planning committee, Graduate Program Committee), with governance bodies, and, for graduate programs, with the Graduate Academic Programs and Student Services area of the Graduate School. What changes are necessary, if any, to facilitate the program’s development over the next 10 years?

Describe the role and responsibilities of the graduate program representative with respect to the impending changes.

Describe the role and responsibilities of the undergraduate program director with respect to the impending changes.

II. Faculty

• Standards:
  • Faculty and Instructional Academic Staff are qualified and in sufficient numbers to provide relevant quality learning experiences.
  • At least 25% of total tenure/tenure track time is committed to the undergraduate
    program.

List current members of the by name, rank, teaching and research specialization (designate members of the UWM Graduate Faculty).

Describe faculty workload and the assignment of workload.

Describe the trend in faculty numbers and percentage involvement with the undergraduate program over the past seven years.

Comment on any specific concerns regarding program faculty as well as any signal achievements that directly impact on the programs. In what ways can the program support and promote scholarly and research contributions of faculty, academic staff and students over the next 10 years?

Discuss the effect of recent hires and the departure or retirement of faculty on the programs. What has the unit done to promote faculty diversity? What is the role of junior faculty in the programs?

List current members of the instructional academic staff by name, rank, teaching and research specialization, and percentage of appointment. Clearly articulate the role of part-time faculty in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. What procedures are in place to assure the quality of instruction provided by instructors who are not members of the program and program graduate faculty?

III. Students

A. Undergraduates

• Standard:
  • There are adequate numbers of qualified students for meaningful cohorts to meet learning objectives.

Define qualified students, and identify cohorts of majors and submajors.

Describe the trend in numbers of majors enrolled, student credit hours, and enrollment in upper and lower division courses over the past seven years.

Assess trends in application and enrollment over the past seven years. What improvements can be made to improve the caliber of students recruited and enrolled; to ensure increasing rates of retention and graduation; and to demonstrate timely progress to degree?

• What measures have been taken to enhance the diversity of the student body?

B. Graduates

Assess the number and quality of applicants to the program. What trends in application patterns have been discerned? Describe the criteria and procedures used to review and select applicants for admission. What improvements can be made to improve the caliber of students recruited and enrolled; to ensure increasing rates of retention and graduation; and to
demonstrate timely progress to degree?

Discuss recruitment strategies. What measures have been taken to increase the diversity of the student body and how successful have those efforts been?

• Insert Graduate Applications/Admissions table (supplied by the Graduate School).
• Insert Incoming Undergraduate G.P.A. and Test Scores Table (supplied by the Graduate School).

Estimate optimum enrollment in your program(s) and estimate/compare with the status of the current student body: what percentage are taking coursework, completing a master’s capstone experience, at PhD preliminary exam stage, doctoral dissertators? Estimate the completion rate for students in your program(s). Discuss any perceived problems with retention/completion and describe any steps the faculty has taken to correct these problems.

• Insert Graduate Enrollment table (supplied by the Graduate School).
• Insert Graduate Academic Actions table (supplied by the Graduate School).

Describe the advising system within the program and other ways by which expectations and opportunities are conveyed to students. Explain the program’s strategies for mentoring graduate students and socializing them as apprentice scholars or professional practitioners. How is student progress toward the degree monitored by the program faculty?

Discuss the involvement of graduate students in faculty research (publications and presentations, etc.); how does the program foster an intellectual community?

Comment on any perceived pattern of exceptions (course overloads, graduate dean’s approval to continue, etc.) and appeals particular to students in your program(s). Have these issues been addressed by the faculty and with the Dean of the Graduate School?

What is the participation of students in the governance of the program?

Comment on the special achievements of students and graduates of the program.

Discuss the support of graduate students through departmental and university fellowships and assistantships. Describe any problems associated with graduate assistantships. How are graduate assistants trained and supervised?

• If applicable, insert Graduate Student Financial Assistance table (supplied by the Graduate School)

IV. Curriculum

Describe how student learning experiences reflect knowledge advancement and technological innovations and foster independent critical thinking

A. Undergraduate

• Standard:
  • There is an organized coherent sequence of course work that prepares students to meet the educational goals of the undergraduate program, secure appropriate employment, and pursue graduate study.

Identify the educational goals/outcomes of the undergraduate program.

Explain the organization of courses, credits and sequencing within submajors.

Describe how course content and activities help students meet course objectives.

How are issues related to diversity reflected in the curriculum?

Describe the program delivery options available

B. Graduate

Describe the general structure and any special or unique curricular aspects of the program. Include a discussion of programs such as colloquia and visiting scholar/speakers series that enrich the regular curriculum.

Detail curricular modifications since the last GFC review and/or changes being contemplated. Explain the reasons for these changes. What measures are in place to ensure that curricula in the program reflect the state of the art/science in the program of study?

Discuss the program’s reliance on U/G courses, the frequency of offering courses for the program, and any specific challenges the program faces in delivering its curriculum.

How are issues related to diversity reflected in the curriculum?

Doctoral Programs Only: Describe the structure of the preliminary examination.

If applicable, for each degree offered by your program, indicate the number of students graduated in each area of specialization or concentration for each of the last ten academic years. See example table below.

Graduates by concentration in the [degree program name]

Name of concentration	AY 99-00	AY 00-01	AY 01-02	AY 02-03	AY 03-04
–	–	–	–	–	–
–	–	–	–	–	–
–	–	–	–	–	–

Name of concentration	AY 04-05	AY 05-06	AY 06-07	AY 07-08	AY 08-09
–	–	–	–	–	–
–	–	–	–	–	–
–	–	–	–	–	–

If applicable, for each area of specialization or concentration, list the courses for which graduate students may receive credit.

V. Outcomes and Assessment

A. Undergraduate

• Standard:
  • Learning outcomes reflect expected workforce competences.

Explain how educational goals/outcomes of the undergraduate program(s) prepare students for employment.

• Standard:
  • An evaluation process that involves students, faculty, teaching academic staff, graduates, and community members, as appropriate, is in place and the data gathered are used to monitor the program and direct its changes.

Describe the role of faculty and teaching academic staff in defining expected student learning outcomes and in creating strategies to determine whether those outcomes are achieved (including student evaluation of courses, faculty oversight of outcomes and competencies, alumni evaluation and tracking, and any unique mechanisms of evaluation).

Describe the ways in which faculty and administrators monitor and review the effectiveness of the programs’ assessment instruments for student learning outcomes, and how analyses of data on student achievement of learning goals are used to enhance courses/curriculum.

For programs that offer GER courses, explain how the faculty uses the class-wide assessment results from the assignments/exams and student evaluations for course improvement, and include an example or two of changes that have been based on such assessment information.

• Standard:
  1. 90% of students complete the program within 5 years;
  2. 75% of graduates have satisfactory employment within 1 year of graduation;
  3. relevant credential, in any, achieved within 1 year of graduation.

Detail graduation rates, placement rates, performance on standardized exams (e.g. GRE, MCAT), admissions of graduates to post-baccalaureate study. Where appropriate cite passage rates on professional licensure examinations

B. Graduate

Describe the role of faculty in defining expected student learning outcomes and in creating strategies to determine whether those outcomes are achieved (including student evaluation of courses, faculty oversight of outcomes and competencies, alumni evaluation and tracking, and any unique mechanisms of evaluation). What improvements have resulted from student outcomes assessment?

Describe the ways in which faculty and administrators monitor and review the effectiveness of the program’s assessment instruments for student learning outcomes.

Detail the evaluation processes applied by the faculty to program milestones: master’s thesis or project, qualifying examinations, comprehensive examinations, dissertation proposal and defense.

For each graduate program, provide a table showing the number of students who, upon graduation, for each year since the last program review, have

1. Pursued the PhD or other terminal degree, or obtained employment in
2. Higher Education
3. Primary and secondary education
4. Government
5. Industry
6. Professional
7. Self-employed
8. Postdoctoral research & training
9. Other (explain)

Example: Outcome Data for Master’s Graduates 1994-2003

Field	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003	2002	2001	2000	1999
Further grad study	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Employed in	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Higher Education	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Primary/Secondary Education	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Government	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Industry	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Professional	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Self-employed	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Postdoctoral training	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Other (explain in footnote)	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Briefly indicate how and when this information was collected.

Insert Graduate Degrees Received Table (supplied by the Graduate School).

Insert this text: “See Appendix C for additional information on graduates of the master’s/doctoral program.”

VI. Resources

A. Financial

• Standard:
  • There are sufficient resources to meet program needs for assisting students.

Describe and assess advising procedures and placement support. Distinguish in this section between advising and placement of undergraduate majors and graduate students.

Describe procedures for requesting financial assistance for undergraduate majors. Give a general picture of financial assistance over the past seven years.

Discuss the support of graduate students through departmental fellowships and assistantships.

• Standard:
  • There are sufficient resources to provide for program stability.

Describe the unit’s budget history and fiscal viability over the past seven years.

Comment on patterns of total salaries, capital, and supply expenditures over the past seven years. Discuss the relative allocation of these expenditures to undergraduate and graduate instruction.

Discuss any particular resource issues affecting the program. Where appropriate, describe the extramural support of faculty and graduate student research and instruction. What creative/ innovative strategies can be adopted to overcome resource constraints and foster faculty and student development over the next 10 years?

Where appropriate, describe how extramural resources are used to support graduate education.

If applicable, insert Extramural Funding and/or Research Committee Awards tables (supplied by the Graduate School).

B. Facilities

• Standard:
  • There are sufficient resources to meet program needs for facilities on and off the campus

Assess the adequacy of the physical facilities available to the programs (classrooms, laboratories, offices, and so forth).

Detail any concerns about equipment and instruments.

Describe the clerical, curatorial, and technical support of the programs. Assess the adequacy of the support staff in terms of numbers and quality.

Discuss the adequacy of the library and information resources and services.

VII. Appendices – Undergraduate

VIII. Appendices – Graduate

1. GFC documents from the most recent full and follow-up reviews (supplied by the Graduate School).
2. Current Graduate School Bulletin copy for the program(s). This includes a description of current program requirements and courses (supplied by the Graduate School).
3. Degree Completion Detail
   1. For master’s programs with multiple capstone options, provide numbers of students who graduated under each option (e.g. thesis, project, comprehensive examination) for each academic year since the last review. See example table below:

Graduates by capstone option in the [degree program name]

Capstone Option	AY 99-00	AY 00-01	AY 01-02	AY 02-03	AY 03-04
Thesis	–	–	–	–	–
Comprehensive Examination	–	–	–	–	–
Project	–	–	–	–	–

Capstone Option	AY 04-05	AY 05-06	AY 06-07	AY 07-08	AY 08-09
Thesis	–	–	–	–	–
Comprehensive Examination	–	–	–	–	–
Project	–	–	–	–	–

2. For those who completed a thesis or project, provide the following information:
   1. Name of advisor
   2. Title of thesis or short description of project
   3. Resulting publications, if any
   4. Professional employment or further training
      1. initial position and employer, or
      2. name of institution where student is pursuing additional graduate degree

See sample format below.

Master’s Degree Recipients Academic Year 06-07

• Student Name:
• Advisor:
• Thesis Title or Project Description:
• Resulting Publications:
• Post-graduate employment (position title, employer):
• Additional graduate study (degree program, name of institution):

3. For each student receiving the doctorate since the last review, provide the following information:
   1. Name of advisor
   2. Title of dissertation
   3. Resulting publications, if any
   4. Professional employment or further training (initial position and employer)

See sample format below.

Doctoral Degree Recipients Academic Year 06-07

• Student Name:
• Advisor:
• Dissertation Title:
• Resulting Publications:
• Post-graduate employment (position title, employer)

4. Course Offering Summary for Currently Active Courses Available for Graduate Credit (Excluding thesis, project, dissertation and independent study) (This information will be supplied by the Graduate School.)

Subject Name:

Course Number	Title	Semester Offered	Undergraduate Enrollment	Graduate Enrollment
–	–	–	–	–
–	–	–	–	–

5. Library report (supplied by the Golda Meir Library)
6. Include other appendices as necessary

IX. Supplementary Documentation

The following materials should be supplied under separate cover:

1. Copies of written materials that describe program policies, procedures, or requirements such as student handbooks or program brochures.
2. Three complete sets of updated vitae of all faculty members involved in the graduate
   program(s) being reviewed (one for the Graduate School, one for each of the consultants).

Data Elements for Tables (Graduate)

• Graduate Applications/Admissions Table
  • Applied/Admitted/Refused/Other and Regular/Probation/Total
  • By semester
• Graduate Incoming G.P.A and Test Scores Table
  • Include for program and Graduate School overall:
  • Average incoming g.p.a by year? Semester?
  • Average GRE by application term (include max. possible scores)
  • Average TOEFL by application term (include max. possible scores)
• Graduate Enrollment Table
  • Include for program and Graduate School overall
  • New/Continuing/Total; Male/Female/Total; Ethic distribution for US residents/International/Total
  • All by semester
• Graduate Academic Actions Table
  • Include for program and Graduate School overall
  • Academic Warnings and Dean’s OK by semester? By year?
• Graduate Student Financial Assistance Table
  • Include for program and Graduate School overall
  • TA/RA/PA/Fellow/Chancellor’s Scholar each fall
  • Breakdown fellow into GS and AOP?
• Graduate Degrees Received Table
  • Include for program and Graduate School overall
  • Breakdown by ethnicity and gender, totals
  • By AY
• Extramural Funding Table
  • Include for program and Graduate School overall
  • Grant Proposals/Research Award $/Instructional Award $
  • By AY
• Research Committee Awards
  • Include for program and Graduate School overall
  • By AY

March 28, 2005

Returned to COR

February 19, 2007

Revised and Approved