Periodic Review of Existing Degree Programs

Note: current procedures for the review of existing degree programs can be found at http://grad.washington.edu/Acad/existing_prog_review.htm.

Principles

The University of Washington believes that periodic review of each of its degree programs is essential to maintaining excellence and to proper long-range planning. More specifically, the University seeks through such reviews to assess each program's:

1. quality of instruction, research, and public service;
2. value to students' general education and preparation for society;
3. role within the University and effectiveness in fulfilling that role;
4. resource requirements;
5. future objectives, and any changes needed to achieve them.

New degree programs initially are authorized by the Board of Regents with provisional status. Such programs should be reviewed at least once every five years until the Regents grant them continuing status. Continuing programs should be reviewed at least once every ten years.

Policy

The University and the State of Washington have agreed that the University will review each of its programs periodically within the above guidelines, and report results and certain specific data to the State. Deans may add to the purposes for review listed above in a particular case, and may schedule special- or general-purpose reviews more frequently than indicated above. They may find it convenient to design reviews conducted primarily for professional accreditation, budgetary planning, chair searches, or other reasons so that they also qualify as the required University/State periodic review. The Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the Graduate School can provide information about the details of University/State requirements.

The Graduate School is responsible for conducting the necessary periodic reviews of graduate degree programs. Each college or school is responsible for conducting reviews of its undergraduate programs. In order to minimize the number of reviews, and to examine units in the most natural way, the Graduate School cooperates with the colleges and schools to conduct a single review of all academic programs in a unit whenever possible. This may not always be appropriate where one or more of the programs is provisional, but often will be where all programs have continuing status.

Separate policies and procedures apply to reviews of proposals for program termination. These are described in the University Handbook.

Procedure

Once the dean(s) and the chair or director of the unit have discussed the initiation of a review, the unit begins preparing a self-study document to provide basic information about the degree programs under review. A format for the self-study consistent with University and State requirements is provided by the Graduate School. The format differs slightly according to whether only graduate programs, only undergraduate programs, or both are under review.

The dean(s) transmit the completed self-study and any other information available to an independent faculty review committee which they appoint. The committee normally consists of three or four University faculty members outside the unit being reviewed, and one or two nationally distinguished experts in the field from other universities. After initial discussions, the committee meets with faculty and students in the unit during a one- or two-day period when the visiting experts can be present.

Following the site visit, the committee submits its written assessment and recommendations regarding the programs under review to the dean(s). The unit is then asked to comment on the report. The report and comments are then transmitted to the faculty council(s) of the colleges and schools involved, which make recommendations to the respective deans. Representatives of the review committee and the unit are invited to meet with the council(s) for discussion.

The dean(s), considering the advice of the faculty council(s), then transmit their recommendations concerning the degree programs to the Provost and President. Once the Provost and President have indicated their concurrence or other decision, the State o f Washington is informed of the results of the review, and the unit proceeds to implement recommendations which have been made. If these include a change of degree title or status (e.g., from provisional to continuing) the Board of Regents is asked to take the necessary action.