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Office of Academic Programs: About Us

Program Review:

Upcoming Program Reviews: 10-year calendar

Existing Program Review

New Program Proposals

Archived Program Review Documentation

Interdisciplinary Programs and Initiatives:

Graduate School Interdisciplinary Programs

Network of Interdisciplinary Initiatives

Other:

Graduate School Council

Graduate Faculty Locator

Mission:

The Office of Academic Programs contributes to the University of Washington’s mission of excellence in research, scholarship, and artistic production by conducting independent quality assessments of the more than 100 existing graduate and undergraduate academic programs. We strive to ensure transparency, integrity, and value in the review process by working collaboratively on behalf of the Graduate School Dean with all stakeholders, including the academic units under review, the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, the Office of the Provost, and the dean of the relevant school or college. The principles that guide these academic program reviews are described below.  The Office of Academic Programs also evaluates proposed new graduate degree programs as well as graduate certificates, and facilitates their approval in collaboration with the Higher Education Coordinating Board of the State of Washington and the UW Board of Regents.

In addition, we contribute to the Graduate School’s mission of academic quality and integrity through general oversight of Graduate School academic policies, including the Graduate School Memoranda, and by coordinating the activities of the Graduate School Council, a representative group of UW faculty members who advise the Dean of the Graduate School. 

Finally, we work to provide expanded access to interdisciplinary activities across campus in order to challenge the boundaries of knowledge and tackle complex problems through collaborative research, teaching, and training.  With this goal we (1) manage the interdisciplinary programs housed in the Graduate School and (2) host the Network of Interdisciplinary Initiatives, an open network of faculty, students, and staff that works to seed, sustain, and support interdisciplinarity at the UW while advocating for changes in campus policies and procedures to facilitate interdisciplinary work. 

Guiding Principles of Academic Program Review:

The central goals of Academic Program Reviews are to:

• Initiate a period of reflection and assessment that allows members of academic units to engage in meaningful conversations about their collective future;

• Provide a broad picture of the health and quality of the unit and its academic programs through independent peer review;

• Allow stakeholders in the unit and across the University to take stock of its current and potential strengths and resources, to weigh priorities, and to identify areas that would benefit from sustained attention in a time of rapid change, increased demands, and increased competition for resources;

• Assess the landscape for emerging opportunities and innovations within the field;

• Expose potential linkages and alignments across the University while examining the optimal relationship between the structure and function of the unit;

• Help programs to focus on strategies to support diversity, mentoring, and other core values.