Academic Program Review 2016-17

Rationale: Starting in the Summer of 2016, UW Academic Affairs initiated a process to review academic programs/majors. The program reviews will be done on all programs across UW; the first groups were initiated based on trigger numbers for low degree production. The trigger number for the following programs were:

  • Undergraduate majors with less than 50 graduates total from 2010-2015;
  • Masters programs with less than 25 total graduates from 2010-15.
  • Additional programs reviewed at Deans’ requests
Criteria for review: While the trigger for a review is low demand/graduation numbers, the criteria for recommendations stemming from the reviews include mission centrality and quality of the program. Quality includes external demand for graduates, internal demand for courses, and the quality of inputs, such as faculty credentials and facilities, and quality of outputs, such as attainment of student learning outcomes, placement of graduates, and grants, publications, and scholarly and creative work of faculty.
Process: The process follows UniReg 6-43 on program elimination. Once a review is completed by the department and recommendations are made by the Dean of the college, Academic Affairs will provide recommendations (Program retention, retention with further review, revision or elimination). Following Academic Affairs release of recommendations, the department head will be responsible for responding on behalf of their department, including faculty, staff, and students. Interested parties will also have the option to respond.

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