stages of a postgraduate program review
the dean of the faculty is responsible for coordinating the program review. the administrative offices of the university must be involved in program review. the faculty must produce a self-evaluation report on the program. the faculty must include an action plan in the self-evaluation report on the program.
the following are guidelines for a program review:
step one: no less than seven months before the program review panel visit takes place, the head of the quality assurance office, discuss the membership of the program review panel. they normally comprise:
- two or more senior officers of the university (one of whom may be the head of the quality assurance office or his/her nominee);
- a senior academic from another faculty in the university;
- one or more external consultants who have the appropriate academic expertise and experience in the field concerned;
- the dean of the faculty in question.
step two: no less than seven months before the program review panel visit takes place, the head of the quality assurance office informs the dean of the faculty of the program review and consults with the dean of the faculty on the scope of the review and membership of the program review panel. the program review panel is appointed, convenes and makes arrangements for the immediate release of documents that are required for the program review, to the dean of the faculty and sets the date for the campus visit.
step three: no less than seven months before the program review panel visit takes place, the dean of the faculty convenes a small working group to plan and prepare for the program review. that group normally comprises:
- the dean
- the program coordinator
- a senior administrative officer in the faculty
- a small number of academic staff from the program
- one or more student members of the program
- co-opted members of the faculty if desired
(it may be similar, in part, to the program committee)
the working group enlists the cooperation and collaboration of staff on the program and others as necessary, to prepare for the program review and in the compilation and completion of the self-evaluation document, during the visit of the program review panel, and the subsequent feedback, discussion and action planning
step four: no less than six months before the program review panel visit takes place, the head of the quality assurance office briefs the faculty working group on the review procedure and on how to prepare the self-evaluation document and associated documentation. members of the quality assurance office will also be available for ongoing discussion and consultation.
step five: no less than six months before the visit of the program review panel, the formal request is sent to the dean of the faculty for documents from the faculty to be prepared and sent by the dean to the head of the program review panel. the program review panel must receive these no less than one month before the visit of the program review panel.
step six: the working group identifies, plans and reviews the required data and their collection for the provision of documentation and the self-evaluation report. it circulates its suggestions to appropriate staff for feedback and advice. the working group analyzes the data collected and prepares a draft of the self-evaluation report, circulating its drafts to appropriate staff for feedback and advice.
step seven: the working group sets program goals for the program, including, inter alia, its curriculum analysis, plans for development and improvement, staffing, student admission, program content, learning and teaching, resources, staff development, ongoing assessment of student achievement, student support, records, program evaluation, quality assurance. these can be done in conjunction with the template for program goals. it circulates its suggestions to appropriate staff for feedback and advice.
step eight: the draft of the final self-evaluation report is produced. the working group circulates its suggestions to appropriate staff for feedback and advice.
step nine: no less than two months before the visit of the program review panel, the final version of the self-evaluation report is completed and approved by the dean of the faculty.
step ten: no less than two months before the visit of the program review panel, the self-evaluation report and documentation are submitted to the learning and teaching committee and the quality assurance office prior to, and for, the meeting of the program review panel. the program review panel must receive the self-evaluation document no less than six weeks before the program review panel visit.
step eleven: no less than five weeks before the visit of the program review panel, it meets to discuss the self-evaluation report and to consider the program and the program review.
step twelve: no less than four weeks before the visit of the program review panel, the panel agrees with the dean of the faculty the meetings, agenda, persons and documentation to be present for the review meeting(s) with staff and students on the program. the dean arranges for staff and students to be present as required.
step thirteen: the program review panel meets with staff and students on the program, to conduct the review. the meetings are normally completed within one day, but, in the case of a very large program, they may run over to a second day only.
step fourteen: initial feedback is given to the faculty at the end of the last day of the meeting(s) with the faculty.
step fifteen: the program review panel produces a draft program review report within 30 working days of the final meeting(s) with the faculty and submits this to the dean of the faculty.
step sixteen: within one week of the receipt of the draft report, feedback on the report is given by the dean to the program review panel. the draft report may be changed by the program review panel in respect of factual errors, but there is no obligation on the program review panel to change its evaluation or judgements.
step seventeen: no more than one week after receiving the feedback from the faculty board and the program committee, the final report is issued by the program review panel to the quality assurance office and to the dean of the faculty in question.
step eighteen: within 30 working days of receipt of the final program review panel’s report, the faculty produces an action plan to address points raised in the program review panel’s report. this may be written in consultation with the quality assurance office.
step nineteen: the action plan is sent by the dean to the program review panel and to the quality assurance office, which monitors its implementation and effects in a time scale that it (the qa office) determines.
step twenty: the program review panel is dissolved once the action plan has been received from the dean by the quality assurance office.
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