A Process of Ongoing Innovation
Western New England University's Program Review process is on a 6-year cycle. All of our programs that are not accredited by an outside accrediting agency are subject to our own academic review process, which includes an in-depth program self-study by the department and an external review. The results of our Program Review process are used for continuous improvement to our academic programs and to inform academic planning.
2019-2024 Program Review Schedule
Program Review Guidelines
Different guidelines or templates are available for use depending on the type of program being reviewed. The components of academic program self-studies include: program goals and objectives, description of the curriculum and any curricular changes, summary of program assessments, discussion of program viability, summary of faculty credentials and workloads, measures of student success, and an overall summary of the strengths of the program, as well as areas that need improvement.
One part of the Program Review process for undergraduate programs is an assessment of the measure of student success for graduating students in the foundational areas of our General University Requirements: Computer Competence, Critical Thinking, Information Literacy, Mathematical Analysis, Oral Communication, and Written Communication. This is considered the General Education Component of Program Review.
General Education Component of Program Review
An important part of the Program Review process is the ongoing assessment work that is done by each department on an annual basis. Annual Departmental Assessment Reports are completed by the department chair, but are the responsibility of the entire department. These reports are a way to summarize the assessment plans and activities of each department on a regular basis. They include an academic health check (with metrics from our APS academic dashboard), a reflective narrative, a summary of additional assessment endeavors, and the NECHE E1 form for the department.