Development of the Self-Study Document

Quality assurance is a hallmark of higher education. A systematic review of degree programs should provide evidence that a degree program is educationally and economically viable and assists the university in being accountable to the public through a report to the Florida Board of Governors in the discharge of its statutory obligations. In addition, a program review and its self-study document provide input to the Provost for:

1. establishing goals each year

2. addressing concerns and providing information to the Board of Trustees, the Board of Governors, the State legislature, and the Board of Education

3. monitoring the university's performance vis-à-vis national trends

4. making necessary resource (re-)allocations.

The self-study document is part of a program review process that focuses on program performance, continuous program improvement, the identification of problems and solutions, and evidence of student learning outcomes. The self-study presents both an analysis and a description of the total academic program and its future. It must contain specific information on each degree program. The academic unit and the program review staff share responsibility for the development and production of the self-study report. The department self-study team should include the department chair or designee, one or more senior faculty members of the department, and an assistant/associate dean.

The document should not exceed twenty pages including the appendices, if any,and must follow the outline below.