A program's self-study report develops from the processes described in the preceding chapter. The current chapter provides instructions for the actual preparation of the self-study report, including the cover page and table of contents.

The report should be concise, focus on the key issues, and provide a frank and balanced view of the program(s) reviewed. As the self-study report is prepared, the issues raised in the guidelines should be referred to and included in the report as pertinent to the program. Other issues of importance to the program should be addressed and placed within one of the major sections or within another appropriately labeled section.

Recommendations regarding issues related to the curriculum, faculty, students, and resources should appear in their respective sections. The rationale behind each recommendation should be based on the analyses of the program's current status in each of these areas and should be described within these sections. A summary listing (without the rationale) of each recommendation should be provided in the Executive Summary under section 1.3.

The narrative for Sections 2.0-5.0 should be no longer than fifty (50) pages. Shorter can definitely be better.

If there are several degree programs under review, the instructional unit should describe all of them in a single report rather than preparing separate reports for each one. However, each degree program must be treated separately in the report.

Self-study reports from other programs are available in the Office of Academic Affairs for anyone who may wish to review them.

Cover Page

Example 3-1 illustrates a sample cover page to accompany the self-study report. Instructions for completing the cover page are as follows:

• Name of instructional unit: The school, department, or program offering the academic program.

• List of academic programs: Include official titles of authorized degrees and concentrations. Include any program added within the last five years. Such programs are not usually required to be reviewed; however, the faculty may wish to comment on these programs in the self-study report and provide information regarding their present status.

• Date: Date the self-study report was completed.

EXAMPLE 3-1: Sample Cover Page to Accompany the Self-Study Report

SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY
ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW SELF-STUDY
(NAME OF INSTRUCTIONAL UNIT)

Programs:

                    B.A. in ------

                    B.S. in ------

                    B.S. in ------

                                    Concentration in-----

                                    Concentration in-----

                                    Concentration in-----

                    M.A. in-----

                    M.S. in-----

                    Joint Ph D. in-----

(DATE)

The enclosed self-study report has been reviewed by the faculty in the instructional unit and is now submitted for external review.

• Dated signature of department/program head: This signature serves to verify that there has been widespread faculty participation, including faculty in interdisciplinary programs, in the preparation of the self-study report and that the faculty are aware of all findings and recommendations.

• Dated signatures of the College Dean and AVP for Academic Program Development: These signatures indicate that the self-study report is complete and ready for external review. They do not necessarily indicate agreement with the recommendations in the self-study report.

Example 3-2: Sample Table of Contents for the Self-Study Report

Section Guidelines for the Self-Study Report

Example 3-2 illustrates a sample Table of Contents for the self-study report. The following pages describe the contents of each section. Section numbers are keyed to the numbers on the sample Table of Contents page.

1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 Brief History of the Program(s):

• Describe the origins of the program(s).

• Identify other programs with which this program has been/is affiliated.

• Include information about any significant additions to the program(s) since its (their) first creation.

• Highlight the major changes occurring in similar programs in other institutions.

1.2 Brief Synopsis of the Previous Program Review Recommendations:

• Refer to the MOU produced for the Fourth Cycle of Academic Program Review. You may also wish to include comments made in the program review documents that provided the basis for the MOU.

• Include the rationale for recommendations which were deferred or abandoned since the previous program review.

• Include any issues from the last review that are still pending. Refer to the appropriate section(s) in this self-study report where these issues are addressed.

3. Summary of Present Program Review Recommendations:

• List the recommendations in this self-study under the appropriate subsection as follows: (Do not discuss or describe their rationale here.)

1.3.1 Curricular Recommendations

1.3.2 Faculty Recommendations

1.3.3 Student Recommendations

1.3.4 Resource Recommendations

• For each recommendation, refer to the section(s) in this self-study where the issues, rationale, and recommendations are discussed in detail.

2.0 THE CURRICULUM (Discuss each undergraduate and graduate program separately.)

Make recommendations for the program in this area within the appropriate subsections. Provide the rationale for them in light of the information collected and analyzed. A summary listing of the recommendations (without their rationale) is to be provided in Section 1.3.1 with references to the appropriate subsections here.

2.1 Program Goals:

• Discuss program goals in light of the previous review recommendations.

• Highlight the process used for regularly reviewing learning objectives, courses, and curricular structures. Evaluate and revise, as appropriate, the intended learning outcomes of all the programs being reviewed.

• Describe the long-range planning of the program in relationship to the program's goals and learning objectives, and the results of such planning.

• Evaluate the procedures in place for collecting and analyzing evidence that program goals are being achieved. Include procedures that are in place for assessing student learning.

• Evaluate the results of efforts to assess and to improve student learning through changes in pedagogy.

2. Current and Anticipated Future Trends:

• Describe current trends in the discipline.

• Compare your programs to other similar programs in light of professional and local standards in the discipline. Evaluate areas where there are differences.

• Describe the use of community advisory boards or appropriate alternatives, where such bodies exist, to help maintain the currency of your academic programs.

2.3 Descriptions of Degree Programs:

• Describe the current curriculum for each degree program. Include, in an appendix, catalog descriptions of each degree program.

• Discuss all curricular changes since the last review, including changes that were completed, are pending, or are now being proposed. Include the rationale for these changes. Describe the process by which curricular changes are made. List other disciplines and college or university administrative offices that would be consulted in this process.

• Describe how the curriculum integrates and enhances students’ basic skills, including critical thinking, written and oral communication, quantitative reasoning, and information access competence. Describe how this basic skill development is promoted and reviewed within the major program.

• Describe how multicultural issues are addressed in each program. (See appendices for references to existing university policy on multicultural perspectives in the curriculum.)

• Summarize in a table how often required and elective courses have been offered. (See Example 3-3 for a sample table.)

Example 3-3: Sample Table of Course Rotation Schedule

(Number in cell indicates number of sections offered in that semester.)

• Describe the use of introductory courses/experiences which expose students to discipline-specific demands and ways of knowing, set standards of study in the discipline, provide feedback on the quality of student work, and identify opportunities to meet expected standards.

• Describe any curricular bottlenecks, (e.g, required or prerequisite courses which are either oversubscribed in enrollment or offered so infrequently as to impede student progress), and explain what is being done to alleviate such problems.

• Describe to what extent your program is interdisciplinary. If you consider it to be interdisciplinary, explain its interdisciplinary philosophy and how the curriculum reflects that philosophy.

• Describe the required culminating experiences for all graduate degree programs. Evaluate how these experiences affect the ability of students to graduate in a timely manner. Include the rationale for the type of experiences offered (thesis, oral exam, written exam, etc.), completion rates, and average time to degree.

2.4 General Education and Service Courses

• Evaluate the goals of General Education courses taught in the program. What and/or how are multicultural issues raised in these courses? Include any bottlenecks in the delivery of General Education courses.

• Evaluate any service courses. From the perspective of the departments/programs being served, evaluate how well the courses meet their needs.

• Describe conflicts, in terms of resources, between General Education and/or service courses and courses required for the major.

3.0 THE FACULTY

Make recommendations for the program in this area within the appropriate subsections. Provide the rationale for them in light of the information collected and analyzed. A summary listing of the recommendations (without their rationale) is to be provided in Section 1.3.2 with references to the appropriate subsections here.

1. How the Faculty Is Able to Deliver the Curriculum

• Summarize, in separate tables, faculty information regarding rank, gender, ethnicity, and age. (See Examples 3-4 through 3-7.) The formats illustrated should be used so that faculty are not identified by name.

Example 3-4: Sample Table of Faculty Distribution by Rank