Program Review
A Brief History ...
The first Academic Program Reviews at Middlesex Community College were completed in 1996. A group of faculty, staff, and administrators had formed an Assessment Task Force one year before. The Task Force researched program reviews, piloted some programmatic assessments, and attended assessment conferences. At the American Association for Higher Education(AAHE) conference in Boston, they met Dr. Jeffrey A. Seybert, Director of Research, Evaluation, and Instructional Development, at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas. It was Dr. Seybert’s presentation and his materials that became the cornerstone of the templates and process currently in place at Middlesex.
As Time Progressed ...
Academic Program Review at Middlesex Community College enabled faculty and administrators to conduct program self-studies in a consistent and systematic manner. Information was gathered, analyzed, and used to make recommendations to sustain program quality and to continue program development. Resource allocation and budgetary considerations have been paramount in the review process. Program review recommendations that have been supported over the time include: additional equipment for labs and classrooms, faculty and coordinator positions, curricular modifications, and work-based learning experiences.
And Today ...
Program Reviews at MCC have extended beyond the academic programs and departments to include co-curricular areas, such as student activities, student support services, enrollment services, and financial resource areas. The templates for program reviews have been revised by faculty/staff committees and MCC has launched a college-wide initiative to develop and assess institutional, programmatic, departmental, and student learning outcomes in all areas. Sustaining quality programs and services through continuous assessment and feedback is becoming the culture of the institution.
See our 2013 NEASC E-Series form describing programs' use of evidence as a basis for improvement here.