Chair's Procedures for Program Review and Departmental Assessment

• Program Review Schedule
• Procedures

Prior to the Review

1. When you complete the self-study, send one copy to the relevant Dean and another to the Provost’s office. Please attach a list of five potential reviewers along with the copy you send to the Provost’s office.
2. If appropriate, a copy of the self study will be sent by the Provost’s Office to Graduate Council for review.
3. The Provost’s Office will be responsible for securing an external reviewer. Once an external reviewer is selected, the Provost’s office will inform you of the name, address, and email of the reviewer. Please consider the following when recommending potential external reviewers:
   • The reviewer(s) should be nationally known in the respective discipline;
   • The reviewer(s) must be able to provide an objective review of the department;
   • The reviewer(s) must be from a peer or better (e.g., Doctoral/Research Intensive) institution
4. If an accreditation review is scheduled for the same academic year as the external review, you will need to respond to the questions posed by the external review, in addition to those raised in the accreditation review.
5. Once the reviewer has been selected, the department must contact the external reviewer to make arrangements for the campus visit. The Dean will pay the reviewer’s travel expenses, lodging, and per diem along with an honorarium of $500.
6. Depending upon travel arrangements, most external reviewers visit campus for 1.5-2 days. Prior to the reviewer’s visit, please complete the following:
   • Schedule time for the reviewer to meet with students (you might have the reviewer meet with a regularly scheduled class);
   • Schedule time for the reviewer to meet individually with each faculty member and the department chair;
   • Schedule time for the reviewer to meet individually with 1-2 faculty outside of the department with whom your department works closely;
   • If a program has a graduate component, schedule time for the reviewer to meet individually with the Dean of the Graduate School;
   • Schedule a time for the reviewer to meet with the Dean (of your School or College) and the Provost (these should be 2 separate meetings);
   • Schedule an informal reception for the reviewer so s/he can meet with students and faculty members.
   • Develop a schedule indicating meeting times (and with whom), airport pick-up, drop-off, meals, etc. and send it to the reviewer, along with a campus map, a map of Missoula, a UM Catalogue and any other information you deem appropriate. The Provost’s Office will send a copy of the self study and the format for the external report to the reviewer.

After Reviewer’s Visit

1. The reviewer will be expected to write a 5-7-page review, to be sent directly to the Provost’s Office. Once the written review is received, the Dean will be notified and the honorarium will be mailed to the reviewer.
2. The Provost’s Office will distribute copies of the review to the relevant Dean(s) and Department Chair. The Dean and the Provost will meet with the department Chair to discuss the results of the review and to act on recommendations.

Follow-Up Meeting and Action

The meeting between the Provost, Dean, and department Chair will consist of:

1. Discussion of the overall review process (i.e., a general reply from the Chair about the assessment process and what was learned as a result of engaging in the departmental assessment);
2. Specific response from the Chair to issues raised in the reviewer’s assessment;
3. Identification of strategic directions based upon the assessment;
4. Prioritization of (and agreement upon) departmental strategic directions;
5. Agreement to develop a departmental action plan based upon agreed-upon priorities;
6. Agreement to submit a follow-up report to the Dean in one year.

Office of the Provost
Vice President of
Academic Affairs

University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812
(406) 243-4689
e-mail

2008 Copyright © Univeristy of Montana