Administrative Guidelines for Academic Department Chairs

Section Eight - Departmental Review

Purpose of the Department Review 8:1
Process 8:1
Self-Study Guidelines 8:2

Section 8:1

Purpose of the Department Review

A Departmental Review is an opportunity for the department, Provost and the Associate Provosts together to review the status of the department's program and curriculum, assessing its strengths and weaknesses, any problem areas, and its plans for the future. In particular, the review should focus on the department's mission, its participation in general education, preparation of students for graduate school, uses of information technology and library holdings, departmental diversity issues, and experiential/international education dimensions. This can be accomplished most easily by linking the review to the results of the departmental assessment process.

Process

Departments are scheduled every 8-10 years. Departments will be notified of the timing of their review no later than the spring before the year of the review. Prior to preparing information for the self-study, departments may find it helpful to schedule a departmental retreat to reconsider departmental goals and plans, and to identify desired outcomes of the review process.

Normally the Chair of the department will be responsible for the evaluation process.

The evaluation team will consist of two external evaluators within the discipline of the department to be reviewed. Departments will send a list of at least four evaluators, along with their vitae, to the Associate Provost. The department should have contacted their nominees to see if they are interested and available. The department should provide a ranking and rationale. The Associate Provost will select two evaluators, and send the evaluators a written invitation. Normally, one visitor will be from a comparable undergraduate institution and one will be from an institution that has a graduate program in the discipline. Ideally, the team will consist of one male and one female, with one evaluator being an ethnic minority.

When contacting prospective evaluators, it is important to say that the Associate Provost will make the final decision and that they are among several potential candidates. Please ask them to hold proposed dates open, but do not promise that they will be selected.

The Chair of the department will consult with Leslie Weber (x7675) to determine appointment time for the evaluators to meet with the Provost and the Associate Provost.

The Chair of the department will schedule the itinerary for the remainder of the evaluators' visit using the guidelines listed elsewhere in this document.

The Chair of the department is responsible for booking lodging at the campus Guest House or a local lodging establishment. The department is also responsible for obtaining the key to the Guest House in a timely manner (e.g., on Friday by noon) if the evaluators arrive on a Saturday or Sunday. The Chair will obtain parking permits from the Campus Safety Office, if needed.

The Chair of the department is responsible for making travel arrangements and for transportation to and from the airport, if necessary. Evaluators should be given the names and phone numbers of the College's travel agencies, and the account number to which the airfare will be billed. This information is available from the Provost's Office.

The department is responsible for making any meal and/or entertainment arrangements during the evaluators' visit.

The department is responsible for ensuring that the evaluators are accompanied to and picked up from each appointment.

The department is responsible for requesting meal tickets for the evaluators to dine in the Campus Center Marketplace from the Provost's Office.

The Provost and Associate Provost are responsible for all expenses incurred for this evaluation. The department is responsible for keeping track of all expenses and for submitting a completed request for payment form, along with all receipts.

Following the evaluators' visit, they will prepare a written report for the Provost and the department. The Provost will acknowledge receipt of the written report with a letter of gratitude, and enclose a stipend check in the amount of $500 per evaluator.

Following receipt of the evaluators' written report, all members of the Department will meet with the Provost and Associate Provosts to review and consult about follow-up.

The department will submit a written report to the Provost outlining their plans to implement evaluators' suggestions, or indicate their reason for declining to implement suggestions.

Department Chair arranges detailed schedule for the visit.

Sends evaluators information regarding travel arrangements.
Reserves Guest House.
Sends self-study to the reviewers 2 weeks before visit.
Reception on Sunday late afternoon (Visitors, Department faculty, Provost, Associate Provosts)
Dinner (Visitors and 2-3 faculty)
Monday (preferably 9-10): meeting of Visitors with the Provost and Associate Provost.
Rest of schedule could include meetings with:
- Department faculty
- Faculty from related departments
- Director of International Education
- Student majors
- Director of General Education
. . . and some free time on Monday evening for them to compare notes. Be sure to inquire of them before they arrive if there are specific things they want to see or do as part of their review.
Tuesday late morning: exit interview (Provost, Associate Provosts, Department Chair, and Visitors).

Section 8:2

Self-Study Guidelines

Creating the Department Self-Study provides the department an opportunity to reflect on where it has been and where it is going. The department may find it helpful to contact the evaluators to determine what information would or would not be valuable to them. Tying assessment reports to the self-study could also be helpful. The completed self-study should be sent to the Provost's Office (hard-copy, with section dividers, in a three-ring binder) five weeks before the visit. After approval of the draft by the Provost's Office, a final draft of the self-study binder should be sent to the evaluators two weeks before the visit.

The information listed below has proven to be helpful for outside reviewers. Each department should, however, choose which of these suggestions are pertinent to the issues the department would like the reviewers to address.

Department Mission Statement

Provide a statement that will help the reviewers understand the department's mission, philosophy, and vision.

The mission statement defines the work of the department and the relationship of the department to the institutional mission. Departments should review the College's mission statement, as it should serve as a point of departure for departments and programs.

Questions to consider while preparing your mission statement:

What do we, as a department, do? What do we do for majors, non-majors, and the campus as a whole?
What are the special contributions the department makes to the totality of the College?
How does the department mission relate to the institutional mission?

Department Philosophy Statement (can be combined with Mission Statement)

Department philosophy statements are relatively long documents describing the beliefs of the department about the discipline, teaching, and learning. They also contain pertinent beliefs about the world.

Department Vision Statement (can also be combined with Mission Statement)

Vision statements describe what the department looks like and does when things are working perfectly. Goals for the department often emerge from the vision, and should be included in this section.

Department Objectives and Outcomes

Department outcomes or aims are statements which specify what students should know, value, and be able to do when they graduate. Outcomes add specificity to mission statements by describing the department's planned impact on students.

Questions to consider while preparing your outcomes include:

What should the graduate or student completing specified work within the department know?
What should the graduate or student completing specified work within the department be able to do?
What should the graduate or student completing specified work within the department care about and believe?

Departmental outcomes are broad descriptions of the competence/characteristics of the ideal graduate. These student outcomes define the target for students as they complete work within the department or the program. The outcomes also serve to focus and refocus the department as it considers new courses or configurations, relationships between courses, and changes within the field.

Department Assessment Plan

Departments could include a copy of their assessment plan and annual reports as part of the self-study. Copies of annual assessment reports could also be included (see Section Eight of these guidelines for more information on assessment). Departments should include a summary of what was learned from the assessment process since the last departmental review, and what changes resulted from the assessment process.

Information/Data Section

1. Department Curriculum

This material may come from the College Catalog, but could be expanded upon to include a more focused discussion on:

Major(s)
Participation in General Education
Service Courses (those courses that are included in other majors and/or programs)
Electives

2. Advising

This could be a brief discussion detailing the departmental procedures for advising majors. It should include materials (Major Handbooks, Advising Documents, Major Declaration Forms) that the department uses for advising.

3. Diversity Issues

This should be an assessment of the ethnic and cultural diversity of the department, both in terms of students, faculty, and curriculum, as appropriate. It could report how the department is addressing the College's goal to create a welcoming environment for diverse members of the community.

4. International Dimensions

This could be a brief assessment of how the department addresses the College's desire to provide an international perspective to students and the campus.

It could include:

Descriptions of courses that have been revised to have a more international dimension; what the department is doing to encourage students to study abroad; and information on recommended sites.
Lists of international guests the department has hosted.
Faculty attendance at conferences on internationalizing the curriculum and/or international travel.
Lists of majors who have studied abroad.

5. Library Holdings

This could be a brief assessment of the discipline-related holdings (texts, electronic resources, etc.) and services provided by the Library. Include both strengths and areas for improvement. A copy of the self-study should be given to the library in preparation for the visit. Contact the department's liaison librarian for a customized report than can be adapted as the department sees fit.

6. Information Technology

This could be a brief assessment of the department's use of information technology, and may include:

A brief list of computer equipment held by the department;
Descriptions of how technology is used in the classroom;
Faculty attendance at workshops related to technology;
Technology related needs;
Technology used in ongoing research, scholarship, and/or creative activity.

7. Graduate School Preparation and Advising

This could include:

A brief discussion of the process used to prepare students for graduate school;
Departmental handbooks, manuals, etc.;
Lists of students who have recently (since the last review) been accepted to graduate school;
Observations regarding trends related to attendance at graduate school for Gustavus students.
Senior exit interview data.
Information about current and past students who majored in the area.

8. Internship Programs

This could include:

A brief description of the appropriateness of internships for your students;
Lists of students who have recently participated in internships and their sites.

9. Teacher Education

This could include a brief description of your participation in teacher education, if applicable.

10. Student/Faculty Research, Scholarship and Creativity

This could include:

A brief description of student faculty research, both in and out of the classroom;
A list and brief description of recent student/faculty collaboration;
Descriptions of any ongoing projects.

11. Departmental Seminar Program

A brief description of the department's program, if applicable.

12. Departmental Faculty Development and Mentoring

A brief description of faculty development opportunities sponsored by the department. A description of how new faculty are mentored.

13. Data

Enrollment and Retention Data (5 years or more, contact Registrar).
Placement of graduate majors (since last review, contact Placement Office).

14. Course Syllabi

One from each regularly taught course, if possible/practical.

15. Brief (one-page) Vitae of All Faculty

16. Brief Description of Departmental Facilities

17. Department-Sponsored Groups & Activities

18. Department Student Employment Program - A brief description of the number of student employees assigned to your department, and the types of work assignments.

Last departmental review report. If possible, it is helpful to include the last departmental review and a copy of the department response letter.

Last modified: July 14, 2010, by Shanon Nowell