Academic and Administrative Program Review

The process of program review is one of the most significant and successful collaborations between the faculty and administration at Northwestern University. Initially proposed by the General Faculty Committee, the systematic evaluation of all academic and administrative units has had a profound effect on University decision-making including, among other things, the setting of unit, school, and University priorities, hiring plans, budget and space allocations, curriculum development, and program sizing. Since 1985, more than 270 academic and administrative units have been reviewed in two cycle and we are now at the end of the third cycles of reviews. Approximately 600 faculty members and staff have participated as members of the Program Review Council or on the internal subcommittees (some serving more than once); and more than 420 highly regarded experts have visited the campus from other top-tier, peer institutions. The enormous efforts of these groups, along with those of the faculty and staff of the units, in this time-consuming but highly valuable process, is commended. As those who have gone through the process can attest, these efforts are warranted because program review results in constructive and continuous (although not necessarily swift) improvement in all aspects of the University.

It should be emphasized that because Program Review is a culturally-based process, the outcomes are unique to the unit under review. Specific efforts are made to keep the process tailored to the distinct needs and structure of the unit under review. Accordingly, the findings and recommendations vary substantively by unit and depend upon the status of the unit (i.e., emerging, growing, maintaining strength, etc.). Additionally, the outcomes of the reviews are tempered by the larger institutional context. Some recommendations are more easily and quickly addressed while others are more complex or require infusion of additional resources, thus necessitating more extended implementation.

Finally, it should be noted that the overall benefit of the unit undergoing review is directly related to the way in which the unit approaches the review. Units that take the process seriously, spend time clarifying the issues and fully developing and vetting their self-study with all members of the unit, and focus efforts on implementing the recommendations experience the most improvement and benefit. Ultimately, it is the unit's level of engagement in Program Review that determines the "success" of the review and continuous improvement.

Susan Abrams
Director of Program Review
Rebecca Crown Center, 2-112
633 Clark Street
Evanston, IL
60208-1103
Phone: (847) 467-1730
Fax: (847) 467-0411