About Academic Program Review
Academic Program Review (APR) is a seven-year cycle in which departments and programs implement and assess changes to improve outcomes. Annual reports provide the scaffolding for the Academic Program Review Report (also known as the Departmental Self-Study) that occurs in Year 6 of the cycle. In the Fall of Year 7 of the cycle, a group of external Peer Evaluators is engaged to provide feedback. The report and external feedback inform changes that departments enact and assess through an Implementation Plan to improve outcomes in the next APR cycle.
Academic Program Review is one way in which Queens College participates in regular cycles of evaluation, assessment, and continuous improvement to fulfill expectations from our institutional accreditation.
The Academic Program Review Timeline
The timeline of the Academic Program Review cycle is visualized below.
Your precise APR Cycle Calendar depends on your department or program.
Consult this chart to determine the Academic Program Review cycle for your department or program.
Departmental Reporting
Every year* departments will compile data and submit an Annual Report. The purpose of this Annual Report for Academic Departments and Programs is to:
- Provide a forum for each department and program to reflect on its current state, share its progress in key areas, and request support.
- Serve as an engine for curricular review, assessment of learning, and improvement of department effectiveness, incorporating a DEI perspective.
- Help departments and programs align their activities with their mission and goals and the College’s Strategic Plan, provide an assessment of achievement toward the Strategic Plan, and inform adjustments to these as needed.
- Scaffold the periodic Academic Program Review Self-Study and foster a departmental culture of planning, assessment, and continuous improvement.
Download the Annual Report Template here. (docx)
The Assessment Progress Report is to be completed as part of the Student Update Section of the Annual Report. The Assessment Progress Report documents a department’s assessment of Program Learning Outcomes and their progress towards best practices in assessment.
Download the Assessment Progress Report Template here. (docx)
Click here for guidance about filling out your Assessment Progress Report.
* Annual Reports and Assessment Progress Reports are not required in Year 6 of the Academic Program Review Cycle, when the Academic Program Review Reports are completed and submitted.
Academic Program Review Report (Departmental Self-Study)
The Academic Program Review Report provides an opportunity for reflection on the past seven years and ensures the alignment of initiatives and direction with the missions of the Department and the College.
Implementation Plan
As part of the Academic Program Review Report and the subsequent Peer Evaluator Report, your department will determine one or more initiatives that will form the basis for an Implementation Plan that you will implement and assess in the next APR Cycle.
Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the Hunter College Office of Assessment, whose reporting materials served as a guide for our templates.