Universities, like all organizations, experience change.  To assist them in this process, it is essential that they undertake reviews of their academic and administrative activities.

The purpose of a review is to encourage forward-looking changes and development and encourage high quality scholarship and services.  Such reviews are usually best carried out by external assessors who can take an objective look at the program/department to consider both the strengths and weaknesses of a particular unit.  Reviews are best undertaken as a continuing part of the process of improvement and responsiveness of the units.  Reviews should be formative and approached in a positive manner.  Reviews provide an opportunity for the unit or program to work collegially to find ways of improving what it does.

Conducted in this way, the constructive advice emanating from the review guides the unit in developing its respective polices and programs.

Specifically, the purposes of program review are:

• To evaluate the quality, success, and role of academic and administrative units/programs in the fulfillment of their own and the University’s mission and goals.
• To encourage strategic planning, innovation and improvement in units and programs.
• To provide an occasion for units and programs to identify opportunities and discover new ways to pursue these.
• To gain fresh perspectives from colleagues outside the university and the unit.

The comment elements of all reviews include:

• Self-assessment document
• Review and reports
• Response to the review report from the unit head
• Recommendation from the Vice-President (Academic & Provost) including comments as to the feasibility of the recommendations, a plan identifying follow-up actions and a timetable for implementation.