Policy 2140A

PROGRAM REVIEW

Additional Authority: 34CFR part 668 subpart O

In order to ensure program quality and effective stewardship of resources, and to demonstrate a firm commitment to student learning, the College shall conduct regular reviews of all of its academic and cocurricular programs.

The College defines an academic program as an intentionally designed sequence of courses that lead to a credential. This includes any Title IV eligible degree or certificate. The College aligns this definition with the Higher Learning Commission’s definition and the federal definition as described in 34CFR part 668 subpart O.

The College defines a cocurricular program as any student opportunity and/or student service that provides programmatic activities coordinated by the college that take place outside the classroom and join students to their curriculum. The College reserves the right to identify the cocurricular opportunities and services selected for regular assessment and program review.

These reviews provide programs a framework to evaluate programmatic student learning, strength of program, and opportunities for continuous improvement.  The aggregation of multiple review cycles based on this framework ensures the sustainability of the College over the long term. Emphasis is placed on developing the self-evaluation capacity of programs so that organizational learning intelligently informs continuous improvement and encourages alignment and integration of student learning assessment processes. This policy is established to clarify the objectives for program review and the procedure to be followed in program review.

Adopted: June 25, 2019
Revised: January 9, 2020
Reformatted: October 22, 2020
Revised: June 30, 2021 
Revised: April 2024

Procedure 2140A

Program Review

Western Wyoming Community College is committed to maintaining a high standard of academic and cocurricular excellence. In line with the commitment, all academic and cocurricular programs (as defined by Policy 2410A) will undergo a comprehensive review on a five-year cycle. Newly approved programs will undergo a review at the end of their third year, then based on continuance, will be subject to the five-year cycle.

Program Review Schedule:

The Institutional Effectiveness office will establish and maintain a program review schedule based on the aforementioned five-year cycle.  The schedule will undergo alterations only under exigent circumstances and with the approval of the Vice President to whom the program reports

Evaluation Process:

Each completed program review will be subject to evaluation by two internal evaluators and one external evaluator. It is the responsibility of the respective program to identify the evaluators and coordinate with them to ensure adequate time for the thorough evaluation of all program review documents and reports.

Guidelines for identifying the evaluators are as follows:

  • Internal evaluator 1: A staff or faculty member from any department or discipline who can serve as an objective third party.
  • Internal evaluator 2: A staff or faculty member who is not employed in the program but who works closely with the program under review.
  • External evaluator 1: A staff or faculty member who is not a full-time employee of the College and has experience or education in the discipline or a similar field.

Assessment Updates:

In alignment with our institutional commitment to continuous improvement and the assessment of student learning, academic and cocurricular programs must submit yearly assessment findings.  These finding updates should be submitted no later than the day of Commencement each academic year, unless otherwise approved.

Responsibility of Program Personnel:

It is the responsibility of the faculty and employees within each program to complete all required program review and annual assessment components. Meeting all submission deadlines is crucial to ensuring the effectiveness of the entire review process. Each program shall address the following areas as part of their review:

  • Continuous Improvement
  • Evidence
  • Planning for the Future
  • Strengths and Limitations
  • Resource Adequacy
  • Organization Context and Impact

Stipend for Timely Submissions :

Program facilitators and/or managers who meet the designated program review submission final deadline or end of contract year, will be entitled to an institutional stipend equivalent to 2.0 adjunct credit hours, and 1.0 adjunct credit hour for any subsequent reviews assigned in the same academic year. This stipend will only be disbursed at the conclusion of the review cycle in the year of the designated review.

This comprehensive and systematic approach to program review and assessment is integral to sustain and enhance the quality of the College’s academic and cocurricular offerings. This policy is intended to foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability across all programs.

Adopted: June 25, 2019
Revised: January 9, 2020
Reformatted: October 22, 2020
Revised: June 30, 2021 
Revised: March 1,2024