Reporting

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness provides oversight of several assessment-focused reports. Information about each report can be found by selecting the appropriate link below (hit the back arrow to return to the top of the page):

Program Review

• Purpose

  The primary purpose of program review at WSU is to improve academic programs. An academic program may consist of an entire department which houses several majors, or an academic program may be a component of a department.

  Program reviews are not conducted to expressly identify individual programs for discontinuance. Reviews will result in an identification of program strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations for change. The program faculty, responsible academic dean, and provost will respond in writing to these recommendations as part of a program improvement plan.

  Conducting a Transformative Program Review

• Structure

  There are two processes involved in the program review: the WSU process and the USHE process.

  As of 2025, USHE has determined that there will be an additional review process at the time of their choosing. USHE is still determining what the schedule and scope of that process is, and when it is finalized, we will share the information here and with program chairs and directors. 

  • WSU Review Process

    Program review is a three-semester process that is completed approximately every five years for each degree-granting department and/or program. When possible these reviews are timed to coincide with outside accreditation processes if applicable. Each program faculty must complete a self-study report, schedule and host an on-site visit, review and respond to site visit recommendations, commendations, and suggestions, and forward their response to the program Dean. Each Dean, in turn, crafts a response to the faculty response for submission to the Provost.

    The process concludes with a program/department presentation to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee (for undergraduate programs) or the Graduate Council (for graduate programs). Those bodies will review each program review including recommendations and faculty/department responses to those recommendations to make a final recommendation to the Provost. A report summarizing each program review is submitted to both WSU's Board of Trustees and the Utah State Board of Regents.

  • USHE Process

    Information coming soon

• Timeline and Checklist

  Programs participating in the Program Review process should plan to complete the self-study document in the first fall of the process (typically November 15). Site visits should be completed sometime between February 1 and March 30, and all report documentation completed and filed by May 1.

  Internal Program Review Checklist

  Externally Accredited Review Checklist

• Current Template

  Fall 2025 template coming soon

• Additional Guides and Information

  Updated guides and information coming soon 

  Key Documents

  Key Players

  Program Review Site Visit Reviewer Guide

  Review Team Compensation and Other Costs