Increasingly, academic programs in institutions of higher education across Canada and the Western world are required to demonstrate and substantiate quality assurance standards set by governments and accreditation agencies. In all provinces, post-secondary programs now undergo some form of cyclical review (Universities Canada, 2015).
As a result, growing numbers of faculty members are called upon to take leadership roles in the program review process, and Teaching and Learning Centres are called upon to support faculty leaders and academic programs. At any time, programs are preparing for review, under review, or implementing recommendations following review (Emil & Cress, 2014).
This work involves challenges such as developing credibility, gaining departmental faculty buy-in, collecting and analyzing data, and the greater challenge of promoting a constructive departmental and institutional culture of enhancement (Kuh et.al. 2014, Harvey & Stensaker 2008).
Following a framing of global outcomes and trends in program review, this interactive session will have groups of participants identify current challenges and concerns, corroborate or refute the global findings with local observation and experience, and review the relevance of the global trends in the local program review context.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Discuss research outcomes from other jurisdictions and global trends moving forward;
- Identify issues of concern regarding program review and describe strategies shared;
- Situate their own institution’s issues and trajectory relative to other participants as they network with national and international colleagues.
The session will be facilitated in English; however, questions and discussion in French are encouraged. All documents and materials will be available in both English and French.