Program Review

Program Review in Practitioner Education: The Nexus of Industry Standards and Assessment for Academic Excellence

Conducted by:  Paul C. Jackson & Peggy M. Jackson
 

Abstract

 Academic quality is being measured in terms of professional readiness in many academic institutions. The success of a degree program is equated to how prepared graduates are as they begin their careers. The session will examine how a well-designed program review captures the convergence of industry standards, assessment of student learning and academic excellence.

Program reviews are integral to documenting the assessment of overall academic quality of a department, particularly in terms of how well students are prepared for their professional lives. The design of an excellent program review framework captures the convergence of industry standards and academic excellence.

Target Audience

 The target audience is faculty and staff involved in the assessment of programs that have high interaction with the related industries.  This includes nursing, engineering, art, music, teacher educations, many of the health sciences, computer sciences and business.  Many of these programs have accreditation by professional societies and have active involvement of industry as advisors to the academic programs.  Many use industry to assist with practical labs, internships and co-ops.

Learning Outcomes

 Upon completion of this workshop, participants should be able to:

1.  Understand how industry standards can be used as one part of program review to evaluate the quality of a program.

2.  Appreciate how to use industry representatives to assist is the assessment of a program

3.  Value how program review strengths a program.

4.  Recognize the other advantages of involving industry in an academic program.

5.  Use the sample program review template to establish a quality program review process

Biographies

Dr. Peggy M.  Jackson is the Director of Program Review at the Academy of the Arts University in San Francisco.  Her responsibilities include coordinating the program review for over 30 Masters and Bachelors degree program and 6 non-academic programs.  Additionally she coordinates program accreditation and the University’s strategic planning process.  Dr. Jackson earned a Doctor in Public Administration from Golden Gate University, a Masters from Central Michigan and Bachelors degrees from Connecticut College and Hawaii Pacific University.  She also is a Certified Property and Casualty Underwriter. 

Paul Jackson is the Interim Dean of Professional and Institutional Efficacy at California State University, Maritime.  He is responsible for accreditation, assessment, program review, and faculty development and student academic services.  He has a Degree of Ocean Engineer and a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor degree from the US Coast Guard Academy.  He is a register Professional Engineer in the state of California.