Resolution # 2022-08

The UHWO Director of Distance, Gloria Niles, has requested amendments to the UHWO Program Review Handbook, 4^th Ed. to address parity between assessments of student learning in both distance and in-person instructional modalities.

The WASC accreditation guidelines require that both distance and in-person instructional modalities be subject to assessments of student learning.

The proposed changes to the UHWO Program Review Handbook 4^th Ed. are intended to bring the language of the handbook into alignment with WASC guidelines regarding the assessment of student learning in both distance and in-person modalities.

May 6^th 2022 – UHWO Program Review Handbook 4^th Ed. Amendments

Part II, Section B

Governance of the Process – Steps and Responsibilities

Different constituencies within the university are responsible for carrying out different steps in the program review process. Concentrations that are offered through multiple modalities (i.e. on site and distance) will include an analysis of each program modality as part of the internal review process. The following steps are broad outlines of the various constituencies’ responsibilities. The governance process for program review is organized in the following manner:

Part II, Section C1, bullets 2 and 7

1. Introduction/Context

• Begin with a section that provides a context for the review. In contrast to the rest of the self-study report, this portion is primarily descriptive and may include:
• The internal context – In what division does it reside? What degrees/certificates does it grant? What concentrations are available, and in what modalities are the concentrations offered?
• The external context – How is the program responsive to the needs of the region or area in which it serves?
• Include a brief history of the division or a description of changes made in the division and concentrations since the last review (if relevant).
• A key component in providing the context for the review is a description of the division’s mission, goals, and outcomes.
• A mission statement is a general explanation of why your division exists and what it hopes to achieve in the future. It articulates the division’s essential nature, its values and its work.
• Goals are general statements of what your division wants to achieve, including goals for distance programs offered by the division.
• Outcomes are the specific results that should be observed if the goals are being met and students possess the skills upon graduation from the program.

Part II, Section C3

3. Is the program efficient?

(Assessment of productivity and cost/benefit considerations within the overall context of campus and University “mission” and planning priorities. Include quantitative measures comparing, for example, SSH/faculty, average class size, cost per SSH, cost per concentration with other programs in the division, on the campus and, as appropriate, similar programs on other UH campuses. Include a comparison of program modalities for concentrations or certificates offered through multiple modalities.

Part II, Section C4

Evidence in this category might include:

1. Annual results of direct and indirect assessments of student learning in the program (could be a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures), including the degree to which students achieve the program’s desired standards
2. Ongoing efforts by the department to “close the loop” by responding to assessment results
3. Student retention and time-to-degree trends (disaggregated by different demographic categories and program modalities)

Part III, Section B

1. Concentration Level

At the concentration level, program reviews can be used to decide how to allocate resources across concentrations. For example, by looking across the results of several divisions’ program reviews, the Division Chair may decide to:

• Add resources, such as faculty lines, travel money, equipment, space, to certain concentrations, based on needs identified in the reviews
• Enhance support to concentrations with the potential to grow or to establish research distinction in the field
• Combine or phase out certain concentrations
• Phase out or change concentration modalities (i.e., on site, distance, or multiple modalities)
• Re-tool and reassign faculty or academic support staff