Purpose
The purpose of academic program reviews at Emerson College is to put into place a system of continuous assessment, planning, and improvement, which is intended to help achieve the academic mission and commitments of the college. Program review is an evaluative, not a descriptive process; it results in judgments about the quality of a program and the adequacy of its resources. The process of program review should be a cooperative exercise between the program faculty, chair or director, and administration that results in meaningful recommendations for program improvement.
Guiding Principles
- The academic review process is a shared responsibility of the faculty, staff, and administration.
- Program reviews should be directed toward the continued development and improvement of programs.
- The evaluation of programs should be based on academic or professional criteria, within the context of the current and available institutional resources.
- All relevant College constituencies should be involved in the process.
- Program reviews should be independent from other reviews, such as professional accreditation, although the data collected should be shared as much as possible to avoid unnecessary extra work for the units involved.
- The review process should result in tangible actions.