学术部门/课程的外部审查程序

The goal of our external review program at 科罗拉多大学 is to continue to improve the quality of the academic program and to strengthen conditions for teaching and learning.

外部审查有三个阶段:1) 准备审查, 2) 外部评审员的来访, 3) 访视后的跟进.

阶段一:为评审做准备

Requests for external reviews may be initiated either by the Dean or by the department. Under current practice all departments and programs undergo a review every eight to ten years. It is wise to schedule reviews when all or nearly all department members are on campus. 教师 on 休假 are expected to contribute to the 材料 sent to reviewers and to make themselves available to meet with the reviewers (this can be done by zoom). 教师 on 休假 are not expected to attend all external review events or contribute to the hosting of the review team.

The department chair should contact the Dean's Office the year before the department wants the external review to occur to let the Dean know what the department is planning. The Dean and the department chair begin conversation about the goals for the review.

为外部评审做准备 should begin well in advance, preferably a full year before the review visit. 部门安排了一次特别会议, 或者一系列的会议, 和/或一起讨论他们希望从审查中得到什么. 此时此刻, the department should begin collecting the information and creating the 材料 it intends to provide for the reviewers. This process usually includes working with the Director of Assessment and Program Review, who can help departments think through their goals for the review and can assist with the collection of certain kinds of information.

为外部评审做准备 entails a careful internal review of the department's program(s):

• 目标设定: 这个项目的目标和教学方法是什么? 这个部门想在5到10年内达到什么水平? 包括部门的使命宣言.
• 实现: : 该计划如何寻求实现这些目标(课程), 课程顺序, 教学实践)? 它如何评估自己是否达到了目标?
• 数据收集:司法部应该开始收集证据和数据. 如何评估目标和计划? 课程是如何评估的? 如何评估学生的学习? 如果没有足够的数据，应该收集哪些数据? 司法部应该开始收集证据和数据.
• 自学结论:What is the department's own “pre-review” assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of its program(s), 特别是在课程方面, 课程顺序, 教学实践与学术研究?
• 外部审查议程:What general and specific issues or questions does the department wish the external reviewers to examine? 部门希望从外部审查中获得什么? 与同类学院的其他系相比，这个系怎么样? 此时此刻, the department should identify the significant issues with respect to curriculum, 主要的需求, 跨学科的承诺, 人员问题, 哲学上的纠纷, 部门未来的发展方向, 奖学金, 以及其他一些它希望外部审查能够解决的问题. These issues will be covered in the summary essay at the beginning of the self-study documents and will be supported by a wide range of evidentiary appendices.

这些项目将与院长和外部审稿人共享. 主席审查这些目标, 材料, 以及审查和审查过程的时间表和时间表. 

 

主席将材料组装好后发给外部审稿人 供他们在正式访问前学习. The Director of Assessment and Program Review has developed a document (contact audiskessler@lunchpenny.com)，为收集资料提供了广泛的建议, 包括对在校学生调查的详细建议, 校友, 教师, 和员工的需求), 横幅的数据, and web benchmarking information on departments at peer or aspirant institutions, 所有这些都是评估和项目审查主任可以支持的.

Information about the block plan and its impact on how teaching and learning occur also needs to be supplied to reviewers. 

然后我们选择外部审稿人. The department will create a roster larger than the number actually needed in case someone cannot come. The composition of the team should be wide enough to cover the span of the department's offerings and outlooks. 至少有一名成员应该来自类似的文理学院. Some department may choose to include someone from a re搜索 university. 

通常，会有一个三人小组. 院系与院长协商选择评审人员.

有时候两个人的团队就足够了, 偶尔会问四个, 取决于大小, 部门的复杂性和特殊需求. The department chair issues invitations to reviewers after their approval by the Dean.

一个系主任和系主任都同意的日期定了下来. 探访持续两至三天，可在工作周的任何一天进行. 部门 should try to schedule an in person exit interview between the team and the Dean prior to their departure, 但这也可以在他们离开后不久用变焦来完成.

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第二阶段:拜访

部门会制定详细的时间表 包括与学院院长的会面, 都是系里的正式成员, 还有系里的学生. Many departments also include meetings with the divisional executive committee, 来自相关部门或项目的同事, 和其他人. Each member of the review team should visit a class for a sustained period of time (hour or more). 

While it is ideal for department members to meet in person with the team during the visit, 偶尔(e).g., 休假, 国外的课程), 会议可以在校园访问之前或期间通过zoom进行.

院长要和整个审查小组进行离职面谈 看看他们的第一反应. This is often done in person on the final day of visit, but zoom will also work. 有时审稿人会在访问中提出具体的问题. 

审稿人应提供一份全面的书面报告 及时报告——不超过访问后一个月. 通常, the reviewers will consult with one another after their campus visit and will submit a joint report; occasionally, 审稿人将提交单独的报告. The report comes to the Dean and is then distributed to all members of the department.

The reviewers are offered $1,000 plus expenses (economy ticket, accommodation and meals). 教务处为此支付费用. 一篇评论的总费用平均为7500美元. 各院系应在访问前向院长办公室提交预算.

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第三阶段:跟进

A complete and candid written evaluation with constructive recommendations for improvements is required of each review team. Once the written report is received, the Dean discusses the report with the department.

The department may wish to hold a second retreat or on-campus meeting to 'debrief' and plan for the future after the external review has been completed. The department should produce a written response to the report; this response may form the basis for the development of a departmental plan for the future.

部门和院长讨论报告中的建议，并据此制定行动计划. How often meetings between the Dean and the department occur will depend on how much agreement or disagreement there may be among all concerned about what to do. 有时建议包括短期和长期计划. 

整体, a department must assume that this process can take the better part of a year and a half from start to finish. There is much more to a successful review than the actual visit by the reviewers. A significant proportion of the success of the review depends BOTH on the quality of the preparation for the visit and the dialogue among colleagues that takes place after the visit.

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