Program Evaluation (4.01) - North Idaho College

Policy Title: Program Evaluation

Impact: Curriculum

Responsibility:

Effective Date:

Last Update:

Relates to Procedure(s): 4.01

Legal Citation(s):

I. Purpose

Evaluation of each academic program of the college should be undertaken periodically to provide faculty, administration, and the board of trustees with information about how well the program functions in relation to its objectives and the needs of the five-county service area. It may provide justification for actions of the following kinds:

Confirmation of the validity of the program and continuation of support for it.
Reconsideration and possible redefinition of the goals, purposes, and objectives of the program.
Review and alteration of the content and structure of the program.
Reconsideration of priorities and allocation of resources.
Redefinition of roles and reassignment of individuals.

II. Definitions

An academic program is a course of study leading to a certificate of completion, an associate degree, or is intended to provide the first two years of a major leading to a baccalaureate degree. Program evaluation is a process to assess the overall effectiveness of a program through systematic collection and analysis of data.

III. Policy

Each credit program will be evaluated at least once every five years, using procedures prescribed by the Curriculum Council. Programs with more frequent review mandated by appropriate agencies will be evaluated more often. In addition, the vice president for Instruction may require review of any program whenever a serious problem is indicated. Although formal evaluation may occur only once every five years, data will be collected in an on-going process to provide a continuous means for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the program.

Procedure Title: Program Evaluation

Impact: Curriculum

Responsibility:

Effective Date:

Last Update:

Relates to Policy(s): 4.01

Legal Citation(s):

I. Procedures

The vice president for Instruction will publish a five-year schedule for the routine evaluation of academic programs. In addition, the vice president will determine when a program will be evaluated out of turn, considering such matters as the following: the history and current status of the program, including its size, the quality of its faculty and external factors affecting it, such as licensing requirements.
Should a program warrant an evaluation out of turn, the vice president will notify the division chairperson one year in advance that a program will be reviewed.
The chairperson will recommend to the vice president a self-study committee that will include the division chairperson, program faculty and other individuals as appropriate.
The self-study committee will develop an evaluation plan. The plan will identify questions to be answered, data that will help answer them, and criteria of evaluation, as well as the resources necessary, including outside assistance. The plan will be substantially based on the Program Evaluation Guide included in this document, however, it may omit items in the guide that are inappropriate and add items that are appropriate to the program being evaluated.
The division chair will submit the plan to the vice president for Instruction for review and approval before the self-study is begun.
The division chairperson will coordinate the program review and supervise the preparation by the self-study committee of a written report with recommendations.
The completed report will be submitted to the vice president for Instruction. After studying the report and obtaining clarification from program faculty, the vice president will present recommendations to the Curriculum Council for routine approval. Recommendations may include the following:
1. Continue the program as presently offered.
2. Revise or modify the program in specific ways.
3. Phase out or terminate the program.

II. Review of Evaluation Procedures

The policy and procedures for program evaluation will be reviewed and modified by the Curriculum Council as appropriate.

III. Program Evaluation Guide: Self-Study Outline

Program Goals and Objectives
1. Program Data
  1. State the current goals and objectives and describe any changes since the last review.
  2. Describe the relationship to other programs or courses in the college.
  3. Describe the relationship to similar programs in the region or state.
  4. Describe the relationship of the program to the community.
2. Evaluation Criteria
  1. Are the goals and objectives consistent with the college's mission?
  2. Is there an appropriate relationship to other courses or programs in the college?
  3. Is there an appropriate relationship to similar programs in the region or state?
3. Recommendations
Program Content and Structure
1. Program Data
  1. List the courses and indicate which are major, direct support and general education courses.
  2. Describe changes in content or structure since the last review.
  3. Describe the instructional materials and methods used.
2. Evaluation Criteria
  1. Are the content and structure appropriate to the objectives?
  2. Are the instructional materials and methods appropriate and adequate to the objectives, the needs and abilities of the students and the costs?
Enrollments
1. Program Data
  1. Report enrollments and percent changes by year and semester for the past five years, and describe any major trends in enrollment (e.g., full-time/part-time).
  2. Describe any special admission policies or procedures and any special techniques used to recruit students.
  3. Report semester-by-semester retention data for the past five years.
  4. Report the number of graduates and percent change per year for the past five years.
  5. Describe the frequency with which courses are offered and the scheduling techniques used (e.g., on-campus, off-campus, evening, weekend).
  6. Report for each semester the number of sections offered for all courses in the program over the past five-year period, the number cancelled, the enrollments, the credit hours earned, and ratio between the number of seats available and the number filled.
  7. Project enrollment for the next five years.
  8. Project the number of graduates for the next five years.
  9. Project the number of graduates and non-graduates who will transfer during the next five years.
  10. Project the number of graduates and non-graduates who will enroll to prepare for employment immediately upon leaving North Idaho College.
  11. Project the number of graduates and non-graduates who will enroll during the next five years for reasons other than to transfer or to qualify for employment.
  12. Project employment opportunities for graduates for the next five years.
  13. Report enrollments by year and semester for the past five years by geographic distribution.
2. Evaluation Criteria
  1. Is the admission of students consistent with the college's mission and the program's objectives?
  2. To what extent does the FTE meet enrollment projections?
  3. How satisfactory is the pattern of student retention?
  4. How efficient is the program in terms of the ratio between the number of seats available and the number filled?
  5. Is the enrollment sufficient to support the program?
  6. Does the frequency with which courses are offered enable students to complete the program in a timely fashion, and are courses scheduled at times and places that meet the needs of students?
  7. Are enrollments sufficient to warrant continuation of the program for the next five years?
  8. Are graduate employment opportunities sufficient to warrant continuation of the program for the next five years?
3. Recommendations
Faculty
1. Program Data
  1. List the full-time faculty teaching the major courses and describe their qualifications in terms of educational background, work experiences, other experience, and if applicable, professional certification.
  2. Describe the ratio of part-time to full-time faculty. Describe in general, the qualifications of the part-time faculty.
  3. Describe the criteria and procedures for recruitment and selection of full-time faculty.
  4. Describe the criteria and procedures for recruitment and selection of part-time faculty.
  5. Describe faculty turnover for the past five years.
  6. Describe the incentives and opportunities for faculty to engage in professional development.
  7. For each semester for the past five year period, describe the ratio of faculty to students in terms of number of students enrolled, student contact hours, and student credit hours produced.
2. Evaluation Criteria
  1. Do the criteria and procedures for recruitment and selection of full-time faculty permit the attraction and hiring of qualified personnel?
  2. Are the full-time faculty sufficiently qualified to maintain high standards of instruction?
  3. Are the part-time faculty sufficiently qualified to maintain high standards of instruction?
  4. Are the opportunities for professional development adequate, and are they utilized?
  5. Is the faculty load appropriate and consistent with college and divisional policy, and the standards of appropriate external agencies?
3. Recommendations
Facilities and Equipment
1. Program Data
  1. Describe the on-campus facilities (classrooms, laboratories, and other designated areas) and report the number of square feet of space available.
  2. Describe any off-campus facilities used.
  3. Describe the equipment available.
  4. Project needs for facilities over the next five years.
  5. Project needs for major replacement and new equipment over the next five years.
2. Evaluation Criteria
  1. Are the facilities adequate?
  2. Does the program have adequate instructional equipment and materials?
3. Recommendations
Support Services
1. Program Data
  1. Describe the instructional support services used (e.g., library, audio-visual, developmental education).
  2. Describe the institutional support services used (e.g., admissions, financial aid and placement, counseling, data processing, bookstore).
2. Evaluation Criteria
  1. How adequate are the instructional support services?
  2. How adequate are the institutional support services?
  3. To what extent did graduates, transfers, and non-returning students use the college's support services (e.g., counseling, developmental education, and financial aid and placement)?
3. Recommendations
Program Revenues and Costs
1. Program Data
  1. Report any revenues (e.g., state subsidy, student fees, grants) for each of the past five years.
  2. Report costs (e.g., personnel, major equipment, supplies) for each of the past five years.
  3. Report average costs per credit hour, contact hour, and FTE by course and for the total program for each of the past five years.
  4. Project revenues and costs for the next five years, including any major additional costs for personnel or equipment.
2. Evaluation Criteria
  1. Have revenues and expenditures been in line with projections?
  2. Are financial resources adequate to support the program at present?
  3. Are projected revenues adequate to meet projected costs for the next five years?
  4. Is the program cost effective?
3. Recommendations
Student Achievement
1. Program Data
  1. Describe the measures of student progress used.
  2. Report the number and percent of graduates for each of the past five years who are employed in jobs related to the program, as well as in jobs not related.
  3. Report the number and percent of graduates for each of the past five years who transferred to other educational institutions in programs related to their studies at North Idaho College.
  4. Report the number and percent of graduates for each of the past five years who are not employed and have not transferred to another institution.
  5. Report results of evaluations by graduates and non-graduates of the program's effectiveness in preparing them for jobs or further study, or in enabling them to achieve greater satisfaction in other institutions.
  6. Report employers' evaluations of the competency of graduates, and report studies of the success of transfer students.
  7. Report for each of the past five years the rate of success of graduates taking licensing or qualifying examinations.
  8. Report for each of the past five years the average annual starting salaries for graduates.
  9. Report the results of follow-up studies of non-returning students.
2. Evaluation Criteria
  1. Are the measures of student progress appropriate?
  2. Are graduates able to transfer to baccalaureate degree programs?
  3. Are graduates able to secure employment in fields related to the program, and are salaries adequate to attract students to it?
  4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the program as identified through follow-up studies of graduates and employers?
  5. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the program as identified through follow-up studies of transfer students?
  6. To what extent do graduates possess competencies (e.g., technical skills, knowledge, work attitudes and interpersonal skills)?
  7. What are the implications of the follow-up studies of non-returning students?
3. Recommendations
Program Review and Development Process
1. Program Data
  1. Describe how faculty, students and any advisory committees are involved in on-going program review and development.
  2. Describe how external agencies (e.g., governmental or professional) affect the program review and development.
  3. Describe activities and resources used in program review and development (e.g., library, audio-visual, developmental education, and financial aid and placement).
2. Evaluation Criteria
  1. How adequate and effective is the involvement of faculty, students, and advisory committees in program review and development?
  2. How effective are external agencies in influencing program review and development?
  3. How adequate are the resources available to support program review, development, innovation, and change? Are the sources utilized?
  4. How adequate are the evaluation data and the evaluation process?
3. Recommendations
Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations
1. Summarize the major strengths of the program.
2. Describe any problems related to the program. Describe how each is being addressed within the college, or if it is not being addressed, describe potential solutions or suggest processes that might eliminate it.
3. Summarize major conclusions concerning program goals and objectives, content and structure, enrollments, faculty, facilities and equipment, support services, revenues and costs, student achievement, and the program review and development process.
4. Provide the vice president and Curriculum Council with specific recommendations for the future of the program.