Program Alignment and Review Handbook
Produced by the Office of the Provost under the direction of the PAR Standing Committee, the Drexel University PAR Handbook contains a compendium of information related to the PAR process including timelines, glossary, resources, guides for external review committees, etc. The handbook is designed to serve as a reference for the work of the self-study committees.
Full Handbook 2019-2020 [PDF]
Review Timeline 2019-2020 [PDF]
Guidelines for Self Study
Introduction to the Self Study
A self-study will be completed for all programs at the University. The self-study will be conducted by a team of faculty under the direction of a coordinator with all members being selected by the Dean. The self-study offers the opportunity to collect, document, and review all of the quantitative and qualitative information required for making reliable decisions about program quality and viability. Student, faculty, and financial data and trends will be provided to the committee at the beginning of the review process and a list of those available resources is in the documentation section, below, in this document.
The centerpiece of the review process is the program/department’s self-study. The self-study will reflect the program/department’s unique culture and provide an opportunity for critical reflection and assessment of the program/department’s scholarly directions and academic programs, its strengths and weaknesses. The self-study should provide a helpful and detailed overview of the unit.
The Dean of each college is responsible for selecting and approving the Self-Study Committee for each program/department undergoing review. Committee members will include senior faculty and will also reflect the diversity of the program or department. Faculty committee members will represent tenured and tenure-track faculty as well as full-time teaching faculty. Adjunct faculty may be included as well if it is appropriate for the program. Self-study groups will have no more than five members and may include 1-2 members from outside the program/department if that is relevant for the study. The self-study committee typically will be chaired by the Program Director or Department Head for the program/department under study, and he/she will manage the efforts of the group to ensure the report’s completion by the time indicated in the self-study initiation agreement.
Outline of the Self Study
The questions provided here are meant to be guiding questions that can be used throughout the process. There is no expectation that each and every question will be answered by each program review. Not all questions will apply to every program. Questions should be engaged openly and fully. Responses must contain specific examples, details, and metrics. Teams will address those questions that are both relevant and meaningful for the particular program under review.
Guidelines for the External Review
Introduction
External reviewers will be involved for each program/department evaluation. They will be distinguished educators in their fields with knowledge and expertise regarding the work of their departments and the practical academic requirements of their discipline. The External Review Team for each program/department evaluation will be comprised of 1-3 distinguished educators of exceptional scholarship and reputation selected for both for their areas of expertise as well as their institutional affiliations, typically coming from schools we admire In addition to their scholarship, they will understand the mission of the department to be reviewed. External reviewers will receive copies of the self-study prior to their 1-3 day campus visit. External reviewers will be identified by the Self-Study Committee and will be approved by the dean and the PAR Steering Committee.
External Review Consultants Report
The questions provided here for the external review team report are meant to be guiding questions that can be used to frame the team’s report. There is no expectation that each question will be addressed by each external review team. Teams will address those questions that are both relevant and meaningful for the particular program under review. The questions approximate the basic format of the Self Study Report Guidelines.