Guidelines for Reviews

I.  Introduction

Academic department and program reviews are to designed to assess departments’ and programs’ contributions to undergraduate education and research, acknowledge their progress and success, study the problems they face, document their needs, and provide fresh observations from qualified professionals on ways to enhance the quality of faculty life and student life at the College.  Because Visiting Committees are not part of the governance of the College, their recommendations, while important, are advisory.

The schedule calls for one to three department or program reviews each year.  The dean of the faculty, in consultation with the division chairs, selects the departments or interdisciplinary programs, giving preference to those that request review and taking care to distribute the opportunity among the academic divisions, the interdisciplinary programs, the Department of Physical Education, the Museum of Art, the Writing Workshop, the Mathematics and Statistics Workshop, and the Registrar.  Each department or program is to be reviewed at least once during an eight- to ten-year cycle.

The following guidelines and procedures outline the review of academic departments and programs.  When a department that supports the academic programs is reviewed, such as the Museum of Art, Writing Workshop, the Mathematics and Statistics Workshop, or the Registrar, the dean or the associate dean meets with the department director to discuss the process and design the most thorough and effective review.  Usually these reviews follow the general design of academic department and program reviews, including self study and assessments by internal and external committees, but the issues raised and the nature of data gathered may be quite distinct from other reviews, and other activities such as consultancies and retreats may also prove effective.

The dean selects departments or programs for review, with preference given to departments or programs requesting the opportunity.  When academic departments and programs are selected for review, the associate dean and assistant dean meet with the chair of each to discuss the purposes and process of the review.  Periodic meetings subsequent to this initial one are scheduled for the department/program chairs and the Office of the Dean of the Faculty as needed.  After departments or programs are selected and dates of the Visiting Committee’s campus arrival are set, the Office of the Dean of the Faculty and the department or program chair agree on specific dates for the prescribed steps.

II. Summary of Review Process

A.  As a first step, the department or program chair prepares a list of key issues and a list of nominees for college and visiting committees. In determining key issues, the department or program should consider these questions:

1.  How does department or program see itself in relation to the mission, goals and procedures of the College?

2.  How does department or program see itself in relation to the division?

3.  How do faculty members see themselves working within the department or program and with units/departments/programs outside of it?  Does this present opportunities and/or problems?

4.  How does the work of the department or program fit with general education/Bates education goals?

5.  How does the department or program engage in interdisciplinary work?

6.  How does the department or program engage issues of diversity in its hiring, curriculum and other activities?

7.  How does the department or program measure student learning? What tells faculty that students are achieving what is set out for them to learn?

8.  What is the role of faculty scholarship or creative work and student research or creative work in the life of the department or program?

9   What are the key issues and/or questions the department/program seeks to address in this review?

10.  Are there additional questions from the Committee of Five?

11. What is the schedule for the review?

The list of nominees for college and visiting committees should be developed by the department or program and presented with background information (c.v. or web material) on each visiting committee nominee.

The chair should submit EIGHT copies all materials to the Office of the Dean of the Faculty by a date established in the preliminary meeting with the deans.

After submitting material, the chair will be asked to meet with the division chairs and deans to discuss the review.  Following their meeting with the chair, the Committee of Five selects college and visiting committee members and informs the chair of that selection.  The dean’s office formally invites persons to serve on committees.

B.  The department or program prepares the department/program descriptive report and agenda for review. This report is sent to the dean of the faculty for distribution to the division chairs and participating committees.  The department or program may conduct a retreat as part of this self-study.

The self study should address, among other things:

1. Questions the department or program wants addressed through this review by committees.
2. Questions raised by the Committee of Five for consideration in this review (see above).
3. Planning for department/program, including planning for interdisciplinary engagement of faculty and courses.

C.  The Committee of Five reviews the self-study and may pose additional questions or comments to the department/program, the College Committee, or the Visiting Committee, as appropriate.

D.  The College Committee meets with the department or program faculty and, if desired, its individual members, as well as majors or other students in the department or program.  It prepares a College Committee Report for the Committee of Five, Visiting Committee, and meets with the Visiting Committee.

E.  The Visiting Committee (VC) meets on campus for two or three full days and submits a Visiting Committee Report to the dean for distribution.  The VC meets with:

1.  Division chairs, at the beginning of visit and at the end.
2.  College Review Committee, early in review.
3.  Department/program faculty (individually or in groups).
4.  Students, majors in department/program.
5.  President and dean of the faculty.
6.  Division chairs at the end of visit.
7.  Others (library, information technology, other departments, programs, facilities tour guides) as necessary.

The VC will:

1.  draft a report, the major points of which are presented to Committee of Five and the department/program faculty before VC departs.
2.  submit a written Visiting Committee Report to dean within 30 days of visit.

F.  The department/program submits to the dean a Response to the Review, a written response to the Visiting Committee’s and College Committee’s discussions and reports.  This written response should be submitted to the Dean as soon as possible, but no later than six months after the review.

This response provides the foundation for understanding the information produced and how to utilize the results of the review.  After the response to the review is submitted, the department or program meets with the dean and with division chairs to clarify the results and to identify

1.  immediate priorities,
2.  next steps,
3.  and long-range plans.

III. The Agenda for Review and Visitation

Each department or interdisciplinary program under review decides the area(s) of focus for the review; this focus might include aspects of its life and work or certain challenges or concerns.  Determination of the approach is made with consultation and in agreement with the Committee of Five. In its reports and discussions with the College Committee and the Visiting Committee, the department or program should make clear what areas of focus are for the review.  Both near- and long-term goals and issues should be addressed.

A.  The Department/Program Descriptive Report

In the first semester of the review, by a predetermined date, a report is gathered and sent to the dean of the faculty for distribution to the president (1), division chairs (4), the College Committee (usually 3), and the Visiting Committee (usually 3).  Four copies for office use should also be prepared. The members of the department or program should also receive a copy of the report.  This report is: 1) a collection of information about the department or program relevant to the review’s area of focus; and 2) a summary of the issues or concerns which the department or program wishes to assess and discuss with the College Committee and the Visiting Committee, along with preliminary responses from the department or program to these issues or concerns.

The information in this report must include:

1. The Department/Program Overview.

a)  a two-page statement of the department or program’s educational goals;

b)  a summary of the department or program major, its goals and requirements;

c)  the curricula vitae of all faculty members regularly teaching in the department or program, prepared by each member;

d)  a summary of enrollment patterns (departments), numbers of majors, theses, courses added and dropped, during the ten most recent years, prepared by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty and the Office of Institutional Research;

e)  a summary, as complete as possible, of department or program graduates’ career choices during the five most recent years, prepared by the department/program with assistance from the Office of Career Services, the Office of Advancement, and the Office of Institutional Research.  Departments and programs often conduct surveys among alumni majors when preparing this report.

Most departments include the syllabi of current course offerings in the report.  Interdisciplinary programs may include the syllabi of courses central to the major.

2.  Issues and Concerns.  The required summary of issues or concerns that the department/program address in this review should focus on areas that the department/program considers to be in need of review or ones expected to benefit from new insights and perspectives.  Usually these issues focus on curricular and major-program questions. As part of this review, the department or program should address the questions posed by the division chairs:

How does department or program see itself in relation to the mission, goals and procedures of the College?

How does department or program see itself in relation to the division?

How do faculty members see themselves working with department/other units?  Does this present opportunities and/or problems?

How does the work of the department or program fit with general education/Bates education goals?

How does the department or program engage in interdisciplinary work?

What role does faculty and student research play in the life of the department?

How does the department or program engage issues of diversity in its hiring, curriculum and other activities?

How does the department or program measure student learning? What tells faculty that students are achieving what is set out for them to learn?

What is the role of faculty scholarship or creative work and student research or creative work in the life of the department or program?

3.  Long-Range Plan.  The department program should put forth its current thinking on a long-range plan of at least 5 years, which will be considered and likely modified as a result of the review.

B.  The Department/Program Response to the Review

Following the submission of the Visiting Committee’s report, the department or program reflects upon discussions with the College Committee and the Visiting Committee, and studies the written reports.  As part of its response to these reports, the department or program assesses its own strengths and areas of concern.  It seeks to reach consensus about steps to be taken to enhance the quality of education and service it provides students and the quality of professional life within the department/program.  The department or program’s self-assessment and plans are summarized in its own written response to the review sent to the dean of the faculty and the division chairs but intended primarily for department/ program use.  The department/program response is due no later than six months following receipt of the visitors’ report.

IV. The College Committee

Three to four members of the faculty who do not regularly teach in the department or program under review are selected by the division chairs to discuss issues of concern to the department/program or College Committee, including relationships between the department or program and other units of the College.  Members are selected from a list of at least ten colleagues recommended by the department/program chair.  One of the nominees is asked to chair the College Committee, usually at the suggestion of the department/program chair under review.

The College Committee’s Responsibilities

1. This Committee receives the department’s or program’s descriptive report, as well as any commentary from the division chairs. The Committee then meets with the department or program faculty jointly and/or individually and meets with representative students.  Some college committees hold open meetings for all interested faculty regarding the department or program under review. These meetings must occur well before the Visiting Committee’s arrival.  The College Committee also meets with the Visiting Committee, the College Committee may meet with one or more division chairs.

2. After preliminary meetings, the College Committee provides a report to the department or
program and the Visiting Committee which includes their observations of issues or concerns that are the focus of the review.  Copies for the Visiting Committee are sent to the dean for distribution, on a date specified by the Dean’s Office.

3.  If the College Committee wishes to address any concerns directly to the dean of the faculty, it may do so subsequent to its meeting with the Visiting Committee.

V.  The Visiting Committee

A Visiting Committee of two to four members is appointed from a list of at least fifteen persons generated by the division chairs after consultation with the department/program chair.  The majority of Committee members are professionals within the field(s) under review, but generally do not include those having working relationships with faculty in the department or program.  Selections are based in large part upon the reviewer’s qualifications to assist in the department’s or program’s chosen areas of emphasis for the review.  Describing and communicating these qualifications to the division chairs who select the committees is essential, so the department or program is urged to be specific.

A.  Schedule of Visit

The campus visit of the Committee lasts two to three full days depending on the size of the department/program and complexity of issues being considered.  This means that its members should arrive on an evening and depart in the late afternoon two or three days later (usually Sunday through Tuesday night or Wednesday).  The visit must be scheduled well in advance so that the College Committee and the department/program can know the necessary deadlines for their own work.  The chair of the department/program develops the schedule for the Visiting Committee, following these guidelines:

1.  The Visiting Committee usually meets for dinner on the evening before the first full day with the department/program members.  This initial meeting, primarily a social gathering, should orient the Visiting Committee and review the agenda for the following days.

2.  It is very important that the Visiting Committee has considerable time with students and faculty, and meets individually with members of the department/program and with faculty or staff in other departments, as necessary.  Time should also be made available for the Committee to meet by itself to discuss the review as it progresses.

3.  Usually the Committee meets with the president, the dean of the faculty, and the division chairs early in the visit.

4.  The last half day of the visit should be set aside for the Committee to discuss and draft the report. A room equipped with computers in which the Committee may do its final work be made available to them.

5.  Before departing, the Visiting Committee meets with the dean and division chair and then with the faculty from the department or program to discuss its findings and outline the general conclusions it will draw in its written report.

B.  The Visiting Committee’s Report

Within one month after the visit, the chair of the Visiting Committee is responsible for sending a written evaluative report to the dean of the faculty.  The dean, in turn, sends the report to the president, the department or program, the College Committee, and the division chairs.

The Visiting Committee is encouraged to share forthrightly its best judgments about the quality of undergraduate education and research being offered by the department or program and the basis for their judgment.  The report is expected to cite the Committee’s judgment of strengths and weaknesses in the department’s or program’s work.  Comparison with departments at other institutions would be welcomed.  The report is also expected to enumerate the resource needs and the educational problems that deserve attention.  The report is expected to provide a fresh perspective on the department or program and a focus for its own evaluative report.

Upon receipt of the Visiting Committee’s report, each member receives an honorarium in appreciation of his/her service to Bates and contribution to the College’s academic programs.