Program/Unit Review Handbook

The BOR Handbook (Title 4, Chapter 14, Section 5) states that "a review of existing academic programs shall be conducted by the universities, state college, and community colleges on at least a ten-year cycle to assure academic quality and to determine if need, student demand, and available resources support their continuation."

NWCCU requires that "The institution engages in an effective system of assessment to evaluate the quality of learning in its programs." (Standard 1.C.5) and that "The institution uses the results of its assessment efforts to inform academic and learning support planning and practices to continuously improve student learning outcomes." (Standard 1.C.7).

PURs are conducted on a five-year cycle; however, depending on changes affected a program/unit or numerous other circumstances, a program/unit may be monitored more or less frequently.

During the PUR process, the program/unit compiles a self-study report that summarizes all assessment activities, reviews their program's student demographics and enrollment trends, evaluates their resource adequacy, and presents a strategic plan to maintain or improve the program moving forward.

The self-study is divided into the following components:

1. Program/Unit Overview
2. Current Status of the Program/Unit
3. Program Curriculum and Offerings
4. Program Learning Outcomes Assessment
5. Enrollment and Demographics
6. Student Success
7. Resources
8. Future Directions
9. Resource Requests

Upon completion, the Academic Standards and Assessment (ASA) Committee, academic dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) review the self-study.

Each level of review provides findings and recommendations. The VPAA's summary and review serve as the official findings and recommendations to the College President and Board of Regents. Programs follow up annually on these recommendations in their Annual Progress Report (APR).

Resource requests are forwarded through the deans and VPAA to the Resource Allocation Process (RAP).

Roles and Responsibilities During the Program/Unit Review Process

A. Self-study Committee

1. Membership: Ideally, five to ten members. These are guidelines, as different departments have different capacities.
   
   1. Self-study chair: department chair, director, coordinator or lead instructor. As noted in the Faculty Annual Plan, in some circumstances, active participation in the PUR may be required of specific faculty members.
   2. No less than one faculty member from a program/unit, in addition to the self-study chair.
   3. One faculty member from outside the academic division (may include counseling and library).
   4. One classified staff member.
   5. One student or alumni member.
   6. College and Technical Education (CTE) programs should include at least one member of their advisory committee.
   7. Optional representative from Student Services.
   8. Optional representative from an external organization (articulation committee, trade organization, etc.).
2. Self-study Chair Duties
   
   1. Work with the academic dean to identify committee members.
   2. Attend PUR orientation held during Professional Development Days at the beginning of the program review year.
   3. Attend workshops designed to assist with completing the PUR self-study as needed. All members of the self-study committee are welcome to attend.
   4. Communicate, as needed, with the Academic Standards and Assessment (ASA) Committee “Captain,” who can provide assistance.
   5. Schedule and monitor activities necessary for completion of self-study.
   6. Compile the complete self-study from committee member contributions and submit to the academic dean by the self-study deadline.
   7. Represent the self-study committee by meeting with ASA members and the academic dean to provide an overview as well as answer questions related to the self-study findings and development strategies.
   8. Compile or work with the department chair to compile and submit annual progress reports (APRs) by the established deadline.
3. Self-study Committee Member Duties
   
   1. Participate actively in researching findings and developing strategies.
   2. Write sections of the self-study report as agreed upon by the committee membership.
   3. Incorporate results of program learning outcomes assessment into the analysis of program/unit’s effectiveness.
   4. Validate findings for accuracy and relevance.
   5. Provide citations for all external data presented in self-study.
   6. Submit the final self-study in eLumen by the deadline.
   7. Revise self-study upon discussion and recommendation from the academic dean.
   8. Present findings to appropriate stakeholders (colleagues, advisory committees, accreditation agencies, etc.).

B. Program/unit Review

Program/unit review is one of the duties assumed by the ASA Committee in collaboration with the Assessment and Planning Office.

1. Membership
   
   1. PUR co-chairs: The chair of the Academic Standards & Assessment Committee and Associate Dean of Assessment & Planning. The Associate Dean of Assessment & Planning only serves as co-chair of the PUR process and not the ASA Committee as a whole.
   2. Members of the ASA Committee, which should include:
      
      1. At least one faculty representative from each academic division.
      2. One representative from the Institutional Research Office.
      3. At least one representative from Student Services.
   3. Optional: One department chair selected by academic deans (not under review).
   4. Optional: One academic dean.
   5. Optional: One representative from Finance Administration or the Budget Subcommittee of the Planning Council.
2. Co-chair Duties
   
   1. Organize orientation for self-study chairs.
   2. Conduct workshops to assist self-study chairs with the self-study.
   3. Schedule any meetings outside of regular ASA meetings for program review as needed.
   4. Conduct review meetings with self-study chairs and respective deans.
   5. Compile and submit final ASA Committee recommendations for each self-study to the VPAA.
   6. Conduct on-going evaluation of program/unit review process and recommend improvements to the VPAA.
   7. Maintain communication with the campus community through various media, such as web pages, email, etc.
3. Member Duties
   
   1. Help organize, as needed, the orientation and workshops for self-study chairpersons.
   2. Participate, as needed, in workshops to assist self-study chairs with the self-study. Self-studies will be assigned a "Captain" from among ASA members to assist self-study chairs, as needed.
   3. Conduct thorough reviews of self-studies, conduct constructive discussions with self-study representatives, and formulate appropriate recommendations by established deadlines.
   4. Complete recommendations for submission to the VPAA by established deadlines.

C. Academic Dean Duties

1. Work with the department chair and self-study chair to establish the committee and help to coordinate orientation sessions as needed prior to the start of the formal process.
2. Assist the self-study committee with an analysis of its funding and resources.
3. Confirm accuracy, relevance, and completeness of the self-study and supporting documentation by the established deadline.
4. Validate self-study analysis and strategies by the established deadline.
5. Work with the self-study committee to make necessary revisions prior to submission to the ASA Committee for review.
6. Complete a dean's review of the self-study and forward by the established deadline. Reviews are completed in eLumen.
7. Participate with self-study chair in the review and discussion of self-study findings with the ASA Committee.
8. Include appropriate PUR findings and recommendations in the division's strategic planning and resource allocation decisions.
9. Ensure that the self-study 5-year plan and PUR recommendations form the basis of annual progress reports (APRs) within the department/unit.
10. Review APRs submitted by the department/program/unit and submit comments/findings to the VPAA on PUR recommendations until each is implemented or revised.

D. Vice President of Academic Affairs/Assessment and Planning Office Duties

1. Maintains a master calendar for Program/Unit Reviews on a five year cycle.
2. Notifies the Institutional Research Office, academic deans, and scheduled program/units of upcoming self-studies by mid-April of the previous academic year.
3. Helps to organize and participates in self-study orientation sessions established by PUR co-chairs.
4. Reviews self-study along with the ASA Committee's and dean's findings and recommendations. May reject, revise, or accept report and/or recommendations.
   
   1. If Vice President of Academic Affairs accepts self-study and recommendations, he/she submits report and recommendations to the College President.
   2. If Vice President of Academic Affairs rejects self-study and/or recommendations:
      
      1. Notifies self-study chair, dean and ASA Committee of rejection.
      2. Enumerates specific deficiencies that must be addressed.
      3. Establishes with dean and ASA Committee a new deadline for revised self-study.
   3. If Vice President of Academic Affairs revises self-study and/or recommendations:
      
      1. Notifies self-study chair, dean and ASA Committee of planned revisions.
      2. Provides opportunity for discussion and/or input prior to making revisions.
      3. Once revisions are finalized, follows procedures of accepted recommendations.
5. Provides updates and recommendations as needed to the Planning Council.
6. Provides information on finance and budget recommendations by unit.
7. Revises College planning documents upon receipt of President’s approval.
8. Provides annual review of programs to Nevada System of Higher Education and makes presentations as requested.
9. Upon the President's approval of final recommendation, coordinates APRs.
   
   1. Prepares and distributes APR templates to appropriate dean, department chair/director/coordinator, and self-study chair.
   2. Gathers APRs from deans for each program until satisfactory responses have been received on all final recommendations.
   3. Summarizes progress report activities for the President annually.

E. College President Duties

1. Reviews self-study and may reject, revise, or accept report and/or recommendations:
   
   1. If the President accepts self-study and its recommendations, he/she notifies Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA), academic dean and self-study chair.
   2. If the President rejects self-study and/or recommendations:
      
      1. Notifies VPAA of rejection.
      2. Enumerates specific deficiencies that must be addressed.
      3. Establishes with VPAA a new deadline for revised self-study.
   3. If the President revises self-study and/or recommendations:
      
      1. Notifies VPAA of planned revisions.
      2. Provides opportunity for discussion and/or input prior to making revisions.
      3. Once revisions are finalized, follows procedures of accepted recommendations.
   4. Receives annual updates from VPAA on progress reports.
2. Advocates as necessary for resources to continue, improve, or the approval for elimination of the instructional program/unit if necessary.

Timeline

A. Preparation Timeline

1. Mid-April: The Assessment and Planning Office reminds deans and department chairs of upcoming scheduled self-studies.
2. Early May: Dean identifies self-study chairperson and notifies the Assessment and Planning Office.
3. Early-Mid May: Self-study chairperson and dean select all members of self-study committee.
4. Mid-late May: Assessment and Planning Office notifies self-study chairperson of upcoming orientation.
5. Summer: Institutional Research Office updates PUR dashboards.

B. Self-Study Timeline

Each self-study committee should establish an internal timeline with their department chair and dean.

C. Implementation of PUR Recommendations Timeline

1. By October: VPAA/Assessment and Planning Office submits annual review of programs to NSHE.
2. Early Fall/Spring: VPAA reviews findings and recommendations with dean and self-study chair and mutually establishes action plan and timeline for APR.
3. Fall/Spring: Dean and department chairs/directors/coordinators implement PUR recommendations into division, department, and faculty annual plans.
4. January: VPAA/Assessment and Planning Office distributes Annual Progress Report (APR) templates to deans/chairs.
5. October 1 (following year): Self-study chairperson submits APRs to the dean; budget requests are considered for the upcoming resource allocation process (RAP)
6. November 1 (following year): dean submits Annual Progress Report to the VPAA/Assessment and Planning Office.

PUR Process

1. The self-study is completed by program/unit faculty.
2. The academic dean reviews the self-study and completes findings and recommendations.
3. The ASA committee reviews the self-study and completes findings and recommendations.
4. The self-study chair and dean meet with ASA Committee members to review findings.
5. The ASA Committee submits their findings and recommendations to the VPAA.
6. The VPAA accepts, modifies, or rejects the ASA Committee's and dean's findings and recommendations and submits findings and recommendations of his/her own.
7. The VPAA reviews his/her findings and recommendations with dean and self-study chair and mutually establishes actions and timeline for the annual progress report (APR). The VPAA also shares these findings and recommendations with the President.
8. The VPAA and Assessment and Planning Office provides an annual review of programs to NSHE and selects examples of programs to present to BOR.
9. Department faculty initiate approved recommendations with assistance, if needed, from the dean.
10. Faculty and administrators report progress to VPAA through Annual Progress Reports (APRs), which are reviewable by the ASA Committee.

Program/Unit Review Self-Study Report

A template and files will be distributed to self-study chairs at the PUR Orientation meeting.

Instructions

• Please adhere to all deadlines presented in the Timeline.
• Please provide all information requested in each of the self-study sections if it applies to your program/unit. If the requested information does not apply, you may respond with "Not Applicable." On the other hand, the self-study should include any additional information/findings pertinent to the program/unit.
• Accredited programs may provide requested information in this Program/Unit Review by indicating a reference to a specific page in their official accreditation self-study report, and then including that page as an attachment.
• Please cite any external sources used in the body of the report, and include any references page following the response to the prompt.
• Where applicable, please include the following Appendices: (1) copies of all advisory board minutes since the last PUR, (2) a copy of the most recent programmatic accreditor's findings and recommendations, (3) and other pertinent information.
• Please use the formatting established in the report template. Some sections of the self-study will be copied/pasted directly for required annual reporting to NSHE and for the College’s planning processes.

Self-Study Template (2021–2022)

This should reflect the self-study report template in eLumen.

I. Program/Unit Overview

1. Program or Unit Description
   Briefly (1 paragraph) describe the program/unit, including but not limited to the following: academic division that the program/unit belongs to, the academic area(s) represented, degrees/certificates offered, average student enrollment, number of full-time faculty, type of curriculum or pedagogical approaches, and any other pertinent aspect of the program/unit.
2. Program or Unit Mission
   State the department's or unit's mission. Describe how it aligns to the College's Mission, and how program learning outcomes (PLOs) for degrees and certificates offered, or for the unit, align to the department/unit mission. If your department or unit does not currently have a mission statement, please discuss among your colleagues and develop one.
3. Program Learning Outcomes (auto-generated by eLumen)
   If applicable, list the program learning outcomes for each degree and certificate offered in your department or unit.

II. Current Status of the Program

1. Progress on Previous Findings and Recommendations
   Describe your progress on the major findings and recommendations for the program/unit from the last PUR, any annual progress reports (APRs), and if applicable, external reviews, (e.g. advisory boards, articulation committees, and program accreditors).
   • Which findings and recommendations have the program/unit addressed?
   • Which have yet to be accomplished? Which are no longer relevant, and why?
   • Has the program/unit undergone any major changes as a result or that would impact the findings and recommendations since the last PUR?
2. Workforce Needs: (AAS degrees and Certificates, Allied Health programs only)
   Describe how your program(s) are meeting labor market demands and industry curriculum needs by answering the accompanying questions.
   • What is the evidence for the regional need for the program (DETR and EDAWN data)?
   • What is the evidence that program curriculum meets the latest industry trends or workforce needs?

   The following are potential resources for labor market data, though other sources may be referenced:

   • Nevada Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation (DETR)
   • Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN)
   • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
3. Transferability (AA or AS degrees only)
   • Which Bachelor's degrees(s), especially within the Nevada System of Higher Education, does the program's AA or AS degree(s) align with?
   • Does the AA or AS transfer seamlessly in a 2+2 agreement without a loss of credits or a substantial amount of courses counting only as general electives? Please reference the appropriate transfer agreement in the receiving institution's catalog and explain.
4. Catalog Review
   • Is the program information in the catalog, including program descriptions, PLOs, course descriptions, and course offerings, accurate?
   • Does the program's suggested course sequence in the catalog allow for completion of degrees within 2 years and/or certificates within 2 semesters for full-time students? Is there a recommended sequence for part-time students?
5. Course Offering Review
   The courses listed in the accompanying table have not been offered or had enrollments for 4 or more years. Please review these courses for potential deactivation or restructuring to make offerings more viable, and indicate these plans by completing the table.

   Course	Last Time Course Had Enrollments	What is the plan to restructure or deactivate the course?	Semester you plan to submit the course for updates or deactivation to the Curriculum Review Committee

6. Accessibility of Instructional Materials
   What is the department/unit currently doing or planning to help ensure that instructional materials are accessible to students with disabilities? For example, have all full-time faculty attended accessibility workshops? Have full-time faculty used the accessibility purchase checker when purchasing new curricular materials?

III. Program Learning Outcomes Assessment

We are shifting away from assessing courses in isolation and towards assessing program student learning outcomes (PSLOs, or simply PLOs). Programs are traditionally defined as degrees or certificates but can also mean a logical grouping of courses with a common set of overarching learning outcomes. For example, the English Department might define their composition courses as a "program" that serves large populations of TMCC students even though they are not declared as AA English majors. The Biology & Community Health Science Department might think of BIOL 190, 223, and 224 as a "program" that serves students seeking to go into nursing and allied health professions in addition to those majoring in the AS Biology or AS Community Health Science. Other departments might offer courses that meet general education requirements and thus think of this as a program.

1. Curriculum Mapping
   Curriculum mapping is a process of aligning curriculum and instruction to PLOs and is usually reflected in a matrix format. Ideally, maps are constructed as a new program is being developed and can also serve as a review of curriculum in existing programs. Program learning outcomes determine the curriculum map. Course student learning outcomes (CSLOs or simply CLOs) and sequencing, pedagogical methods, curriculum, classroom activities, and assessments (projects, papers, assignments, tests, etc.) are all directed towards achieving program learning outcomes and ensuring that all students in the program have an opportunity to learn what is expected of them.

   eLumen houses PLOs that have been approved by the Curriculum Review Committee. After thoroughly reviewing with department faculty members, please submit a curriculum map of PLO alignment to CLOs in eLumen, followed by an analysis. Paste a snapshot or copy or your map below.

   Instructions for creating PLO map in eLumen (link to external document).

   Once your map is complete, please analyze the following:

   • PLOs: Do all PLOs still reflect what you want students to demonstrate once they complete the program? Are there any PLOs that need to be updated?
   • Potential gaps and redundancies: Are there any PLOs that are not addressed in the curriculum? Are there any unwanted redundancies of PLOs in the curriculum?
   • CLO alignment: Is there a need to modify any course learning outcomes so that courses better support PLOs?
   • Course sequencing: Is there a need to modify the course sequencing, so students have a more seamless learning experience?
   • Curriculum and learning opportunities: Is it necessary to introduce new learning opportunities to reinforce learning? These could be modules or assignments in courses, additional courses, and/or co-curricular opportunities that would be required of all students in the program.
   • Other?
2. Evidence of Program Learning Outcomes Assessment
   • Now that you have completed your curriculum map, summarize the most significant program assessment results since your last PUR. These will come from past assessment reports and data within eLumen. Please discuss these findings as they relate to the program and program learning outcomes, not just individual courses.
   • Describe how plans were implemented to try and improve teaching and learning. What changes did you make to the program based on assessment results and improvement plans?
3. General Education Outcomes Assessment (If applicable)
   • Describe which general education learning outcomes (GELOs) you assessed in your program and summarize the most significant assessment results.
   • Describe how plans were implemented to try and improve teaching and learning in general education (GE). What changes did you make to general education within the program based on assessment results and improvement plans? Do any CLOs need to be changed to meet GE assessment requirements?
4. Curriculum Mapping
   Please visit the link to the shared file (Google Sheets) with your 5-year course assessment cycle and update when you plan to assess each course. The Assessment and Planning Office will use this document to plan assessment scorecards and reports (Action Plans) in eLumen.

IV. Enrollment and Demographics

1. FTE and Section Count
   (Instructions/Help Text)

   Please visit the PUR Enrollment Dashboard. Institutional Research will update this dashboard annually so that you can continue to follow the data sets after the PUR.

   • Select your department or program from the drop down menu.
   • You can toggle between the Enrollment & Course Level Fill Rate and Enrollment Attempts tabs at the top to see various data sets.
   • Please analyze the default settings to start.
   • Use the drop-down menus to examine more disaggregated data sets. If you describe any trends.
   • Please include a screenshot of the data to accompany your discussion.

   (Question)

   Please analyze and discuss the trends you see in FTE and course section counts, including how they compare to those of the division and College. Discuss what these trends suggest about the strength of program enrollment.

   Please analyze the default settings first. Then, use the drop-down menus to examine more disaggregated data sets. Include a screenshot of the data to accompany your discussion.

2. Course Fill Rates and Unsuccessful Enrollment Attempts
   (Instructions/Help Text)

   Please visit the PUR Enrollment Dashboard. Institutional Research will update this dashboard annually so that you can continue to follow the data sets after the PUR.

   • Select your department or program from the drop-down menu.
   • You can toggle between the Enrollment & Course Level Fill Rate and Enrollment Attempts tabs at the top to see various data sets.
   • Please analyze the default settings to start.
   • Use the drop-down menus to examine more disaggregated data sets. If you describe any trends in these more specific data, please include a screenshot of the data to accompany your discussion.

   Please analyze and discuss the trends or shifts you see. Discuss what these trends suggest about effective and student-centered scheduling.

3. Student Demographics: Credit Load, Status, Age, Gender, and Ethnicity
   (Instructions/Help Text)

   Please visit the PUR Demographics Dashboard. Institutional Research will update this dashboard annually so that you can continue to follow the data sets after the PUR.

   • Select your department or program from the drop-down menu.
   • You can toggle between the Demographics: Program Majors and Demographics: Enrollment tabs at the top to see various data sets.
   • Use the Demographics drop-down menu to select the by Ethnicity, Gender, Credit Load, Student Status, or Age Range categories.
   • Please analyze the Fall semester as the default.
   • Use the drop-down menus to examine more disaggregated data sets. Include a screenshot of the data to accompany your discussion.

   (Question)

   Briefly describe the typical student profile in terms of ethnicity, gender, credit load, status, and age, in your program/unit, including how they compare to the demographics of the college. Please note any potentially underserved student populations and discuss ideas for closing this potential inequity.

V. Student Success

1. Course Completion
   (Instruction/Help Text)

   Please visit the PUR Student Outcomes Dashboard. Institutional Research will update this dashboard annually so that you can continue to follow the data sets after the PUR.

   • Select your department or program from the drop-down menu.
   • You can toggle between the Outcomes: Course Completion Rates and Outcomes: Awards and Transfer tabs at the top to see various data sets.
   • Please analyze the default settings to start.
   • Use the drop-down menus to examine more disaggregated data sets. Include a screenshot of the data to accompany your discussion.

   (Question)

   Please describe any substantial trends or shifts that you see in overall course completion rate and successful completion (C or better). What might these trends or shifts mean? Discuss any factors that could have led to these trends or shifts in the data. Next, disaggregate the data by student demographics. Discuss any potential equity gaps and ideas for closing these gaps. An educational equity gap is where there is a significant and persistent disparity in access or achievement between different groups of students.

2. Graduation and Transfer
   Please discuss any trends or shifts that you see in the number of graduates and graduates who have transferred in the past 5 years. Next, disaggregate the data by student demographics, and discuss any potential equity gaps and ideas for closing these gaps. To whom were they awarded in relation to this disaggregated data? How does this compare to the overall student population in the program? Do graduates resemble the broader student population? If not, what are we doing to change that?

VI. Resources

1. Faculty Achievement
   Describe the program/unit's full-time (FT) faculty credentials, experience, and highlights of significant activities and/or contributions to TMCC. Please use the format below for each FT faculty member.
   • Faculty Name, FTE
   • Degree(s) or professional certification(s) awarded, discipline, awarding institution
   • Substantial accomplishments or contributions to the community, especially those related to education or your discipline (e.g. mentoring, community service) (please limit to 3)
   • Number of years teaching at TMCC
   • Total number of years in academia
   • Primary courses taught
   • Significant activities or contributions made to TMCC (Please limit to 3)
2. FT/PT Faculty and Student Credit Hours Taught
   (Instructions/Help Text)

   Please visit the PUR Faculty Workload Dashboard. Institutional Research will update this dashboard annually so that you can continue to follow the data sets after the PUR.

   • Select your department or program from the drop-down menu.
   • Please analyze the default setting of “fall” to start.
   • You may use the drop-down menus to examine the spring semester. If you describe any trends in these more specific data, please include a screenshot of the data to accompany your discussion.

   (Question)

   Describe the trends or shifts in the number of full-time (FT) and part-time (PT) faculty, and the number of student credit hours (SCH) taught by FT and PT faculty since the last program/unit review. What Impact, if any, have these trends or shifts had on the program/unit?

3. Support Staff
   Describe the program/unit's support staff, including their FTE, major duties, and any specialized credentials necessary to carry out their duties. Is the number of staff adequate to support the program/unit? Explain.
4. Facilities and Technology
   Describe the facilities and technology used by the program/unit, and discuss any unique requirements. These may include labs, studios, off-campus sites, computer classrooms, specialized equipment, etc. Are program/unit facilities and technology adequate to support the program? Explain.

VII. Future Directions

1. Five-Year Plan
   Using your analyses from previous sections, develop a 5-year plan for the program(s). Include an estimated timeline of goal completion. Please address the following questions:
   • Using the most significant curriculum and assessment-driven findings, and considering any internal or external factors anticipated to impact your program, discuss strategies to sustain or improve student learning. This may also include deactivating existing or introducing new courses or programs to meet student and/or Industry demand.
   • After considering the most significant enrollment findings, and any internal or external factors anticipated to impact future enrollment, discuss strategies, if needed, to improve enrollment or address these factors. These may include, more efficient scheduling, streamlining pathways to completion, outreach to underserved students, etc.
   • With respect to course pass rate, graduation, and transfer, discuss strategies to enhance student success. These may include curriculum changes, streamlining pathways to completion, Improving advising, mentoring, and retention efforts, etc. Address any equity gaps. How does the department or unit plan to improve degree/certificate completion and/or course completion if the department or unit does not offer any degrees/certificates?
   • Considering the above strategies, what are the major goals that the department/unit hopes to accomplish in the next 5 years? How does the department or unit plan align with the Academic Affairs Strategic Plan or the College's Strategic Master Plan? Include an estimated timeline of goal completion.

VIII. Resource Requests

For each request, please indicate whether the request is for an additional faculty and/or staff position, capital improvements (facilities), technology or specialized instructional resources, or professional development and address the following items:

• Request (Additional faculty/staff, capital improvements, technology or other specialized instructional resources, or professional development)
• Estimated time to hire or time the request will be made
• Projected measurable outcomes: What does the program hope to introduce, develop, improve, enhance, accomplish, etc. as a result of the request? Which PLOs and/or student success metrics does the department hope to improve as a result of the request?
• Alignment to the Academic Affairs and College's Strategic Plan

PUR Self-Study Schedule

Glossary

APR: Annual Progress Report. Faculty submit annual updates on the self-study recommendations made by the Academic Standards and Assessment Committee, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and President for programs/units on the APR document.

ASA: Academic Standards and Assessment Committee (formerly the Student Learning Outcomes & Assessment Committee, or SLOA). The Faculty Senate standing committee who, among other duties, assumes the responsibility of program/unit review in collaboration with the Assessment and Planning Office.

BOR: Board of Regents. Much like a corporate board of directors, Nevada's Board of Regents governs the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). Elected to serve a six-year term, the 13 Regents set policies and approve budgets for Nevada's entire public system of higher education: four community colleges, one state college, two universities and one research institute.

CAR: Course Assessment Report. A CAR describes methods of student learning outcomes assessment, assessment results, and use of the results for improving student learning. Faculty submit annual CARs according to the 5-year assessment cycle established by the department or unit in their most recent Program/Unit Review.

CRC: Curriculum Review Committee (formerly Curriculum, Assessment & Programs, or CAP). The Faculty Senate Standing Committee, that among other duties, reviews student learning outcomes for submitted courses.

Department: A formally recognized academic organization within a division. It will include at least one program or discipline. The Physical Sciences Department, for example, includes the Chemistry, Engineering, Geography, Geology and Physics disciplines.

Discipline: A sequence of related courses using one prefix, which do not lead directly to an academic credential in, and of themselves. Core Humanities is an example.

Instructional Unit: Defined by departments or programs or disciplines as constituting a logical organization of courses and/or programs.

Program: An academic organization that offers at least one formal academic credential (AA, AS, AAS, AGS, Certificate of Achievement, Skills Certificate). A program may be part of a larger department, such as the Engineering Program in the Physical Sciences Department, or operate independently such as Dental Hygiene.

PUR: Program/Unit Review. The PUR is a central component of the integrated assessment/planning process at TMCC. Every program/unit in the College completes a comprehensive self-study on a five-year cycle. The self-study combines self-examination and the use of data to produce an integrated, strategic approach to ongoing instructional development and improvement.

SLO: Student Learning Outcomes. Identified knowledge, abilities, or skills that we want students to have acquired upon completion of course or program. We determine whether students have acquired these outcomes through assessment of SLOs.