Calendar

Academic Program Review Calendar

Academic Program Reviews are generally conducted on an academic unit basis. Typically, all academic programs offered by an academic unit are reviewed at the same time. Each academic unit normally conducts a program review for all of its programs every ten years because the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) requires all graduate programs to be reviewed in a set cycle. The Academic Program Review Calendar (.docx) for review of programs by academic unit was established and submitted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board at the beginning of the ten-year period. 

Any department/school not able to fulfill the requirements of the Academic Program Review process as scheduled will prepare a formal request for delay with clear justification by September 1 of the year prior to the scheduled review. The college dean will submit the request to the associate vice president for Academic Affairs who will confer with the provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. The provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs will subsequently forward acceptable requests to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Academic Program Review Timeline

The Academic Program Review process begins with an orientation for academic units the academic year prior to the scheduled review year. For example, a unit scheduled to complete their Academic Program Review in 2024-2025 would attend the orientation for the review process in fall of 2023.

The year prior to the scheduled review year, the assistant vice provost for Program Accreditation and Assessment consults with the college deans and chairs/directors regarding the Academic Program Review Calendar. At this time, departments/schools are encouraged to identify the person who will chair the Program Self-Review process and forward the chair's name to the assistant vice provost for Program Accreditation and Assessment. In October of that year, the assistant vice provost for Program Accreditation and Assessment will conduct an orientation to the Academic Program Review process for chairs/directors and appointed chairs of Program Review Teams scheduled for the subsequent academic year. Expectations, guidelines, and timelines as well as information required to prepare the Program Self-Review Report will be discussed.

Because program accreditation is valued at Texas State, academic units offering undergraduate or master's programs with Department of Education (DOE) or Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognized external program accreditation may follow a different timeline than academic units without external program accreditation or with doctoral programs.

The Academic Program Review Checklists, described below, enable academic units to identify procedures with approximate due dates. The checklist also provides a quick reference to specific procedures as outlined in the official Policy and Procedure Statements.

Timeline for Doctoral Programs or Programs without Recognized External Program Accreditation

Academic Program Review Checklist (Two Year Timeframe) (.docx)

For doctoral programs or programs without DOE- or CHEA-recognized programmatic accreditation, the entire Academic Program Review process is ordinarily spread out over two years and must be completed by May 1st of scheduled review year. As in the previous example, the unit's Program Self-Review Report, the Program Review Team Report, and the Response and Action Plan must be completed by May 1, 2025.

The department/school ordinarily spends fall of year 1 organizing the Program Self-Review process while they spend spring of year 1 drafting and vetting the Program Self-Review Report. During the summer of year 1 the Program Self-Review Report is edited and finalized before arrangements are made for the Program Review Team site visit. Typically, the department/school hosts the Program Review Team site visit in fall of year 2 and spends spring of year 2 on developing their response and action plan.

Timeline for Undergraduate and Master's Programs with Recognized External Program Accreditation

Academic Program Review Checklist (One Year Time-frame).docx

For undergraduate and master's programs with DOE- or CHEA-recognized programmatic accreditation, the entire Academic Program Review process is ordinarily completed in the year following the accreditation review and must be completed by May 1st of scheduled review year. As in the previous example, the unit's Program Self-Review Report, the Program Review Team Report, and the Response and Action Plan must be completed by May 1, 2025.

The department/school ordinarily spends the fall organizing, drafting and vetting the Program Self-Review Report. During the fall the Program Self-Review Report is also edited and finalized before arrangements are made for the external Program Review. Because the department/school usually hosted an accreditation review team site visit, a reviewer is typically selected from the group of previous accreditation reviewers to complete a desk review, voiding the need for a separate site visit. The desk review is completed early spring and the academic unit's Response and Action Plan are completed by May 1st.