Academic Program Review (APR)

Program reviews are the primary means by which the university evaluates the effectiveness of its units in teaching, research/creative activity, and service. The campus administration participates in the reviews and treats the process and the outcomes very seriously. Documents from the reviews, including the self-study, reviewers’ reports, and follow-up discussions, are archived in the Office of the Provost and referred to frequently. Progress toward goals is evaluated with a Mid-Cycle Review (MCR). Program reviews primarily examine 12 program dimensions.

 

Tools:

• 8 Step APR Timeline – If my chosen review dates are September 18-20, here’s my timeline. Form – 8 Step APR Timeline.
• For your reference, here is a 2023 Self-Study Template and a model self-study. The final self-study will be created in the HelioCampus platform. At mid-cycle, departments submit an update report that highlights progress toward goals and changes in the department since the last review. This report has no template, though we can share a model update report.
• Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) checklists for baccalaureate and graduate programs are completed by external reviewers during the review. Note: Checklists items are based on the state’s Quality Assurance Funding standards, which are reexamined every five years (current cycle, 2020-2025).
• 12 Program Dimensions – Scope of the review team report; includes sources of evidence

 

2023-2024 Program Reviews

(jump to 2024-2025 Program Reviews)

Full Review – Academic Unit	Current Status
Department of English Reviewers:  Karin Westman, Kansas State University Emma Lipton, University of Missouri Luis Cano, World Languages and Cultures, UT Knoxville	Review team visit concluded; report due by Apr 1.
Department of Animal Science Reviewers: Francis Fluharty, University of Georgia Richard Coffey, Oklahoma State Chris Boyer, Agricultural Economics, UT Knoxville	Review team visit March 4-6, 2024.
School of Natural Resources Reviewers: Donald Grebner, Mississippi State University Robert Swihart, Purdue University Charles Sims, Department of Economics, UT Knoxville	Review team visit March 25-27, 2024.
Department of Mathematics Reviewers: Ambar Sengupta, University of Connecticut Peter Olver, University of Minnesota Tony Mezzacappa, Department of Physics, UT Knoxville	Review team visit April 1-3, 2024.
Department of Life Sciences Reviewers: Shin-Han Shiu, Michigan State University John Heidelberg, University of Southern California Chunlei Su, Department of Microbiology, UT Knoxville	Review team visit April 8-10, 2024.
Department of Child and Family Studies Reviewers: Ming Cui, Florida State University Michelle Toews, Kansas State University Jessica Hay, Department of Psychology, UT Knoxville	Review team visit April 15-14, 2024.
Mid-Cycle Review – Academic Unit
Agricultural and Resource Economics Reviewers: Barry Barnett, University of Kentucky Steven Deller, University of Wisconsin Christopher Stripling, Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication, UT Knoxville	Review process complete.
Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Reviewers: Cindy Carlson, The University of Texas at Austin Don Rojas, Colorado State University Courtney Cronley, College of Social Work, UT Knoxville	Department response received. Follow-up meeting held; 1-page summary due by April 1.
Department of Chemistry Reviewers: Jonathan Amster, University of Georgia Jim Tanko, Virginia Tech Jen Schweitzer, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, UT Knoxville	Review process complete.

2024-2025 Program Reviews

Academic Program Reviews: Spring 2025
Geography & Sustainability (October 27-29, 2024)	Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science (BESS) (January 5-8, 2025)
Plant Sciences (January 12-15, 2025)	Political Science (January 26-29, 2025)
Ed Leadership & Policy Studies (ELPS) (February 2-5, 2025)	Physics & Astronomy (February 9-12, 2025)
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (February 16-19, 2025)	History (February 23-26, 2025)
Theory & Practice in Teacher Education (March 2-5, 2025)	Nursing (March 9-12, 2025)
Mid-Cycle Reviews: Fall 2024 (Full Review: 2018-2019)
Energy Science & Engineering (September 15-17, 2024)	Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (September 22-24, 2024)
Data Science & Engineering (September 29-October 1, 2024)

2025-2026 Program Reviews

2026-2027 Program Reviews

2027-2028 Program Reviews

2028-2029 Program Reviews

 

Questions about the program review process?  Contact Heather Hartman.