The book analyses and evaluates several key community college reform programs that emerged after the Recession of 2008 and as a result of major initiatives in California, New York, Tennessee, Florida, Connecticut and Wisconsin. Because of the economic downturn in the early 21st Century, an already eroding financial base for public higher education…

A good assessment plan combines many direct and indirect measures to validate the collected data. One often controversial assessment measure comes in the form of retention exams. Although assessment retention exams may come with faults, others advocate for their inclusion in program assessment. Objective-based tests may offer insight to…

Universities across the nation have been called upon to provide evidence of student learning through direct means of assessment. Value-added assessment, which aims to document the development of student learning from the beginning of the university experience to the end, has been called "accountability's new frontier" by the American…

Because there is more doubt than ever before about the accomplishments of today's college graduates, the public, employers, often the graduates themselves, and others seek assurance that a program's graduates are competent and qualified. There is now the expectation that accreditation will give them that assurance. Moreover, nearly everyone seeks…

The purpose of this article is to identify key ways in which program review provides information and documentation demonstrating that a community college is effective. This is accomplished through both the program review process (the means by which reviews are conducted) and the product (program review reports and supporting evidence). The various…

This study compares the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) Board of Commissioner and Panel of Accreditation Reviewer understanding of what constitutes student learning outcomes and an effective program evaluation plan with that of campus-based health information technology (HIT) program…

States that accountability has led to an environment where program assessment is central to academic life, since government pressure calls into question the quality and efficiency of higher education. Presents a model of a hierarchy for mass communication program assessment methods and program component review. Concludes that effective assessment…

In 1996, as part of the budget review process, Utah State University questioned the legitimacy of the outdoor recreation program in terms of student use, cost, and its role as part of the university mission. A task force was appointed to determine if the Outdoor Recreation Center should continue. This paper discusses program issues investigated by…

This report presents an analysis of the University's evaluation of its Academic Preparation and Educational Partnership Programs. Three recommendations are made for strengthening the evaluation processes in the future: (1) For academic preparation programs that have scholastic selection criteria, it is recommended that the University strengthen…

Past and current developments in academic program review and future prospects are considered, along with seven myths about the adoption and use of program review in higher education. Antecedents of program review include: the development of specialized study programs, the emergence of regional and specialized accreditation and efforts to assess…

An expanded program review process that includes qualitative, ethnographic, retrospective, and subjective data is described. At the University of Kansas, qualitative indicators were developed and methods were designed to implement them. Reviews were moved from a process of reacting to quantitative self-studies to a procedure that involved:…

Causes contributing to academic program audit and review becoming a means of resource reallocation in higher education are considered, along with principles relevant to its management, and major issues surrounding its development and implementation. The current interest in the audit and review of established academic programs is linked to…

Justifications for academic program review include a need for external accountability, administrative decision-making, and a definition of purpose. An overall coordinating group that will monitor the review, set policy, and bring together all of the diverse operations is needed. Guidelines and standards for the review procedure need to be…

Assessment in higher education is addressed in these proceedings of the 1987 conference of the North East Association for Institutional Research. Papers and authors include: "Assessing the Status of Assessment" (Peter T. Ewell); "Has the Middle Class Been Pressured the Most? Multivariate Analysis of Parental Contributions to Higher…

Academic program review is analyzed in regard to purposes, process, schedule and timing, criteria, and decisions. Attention is also briefly addressed to the organizational entities that oversee the process of state-level program review. The purposes of program review are linked to budgeting decisions, mission delineation, and potential program…