Academic program review at Mount Royal is an integral component of our quality assurance program. Academic program review ensures that all of the ministery approved programs we deliver are of the highest quality. In this regard, Mount Royal has developed a rigorous and thorough policy and supporting procedures for its review of academic programs.
Our policies and procedures for academic program review are based on the best practices provided by the Campus Alberta Quality Council. Specifically, Mount Royal has incorporated the following practices into its review process:
- Reviewing each program offered by MRU every 7 years
- Reviewing the advancement plan before initiation of the next self-study review of the program
- Undertaking a critical self-study review process that incorporates feedback from students, graduates, academic staff, administration, advisory committees, and other identified stakeholders
- The review team is comprised of faculty and administration from the unit responsible for the program and an external team member from outside of the unit
- Focusing on the program's design, program learning outcomes are mapped to the curriculum, including how those outcomes are assessed
- Reviewing student satisfaction, retention, completion rates and employment rates and further education outcomes of graduates
- A self-reflective and evidence-based assessment of the teaching effectiveness of faculty
- Reviewing the scholarly activities of academic staff in the program with scholarship as part of their work, including the currency, quality, and quantity of research grants (internal and external), and their engagement of students in scholarly activity
- Providing a summary of the current understanding of effective teaching and learning practices in the discipline
- Having two qualified external reviewers evaluate the program, meet with campus stakeholders, prepare a report identifying program strengths and weaknesses, and make recommendations for enhancing the quality of the program
- The review is completed within 16-18 months so as not to detract from other important unit work
- Preparing a realistic advancement plan that outlines the steps and processes proposed to improve the program and respond to the external reviewers' recommendations. The advancement plan should also include timelines and the identity of the person(s) accountable for specific actions
- The unit is accountable annually to the dean to provide an update on the progress of the program's advancement plan
- Ensuring the program review meets appropriate institutional academic governance processes