Comprehensive Program Review Process

SUNY mandates program review on a five to seven year cycle for all credit-bearing academic programs which are not programmatically accredited. 

A self-study document is prepared by the department outlining its mission, goals, and assessment of student learning. A self-study template is linked below. This document is the unit’s principal opportunity to provide background information regarding the program under review to the external evaluators and administration.

Once the self-study is complete, the program is then peer-reviewed by an external review team which is comprised of two to three distinguished faculty from other leading, research-intensive universities, who are brought to campus for a two-day visit.

The external evaluators prepare a factually-based evaluative report on the unit that is shared with the department chair, academic dean and vice provosts. These parties meet to discuss the evaluators' report and jointly develop a set of action items.

Eighteen months of the action items meeting, OEE will reach out to departments and ask for comment on each of the action items. The department chair will provide a written update of progress made on each item and submit it to OEE, which will distribute the update to the VPEA, VPUE (where applicable) and academic dean (and/or designee).

Please review the "Program Review process overview" pdf below for more detailed information.

These documents cover both graduate and undergraduate levels. Please omit sections that do not apply to your department/program.

Questions? Please check our Comprehensive Program Review FAQs page.