Skip to main content
Close
A-Z
Quick Links

Salt Lake Community College Instructional Program Review

Purpose

In accordance with the Utah Board of Higher Education Policy R411 and Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Standards all instructional programs are reviewed periodically to improve educational quality. Program review recommendations will focus on the quality and effectiveness of the program, including degrees and certificate programs, and plan for the next 5-years.

Responsibility

With oversight and direction from the Dean, Associate Deans/Chairs and qualified teaching faculty have primary responsibility for reviewing existing programs. The Office of the Provost coordinates the process and supports departments as needed. The SLCC Board of Trustees and USHE Board of Higher Education oversee the process.

Instructional Program Review is currently suspended for the 2023-24 academic year.

During the 2023 spring legislative session, a bill (SB146) was approved to amend the governance of Higher Education and “Periodic Review of Programs” was a part of that bill. The Utah Board of Higher Education (governing body of USHE), with the support of the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) are working on the implementation of periodic review of programs and other parts per the new state statute.

The changes to periodic review of programs are - the Board shall conduct:

  1. a review of each program of instruction at each institution at least every 7 years (SLCC Instructional Program Review), and
  2. an annual qualitative and quantitative review of academic disciplines across the system, including enrollment, graduation rates, and workforce placement.

The best news is these are practices in which we are all engaged in the past, present, and prepared to meet for the future. At SLCC, specific to each:

  1. Instructional Program Review is suspended for this academic year while the Commissioner’s Office develops the structure and supports for each USHE degree granting institution (DGI).
  2. Program Prioritization will continue into its second official year in an expanded capacity to include our shared governance curriculum committees. How that will be done is forming and will be shared in those committees in their first meetings of the year for further discussion and input. Prioritization is all about assessing our credentials in disciplines to ensure we are serving our students to meet the transfer and workplace needs of our service area. It is a way to look at learning achievement to determine which credentials should be created (new), supported (in specific ways), kept, or discontinued more frequently than instructional program review.