Program Review Policy

Purpose

Academic program review provides quantitative and qualitative information necessary for the decision making and planning that is associated with integrity, innovation, and stewardship through improvement at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC). It is a process that facilitates, in part, the opportunity for students to experience programs rooted in academic achievement and student success.

Academic program review is connected to the following essential structures at FDLTCC:

  • Accreditation and Compliance
    The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), FDLTCC’s regional accrediting body, and the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC), FDLTCC’s accrediting body for indigenous programming, require evidence of regular academic program review to meet the goals of accreditation. Minnesota State Board of Trustees’ policy 3.36 requires academic programs be reviewed and results used for improvement purposes. Academic program review helps to ensure FDLTCC’s compliance with tribal, state, and federal standards.
  • Student Success Planning
    The use of program-specific data, coupled with regional and institutional information, promote strategic academic planning, focuses professional development objectives, encourages informed outreach, and helps determine future directions.
  • Budget Development
    Instructional budgets are informed by the contents of academic program review. Academic program review content helps align budgeting with program needs, from staffing to equipment/technology to marketing.

 

Program Review Criteria

  • The program will demonstrate consistency with the institutional mission and plans of FDLTCC.
  • The program will demonstrate it is meeting its own mission and outcomes.
  • Performance measures will include but not be limited to:
  • The program’s goals and outcomes, including the assessment of student learning
    • Retention rates
    • Transfer rates
    • Completion rates
    • Job placement, if applicable
    • Performance rates on mandatory professional competency assessments, if applicable
    • Additional performance data as deemed pertinent by the program
  •  The program will address the resources and benefits it brings to the college, including but not limited to:
    • Student academic success
    • Enrollment
    • Affiliations beneficial to the college and its students
    • Professional expertise of the program’s faculty
  •  The program will review its financial health including:
    • Income (tuition, grants, donated equipment, etc.)
    • Expenditures
    • Student enrollment (FYE)
  •  The program will provide input from industry through its advisory committee activity.
  • The program will provide relevant labor market information (LMI).
  • The program will demonstrate it meets applicable system policies, procedures and guidelines including:
    • Degree requirements
    • Minnesota Transfer Curriculum requirements
    • Articulation agreements, as appropriate
    • Other factors as appropriate
  •  The program will meet all applicable requirements of tribal, state, and federal law.

 

Program Review Process

All programs will be reviewed on a three-year basis, one year prior to FDLTCC’s cycle of regional accreditation visits, with annual data reviews in the intervening years. The review process will include the office of institutional research, program coordinators, the general faculty through the Academic Affairs and Standards Council (AASC), and the offices of the vice president of academic affairs and the president.

Each program coordinator will receive a write-able electronic comprehensive review packet consisting of the data points outlined in the Program Review Criteria and narrative space to address the primary components of the review by August 15th of each comprehensive review cycle.

No later than December 1st of fall semester, program coordinators will submit final comprehensive review documents to the vice president of academic affairs for distribution to the Academic Affairs and Standards Council (AASC). The documents will be treated according to the established process for curriculum review and approval, which includes presentation of the materials by the program coordinator.

The discussion and findings of the council will then be provided to the president of FDLTCC for final action no later than March 15th.

Programs and AASC will be notified of final decisions no later than April 30th.

As part or in the course of the review, program coordinators are encouraged to seek input from students, program advisory committee members, and professional sources external to FDLTCC. Any additional input should be included with the final comprehensive review document.

Final comprehensive review documents will be maintained by the faculty secretary in accordance with the process established in the AASC.

Timeline

The following timeline will be used in three-year iterations for the comprehensive academic program review process.

  • By August 15th:
    IR provides data and forms to program coordinators
  • By December 1st:
    Programs provide completed review to VPAA who forwards documents to AASC
  • By March 15th:
    AASC completes evaluations and submits decisions to president
  • By April 15th:
    President reviews evaluations and provides final decisions
  • By April 30th:
    Programs and AASC notified of final decisions
Testimonials
I chose FDLTCC because of its size and the curriculum. When I first came here in 2019, I was just looking for what I needed to volunteer, perhaps in a crisis shelter. I met with Don Jarvinen, and the rest is history.
It is awesome here at the FDLTCC Education Program because it is like a family here, if you need help or are struggling with anything, you have quite a few people who will help you out.
My favorite thing about FDLTCC is the people. I’ve met fantastic students, faculty and staff who go above and beyond what I expected.