Program Reviews Strengthen Texas A&M's Academic Excellence
To ensure the highest level of academic programming and continuous improvement at Texas A&M, large-scale Academic Program Reviews are conducted on a regular basis.
Coordinated by the Office of Academic Effectiveness and Planning in the Division of Academic Affairs, these reviews are part of a 10-year review cycle required of the State of Texas. The year-long process, driven largely by the expertise of the faculty and department heads, is an opportunity to facilitate meaningful improvements and ensure alignment with the evolving priorities of the university, colleges, departments and programs.
Over 100 programs and 477 degree offerings have completed this comprehensive review process in the last decade, including 10 programs and 55 degrees this academic year alone.
The process begins with a faculty-led self-study examining each program’s curriculums, student characteristics, faculty expertise, leadership and most importantly its mission and goals. In this self-study, department heads and faculty work to review data, evaluate the program and explain the program’s strengths and areas for improvement.
Following the self-study, an out-of-state external review team of three to four leading experts in the program’s academic field visits the campus to evaluate the program. This team tours the program’s facilities and meets with the university provost, executive leadership, program leadership, faculty, department heads and students.
The external team conducts a comprehensive evaluation of the program, comparing it to peer institutions, assessing its alignment with the university's strategic goals and provides recommendations for improvement. In response, department heads and faculty develop an improvement plan and implement the changes to strengthen their programs.
The process includes five supplemental reports, including a status report developed by the program's leadership approximately one year after the program review detailing the steps taken and the progress made by the department.
These reviews are an important tool for sustaining academic quality. By engaging in these evaluations, we ensure our academic programs continue to meet the highest standards of excellence.
