The External Reviewer

Role

The role of the external reviewer is to review and analyze the self-study as well as conduct interviews during the site visit in order to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the degree programs and identify strategies for quality improvement. The reviewer is asked to consider national trends in the discipline in determining how the program fares in comparison to aspirational and comparable programs. The external reviewer synthesizes findings into a final report that forms the basis for later stages of the QER process.

Qualifications

External reviewers should have national and/or international standing in their respective academic discipline. They should also have broad enough experience in higher education to understand the dynamics of public research-intensive universities and should represent high-quality degree programs. In addition, external reviewers should be independent of the University in order to ensure the objectivity of the report and the credibility of the process. Ideally, reviewers will be senior faculty from a public Association of American Universities (AAU) institution and have significant administrative, curricular, and program-review experience.

In the submission of candidates to be considered for external reviewers, the program chair must disclose all known affiliations between the proposed reviewer, Florida State University, and any of the program faculty (i.e., nature of the relationship, any potential conflicts of interest). It is expected that individuals within the same academic discipline will know one another and may have possibly worked together; nonetheless, the program chair must disclose this information at the time of the submission of names for consideration.

				Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Quality Enhancement Reviews



	QER General Information Purpose and Overview Process Guidelines Seven-Year Cycle Schedule Contact List Due Dates and Deadlines QER Schedule—Fall 2008 (Excel download) QER Schedule—Spring 2009 (Excel download) External Reviewer Information Role and Qualifications Steps in Identifying and Engaging External Reviewers Sample Engagement Letter Sample Site Visit Schedule Sample External Reviewer's Report format Self-Study Questions and Documentation CURRENT Self-Study Questions* PROPOSED Self-Study Questions* Supporting Documentation: Sources Unit Accomplishment Summary Instructions Unit Accomplishment Summary Spreadsheets (Excel download) Faculty SUSSAI Scores Spreadsheet (Excel download) Faculty SUSSAI Scores SAMPLE Spreadsheet (Excel download) Graduate Policy Committee (GPC) Review Process Florida Board of Governor's Process Frequently Asked Questions QER Guidelines and Procedures Manual (PDF download) *Self-Study Questions: Fall 2008 reviews may either use the current or proposed self-study questions. Spring 2009 reviews must use the proposed self-study questions.			The External Reviewer Role The role of the external reviewer is to review and analyze the self-study as well as conduct interviews during the site visit in order to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the degree programs and identify strategies for quality improvement. The reviewer is asked to consider national trends in the discipline in determining how the program fares in comparison to aspirational and comparable programs. The external reviewer synthesizes findings into a final report that forms the basis for later stages of the QER process. Qualifications External reviewers should have national and/or international standing in their respective academic discipline. They should also have broad enough experience in higher education to understand the dynamics of public research-intensive universities and should represent high-quality degree programs. In addition, external reviewers should be independent of the University in order to ensure the objectivity of the report and the credibility of the process. Ideally, reviewers will be senior faculty from a public Association of American Universities (AAU) institution and have significant administrative, curricular, and program-review experience. In the submission of candidates to be considered for external reviewers, the program chair must disclose all known affiliations between the proposed reviewer, Florida State University, and any of the program faculty (i.e., nature of the relationship, any potential conflicts of interest). It is expected that individuals within the same academic discipline will know one another and may have possibly worked together; nonetheless, the program chair must disclose this information at the time of the submission of names for consideration.