Process Guidelines

An annual informational meeting is conducted with all deans, department chairs, and directors undergoing review (semester of review or before).
The Office of Institutional Research within the Office of Budget and Analysis provides departments/programs under review with profiles of their performance on key measures. Sponsored Research Services within the Office of the Vice President for Research provides relevant information on departmental/program contracts and grants for each review.
Departments/programs, in consultation with the relevant academic dean, nominate external reviewers and submit the nominations to the Dean of the Faculties' office for review and approval by the Provost. The nominations must also disclose all affiliations between the proposed reviewer, Florida State University, and any of the program faculty.
Each department prepares self-study documents, including an updated Unit Accomplishment Summary and a summary of teaching evaluations.
Departments/programs arrange with the Dean of the Faculties' office for external reviewers' site visits and schedule them.
(a) Each department/program submits sixteen copies of the Departmental Self Study and Unit Accomplishment Summary in written form and one electronic copy in PDF format to Maggi Vanos-Wilson (mvanos@fsu.edu), Office of the Provost, before August 29 (for fall reviews) or December 14 (for spring reviews) but at least two weeks before the external reviewer site visit.

(b) The Office of the Provost distributes copies of the report as follows: Office of the Vice President for Planning and Programs (2 copies), Office of the Provost (2 copies), Office of Institutional Research (1 copy), Office of Graduate Studies/GPC (7 copies), external reviewer (1 copy), Dean of the Faculties' Office (2 copies), and academic dean (1 copy).

(c) The department/program should retain a copy for its records.

(d) Full-length faculty vitae should be kept at the departmental/program level for use by the external reviewer, and should also be uploaded to https://netprod.oti.fsu.edu/vitamanagement (requires Blackboard login). The faculty vita management system is a web-based system that provides a central collection point for FSU faculty vitas.
The external reviewer conducts the onsite visit.
The external reviewer submits a copy of the site visit report to the Office of the Provost within two weeks of the visit (as per their engagement letter). The report of the external reviewer is distributed to: Vice President for Planning and Programs, Chair of the Graduate Policy Committee, Chair of the Undergraduate Policy Committee, Dean of the Faculties and Deputy Provost, Dean of Graduate Studies, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, and other administrative and faculty representatives monitoring the process.
The GPC Subcommittee conducts its review (which includes meetings of the subcommittee with faculty and graduate students). The GPC review may coincide with that of the external reviewer. The GPC reviews its subcommittee's report and makes final recommendations.
A preliminary review meeting is scheduled with the dean, department chair, and the Vice President for Planning and Programs. This meeting is an opportunity to go over questions or issues that occur after reading the self-study and the external reviewer's report. It is also intended to discuss the format and schedule of the full Unit Review meeting. This is an informal meeting, i.e., no presentation is needed.
A full Unit Review meeting involves all departmental faculty, the academic dean, a GPC review committee representative, Dean of the Faculties, Dean of Graduate Studies, Associate Vice President for Research, key administrative representatives, and the Vice President for Planning and Programs. At the Unit Review meeting, the Vice President for Planning and Programs summarizes the purpose of the review and provides a context for review. The department chair presents an overview or executive summary of the self-study lasting 15-20 minutes, using overheads or PowerPoint. The presentation should include: enrollment trends in the degree programs, research productivity, perspectives on the program's rank relative to programs in comparable and aspirational institutions, current and future challenges and plans, and a commentary on the external reviewer's report. The academic dean will offer remarks on the status and condition of the department/program and the college. All participants have the opportunity to discuss the QER; raise issues relating to the department, college, and/or university; and other areas of interest or concern.

Departmental faculty includes those faculty involved in the academic program. In general, interdisciplinary programs should include core faculty.

Following the unit review meeting, the academic dean analyzes the reports and synthesizes them into an action plan, then submits an electronic copy to the Office of the Provost. The Office of the Provost distributes the plan to Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Dean of Graduate Studies, Associate Vice President for Research, Associate Vice President for Academic Support, Dean of the Faculties and Deputy Provost, and key administrative and faculty representatives.
The dean reviews and discusses the action plan with the Vice President for Planning and Programs, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Dean of Graduate Studies, Associate Vice President for Research, Associate Vice President for Academic Support, Dean of the Faculties and Deputy Provost, and key administrative representatives.
The Vice President for Planning and Programs analyzes the dean's action plan and any feedback obtained regarding the dean's plan, and makes recommendations to the Provost. In addition, the Vice President for Planning and Programs prepares the program review summary report to be submitted to the Florida Board of Governors.
The Provost evaluates the dean's action plans and makes budgetary, planning, and performance assessments against these plans.
The University Budget Office submits summary reports for each reviewed program to the FBOG.
The Vice President for Planning and Programs conducts a review of the dean's action plan and the Provost's recommendations two years following the Provost's action. The GPC reviews progress on its recommendations two years following full committee action.

				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.			Process Guidelines An annual informational meeting is conducted with all deans, department chairs, and directors undergoing review (semester of review or before). The Office of Institutional Research within the Office of Budget and Analysis provides departments/programs under review with profiles of their performance on key measures. Sponsored Research Services within the Office of the Vice President for Research provides relevant information on departmental/program contracts and grants for each review. Departments/programs, in consultation with the relevant academic dean, nominate external reviewers and submit the nominations to the Dean of the Faculties' office for review and approval by the Provost. The nominations must also disclose all affiliations between the proposed reviewer, Florida State University, and any of the program faculty. Each department prepares self-study documents, including an updated Unit Accomplishment Summary and a summary of teaching evaluations. Departments/programs arrange with the Dean of the Faculties' office for external reviewers' site visits and schedule them. (a) Each department/program submits sixteen copies of the Departmental Self Study and Unit Accomplishment Summary in written form and one electronic copy in PDF format to Maggi Vanos-Wilson (mvanos@fsu.edu), Office of the Provost, before August 29 (for fall reviews) or December 14 (for spring reviews) but at least two weeks before the external reviewer site visit. (b) The Office of the Provost distributes copies of the report as follows: Office of the Vice President for Planning and Programs (2 copies), Office of the Provost (2 copies), Office of Institutional Research (1 copy), Office of Graduate Studies/GPC (7 copies), external reviewer (1 copy), Dean of the Faculties' Office (2 copies), and academic dean (1 copy). (c) The department/program should retain a copy for its records. (d) Full-length faculty vitae should be kept at the departmental/program level for use by the external reviewer, and should also be uploaded to https://netprod.oti.fsu.edu/vitamanagement (requires Blackboard login). The faculty vita management system is a web-based system that provides a central collection point for FSU faculty vitas. The external reviewer conducts the onsite visit. The external reviewer submits a copy of the site visit report to the Office of the Provost within two weeks of the visit (as per their engagement letter). The report of the external reviewer is distributed to: Vice President for Planning and Programs, Chair of the Graduate Policy Committee, Chair of the Undergraduate Policy Committee, Dean of the Faculties and Deputy Provost, Dean of Graduate Studies, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, and other administrative and faculty representatives monitoring the process. The GPC Subcommittee conducts its review (which includes meetings of the subcommittee with faculty and graduate students). The GPC review may coincide with that of the external reviewer. The GPC reviews its subcommittee's report and makes final recommendations. A preliminary review meeting is scheduled with the dean, department chair, and the Vice President for Planning and Programs. This meeting is an opportunity to go over questions or issues that occur after reading the self-study and the external reviewer's report. It is also intended to discuss the format and schedule of the full Unit Review meeting. This is an informal meeting, i.e., no presentation is needed. A full Unit Review meeting involves all departmental faculty, the academic dean, a GPC review committee representative, Dean of the Faculties, Dean of Graduate Studies, Associate Vice President for Research, key administrative representatives, and the Vice President for Planning and Programs. At the Unit Review meeting, the Vice President for Planning and Programs summarizes the purpose of the review and provides a context for review. The department chair presents an overview or executive summary of the self-study lasting 15-20 minutes, using overheads or PowerPoint. The presentation should include: enrollment trends in the degree programs, research productivity, perspectives on the program's rank relative to programs in comparable and aspirational institutions, current and future challenges and plans, and a commentary on the external reviewer's report. The academic dean will offer remarks on the status and condition of the department/program and the college. All participants have the opportunity to discuss the QER; raise issues relating to the department, college, and/or university; and other areas of interest or concern. Departmental faculty includes those faculty involved in the academic program. In general, interdisciplinary programs should include core faculty. Following the unit review meeting, the academic dean analyzes the reports and synthesizes them into an action plan, then submits an electronic copy to the Office of the Provost. The Office of the Provost distributes the plan to Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Dean of Graduate Studies, Associate Vice President for Research, Associate Vice President for Academic Support, Dean of the Faculties and Deputy Provost, and key administrative and faculty representatives. The dean reviews and discusses the action plan with the Vice President for Planning and Programs, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Dean of Graduate Studies, Associate Vice President for Research, Associate Vice President for Academic Support, Dean of the Faculties and Deputy Provost, and key administrative representatives. The Vice President for Planning and Programs analyzes the dean's action plan and any feedback obtained regarding the dean's plan, and makes recommendations to the Provost. In addition, the Vice President for Planning and Programs prepares the program review summary report to be submitted to the Florida Board of Governors. The Provost evaluates the dean's action plans and makes budgetary, planning, and performance assessments against these plans. The University Budget Office submits summary reports for each reviewed program to the FBOG. The Vice President for Planning and Programs conducts a review of the dean's action plan and the Provost's recommendations two years following the Provost's action. The GPC reviews progress on its recommendations two years following full committee action.