Comprehensive Program Review
The Policy of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, 03.06.03 Comprehensive Program Review, requires all academic programs to undergo a Comprehensive Program Review at least once every seven years.
Comprehensive Program Review is the key long term review of the quality, productivity, and viability of academic programs at the University of West Georgia.
Purpose
Comprehensive Program Review (CPR) serves as the catalyst for systematic and thoughtful evaluation of an academic program. It is distinctly different from annual assessments of student learning. CPR evaluates the long-term history and sets the long-term plans for an academic program.
Outcomes
It is expected that CPR is a resource neutral process. This analysis should focus on improving outcomes within existing resource constraints, rather than securing new resources. Resource requests are managed through the normal budget and planning processes.
Characteristics
This review focuses on three characteristics of an academic program - quality, viability, and productivity - which are defined below.
Quality
Measures of excellence. Quality indicators may include, but are not limited to, attainment of student learning outcomes, a comparison of program elements relative to internal and external benchmarks, resources, accreditation criteria, relevant external indicators of program success (e.g., license and certification results, placement in graduate schools, job placement, and awards and honors received by the program), and other standards.
Viability
The use of such considerations as available resources, student interest, career opportunities, and contributions to the goals and mission of the institution, University System, and state to determine whether a program should be continued as is or modified (expanded, curtailed, consolidated, or eliminated). Viability considerations are independent of quality measures; i.e., a high quality program could lack viability, or a program in need of considerable improvement could have high viability.
Productivity
The number and contributions of graduates of an academic program and/or the number of students served through service courses in the context of the resources committed to its operation. (Additional measures of productivity might include counts of students who meet their educational goals through the program's offerings, including minors, certificates, or job enhancement, if such goals are part of the program's mission.)
Timing
Each academic program is reviewed at least once every seven years. Programs that do not measure well against the review characteristics (as determined by the Program Faculty, Department Chair, Dean, Senate, Provost, or President) are subject to review at least every 3 years.
Academic Program
All credentialed programs are included in the review cycle including certificates, minors in areas where there is no major, and coherent, identifiable areas of focus such as the core curriculum.
Content
Program reviews will conform to the same form and respond to the same questions. Reviews should use data from the period since the last review.
2026-2027 Timeline:
All Comprehensive Program Review reports, reviews, comments, and responses will be completed and maintained in SharePoint.
| Step | Deadline | Responsible Party | Action Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuesday, September 15, 2026 | Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment (IEA) | Provide programs with access to the CPR templates and supporting materials in SharePoint. |
| 2 | September 15 - November 15, 2026 | Programs | Complete the CPR, including all required sections, supporting data, analysis, and responses. |
| 3 | Monday, November 16, 2026 | Programs | Submit the completed CPR in SharePoint and notify the appropriate Dean's Office that the review is ready for Dean review. |
| 4 | November 16, 202 - January 11, 2027 | Deans | Review each program's CPR for completeness, academic context, findings, recommendations, and areas requiring clarifications. Provide written commentary as appropriate. |
| 5 | Monday, January 11, 2027 | Deans | Complete the Dean's review and notify the appropriate Undergraduate Program Committee (UPC) or Graduate Program Committee (GPC) Chair that the review is ready for committee consideration. |
| 6 | January - March 2027 | Deans / Provost's Office | Schedule and participate in a 30-minute meeting for each program undergoing review. Meetings should include the Program Chair/representative(s), Dean, Provost, AVP for Academics Affairs, and AVP for Faculty Affairs. |
| 7 | January - March 2027 | Program Coordinator, Dean, Provost, AVPs for Academic and Faculty Affairs, other | Conduct the 30-minute spring program meeting to discuss key CPR findings, program strengths, areas of concern, resource or staffing needs, enrollment and student success trends, opportunities for improvement, and priority actions. |
| 8 | Monday, April 5, 2027 | UPC / GPC | Complete the committee review and submit comments and recommendations to the Provost's Office. |
| 9 | April 5 - June 28, 2027 | Provost's Office | Complete the final review and Provost Summary Form, incorporating information from the CPR, Dean review, UPC/GPC review, and spring program meeting, as appropriate. |
| 10 | Monday, June 28, 2027 | Provost's Office | Share the completed final review and Provost Summary Form with the program and the appropriate Dean's Office. |
| 11 | Monday, July 26, 2027 | Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment (IEA) | File all completed CPR materials for permanent record retention in the appropriate Program Files. |
Schedule
Download our 2026-2027 UWG Comprehensive Program Review Schedule (PDF, 54 KB) for more details.