1 Setting the Tone: Strategies for Preparing an Effective Self-Study (4/5) -- Curriculum Commons

1 Setting the Tone: Strategies for Preparing an Effective Self-Study Introduction In this section, you will find orienting information and suggested strategies for beginning a Cyclical Program Review (CPR) self-study as part of the Queen’s University Quality Assurance Process (QUQAP). This section intends to address the question that everyone has at the outset: How do we get started? It’s intended as an initial overview of how to set up for success, particularly in ensuring that your CPR is focused on the academic program, curricular strengths, and future opportunities for continuous improvement. The Self-Study as a Process Engaging in a self-study as part of the CPR, is first and foremost a process. The process results in a product: the self-study report itself, which becomes a resource for your reviewers during the site visit component. The process is intended to be faculty-led and collaborative. It is not something that one or two people from the department can engage in alone. Rather, the process requires collective conversation, input, and reflection. As a process, the self-study has many inputs including: - Dialogue: Conversations between members of the academic program, including faculty, staff, students, and the community - Existing Documentation: such as past QUQAP documents (the program’s previous self-study, final implementation report, subsequent reports), existing documentation about the academic program, its curricular structure, and faculty complement. - Recent Progress and Changes: recent conversations and materials that reflect current or future directions of the academic program (e.g. vision statements, plans for curricular monitoring or change) - Reflection: equally important to dialogue is time for critical reflection. Those involved in producing the self-study will likely need some time to reflect, write, and provide feedback as the self-study process is engaged. Many inputs come from collective conversation between members of the program itself: program leaders and administrators, faculty, and students. However, some inputs come from the various support units across campus. For example, the Human Rights and Equity Office provides an Equity Report and supports your group in making use of the DEAP Tool so that you not only have access to helpful data and information, you’re also supported by the Office as you use that information to inform parts of your self-study. What is the best way to engage with support units to access and effectively utilize the available data/reports? Each unit does their best to communicate what they do, what information/support they provide, and how this relates to your self-study. Because each unit serves different functions and needs, there is no single way for this engagement to happen. The best way for you to engage is to know who’s involvement you can expect. Here’s an overview: - Human Rights and Equity Office: facilitate programs’ ongoing use of the Diversity and Equity Assessment and Planning