Academic Program Review
EWU’s academic program review is a multi-year process designed to evaluate our array of academic offerings to ensure they align with student demand and the regional need for graduates. The process includes examining a number of data points for potential efficiencies, as well as gathering feedback from across campus and the community to inform the analysis. All programs will be participating to ensure a fair and equitable process as we adapt to a changing environment.
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), EWU’s institutional accrediting body, requires that all academic programs be reviewed on a regular basis.
Academic program review is designed to achieve the following:
- Accountability to students, faculty, staff, and the public-at-large
- An evaluation of the program’s strengths and challenges conducted by the following:
- Faculty in the program
- The Program Review Committee
- An external reviewer (i.e., a scholar in the discipline from another university)
- Program improvement
- Generation of data to inform decisions about the program, faculty, and students
- Curricular revitalization
- Planning
2023-2024 Updates
Programs being submitted for Program Review & Discontinuance
February 22, 2024
In January 2023, the University launched a Strategic Resource Allocation (SRA) initiative to evaluate academic programs and University services that may required additional resources, need transformation, are adequately resourced, or are over resourced. On December 6, 2023, the Academic Programs Task Force, hereinafter referred to as APTF, provided a written report at the conclusion of the Strategic Resource Allocation (SRA). That report served as a launchpad “to identify how investments were warranted and where efficiencies could be explored” (APTF Executive Summary). The campus community provided feedback to the APTF report up through January 16, 2024. Upon agreement between the UFE and EWU, my initial response to the APTF report was distributed to campus on January 26, 2024, without any final decisions. The Departments/Programs, alongside the College Dean, reviewed the recommendations and considered revisions to the curriculum and/or programs.
Following the release of my initial response to the APTF report, programs were encouraged to work with their deans to either adopt the recommended curricular changes or provide acceptable alternatives. The rationale for recommended changes to each of the programs below is included in my initial response to the APTF report. The lists below are those programs for which acceptable resolutions were not found in the time allotted. The program review and discontinuance process (per AP 303-35) will provide the time and processes necessary for such resolution, culminating in a recommendation from the PRC. Recommendations may include continuation in some form or discontinuance. It is not expected that every program on the list will be discontinued. Programs that are discontinued will follow the NWCCU teach-out requirements.
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
- BAE in English Education – Secondary
- BA in TCOMM
- Minor in French
- Minor in German
College of Health Science & Public Health
- None
College of Professional Programs
- BA in Educational Studies
- BAE in Early Childhood Education & Special Education
- BAE in Early Childhood Education & Special Education – PK-3rd Grade
- BAE in Elementary Education
- BAE in Literacy, Reading, & Writing – Elementary
- BAE in Literacy, Reading, & Writing – Secondary
- BAE in Dual Endorsement Program in Special Education/Elementary Education
- MEd in Career & Technical Education
- MEd in Career & Technical Education – Admin Cert
- MEd in Library Media
College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
- BAE in Physics – Secondary Major
- BA in Physics
- BS in Physics
- Minor in Physics
- Minor in Physics – Secondary
- BS in Biology with Biotechnology Option
2020 – 2021 Updates
Below are the report and supplemental documents that EAB delivered to EWU administration on October 1, 2020:
- EAB’s written report and analysis (PDF file): Financial Sustainability – EWU Academic Affairs Budget Analysis and Findings – FINAL
- EWU majors analysis (Excel file): EWU Undergraduate Majors Analyzed – FINAL
- EWU majors, institutional value scores (Excel file): EWU Majors-Institutional Value Scores -FINAL
- Faculty workload opportunity/efficiency assessment (Excel file): Faculty Workload Opportunity Assessment-FINAL Anonymized
- Course capacity opportunity/efficiency assessment (Excel file): Course Capacity Opportunity Assessment-FINAL
- EWU tripwire analysis (Excel file): EWU – Tripwire Analysis – 5.1.20
Below is the provost’s proposal for program review and discontinuation, delivered to the Program Review Committee on October 14, 2020:
Proposal for PRD (PDF file): Proposal for PRD
Updates
- Music BME moved from II.A. Program Discontinuation list to II.B. Consolidation and Program Revision list because of high credit requirement (October 16, 2020)
- GWSS BA moved off II.A. Program Discontinuation list because of ongoing consideration of program structure (October 16, 2020)
- Athletic Training MS moved off II.A. Program Discontinuation list to allow time for this new program to develop (November 19, 2020)
- Manufacturing Technology BS moved off II.A. Program Discontinuation list because of discovered error in data related to program name change (January 8, 2021)
October 26, 2020: Report of fall 2020 declared majors, based on 10th-day census data (Excel file): Fall 2020 Majors
May 14, 2021: Provost’s recommendation to the president on program review and discontinuation: Provost’s PRD Recommendation May 2021
June 24, 2021: The EWU Board of Trustees unanimously approved the administration’s Program Review recommendation.
May 19, 2021: President’s recommendation to the Board of Trustees on program review and discontinuation: President’s PRD Recommendation May 2021.
