Academic program review consists of on-going,high quality peer reviews of all the University's academic units and programs offering graduate degrees. The purpose of program review is to foster academic excellence at all levels, to determine how to raise quality to a higher level, and to provide guidance for administrative decisions in support of continual future improvement.

The Provost is responsible for choosing the programs to be reviewed.The schedule of reviews and the specific configuration of units to be reviewed will be set by the Provost in consultation with the appropriate deans. Reviews may focus on individual departments, clusters of departments, schools, or interdisciplinary groups that cut across departmental or school lines. University reviews will occur on a ten-year cycle.

Program review begins with a process leading to the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the unit to be reviewed,the appropriate dean(s), and the Provost. The MOU will include: the charge to the Review Committee; issues that the Provost, the Dean and the school or unit have identified as questions of particular importance for the unit under review; the composition of the Review Committee; and the time frame for the review.

The University Committee on Academic Review (UCAR) oversees the process of academic program review. UCAR is a permanent, standing university committee, consisting of two groups: the UCAR Executive Committee and members of UCAR Panel. The Executive Committee, consisting of 12-15 members, provides oversight for all reviews, and assesses the reports of the Review Committees before transmitting them to Provost. The UCAR panel serves as a pool of potential Review Committee members from among senior faculty.

Review Committees include a combination of internal and external faculty. Each Review Committee will consist of one or more senior members of the USC faculty and two or more external consultants who are prominent faculty members at the universities.

USC Faculty • Vice President for Academic Planning and Budget
Office of the Provost