Frequently Asked Questions
administrative program review
General Information
What is Administrative Program Review?
What is the purpose of Administrative Program Review?
How was the program designed?
What are the goals of APR?
What benefits might departments gain from the APR process?
Will all departments participate in APR?
How is a department selected for review?
What departments have already engaged in an APR?
The APR Process
What are the components of an Administrative Program Review?
How long will an Administrative Program Review take?
How important is confidentiality?
The Self-Study
What is an APR self-study?
How does a department prepare for a self-study?
The Self-Study Team
How is a self-study team selected?
When does the review work take place?
What are the specific responsibilities of the members of a self-study team?
What resources are available for a self-study team?
Do all department members contribute to the report?
The External Review
What is an external review?
How does a department benefit from an external review?
How are external reviewers selected?
Who organizes the external review team’s site visit schedule?
What are the specific responsibilities of the members of an external review team?
Who is responsible for the expenses involved with an external review?
More Information
General Information
What is Administrative Program Review (APR)?
APR is a set of activities designed to help managers and employees examine their department’s current operations, make adjustments, and establish plans for continuous improvement. These activities include an internal self-assessment conducted by members of the department, a campus visit by peer experts from other leading universities, the implementation of an action plan for changes based on recommendations from the APR reviews and ongoing monitoring and follow-up.What is the purpose of Administrative Program Review?
APR provides the University with an ongoing process for systematic assessment, planning, and improvements across all administrative departments at Boston College. In doing so, Administrative Program Review, along with the Academic Program Review, supports the mission of BC by helping each department align itself to the University's Strategic Plan. The program benefits each administrative department by providing managers and employees regular opportunities to examine their operations, make adjustments and establish plans for continuous improvements.How was the program designed?
The Administrative Program Review Planning Committee, comprised of representatives from each of the VP administrative areas, worked thoughtfully and carefully for more than a year to develop a program that would fit our BC culture. Departments of program reviews at other universities were researched, to examine existing models and identify best practices. Incorporating some of the best ideas from these schools, the committee designed a cyclical program review process that has the flexibility to accommodate each department's unique role within the University.
The review is managed by the department under review. The Office of Administrative Program Review provides logistical support and training, and helps departments develop methods to measure their success with their internal and external customers.What are the goals of APR?
See the list of goals on the main APR web page.What benefits might departments gain from the APR process?
See the list of benefits on the main APR web page.Will all departments participate in a program review?
All administrative departments will go through an Administrative Program Review. The process is cyclical with each department engaging in a review every seven years. Five to eight departments per year will participate in the process.
The Office of The Provost and Dean of Faculties oversees the Academic Program Reviews for all academic departments. Their process is also cyclical with each department engaging in a review, on average, every five years. Six to eight academic departments per year participate in the academic process.
Both the Administrative Program Review and the Academic Program Review are designed for systematic assessment, planning and improvements across all departments.How is a department selected for review?
Each area VP works with department managers and the Director of Administrative Program Review to set a schedule of review for each of their departments.What departments have already engaged in an APR?
See the Participating Departments page.
The APR Process
What are the components of an Administrative Program Review?
The Administrative Program Review is a 5 step process:
- Preparation and Kick-Off
- Self-Study
- External Review
- Action Plan
- Implementation and Follow-up
After the preparation process, a self-study team will thoroughly review its department and prepare a self study report. A team of external reviewers (experts in the department’s field from outside the University) will visit the department and also prepare a report. These two reports will be examined by a department review team (representatives from the department) and a common set of recommendations will be decided upon and included in a final action plan. Implementation begins once the action plan has been approved.
How long will an Administrative Program Review take?
The APR process is designed on a seven-year cycle with a department completing its preparation, self-study, external review and the resulting action plan within the first year. One year after the action plan has been approved, the department will be asked to demonstrate that goals of the action plan have been reached or are in the process of implementation. The department then provides periodic updates about its progress towards reaching all its goals. The APR Office will consolidate this information with that received from other departments and prepare regular status reports for the Executive Steering Committee and the Board of Trustees.How important is confidentiality?
Confidentiality is a crucial ingredient in the Administrative Program Review process. Confidentiality by all participants creates a supportive environment for the sharing of candid and accurate information within the departments, the self-study teams, as well as external reviewers.
The Self-Study
What is an APR self-study?
The APR self-study is a series of activities to help a department thoroughly examine the quality and effectiveness of its work. By gathering data and answering diagnostic questions related to its mission statement, activities and products/services, customers and cross unit relationships and internal and external environments, a department is able to access its strengths and weaknesses and identify opportunities for improvement. This self-assessment is designed to help a department think strategically while aligning itself with the Mission and Strategic Plan of Boston College.How does a department prepare for a self-study?
At the launch of the self-study process, members of a department, including the department head, and the area VP, attend a department APR information session. The purpose of this session is to introduce APR, describe the process, answer attendees’ questions, discuss the roles of all department members and the self-study team and emphasize the importance of active participation.
The Self-Study Team
How is a self-study team selected?
The department head determines the size and composition of the self-study team and appoints its members, including the team leader. Department heads are advised to appoint staff members who serve a variety of roles in the department to ensure that different perspectives and expertise are represented. The department head may also choose to participate as a member of the team.When does the review work take place?
Working on the self-study is time consuming and will require dedicated time by all involved. Each department director and self-study team should agree on a meeting schedule and a time line. Some teams have found it helpful to spend time, early in the process, developing a strategy for writing as a team, determining what information they already have, brainstorming about each section of the report and laying the groundwork for formatting, storing and sharing their writing. Teams that have already produced a self-study report stress how important it is to set aside enough time to gather information, draft and edit the sections of a self-study report.What are the specific responsibilities of the members of a self-study team?
- The self-study team members work on the self-study on a part-time basis over a four to six month period. Meetings are scheduled as determined by the team lead and team members. There is no prescribed way of organizing or making decisions, but teams should meet early in the process with their department head to determine the best approach and the best schedules.
- The self-study team's primary duties include collecting and analyzing data, seeking inputs from other members of the department and from its constituents, conducting analyses to answer questions posed by the APR process, and preparing the report and preliminary recommendations.
- The self-study team is also responsible for communicating regularly with the rest of the department during the review.
- The self-study team may also be asked to assist with the creation of the department’s action plan and continue in an advisory role during its implementation.
What resources are available for a self-study team?
- Each spring, the Office of Administrative Program Review holds an orientation and training session for all teams preparing for a self-study. Each team member receives a workbook, containing the Program Handbook, the Self-Study Guide and related resource materials.
- Periodic luncheons are scheduled throughout the self-study process. The luncheons are opportunities for teams to share and learn from one another and have questions and concerns addressed by the Director of APR. Some of the luncheons in early summer may consist of workshops to help teams get started on the groundwork for their reports. These 'Lunch 'N Learn' meetings are planned according to the needs and interests of the teams.
- The Office of Institutional Research will also be providing support and guidance, supplying the teams with data for their department profiles, as well as helping teams design their preferred methods of data gathering (i.e. surveys, focus groups, etc.) and data analysis.
- The APR Director provides ongoing advice and coaching to assist teams with their specific needs. Teams will also be able to consult with departments that have already gone through a self-study. The APR office invites members of past teams to participate in panel discussion at the spring orientation and luncheons whenever appropriate.
- The APR website has a Team Documents link (BC password protected) that offers copies of guides, templates, tip sheets and samples of sections from completed self-study reports.
Do all department members contribute to the report?
The Self-Study Team will be looking to members of their department for support throughout the review process. All members of the department under review will be encouraged to participate in the review activities, providing their feedback, ideas and suggestions. Their expertise and support are critical to the success of the department's review.
The External Review
What is an external review?
An external review is an independent peer assessment focusing on the quality and management of services and activities of a department under review. The review will assist in establishing improved processes and performance outcomes while examining how a department can more effectively contribute to and support the University's Mission and Strategic Plan.How does a department benefit from an external review?
The external review is a department’s opportunity to gain fresh perspectives from colleagues outside the University. The external reviewers (consultants) are experts who bring to the process a wealth of knowledge about their fields. Their contributions, which include knowledge of issues and trends in their disciplines and insights into effective operations, are a key ingredient to the improvement of the departments conducting the reviews and to APR’s success.How are external reviewers selected?
Early in the review process, the APR Director, in consultation with the Executive Vice President, the department managers, their Directors and their Vice Presidents, begins to identify and recruit individuals to serve as objective outside experts. The process is designed to identify leaders in their fields who represent the best programs and highly reputable institutions. In most cases, no further specific qualifications have been defined. For departments whose purpose is closely tied to the University’s religious mission, at least one external reviewer may be expected to have worked in or with a Catholic or Jesuit institution. An external review team typically consists of three people.
The final selection is the responsibility of the APR Director who, in consultation with the department manager, invites the external reviewers to conduct a site visit to the department. The expertise and dedication of the external reviewers are core strengths of the APR process and their knowledge and objectivity are relied on heavily by the department and all other process participants.Who organizes the external review team’s site visit schedule?
The external review schedule will be determined by the department, with the assistance of the APR staff. The external reviewers are asked to dedicate 2 ½ days for a site visit.
A typical schedule includes meetings with the self-study team, staff, department and division administrators, department customers, and the Executive Vice President. External review teams are also given time in their schedule for debriefing and writing.What are the specific responsibilities of the members of an external review team?
- The Director of APR provides an orientation for the review team (via a conference call) to familiarize them with the APR process.
- The reviewers will familiarize themselves with the department’s self-study prior to their visit and prepare to address the issues and goals of the report.
- During their 2 ½ day visit, they will observe the department and conduct interviews with the self-study team, staff, administrators and customers. They will evaluate the department’s principle activities, comparing them (where possible and relevant) with comparable departments at other respected universities and provide observations and recommendations for future directions and successful operations.
- At the conclusion of their visit, they will present a draft of their recommendations to administrators, the department head and the Director of APR.
- Their final draft of their report is due within two weeks of their site visit.
Who is responsible for the expenses involved with an external review?
The Office of Administrative Program Review is responsible for
- The reservations and payments for hotel accommodations, as well as all other travel expenses incurred by the external reviewers
- The menu and payments for all meals/food orders needed during the external reviewers visit to campus
- Honorariums for external reviewers
More Information
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