Academic Unit Review

Background

Historically, program reviews were coordinated by the Graduate School and focused only on graduate programs. In 2025, in response to a need for a flexible, comprehensive framework that adapts to evolving compliance requirements, responsibility for program reviews was moved to the Office of the Provost with the expectation that reviews would be conducted more holistically and include all of a unit’s academic programs: undergraduate, graduate, professional, and certificates.  

Effective academic year 2026–2027, academic reviews will be conducted at the unit level, with all academic programs within a unit undergoing review concurrently. While individual programs have unique characteristics, this unified approach supports a comprehensive evaluation tied to the strategic goals of the university.

Key Features

UNIT-LEVEL FOCUS: Reviews all undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs within a unit concurrently.

ALIGNMENT WITH MISSION AND STRATEGIC GOALS: Tied to the University Strategic Plan, AAU aspirations, and Strategic Alignment priorities.

COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH: Mission and Strategic Initiative Alignment; Faculty and Instruction; Research and Creative Activity; Outreach and Engagement; Facilities and Technology Resources; Financial Stewardship and Resource Management; Academic Program Curriculum; Student Support and Outcomes; and Key Issues.

COMPLIANCE WITH ACCREDITATION AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS: Meets SACSCOC, THECB, and other regulatory requirements with flexibility to adapt to potential legislative changes.

EFFICIENCY AND TRANSPARENCY: New electronic tools, templates, and data sources minimize administrative burden and ensure openness across the process.

Scope and Definitions

This review process applies only to units that house academic programs. Reviews of non-academic units or administrative services are not included in these procedures.

For the purposes of Academic Unit Review, the following definitions apply. These definitions do not necessarily represent how the terms would be defined or used elsewhere.

Academic Unit: A department or similar administrative area that includes all academic programs contained within the administrative area. Academic Unit refers to the following:  

• a department, area or school residing within a college  
• a college or independent school with direct responsibility for a degree program(s) 

Academic Program: A specific course of study within an academic unit that leads to a particular degree or certificate, with a defined set of required courses and learning outcomes. Academic program refers to: 

• bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional programs in the official program inventory approved by THECB.  
• stand-alone certificates approved by THECB. 

The focus of the reviews are programs that lead to a credential. However, during each unit review, relevant information may also be provided about any specializations or minors offered in the academic unit, and about any significant core or general education course offerings of the unit.

Comprehensive Approach

By reviewing all programs together, faculty and leadership are better positioned to assess the overall effectiveness, alignment, and strategic direction of the academic unit, including the following broad areas:

• Mission and Strategic Initiative Alignment 
• Faculty and Instruction
• Research and Creative Activity 
• Outreach and Engagement 
• Facilities and Technology Resources 
• Financial Stewardship and Resource Management
• Academic Program Curriculum
• Student Support and Outcomes
• Key Issues

Because Academic Unit Review is a collaborative process, the development of its structure and approach has involved input from colleagues across the university, including representatives from all vice presidential areas. This cross-campus engagement helps ensure the process is aligned with institutional priorities and supports meaningful, actionable outcomes.