To fulfill the Mission of the College, Pearl River Community College has developed a variety of quality educational programs and services. It is vital that quality be maintained through the regular evaluation of programs. Program review is a formal process designed to assist in that evaluation. The importance of program review is not the production of a report but rather the self-insight for program improvement and growth.
While College educational programs and services must satisfy our own criteria for program excellence, they must also satisfy the requirements of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and licensing and certifying organizations for some programs. The process of program review allows the College to evaluate how well its programs satisfy the criteria and requirements associated with all of these organizations.
The primary goal of program review is the improvement of instruction and learning. To achieve this goal, the process must be comprehensive. The College’s review process will include assessment of the program’s achievement of its stated purpose, quality of instruction, curriculum design, student outcomes, and contribution to the overall Mission of the College. When completed, a program review will identify and communicate program needs and potential for improvement.
A second important goal of program review is to provide information for planning and decision-making. To be meaningful, program review and planning should be interdependent processes. Planning should be based on a review process that evaluates past performances and identifies possible future activities which will lead to improvement and growth. Program review relies on data developed in support of planning and generates suggestions and recommendations for improvement which are reflected in planning goals.
