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Program Review and Redirection

Distributed and discussed at the Faculty Senate meeting, October 20, 2003


Assumptions
Healthy institutions find it prudent from time to time to review programs to ensure that they are performing at levels appropriate to expectations. Such reviews are urgent in the current funding environment for higher education, when state support is declining even as societal demand for high-quality higher education increases. The University of Tennessee has many excellent programs, and many more that are capable of excellence. But it also has some programs that are less competitive.

Accordingly, we have decided to proceed with a special review of some relatively uncompetitive programs. If the outcome of the review warrants it, we will redirect resources to areas that have a higher probability of achieving excellence. We will use the following process.
Goals and Time Table Criteria for Judging Programs
For purposes of this review, "program" is defined broadly to include undergraduate majors, minors, and concentrations (see the 2002-2003 Undergraduate Catalog, pp. 32-35), and graduate majors and degree programs (see the 2002-2003 Graduate Catalog, pp. 10-13). Research centers and institutes are also included in this definition.

Quality: Quality is defined by externally (outside the unit) validated criteria. A "quality" program ranks high in a significant number of the indicators detailed below:
Students Faculty Program Reputation Other Indicators
Centrality to the mission of the University: the University is a comprehensive, research-extensive, land-grant institution. Programs are essential to the University if they:
Uniqueness and Competitive Advantage
Demand/Need
Cost/Benefit


Membership of the Review and Redirection Task Force
Anne Mayhew, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies (Chair)
Carol Harden, Professor of Geography
Billie Collier, Associate Vice President for Research
Clif Woods, Vice Chancellor for Research
Denise Barlow, Director for Budget and Finance
Ray Hamilton, Executive Director, Budget and Finance
Don Scroggins, Director, Institutional Research and Assessment
Alan Chesney, Executive Director, Human Resources
Beauvais Lyons, President, Faculty Senate
Lou Gross, Chair, Senate Budget Committee
Carol Tenopir, Professor, Information Sciences
Karen Sowers, Dean, College of Social Work
Tom Galligan, Dean, College of Law
John Zomchick, Head, Department of English
Samir El Ghazaly, Head, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sarah Keeton, President, SGA
Patrick Schuneman, President, Graduate Student Senate
10/15/03


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