Program review

At Athabasca University, the Academic Program Review process is a vital initiative to promote continuous improvement. It ensures that our programs remain relevant and meet provincial and national standards. By aligning reviews with the university's strategic goals, we strive to enhance the quality of education we provide.

The process is guided by the Campus Alberta Quality Council’s criteria and AU’s Academic Program Review Policy. Program reviews occur every 5-7 years, allowing faculty, staff, students, and alumni to reflect on the strengths and areas for improvement within each program. Program reviews are the responsibility of AU’s Academic Planning, Policy, and Standards Committee of the General Faculties Council and are coordinated by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic (OPVPA). AU’s Institutional Data Analysis unit supports reviews by providing data packages and conducting surveys of students and alumni for each review.

The Office of the Provost and Vice President, Academic, in collaboration with Faculty Deans, establishes an annual schedule of academic program reviews, which are then submitted to the Academic Planning, Priorities, and Standards Committee and posted to the OPVPA website.

The review process is comprehensive and includes the creation of a self-study by program leaders, an external review team visit, and developing a response report from the program that outlines key issues and a 5-7-year action plan. The response report is approved by the Academic Planning, Priorities, and Standards Committee, and the outcomes of the action plan’s strategies are reported to the Committee on an annual basis. Students play a role in shaping the self-study and providing essential feedback during the review. Their perspectives clarify the program's impact and guide future directions.

The results of reviews are also used to inform the annual integrated resource planning process. Summaries are posted to the OPVPA website at the conclusion of each review.

Further program review information for AU faculty and staff is available on The Current.

Program Health Reports

The Institutional Data Analysis office generates health reports for each program annually. The reports provide a high-level overview of program benchmarks and are an additional tool for ongoing program quality. Program health reports are also used to assist with budgetary decision-making within AU’s annual integrated resources planning process.