As Brock University's chief academic decision-making body, the Senate is responsible for determining the educational policy of the institution and for maintaining high academic and program standards, and it has a major role in ensuring that resources are sufficient for both current and new initiatives (see The Brock University Act, Article 13, i and j). A continuing process of academic review is critical to the discharge of these responsibilities. Reviews of undergraduate programs is a self-regulatory process conforming to the principles of the Ontario Undergraduate Program Review Audit, and is subject to periodic audit by the Ontario Undergraduate Program Review Audit Committee (UPRAC) {See http://www.cou.on.ca/_bin/affiliates/associations/upracmain.cfm]
Programs in the University are subject to an academic review on a periodic basis such that all will be reviewed over a period of seven years. The process is scheduled in such a way as to review the academic unit responsible for a program (or group of programs) concurrently with the program review. Many factors contribute to the collegial and scholarly life of the unit. The academic and administrative complement, research and scholarly activity, infrastructure, and governance bear on the quality of academic programs and the broad educational experience of students. Reviews are intended to ensure and improve quality in all of these aspects.
The Senate Governance Committee (see FHB II: 9.5) oversees academic reviews Academic Reviews are carried out under the general supervision of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and the appropriate Dean. A budget for academic reviews resides in the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic)and funds are transferred to the respective Deans to cover the costs of the reviews. The review panel normally consists of two reviewers external to the University, and a third who is a Brock faculty member from outside the Faculty of the program under review. The internal faculty member should be someone familiar with the operation of the program under review and participates fully in the review. For the Senate regulations applying to Academic Reviews, see FHB III: 20 ("Academic Program Review Policy") at
For the current schedule of reviews, please click here.
In support of the review process, the Office of Academic Reviews and Planning conducts, in consultation with the academic units, surveys of:
Samples of the two instruments can be found at Departmental Manual To download a copy of the Academic Review Manual for Departments/Centres, please click here.
At the conclusion of the process, a “Dean’s Executive Summary” (including an action plan) is provided to both the Board of Trustees and the Senate. The summaries for reviews conducted over the last three years can be found at:
While responsibility for the administration of academic reviews rests with the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and the Deans, they are assisted by the Coordinator of Academic Reviews and Planning (Mr. Patrick Beard). If you have any questions concerning any aspect of academic reviews, please contact Mr. Beard at pbeard@brocku.ca. |
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