The External Review

An external review is implemented approximately one year after the self-study in order to evaluate the program with a fresh, outside perspective. An external review committee at UTSA is typically comprised of the following: a member from Graduate Council’s Graduate Program Evaluation Committee, a member from the program under review (i.e. the program chair) and a minimum of two consultants from outside the university. The chair of this committee will be the person from the Graduate Council’s Graduate Program Evaluation Committee.

Outside Consultants

• Two outside consultants are nominated by the program up for review. The program must submit the nominees to the Dean’s office of their college.

• The two outside consultants must be recognized authorities in the areas of the graduate program under review and/or should be from organizational affiliates that are appropriate to the program. Individuals who have some experience in the administration of graduate programs (a current or former Graduate Advisor of Record, Graduate Program Chair, or a current or former Department Chair) are preferable as they may have a broader range of knowledge about the variables that can affect the success of graduate programs.

• If the nominations are approved by the Dean’s office the names are then submitted to the Chair of the Graduate Council’s Graduate Program Evaluation Committee for final approval. If the Chair of the Graduate Program Evaluation Committee approves, the program may begin contacting the approved external reviewers, inviting them to attend the site visit. The program under review is responsible for paying the external reviewers’ travel expenses and a small honorarium ($250 is the typical amount). Once the external reviewers agree to participate in the site visit, they should be sent a copy of the self-study and any other materials about the program that would assist them in gaining a thorough understanding of it. (If the program needs copies of the self-study, please contact The Graduate School at 458-6408).

The Site Visit

• A site visit schedule is developed by the program in consultation with the program’s Dean’s office and the Graduate Council’s Program Evaluation Committee member. The site visit should be planned for one day. It should begin with a meeting that includes the member of the Graduate Council’s Program Evaluation Committee member; so that the reviewers can learn what information the Graduate Council would like a report of from the visit.

Sample Site Visit Schedules

• Sample One (MS Word)
• Sample Two (MS Word)

• During the course of the visit, the reviewers should be scheduled to meet with the Chair of the department housing the program, the Dean of the college housing the program, the Graduate Advisor of Record and/or the Chair of the of the Graduate Program Committee. They should also be introduced to members of the graduate faculty, a representative population of graduate students, and any other individuals who are thought to be relevant to contributing an understanding of the program to the external reviewers. The external reviewers should also be given a tour of relevant facilities, shown relevant equipment and other university resources that the program uses regularly. The site visit team should have about one hour at the end of the day to discuss their impressions and begin developing a report. There should be an exit interview where the Graduate Advisor of Record and/or the Chair of the Graduate Program Committee, the Department Chair, and the member of the Graduate Council’s Program Evaluation Review Committee share their impressions.