· web viewsection i.a asks for a no-more-than-two-page (or 1500-word) summary of your self-study....

Graduate Academic Program Self ReviewSelf-Study and Internal Review Template

RevYr5: 2/16/2021

Contents

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE SELF-STUDY REPORT............................................................................... IV

TEMPLATE OUTLINE FOR ACADEMIC PROGRAM SELF-STUDY REPORT—ITEMS I–VII.............................................1

I. SELF-STUDY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND EXTERNAL TEAM GUIDANCE...............................................................1

II. CLEMSON UNIVERSITY, CLEMSONFORWARD, AND THE GRADUATE SCHOOL....................................................3

III. COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, AND SELECTED CONTEXTUAL DOCUMENTS..............................................................4

III.A. OVERVIEW OF THE COLLEGE...................................................................................................................................4III.B. INTRODUCTION TO THE DEPARTMENT.......................................................................................................................4III.C. REQUESTED UPLOADS...........................................................................................................................................4

III.C.1. Faculty CVs...............................................................................................................................................5III.C.2. Clemson University Annual Program Assessment....................................................................................5III.C.3. Strategic Planning Documents.................................................................................................................5III.C.4. Graduate Program Handbook(s)..............................................................................................................5III.C.5. Requested Materials Explanation.............................................................................................................5

IV. GRADUATE PROGRAM(S) OVERVIEW............................................................................................................. 6

IV.A. GRADUATE DEGREE/CERTIFICATE PROGRAM(S).........................................................................................................6IV.B. TRENDS/FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN THE DISCIPLINE........................................................................................................7IV.C. NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL RANKINGS.....................................................................................................................8IV.D. PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION AND REVIEW............................................................................................................9

V. STUDENT POPULATION, CURRICULUM, AND STUDENT SUCCESS....................................................................11

V.A. RECRUITMENT, ENROLLMENT, AND GRADUATION OF STUDENTS..................................................................................11V.A.1. Diversity in Student Applications, Accepted Students, Newly Enrolled Students, Total Enrollment, and/or Degrees Awarded..................................................................................................................................11V.A.2. First-Year Student Support......................................................................................................................12V.A.3. Student Enrollment and Degrees Awarded.............................................................................................13V.A.4. Cohort Graduation Rates and Time to Degree........................................................................................14

V.B. STRENGTH AND QUALITY OF CURRICULUM, INCLUDING RELATED COMMUNICATION AND SUPPORTS FOR STUDENT LEARNING. 15V.B.1. Course and Program Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes................................................................15V.B.2. Program Requirements and Goals: Comparison With Peer/Aspirant Programs.....................................16V.B.3. Compliance with SACSCOC......................................................................................................................17V.B.4. Courses Offered......................................................................................................................................19V.B.5. Standards of Course Delivery..................................................................................................................20V.B.6. Graduate Course Feedback.....................................................................................................................21V.B.7. Graduate Program Handbook(s) and Policies.........................................................................................21V.B.8. Mentoring and/or Advising of Students..................................................................................................22V.B.9. Student Professional Development.........................................................................................................23

V.C. STUDENT PERFORMANCE, STUDENT PLACEMENT, AND INDICATORS OF SUCCESS AFTER GRADUATION.................................25V.C.1. Student Awards, Publications, Exhibitions, Presentations, and Performances........................................25V.C.2. Preliminary, Qualifying, and/or Comprehensive Exams Pass Rates........................................................26V.C.3. Thesis and Dissertation Quality...............................................................................................................26V.C.4. Licensure and Professional Certifications................................................................................................27V.C.5. Placement and Employment...................................................................................................................27

_______________________________

Contact: Cairen Withington, Director of Program Review, Graduate School | 864-656-3251 | [email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]

V.D. ADDITIONAL STUDENT POPULATIONS, CURRICULUM, AND SUPPORTS FOR STUDENT SUCCESS DATA...................................28

VI. FACULTY, FACILITIES, AND RESOURCES......................................................................................................... 29

VI.A. FACULTY INPUTS AND OUTPUTS............................................................................................................................29VI.A.1. Program Leadership...............................................................................................................................29VI.A.2. Faculty Diversity, Demographics, and 2016 vs 2026 ClemsonForward Growth Goals...............................30VI.A.3. Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty Activities, Productivity, and Workload Distribution..................................31

VI.B. FACILITIES AND SUPPORT RESOURCES FOR THE GRADUATE PROGRAM(S)......................................................................32VI.B.1. Incoming Sources and Expenditure Targets for Graduate Programs......................................................32VI.B.2. Facilities and Infrastructure...................................................................................................................33VI.B.3. Proposed Budget....................................................................................................................................34

VI.C. ADDITIONAL FACULTY, FACILITIES, AND RESOURCES DATA.........................................................................................34

VII. STRATEGIC PLANNING, PROGRAM ASSESSMENT, AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.................................35

VII.A. STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS DESCRIPTION.........................................................................................................35VII.B. SWOT ANALYSIS..............................................................................................................................................36VII.C. INTENTIONS FOR NEXT EIGHT YEARS.....................................................................................................................37VII.D. ALIGNMENT WITH CLEMSON UNIVERSITY’S MISSION AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES.........................................................38VII.E. ADDITIONAL STRATEGIC PLANNING, PROGRAM ASSESSMENT, AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT DATA.............................39

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Preface: The Graduate Academic Program Self Review Self-Study

The Graduate School will provide templates, guides,1 and other assistance to help department chairs, program coordinators, and other academic program review team members. Documents will be shared with team members as identified by department chairs, via Box folder(s). The folders follow a naming scheme that begins with GradAcProgRev_... — the "…" being the department name or abbreviation. The initial focus for graduate academic program review will be your programs’ self-study. The document you are reading, GradAcProgRev_SelfStudyTemplate (included in the Box folder GradAcProgRev_SelfStudy&SiteVisit),1 provides a template for your self-study as well as suggestions and requests for self-study appendix materials. Another document, GradAcProgRev_Guidelines (included in the main Box folder),1 provides information on the purpose and cycle of review, selection of program review teams, the timeline of activities for programs under review, and suggested itinerary topics and participants for the external review site visit. A description of Box folder content is also in the Guidelines document, in the section titled "Box Folders." If you cannot access the Guidelines document and/or the Box folder,1 or if you have any questions about Graduate Academic Program Review, please contact the Director of Graduate Program Review and Effectiveness, Cairen Withington, at [email protected].

After internal review and revisions, the final version of your self-study will be the primary document presented to your external visiting team, providing them information about your graduate programs as well as program growth and quality assurance plans. Therefore, it is important to be clear and concise, focusing on central issues facing your program(s), educational and fiscal effectiveness, and your programs’ contributions to the university's mission and strategic goals and objectives, as well as to excellence in your specific program disciplines, research, student learning objectives, and career arenas. Please use this template for summary text, and reference any appendices uploaded by you to the appropriate Box folder for additional, more detailed, information. The final self-study, as well all appendices in the appendices folder will be shared with your external review panel and Clemson University campus leadership.

This GradAcProgRev_SelfStudyTemplate document includes rationale and potential sources of data for many if not all items, as well as spaces for internal reviewer feedback (which the Graduate School will coordinate), response from you regarding internal review, and a place as well for you to provide suggestions for improving the self-study template or process. Internal review and suggestions for improvement feedback may be summarized as part of the archived final report, but will not be included in the self-study document provided to your external visiting team.

Your self-study as well as internal and external team feedback, preliminary and final, will be shared with your Self-Study team (as defined by the Department Chair), the Department Chair, your College Dean, your College Associate Dean for Research/Graduate Studies, the Graduate School Dean, the Graduate School Associate Dean, and the Director of Program Review in the Graduate School. This same group, as well as the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, will receive a full final report with an executive summary once your action planning pieces (templates provided in the Box) are added, usually within a few months after the spring external visit. The full report including external input and action planning documents, as well as the entire process, should be helpful to you and program faculty and staff for continuous improvement planning and assessment efforts.

1 Templates and guidelines are also available at https://www.clemson.edu/graduate/explore/about-the-graduate-school/academic-program-review.html

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https://www.clemson.edu/graduate/explore/about-the-graduate-school/academic-program-review.html

https://www.clemson.edu/graduate/explore/about-the-graduate-school/academic-program-review.html

Instructions for Completing the Self-Study Report

A primary benefit of the Graduate Academic Program Self (GAPS) Review process is to facilitate department and program self-analysis, and then use of this self-analysis, along with feedback from both internal and external reviewers, toward subsequent program enhancement. The graduate program self-study document is a major source of information for reviewers and should be a candid assessment that describes the department’s activities overall, analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of each graduate program, and makes recommendations for sustainability and improvement. An ideal self-study report is descriptive, evaluative, and aspirational. Each self-study report should convey a sense of the full scope of the program/department’s activities including teaching and learning, research, creative products, and service. Reports should also discuss resources available to the department.

Please insert your responses between the solid gray lines for each question. Separate, clearly defined headings or paragraphs for each program are highly recommended when programs differ substantially within a topic category, for example by discipline focus, by degree level, or by goals and objectives. Data provided by the Graduate School or supporting campus offices help support the narrative and/or spur discussion. Self-study team members are welcome to direct questions or further data requests to Cairen Withington, Director of Graduate Program Review and Effectiveness, Office of the Dean of the Graduate School, at [email protected].

The focus of the self-study and review should be the current state of the program and be forward looking as relates to goal-setting. An outline of the elements suggested for the self-study report is provided below and a fillable template follows this outline. Additional content and data may be added to the self-study by the Department/Program as appropriate and desired. Information may be copied and pasted from existing sources (graduate program handbooks, college/departmental/program web pages, annual program assessment [Anthology, aka Campus Labs®] reports, accreditation reports, etc.), but often substantive summaries referencing more information in appendices are better for readers. Some AP writing style tips and guidelines specific to Clemson University can be found at https://www.clemson.edu/brand/guide/voice/editorial.html. If you prefer other style guidelines, there are still some useful tips on that webpage.

The following sections make up the Graduate Academic Programs Review Self-Study Template. There is an Internal Review process for each major topic area of the self-study. There will be an opportunity for the Department/Programs to provide rebuttal or response to the Internal Reviewers and also provide feedback to the Graduate School regarding the questions under each topic. Internal review conversations will be removed prior to the final version of the self-study.

Section I.A asks for a no-more-than-two-page (or 1500-word) summary of your self-study. IMPORTANT: Your executive summary is a critical piece of the self-study and should summarize all main points in the self-study and be fit to serve as a stand-alone summary of your self-study. Be aware that some readers may only read the executive summary. Section I.B asks you to give some guidance to the external site visit team related to any specific item(s) upon which you'd like them to focus—areas or challenges for feedback and input that would be of most help to you.

Section II provides an overview of the University, ClemsonForward strategic planning documents, and the Graduate School (text provided by the Graduate School but you may edit).

Sections III and IV focus on brief contextual information about your College, your Department/School, and your graduate programs. Much of this may exist already and this gives you an opportunity to review marketing and web materials related to your programs.

Section V focuses on students, student support, curriculum, learning outcomes, and student success (inputs, outputs, quality indicators).

Section VI focuses on faculty (inputs, outputs, quality indicators), facilities, and resources (resources utilized, quality indicators, and additional needs).

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https://www.clemson.edu/brand/guide/voice/editorial.html

Section VII focuses on goals, planning, challenges, and steps/actions/resources needed to reach goals.

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Template Outline for Academic Program Self-Study Report—Items I–VII

I. Self-Study Executive Summary and External Team Guidance

Note: You may want to complete Section I after all other sections are complete.

I.A. Please provide a brief (aim for no more than two pages or 1500 words) executive summary of your self-study. Include the following four paragraph headings.

Introductions/Status (optional), Successes/Highlights, Challenges/Weaknesses/Opportunities, and Actions Proposed (actions proposed or being considered to address challenges and

maintain or enhance success).

Rationale: While the entire self-study will be reviewed by both internal and external review panels, please consider the Provost and your college Dean as your target audience for this section. Consequently, this section should succinctly capture the most critical points from your self-study. Answer below this gray line.

I.B. Briefly list, describe, and/or discuss any specific items or topics for which you would especially appreciate the External Review Panel’s feedback.

Rationale: This section is to ensure that the External Review Panel is focused on questions most critical to you; therefore, the Panel is the target audience for this section. Answer below this gray line.

Internal Review of Section I: IR1. Do the self-study’s executive summary (with content under all three required paragraph headings) and list of specific focus areas capture the major points from the self-study?

Yes No Not Applicable If no, please explain below

Discussion:

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Departmental Response to Internal Review of Section I (changes made, response, etc.) Response to the Internal Review:

Departmental Feedback (Optional) to the Graduate School on Improving Section I or Making Section I Less Burdensome or More Relevant/Applicable to the Department/Program. Feedback to the Graduate School:

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II. Clemson University, ClemsonForward, and the Graduate SchoolRationale: This text has been provided by the Graduate School, but you may edit if you would like to customize for your Self-Study. This overview will help to orient the visiting team to the University, the strategic plan, and the Graduate School. Some additional information is provided via appendices and supplemental data, but you may also add to those folders as desired.

Clemson University, a land-grant institution founded in 1889, is one of the country’s most selective public research universities, serving a uniquely driven and highly accomplished student body of more than 20,100 undergraduate and 5,600 graduate and professional students. Clemson is currently ranked as the 29th best national public university by U.S. News & World Report2 and remains committed to both world-class research and a high quality of life.

ClemsonForward is Clemson’s 10-year (2016 to 2026) strategic plan both grounded in historic strengths and focused solidly on the future and the challenges facing South Carolina, the nation, and the world in the 21st century. The plan aims to ensure that Clemson fulfills its core mission, realizes its vision, and maintains its Carnegie tier-one research institution classification (R1). ClemsonForward is built on four strategic priorities: Research, Engagement, the Academic Core, and the Living Environment (referred to by its acronym REAL).3

The purpose of the Graduate School at Clemson University is to promote superior research and scholarship and provide the highest levels of education and training for students who may pursue careers in academia, government, the nonprofit sector, or business and industry. The mandate of the Graduate School is to assist departments in recruiting and supporting outstanding students who will be capable of continual inquiry into fundamental questions in their fields and who can communicate clearly their findings through research, scholarship, teaching and service. The Graduate School coordinates University-wide efforts in graduate education; builds the graduate faculty and student community by providing programming, resources, and support, including student professional and personal development workshops via the GRAD 360° program; and is responsible for centralized policies and standards governing all graduate education at Clemson University. The Graduate School unifies administrative procedures concerning all graduate work at Clemson University, including graduate admission policies, preparation and publication of theses and dissertations, graduate matriculation policies, fellowship and assistantship awards, and the granting of degrees.4 Unlike at many similar universities, the Graduate School does not have significant control over fellowships, assistantships, or resources, other than through partnership with units. This makes Clemson a relatively decentralized university, and thus places resources, control, and responsibility within the seven academic colleges.

2 Text about Clemson University accessed 10/29/2020 from https://www.clemson.edu/about/. U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges, Top Public Schools, National Universities, 2021 rankings as reported at https://newsstand.clemson.edu/mediarelations/clemson-remains-among-top-national-universities-in-latest-u-s-news-rankings/. 3 For more information on Clemson University and ClemsonForward, see Appendix II.1_ClemsonFORWARD_Summary, the ClemsonForward webpages at https://www.clemson.edu/provost/strategic-plan/, and Clemson University’s website at http://www.clemson.edu/4 For more information about the Graduate School, see Appendix II.2_CU_GraduateSchoolOverview and supplemental materials CU_GraduateSchoolPoliciesAndProcedures_2020-21 at https://www.clemson.edu/graduate/students/policies-procedures/index.html, the most recent graduate catalog at https://www.clemson.edu/registrar/academic-catalogs/, and the Graduate School’s website at https://www.clemson.edu/graduate/

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https://www.clemson.edu/registrar/academic-catalogs/

https://www.clemson.edu/graduate/students/policies-procedures/index.html

https://www.clemson.edu/provost/strategic-plan/

https://www.clemson.edu/forward/

https://www.clemson.edu/forward/

https://www.clemson.edu/about/

III. College, Department, and Selected Contextual Documents

III.A. Overview of the CollegePlease provide a brief (aim for no more than 500 words) overview of your academic College.You may cut and paste from the suggested data sources or other sources.

Rationale: This overview of your College will help to orient the External Review Panel. In addition, whether or not you use the suggested data sources, reviewing what is in the Graduate Catalog and on your College’s webpages provides you an opportunity to see how your College is presented in those contexts relative to graduate programs. The catalog is edited and provided online by the Registrar’s office each year in late summer. If you or your College wants to make edits to the catalog, contact the Registrar’s Office in late summer. To suggest College webpage edits, contact your College’s webmaster.

Data Sources: You might begin with excerpts or complete text from your College’s descriptions in the Graduate Catalog at http://catalog.clemson.edu/ and from your College’s home webpage.

Answer below this gray line.

III.B. Introduction to the DepartmentPlease provide a brief (aim for no more than 500 words) introduction to the Department. For the introduction to the Department, include the mission and/or vision of the Department. Include an overview of graduate and undergraduate degrees offered and general information related to student population, department administration, faculty, and staff. If applicable, highlight any unique or noteworthy policies or organizational structures within the Department, or within the College related to the Department, particularly as impact graduate programs.

Rationale: Again, this section is primarily for the benefit of the external review panel. The information may currently be summarized within your departmental website. If appropriate, please consider updating your departmental website with the information presented here.


III.C. Requested UploadsPlease upload to one of the "…_Appendices…" or "…_Supplemental…" folders the following documents and indicate via the checkboxes in items III.C.1.–III.C.4. whether you have provided them. If you cannot upload a requested document or need to include

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http://catalog.clemson.edu/

explanations related to any document(s), use the text box provided for explanations. When uploading and referencing documents for the appendix to your self-study, please use a naming scheme, such as "III.C.1_DocumentDescription_Date_DepartmentOrProgramAbbreviation," "III.C.2_...," "III.C.3_…," etc.

Rationale: The materials requested in this section are for the benefit of your external review panel. This detailed information supports your external review team in developing a more complete understanding of your graduate programs, which ultimately results in more meaningful advice for the department, college, and university.

III.C.1. Faculty CVsPlease upload a compilation (Word or PDF) of your faculty’s CVs. You may use the University’s FAS data for this. Check a box as to whether you uploaded a document containing your faculty’s CVs.

Yes No

III.C.2. Clemson University Annual Program AssessmentPlease upload a copy of your most recent Clemson Office for Institutional Assessment annual program assessment (Anthology; aka Campus Labs® report) referencing the graduate programs under review. Check a box as to whether you uploaded a document containing your most recent annual assessment.

Yes No

III.C.3. Strategic Planning DocumentsPlease upload copies of any relevant College, Department, or Program strategic planning materials. Check a box as to whether you uploaded copies of your strategic planning materials.

Yes No

III.C.4. Graduate Program Handbook(s)Please upload or provide links to all handbooks for your graduate programs under review. Check a box as to whether you uploaded copies of your graduate program handbooks.

Yes No

III.C.5. Requested Materials ExplanationIf applicable (e.g., to provide links), or if you checked "No" for any items III.C.1.–III.C.4., please provide an explanation related to requested uploads. Answer below this gray line.

Internal Review of Sections II and III:

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IR2. Do Sections II and III provide clear, adequate overviews of the University, University strategic plans, Graduate School, College, and Department, providing context for a graduate programs review document and external site team?


Discussion:

IR3. Are the mission and vision of the Department clearly stated?


Discussion:

Departmental Response to Internal Review of Sections II and III (changes made, response, etc.) Response to the Internal Review:

Departmental Feedback (Optional) to the Graduate School on Improving Sections II and III or Making Sections II and III Less Burdensome or More Relevant/Applicable to the Department/Program. Feedback to the Graduate School:

IV. Graduate Program(s) OverviewIV.A. Graduate Degree/Certificate Program(s)Briefly describe each graduate degree/certificate program by degree level. You may begin with excerpts of text from the most current graduate catalog (see http://catalog.clemson.edu/) describing each degree program. For Program Review purposes, be sure to include field specialties/concentrations, online degree program options, fast-track options, joint institutional programs, graduate certificates available, etc. If relevant, include information about professional accreditation (including weblinks or reference to appendices with most recent professional accreditation report and accreditor letter/summary if applicable). Also please include one or two sentences about the need for the programs (benefits to the institution/local area/state/world). If you have significant ND (non-degree) revenue generating options or programs, you may include mention of those throughout your self-study in the "Graduate Certificate Program(s)" boxes or wherever you deem appropriate.

Rationale: This section provides both the internal and external review panels with a brief summary of all graduate programs that are administered by your department.

IV.A.1. Graduate Certificate Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

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IV.A.2. Master’s Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

IV.A.3. Doctoral Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

IV.B. Trends/Future Directions in the DisciplineBriefly describe local/national/international trends seen in the discipline and profession as relates to degrees and certificates as well as to research or application of skills and practice in your programs. Briefly discuss perspectives from industry partners and other stakeholder groups related to the direction of field (the discipline as a whole or specific subfields) and the needs in the profession. How do you keep abreast of new developments and decide when/if/how to implement them?

Rationale: Tracking trends in a discipline is important to maintaining a relevant degree/certificate portfolio that is attractive to prospective students and prepares current students for success post-graduation.

Data Sources: Consider exploring degree/certificate offerings in peer departments. Also, consider exploring professional society publications. Consider labor market information such as from the Bureau of Labor Statistics data webpages https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm, https://www.bls.gov/data/, and https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm. The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Board conducts an annual Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees in the U.S. Each year they publish companion or more detailed reports to their main survey report, Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 2008 to …. This year's supplemental report on first-time and total graduate enrollment and graduate degrees by fine field and demographics will be uploaded to your Box, or is available from the Graduate School at your request. Consider using Google Analytics to provide some measures of interest in your program or subfields, geographic information of those coming to your webpages, needs fulfilled or not via your web pages, what students need once they are here, etc. Some of this information could also be useful in answering other questions in your self-study related to recruitment and first-year support (sections V.A.1 and V.A.2.), student enrollment and degrees awarded (section V.A.3.), time to degree (section V.A.4.), strategic planning (section V.II.), and possibly other sections.

IV.B.1. Graduate Certificate Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate (optional)

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https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm

https://www.bls.gov/data/

https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm


IV.B.2. Master’s Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

IV.B.3. Doctoral Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

IV.C. National/International RankingsBriefly discuss rankings that are relevant to graduate programs in your field, and the criteria or metrics upon which these rankings are based, highlighting any that may be worthwhile for you to track and improve over time.

Rationale: Rankings can impact the reputation of a program, which can indirectly impact other measures of program success. In some cases, it may be valuable for faculty to identify metrics used in rankings that may be worth tracking and improving over time.

Data Sources: For US News and World Report rankings and methodology, visit www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools. Scroll down to "Graduate School Rankings" heading and select the appropriate school category, click, then follow the link "Read the Methodology" for more on metrics. Most rankings lists include methodological notes in "…Data&Misc" materials or footnotes. Whether or not your programs are ranked by USNWR, your program(s) may be suitable for other types of rankings, e.g. based on field, or based on some measure for which you excel such as alumni salaries, placement, etc.

IV.C.1. Master’s Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

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http://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools

http://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools

IV.C.2. Doctoral Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

IV.D. Professional Accreditation and ReviewIf applicable, briefly summarize or describe any professional accreditation requirements regarding staffing or programs, or other professional program requirements you must meet or aspire to meet. Upload, as you deem appropriate, any relevant recent external reviews (e.g., external advisory board evaluations, professional discipline accreditation reports, etc.) into the "…_Appendices…" folder and reference them in your response. (Use the section number "IV.D_..." naming scheme if added as an appendix.)

Rationale: A program accreditation process and the resulting reports can provide valuable support for the development of strategies, student learning objectives, and/or program objectives for continuous program improvement.

IV.D.1. Graduate Certificate Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

IV.D.2. Master’s Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

IV.D.3. Doctoral Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

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Internal Review of Section IV:IR4. Are all graduate degree/certificate programs, rankings, ranking criteria, and professional accreditations described adequately?


Discussion:

IR5. Are the need for/value of the programs and the response to trends in the discipline adequately discussed?


Discussion:

Departmental Response to Internal Review of Section IV (changes made, response, etc.) Response to the Internal Review:

Departmental Feedback (Optional) to the Graduate School on Improving Section IV or Making Section IV Less Burdensome or More Relevant/Applicable to the Department/Program. Feedback to the Graduate School:

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V. Student Population, Curriculum, and Student SuccessV.A. Recruitment, Enrollment, and Graduation of StudentsBest Practices/Benchmarks: Graduate program(s) should strive to be successful in the recruitment and enrollment of students who will succeed in and contribute to the program(s), to the university, and to society. Diversity and student success toward graduation should be evident.

V.A.1. Diversity in Student Applications, Accepted Students, Newly Enrolled Students, Total Enrollment, and/or Degrees AwardedSummarize and discuss your student demographic data (admissions, enrollment, and degrees awarded) by degree program in terms of diversity and diversity trends. Discuss any application review processes and procedures. Are you using a holistic application review process? Discuss diversity and/or inclusiveness issues particular to your programs or disciplines and your goals and efforts to address those. Are results, data, and trends in alignment with your goals? Include tables/graphs to help the reader, either in the self-study text or in the "…_Appendices…" folder if referenced in the self-study text.

Rationale: As a public land grant university, Clemson University should aim to have an undergraduate and graduate student body that is representative of our diverse state population. ClemsonForward includes strategies and measures to increase diversity, particularly as it pertains to non-white (non-majority) and underrepresented student populations. Underrepresented populations comprise those who identify as African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander and 2+ races, excluding Asian-White. Non-majority populations comprise those who do not identify as solely white. For more information, see appendix "II.1_ClemsonForward_Summary" and ClemsonForward webpages at https://www.clemson.edu/provost/strategic-plan/.

Data Sources: The Graduate School's Faculty/Staff Resources page, www.clemson.edu/graduate/faculty-staff/, provides many resources related to recruitment and admissions, among other topics. Section 5 of the Graduate Admissions Handbook for Programs, located on that webpage, offers a definition and examples of holistic admissions review. There are several ways to implement holistic review, but a tip is if you are making admissions decisions based on one factor only, or using test score and GPA cut offs to make admissions decisions, you are not practicing holistic review. Note also that the "Ratings" section of Admit is designed to support holistic review. For applications, acceptances, and new enrollment data by program, see the "Graduate School Applications" dashboard at https://tableau.clemson.edu/#/site/GraduateSchool/workbooks/697/views. For permission or help to access the Graduate School Applications Dashboard, contact Janet Lee in the Office of Institutional Research (OIR) at [email protected]. Additional data may be requested from the Graduate School or through data and reports from the OIR at https://www.clemson.edu/institutional-effectiveness/oir/data-reports/. For total enrollment and total degrees awarded, by various demographic filters, and by program, see the Interactive Factbook tabs "Enrollment-Trend" and "Degrees Awarded" at www.clemson.edu/institutional-effectiveness/oir/factbook/. The Graduate School and OIR continue to work to provide more data within easily accessed data dashboards, charts, and tables. We welcome feedback as to what is most helpful to you.

V.A.1.a. Master’s Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

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https://www.clemson.edu/institutional-effectiveness/oir/factbook/

https://www.clemson.edu/institutional-effectiveness/oir/data-reports/


https://tableau.clemson.edu/#/site/GraduateSchool/workbooks/697/views

https://www.clemson.edu/graduate/faculty-staff/index.html


V.A.1.b. Doctoral Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

V.A.2. First-Year Student SupportSummarize and discuss numbers and percentages of first-year students, by degree program, who are on full and partial financial support. Are the data and trends in alignment with your goals? Create new tables/graphs or copy into the appendices folder any data you reference.

Rationale: These metrics (for doctoral students) are included in NRC rankings methodology (see https://www.nap.edu/12676) and other ranking formulas as well. The National Academies recommend that prospective doctoral students use these financial support metrics (along with time to degree and placement rate data) when evaluating programs.

Data Sources: Data may also be found at www.clemson.edu/graduate/faculty-staff/, "Current GS61 Assistantship / Fellowship Report." Consider looking not only at who and what your department funds, but also your students funded via other budget units. See also the data workbook "D1_DataFromGradSchool_....xls," tab "FirstYearSupport." If no data is there, please check back. The Graduate School and OIR are working to provide data on Graduate Assistantships in the future within easily accessed data dashboards.



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https://www.nap.edu/12676

V.A.3. Student Enrollment and Degrees AwardedCreate graphs similar to the ones below, but related to student enrollment and degrees awarded in your program(s). Insert graphs (or tables) where appropriate in this section. Summarize and discuss student enrollment and degrees awarded. Summarize and discuss discrepancies between enrollment trends and graduation trends. Are the data and trends in alignment with your goals? You are also welcome always to create additional tables and graphs to include as appendices with any additional data you reference.

Source: Clemson University Interactive Factbook at www.clemson.edu/institutional-effectiveness/oir/factbook/. Census data as of 5/4/2020.

Rationale: A goal in the ClemsonForward strategic plan is to increase the number of PhD graduates by 50% by AY 25/26 (relative to AY16/17). See appendix "II.1_ClemsonForward_Summary" and ClemsonForward webpages at https://www.clemson.edu/provost/strategic-plan/. In addition, Commission on Higher Education (CHE) guidelines for master’s degree programs are to have a 5-year moving average of 6 headcount and 3 degrees awarded annually. Guidelines for doctoral programs are to have a 5-year moving average of 4.5 headcount and 2 degrees awarded annually.

Data Sources: Enrollment and Degrees Awarded data is reported in the Clemson University Interactive Factbook at www.clemson.edu/institutional-effectiveness/oir/factbook/. See particularly tabs "Enrollment-Trend" and "Degrees Awarded." Use this or other relevant data for charts and to inform your discussion.

V.A.3.a. Certificate Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

V.A.3.b. Master’s Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

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V.A.3.c. Doctoral Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

V.A.4. Cohort Graduation Rates and Time to DegreeSummarize and discuss data on program graduation rates. Are the data and findings in alignment with your goals? Create new tables/graphs or copy into the "…_Appendices…" folder any data you reference.

Rationale: Graduation rates and time-to-degree are common metrics of student success and are included in numerous graduate program rankings. Graduation rates also directly impact the ClemsonForward goal of increasing PhD graduates by 50%. If graduation rates and time-to-degree vary significantly from averages in your field, it may suggest the need for a mitigation strategy.

Data Sources: Data workbook file "D1_DataFromGradSchool_....xls," tab "TimeToDegree" provided by the Graduate School. If there is no data in that tab, please check back later. Undergraduate graduation rates are available through the Interactive Factbook, but no graduation rate data for graduate students is yet available in the Factbook or the Graduate School Tableau data. We are working on it.



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Internal Review of Section V.A. Recruitment, Enrollment, and Graduation of Students:IR6. Are enrollment, diversity, inclusiveness, first-year support, graduation, and time to graduation adequately addressed for each program?


Discussion:

IR7. Are the statements and discussions clearly supported by data either in the text or referenced and accessible in the appendices or through provided weblinks?


Discussion:

Departmental Response to Internal Review of Section V.A. (changes made, response, etc.) Response to the Internal Review:

Departmental Feedback (Optional) to the Graduate School on Improving Section V.A. or Making Section V.A. Less Burdensome or More Relevant/Applicable to the Department/Program. Feedback to the Graduate School:

V.B. Strength and Quality of Curriculum, Including Related Communication and Supports for Student LearningBest Practices/Benchmarks: The graduate program curriculum and policies should be consistent with current best practices and content. Student learning outcomes should be appropriate for the discipline and degree level. Student learning outcomes should be clear to faculty and students and consistent with the goals of the degree program. Use of Bloom's Taxonomy verbs is a best practice. Curriculum content should be related to real career options upon graduation while at the same time preparing students for emerging opportunities. Students should be advised regarding both curriculum and career path options/realities and supported in both to promote student success. Students should have opportunities to participate in scholarly activities. New modes of instruction (e.g., distance learning, online classes, e-learning, inquiry-based learning, co-curricular activities) can be effective, but there should also be mechanisms to ensure learning outcomes are being met. Student performance, progress, and learning outcomes should be monitored and supported for success.

V.B.1. Course and Program Student Learning Objectives/OutcomesDiscuss your Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for each program. You may reference your recent annual program assessment (aka your Anthology or Campus Labs® reports, uploaded by you into the "…_Appendices…" folder), or any other relevant data or documents uploaded to the appendices folder.

Rationale: Student Learning Outcomes help faculty and students come to a common understanding about the purpose and goals of an academic program, i.e., SLOs describe the competencies/skills students will

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have acquired as a consequence of successfully completing the program. Measuring progress toward achieving SLOs allows you to assess the effectiveness of your instruction. Using common taxonomy (such as Bloom's) allows for analysis of learning objectives across courses, programs, units, and the university as a whole.

Data Sources: For your Anthology® annual program assessment report(s), visit https://clemson.campuslabs.com/home/ and enter the Planning module; find your program; click on the "Reports" tab and pick the report you’d like to run (the one titled "*NEW*Detailed Assessment Report – Plan Item Relationships" may be your best choice) and the format (Word or Print to pdf should be adequate). Please let the Office for Institutional Assessment (Rob Essaf; [email protected]; 864-656-1078) know if you need assistance accessing or downloading your report or if you would like to create a custom report for program review or other use from year to year. Ideally, revised Bloom's Taxonomy verbs should be used in student learning outcome statements. A list of those verbs as well as other resources related to student learning can be found at https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/ You can also find helpful resources from The National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment at https://www.nciea.org/ and Clemson-specific resources and guidance at https://www.clemson.edu/assessment/index.html

V.B.1.a. Graduate Certificate Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

V.B.1.b. Master’s Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

V.B.1.c. Doctoral Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

V.B.2. Program Requirements and Goals: Comparison With Peer/Aspirant ProgramsCompare degree requirements and goals for each degree program to common/best practices at peer/aspirant schools (or top-ranked programs). You may want to put this information into comparison tables, but if you do, also please provide one to two sentences commenting on the information. Please include also a discussion of how program requirements and goals support

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https://www.nciea.org/

https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/


https://clemson.campuslabs.com/home/

student learning outcomes/objectives for each program. You may reference your recent annual program assessment (aka your Anthology/Campus Labs® reports, uploaded by you into the appendices folder), or any other relevant data or documents uploaded to the appendices folder.

Rationale: Benchmarking degree program requirements against peers can help to identify potential curricular improvements or valuable and distinguishing characteristics of your programs.

Data Sources: Your and your peers' graduate program handbook(s) and annual program assessment documents. For your Anthology® report(s), visit https://clemson.campuslabs.com/home/ and enter the Planning module; find your program; click on the "Reports" tab and pick the report you’d like to run (the one titled "*NEW*Detailed Assessment Report – Plan Item Relationships" may be your best choice) and the format (Word or Print to pdf should be adequate). Please let the Office for Institutional Assessment (Rob Essaf; [email protected]; 864-656-1078) know if you need assistance accessing or downloading your report or if you would like to create a custom report for program review or other use from year to year. You are most qualified to identify your peer/aspirant programs. For a list of 4-year public Carnegie R1 institutions, see the Excel workbook file "D1_DataFromGradSchool_....xls" (sheet "CarnegieR1")




V.B.3. Compliance with SACSCOC Rationale: These are standards from the SACSCOC publication Principles of Accreditation: Foundation for Quality Enhancement and the accompanying publication Resource Manual for the Principles of Accreditation: Foundation for Quality Enhancement. For more information, visit

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www.sacscoc.org/principles.asp. Links to these documents will be located under section #1 of that webpage. The Resource Manual is included for you in the "GradAcProgRev_..._Data&Misc_…" folder (File "SACSCOC_2018_POA_ResourceManual"5). "SACSCOC_2018_Excerpts" can be found in the "GradAcProgRev_..._NotAppendices_ForFlashdrive…" folder. Either of these files or the information at the SACSCOC webpage referenced can provide more information and recommendations for answering or documenting your responses.

Do all of your graduate programs comply with each of the following SACSCOC standards? Please answer yes or no for each standard listed, V.B.3.a.–V.B.3.c.

V.B.3.a. Institutional Credits for a Graduate/Professional DegreeAt least one-third of credit hours required for a graduate or a postbaccalaureate professional degree are earned through instruction offered by the institution awarding the degree. SACSCOC R 9.5 [CS 3.6.3 previously]6; see also the Commission’s policy and procedures on "Agreements Involving Joint and Dual Academic Awards" linked under discussion of this requirement in the 2018 POA Resource Manual. Note that Clemson’s Graduate School has stricter policies regarding transfer credit hours for graduate students (See Section 2.3 of the Graduate School Policies and Procedures handbook in the "…Self-Study&SiteVisit" digital materials folder).

Yes No— If no, please explain

Explain below this gray line.

V.B.3.b. Postbaccalaureate Program Rigor and CurriculumPost-baccalaureate professional degree programs and graduate degree programs are progressively more advanced in academic content than undergraduate programs and are structured (a) to include knowledge of the literature of the discipline and (b) to ensure engagement in research and/or appropriate professional practice and training. SACSCOC R 9.6 [CS 3.6.1 and CS 3.6.2 previously]5



5 2018 SACSCOC Resource Manual for The Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement, downloaded 07/20/18 from http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/2018%20POA%20Resource%20Manual.pdf6 2018 SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation are referenced, but cross references to 2012 SACSCOC POA are shown in brackets.

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http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/JointDualAwards.pdf

http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/JointDualAwards.pdf

http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/2018%20POA%20Resource%20Manual.pdf

http://www.sacscoc.org/principles.asp

V.B.3.c. Program RequirementsThe institution publishes requirements for its undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate professional programs, as applicable. The requirements conform to commonly accepted standards and practices for degree programs. SACSCOC R 9.7 [CS 3.5.3 and CS 3.6.4 previously]5



V.B.4. Courses OfferedPlease review the list of active "Courses of Instruction" listed in the most current catalog (see http://catalog.clemson.edu/) and the course listings in your graduate program handbook(s). Compare those with data on "Last Taught Dates" provided by the Graduate School.

Rationale: It can be challenging for graduate students to develop Plans of Study when courses are offered infrequently or on an unpredictable schedule. In some cases, courses that have not been offered in years may unintentionally remain in the catalog (accessible to the public and prospective students). Section 2.5 of the Graduate Policies & Procedures Handbook states that for master’s degrees, at least one-half of the total graduate credit hours required by the advisory committee, exclusive of thesis research, must be selected from courses numbered 8000 or above. In the "Rationale and Notes" section of SACSCOC R 9.7, it is advised that "each program of study at the institution has clearly defined requirements regarding what is necessary to complete the program so that potential students are aware of expectations prior to enrollment." SACSCOC R 6.2.b states that "for each of its educational programs, the institution employs a sufficient number of full-time faculty members to ensure curriculum and program quality, integrity, and review."

Data Sources: Data workbook file D1_DataFromGradSchool_....xls," tab "LastTaughtDates_Active..." Review the data in the "HIST_TERM" column in the spreadsheet. This is, as of the date in the spreadsheet footnotes, the most recent effective term for the course when any grade was received for any student. You may also review and/or reference your graduate program handbook(s), and the list of "Courses of Instruction" in the most current graduate catalog.

We have reviewed our active course listings in the current graduate catalog, our graduate program handbook, and the "Last Taught Dates" spreadsheet and are satisfied with the current listings.



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V.B.5. Standards of Course DeliveryDo you have criteria for selecting, evaluating, mentoring, training, and compensating faculty to ensure quality on-campus, online, and hybrid instruction? If you offer online learning options, have online degree programs, and/or have courses offered on other campuses, are procedures in place to orient students to online and distance learning and to assess that learning outcomes and programs are comparable to those for main campus classroom programs? How do you, or do you plan to, know how your procedures are impacting student success? Are your efforts and results in alignment with your goals?

Rationale: Reflecting on your measures of effective course instruction may help to clearly define this quality in the context of your graduate programs. Reflecting on faculty and student support for effective course instruction may reveal opportunities to improve this integral component of graduate education.

Data Sources: To address online course instruction, consider reviewing the following SACSCOC policy statement—http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/DistanceCorrespondenceEducation.pdf and also ClemsonOnline’s resource on Best Practices for online education located at http://www.clemson.edu/online/faculty/best_practices.html. A list of your current online courses is in the D1_DataFromGradSchool…, tab "LastTaughtDates_Active…." The variable "CAMPUS-CODE" indicates location of instruction. A key for "CAMPUS_CODE" can be found at https://www.clemson.edu/registrar/documents/campus-codes.pdf. "AAC" is online.




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https://www.clemson.edu/registrar/documents/campus-codes.pdf

http://www.clemson.edu/online/faculty/best_practices.html

http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/DistanceCorrespondenceEducation.pdf

V.B.6. Graduate Course FeedbackDiscuss how student or other feedback regarding the quality and effectiveness of instruction is used to continuously improve your graduate programs. Describe any findings and initiatives implemented as a result of feedback or observations related to quality and effectiveness of instruction. You might also mention any additional student curriculum success supports (e.g., group study facilities, skills workshop prior to the first year, writing workshops, etc.) that have been or are being implemented as a result of data or observations. How do you, or do you plan to, know how your initiatives are impacting student success? Are your efforts and results in alignment with your goals?

Rationale: Student feedback, while an indirect measure, can be a valuable source of data supporting course and program improvements. While SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation does not explicitly require student participation in academic program governance, it does describe the participation of students in the accreditation process and the importance of a clear process for addressing student complaints. Collecting, analyzing, and acting on student feedback regularly can both mitigate student complaints and inform timely academic program improvements.


V.B.7. Graduate Program Handbook(s) and PoliciesPlease reference appendices or links where each program’s graduate handbook and policies can be found. (For certificates offered or revenue-generating ND programs, explain how a stakeholder would discover and find out more information about these options.) Describe the process used to periodically but thoroughly review and modify the handbook, requirements, and/or policies. Provide the date of the most recent handbook review by faculty and a description of how students, faculty, staff, and stakeholders are informed of requirements, expectations, and changes.

Rationale: SACSCOC requires that an institution publish requirements for all graduate programs (Section 9, #7). Requirements specific to individual graduate programs are described in graduate program handbooks maintained by the faculty. To make the process less burdensome on faculty, and to prevent contradictions between individual program requirements and university requirements, programs are encouraged to use the most current graduate program handbook template/outline, found via the Faculty/Staff link located above the Graduate School home page banner at https://www.clemson.edu/graduate/index.html. Look on the Faculty/Staff page under the tab "Program Handbook Template." You are asked to include in your program handbook a link to the current Graduate School Policy and Procedures Handbook webpage (https://www.clemson.edu/graduate/students/policies-procedures/index.html).

V.B.7.a. Graduate Certificate Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate

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https://www.clemson.edu/graduate/index.html




V.B.8. Mentoring and/or Advising of StudentsDescribe student mentoring and/or advising procedures for each type of program in your department. How do you, or do you plan to, know how these procedures are impacting student success? Are your efforts and results in alignment with your goals? Upload to and reference relevant data in the appendices folder.

Rationale: Great mentoring and advising can have a very positive impact on graduate student success. Reflecting on what constitutes great mentoring and advising (in the context of each of your graduate programs), and how its impact is or could be measured in your programs, may suggest means by which this important dimension of graduate education might be further developed and whether its improvement is a high priority. Several studies related to student-faculty relationships in doctoral programs are referenced in a University of Georgia case study paper.7 Some connect mentors to degree completion (Preston, 2003, and Tinto, 1993). Lovitts (2001) found that the most successful dissertation supervisors participate frequently in meetings with each advisee, spend more hours per week interacting with their advisees, help advisees with job searches, engage in more professional activities, see students in both informal and formal settings, and co-author journal articles or chapters with advisees.

Data sources: If applicable, consider reviewing relevant goals, objectives, and measures related to student success in your graduate program Anthology® reports. Navigate to https://clemson.campuslabs.com/home/; click "Planning"; and find your program(s).

7Grasso, M., Barry, M., and Valentine, T. (2009). A data-driven approach to improving doctoral completion. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools, p. 29. Downloaded from https://cgsnet.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Paper_Series_UGA.pdf

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https://cgsnet.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Paper_Series_UGA.pdf




V.B.9. Student Professional DevelopmentDescribe your graduate students’ career preparation and professional development (PD). Include evidence of student participation in PD and mention any efforts to remove barriers to student participation. Are efforts and results in alignment with your goals? Reference any relevant data on PD services utilized or marketed in your department/programs. For example, the Graduate School provides PD programming through GRAD 360°. Do you announce these workshops/opportunities to your students? Do your students/faculty participate?

Rationale: The further development of broadly transferable skills (a subset of which has traditionally been referred to as "soft-skills") can both support the success of graduate students in graduate school and the success of graduates as they first seek employment and then continue to advance in their careers. Discipline-specific professional development programming within your department or college, as well as broader professional development programming offered through the university’s GRAD 360° program provides students with the opportunity to develop these skills. Reflecting on your students’ participation in such programming and its impact on student success may reveal means to improve access and/or programming, as well as the urgency for addressing either.

Data Sources: For student participation from your department in GRAD 360° Professional Development programming, see data shared with your department in the data file "D1_DataFromGradSchool.xls," tab "GRAD360." Tableau data is being developed for you to have on demand access to this kind of data.

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Internal Review of Section V.B., Items V.B.1. (Course and Program Learning Objectives/Outcomes for Students), V.B.2. (Program Requirements and Goals), V.B.3. (Compliance with SACSCOC), and V.B.4. through V.B.9. (Courses Offered, Course Delivery, Curriculum/Course Feedback, Graduate Program Handbook(s) and Policies; Mentoring and/or Advising of Students; and Student Professional Development):IR8. Is enough information presented to determine whether learning outcomes and program requirements are aligned with goals and consistent or superior with common/best practices at peer/aspirant schools (or top-ranked programs) for each program?


Discussion:

IR9. Is there compliance with the three SACSCOC standards listed and adequate discussion of student supports for success, such available courses, clear and accurate communication via the program handbook and other methods, mentoring and/or advising of students, professional development opportunities/participation? Are these efforts being monitored for accuracy, utilization, and effective impact?


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Discussion:

IR10. Is there adequate discussion to determine if student or other feedback and data related to curriculum quality and effectiveness is being assessed, evaluated, and used for program improvement?


Discussion:

IR11. Are the statements and discussions clearly supported by data either in the text or referenced and accessible in the appendices or through provided weblinks?


Discussion:

Departmental Response to Internal Review of Items in Section V.B. (changes made, response, etc.) Response to the Internal Review:

Departmental Feedback (Optional) to the Graduate School on Improving Items in Section V.B. or Making Section V.B. Less Burdensome or More Relevant/Applicable to the Department/Program. Feedback to the Graduate School:

V.C. Student Performance, Student Placement, and Indicators of Success After GraduationBest Practices/Benchmarks: Success of graduates after degree completion is important to Clemson University. Indicators of proper program impact on student preparation for success upon graduation should be evident and acceptable. Connections (relationships via contact) with students should be made during their tenure and continued after graduation.

V.C.1. Student Awards, Publications, Exhibitions, Presentations, and PerformancesProvide a summary of student awards, publications, exhibitions, presentations, and performances over the past two to eight years. Discuss this data by degree program if possible. Are these activities in alignment with your goals? Include and reference relevant data in the appendices.

Rationale: Each of these is meant to address the impact of graduate students beyond the university. It is intended that these awards, publications, and presentations provide some measure of the success of current students and their potential for success after graduation. Reflecting on these metrics may demonstrate the success of your graduate programs and may also suggest means for continually improving these graduate programs.

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Data Sources: Publication and abstract data can be found through citation databases including Web of Science, Google Scholar, the Arts and Humanities Citation Index, and others. Links to such citation databases can be found by following the following link: http://clemson.libguides.com/az.php

V.C.1.a. Master’s Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

V.C.1.b. Doctoral Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

V.C.2. Preliminary, Qualifying, and/or Comprehensive Exams Pass RatesBriefly discuss pass rates on preliminary/qualifying/comprehensive exams for the last two to eight years. Discuss the data by degree program. Are the data, results, and processes in alignment with your goals? Upload to and reference relevant data in the appendices folder, including rubrics if applicable.

Rationale: Reflecting on the success of students as they engage in these graduate program checkpoints may suggest areas for further student support, or even suggest the need for improved recruitment strategies.


V.C.3. Thesis and Dissertation QualityBriefly discuss results of thesis and dissertation written/oral exams for the last two to eight years. Provide discussion by degree program as appropriate. Are the data, results, and processes in alignment with your goals? Upload to and reference relevant data in the appendices folder, including rubrics if applicable.

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http://clemson.libguides.com/az.php

Rationale: Reflecting on the success of students at this cumulative stage may help to identify areas where students need additional support in each of your degree programs, as well as strategies for providing that support.



V.C.4. Licensure and Professional CertificationsIf applicable, briefly discuss licensure rates (or licensure exam results and/or professional certification results) of your students for the past two to eight years. Provide discussion by program as appropriate. Are the data and results in alignment with your goals? Upload to and reference relevant data in the appendices folder.

Rationale: Measures of performance on licensure exams and professional certifications are important indicators of student success. Reflecting on these results may demonstrate the success of your program and could also help to identify areas where your programs could be even better.



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V.C.5. Placement and EmploymentProvide data on and discuss recent student and alumni employment in the field and other reported outputs that are indicators of program effectiveness. Append and reference any appropriate surveys and responses. Are the data and indicators of success in alignment with your goals? Upload to and reference relevant data in the appendices folder.

Rationale: Placement and employment are important measures of post-graduation success. Reflecting on these measures may help demonstrate the success of your graduate programs in improving students’ lives after graduation, and may also suggest refinements to your graduate programs that could further support students in their chosen careers. Whether or not you collect your own student placement and employment data, please encourage your students also to opt in to take part in CU Alumni Surveys and the Career Center's First Destination Survey.

Data Sources: Equifax aggregated alumni salary and employment data is now available for Clemson graduate alumni. If you are a department chair or program coordinator in this year’s GAPS review cohort, the Graduate School sent your name to David Watson in the Office of Strategy and Analytics, as possibly needing access to the Equifax data dashboard (https://www.clemson.edu/finance/osa/dashboards/). If you have difficulty accessing the dashboard or need further assistance, you may contact David Watson at [email protected]. Other sources of self-reported alumni data and national data can be obtained from Clemson’s Center for Career and Professional Development through the following link: https://career.sites.clemson.edu/data_analytics/FDS_App.php. You can filter by College, then "major" and "degree level" to see employment and salary information among other data. Some possible sources of national salary and employment data include https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/index.htm (enter the degree in the "job title" box); https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Degree; https://www.onetonline.org/crosswalk/ (search by CIP codes); and https://www.bls.gov/ooh/ (search by occupation group, then look at those that align with your degree program(s) for job entry). Discipline-specific or industry-specific professional organizations also often conduct employment and salary surveys, so you may look for national data there as well. There are some NACE survey reports that may have relevant data at https://www.naceweb.org/tag/surveys/.



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https://www.bls.gov/ooh/

https://www.onetonline.org/crosswalk/

https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Degree

https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/index.htm

https://career.sites.clemson.edu/data_analytics/FDS_App.php


V.D. Additional Student Populations, Curriculum, and Supports for Student Success Data (optional)Provide any additional information on students, curriculum, supports for student success, and results of efforts to support students for success. Are the activities and data in alignment with your goals? Upload to and reference relevant data in the appendices folder.

Rationale: Are there other measures or initiatives you feel are important to discuss regarding student success in your graduate programs? What do you value, in terms of student success, that wasn’t addressed through the previous questions?


Internal Review of Section V.C. (Student Performance, Placement, and Success of Graduates) and Item V.D. (Additional Student Success Data; optional):IR12. Are adequate data of student success provided?


Discussion:

IR13. If additional information is included for Item V.D., do you have feedback related to that?


Discussion:

Departmental Response to Internal Review of Section V.C. and Item V.D. (changes made, response, etc.) Response to the Internal Review:

Departmental Feedback (Optional) to the Graduate School on Improving Section V.C. or Item V.D. or Making Section V.C. or Item V.D. Less Burdensome or More Relevant/Applicable to the Department/Program. Feedback to the Graduate School:

VI. Faculty, Facilities, and Resources

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VI.A. Faculty Inputs and OutputsBest Practices/Benchmarks: The graduate program should be successful in the recruitment and retention of faculty who will succeed and contribute to the program, the university, and the profession. Faculty members should be of sufficient number, have appropriate educational qualifications and/or experiences, and have the competencies to cover all of the curricular areas of the program as well as provide adequate levels of student-faculty interaction, university service, personal professional development, and interactions outside the department and university for collaborations and connections (including potential student employers and industries). Adequate numbers, diversity, and faculty success should be evident. Publications and other evidence of scholarly work are some indicators of quality of faculty.

VI.A.1. Program LeadershipBriefly describe program leadership qualifications for each program (including qualifications of the Department Chair and the Graduate Program Coordinator(s)). You may upload and reference data in the appendices folder if applicable.

Rationale: This question relates to SACSCOC 5.4. SACSCOC requires that Clemson "…employs and regularly evaluates administrative and academic officers with appropriate experience and qualifications to lead the institution."

VI.A.1.a. Master’s Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriateAnswer below this gray line.

VI.A.1.b. Doctoral Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriateAnswer below this gray line.

VI.A.2. Faculty Diversity, Demographics, and 2016 vs 2026 ClemsonForward Growth GoalsBriefly discuss diversity within your department’s Tenured/Tenure-Track (T/TT) faculty. Discuss diversity and/or inclusiveness issues particular to your programs or disciplines and your goals and efforts to address those. Are results, data, and trends in alignment with your goals? Include and/or reference any plans, such as recruitment or retention strategies, to support ClemsonForward goals in this area.

Rationale: A goal in the University’s ClemsonForward strategic plan is to double the number of all faculty from underrepresented populations and double the number of tenure and tenure-track faculty from underrepresented populations between Fall 2016 and Fall 2026. [There are similar goals for

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underrepresented college and library staff.] Diversity within the tenured and tenure-track faculty often reflects diversity within the graduate faculty.

Data Sources: Use the Interactive Factbook (https://www.clemson.edu/institutional-effectiveness/oir/factbook/). Select the "Employees-Trend" tab inside the Factbook. You can filter by department, but not by program, at this time. You can select "Tenured" and "Tenure Track" and/or other categories to better approximate graduate faculty. Remember to include a brief description of your data definitions and specific filters.


VI.A.3. Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty Activities, Productivity, and Workload DistributionWhat are the faculty spending their time on and is this distribution meeting the strategic goals of the department and the needs of the graduate program(s)?

Rationale: Graduate faculty have numerous responsibilities beyond teaching graduate courses and advising graduate students. Reflecting on these responsibilities, the time required to fulfill these responsibilities, and how this distribution impacts the goals for each graduate program may help to identify major challenges to graduate program and graduate student success. Some targeted metrics in ClemsonForward include research proposal submission (value); research award value and expenditures; and journal articles, book publications, and citations per faculty.

Data Sources: You may reference your faculty CVs that you uploaded to your Box folder as either a supplemental file or an appendix to this report. You may use any of the departmental data shared in the data file "D1_DataFromGradSchool.xls," such as tabs "AwardsContractsExpenditures" "AwardsContractsNewAwards," or "Proposals." You may also find departmental and some program information in the Interactive Factbook (https://www.clemson.edu/institutional-effectiveness/oir/factbook/), exploring the "Credit Hours" tab and filtering by Course Discipline and Level (check the Masters and Doctorate boxes). You may contact CURF (http://curf.clemson.edu/) if there is technology transfer activity in your department/programs. Activity by graduate faculty at Innovation Campuses and Research and Education Centers as well as camps, public service, or recruiting activities may be tracked. There is also a Tableau site in development by OIR at https://tableau.clemson.edu/#/site/InstitutionalResearch/projects/109 that includes developmental tabs for instructional load, research publications, and research expenditures by department. You may request access from OIR. It is recommended to always read the introductory/definitions pages prior to using these datasets. Publication and abstract data can be found through citation databases including Web of Science, Google Scholar, the Arts and Humanities Citation Index, and others. Links to such citation databases can be found by following the following link: http://clemson.libguides.com/az.php


Internal Review of Section VI.A. Faculty Inputs and Outputs:

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http://clemson.libguides.com/az.php

https://tableau.clemson.edu/#/site/InstitutionalResearch/projects/109

http://curf.clemson.edu/



IR14. Is evidence provided of adequate faculty and program leadership as well as quality outputs? Is faculty diversity and impact to the students and the field being monitored and supported?


Discussion:

Departmental Response to Internal Review of Section VI.A. (changes made, response, etc.) Response to the Internal Review:

Departmental Feedback (Optional) to the Graduate School on Improving Section VI.A. or Making Section VI.A. Less Burdensome or More Relevant/Applicable to the Department/Program. Feedback to the Graduate School:

VI.B. Facilities and Support Resources for the Graduate Program(s)Best Practices/Benchmarks: Classrooms, offices, laboratories, studios, and associated equipment must be adequate to support attainment of program goals and student learning outcomes and to provide an atmosphere conducive to learning. Modern equipment and tools appropriate to the program must be available, accessible, and maintained, with a plan for systemic review and upgrades to support successful student learning outcomes and program needs. Students should know about resources and facilities and be trained in their use as appropriate. Resources and supports, including leadership, institutional services, financial support, and staff (both administrative and technical) provided to the program must be adequate to ensure the quality and continuity of the program; to meet program needs; to attract, retain, and provide for the continued professional development of a qualified faculty; to acquire, maintain, and operate infrastructures, facilities, and equipment appropriate for the program; and to provide an environment in which student learning outcomes can be attained.8

VI.B.1. Incoming Sources and Expenditure Targets for Graduate ProgramsSummarize the level of incoming fiscal support (including externally-sponsored research assistantships, externally-sponsored/selected fellowships, revenue-shared tuition, donations to graduate programs, and other related revenue) available to your graduate programs compared to outgoing expenditures (including teaching assistantships—GTAs and GGAs, internally-funded GRAs, etc.; departmentally selected fellowships; waived tuition; and other related expenditures). Discuss the revenue flow as relates to your programs’ goals and needs. Are the amounts, sources, and targets of incoming revenue and outgoing expenditures in alignment with your program and student learning goals?

Rationale: Financial resources are an important tool for reaching program, departmental, college, and university strategic goals. The specific resources listed above are most directly tied to individual graduate programs and may provide the basis for departments to discuss whether currently available

8 Modified from Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs, 2018-2019, ABET. Retrieved March 29, 2018, from http://www.abet.org/accreditation/accreditation-criteria/criteria-for-accrediting-engineering-programs-2018-2019/#support

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resources are being used most effectively to achieve your goals for these programs. USNWR includes alumni giving rates (for bachelor’s degree recipients) as an indicator of student satisfaction and this metric is mentioned in ClemsonForward.

Data Sources: Assistantship and Fellowship data can be found in the GS61 reports at www.clemson.edu/graduate/faculty-staff/. Click on "Current GS61 Assistantship/Fellowship Report" on that page. If you need additional assistantship or fellowship data, waived tuition data or revenue-shared tuition data, etc., please let the Director of Program Review ([email protected]) know, and she will try to track down the needed data for you. Endowment data related to your academic programs should be requested from the Clemson Development Office. Each year, your College’s donor relations team member reviews endowments associated with your Department. Your donor relations staff members (see https://www.clemson.edu/giving/contact-us/) have already been, or soon will be, informed that your Department is undergoing graduate program review, and they look forward to sharing their information and answering your questions.

VI.B.1.a. Graduate Certificate Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriateAnswer below this gray line.

VI.B.1.b. Master’s Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate Answer below this gray line.

VI.B.1.c. Doctoral Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriateAnswer below this gray line.

VI.B.2. Facilities and InfrastructureSummarize facilities and infrastructure resources available to your programs compared to goals and needs, including support staff, space (classroom, laboratory, office), and any other infrastructure issues. If you have online or hybrid programs, are facilities and supports adequate (e.g., hardware, software, learning platforms, faculty training, helpdesk, student services, etc.)? Compare to peer programs if data are available and as appropriate.

Rationale: The quantity and quality of facilities and infrastructure supporting graduate programs can be important factors impacting both the quality and the size of graduate programs. The Clemson Forward

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https://www.clemson.edu/giving/contact-us/


https://gs61.app.clemson.edu/records/


Strategic Plan recognizes the need for building initiatives addressing state-of-the-art classroom and research facilities, as well as updated research infrastructure.

Data Sources: Floor plans can be downloaded from https://cufacilities.sites.clemson.edu/floorPlans/planList. We are working with CCIT, Facilities, and Institutional Effectiveness to create an accessible database or dashboard showing descriptions, square footage, and use of facilities. For now, you may find some information in the data file "D1_DataFromGradSchool.xls," tab "FacilitiesInfrastructure."


VI.B.3. Proposed Budget (optional)

If desired, upload to the appendices folder (or the "…Additional…" materials folder, if not part of the self-study for external review), reference, and discuss a proposed department budget. Consider budget items such as equipment, marketing, supplies, software, space, staffing, other.

Rationale: Some external review panel members have indicated that a proposed departmental budget would have provided the basis for further valuable feedback regarding whether current departmental resources were aligned with graduate program goals.


VI.C. Additional Faculty, Facilities, and Resources Data (optional)Provide any additional information on faculty inputs and outputs or facilities and support resources for your graduate programs. Are activities and data in alignment with your goals? Link to online resources or reference relevant data in the appendices folder.


Internal Review of Section VI.B. (Facilities and Support Resources for the Graduate Program(s)) and Item VI.C. (Additional Faculty, Facilities, and Resources Data; optional):

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https://cufacilities.sites.clemson.edu/floorPlans/planList

IR15. Are resources and needs adequately discussed? Does there appear to be a method of ensuring adequate faculty, support staff, space, budget/financial support, and other resources for programs?


Discussion:

IR16. If additional information is included for Item VI.C., do you have internal review feedback related to that?


Discussion:

Departmental Response to Internal Review of Section VI.B. and Item VI.C. (changes made, response, etc.) Response to the Internal Review:

Departmental Feedback (Optional) to the Graduate School on Improving Section VI.B. or Item VI.C. or Making Section VI.B. or Item VI.C. Less Burdensome or More Relevant/Applicable to the Department/Program. Feedback to the Graduate School:

VII. Strategic Planning, Program Assessment, and Continuous ImprovementBest Practices/Benchmarks: Programs should regularly use appropriate, documented processes for assessing and evaluating the extent to which student and program outcomes are being attained. The results of reviews and evaluations should be systematically utilized as input for the continuous improvement of the program. Continuous improvement should be aligned with University goals as well as best practices related to the discipline and model peer programs. Student, faculty, and staff engagement, knowledge of and contributions to planning and outcomes, and satisfaction in the program efforts should be assessed and supported. Data monitoring, analysis, and planning should be for the short- and long-term, informed by reality and best practices, well-communicated across stakeholders (and with stakeholder input), and updated regularly. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats should be assessed periodically and a process for early identification of weaknesses and evidence-based solutions implementation should be in place.

IMPORTANT: If programs are near CHE thresholds for probation or elimination of degree programs, or if metrics such as applications, admissions, enrollment, or graduation numbers are declining, programs MUST have strategic plans to address these issues, including discussions of who is responsible for specific remediating actions, how resources will be re-allocated to address these issues, metrics that will indicate if the program is improving, and annual targets for improving these metrics. Graduate programs should identify specific actions to address ClemsonForward goals. Doctoral programs can use recommendations from the Doctoral Playbook, included in the additional materials folder, to identify evidence-based practices.

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VII.A. Strategic Planning Process DescriptionBriefly discuss program strategic planning, referencing items in the appendices, or links to your College, Department, and Program strategic planning materials. Discuss how faculty, students, and staff are involved in your goal setting and outcomes/objectives targets/statements. Address capacity for and means toward program improvement and growth in quality and/or rankings.

Rationale: A well-considered strategic plan contains critically important information for the external review panel to reflect on, prior to offering their feedback to the faculty and administration. Such a well-considered plan will also form the basis for meaningful annual assessment. Effective strategic planning processes often engage diverse opinions from multiple stakeholders.

VII.A.1. College/DepartmentAnswer below this gray line.

VII.A.2. Master’s Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate, if applicableAnswer below this gray line.

VII.A.3. Doctoral Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate, if applicableAnswer below this gray line.

VII.B. SWOT AnalysisProvide a clear summary of your department/program SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) and discuss how your department/program is planning to a) capitalize on program strengths and emerging opportunities and b) minimize weaknesses or threats. Documents may be added to the appendices and referenced.

Rationale: One significant outcome of the program review process will be an action plan, supported by this self-study and the external review panel report, and describing goals, objectives, and measures of progress. A SWOT analysis provides a strong foundation for later establishing long-term goals for your graduate programs. Strengths and Weaknesses typically refer directly to characteristics or components of

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your graduate program. Opportunities and Threats typically refer to environmental factors outside of your graduate program.

Data Sources: Resources and tools for strategic planning are being developed by the Graduate School and can be sent in draft form to you if requested. A SWOT graphic and other planning slides used by one department in the pilot year of graduate program review are included in PowerPoint format for use in strategic planning retreats, etc. Feel free to request, use, and/or modify anything as needed.

VII.B.1. Department, if applicableAnswer below this gray line.

VII.B.2. Master’s Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate, if applicableAnswer below this gray line.

VII.B.3. Doctoral Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate, if applicableAnswer below this gray line.

VII.C. Intentions for Next Eight YearsList, describe, and/or discuss your goals/plans/intentions/ideas for the next eight years, detailing potential mid-point goals where possible. Describe as best you can specific steps/actions/resources needed to reach each goal. Be sure to include in the appendices, and reference, your most recent annual program assessments (aka Anthology or Campus Labs® report for each program). Program and related department goals should be included in this response. Reference or upload any additional documents to the appendices folder.

Rationale: External review panels will offer feedback and advice to faculty and administration based on their experience and the information they have about your graduate programs. Feedback we have received from some external review panel members has indicated that they are able to offer more meaningful feedback when they understand both the current state of the graduate programs as well as the department’s future plans. In addition, as mentioned, after your external site visit, you will be asked to submit a brief action plan. The list of goals/ideas you list here may inform that action plan.

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VII.C.1. Department, if applicableAnswer below this gray line.

VII.C.2. Master’s Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate, if applicableAnswer below this gray line.

VII.C.3. Doctoral Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate, if applicableAnswer below this gray line.

VII.D. Alignment with Clemson University’s Mission and Strategic InitiativesBriefly describe how the department and graduate programs contribute to the institutional mission and vision of Clemson as found in the appendices file "II.1_ClemsonForward_Summary." Discuss the department’s and graduate programs’ contributions to the ClemsonForward strategic initiatives and key enablers outlined on pages 5–7 of the "II.1_ClemsonForward_Summary" document.9 Additional Department/Program documents may be added to the appendices folder and referenced, or you may reference any existing documents in the appendices folder at any time.

Rationale: The ClemsonForward strategic plan was created with input from the campus community, and outlines goals for the future of Clemson University. To give all of us a greater chance of realizing those goals, it is valuable to consider the role of each graduate program toward that effort. In addition, identifying these linkages will be valuable in meeting future requirements for annual assessment plans.

Data Sources: The file "II.1_ClemsonForward_Summary" will be uploaded to your Box folder for quick reference to ClemsonForward. The President's dashboard can be accessed at https://www.clemson.edu/provost/strategic-plan/. A sample alignment graphic is in the PPT of possibly useful resources, to be used only if it is helpful to you in thinking

9 For more information on the University’s mission and vision or the strategic planning documents, see not only the ClemsonFORWARD file in the appendices, but also see documents and information located at https://www.clemson.edu/brand/positioning/mission-vision.html and https://www.clemson.edu/provost/strategic-plan/

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https://www.clemson.edu/brand/positioning/mission-vision.html

through strategic planning and alignment. Ideally, Program goals and objectives should align with Department goals and objectives and on up through College goals and objectives to Clemson University’s goals and objectives. And all pieces of program planning, as much as possible, should be included in annual assessment.

VII.D.1. Department—Contributions to Mission, Vision, and Strategic Priorities in Research, Engagement, Academic Core, and Living, and Key EnablersAnswer below this gray line.

VII.D.2. Master’s Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate—Contributions to Mission, Vision, and Strategic Priorities in Research, Engagement, Academic Core, and Living, and Key EnablersAnswer below this gray line.

VII.D.3. Doctoral Program(s), organized under a different heading for each unique degree/certificate program as appropriate—Contributions to Mission, Vision, and Strategic Priorities in Research, Engagement, Academic Core, and Living, and Key EnablersAnswer below this gray line.

VII.E. Additional Strategic Planning, Program Assessment, and Continuous Improvement Data (optional)Provide any additional information on strategic planning, program assessment, or continuous improvement for your graduate programs. Are activities and data in alignment with your goals? Reference relevant data in the appendices.


Internal Review of Sections VII.A. through VII.E. Strategic Planning, Program Assessment, and Continuous Improvement

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IR17. Is evidence provided of processes for continuous improvement, strategic plans aligned with and supportive of Clemson’s priorities, and efforts to move the Department/Programs to better quality and relevancy?


Discussion:

Departmental Response to Internal Review of Sections VII.A. through VII.E. (changes made, response, etc.) Response to the Internal Review:

Departmental Feedback (Optional) to the Graduate School on Improving Sections VII.A. through VII.E. or Making Sections VII.A. through VII.E. Less Burdensome or More Relevant/Applicable to the Department/Program. Feedback to the Graduate School:

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