Program Review & Assessment

Program review and assessment are complementary processes that support the ongoing evaluation and improvement of undergraduate education at UC San Diego. Together, they provide opportunities for academic units to examine student learning and outcomes, reflect on program strengths and challenges, and identify priorities for future improvement.

Assessment is an ongoing process through which academic units gather and use evidence to understand student learning, evaluate educational practices, and inform decisions about curriculum, teaching, and student support. Program review builds on this work through a periodic, comprehensive evaluation of an academic program's effectiveness, accomplishments, and future priorities.

The Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) works with the Academic Senate, academic departments, and campus partners to coordinate undergraduate major and minor program reviews, as well as combined undergraduate and graduate reviews in partnership with the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA). DUE also supports ongoing undergraduate assessment efforts, helping departments engage with evidence, reflect on findings, and identify opportunities for improvement.

Program Review

Periodic program reviews provide academic units with an opportunity to reflect on their educational programs, examine evidence of student success, and identify priorities for future improvement.

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Assessment

Ongoing assessment helps academic units understand student learning, examine educational practices, and use findings to inform improvements to their programs.

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How Program Review & Assessment Connect

Assessment is an ongoing process, while program review provides a periodic opportunity for departments to take a broader look at their programs. To support this work between reviews, DUE coordinates the Annual Assessment Update and the Assessment Learning Community (ALC), helping departments develop and sustain meaningful assessment practices over time.

The Annual Assessment Update provides an opportunity for departments to examine course and program-level data, document their assessment activities, and reflect on findings and next steps. The ALC brings faculty together to explore assessment approaches, share experiences, and advance their assessment work through collaboration and guided support. Together, these efforts help departments build on their work over time and develop a record of evidence and reflection that can inform future program reviews and improvements.