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GAC Tools and Techniques for Conducting Effective Onsite Visit Reviews

Each of the GAC Accreditation Standards’ Elements have related inquiry questions, observation and inspection techniques. The top level techniques are highlighted in the Onsite Visit training modules, and the GAC Standards Review Worksheet. This Tools and Techniques document provides more in-depth resources and information regarding Team activities while onsite, including:

Chart 1: A bank of additional (optional) Stakeholder Review Questions that Teams can use at their discretion during the Onsite Visit, plus general open ended questions to use in closing the interviews.

Chart 2: A stakeholder grid which outlines areas of inquiry, composition, and other details regarding individual interview groups. Chart 3: A listing of materials to be reviewed with detailed information and guidelines.

CHART 1: Additional (Optional) Stakeholder Review Questions

The following stakeholder review questions can be used by Teams at their discretion during the onsite visit to assist in learning more about the program. The questions are arranged by GAC Accreditation Standard Element, and specific stakeholder group. It is important to know that not every one of these questions needs to be asked during the onsite visit.

GAC Accreditation Standard Element: Additional (Optional) Stakeholder Review Questions:

D.1: Program Mission D.1.1: Mission statement and

evidence it is publicly available.No additional questions beyond GAC Standards Review Worksheet

D.1.2.1: Mission consistent with institution mission.

Stakeholder Optional Questions

Provost, Dean, Program Director

How does the mission of the program tie to the institution’s mission? How was the program’s mission developed?

Tools & Techniques for Conducting Effective Onsite Visit Reviews 28 June 2017 1

D.1.2.2: Relevant to Management of Projects profession & GAC core

areas of focus.



How do you believe the mission statement results in the attainment and maintenance of excellence in education programs related to the field of the management of projects?

What is the envisioned future of this program? Describe the overall value of the project management curriculum in

the program.

Students/Alumni Can you speak to the relevance of your studies to the Management

of Projects discipline?

Industry Representatives

Discuss the program’s overall reputation in the local business community.

Which skills taught in the program does the marketplace recognize, value, and reward?

Has anyone in your organization completed the program? If so, how did their skills as a project manager change?

What do you feel are the program’s biggest strengths? Why? What is the one thing you would change about this program? Why? Have you been consulted regarding the program’s overall direction or

specific course direction?

D.1.2.3: Identified potential students for program.


Provost, Dean,Program Director

Describe the typical student who enrolls in the program.

D.2: Curricula and Core Areas of Focus for Program Learning Outcomes D.2.1: Description of degree, its

philosophy & references to professional standards.


Provost, Dean, Program Director & Faculty

What are the strengths of the courses being offered? How can the courses offered by the program be improved? What

plans are in place to do this? Describe the order that students take the program’s courses. Why?


How were elective course topics determined?

D.2.2: Specific learning outcomes that reflect degree level &

describe what students should know & be able to do.



Describe how your program‘s learning outcomes reflect its academic degree level.

Describe what students should know and be able to do on completion of the academic degree or award.

Faculty Can you speak to how the learning outcomes reflect the appropriate degree level & describe what students should know and be able to do upon completion of the program?

D.2.3: Chart cross referencing each course with the academic degree learning outcomes and the GAC

core areas of focus.



How is the content of each course reviewed to ensure it addresses the GAC core areas of focus in GAC Accreditation Standard D.2?

Faculty Please show examples of specific assignments and deliverables for courses that demonstrate how the program learning outcomes are aligned with the GAC core areas of focus.

Please show examples of specific assignments and deliverables for courses that demonstrate how the course learning outcomes are aligned with the applicant program’s learning outcomes.

D.2.4: Description & evidence of how curricula facilitates student

engagement in learning.



Can you speak to how the curricula facilitates student engagement in learning?

Faculty What type of learning activities (i.e. team projects, individual presentations, research projects, examinations, group discussion) do you use to help students gain an understanding of the concepts being taught?


Students/Alumni

Identify one of the most important concepts you learned through your participation in the program. Why?

What was your favorite course in the program? Why? Does your employer value the knowledge you gained in this

program? Why do you say that? Identify one of the program’s key strengths? Would you or have you recommended this program to others? Why? What is the one thing you would change about this program? Why?

D.2.5: Description & evidence on how program provides summative experiences based on processes,

knowledge & competencies acquired throughout program.



Describe how summative experiences based on processes, knowledge & competencies acquired throughout program are built into the courses.

Faculty

Can you speak about how you build summative experiences into the courses you teach?

What is the most important skill(s) a student will gain upon successful completion of each course in the program you teach?

Students

Can you give some examples of summative experiences you have had in your studies based on processes, knowledge & competencies acquired throughout program?

D.2.6: Description & evidence of curricula academic content, rigor

& quality appropriate to the degree level.

No additional questions beyond GAC Standards Review Worksheet

D.2.7: Description & evidence of how the achievement of program learning outcomes is assessed for

each degree.



How does the program determine if all its graduates have achieved the program’s learning outcomes?


What actions are taken if a potential graduate has not achieved the programs learning outcomes?

Faculty

How do you assess student achievement of program learning outcomes in each course that you instruct?

What happens if a student does not meet your performance expectations?

What is the typical distribution of grades in your course(s)? What does it take to earn an A?

Students How has the program helped you develop the knowledge and skills

required for a project management professional?

D.2.8: A detailed outline for each course relevant to the

management of projects.


D.2.9: Description & evidence of how consistent delivery of

curricula is assured across all locations & delivery modalities.


Provost, Dean, Program Director How do you ensure consistent content and quality of the same course being taught by different instructors or in different locations?

Faculty

Describe how consistent content and quality of the same course is being taught by different instructors, or in different locations.

D.3: Program Information in the Public Domain D.3.1: Description & examples of

information provided to students, prospective students, other stakeholders, and the general

Stakeholder Optional QuestionsProvost, Dean, Program

Director,Faculty, Students & Alumni

Do this printed/electronic media present necessary and important information about the program?


public on the degree, such as university catalogs/prospectuses, websites, and other institutionally authorized printed and digital materials.

D.4: Faculty and Staff D.4.1: Roles & responsibilities of

academic leadership, administrative leadership, and support staff, by position.



Describe your overall involvement with the program. How much authority/responsibility do you have in regards to

curriculum development, hiring faculty/staff, and research oversight?

What is the number of full-time faculty available for the program?

What percent of the student audience are taught by full-time faculty?

Are full-time faculty teaching the “core” program courses? What is teaching load per semester? What is the balance between full-time, tenure-track faculty and

adjunct faculty? What is the distribution of effort between teaching and other

responsibilities of each faculty member? What is the distribution of effort between

administration/university governance and other responsibilities for each position?

Faculty

How much time do you spend teaching, researching, and/or practicing project management?

D.4.2: Institutional/program standards for hiring & retaining

faculty.


Provost, Dean, Program What academic and professional standards does the program


Director

have for faculty and staff? Describe your hiring plan for full time faculty. Is the current staffing model adequate for the current and

projected needs of the program? If not, what plans are in place to address the stated concerns?

D.4.3: Curriculum vitae for all faculty currently teaching within

the program.


D.4.4: Schedule of courses offered, by term/semester over the past 2

years that includes course title and assigned faculty.


Director & Faculty & Students/Alumni

Does the program offer all the courses consistently?

D.4.5.1: Interaction between the program and other programs at

the institution.



How does the program interact with other programs at the institution?

Faculty

Can you give examples of how your program interacts with other programs at the institution?

Students/Alumni

Can you give examples of how you interact with other programs at the institution while enrolled in this program of study?

D.4.5.2: Contributions of faculty & Stakeholder Optional Questions


administrators to the governance, intellectual, and social life of the

program, institution, and professional community.


Describe the program’s governance process. Discuss the research being done by the faculty.

Faculty

What is the primary focus of the research you are conducting? Describe how you integrate the research you are conducting

into your teaching. Describe your contributions to the intellectual and social life of

the institution.

D.4.5.3: Support for staff & faculty in acquiring new skills &

knowledge.



How do you support faculty and staff growth?

Faculty

How do you acquire new skills and knowledge? Does your teaching load allow you time to enhance your

professional development in the field? Who funds your ongoing educational efforts? What professional meetings do you attend?

How do you stay current with trends in project management (i.e. agile project management)?

D.5: Students D.5.1: Clear policies for program

admission and ongoing academic performance expectations.



How are students selected for the program? How does the student selection process for the program

compare to similar programs at the institution? How many people have graduated from the program? What are the program’s minimum graduation standards?

Students/Alumni What is your educational background? What is your professional background? Describe how the background of you and your fellow students

enhanced your learning experience.


Why did you choose to enroll in this program?

D.5.2: Descriptions of the academic advisement, evaluation of academic progress, and support provided to students necessary to complete their intended course of studies.


Director Describe advising services provided to students.

Faculty What type of interaction do you have with students outside of

the classroom?

Students/Alumni

Are the faculty/support staff helping with your career plans including job search?

Are you encouraged to do research? If so, please describe the opportunities available to you.

D.5.3: Descriptions of the support services provided to students that are appropriate to the mission of the program & the needs of the students.


Director Describe career guidance services provided to students. Describe any internship programs available to students.

Describe post-graduation support provided to students.

University Support Staff

Discuss how students have access to necessary physical and intellectual resources relevant to the program.

Describe the access students have to advising services related to their coursework.

What type of support is available to students other than advising services such as language support services?

Describe the career guidance, internship, or job placement support provided.

Students/Alumni

What type of support does the faculty provide to students? Describe any professional opportunities that have come your

way as a result of your participation in the program (i.e. promotions, new project management related positions)?

What type of post-graduation support does the program provide?


D.5.4: Descriptions of library staff, services, holdings, and digital resources that are appropriate, adequate, and accessible to support the program’s learning outcomes.



Is the library staff, services, holdings and digital resources adequate for the current and projected needs of the program? If not, what plans are in place to address the stated concerns?

University Support Staff

What is the library/learning resource center’s strategy for obtaining materials to support the project management program?

Are the libraries resources available equally to students on campus and those accessing the library remotely/online?

D.5.5: Description of the appropriate and accessible facilities, instructional equipment, and technology to support the program & students.



Are the facilities adequate for the current and projected needs of the program? If not, what plans are in place to address the stated concerns?

Faculty

Describe how you use the materials and services provided by the library/learning resource center.

Do you feel you have adequate lecture and seminar spaces, office space and related instructional support space?

Are the facilities adequate for the current and projected needs of the program? If not, what plans are you aware of to address the stated concerns?

Students/Alumni

Are the facilities adequate for the current and projected needs of the program? If not, what plans are you aware of to address the stated concerns?

Industry Representative Describe any current or future endowment, scholarship or

development activities specific to the program that you or your group is actively working on.

D.5.6: Description of opportunities for students to participate in student and/or professional

Stakeholder Optional QuestionsProvost, Dean, Program Director

& Faculty How do you encourage students to participate in professional

associations?


societies and activities

D.6: Financial Resources

D.6.1: Description of how the program maintains financial adequacy and sustainability.



How is the program funded? Is this funding model similar to or different from other programs within the institution?

How will this program be funded in the foreseeable future? Describe any current or future endowment, scholarship or

development activities specific to the program.

D.7: Program Improvement

D.7.1: Description of the program’s continuous improvement process & timeline with respect to all of the GAC Accreditation Standards.


Provost, Dean, Program Director &

Faculty

How has the program changed over time? How has the program improved over time? Can you describe the program’s continuous improvement

process? Describe how feedback received through the self-assessment

process is incorporated into the curriculum. (Example: Students request inclusion of agile. How was the suggestion evaluated and incorporated into the course material?)

Faculty What is the one thing you would do to improve each program

class that you teach?

Students/Alumni

How have you been asked to provide feedback regarding the program’s overall curriculum and learning context?

Are your improvement suggestions valued and implemented? If so, provide an example. If not, why not?

How has the program improved over time?

D.7.2: Program level summary of notable strengths, areas for

improvement, and future directions.


Director,Faculty, Students, Alumni &

Industry Representatives

What are the program’s strengths? How do you plan to build on these strengths in the future?

What are the program’s weaknesses/challenges? How do you plan to address these weaknesses/challenges in the future?


How has the program changed over time? What opportunities do you envision for the program’s future?

D.7.3.1: Description of the program learning outcome

assessment process.


Provost, Dean, Program Director& Faculty

Describe the program’s learning outcomes assessment process. How are the results of the self-assessment process

communicated to you? How do you incorporate the results of the assessment process

into your course(s)?

D.7.3.2: Analysis of assessment data showing the extent to which students have achieved the GAC core areas of focus for program learning outcomes and use of

these data for continuous program improvement.


D.7.3.3: The means by which faculty, students, and staff are

involved in curricula review and revision.


Faculty Describe the process of how and when you would implement

changes in an existing course. How do you develop new courses?

Students/Alumni

How have you been asked to provide feedback regarding the program’s overall curriculum and learning context?

Are your improvement suggestions valued and implemented? If so, provide an example. If not, why not?How has the program improved over time?

D.7.4: Evidence of how effectiveness of faculty & staff is assessed & how the assessment

data are used to inform continuous improvement.



General open ended questions to use in closing interviews

What else would you like to discuss with us? What additional information can you share that you believe is relevant to the discussion? What are your final thoughts on this topic? What are some questions that you feel we should have asked but didn’t?

CHART 2: Stakeholder Groups Grid – Areas of Inquiry, Composition, Etc.

This grid assists teams in understanding the inquiry areas, recommended group size, appropriate representation, and any special instructions for each group that is interviewed during the onsite visit.

Stakeholder Specific ParametersCURRENT STUDENTS Inquire about: Satisfaction, strengths of the program, suggestions for improvement

Recommended Group Size: 6-12 Must Represent: Each related degree program, each delivery modality for the degree program (i.e. face-to-

face, on-line, blended) Special Instructions: Must be currently enrolled in program, if unrelated degree programs are being reviewed,


a separate group should be interviewed for each program, exclude participants that are members of the program’s faculty, administration or staff

Optional: Observe class & randomly interview students

RECENT ALUMNI

Inquire About: Satisfaction, strengths of the program, suggestions for improvement, employment opportunities post –grad

Recommended Group Size: 6-12 Must Represent: Each related degree program, each delivery modality for the degree program (i.e. face-to-

face, on-line, blended) Special Instructions: Majority of participants should have graduated within the last 3 years; if unrelated

degree programs are being reviewed, a separate group should be interviewed for each program; exclude participants that are members of the program’s faculty, administration or staff

INDUSTRY REPS

Inquire About: Job preparedness, program strengths and areas for improvement, involvement and input in the program

Recommended Group Size: 6-8 Suggestions for Representation: External advisory group; representatives from firms who hire/employ

graduates/students; project management professional association local chapter reps Special Instructions: May be alumni other than those participating in alumni session, if unrelated degree

programs are being reviewed, a separate group should be interviewed for each program; exclude participants that are members of the program’s faculty, administration or staff

PROGRAM DIRECTOR Inquire About: Self-assessment process, mission connectivity, program strengths, faculty sufficiency, faculty

development, student support , student achievement, curriculum content and program learning outcomes, continuous quality improvement, institutional support, team areas of concern

FACULTY

Inquire about: Course content, professional development, workload teaching and learning methods, assessment methods, currency with industry trends

Recommended Group Size: Adequate faculty (representing full-time, part-time/adjunct faculty) dependent on size of program

Must Represent: All faculty teaching in program invited, specific emphasis on those teaching core management of project courses

Special Instructions: Ensure faculty from all sites and delivery modalities represented, if unrelated degree programs are being reviewed, a separate group should be interviewed for each program exclude participants that are members of the program’s administration or staff


UNIVERSITY ADMIN/SUPPORT

STAFF

Inquire about: Mission, vision, future of the program, budget support, strengths and planned improvements, team areas of concern

Recommended Group Size: No minimum size Must Represent: People that students interface with regularly Special Instructions: Based on program

CHART 3: Materials to be Reviewed During Onsite Visit

The Onsite Team will inspect documents and records to validate statement made in the Self-Assessment Report. Below is a listing of types of materials to inspect as well as guidelines on selecting and inspecting samples to review

Materials to be Reviewed During Onsite Visit

Type of Materials(records and documents)

Inspection of documents and records details:


Current Course Syllabi Review Syllabi from selected courses or subjects• With attention directed to learning outcomes and topical outlines

Course Materials

Text Books Lecture Notes Handouts Examinations Etc.

Sample Student Work

Can include:o Assignmentso Presentationso Case Study Analysiso Online forums/discussions/blogso Thesiso Research paperso Capstone projectso Other items which provide evidence of alignment with achievement of the

program’s learning outcomes

** Sample student work should show a range of achievement.

Other Items

Other items the Team may inspect include:o Evidence that assessment data is being used for program improvemento Externally available program information via website or other materialo Internship-related materialso Faculty CV’s

Key Guidelines for Selection of Sample Materials


Review the first course or subject in the program. Review at least one more “core” course or subject. Review the final or “capstone” course or subject. Additional courses should be selected for inspection based on Self-Assessment Report. Expand the sample as necessary to ensure adequate coverage or to explore concerns.

Key Guidelines for Inspection Sample Materials

Textbooks are updated editions. Learning outcomes must be stated in each syllabus. Course syllabi can differ from section to section, but the same learning outcomes are addressed across all sections of the

same course. Syllabus contains assignments that measure student achievement of course learning outcomes.


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