External Reviews of Departments and Programs, 2009-10

1. External Reviews of Departments and Programs, 2009-10 Overview Amy Mullin, Interim Vice-Principal Academic & Dean

2. New Quality Assurance Framework • A new Quality Assurance Framework has been developed, as required of all Ontario universities. • External reviews, governed by this framework, occur at intervals of 7-10 years. • Supervised by the new provincial Quality Council, which is responsible for auditing the process.

3. Role of External Reviews • External reviewers are chosen on the basis of administrative experience and wide-respect within their fields. • They assist in determining the quality of the program or department, make recommendations for improvement, and raise any significant areas of concern. • Often external reviews coincide with a chair’s end of term and help shape the mandate for the new chair.

4. External Review Process • External reviewers are given a self-study prepared by program director or departmental chair in a context of widespread consultation. • Increasingly templates and data to be used in self-study will be provided centrally. Focus on programs, research, teaching, governance and plans for the future, along with measures of quality for assessment against national and international peers. • External reviewers (typically 2 for a department) visit campus for two days and prepare their report for the Dean. Important that report provides detailed evaluation of programs and curriculum.

5. Response to the External Review • Department chair or program director prepares a response. • The external review and unit response are forwarded to the provost’s office. Provost requests decanal response. • Review summary and decanal response are shared with Committee on Academic Policy & Programs (AP&P), Academic Board, Academic Affairs and Erindale College Council.

6. 2009-10 Reviews • Department of Anthropology • Program in Forensic Science (housed within the Department of Anthropology) • Department of Historical Studies

7. Anthropology • Visit November 2009 • Chair in 2009-10: Professor Gary Crawford

8. Major Findings- Positive Elements • Excellent job in course development to reflect diverse subfields within anthropology • High praise for faculty and courses they teach • Excellent new hires, strong research productivity overall

9. Major Findings - Concerns • Stagnant enrolment • Curriculum: complicated prerequisites, sharp division between science and arts degrees, availability of 400 level courses • Writing skills of students • Space needs • Governance – need for more participation and transparency

10. Response to review • Curriculum renewal initiative • Increased attention to students’ writing skills, more connection with RGASC • Will receive appropriate new space with move to HSC in September 2011 (though planned new teaching lab in Davis Bldg delayed, chairs committed to sharing existing labs) • Executive ctte established to advise chair, more consultation with department members and committees

11. Forensic Science • Only 1 reviewer • Visit December 2009 • Program Director in 2009-10, Professor Martin Evison (resigned position with university in 2010)

12. Major Findings- Positive Elements • Excellent reputation • Good placement record • Attracts students of high calibre • Support from the Centre of Forensic Sciences, Toronto Police Department, Office of the Coroner and other external stakeholders

13. Significant concerns • Concerns about course content and coordination of courses • Concerns about faculty commitment and complement • Concerns that program does not meet standards for accreditation

14. Response • Temporarily halted admissions to program (re-opened February 2011) • Appointed new director, committed to program and to working cooperatively with other units at UTM, secured faculty commitments to teaching in program • Curricular review – anthropology and psychology streams reconfigured so that students can meet requirements of specialist, chemistry and biology streams now meet requirements for accreditation

15. Response continued • Searching for limited term lecturer in Forensic biology or biochemistry, teaching needs to be re-evaluated in 2 years • Will pursue accreditation for biology and chemistry streams (only streams eligible for accreditation)

16. Historical Studies • Visit December 2009 • Reviewers chosen to reflect multidisciplinary nature of department (Dept. of Religion and Dept. of Classics) • Chair in 2009-10: Professor Robert Johnson

17. Major Findings – Positive Elements • Integration of several disciplines into a single unit has been received enthusiastically by faculty • Faculty members are dedicated to their students • Curriculum sensitive to interests of students • Faculty talented researchers and teachers

18. Concerns • Opportunity for clearer intellectual identity of department • Need for more presence of faculty and graduate students at UTM, more teaching by faculty with continuing appointments in large courses • Governance – suggest clearer governance structure, more standing committees, increased mentorship of junior faculty • Need for increased staffing

19. Response • Intellectual identity of department continues to evolve, new appointments bridge areas of scholarly and teaching interest • Clearer governance structure established, more standing committees appointed, terms of reference developed for them • Staffing increased 0.5 FTE • Director of Intellectual Community appointed to increase faculty and graduate student presence on campus • More efforts to ensure faculty with ongoing appointments teach large courses.