Program Review
Program Reviews at Oak Valley are conducted every two years. At most other institutions, program reviews are conducted every seven years. Oak Valley conducts its reviews so frequently because of its commitment to quality assurance and continuous improvement. Also, given Oak Valley’s simplicity, the review process allows faculty to remain actively engaged in curriculum development and fast-paced changes in higher education (e.g. the Pandemic, AI, etc.) It seems hard to imagine that some program reviews have not taken place since the Pandemic or the advent of the wide-reaching adoption of AI.
Oak Valley’s most recent program review is linked below. That review was led by the Lead Faculty and facilitated by the Dean of Academics. Previous reviews, in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024, were also conducted by the Lead Faculty.
The cycle for program review at Oak Valley begins in the fall of the year leading up to the review (e.g. 2025) with the actual review being conducted in January-June. The year between reviews is dedicated to carrying out the action items and gathering data and evidence to inform the next review cycle.
Given Oak Valley’s simple program structure, a single degree program featuring 32 courses taught in a cohort format, the recommendations from each review tend to be modest. For instance, a few of the recommendations in the 2026 Review included course modifications and ways to integrate AI or make courses AI resistant.