Report and Response Process

The review committee will prepare a written report to the Provost that offers a concise, candid appraisal of the unit’s strengths and weaknesses, current reputation, reputational potential, and constructive recommendations for making improvements.

Whenever possible, the committee is encouraged to complete a draft of the report during the site visit period and time will be set aside in the itinerary for the committee to work on its report. As reflection following the exit interview frequently informs the final report, the draft report may be revised and finalized after the visit. However the report must be submitted to the Office of the Provost in final form within two weeks of the site visit conclusion.

The report will be shared broadly with the unit’s faculty and leadership. Written reports should be as direct and frank as possible. If the committee wishes to provide advice and/or specific findings to the Provost that are too sensitive to include in the report, the review committee has the option to write a separate confidential memo to the Provost that will not be shared with the unit under review. The Provost will keep such correspondence confidential.

The unit under review is expected to prepare a written response to the review committee’s report within four weeks of its receipt. The response should be viewed as an opportunity to outline and prioritize the unit’s plans based on the input of the review committee. The response need not address all issues raised in the report and is not a conversation with the review committee. The downloadable guidelines below provide a framework for structuring the response.

The following outlines the timetable for submission and distribution of the report and response:

  1. Review committee submits its report to the Office of the Provost within two weeks of the site visit.
  2. The review committee’s report will be sent to the head of the unit reviewed for distribution to the entire faculty and sent to the appropriate dean(s) by the Office of the Provost.
  3. Following consultation with the unit faculty, the head of the unit will submit a response to the review committee’s report to the Office of the Provost within four weeks; the response document should also be shared with the faculty of the unit and the appropriate dean(s). If the unit under review is a department or program within a school or college, the dean should not submit a separate response to the report.
  4. The Office of the Provost will distribute the report and the response to the members of the CAPR, who will meet to discuss the review, ideally within two weeks of receipt of the response (within ~eight weeks of the site visit).
  5. Following presentation of the report by the review committee’s internal member, the CAPR will discuss the report and response and reach consensus on the key points that should be brought to the Provost’s attention.
  6. The report and response accompanied by a cover memo from the CAPR are sent to the Provost. The CAPR memo and its recommendations are confidential to the Provost.

Guidelines for the Unit’s Response to the Review Committee Report: Appendix 6.