The institution offers collegiate level programs that culminate in identified student competencies and lead to degrees or certificates in recognized fields of study. The achievement and maintenance of high quality programs is the primary responsibility of an accredited institution; hence, the evaluation of educational programs and their continuous improvement is an ongoing responsibility. As conditions and needs change, the institution continually redefines for itself the elements that result in educational programs of high quality.

Mission

From its inception, Portland State University has played a specific role in serving the community. Created to provide higher education to World War II veteran students, the institution evolved to serve the maturing civil society of the Portland metropolitan region. The earliest catalogues of Portland State point to the institution's urban mission, which today animates the University's academic culture and curriculum.

• The Values and Visions focus group report

The many facets of the Portland State commitment to its community and the integration of the campus and the community are illustrated through the institutional portfolio theme of Community and Global Connections.

• Community and Global Connections

The Office of Academic Affairs has the primary responsibility for leadership in maintaining the quality and focus of the University's academic programs. In 2003, the Provost appointed a University Planning Committee, charged to update and maintain the University's vision, and recommend action on priorities. Overall vision is important, because it provides the framework to justify priorities and claims on resources, including new tenure lines and proposals for new programs or courses. Background and outcomes of the planning process can be found at:

• University Planning
• Planning Priorities

New faculty lines are requested through the deans to the Provost. If resources are available and the request aligns with needs and priorities, "Permission to Recruit" documents are ordered to begin a formal approval process to hire. The connection between institutional priorities and faculty recruitment begins with the permission to recruit requests.

• Permission to Recruit Request

Program Standards and Review

The University's Bulletin contains the requirements and course plans for each academic program. Most departments also have student guides that describe the appropriate sequence of courses and other advice to successfully complete degree requirements.

Academic program standards and requirements can be found in the 2003-2004 Bulletin. A listing of relevant accreditation organizations and related programs may be found on page 20.

Professional accreditation for eligible programs at Portland State, either obtained or pending, provides one indicator of program standards. Complete accreditation reports are available in hard copy in the resource room.

Since the Northwest Commission on Colleges and University's last visit to Portland State, all professional programs have had accreditation visits and been approved for the appropriate interval before the next review is scheduled. Among programs that do not have professional accreditation agencies, the most recently reviewed programs under an internal program review process are Spanish, Political Science, English, and the University Honors Program.

Academic departments and programs undergo a program review either in conjunction with disciplinary or professional accreditation, or on a schedule established by the responsible dean. A Departmental Profile/Program Review resource is available online, with criteria developed and approved by the Academic Deans Council and aligned with accreditation standards.

Criteria for program success generally include the following:

• High academic standards
• Coherent design
• Suitable sequencing of courses
• University initiatives implemented, including advising and curriculum assessment
• Supports the University's vision, mission
• Priorities are reviewed and evaluated
• Student learning outcomes
• Program goals

Specific criteria for internal program review may be found in the Departmental Profiles website.

• Program Review

Proposals for new or modified programs, degrees, or courses must be reviewed and approved by faculty curriculum committees. A structure of faculty governance of the curriculum operates at departmental, college, and university levels. The curriculum approval process allows each academic unit to propose and justify course proposals.

• Faculty curriculum approval process

Review of program proposals includes evaluation of the following criteria.

• Intellectual rigor of the proposal.
• Consistency with university, college, and departmental mission and learning objectives.
• Provisions for periodic assessment.
• Appropriateness of course and degree designation.
• Transferability of credits.
• Availability of faculty with suitable qualifications.

Ultimately, all courses are approved by either the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee or the Graduate Council. New programs and major program changes are forwarded to the university level through the college or school curriculum committees, which provide a degree of consistency across campus. Curriculum committees at each level periodically review their own policies and procedures.

Courses offered in non-standard time frames, and courses that are technology mediated, follow the same approval process as other courses to ensure comparability in content and requirements. Best-practice guidelines for distance-delivered or technology-mediated courses have been developed by the Advisory Committee on Academic Information Technology. The guidelines were presented to the Council of Academic Deans and the Faculty Senate in October 2004.

• Advisory Committee on Academic Information Technology

Resource Access

Effective integration of library resources and practices is advanced by representation of library faculty on the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and the Graduate Council, covering both undergraduate and graduate education. In turn, teaching faculty from each college are represented on the University Library Committee. Also, librarians are assigned to act as liaisons with each academic unit.

Courses are scheduled through a central scheduling process, through which academic units indicate their needs. Many academic units have priority scheduling for certain spaces, because of equipment, lab, or design needs.

Evening programs are available to accommodate students who work during the day. In addition, Portland State delivers upper-division degree-completion programs on or near several community college campuses to facilitate access for students with time or transportation limitations. Off-campus programs are provided by regular Portland State faculty.

• Degree completion and the community college initiative

In February 2005, the Faculty Senate adopted a formal policy on awarding credit for prior learning. The proposal follows standards of the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning, and NWCCU Policy 2.3 (see Section 2G).

In the event of program elimination or significant change, a plan is devised to allow students to complete the course of the program. For example, when general education requirements were changed in 1994, students who had begun under the previous requirements were given seven years to complete the existing requirements. Elimination of programs receives curricular review through the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee or the Graduate Council. Teach-out questions are addressed through the same process. Students may petition the faculty Academic Requirements Committee if program or requirement changes create a significant obstacle to completing a program of study.