Revised - August 2011

The periodic Administrative Department Assessment and Planning Process will be conducted once in approximately each five year period.

The assessment will strive to answer the general questions – Does the department set and achieve annual objectives that advance the strategic objectives of the College?  Does it reasonably address its and the college’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?  Does it do so in a cost-efficient manner with a work culture that reflects the “Leadership Philosophy” of the College?  Is there clear evidence of its achievements that is used to promote continuous improvement?

The planning product is intended to address the following areas – What changes in culture are needed to promote more fully the “Leadership Philosophy”?  What programmatic changes are to be undertaken to improve efficiency and effectiveness?  What additional human and capital resources are needed to capitalize on strengths and to seize opportunities or to compensate for weaknesses and to avoid risks?  What changes in feedback and measurement will promote more effective organization of the work?  What are the assignments and timelines relevant to achieve the outcomes sought by the plan?

A.   PREPARATION

Review of Departmental Objectives:  The senior administrator in the department will prepare a listing of the annual departmental objectives for the previous five years along with the assessment reported outcome for each of the objectives.  If the department has had a previous administrative review, a report will be prepared summarizing the results of departmental work on the objectives set forth in the memo of commitment.
Culture and Climate Survey:  The senior cabinet officer responsible for the department will administer the survey to all employees in the department and arrange for the results to be tabulated.  The senior administrator in the department will be given the results of the survey together with other managers in the department and will summarize areas of special achievement and areas to be improved.
SWOT Analysis:  The senior administrator in the department with other managers in the department will engage all departmental employees (to the extent possible) in analyses of departmental and where appropriate sub-unit strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.  These will be summarized highlighting the two or three most significant findings in each of the four categories
Plan for the Self-Study:  The senior administrator in consultation with the senior cabinet officer responsible for the department will create a plan for self-study.  The plan will propose the major objectives to be addressed, referencing as appropriate the SWOT analysis, the culture and climate survey, and the review of departmental objectives.  The plan will include dates for study activities including presentation to the cabinet of a final report in six months or less.  The plan will propose sites for external visits and personnel for external reviews.  The plan will also indicate the activities that will be utilized in the self-study and assignment of personnel to those activities.  Once the plan has been approved.

B.   SELF-STUDY

Involvement of Staff Outside Department:  If special assistance is required in any self-study activity, the department may request assistance.  Normally all self-study activities are expected to be performed by departmental personnel.
Periodic Reports:  No less often than monthly or as approved in the self-study plan the senior administrator in the department along with other managers in the department will meet with the supervising cabinet officer to review progress in the study.
External Visits: Departments will schedule an external visit to two or more institutions similar to Juniata to gather information and to compare programming and procedures.  A report of the external visits will be prepared in which comparisons of programs and outcomes at Juniata are made to those of the visited institutions with special attention to the objectives for the self-study.
Preliminary Self-Study Report:  An initial report will be prepared in which the findings and recommendations of the self-study are summarized.  The report will normally be of no more than six pages although it may contain one or more appendices for the external visit report, the SWOT analysis, etc.  When approved by the supervising cabinet officer, the report will be forwarded to the cabinet.

C.  EXTERNAL REVIEWS

Following approval of the initial Self-Study by the Cabinet, the department will invite to campus at least one External Reviewer from another institution similar to Juniata or a consultant to review their Self-Study and the department’s operations.  The reviewer will visit Juniata, examine the self-study and the department under review, and submit a single report of his or her findings, preferably before departing campus. An External Review template will be provided for the reviewer’s report.
Upon receipt of the External Review report, the department may revise its self-study to reflect External Review findings and suggestions.

D.   MEMO OF COMMITMENT

Upon completion of the Self Study and the External Review, the department will submit to the Cabinet a Memo of Commitment detailing the department’s action plan and resource requests for the next five-year period. (In this way the review process will be linked to the budget.)  Upon Cabinet approval, any budgetary items that are requested by the department and endorsed by the Cabinet will be forwarded to the Budget Team for consideration.