How to Develop Quality Educational Programs

1. What is Program
Life Cycle?
stan chung jan 2014

2. Program Life Cycle is
...a way of considering the life “process” by
which an institution’s academic or education
plan is realized.

3. Why not keep using the term
“Academic Plan?”
Many plans are realized and completed as
documents. Documents possess strengths and
challenges.
Perhaps planning documents are not the best
way to consider the human and system
activities enacted by educational institutions.

4. Program Lifecycle
Advantages
Program Prioritization is a less preferred term
for it is a often a negative experience.
Lifecycle is an integrated and continuous
process of systematizing the genesis of new
programs, improving core programs, and
retiring programs.

5. Advantages
Program Lifecycle is informed by the concept
that there is an appropriate beginning, middle,
and end for all programs and services.

6. Advantages
Program Lifecycle is not a replacement for an
Academic Plan but an expression of the
processes, systems, policies, relationships,
milestones, and timelines that embody the
Academic Plan.

7. Three Activities of Program
Lifecycle
Activity 1 Program Development
Activity 2 Program Quality
Activity 3 Program Sustainability

8. Activity 1 Program
Development
Some Questions
1. How do we develop new programs?
2. How do we prioritize their development?
3. Do we create “signature programs?”
4. Have we mapped the process for new
program development?

9. Activity 2 Program Quality
Sample Questions:
1. How do define program quality?
2. How do we measure quality?
3. How do we support and share curriculum
excellence?
4. How is teaching quality, defined, measured
and supported?

10. Activity 3 Program
Sustainability
Sample Questions
1. How do we cost our programs?
2. Who is involved in program costing?
3. How do account for variations in program
funding?
4. Have we mapped the process for program
review?

11. Crosscutting Questions
1. When we consider retiring programs, do we
also consider investing in new programs?
2. Do departments feel engaged in the program
quality process?
3. Do our values inform our decision-making
about programs?

12. Challenging Questions
1. What percentage of programs should be
retired annually?
2. What percentage of programs should be
reviewed annually?
3. Is there a system for rapidly developing new
programs?

13. Governance
1. Who governs the process for the making
changes to transfer, entrance requirements,
and curriculum?
2. Who governs the financial sustainability of a
program?
3. Who implements the changes made to a
program?

14. Program Lifecycle
1. Builds processes and systems recognizing
that an institution must invest in the entire life
cycle of a program
2. Invites thinking about the agility,
responsiveness, and transparency around the
life cycle governance
3. Remains focussed on hope and engagement.

15. Conclusion
1. Program Lifecycle, SEM, Faculty
Development, and Lean processes work very
well together
2. Program Lifecycle integrates the
participation of the entire campus.
3. Program Lifecycle requires a focus on
systems, relationships, and accountability.

16. Ratios
1. Develop 2-5% new programs annually
2. Review 5-10% of core programs on a priority
basis annually
3. Retire 2-5% of programs annually.
Create a human and renewal process to
redevelop programs suggested for retirement.
4. Empower core program renewal

17. Thank you.
stan chung
stanchung@gmail.com