CAPE Discussion Meetings

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Purpose

The University-wide Comprehensive Academic Program Evaluation (CAPE) committee is responsible for reviewing program assessments and recommendations submitted by academic departments and colleges, making first provisional recommendations and later advisory recommendations to the Provost, deans, department heads, and faculty.

As part of this process, the committee would like to provide your department with the opportunity to discuss any program suspension recommendation that was not endorsed at the departmental level.

Eligibility

Academic programs recommended for suspension by the University-wide CAPE committee that were not endorsed at the departmental level.

If you are unsure whether your program is eligible, you are encouraged to contact your department head/chair.

Attendees

Academic program discussion meeting panel will be comprised of:

• University-wide CAPE committee members (as available)

Others in attendance:

• Academic dean or designee
• Spokesperson for academic program--Programs must identify a single spokesperson to represent the program and respond to questions from panel. (See below for more information about the academic hearing process.)

Academic Program Discussion Meeting Process

In preparation for academic program discussion meetings. All academic programs that meet eligibility requirements (see above) and successfully schedule a time for a discussion meeting should provide additional information for the University-wide CAPE committee in making their final advisory recommendations.  In formulating their response, programs are encouraged to refer to the rationale offered by the University-wide CAPE committee.  This may be found in the notification letter sent to the relevant department head and dean on March 1.  Especially relevant will be information not available in program self-studies or Dean’s recommendations. 

Programs must adhere to the following formatting and content standards when submitting their additional informational documents:

• One page, single-sided PDF or word document
• Single-spaced, 11pt font
• Calibri or Times New Roman
• 0.75 margins
• The use of hyperlinks is not permitted

For consideration by the committee, the informational one-page document must be submitted to academic.affairs@wku.eduno less than 48 hours in advance of the scheduled discussion meeting. 

The committee will only view those informational one-pagers that meet both formatting and content standards and the deadline for submission.

Day of academic program discussion meeting.  All discussion meetings will take place in WAB 227, and are scheduled to last 10 minutes.  The spokesperson will have the opportunity to respond to questions from the University-wide CAPE committee. In the interests of time, narratives or other verbal appeals not in direct response to questions from the CAPE Committee will be considered as out-of-order.  If the program submitted an informational one-pager, as outlined above, by the prescribed deadline, the committee will have reviewed that document in advance of the discussion meeting.

Scheduling a Discussion Meeting

The hearings for preliminarily suspended programs are scheduled to commence the week following spring break. Appointments are available in fifteen minute blocks Tuesday March 12 from 9am - 10am, and Wednesday though Friday 8:15am - 10am in WAB 227. Appointments will begin being scheduled for Friday, March 15 and then be forward-filled, working back toward the Tuesday of that week (March 12). This is to give those who respond first the most time to supply their documentation.

To schedule a hearing, please contact X52121 or X58985. 

For more information about the CAPE process, including the timeline, please click here.