GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Current Strategic Planning Documents

Background Strategic Planning Documents

In-House Consulting

Links

Academic Program Review (APR) is a process of regular, systematic review and evaluation of all academic programs offered on the campuses of the three Arizona state universities. Arizona Board of Regents’ (ABOR) policy 2-208 (Academic Program Review) states that academic departments are the basic unit of review. Both departmentally based degree programs and degree programs administered by committees are reviewed at least once every seven years. According to Board policy, the standard review consists of a self-study, followed by a review by colleagues or administrators from within the institution (but outside the department), and experts from outside the University. An Academic Program Review is not a review of the unit head.

Annual Report provides for institutional accountability and provides faculty, administration, and the Arizona Board of Regents a sense of good stewardship. Unit annual reporting and planning activities are coordinated through the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. These reports contribute to overall institutional quality, effectiveness, and improvement by:

• Linking assessment, planning, and budgeting activities;
• Helping define the institution’s mission and priorities and map its future to ensure continued improvement and development;
• Assessing internal strengths and weaknesses and competitive advantage;
• Providing guidance for program and unit improvement on a continuing basis;
• Informing budget allocation and reallocation decisions;
• Improving data-based decision making through feedback and review of data between central administration and units.

Academic units should have their annual reports to their relevant deans or vice provosts/presidents by close of business on July 1.  Deans and vice provosts/presidents should have their annual reports to the Provost’s Office by close of business on August 1.

Arizona Board of Regents serve as the governing body for Arizona’s three state universities. Members of the Board are appointed by the governor and serve eight-year terms.

Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) advises the state legislature and legislators on state-wide or agency specific budgetary issues.

Master List of State Programs (Master List) serves as a public reference document with summaries of all state government programs to assist legislators, the governor, and other state policy makers. It shows current (estimate) and past progress and is formatted to combine budget unit/program strategic plans with fiscal information. Includes key external (and sometimes internal) goals and performance measures extracted from agency/program strategic plans. The Master List requirement was created as a part of Arizona’s Budget Reform legislation in 1993 and is updated biennially.

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) is a not-for-profit, voluntary, membership organization of elementary, secondary, and postsecondary institutions, founded in 1895, and committed to the improvement of education through evaluation and accreditation. The Association serves colleges and schools in nineteen states including Arizona.

Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) reports to the governor and coordinates strategic planning and budgeting activities for all state agencies. Serves as the contact point for university submission of strategic plans, budgets, and the master list.

Program for the Assessment of Institutional Priorities (PAIP) was a campus-wide assessment of all academic and non-academic units that was developed between July and November, 1992 and conducted between February and May, 1993. The assessment was conducted by teams of university faculty, staff, students, and administrators utilizing common criteria and processes. It was hoped that this assessment would result in a set of institutional programmatic priorities that could be used in strategic and budget planning. Perhaps the most long-lasting and positive result of PAIP was the development of base-line data that became the foundation for the university’s current data warehouse.

Agency Strategic Plan clarifies strategic issues and establishes future direction for the organization as a whole. Uses a top-down approach that transcends program/subprogram structure. Includes internal/external assessment, strategic goals, objectives, and performance measures. Goals may be system-wide and may cross program lines. Provides top management strategic direction for programs and sets framework for budget priorities. May identify issues that become elevated to a level of statewide importance and is updated annually. The state requirement for strategic plan preparation and submission was created as a part of Arizona’s 1993 Budget Reform Legislation however, University of Arizona administration understands the value of strategic planning at all levels and supports planning efforts that serve as decision-making guides for individual units as well as the entire campus. Strategic plans/updates are due at OSPB on September 1 each year.

Program/Subprogram Strategic Plan establishes future direction and results to be achieved for each agency’s (in this case, university’s) programs and subprograms. Provides a bottom-up approach to strategic planning. Includes internal as well as external goals, objectives, and performance measures and targets. The goals reflect primary activities or strategic directions. These strategic plans serve as source documents for the Master List and provide basis for budget requests. May generate issues that are elevated to the agency strategic plan. These plans are updated annually and progress is reported on internally through the vehicle of the annual report.

Strategic Planning and Budget Advisory Committee (SPBAC) advises the president on planning and budget issues. This committee is composed of 21 members who represent faculty, staff, appointed personnel, and students. Members are both elected and appointed, 11 of whom are always faculty. The Senior Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs and Business Affairs are ex-officio members. The committee is staffed by representatives of the Office of Academic Planning and Review, Decision and Planning Support, and the Budget Office. SPBAC’s responsibilities include development and updating of the university’s strategic plan.

Strategic Program Area Review (SPAR) is the modified program evaluation process (formerly Program Authorization Review [PAR] for Arizona State Government. This process was created by Laws 1999, Chapter 148. This legislations provides that each agency responsible for a SPAR program shall submit a self-assessment of the program to the Directors of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) Staff and the Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting (OSPB). The self-assessment shall address the efficiency and effectiveness of program operations and whether current operations are consistent with the original legislative intent. The legislation also provides that OSPB and JLBC Staff shall evaluate the program area according to agreed upon factors. The two offices shall jointly produce a report of their findings and recommendations on whether to retain, eliminate, or modify funding and related statutory references. The findings and recommendations shall include a description of personnel, facilities, equipment, and funding of the strategic program area by all agencies. The report also shall address the views of the two offices on the program’s efficiency, effectiveness and necessity, and whether the program area should be consolidated into one budget unit, if applicable. Finally, Laws 1999, Chapter 148 provides that the Legislature review the SPAR reports and staff recommendations. The President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives shall assign all SPARs  to the Appropriations Committees. The Speaker and the President may additionally assign the SPAR to a standing committee, which shall hold at least one public hearing for the purpose of receiving public input and developing recommendations to the Appropriations Committees on whether to retain, eliminate, or modify funding and related statutory references. If the Speaker and the President choose not to assign a SPAR to an additional standing committee, the Appropriations Committee shall hold at least one public hearing.

Sunset Review is the mechanism by which the university reviews academic units not offering degree programs (those offering degree programs are covered under Academic Program Review). As defined by ABOR these units may be committees, centers or institutes, laboratories or bureaus, or other academic units. These units are reviewed every three to five years to determine the need for continuation.