Introduction

The Annual Program Review (APR) provides an opportunity to reflect on your program’s development over the past academic year. More than a compliance exercise, the APR is a tool to support continuous improvement, foster thoughtful analysis, and inform meaningful planning. This process allows program teams to reflect on strengths, identify areas for enhancement, and propose targeted actions that advance program quality and student success.

This preamble outlines how to approach the form, interpret the guiding questions, and use the narrative and planning components effectively.

Purpose and Intent

The APR is designed to help programs provide a reflective snap-shot of the past year—what worked well, what required attention, and what may require strategic focus going forward. Your reflections will be used to:

Identify program strengths to be sustained or leveraged;
Explore gaps that may require follow-up or support;
Inform college-wide planning and quality assurance processes;
Track progress on past commitments and align with broader institutional goals.

Using the Guiding Questions

Each section begins with guiding questions that prompt a review of key aspects of program performance. These are not simply yes/no checkboxes—they serve as cues for deeper consideration.

If you answer in affirmation to a guiding question, consider whether this area represents a strength worth commenting on. In your reflection, you might describe what’s working well and how it contributes to program quality or student outcomes.
If you answer in negation, this should be acknowledged in the reflection. While a “No” does not automatically indicate a problem, it may point to an area that warrants attention, further exploration, or future action planning.

Writing the Reflective Narrative

The reflection section invites you to think critically about the past year’s experiences and outcomes. Strong narratives:

Connect responses to the guiding questions with evidence (e.g., ORSIE data, student or faculty feedback, PAC or external input);
Explore the “why” behind successes or challenges;
Consider implications for students, faculty, and future program delivery.

Approaching Action Planning

Action plans are not required for every section—this form is not intended to generate an exhaustive to-do list. Instead, use your reflections to determine whether specific, focused actions are needed to address issues, respond to insights, or build on successes.

Where actions are identified:

Ground them in clear evidence or rationale;
Articulate a specific, measurable goal;
Identify expected outcomes, resource needs, and responsible individuals or teams;
Keep the scope realistic and achievable within a meaningful timeframe.

Reviewing Previous Actions

Each section also invites you to review actions identified in previous APR cycles. Use this space to:

Report on the status of each item;
Reflect on barriers, enablers, and lessons learned;
Determine whether additional work or adjustment is needed.

This reflection supports transparency and accountability, while helping teams build momentum across review cycles.

Support and Collaboration

Faculty are encouraged to approach the APR as a collaborative exercise. Where appropriate, consult with your Program Team, Associate Dean, and the Academic Quality team. Data dashboards and other institutional tools are available and linked throughout the document to support your analysis.

Should you need support interpreting data, accessing feedback mechanisms, or shaping your reflections, Jared Button (jared.button@durhamcollege.ca) is available to assist.

Tableau Data

The link below is the best place to start when viewing Tableau dashboards. This link provides the name of each product available, a description, along with when the product was last updated. The last updated date represents the most up-to-date data and is what you will be expected to comment on for he purpose of the APR.

https://insights.durhamcollege.ca/#/workbooks/274/views

Final Note

The value of this process lies in the depth and candour of your engagement. Thoughtful, evidence-informed reflection helps ensure that our programs remain relevant, responsive, and rooted in a commitment to student success and educational excellence.

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