Academic Program Review
Academic Program Review
WMU will launch the second five-year cycle of APR during Academic Year 2026-27 using Envisio strategic solutions. This slight delay allows for smooth transition of technologies and processes.
Why the Delay
APR’s second five-year cycle was scheduled to begin during spring 2026. Programs that had completed their self-studies/reviews during spring 2021 would provide updates based on data from fall 2021 through fall 2025. In addition, new programs that became effective fall 2021 would submit their first self-studies for review.
As the changeover to Cycle 2 began, however, WMU was informed that Anthology, the vendor providing APR’s online platform, had filed for bankruptcy. This necessitated a change in technology as well as a process that would preserve the work done in Cycle 1 and remedy problems with the old process reported by participants over the prior five-year cycle. The spring 2026 update period was placed on a brief hold to convene a new APR Working Group of faculty, administrators, and staff to provide input on the new technology and process.
What this Means
The Working Group is expected to complete its work during September 2026; after which, all Cycle 1 self-study and review information, submitted to the original Program Review online platform, will be converted to the new platform. This will be a triaged process, beginning with Year 1 and Year 2 programs.
For Year 1 programs (those that were scheduled to complete updates to their Cycle 1 reports, and new programs scheduled to submit their first self-studies during spring 2026):
- Departments will be contacted as soon as access to the new platform becomes available – approximately October 2026 – to schedule fall 2026 end-user training sessions.
- Participants will be able to begin their updates as soon as they are familiar with the system, and will have until April 30, 2027 to complete their updates.
- These programs will use data from the period fall 2021 through fall 2025, as expected, to ensure no gaps in reporting.
- Institutional data will continue to be provided by the Office of Institutional Research.
For Year 2 programs (those scheduled to update in spring 2027):
- Departments will be contacted in December 2026 for a list of participants and to schedule January 2027 training sessions for spring 2027 update period.
- The updating period will begin February 1, 2027 and run through April 30, 2027 per the usual timeline.
- These programs will use data from the period fall 2022 through fall 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
ACCESS TO ARCHIVED REPORTS
Archived self-study, review, and final reports are available to all WMU faculty and staff with an active Bronco NetID. Simply click on the link below and enter your Bronco NetID. If this is your first time accessing the site, a request will be sent to the moderator, who will approve access upon receipt.