External Review & Site Visit

Nomination of External Reviewer(s)

All new programs are subject to external review. Review documentation is shared in advance of a 1-day site visit. In the case of undergraduate degree programs or professional masters programs, a virtual site visit may replace an in-person visit if the external reviewers are agreeable. Applicable Dean with the Working Group will submit a completed form of suitable external reviewers using the template provided. Nominations should be submitted in a timely manner to allow for the confirmation of reviewer(s) and to facilitate the scheduling of a timely date for a site visit. The form should clearly identify the fields of expertise for each potential reviewer, if applicable.

• Nomination of External Reviewers – Template (.docx)

The Office of the Provost will contact the reviewer(s) and programs, and make arrangements with respect to sharing documentation and scheduling a site visit. For Joint Programs with another University, the institutions will work collaboratively to rank and invite reviewers.

Criteria and Qualifications of Reviewers

Suitable external reviewers will:

• Be Associate or Full Professors
• Have suitable disciplinary expertise, qualifications and experience in developing, assessing and/or managing degree programs
• Have combined professional experience to cover the majority areas of study and/or fields of expertise.
• At least one of the reviewers will have expertise in teaching and learning – content and program delivery, assessment/evaluation, curriculum mapping, and learning outcomes
• In the case of graduate degree programs, have experience with graduate teaching and supervision
• Be at arm’s length.

Arm’s Length

External members must be at ‘arm’s length’ from those associated with the development of the proposal for a new degree program. To avoid conflict of interest and the appearance of conflict of interest, reviewers will not:

• Be a close friend or relative or a member of the Working Group or of someone with whom the Working Group as consulted;
• Have been a supervisor within the past ten years of a member of any academic unit involved in the development of the proposal;
• have been a regular or repeated external examiner of students in any academic unit involved in the development of the proposal;
• Have collaborated (i.e. significantly contributed to intellectual work with another) within the past ten years with a member of any academic unit involved in the development of the proposal, or have plans to collaborate with a member in the immediate future;
• Have been an instructor or a visiting scholar within the past ten years in any academic unit involved in the development of the proposal;
• Have been a student within the past ten years in any academic unit involved in the development of the proposal; or
• Have received an undergraduate or a graduate degree from Trent.

On-site or Virtual Site Visit

The external review will normally be conducted in-person. On-site visits will be required for doctoral and thesis-based masters’ programs. The Provost (or relevant Dean), with clear justification for the decision, may propose a virtual site visit for undergraduate and professional masters’ programs. The external reviewers must be satisfied that a virtual site visit is acceptable.

Site Visit Schedule

• The Office of the Provost will confirm reviewers, book accommodation and assist with travel plans.
• The academic unit that will be housing the new degree program will be responsible for the site visit schedule.
• Sample Schedules are available upon request.
• Reviewers will meet with the Provost, Dean(s), Chair or Director, Working Group, relevant faculty and students if applicable.
• A tour of facilities should be included if relevant.

Expenses

• The Office of Provost is responsible for all reasonable expenses related to the site visit.
• Academic Units should charge all expenses to their own accounts and submit all expenses directly to the Office of Finance. An email should be submitted to the Office of the Provost, itemizing all expenses with a total to be transferred into their account. No receipts are necessary.
• All expenses should be economical in choice.