Quality Benchmarks in Undergraduate Psychology Programs
Department
Psychology
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-2007
Abstract
Performance benchmarks are proposed to assist undergraduate psychology programs in defining their missions and goals as well as documenting their effectiveness. Experienced academic program reviewers compared their experiences to formulate a developmental framework of attributes of undergraduate programs focusing on activity in 8 domains: curriculum, assessment issues, student learning outcomes, program resources, student development, faculty characteristics, program climate, and administrative support. A continuum of performance was conceptualized for each attribute in each of the domains to characterize underdeveloped, developing, effective, and distinguished achievement for undergraduate programs. The authors hope to inspire a national conversation about program benchmarks in psychology in order to improve program quality, encourage more effective program reviews, and help optimally functioning programs compete more successfully for resources on the basis of their distinguished achievements.
Journal Title
American Psychologist
Journal ISSN
1935-990X
Volume
62
Issue
7
First Page
650
Last Page
670
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1037/0003-066X.62.7.650