The Undergraduate Program Review process is built around assessment of student learning outcomes. Because faculty members are in the best position to assess student learning, NC State strives to give maximum flexibility to faculty members with respect to crafting assessment plans and measures for their programs while maintaining the minimum university level oversight consistent with the requirements of regional accreditation.

To that end, the Associate Deans in each college with the responsibility for undergraduate academic affairs have been tasked with ensuring that their departments and programs are engaged in the process. In return, the Associate Deans are free to administer the assessment process in their respective colleges in ways that are most amenable to their faculty within the broad parameters of the university guidelines.

As a result, the annual assessment reports and periodic comprehensive program reviews are in some ways unique to each college, and even within the same college different departments may have different approaches to assessment and reporting. These reports are shared among the Associate Deans and Deans in order to exchange information about best practices and to identify shared concerns. The identification of shared concerns allows colleges to collaborate in addressing these concerns; alternatively, the university can address these concerns when that is more efficient.