Program Review is an opportunity for self-study, self-renewal, and recognition of the excellence of our educational and support programs, and an opportunity to identify areas in need of improvement. In this era of 'accountability', educators and educational institutions are increasingly being asked to account to others for their efforts and to quantify their successes, demonstrate that we continuously improve and update our curriculum, respond to changing student needs, and use our resources wisely. All areas of the college bear this responsibility.

The process involves self-scrutiny by all college entities to determine how well each is achieving its own objectives and advancing those of the College, to identify areas where change should be made and develop action plans to address inadequacies. The annual goal development process assumes that academic departments, student support services, campus administrative units, and college leadership groups' goals should reflect College goals. The College's planning process, including budget development, should also reflect the goals and objectives of all areas of the College. All facets of the campus have the responsibility to identify their own efforts to support college goals, and merge these efforts with a self-assessment of how well they lead to student success.

Academic Program Review has its mandate in Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations. Further, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges is placing greater emphasis on self-assessment and measurable goals as it revises the standards of good institutional practices, the basis of the Accreditation Self Study process. The Chancellor has urged colleges to strengthen their mission, self-assessment, and accountability by identifying college-wide goals, which in turn are supported by goals developed within each level of the administrative hierarchy down to the individual department or discipline. In recent years the concept of 'cost-centers' and the responsibility of these entities to justify expenditures, resource use and demand, and perform minimal assessment of their role in supporting the college mission has been used in the college planning process. In effect, all levels of the campus have been involved in some manner of visioning, focused efforts for improvement, and assessment. The college President has consistently stressed the college's focus on student success.