FAQs: Academic Program Performance Initiative (APPI)

The Academic Program Performance Initiative (APPI) is a data-informed framework that helps SUNY Oswego assess the performance on a annual basis, vitality, and strategic alignment of academic programs. It supports continuous improvement, academic planning, and responsible stewardship of university resources.

Higher education is changing rapidly. APPI provides a consistent, transparent framework to help the university evaluate programs, strengthen academic quality, and ensure that academic offerings continue to meet the needs of students, employers, and the region.

Although the APPI framework was developed specifically for SUNY Oswego, colleges and universities across the country increasingly use evidence-based program review as part of their academic planning and continuous improvement.

All registered programs will generally be evaluated individually. However, programs that share 50% or more of their curriculum may be combined and reviewed as a single unit. For example, B.A. and B.S. programs within the same discipline that have substantial curricular overlap may be combined into a single review.

Programs will be evaluated using two complementary indices that consider both current program performance and a program’s broader strategic value to the university and the communities it serves.

Productivity Index

The Productivity Index assesses a program’s overall academic performance and use of institutional resources. It draws on multiple measures of program activity and performance, considering factors such as student participation and outcomes, instructional contributions, and the relationship between program activity and available resources.

The index is based primarily on institutional data and is updated annually as official data become available. By considering multiple dimensions of program performance rather than a single measure, the Productivity Index provides a consistent basis for understanding how programs perform over time.

Strategic Need Index

The Strategic Need Index considers a program’s broader value and importance to SUNY Oswego and the communities it serves. The assessment takes into account a range of institutional and external considerations, including the university’s strategic priorities, the evolving needs of students and society, the program’s place within the academic portfolio, and opportunities and outcomes associated with the field.

The Strategic Need Index is informed by institutional expertise, relevant data and external research, and collaborative review by academic leadership. This approach recognizes that the value of an academic program cannot be understood through quantitative performance measures alone.

Combined Index

Together, the Productivity Index and Strategic Need indices provide a balanced framework for evaluating academic programs. The Productivity Index considers evidence of current program performance, while the Strategic Need Index provides a broader assessment of a program’s academic, institutional, and external importance.

Considering the two together allows SUNY Oswego to evaluate programs in context rather than relying on any single indicator. The resulting assessment is intended to support informed academic planning, continuous improvement, and thoughtful decisions about the university’s academic portfolio.

No. Enrollment is only one component of the evaluation. APPI also considers student success, instructional contribution, strategic priorities, workforce demand, program distinctiveness, and post-graduation outcomes.

Many departments provide essential instruction that supports students across the university, regardless of major. APPI recognizes these contributions as a key measure of a program's overall value. Hence, it is included as a component of the productivity indicators.

Academic programs will be evaluated annually using updated institutional data and input from Academic units (i.e., in such as distinctiveness and reputation per the strategic indicators.

Programs identified for improvement will collaborate with deans, department chairs, and Academic Affairs to develop a corrective action plan. The emphasis is on strengthening programs whenever possible. The good news is that the APPI provides a structured process for evaluating programs and identifying areas where improvements may strengthen our mission and better align with institutional priorities.

Yes. Deans, department chairs, and academic administrators will have opportunities to review institutional data and discuss program performance throughout the process.

In addition to updates on this website, the Office on Institutional Research and Assessment is building the APPI dashboard which will be accessible to the SUNY Oswego community. The Division of Academic Affairs will be responsible for the initiative.