Scheduling a successful on-site visit by an external consultant is one of the most important aspects of the review process. The Chair of the Program Review Committee (PRC) assigned to review the self-study is responsible for planning and scheduling the on-site visit. Assistance is available for each step in the process.

Initial Steps

After the external consultants have been identified, Dr. Teresa LaGrange, Vice Provost for Academic Planning, will contact them to affirm their ability to participate in the review. The Chair of the PRC will then contact the external consultant(s) selected for his/her program review to determine the dates for the onsite visit. Once the dates have been confirmed, the travel schedule should be sent to Laurine Owens (contact information listed below) who will assist the external consultants in completing travel plans. Ms. Owens will contact the consultant and provide information regarding travel guidelines, contact phone numbers and e-mail addresses for the PRC members, a generic travel sheet to track expenses, travel directions and a map of Cleveland State University (CSU).

External Consultant’s On-site Visit Itinerary

The Chair of the PRC will develop the onsite visit itinerary for the external consultant’s visit. This itinerary should be developed in consultation with the chair/director of the unit being reviewed, the members of the PRC, and the external consultant.

It is recommended that the Chair of the PRC contact the external consultant early in the process to discuss expectations, determine with whom the external consultant will meet during the visit, and provide background documents relevant to the department being reviewed for the site visit. When developing the itinerary, the Chair or committee members need to make arrangements for escorting the external consultant from the hotel to campus and from meeting to meeting. Members of the PRC typically take on these responsibilities.

Traveling to Cleveland by Air

After consultation with the external consultant, Ms. Owens will arrange air travel to Cleveland via AAA Business Travel and will email the flight information and the e-ticket confirmation number directly to the consultant. Travel will be in coach class.

Travel from Cleveland Hopkins Airport

The Chair of the PRC may arrange for someone to meet the external consultant at the airport and to drive him or her to the campus. This extends the University’s hospitality to the consultants and also allows the consultants additional time to interact with Program Review Committee members. The PRC member who meets the external consultant at the airport may use his or her personal automobile for the trip and submit expenses for parking and mileage to Laurine Owens (contact information listed below.) The external consultant also has the option to take a taxi to campus. The University will reimburse the taxi expense.

Driving to Cleveland

Some external consultants may reside within a two to three hundred mile radius of Cleveland and prefer to drive. Consultants who wish to drive to Cleveland by automobile will be reimbursed at CSU’s standard mileage rate of 55 cents per mile.

Lodging and Meals

Ms. Owens will make reservations for the external consultant at the Wyndham Hotel or Residence Inn by Marriott and will send the consultant a confirmation number to track the reservation. The University pays for the cost of the stay and meals for consultants. The University does not reimburse for personal phone calls and other personal charges.

The Chair of the PRC may wish to organize some meetings for the external consultant around meals. For example, a breakfast meeting between the external consultant and members of the PRC may be appropriate as a planning session for the onsite visit. Or, the Chair of the PRC may invite several faculty members from the unit being reviewed to join the external consultant for lunch. Reimbursement for the cost of these meals, when clearly connected with the work of the committee, will be approved by the Vice Provost for Academic Planning.

External Consultant’s Honorarium

The external consultant’s honorarium will be initiated through the Office of Academic Planning.

Reimbursements to the External Consultant

Reimbursements for expenses incurred by the external consultant during the review will be mailed after Ms. Owens (contact information listed below) receives an expense report along with original receipts.

Contact Information

For clarification or requests for approval in making exceptions to the guidelines above, contact Dr. Teresa LaGrange, Vice Provost for Academic Planning, at (216) 523-7402 or at t.lagrange@csuohio.edu.

The designated support staff member is Laurine Owens, Administrative Coordinator, in the Office of Academic Planning. You may reach her at (216) 687-5324 or at l.c.owens@csuohio.edu.

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