Academic Program Review

Academic Program Review & Data Collection FAQ

Academic Program Review (APR) provides faculty and administrative leaders with an opportunity to comprehensively review the operations and outcomes of academic departments and schools to ensure continued improvement in student success and academic excellence. At Rutgers, we are using HelioCampus to streamline the review process through two separate modules: “Data Collection” and “Self-Study”.  

This page provides answers to frequently asked questions about the Academic Program Review and Data Collection processes in HelioCampus. If you don’t see your question here, please reach out to us at otear@rutgers.edu for additional support. 

Academic Program Review Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

1. System Access & Navigation 

Navigate to https://rutgers.heliocampus.net and select the option to Sign in with Rutgers SSO. Once logged in, you will land on your User Dashboard. 

Review the contents of the Action Items Drawer, which is accessible by clicking the HelioCampus white bell icon icon located at the upper right corner of your Dashboard, to the left of your name.

You can also find your assignments by clicking the left-hand Main Menu HelioCampus Waffle icon image. 3 rows and 3 columns of white squares. button and selecting Self-Study Manager or Data Collection Manager under the “Self-Study” or “Data Collection” sections.

You must be assigned a Role (e.g., Self-Study Coordinator) within the specific Self-Study instance. Please contact otear@rutgers.edu if the report does not appear in your Action Items Drawer.

2. Completing the Self-Study (Narrative) 

Click the Edit (Pencil) icon next to a section in your Action Items Drawer to open the document editor.

Yes, multiple editors can work on a Self-Study section simultaneously.

Navigate to the Related Documentation page within the Self-Study. You can upload files to Related Documentation and then “Tag” or link them to specific narrative responses so reviewers can click them directly from your text. 

Yes, the document editor includes an autosave feature. You should only click the Save icon if you want to create a restore point for a document. 

Yes, the Self-Study Document Editor has built-in versioning. You must manually save the document to create a new version. 

3. Completing the Data Collection Form

The Data Collection form complements the Self-Study’s narrative reflection by capturing the quantitative metrics required for the APR. Results from this form enable data aggregation across multiple units.

Only one person may edit the form at a time.

Once your data collection is complete, OTEAR will upload the form into the Related Documentation section of the Self Study, where you may review your responses.

Please contact otear@rutgers.edu to reopen the Self-Study or reset the Data Collection form. 

4. Submission & Workflow

1. Self-Study: Once all sections have been completed, submitted, and approved so that they are “In Review,” the Self-Study will move from the “In Progress” to “In Review” to the “Coordinator Review” stage. 

2. Data Collection: Click “Submit The Form” at the bottom of the form once all questions have been answered. 

The Self-Study and Data Collection documents are then attached to an APR Feedback Data Collection form and forwarded to the Chancellor’s Office Designee to be reviewed. At this point, the reviewer receives an automated email notification that the materials are ready for their evaluation. The reviewer accesses the documents by clicking the Edit (Pencil) icon adjacent to the APR Feedback Data Collection form, which will be listed in their Action Items Drawer. 

Once a report is submitted, it is “View Only.” To make further edits, please contact otear@rutgers.edu to reopen the Self-Study or reset the Data Collection form. 

Follow the link in the email or navigate to the Action Items Drawer and click the Edit (Pencil) icon adjacent to the APR Feedback Data Collection form. Review the attached documents by selecting the view icon for each document and choosing one of the following approval options: Approve without feedback, Approve with feedback, or return the Self-Study to OTEAR for editing. 

Additional Resources from HelioCampus

Navigating the Self-Study Manager
How to Use the “Self-Study” Feature in HelioCampus [Video]
Understanding Self-Study Sections
Using Related Documentation