Program Health Checks

The concept of Program Health Checks began in 2019 when university leadership identified a need for an Academic Affairs unit to develop and manage a process for evaluating key program metrics and assessing how well academic programs align with workforce needs. National organizations like NCES use a CIP-SOC crosswalk to link academic programs (CIP codes) with related occupations (SOC codes); this crosswalk is often relied on by peer institutions and government organizations (e.g., Texas Workforce Commission). During SHSU’s first Program Health Check cycle, the NCES crosswalk served as the foundation for programs' workforce analysis; however, we quickly discovered that the standard crosswalk was too broad and often failed to reflect the unique strengths of our programs. After more crosswalk research, we found that this original NCES crosswalk was subjectively created by only a handful of state-level individuals who did not involve faculty or institutional-level subject matter experts in mapping each discipline (and this crosswalk has not been updated since 2020--showing it's lack of agility with the changing market). In order to provide actionable, insightful analyses representative of each program at SHSU, we re-mapped the NCES CIP-SOC to more accurately reflect each program to its true target workforce. Listening to and reading faculty comments, we prioritized incorporating additional labor market details—such as industry sectors, skills, keywords, and job titles for each program. 

Here is an example to further illustrate the purpose of incorporating and reviewing additional labor market details when mapping programs to their target occupations: The following programs all identify “Project Management Specialist” (SOC 13-1082) as a target occupation: MBA in Business Administration, BA in Communication Studies, and BS in Engineering Technology–Construction Management. Although they share this occupation, the labor market dynamics differ based on factors such as industry sector, required skills, specific job titles, and required education level (undergraduate vs. graduate). These nuances influence data related to salary levels, employer demand, and skill gaps. The standard CIP-SOC crosswalk does not capture these distinctions, which can lead to inaccurate representations of program markets, potential, and opportunities. Our goal is to refine this mapping process to better serve SHSU. 

During the first Program Health Check cycle, we provided a baseline for each program and collected Chair and Dean feedback about how the standard CIP-SOC for each program needed to be refined. From those comments, we have updated the map for each program to include potential job titles, skills, keywords, etc. in addition to target SOC/occupations. Note that not all programs are mapped to additional attributes--some may only map to target occupations (SOC) to best reflect their market. 

We understand that the term Health Checks can sound clinical or imply that something is wrong. However, the intent behind the name is not to suggest a program is unwell or underperforming. Much like a routine health check for a person, a Program Health Check is a proactive review of a program’s vitals (enrollment, retention, graduation) and workforce alignment/demand. You don’t need to be sick to benefit from a check-up. In fact, regular check-ins help identify areas of strength, detect early signs of misalignment, and uncover opportunities for growth. These reviews are designed to support strategic planning, not to diagnose problems. We aim to keep programs strong, agile, and aligned with evolving workforce needs. 

While we recognize the term may not resonate with everyone, maintaining consistent language also helps avoid confusion across colleges and departments. We continue to refine the process itself to be as supportive, relevant, and actionable as possible. 

Although this review process began with building internal accountability assigned by our administration, Program Health Checks (or similar review processes) are now externally required by the State of Texas: 

Financial Aid Reporting (E-App) 

When applying to participate in Federal Student Financial Aid Programs (Title IV), institutions must complete an Electronic Application (E-App). This application requires the reporting of various information, including program details and relevant Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes. These SOC codes are determined and updated through Program Health Checks to ensure each program's target labor market is accurate. 

More on SOC codes: SOC codes are a standardized system used by federal agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for collecting, calculating, or disseminating data about jobs in the U.S. They are maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and are essential for understanding and analyzing the workforce.  

SOC Codes and the E-App: In the E-App, institutions must link educational programs with relevant SOC codes. This connection demonstrates how the program prepares students for specific occupations. Anytime your program's target labor market map is updated, Program Analytics team notifies the Financial Aid team to ensure the SOC codes in the E-App are accurate. Unfortunately, the E-App only reports SOC codes mapped to each program, and does not include target job titles, skills, keywords, etc. that we diligently map to each program. 

SB 37: Texas-2025-SB37-Enrolled [URL: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB37/id/3249603] 

The Senate Bill, and specifically the section below, requires a regular program review to ensure programs align with the local, state, and/or national workforce. Institutions must identify low-enrollment programs and substantiate workforce demand to prevent program elimination or consolidation. Internally, we will use Program Health Checks to track and adapt programs' target labor markets to guide program agility—prioritizing program support and opportunities in advance of these required reviews.

Program Health Checks include a review and comments from the Department Chair for each program, followed by a summary reflection from the Dean, and conclude with a review by the Provost. 

Below are the required review/commenting periods: 

• Chair Review and Commenting Period: August 1 - October 1  

• Dean Review and Commenting Period: October 6 - December 22  

• Provost Review: January 6 – March 1 / TBD 

The Program Analytics team compiles all Program Health Checks during the Summer, based on the previous academic year. Our goal is that the Department/College commenting period is completed during the Fall semester so the data provided can help inform other review processes that occur during the Spring semester (i.e., budget planning). 

For help with Chair and Dean commenting, please access the Program Health Checks Blackboard organization for training and examples. Contact Paige Mertz for any further questions.