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COLLEGE POLICY
POLICY TYPE: Academic
POLICY TITLE: Program Quality Assurance Process
POLICY NO.: ACAD-121
RESPONSIBILITY: Vice-president, Academic
APPROVED BY: Durham College Leadership Team EFFECTIVE DATE: February 2016
REVISED:
REVIEW DATE: June 2019
1. Introduction
1.1. The Program Quality Assurance Process (PQAP) articulates Durham College’s commitment to continuously improving program quality and processes to support academic excellence and a successful student experience.
1.2. The quality of our post-secondary programs is dependent on a regular and comprehensive review process to ensure programs are relevant, appropriate for the credential, and are consistent with the MTCU program standard or program description, and when applicable, the degree-level standard. Quality is also dependent on the program being designed to scaffold a student’s growth of knowledge and skills to meet the program learning outcomes. In addition the quality of the program will be dependent on the faculty, who are experts in their field using modern teaching and evaluation methodologies.
1.3. The PQAP policy applies to all Durham College post-secondary approved programs, regardless of the location of delivery, mode of delivery or source of funding. The policy addresses the requirements with respect to compliance with quality assurance processes and activities, and provides the authority to deal promptly when quality and/or alignment with MTCU program standards, Program Quality Assurance Process Audit (PQAPA) requirements, the Minister’s Binding Policy Directive, Framework for Programs of Instruction, Postsecondary
Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB), Handbook for Ontario Colleges – degree-level standards, and/or industry, business or professional standards are brought into question.
2. Purpose
2.1. This policy informs the need to record and track any changes resulting from the program quality assurance process, and effectively communicate the changes to all stakeholders (e.g. students, program team members, program advisory committee members etc.).
Page 2 of 5 2.2. The vice-president, Academic and the Academic Leadership Team are committed
to a consistent comprehensive approach to quality outcomes, and believe that quality is attainable through an organized PQAP that includes, but is not limited to, new program approval processes, minor and major program change
procedures, curriculum development, annual program review, program health matrix analysis and formal program review and renewal activities. The PQAP is intended to identify areas of strength and areas requiring immediate attention and improvement with the goal of supporting academic excellence and a successful student experience.
3. Definitions
3.1. Annual Program Review (APR)
The annual program review is a process undertaken annually to assess the currency of the program curriculum, to identify priority curriculum issues and make recommendations to improve the overall program curriculum.
3.2. Curriculum
Curriculum refers to vocational (program) learning outcomes, course learning outcomes, essential employability skills outcomes, general education, content and subject matter, learning activities and experiences, and assessment and evaluation, the purpose of which is to enable the achievement of learning goals. Curriculum is developed with the input of government, external advisory bodies, students and professors.
3.3. Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU)
The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities is the governing body for the colleges of applied arts and technology.
3.4. Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB) The Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board is the body that recommends new degree programs and reviews, and makes recommendations on existing degree programs to the Minister, Training, Colleges and Universities. 3.5. Minister’s Binding Policy Directive, Framework for Programs of
Instructions; credentials framework
The framework defines in detail the different aspects related to the scope of the credential, hours of instruction, admission requirements, and naming of each credential delivered by a college.
Page 3 of 5 3.6. Degree-level standards
The required level for all approved degree programs as articulated in the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB), Handbook for Ontario Colleges.
3.7 Ontario College Quality Assurance Services (OCQAS)
Ontario College Quality Assurance Services is the regulating body that oversees the credentials validation of new and revised programs and supports colleges through the CQAAP quality assurance processes.
3.8 Program Health Matrix (PHM 2.0)
The program health matrix is a report prepared by the Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship that provides data outlining the ‘health’ of a program particularly, performance and sustainability. The PHM 2.0 includes a variety of indicators to assess program’s quality and sustainability to help identify program’s areas of strength and concern.
3.9 Program Quality Assurance Process (PQAP)
The program quality assurance process is an internal comprehensive, integrated framework that monitors and is focused on continuous improvement of the quality of programs and processes to support academic excellence and a successful student experience.
3.10 College Quality Assurance Audit Process (CQAAP)
The CQAAP is an institutional level process that involves the regular and cyclical review of each college’s quality assurance mechanisms. The standards provide the framework for Ontario’s colleges in assessing the extent to which their quality assurance mechanisms meet the established standards. Its purpose is developmental and its intent is to ensure continual improvement.
3.11 Program Review and Renewal
The program review and renewal is a cyclical, comprehensive assessment of all of the elements of program function, delivery and curricular content, the
communication of findings, and the implementation of improvement strategies. 3.12 Program team
The program team includes individuals and professors with knowledge and expertise in the specific field, the dean, associate dean, and may include the technician/technologist.
Page 4 of 5 3.13 WebCOT
WebCOT is the web-based portal used for the development and revision of course outlines. The portal tracks year-over-year changes in the course outline. 4. Policy statements
4.1. All programs will be consistent with the college mission, the program’s intended purpose, and the Credentials Framework as defined in the MTCU Minister’s Binding Policy Directive: Framework for Programs of Instruction or the
Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB), Handbook for Ontario Colleges – degree-level standards.
4.2. Durham College’s PQAP includes, but is not limited to, New Program Approval Process, Program Change Process, Annual Program Review (APR), Program Health Matrix (PHM 2.0) and Comprehensive Program Review and Renewal. 4.3. Each academic dean is accountable for overseeing the PQAP within his or her
school.
4.4. Program learning outcomes and their revision history are centrally stored in an electronic college repository known as WebCOT.
4.5. Documentation that shows evidence of a program participating in the PQAP will be stored centrally on ICE (Info Centre for Employees) in the electronic program portfolio.
5. Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) considerations
AODA standards have been considered in the development of this policy and it adheres to the principles outlined in the AODA standards and the college’s commitment to accessibility as demonstrated by the Accessibility Plan (ADMIN-203).
6. Roles and responsibilities
6.1. The vice-president, Academic is responsible for ensuring that the supports
required to implement the Durham College PQAP are in place and are adhered to and that this policy is fully implemented.
6.2. The dean is responsible for providing oversight and ensuring Durham College’s PQAP process is followed for all programs within his or her school.
6.3. The program team is responsible for completing the requirements of Durham College’s PQAP process, documenting and implementing the necessary actions to assure continuous quality improvement.
6.4. The curriculum staff in Durham College’s Centre for Academic and Faculty Enrichment (CAFE) are responsible for providing mentoring and facilitation to
Page 5 of 5 support program teams and individual professors in the implementation of Durham College’s PQAP and its various components.
6.5. The professor is responsible for ensuring compliance with Durham College’s PQAP policy and continuous improvement in the design and delivery of Durham College courses and programs.
7. Non-compliance implications
Non-compliance puts the college at risk of delivering outdated and poorly designed programs; poor graduate employment; poor student, graduate and employer
satisfaction rates; loss of reputation; and a below-standard rating by PQAPA external reviewers.
8. Communication Plan
A message will be posted on ICE alerting faculty/staff college employees when new or revised policies and procedures are added to ICE. A message will be posted on MyCampus alerting students when new or revised academic policies and procedures are added to the public website.
9. Related policies, procedures and directives • Annual Program Review Guide
• Durham College Course Outlines Policy ACAD-108 and Procedure ACAD-108.1 • Durham College Curriculum Development Policy 102 and Procedure
ACAD-102.1
• Durham College New Program Approval Process Policy ACAD-104 and Procedure ACAD-104.1
• Durham College Post-Secondary Program Review and Renewal Policy ACAD-105 and Procedure ACAD-105.1
• Durham College Program Learning Outcomes Policy ACAD-120 and Procedure ACAD-120.1
• Durham College Program Quality Assurance Process Procedure ACAD-121.1 • Durham College Program Change Policy ACAD-124 and Procedure ACAD-124.1 • MTCU Minister’s Binding Policy Directive: Framework for Programs of Instruction • MTCU Program Standards
• Program Health Matrix Guide
• Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB), Handbook for Ontario Colleges
