5 Collaborative Teams
Learning Outcome
Apply the program review expectations to their specific program area.
- Outline the roles and responsibilities of individuals and teams involved in the program review process.
Stakeholders
Program review is designed to include input from a number of stakeholders, resulting in efficiency and a culture of inclusiveness. Stakeholders typically include: program faculty and staff, students, employers/industry partners, and Program Advisory Committees.
Other external members are co-opted on a needs basis and may include University partners in the case of collaborative programs.
This module seeks to outline some of the major responsibilities of specific groups:
- Program Quality Team (PQT)
- Program Review Lead (PRL)
- Curriculum Development Specialist
- Centre for Teaching & Learning (CTL)
- Institutional Research (IR)
- Program Faculty and Staff
- Students
- Industry Experts | Program Advisory Committee (PAC)
- Pathways and Credit Transfer
- Non-Academic Stakeholders
• Marketing and Recruitment
• Accessible Learning Services
• International and Partnership
- External Verifiers
Non-Academic Stakeholders
These valuable contributors are the most often misunderstood. Educators don’t always understand their contributions. Take few moments to review their presence on Mohawk’s site (linked above) and then add how one of these non-academic stakeholders contribute to the Program Review processes – either directly or indirectly.
Program Quality Team
The Program Quality Team (PQT) is responsible for facilitating the process for a smooth program review.
The team will:
- Provide support in coordinating and facilitating the process with the various support groups, provide several support materials and personnel. This may also include organizing certain logistics with program areas.
- Provide advice on policy and procedural matters ensuring that at each stage of the process the college and provincial standards are being implemented accordingly.
- Receive the final report for forwarding to the Office of the Vice-President Academic.
Program Review Coordinator
- Leading and coordinating the program review process; orientation & information sessions, program review team meetings, interim report status, and review sessions.
- Managing eLearn course shell for each Program Review cycle ensuring availability of process documentation and supporting materials, and access to required team members.
- Collaborating with Curriculum Development Specialists and Program Review Leads to coordinate, support, and communicate Program Review process implementation plans, including timelines and deliverables, to ensure completion of program review activities.
- Review abstracts of reports to confirm consistency with stakeholder recommendations.
- Executing all follow-up items required for stakeholders to achieve action plans.
- Leading a team of Report Writers to undertake activities as listed below.
Report Writers
- Compiling and arranging information and data gathered through meeting of all stakeholder sessions including but not limited to, Curriculum Development Specialist (CDS) workshops and Institutional Research (IR) sessions.
- Working with Program Review Leads (PRLs) in academic areas to organize information according to each program area needs and Report requirements.
- Writing draft reports and working collaboratively with PRLs and CDSs towards timely completion of Final Report for internal and external review.
Program Quality Specialist
Providing support to ensure provincial program standards are being implemented accordingly, as impacted either by updates on provincial program standards mandated by the ministry or by program modifications which took place during the life of the programs under review.
Course Outline Mapping and Management System (COMMS) Specialist
- Complete COMMS Audit Compliance Trackers and download the course outlines for programs under review.
- Download the Program of Studies for programs under review using the corporate reporting tool Cognos.
- Provide technical support for COMMS related changes such as new Vocational Learning Outcomes (VLO) including external standards.
- Generate Vocational Learning Outcomes (VLO) and Essential Employability Skills (EES) reports from Course Outline Mapping and Management System (COMMS) upon request.
Program Review Lead
The Program Review Leads (PRL) (sometimes referred to as the Academic Lead) responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Convening stakeholder consultation sessions for data collection.
- Working with the Curriculum Development Specialist (CDS) pre-plan, coordinate and communicate Program Review process implementation plans including timelines.
- Composing the final report with Report Writers, and completing a review of the report with the academic team and the program area administrators for timely submission to the Program Quality Team (PQT) for forwarding to the Office of the Vice President, Academic (VPA).
- Developing a multi-year action plan as a result of the comprehensive program review recommendations.
- Meeting regularly throughout the program review process with the Program Quality Team (PQT) and respective Curriculum Development Specialist (CDS) to clarify issues and discuss updates.
- Providing updates to Associate Deans and Deans on a regular basis.
Curriculum Development Specialist
The Centre for Teaching & Learning (CTL), primarily through its Curriculum Development Specialists (CDSs), will provide support for all curriculum related matters before, during, and after a comprehensive program review.
Before the Program Review
A Curriculum Development Specialist (CDS) will meet with the Program Review Lead (PRL) to learn about the uniqueness of each program and collaborate with the PRL to determine suitable dates for stakeholder sessions.
The CDS will also work with the COMMS Specialist to review the program of studies (POS) and course outlines for the identified program review academic year (example: 18-A).
During the Program Review
The CDS along with the Program Review Coordinator (PRC) will conduct the following program review workshops:
• Faculty Reflection and Program Delivery Stakeholder Sessions
• Student Stakeholder Session
• Industry Stakeholder Session
• Analysis Session
After the Program Review
The CDS will assist faculty with course outline development and review, POS adjustments, redevelopment or remapping of VLOs, course delivery, assessment & rubric development, and new program development.
Following a Comprehensive program review, CTL has the necessary supports available to assist your team in achieving the recommended action items.
The next page provides details of various supports available through CTL.
Additional Supports
CTL employs a variety of specialists and technologists who are available to support your professional, program, and course development in a variety of areas including Universal Design for Learning, International and Indigenous Education, Experiential Learning, and Educational Technology. Similar to program review, CTL’s support focuses on evidence-informed quality teaching and learning in the following areas: learning outcomes, curriculum, delivery, and assessment methodologies. Please visit the CTL website or more information.
CTL provides the following supports which include, but are not limited to:
Educational Technology Specialist and The Learning Technologies Technician
Advise and assist faculty in developing content, and configuring and optimizing online learning environments with eLearn, the College’s learning platform.
Teaching and Learning Consultants
Assist faculty to create inclusive and accessible learning environments that support all students. They can also support the design, development, and delivery of course content for the classroom and online delivery.
Learning and Development Consultant
Guides faculty development through the College Educator Development Program (CEDP), the Teaching for Success program and other faculty professional development workshops, conferences, programs, and activities, as well as research in this area.
Program Faculty and Staff
The participation of this group of stakeholders, more than any other, is essential to the success of program reviews.
Program Delivery Team including faculty (full time & part time), technologists, service course faculty, field-placement officers, and co-op specialists have detailed knowledge related to the program of studies (POS), students, and industry. This group is involved in program review in the following ways:
- Participating in the self-reflection exercise, using course outline review sheets and reports generated from the Course Outline Mapping and Management Systems (COMMS);
- Participating in workshops, discussions, and meetings;
- Developing recommendations;
- Providing feedback on the report and the impact of the review.
Institutional Research
Program Reviews rely on the use of valid data to make qualified decisions. Institutional Research (IR) therefore collects, preserves, edits, analyzes and interprets data as well as provides high quality and timely information.
For program review purposes, some of the data that Institutional Research provides include the following:
- Analysis and reporting of the Student, Graduate and Employer Satisfaction Surveys (Key Performance Indicators)
- Competitive program characteristic analysis
- Student Entrance Survey
- Student Feedback on Teaching Survey
- Student Engagement Survey
- Student enrolment, retention, and success
- Graduation rates and graduate employment rates
Students
The participation of students is also significant to the success of program reviews. Students are involved by:
- Participating in focus group sessions
- Providing feedback on program performance
- Making recommendations for program improvement
Focus Group
Curriculum Development Specialist (CDS) will conduct the student stakeholder workshop to engage students in a variety of discussion topics, similar to those asked of faculty and staff, related to their experiences within the program.
In order to gather program specific feedback from this group, Program Review Leads (PRLs) are encouraged to develop additional questions with the CDS prior to the student stakeholder session.
Industry Experts | Program Advisory Committee
The participation of industry representations and/or Program Advisory Committee (PAC) members is also essential to the success of program review.
This stakeholder session necessitates attendance from industry experts, regulatory/non-regulatory bodies, and recent program graduates employed in the industry. In order to collect information regarding how well graduates performed in the industry and gaps that can be identified to enhance the program, Program Review Leads (PRLs) are encouraged to invite program graduates to this session.
Industry representatives are involved by:
- Participating in focus group sessions
- Providing feedback on graduate/employee abilities and skills
- Identifying program strengths, opportunities and improvements regarding industry needs and future trends
- Read more about the Program Advisory Committee policy that describes procedures for their effective operation.
Pathways and Credit Transfer
In support of student success, Mohawk College is committed to providing more entry points and pathways to a credential.
The Pathways office therefore provides essential information on current articulation agreements, multi-lateral agreements, general transfer policies, and internal program pathways. They may also make recommendations for future articulation agreements.
As part of the review process recommendations, program areas are asked to consider how changes to a program may impact existing articulation agreements. Similarly, internal pathways may need to be revised as a result of changes to the program.
The following weblinks provide further information regarding Pathways and Credit Transfer.
- Mohawk Credit Transfer Policy (AS-2002-2014)
- Mohawk Pathways and Credit Transfer web site
- Mohawk transfer database (articulation agreements)
- ontransfer.ca – ONCAT managed provincial transfer database/portal
- Principles for Credit Transfer Policies and Procedures
Non-Academic Stakeholders
Success of programs is often also impacted by various departments and support services at the College including:
- Marketing and Recruitment
- Student Success Advisors
- Accessible Learning Services
- Indigenous Services
- International and Partnership
Students’ academic success is not restricted only in the improvement of curriculum and instructional strategy, but also due to the extent and nature of support that is most effective to student learning. Therefore in enhancing the College’s quality process, new stakeholder sessions are being introduced.
As part of the review process, Program Quality Team (PQT) will hold non-academic stakeholder sessions to collect feedback from these support areas that may significantly inform the program’s continuous enhancement.
External Verifiers
To enhance the College’s quality process, use of external verifiers was introduced in the 2018-2019 review cycle.
The External Verifier’s role is primarily to:
- Review documents and reports following a program review.
- Meet with and interview relevant persons, including Deans, Associate Deans, Program Administrators, Program Faculty, Students, Program Advisory Committee members, Employers/Industry experts.
- Validate the final report, and that commendations and recommendations especially arising from the action plan are appropriate.
- Submit a report which provides a summary of strengths and weaknesses of the program and offers advice, suggestions and recommendations for action.
Who(m) You Gonna Call?
Program Review truly is a collaborative process. More than likely you are overwhelmed at the number of team members involved. To help you solidify roles and contributions, match the Program Review need or issue to the appropriate role in the Program Review process.