6 Process and Procedures

Pre-planning Stage and Orientation

Each year, the Program Quality Team (PQT) generates a list of programs scheduled for Comprehensive Program Review. Information is sent to the relevant Associate Deans, who identify Program Review Leads (PRL) for each program and inform the PQT.

Once the Lead has been identified, the PQT hosts an orientation session with ADs and PRLs to discuss the review process, schedule critical next steps, timelines, and deadlines.

It is anticipated that during this period, the Associate Dean and | or PRL will meet with program faculty and staff to discuss the overall review process. At this stage, PRLs are encouraged strongly to meet with respective Curriculum Development Specialist (CDS) to discuss program uniqueness and determine suitable dates for stakeholder sessions.

Concepts to Consider

Some pertinent issues that must be considered during the program review consultation process include:

• The program’s alignment with the college’s strategic plan, and strategic mandate agreement (SMA).
• Student/graduate achievement of learning outcomes in relation to:
  • the program’s stated learning outcomes
  • opinions of employers, students/graduates
  • standards of any related regulatory, accrediting or professional association
• The appropriateness of the program’s curriculum in meeting educational goals and standards, and the current workforce.
• The appropriateness of assessment and evaluation methods in measuring student progress and achievement.
• The efficient, effective, and viable utilization of existing human, physical, technological and financial resources.
• Requirements of the Program Review Final Report.

Note:  Through the program review process, areas of further focus and investigation will be identified. The action plan will provide time and opportunity to determine the best course of action for all identified recommendations.

The Orientation Session

The orientation session primarily focuses to introduce program area faculty and staff to:

• the review process
• identify responsibilities of parties involved
• documentation of the process and the repository
• agree on next steps and critical timelines
• clarify other information such as SWF for PRLs

Data Collection

Concurrent to the orientation and pre-planning stage, critical data informing the program review will be collected by the Program Review Lead (PRL), Program Review Team (PRT), and Institutional Research (IR). These include:

Program of Studies and Course Outlines

Each year, at the beginning of the program review cycle Curriculum Development Specialist (CDS) along with COMMS Specialist review the POS and audit program course outlines for the applicable academic year and complete the COMMs audit tracker. This follows from the initial audit conducted in 2015 after the implementation of the Course Outline Mapping and Management System (COMMS). Updated feedback on Course Outlines is shared through the COMMS Audit course on eLearn.

Note: Please communicate changes regarding course writers to your CDS, who’ll update the group membership within the COMMS Audit course.

Institutional Research

Environmental scan data collected by Institutional Research (IR) is shared with the PRT, PRL, Program area faculty and staff including administration through the IR presentation session (session details provided on the next page).

If applicable, program area may request IR to present identified comparative data at this session (example: a specific competing program at identified college). However, such request must be formed at the Pre-planning stage in consultation with the PRT.

Competitive Program Characteristics (CPC) Analysis

CPC Analysis is completed by the PQT to compare published details about comparing programs in other colleges, such as program of studies and course descriptions.

Other Information

Curriculum | Faculty Committee reports, PAC meeting minutes, any student feedback, and faculty research are additional documents that can provide specific data related to the program area. PRLs are encouraged to share such data and information with respective CDS.  Similarly, data pertaining to Non-Academic Stakeholder sessions that may inform the enhancement of the program will also be shared by PQT with the program area. This ensures that the program review process is responsive to the the program’s uniqueness.

Snapshot: Stakeholder Sessions

Focus: Institutional Research

To ensure program’s uniqueness, data pertaining to Non-Academic Stakeholders will also be presented by Institutional Research (IR) and feedback will be collected and shared with program area.

Data sets will be presented early in the program review process to inform workshop discussions and identification of recommendations in the final report.

Who Attends

Administrators

Program Faculty and Staff

CDS

PQT

What Happens

Data collected by IR will be presented to the program area.

Data sets will include:

• Competitive Program Profile (Market Share, Demography, Application and Enrollment)
• Employment Demand, and Labour Market Trends
• Student and Employer Satisfaction
• Student Success and Retention
• Graduation Rates and Graduate Employment Rates

Focus: Stakeholder Consultations

Each Program Review Lead (PRL) will work with the Curriculum Development Specialist (CDS) to arrange the consultation meetings and invite participants.

The Program Quality Team (PQT) including CDS facilitate all consultation sessions to ensure a consistent and equitable process is followed for quality assurance.

Minimum of twelve (12) people are recommended for effective focus groups, although not necessary.

Planning and Executing the Consultation Workshops

It is recommended that Program Review Leads (PRLs) consider a minimum of six (6) weeks lead time in planning and executing the consultation sessions. PRLs are encouraged to refer to the “Guide to Focus Group Discussions” in the Program Review eLearn course shell for each review cycle for planning and executing the sessions.

What Happens

Snapshot: Analysis Sessions

A major part of the program review process is the analysis of collected data and its written documentation in the final report in accordance to the four pillars of the program quality standards: Learning Outcomes, Curriculum, Delivery, and Assessment. In an effort to assist faculty members in their program analysis, the Curriculum Development Specialist (CDS)  and the Program Quality Team (PQT) will host a series of workshops (one or two sessions) on the program quality standards.

What Happens

During these workshops, information collected from all consultation sessions is analyzed and informs decision and recommendations for the program review final report.  During these workshops, Institutional Research and Pathways are expected to participate, sharing pertinent information and their impact on program review.

Following the analysis workshops, program faculty will validate their programs using the principles acquired from the workshops, indicating where adjustments are required, the type, quality and quantity of adjustments required to align courses with standards and principles. The Program Review Lead (PRL) will then complete the analysis section of the report based on the information collected during the workshops.

Writing support will be provided by Report Writer with relevant consultation with personnel including, Program Review Coordinator (PRC), Institutional Research (IR) and the Curriculum Development Specialist (CDS).