External Program Pathways Process – When Fanshawe is Sending Institution
Development
Identification of Potential Pathway
- Identify potential pathway opportunities or respond to outreach from potential partner institution. The partner institution is more likely to initiate a potential pathway where it is the receiving institution.
- Discuss the potential pathway with the Academic Manager.
- With approval from the Academic Manager, proceed to the feasibility assessment.
Feasibility Assessment
- Contact the Pathways Coordinator to initiate a feasibility assessment.
- Complete the Program Pathway Feasibility Assessment (Appendix D) in consultation with the Pathways Coordinator.
- If the potential pathway is deemed feasible by the Academic Manager, proceed to the planning stage.
Planning
The Pathways Coordinator, who is the official liaison with the partner institution, works with the institution to determine next steps. Contacts at the partner institution should include a faculty member and an employee with knowledge of or responsibility for articulation agreements.
- Working with the Pathways Coordinator, create a simple work plan (Appendix E) that identifies key deliverables, stakeholders, and timelines.
- Share the work plan internally.
Curriculum Mapping
The receiving institution will provide Fanshawe College with a curriculum map showing proposed transfer credits.
OPTIONAL: The Pathways Coordinator may arrange for a Curriculum Consultant from the CAE to work with the Academic School to review the curriculum map.
- Review the curriculum map provided by the partner institution. See Appendix F for more information on curriculum mapping, including requirements for comparable content.
- Working with the Pathways Coordinator, review the proposed agreement details.
- Provide feedback on the curriculum map and pathway details to the receiving institution.
- If the mapping results in a favourable transfer credit opportunity for students, proceed to approval.
Implementation
Approvals
The receiving institution drafts an articulation agreement and forwards the draft to the Pathways Coordinator. The Pathways Coordinator manages the approvals process, ensuring the Academic School (i.e., Associate Dean and Program Coordinator) is satisfied with the final draft.
- Review the draft agreement and make recommendations, as necessary. The agreement will include the following:
- Eligibility requirements (e.g., minimum acceptable grade, minimum GPA, currency requirements, bridging studies, language requirements, etc.)
- Amount of credit transfer to be granted
- Recommended point of entry in the receiving program(s)
- Anticipated time for completion of the receiving credential(s)
- Review and approve revised drafts, as necessary, before the agreement is forwarded to the Dean for approval.
The Pathways Coordinator prepares a briefing note and forwards the agreement and note to the Dean for approval. With the Dean’s approval, the Pathways Coordinator then forwards the agreement to the Senior Vice-President, Academic, for electronic signature.
Communication
- Develop a Communications Plan, in collaboration with the Pathways Coordinator, considering the following resources, roles, and events:
- Fanshawe’s Pathways Search Tool
- ONTransfer database
- Program Teams
- Admissions and Pathways Advisors
- School Academic Advisor
- Reputation and Brand Management (e.g., program webpages, social media, FanMail, and/or media advisories)
- Brochures, flyers, etc.
- Virtual and in-person events (e.g., secondary school guidance counsellor symposiums, Ontario College Fair, Pathways Fair, program orientation, information sessions)
Maintenance
Curriculum Modifications
- When the curriculum of programs that are part of an articulation agreement is modified either at Fanshawe’s initiative or because of a revision to the Program Standard, indicate the relevant articulation agreements in the Curriculum Modification Request Form (submitted to the CAE).
The CAE notifies the Pathways Coordinator, who ensures that any curriculum modifications that affect an articulation agreement are reported to the partner institution. The partner institution may need to remap the curriculum, adjust transfer credits awarded, and renegotiate the agreement.
Periodic Review
Quality Partnerships contacts the Academic School for a periodic review of the School’s articulation agreements. This review may be scheduled annually or biennially, depending on the type and volume of agreements.
- Collaborate with Quality Partnerships to review the status of the articulation agreement, including curriculum.
- Collaborate with Quality Partnerships to evaluate pathway success by reviewing pathway data (e.g., pathway enrollment, student demographics, graduation rate, labour market demand) and pathway students’ feedback.
- Provide feedback to the partner institution, as needed.
Agreement Expiration
The Fanshawe Pathways Search Tool sends an automated notification six months prior to the expiration of an articulation agreement to the Pathways Coordinator and the Students Records Process Coordinator.
The Pathways Coordinator, in collaboration with the Academic School, will follow up with the partner institution to coordinate agreement review and renewal.
- Collaborate with the Pathways Coordinator to review and renew the agreement, which will require updated curriculum mapping and approvals as described above.
- Review pathway data (e.g., pathway enrollment, student demographics, graduation rate) and overall feasibility.
- If the external program pathway remains feasible, renew the agreement.
Quality Partnerships in the Centre for Academic Excellence is your in-house resource for program pathways. Whether you have questions or suggestions, we would like to hear from you. Email the Pathways Coordinator or contact us at pathways@fanshawec.ca.
