The HOQAS review process

An overall target for the number of reviews to be completed per-year was set by institutional leadership at an institution-wide level. This number was included as part of the College’s 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 business plans and was set at 300 course reviews (or 20% of the approximately 1500 hybrid and online courses) for the College’s day-time programs. Review targets were further assigned to the deans of faculties and schools, based on the number of hybrid and online courses owned by each. These targets were further refined at the department level, with department chairs and program coordinators working with faculty to identify courses for review. Courses submitted for HOQAS review were assessed based on the structure of, and content contained within, their learning management system shell. The HOQAS review process functioned as follows:

1. Department chairs and program coordinators recruited faculty and courses for review
2. Faculty members voluntarily submitted their courses for review through an online submission form.
3. With the permission of the faculty member, HOQAS reviewers were given access to the learning management system shell for the course under review. This course shell corresponded to a specific version of the course, based on the academic term and the course section.
4. Two QM-trained HOQAS reviewers individually assessed the course; reconciled any differences between their assessments; and prepared the HOQAS review report. The report contained the course’s overall HOQAS standards compliance, as well as a breakdown for each individual HOQAS standard that included specific and tailored feedback about how the standard was met, or how to improve certain course components if the standard was not met.
5. The faculty member and department chair were sent the HOQAS review report along with a follow-up email offering support to revise the course based on the HOQAS standards and encouraging a future re-submission for assessment of the course modifications.