Program Quality Review Manual

Program Quality Review Manual Single Campus Program

Academic Year 2021-2022

Algonquin College is located on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin

Nation. We acknowledge our shared obligation to respect, honour, and sustain these lands and

the natural resources contained within.

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Table of Contents

Program Quality Review .............................................................................................................5

Program Lifecycle ....................................................................................................................5

Program Quality Assurance Team ...........................................................................................6

PQR Set Up.............................................................................................................................6

PQR Phases............................................................................................................................7

Program Quality Review: Timeline ..............................................................................................9

Program Quality Review: A Team Effort ....................................................................................10

PQR Roles ............................................................................................................................10

Program Quality Review: Algonquin College Entrepreneurial Mindset Context .........................11

PQR Team Lead Tips for Success ............................................................................................12

Take time to plan ...................................................................................................................12

Review key documents before you start ................................................................................12

Think about the audience of your PQR report ........................................................................12

Phase 1: Program Current State ...............................................................................................14

Program Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting (Planning) .......................................................15

Program Current State Meeting (1 hour) ................................................................................15

Faculty Reflection Meeting (2 hours) .....................................................................................16

Document Review .................................................................................................................18

Previous PQR and PQR Follow-up Reports ...................................................................18

Program Advisory Committee (PAC) and Program Council (PC) Documents .............18

Governing Bodies and External Accreditations ............................................................20

Phase 2: Human, Financial, and Physical Resources Workbook...............................................22

Human, Physical, and Financial Resources Report Section ..................................................23

Phase 3: Program Data .............................................................................................................24

Student Feedback .................................................................................................................25

PQR Program Data Package .................................................................................................25

Environmental Scan ........................................................................................................25

Enrolment and Progression Reports ..............................................................................26

Student Satisfaction and Engagement ...........................................................................27

Phase 4: Stakeholder Engagement ...........................................................................................28

PQR Feedback – Program Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting ............................................29

3

PQR Student Feedback Survey .............................................................................................31

Phase 5A and 5B: Curriculum Familiarization and Guided Reflection .......................................32

Curriculum Familiarization .....................................................................................................32

Phase 5A: Curriculum Familiarization ...............................................................................33

Program Webpage ...........................................................................................................33

Program of Study Table ...................................................................................................34

Curriculum and Related Resources ................................................................................35

Curriculum Guided Reflection ................................................................................................36

Phase 5B: Curriculum Guided Reflection ...............................................................................37

Curriculum Action Items .................................................................................................38

Examples of Curriculum Action Items ............................................................................40

Curriculum Report Section .....................................................................................................40

Phase 6: Program Delivery .......................................................................................................41

Second Faculty Meeting (Planning) .......................................................................................42

Learning Activities and Assessments.....................................................................................43

Experiential and Work-Integrated Learning ............................................................................44

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) .............................................................46

Program Pathways ................................................................................................................47

External Pathways ...........................................................................................................47

Internal Pathways ............................................................................................................48

Phase 7: Faculty Engagement ..................................................................................................50

Faculty Engagement ..............................................................................................................51

Planning the Meeting .......................................................................................................51

Best Practices for Engaging the Faculty ........................................................................52

Leading the Meeting ........................................................................................................52

Phase 8: PQR Action Items and Implementation .......................................................................55

Review the Draft Report ........................................................................................................56

Drafting PQR Action Items .....................................................................................................56

Curriculum Action Items .................................................................................................57

Other Action Items ...........................................................................................................57

PQR Action Item Review Meeting ..........................................................................................59

Writing the PQR Executive Summary ....................................................................................60

Phase 9: PQAC Review and Report Sign-off ............................................................................62

4

PQAC Review Process ..........................................................................................................62

PQAC Sub-Committee Review Process ................................................................................63

PQR Sign-off .........................................................................................................................63

PQR Complete! .........................................................................................................................64

5

Program Quality Review

A Program Quality Review (PQR) is a comprehensive review of a

program, scheduled every five to seven years. It’s an opportunity for the

faculty to conduct an in-depth exploration of the program to confirm what’s

working well and to identify opportunities to improve.

The PQR is a key element of the program lifecycle. When a new program

launches, curriculum changes should be minimal. Five years after launch,

the program has its first opportunity to take a deep dive and examine all

aspects of the curriculum and delivery.

The findings of the PQR support the continuous improvement of the

program over the next two years, and ACR and/or a program modification

are the vehicles for implementing the curriculum enhancements.

Program Lifecycle

The purpose of the PQR is to identify opportunities and issues – not to

immediately act on them. No actions are to be taken during the PQR. The

outcome of a PQR is a set of action items to support the renewal of

the program over the next two years.

Learn more about

Quality Assurance

at Ontario

Colleges

https://www.ocqas.org/




6

Program Quality Assurance Team

The Program Quality Assurance (PQA) Team supports the PQR process

from planning through to implementation. The team consists of:

• Manager, Program Quality and Renewal

• Program Quality Review Specialists (x2)

A member of the team will be assigned to your PQR and will support

you throughout the review process.

Your PQA Team member will:

• Check in and meet with you regularly

• Answer your questions and provide guidance

• Review and provide feedback on your completed work

• Track the progress of your review

This manual will lead you through all the activities and documentation

step-by-step. Your Academic Administrator and the Program Quality

Assurance (PQA) Team are here to support you. If anything is unclear or

your are not sure how to proceed please reach out for assistance.

PQR Set Up

Prior to the launch of the PQR, the following set up and data collection

activities are completed by the PQA Team. All of this information can be

found in the Files tab of your Teams site.

✓ Set up Microsoft Teams PQR site

✓ Collect previous PQR and PQR Follow-up Report(s), if applicable

✓ Collect PAC and PC minutes from the last three years

✓ Collect PLAR data

✓ Collect Pathways information

✓ Collect Course Outlines

✓ Populate Curriculum Workbook

✓ Prepare the PQR Data Package

✓ Create collaborative document for Faculty Reflection Meeting

✓ Prepare PQR Student Feedback Survey

✓ Prepare faculty credentials and professional development survey

Take a moment

to find all the

documents in

your Teams site

7

Parallel Phases

PQR Phases

PQR Orientation

Attend a group orientation session with other faculty who are leading a

PQR. Review key documents and learn how to use Microsoft Teams.

Phase 1 – Program Current State

A review of program documents and meetings with the program leadership

and with the faculty to get a sense of the program.

Phase 2 – Human, Physical, and Financial Resources

An analysis of the program’s resources (completed by the Academic

Administrator, in parallel with Phase 3).

Phase 3 – Program Data

A review of institutional enrolment reports and survey data to identify

program strengths and areas for improvement (completed by the PQR

Team Lead, in parallel with Phase 2).

Phase 4 – Stakeholder Engagement

A meeting with the Program Advisory Committee (PAC) and distribution of

the PQR Student Feedback survey.

Program Current State

Human, Physical, and Financial

ResourcesProgram Data

Stakeholder Engagement

Curriculum Familiarization (A)

and Guided Reflection (B)

Program Delivery

Faculty Engagement

Draft Action ItemsPeer Review

(PQAC)

Final Report

Note: all writing is

completed directly

in the report

template, apart

from Phase 2

which includes a

separate

workbook

8

Phase 5 – Curriculum Familiarization (A) and Guided Reflection (B)

A reflection on all elements of the program’s curriculum, supported by a

Curriculum Consultant.

Phase 6 – Program Delivery

A review of learning activities and assessments, experiential and work-

integrated learning opportunities, prior learning assessment and recognition

(PLAR), and program pathways.

Phase 7 – Faculty Engagement.

A second meeting with the faculty to playback key findings and solicit

feedback and ideas.

Phase 8 – Draft Action Items and Implementation Plan

The development of draft action items, in collaboration with the Academic

Administrator and Program Coordinator.

Phase 9 – PQAC Review and Sign-off

Peer review and feedback from Program Quality Assurance Committee

(PQAC) and sign-off/distribution of the final report.

9

Program Quality Review: Timeline

Fall PQR Launch

Winter PQR Launch

•OrientationMonth 1: September

•Program Current StateMonth 2: October

•Human, Physical, and Financial Resources + Program DataMonth 3: November

•Stakeholder EngagementMonth 4: December

•Curriculum FamiliarizationMonth 5: January

•Program DeliveryMonth 6: February

•Faculty Engagement*Month 7: March

•Curriculum Guided Reflection* / Faculty Engagement*Month 8: April

•Curriculum Guided Reflection* / Draft RecommendationsMonth 9: May

•Annual LeaveBreak

•PQAC Review and Sign-offFall Term

•OrientationMonth 1: January

•Program Current StateMonth 2: February

•Human, Physical, and Financial Resources + Program DataMonth 3: March

•Stakeholder EngagementMonth 4: April

•Curriculum FamiliarizationMonth 5: May

•Program DeliveryMonth 6: June

•Annual LeaveBreak

•Curriculum Guided Reflection*Month 7: September

•Curriculum Guided Reflection* & Faculty EngagementMonth 8: October

•Draft RecommendationsMonth 9: November

•PQAC Review and Sign-offWinter Term

*The timing of the Curriculum Guided Reflection Meeting and the second Faculty Meeting will depend on the availability of all stakeholders.

*The timing of the Curriculum Guided Reflection Meeting will depend on the availability of all stakeholders.

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Program Quality Review: A Team Effort

PQR Roles

PQR Team Lead: Leads the PQR research project and all activities,

analyzes data and information, and writes the final report.

Academic Administrator: Provides ongoing support to the PQR Team

Lead and engages the faculty in the PQR process. Plans for the

implementation of the recommendations.

PQA Support: Provides guidance and feedback to PQR Team Lead and

Academic Administrator.

Program Coordinator: Shares program history, context, and information to

support the PQR process. Attends the Curriculum Guided Reflection

Meeting. Supports final recommendations.

Curriculum Consultant: Leads a guided reflection of the curriculum with

the PQR Team Lead and Program Coordinator and supports identification

of curriculum recommendations.

Departmental Note-taker: Provides note-taking support at the two faculty

meetings (assigned by the Academic Administrator).

Dean: Provides endorsement for final recommendations and is accountable

for the implementation of the recommendations.

Program Quality Assurance Committee (PQAC): Reviews and provides

constructive feedback on the draft PQR reports. Identifies program quality

trends and issues in an annual report to Deans and Directors’ Council.

PQR Team LeadAcademic

AdministratorPQA Support

Program Coordinator Curriculum ConsultantDepartment Note-

taker

Learn more about

PQAC

Look for this

colour coding in

the manual

https://www.algonquincollege.com/academic-development/committees/program-quality-assurance-committee/


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Program Quality Review: Algonquin College

Entrepreneurial Mindset Context

The PQR Process and the Program Lifecycle can also be considered

through the lens of Algonquin College’s Innovation and

Entrepreneurship Mindset Competencies Framework.

The PQR process signals a new beginning for the program. Through

analysis and collaboration, the faculty will develop recommendations and

implement changes to ensure the program continues to meet the needs of

learners and stakeholders.

Learn more about

the Innovation

and

Entrepreneurship

Mindset

Competencies

Framework

https://www.algonquincollege.com/arie/ie-mindset/







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PQR Team Lead Tips for Success

You are the lead on this major research project. You’ll need to be very

organized, keep track of timelines, and ask questions if you aren’t sure how

to proceed.

Take time to plan

✓ Schedule time each week to complete your PQR activities

✓ Plan when and how you’ll provide updates to your Academic

Administrator (regularly scheduled meetings, email, etc.)

✓ Familiarize yourself with Microsoft Teams

o Try to avoid downloading and uploading different versions

of the report and documents

o When you open a document in Teams, use the “Open in

Desktop App” feature for the best experience (remember

to save the document often!)

Review key documents before you start

✓ PQR Manual

o Scan this manual from start to finish so you have a good

understanding of the work and timelines

o Make sure you understand the tasks in each Phase

▪ Most tasks are completed by you (PQR Team Lead)

▪ If another role is responsible for a task, you are still

responsible for communicating and confirming

completion

▪ If you need help or something is confusing please let

your PQA Support or Academic Administrator know

✓ PQR Report Template

o Review the template to familiarize yourself with the format of

each section.

Think about the audience of your PQR report

✓ You’ll need to write the report for someone who does not know

anything about your program

✓ Use complete sentences, provide important context, and avoid

acronyms, overly technical language, or industry specific jargon

Welcome to

Microsoft Teams

(2 min)

Would you like a

printed copy of

the manual

mailed to you?

Ask your PQA

Support.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jugBQqE_2sM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jugBQqE_2sM

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✓ Try to avoid personal bias and use of first-person language (I

think, I believe)

✓ Use third-person language to connect your observations and

analysis to the evidence:

o The data suggests…

o The stakeholder feedback highlighted…

o The faculty contend…

o Students reported…

o The PAC supported the idea of…

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Phase 1: Program Current State

The first step in the PQR process is to understand the current state of the

program. This involves the following activities:

1. Program Current State Meeting

2. Faulty Reflection Meeting

3. Documentation Review

Additionally, you need to confirm the date and time of the next Program

Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting. This meeting may occur at any time

during the PQR process.

PQR Team Lead Tasks:

✓ Read Phase 1 section of the manual

✓ Review Faculty Reflection Document

✓ Attend Program Current State Meeting

✓ Lead Faculty Reflection Meeting

✓ Review previous PQR / follow up report, PAC and PC minutes, and

any other documents provided

✓ Confirm attendance at/hold date and time for next PAC meeting

✓ Write PQR Report section 1

Academic Administrator Tasks:

✓ Attend Program Current State Meeting

✓ Identify date for next PAC meeting and add time on agenda for PQR

questions

✓ Schedule Faculty Reflection Meeting, invite all faculty, and confirm

compensation for part-time faculty

✓ Assign a note-taker for the Faculty Reflection Meeting

✓ Provide updates on implementation of previous PQR

recommendations, if needed

PQA Support Tasks:

✓ Schedule and attend Program Current State Meeting

✓ Create zoom link and attend Faculty Reflection Meeting (assist with

facilitation)

✓ Prepare Faculty Reflection Meeting Document and make it available

to all program faculty (shared link)

Department Note-Taker:

✓ Attend and document the Faculty Reflection Meeting

✓ Share meeting minutes within five business days

PQR Launch to

end of Month 2

(~ 5 weeks)

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Program Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting (Planning)

Program Advisory Committees meet twice per year. You will attend the next

meeting and seek feedback from the PAC to inform the PQR.

PQR Team Lead

Ask your Academic Administrator to identify the date of the next Program

Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting. Meeting schedules are dependent

on the PAC’s availability; therefore, this meeting may happen at any

time during the PQR process.

Refer to Phase 4 in this manual for instructions on how to prepare for

the meeting and how to solicit feedback from the PAC.

Program Current State Meeting (1 hour)

The goal of this meeting is for the PQR Team Lead to better understand the

program’s history, purpose, and strengths / opportunities to improve by

meeting with the program’s leaders.

PQA Support

Schedule Program Current State Meeting. Attendees:

• PQR Team Lead

• Program Coordinator / Lead Subject Matter Expert (in some cases,

this individual is also the PQR Team Lead)

• Academic Administrator

• PQA Support

PQR Team Lead

Lead Program Current State Meeting.

Meeting Agenda:

1. Approximately how long has this program been offered by the

College?

2. What labour market need does it fulfill? What jobs / types of careers

does it prepare students for?

3. Are there any major changes that have happened or that are

expected in the industry?

4. Does this program have any external accreditations or governing

bodies?

5. What are the greatest strengths of this program?

Refer to Phase 4

for PAC meeting

prep info

16

6. When thinking about areas where the program could improve, what

comes to mind?

Write PQR Report Section 1.2 Program Current State Meeting (2-3 paragraphs)

• Write a summary of the Current State Meeting.

• Include information related to each of the questions above, as well

as any other comments or information that was shared.

Faculty Reflection Meeting (2 hours)

The goal of this meeting is for the PQR Team Lead to better understand the

program’s history, purpose, and strengths / opportunities to improve by

meeting with the program’s faculty. Feedback from the faculty will be

captured in two ways:

1. Discussion during the meeting

2. Comments and information shared in a collaborative document

(during the meeting and/or after the meeting)

Academic Administrator (with PQR Team Lead)

Schedule Faculty Reflection Meeting.

• Invite all faculty who teach in the program

• Confirm compensation for part-time faculty

• Assign a note-taker for this meeting

PQR Team Lead (with PQA Support)

Lead Faculty Reflection Meeting.

Meeting Agenda:

1. Opening

a. Overview of the PQR purpose, process, timeline (5 min)

b. Ensure everyone has access to Faculty Reflection document

(10 min)

2. Faculty Discussion

a. Tab 1: Program and Industry (30 minutes)

b. Tab 2: Curriculum and Delivery (30 minutes)

c. Tab 3: Algonquin Experience (30 minutes)

d. Open discussion (20 minutes)

3. Closing

a. Thank you + reminder to add any additional feedback in the

document (5 min)

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b. Share that a second meeting with the faculty will occur next

term to help inform the recommendations (5 min)

Possible Probing Questions:

1. What labour market need does it fulfill? What jobs / types of careers

does it prepare students for?

2. Have there been any major curriculum changes in the last five years

(ACR and/or program modification)?

a. How did the move to remote delivery in 2020-2021 affect this

program?

3. Are there any major changes that have happened or that are

expected in the industry?

4. What kind of work-integrated learning activities are included in this

program?

a. Are students prepared for these activities?

b. Are they effective?

c. What kind of feedback are students and partners providing?

5. What do students and graduates say about the program?

6. What are the greatest strengths of this program?

7. When thinking about areas where the program could improve, what

comes to mind?

Write PQR Report Section 1.3 Faculty Reflection Meeting Review the completed Faculty Reflection document and the Faculty

Reflection meeting minutes.

Program and Industry (3-4 paragraphs)

• Write a summary of the information shared by the faculty related to

Program and Industry.

• Identify any key themes or priorities.

Curriculum and Delivery (3-4 paragraphs)

• Write a summary of the information shared by the faculty related to

Curriculum and Delivery.

• Identify any key themes or priorities.

Algonquin Experience (1-2 examples for each characteristic)

• Complete the Program Information / Activities column of the

Algonquin Experience table.

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Document Review

PQR Team Lead

Complete document review.

Previous PQR and PQR Follow-up Reports

If this is the first PQR for the program, please write “This is the first

PQR for the program” in the report template and skip to the next

section.

Review the previous PQR and PQR Follow-up Report(s).

Use the questions below to guide your analysis.

• What were the main themes/ findings addressed by the

recommendations from the previous PQR?

• Were all actions completed? Are any uncompleted actions still

relevant and need to be carried forward?

Write PQR Report Section 1.4 Previous Program Quality Review Recommendations

• Record the previous PQR recommendations and action items.

• Provide a current status for each action (ex. completed, in-progress,

cancelled) and include any relevant updates.

• Identify any action items that will be carried forward (Notes column).

Program Advisory Committee (PAC) and Program Council (PC) Documents

Active Program Advisory Committees and Program Councils help ensure

programs are meeting the needs of employers and students. Industry

representatives and employers form the Program Advisory Committees,

while student class representatives form Program Councils.

1. Program Advisory Committees (PAC)

Read the PAC minutes.

a) Confirm that the following criteria are met:

✓ Meeting Frequency: The PAC is active and meets 2x per year

✓ Membership:

i. The PAC has at least 8 members (and generally not

more than 15).

Seek updates

from your

Academic

Administrator as

needed and

reach out to your

PQA Support if

you need help

Review College

Policies AA01

and AA03

https://www.algonquincollege.com/policies/


19

ii. The PAC membership reflects the diversity of the

vocation and industry.

iii. PAC members are not employed in any way by the

College; staff and faculty may serve as resource persons

but have no voting rights and are not included in the

membership count.

If any of these criteria are not met, the specific issue must be noted

and the need for PAC renewal must be added to the PQR

recommendations.

b) Main topics: Identify the main topics of discussion at the PAC

meetings and any key issues.

2. Program Council (PC)

Read the Program Council minutes.

a) Confirm that the following criteria are met:

✓ Meeting Frequency: The Program Council is active and

meets within the first six weeks of each term.

✓ Membership:

i. Membership of Program Councils consists of class

representatives who are elected by their peers (from

each level and section of the program).

ii. Other members include: the Academic Administrator

responsible for the program, the Program

Coordinator, and faculty representatives.

✓ Actions and Communication:

i. Action items are recorded and followed up on.

ii. Meeting minutes are circulated by the end of Week 8.

If any of these criteria are not met, the specific issue must be noted and the

need for PC renewal must be added to the PQR recommendations.

b) Main topics: Identify the main topics of discussion at the PC

meetings and any key issues.

Complete PQR Report Section Appendix A:

• Record the PAC Membership and PAC / PC recent meeting dates in

Appendix A.

Write PQR Report Section 1.5 Program Governance – Program Advisory Committee (4-5 paragraphs)

• Confirm the health of the PAC by commenting on the meeting

frequency and membership. Does the PAC comply with the policy?

20

• Identify if PAC renewal is needed (ex. expanded membership,

members with different backgrounds/perspectives).

• Describe the main topics of discussion at the PAC meetings and

any key issues. Main topics may include curriculum, work-integrated

learning, industry trends, space/equipment/technology, etc. Provide

enough detail so that the reader understands the topics and issues

being discussed.

Write PQR Report Section 1.5 Program Governance – Program Council (4-5 paragraphs)

• Confirm the health of the PC by commenting on the meeting

frequency and membership.

• Identify if PC renewal is needed.

• Describe the main topics of discussion at the PC meetings and any

key issues. Main topics may include workload, faculty feedback,

curriculum, work-integrated learning, space/equipment/technology,

etc. Provide enough detail so that the reader understands the topics

and issues being discussed.

Governing Bodies and External Accreditations

Programs may have legal requirements for graduates to be certified,

registered, and/or licensed by a regulatory authority. Programs may also be

accredited by a voluntary external body. Not all programs will have an

additional governing bodies or external accreditation.

Write PQR Report Section 1.6 Governing Bodies and External Accreditations: (1-3 paragraphs OR 1 paragraph per accreditation)

• If the program does have accreditations: Describe any governing

bodies or external accreditations currently associated with the

program. Comment on the last accreditation review, any changes

implemented as a result, and the next scheduled review. Reference

accreditation documentation where relevant.

• If the program does NOT have accreditations: Write “This program

has no accreditations”, and identify any possible new opportunities

to align with an external body or accreditation, if applicable. This

could include preparing students for optional industry certifications

post-graduation.

21

PQR Report – Section 1 Complete

Please let your PQA Support know that your first draft is complete so they

can review and provide you with feedback.

PQA Team

review

22

Phase 2: Human, Financial, and Physical Resources

Workbook

Phase 2 and 3 of the PQR process will happen in parallel.

In Phase 2, the Academic Administrator will complete the following

activities:

1. Distribute the Faculty Credentials and Professional Development

survey

2. Complete a workbook reflecting on the human, physical, and

financial resources required to maintain and renew the program

Please review the Human, Physical, and Financial Resources

Workbook for all instructions related to this phase of the PQR.


✓ Distribute Faculty Credentials and Professional Development survey

✓ Write all sections in Phase 2 workbook


✓ Confirm Faculty Credentials and Professional Development survey

has been sent by the Academic Administrator

✓ Confirm deadline for Academic Administrator to complete workbook

✓ Provide the Academic Administrator with any relevant feedback

from initial PQR stages (ex. related to resources, space,

professional development)

✓ Review completed workbook

✓ Complete PQR Report section 2 (copy and paste information

from workbook into appropriate PQR report sections)

PQA Support Tasks:

✓ Prepare survey and workbook

✓ Provide assistance as needed

Month 3

(~4 weeks)

23

Human, Physical, and Financial Resources Report Section

PQR Team Lead

Review the completed workbook.

Complete PQR Report Section 2.1 Faculty Credentials (complete both tables) Complete PQR Report Section 2.2 Human Resources

• Copy and paste the information from the workbook for the following three sections:

o Program Faculty o Program Support Roles o Professional Development

Complete PQR Report Section 2.3 Physical Resources

• Copy and paste the information from the workbook

Complete PQR Report Section 2.4 Financial Resources

• Copy and paste the information from the workbook



can review and provide you and with feedback. PQA Team

review

24

Phase 3: Program Data

Phase 2 and 3 of the PQR process will happen in parallel.

Phase 3 consists of two activities:

1. Distributing the PQR Student Feedback Survey to current students

2. Analyzing program data


✓ Distribute and promote PQR Student Feedback Survey

✓ Review all reports in the PQR data package

✓ Analyze the data

✓ Seek context from the Academic Administrator and Program

Coordinator as needed

✓ Write and complete PQR Report section 3


✓ Provide context and support to PQR Team Lead as needed

PQA Support Tasks:

✓ Set-up PQR Student Feedback Survey

✓ Provide assistance with data analysis as needed

Month 3

(~4 weeks)

25

Student Feedback

Students provide continual program feedback through annual or semester-

based surveys, Program Council, and/or informal faculty interaction.

In this phase of the PQR, you’ll analyze past student survey results.

You’ll also distribute a short PQR survey in order to collect feedback from

students currently studying in the program. You’ll analyze these survey

results in Phase 4.

PQA Support

• Set up PQR Student Feedback survey

• Share link with PQR Team Lead

PQR Team Lead

• Request feedback from students. Best practices:

✓ Let the program faculty know that student feedback will be

collected and ask for their help promoting the survey

✓ Engage the class reps and ask for their help promoting the

survey

✓ Attend classes to explain what a PQR is and why the

program is asking for feedback

✓ Add the link to Brightspace so all students have easy access

✓ Set a deadline for feedback and send 1-2 reminders by

email or using Brightspace announcements

PQR Program Data Package

The PQR Program Data Package includes the following components:

• Environmental scan

• Enrolment and progression reports

• Student Satisfaction and Engagement Survey results

• Student Experience survey results

PQR Team Lead

Analyse the program data.

Environmental Scan

This information gives a snapshot of the demand for this type of program

and the careers that it leads to.

Reach out to

your PQA

Support if you

need help

analyzing the

data

Students

26

Consider if this data connects with any of the information reviewed in

Phase 1.


• Is this program widely available in the Ontario college system or is it

more of a niche program?

• Is enrolment at other colleges increasing, decreasing, or relatively

consistent?

• Are Ontario employment rates for graduates of this program above

or below the All Colleges, All programs rate?

• Is the job outlook trending up or down? How might this impact the

program?

Write PQR Report Section 3.1 Environmental Scan: (2-3 paragraphs)

• Describe any provincial labour market / employment trends and

comment on their potential to impact the program.

• Include information related to each of the questions above.

Enrolment and Progression Reports

These reports provide information related to registration,

progression/withdrawals, and course failure rates.

Consider if this data connects with any of the information reviewed in

Phase 1.


• What do these reports tell you about the health of the program?

• How has student enrolment (total, domestic, and international)

changed over time?

• How does student enrolment compare to market demand as

described by the environmental scan?

• What proportion of international students make up the student

population in this program? How has the proportion of international

students changed over time? Is there a substantial difference in

international student proportion between semesters?

• In which level(s) of the program are students most likely to

withdraw? What reasons are attributed to this?

• What are the most common reasons for withdrawal in the program?

• Are there any trends in withdrawals over time?

Look for

connections to

data and

information

previously

reviewed

Reach out to

your PQA

Support if you

need help

analyzing the

data

Look for

connections to

data and

information

previously

reviewed

27

• Are there any other patterns in withdrawals to note?

• Are there any courses with consistently higher failure rates (greater

than 18%)? If yes, which ones?

• Do the levels with higher withdrawal rates include courses with

higher failure rates?

Write PQR Report Section 3.2 Enrolment and Progression Reports (2-3 paragraphs)

• Describe any positive or negative trends in the enrolment and progression data.


• Comment on possible causes and considerations.

• Identify any areas of concern requiring further investigation.

Student Satisfaction and Engagement

Review the student satisfaction and engagement data, including the guiding

questions, found in your Teams site (Phase 3 folder).

Write PQR Report Section 3.3 Student Satisfaction and Engagement: (2-3 paragraphs)

✓ Provide a summary of the survey results, highlighting particular

strengths and areas of concern.

✓ Comment on possible causes and considerations.



can review and provide you with feedback PQA Team

review

28

Phase 4: Stakeholder Engagement

In this phase of the PQR process, you will summarize and reflect on the

qualitative data (feedback) collected from students and external

stakeholders.

PAC meeting schedules are dependent on the PAC’s availability;

therefore, this meeting may happen at any time during the PQR

process.

Seeking additional stakeholder feedback (optional):

• If there are other stakeholders you wish to solicit feedback from (ex.

work-integrated learning partners, industry contacts, key employers,

other post-secondary institutions, graduates, etc.) you can:

o Invite them to join the PAC discussion

o Solicit feedback directly by email or ask your PQA Support to

create a short survey


✓ Co-lead the discussion with the PAC

✓ Review the meeting notes from the PAC discussion

✓ Summarize and comment on the PAC’s feedback

✓ Review the PQR Student Feedback survey results

✓ Summarize and comment on the students’ feedback



✓ Send information about the PQR to the PAC in advance of the

meeting

✓ Co-lead the discussion with the PAC

PQA Support Tasks:


Month 4

(~2 weeks)

Students and

PAC

29

PQR Feedback – Program Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting

Academic Administrator

Add item to PAC agenda.

• Plan for 45-60 minutes on the agenda

• Prepare the PAC members for the discussion in advance of the

meeting.

o Alert the PAC that the program is undergoing a Program

Quality Review (PQR).

o Ask the PAC members to review the program website in

advance of the meeting.

o Suggested language: This program is currently undergoing a

Program Quality Review (PQR). This comprehensive review

takes place every 5-7 years. The objective of the PQR is to

review and collect data to identify program strengths and

areas for improvement. The outcome is a set of

recommendations that will be implemented over the next 2-3

years. More information about this and other quality

assurance processes can be found on the Academic

Development website. At the next PAC meeting, there will be

a discussion to inform the PQR. In advance of the meeting,

please review the program website (include link).

✓ You may also wish to invite industry employers, co-op/placement

supervisors, and/or other professional contacts to attend the PQR

portion of meeting as guests. If additional members are attending

this meeting, it is good practice to inform the PAC members

beforehand that others will be joining.

PQR Team Lead

Plan and lead the discussion.

✓ Prepare questions to ask the PAC. Review the sample questions

but feel free to add or adjust as you see fit. Be sure to leave time for

the PAC to provide other comments or feedback.

✓ Sample questions:

1. What is the perspective of the group with respect to future

employment opportunities for the next 3-5 years? Next ten

years?

2. Are major changes in the field anticipated in the next 3-

5 years that would affect the program’s curriculum?

3. Are graduates you receive from this program demonstrating

the expected skills? Are there any gaps in vocational or

employability (soft) skills?

Learn more about

managing PACs

and planning

meeting agendas

https://www.algonquincollege.com/academic-development/our-services/quality-assurance/program-quality-review/

https://www.algonquincollege.com/academic-development/our-services/quality-assurance/program-quality-review/



https://www.algonquincollege.com/pac/documents/

30

▪ OR (if the PAC does not have direct experience with

graduates): What are the most important vocational

and employability (soft) skills are in this industry?

4. Based on the program website, does the group feel that the

program includes sufficient opportunities for hands-on

learning?

▪ OR: What types of hands-on learning would you

expect students to have experienced in this

program?

5. Based on the program website, do you see any gaps or

content that needs to be refreshed in the courses?

Review the meeting minutes. Use the questions below to guide your

analysis.

• What were the key themes that emerged from the discussion?

• Does the PAC feedback align with the meeting minutes from past

meetings? Were past topics of discussion reinforced? Did new

topics emerge?

• Did the PAC have any clear recommendations for changes to the

program?

• Was there agreement on the most important issues or top priorities

to address?

• If the meeting occurred after the PQR launched, do you see any

connections with other information reviewed to-date?

Write PQR Report Section 4.1 PQR Feedback – Program Advisory Committee (PAC): (3-4 paragraphs)

• Provide a summary of the PAC feedback, including key themes and

priorities identified by the group.

• Comment on how the feedback connects to the minutes from the

previous PAC meetings.

• Identify any potential action items emerging from this feedback.

Look for

connections to

data and

information

previously

reviewed

31

PQR Student Feedback Survey

PQR Team Lead

Review the feedback that was collected. Use the questions below to guide

your analysis.

• What were the key themes that emerged?

• What are students most satisfied with? Least satisfied with?

• Does the feedback align with the meeting minutes from past

Program Council meetings? Were past topics of discussion

reinforced? Did new topics emerge?

• Does the feedback align with the other student survey results (from

Phase 3)? Were topics reinforced? Did new topics emerge?

Write PQR Report Section 4.2 PQR Feedback – Students: (3-4 paragraphs)

• Provide a summary of the student feedback, including key themes

and priorities identified by the group.





can review and provide you with feedback. PQA Team

review

Look for

connections to

data and

information

previously

reviewed

32

Phase 5A and 5B: Curriculum Familiarization and

Guided Reflection

This component of the PQR is completed in two parts: Curriculum

Familiarization and Curriculum Guided Reflection.

Curriculum Familiarization


✓ Collect hybrid information from Program Coordinator / program

faculty

✓ Complete the Program of Study table, including hybrid hour

calculation

✓ Review program website

✓ Review program curriculum and curriculum resources

Program Coordinator Tasks:

✓ Provide instructional settings

PQA Support Tasks:

✓ Schedule Curriculum Guided Reflection Meeting:

o PQR Team Lead o Curriculum Consultant o Program Coordinator o PQA Support

Curriculum Consultant Tasks:

✓ Review the Program Curriculum package o Review the Program of Study table o Review the Vocational Learning Outcomes (VLOs) o Review the VLOs and Essential Employability Skills (EES)

maps o Review the Course Descriptions and Course Learning

Requirements (CLRs) o Review the General Education courses (and other Electives,

if applicable) ✓ Review program description, success factors, and admission

requirements

Month 5

(~2 weeks)

Month 7 or 8

(~2 weeks)

33

Phase 5A: Curriculum Familiarization

PQR Team Lead The Curriculum Familiarization phase is meant to:

✓ Ensure all necessary information has been gathered in advance of the Guided Reflection

✓ Provide you with an opportunity to familiarize yourself with all elements of the program curriculum and with curriculum terminology to prepare for the Curriculum Guided Reflection (meeting with Curriculum Consultant)

You do not need to start identifying proposed curriculum changes during the Review phase. If you have any questions or note any observations, record them so you can refer back to them in the Guided Reflection. The Curriculum Review has three sections:

1. Program Webpage 2. Program of Study Table 3. Curriculum and Related Resources

Program Webpage

Review the program monograph:

• Program Overview

• Careers and Pathways

• Fees and Expenses

• Additional Information

• Admission requirements If any information is out-of-date or inaccurate (including spelling mistakes), make a note of this. Optional: review the program websites of similar programs at other post-secondary institutions. How does our information compare? Are there any opportunities to improve?

34

Program of Study Table

Follow these steps to complete the Program of Study table.

1. Input the course hybrid hours 2. Calculate the hybrid hours per level 3. Calculate the total hybrid program hours

o Do not include Co-op hours

Credential Type Typical Duration*

College Certificate 600 – 700 hours

Diploma 1200 – 1400 hours

Advanced Diploma 1800 – 2100 hours

Graduate Certificate 600 – 700 hours

*Most programs have 14 weeks of instruction per term and therefore total program hours may be slightly lower than what’s listed above.

Hybrid Hours Hybrid hours are the hours of a course that are delivered online (NOT related to the pandemic). For example, a 42-hour course has 3 hours of instruction per week. If the course has 2 hours scheduled in class and 1 hour of asynchronous online instruction, you would put 14 hours (1 hour x 14 weeks) in the hybrid column. Algonquin College has a hybrid target for all programs of 20%. This means that of the total program hours delivered on-campus (exclude clinical, field placement, and co-op), ideally 20% are hybrid. Hybrid Calculation:

• Total on-campus hours = Total program hours (not including co-op) minus total clinical or field placement hours

• Hybrid % = total hybrid hours ÷ total on-campus hours

Example: Program X has 1100 total program hours. The program includes a 280-hour clinical placement. The program has a total of 125 hybrid hours.

Hybrid calculation: Total on-campus hours = [1100 – 280] = 820 Hybrid % = 125 ÷ 820

= 15.24%

Reach out to the

Program

Coordinator or

course leads if

you need more

information

about hybrid

hours.

Learn more about

the Ontario

Qualifications

Framework

http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/pepg/programs/oqf/




35

Curriculum and Related Resources

Depending on your background, you may have a great deal of experience developing and reviewing program curriculum or you may be new to this work. Regardless, we have many resources to assist you with this important component of the PQR. Explore the following resources to familiarize yourself with curriculum terminology as needed. Review the program curriculum tables in tandem with these resources to understand what information is presented in each table.

• Ontario Qualifications Framework

• Learning Outcomes o Provincial program standard vocational learning outcomes

• Program Outcome Mapping

• Course Outcome Mapping

• Course Learning Requirements (CLRs) and Embedded Knowledge and Skills (EKSs)

• General Education Courses

Reach out to

your PQA

Support if you

have any

questions

https://www.algonquincollege.com/academic-development/files/2019/04/ontario-qualifications-framework-oct-2018-en.pdf

https://www.algonquincollege.com/lts/learning-outcomes/

https://www.algonquincollege.com/academic-development/our-services/curriculum-administration/program-standards/

https://www.algonquincollege.com/academic-development/program-outcome-mapping/

https://www.algonquincollege.com/academic-development/course-outcome-mapping/

https://www.algonquincollege.com/lts/writing-clrs-eks/

https://www.algonquincollege.com/lts/writing-clrs-eks/

https://www.algonquincollege.com/gened/

36

Curriculum Guided Reflection


✓ Attend Curriculum Guided Reflection meeting

✓ Share information and initial findings from the PQR to inform the

Guided Reflection

✓ Review PQR Report Section 5 (after PQA Support completes it)

Program Coordinator

✓ Attend the Curriculum Guided Reflection meeting

✓ Share program information, history, and context


✓ Lead Curriculum Guided Reflection meeting

✓ Validate curriculum recommendations

PQA Support Tasks:

✓ Schedule, attend, and document Curriculum Guided Reflection

Meeting

✓ Write PQR Report Section 5

Month 7 or 8

(~2 weeks)

37

Phase 5B: Curriculum Guided Reflection

Analysis of the curriculum will be facilitated by the Curriculum Consultant

during the Guided Reflection Meeting.

These are the types of questions the Curriculum Consultant will pose

during the meeting.

• Are the VLOs reflective of current industry and expected graduate competencies?

o Note: if this program is a provincial program standard, the VLOs cannot be changed

• Are there two Culminating Performances (CPs) for each VLO and EES on the maps? Do the culminating performances across the program's final levels adequately reflect the VLOs?

o Is the weight on VLOs (Teach, Assess, Culminating Performance) appropriate given the focus of the program and current industry needs? Some VLOs may be more central to the program than others, leading to a heavier representation on the map.

• Are the course descriptions well written?

o Does the description start with a rationale statement (why this content is important)?

• Are the Course Learning Requirements (CLRs) appropriate?

o Best practice is 5-7 CLRs for a 42 hour course

o Do the CLRs follow Bloom’s Taxonomy of Measurable Verbs?

• Do students generally find the workload of the program manageable?

• Are students successfully completing the courses and the program and demonstrating achievement of the vocational learning outcomes?

• Are there any courses that need revision?

o Do students comment on duplication of material across courses or gaps in learning?

o Are there any changes in the industry that would necessitate change the to courses?

• Are there any mandated General Education Electives?

o If so, what is the rationale for mandating the course?

o Does the mandated course support the requirement of providing students with exposure to content outside of their vocation?

• Does the program narrative information accurately represent the program? Are any revisions necessary?

• Are there any concerns with the current admission requirements?

o Are students prepared when they start the program?

Think about the

program data

and the

feedback

collected from all

stakeholders to-

date

https://www.algonquincollege.com/academic-development/our-services/curriculum-administration/program-standards/

https://www.algonquincollege.com/lts/files/2021/04/Blooms-Taxonomy-of-Measurable-Verbs.pdf

https://www.algonquincollege.com/lts/files/2021/04/Blooms-Taxonomy-of-Measurable-Verbs.pdf

38

Curriculum Action Items

The outcome of the Curriculum Guided Reflection is a set of curriculum

action items.

Below are examples of common curriculum action items resulting from a

PQR:

Curriculum Change

Implementation Mechanism

Resources Timeline

Approvals Timeline for Implementation

Updates to VLOs

Program Modification

Academic Development

Faculty


Program Review Committee

2 years

Major changes to Program of Study (POS)

Program Modification


Faculty


Program Review Committee

Algonquin College Executive Team

Ministry

2 years

Minor changes to Program of Study

Annual Curriculum Review (ACR)

Program Coordinator

Faculty


Next ACR / 1 year

Monograph Editorial Changes

Annual Curriculum Review (ACR)

Program Coordinator


Next ACR / 1 year

Changes to Admission Req.

Request to Registrar’s Office

Registrar’s Office


Program Coordinator

Test Centre, if needed


Registrar’s Office

2 years

VLO and EES Maps

CLR to VLO Mapping

Mapping Updates


Faculty


1 year

Updates to VLOs: are only possible if the program does not have a

provincial program standard. A change to the VLOs requires updated VLO

mapping, updated CLRs, revised CLR to VLO mapping, changes to the

program monograph, and other Program of Study (POS) changes may

emerge through this process.

39

Major changes to the POS include: program title change,

adding/removing courses, significantly altering course / program hours

(changes that affect more than 25% of the program). These changes may

require updated VLO mapping, updated CLRs, revised CLR to VLO

mapping, changes to the program monograph).

Minor changes to the POS include: updates to course descriptions and

CLRs, changing the order of courses, slightly altering course / program

hours (changes that affect less than than 25% of the program). VLO and

EES maps are reviewed and updated as part of this process.

Monograph Editorial Changes: minor changes to the program

monograph (program description, success factors, additional information).

Changes to admission requirements: must be developed with and

approved by the Registrar’s Office, to ensure adherence to the provincial

Binding Policy Directive, Algonquin College Admission Policies, and

alignment with the credential type. The Registrar’s Office an also identify

potential impacts of the change. Changes take two years to implement as

admission requirements are published 18 months in advance of an intake.

VLO and EES Maps and CLR to VLO Mapping: these activities are

completed all faculty and facilitated by a Curriculum Consultant. Updated

VLO and EES maps are implemented through ACR.

Curriculum action items must include the following information:

Curriculum Change: Describe WHAT action needs to be taken and WHY

it needs to be taken.

Implementation Mechanism: Describe HOW will the action be

accomplished:

• Annual Curriculum Review

• Program Modification

• Change to Admission Requirements

• Mapping Review and Updates

Resources: Identify WHO is needed to support this action.

Approvals: Identify WHO will approve this change

Implementation Year and Timeline: Identify WHEN the action will start

(Year 1 or 2) and how long it will take.

Tracking: Describe HOW progress / completion of the action will be

measured. Progress on all PQR action items is tracked through the

Academic Administrator’s Performance Management Plan (PMP), unless

otherwise specified.

Review College

Policies AA04

and AA07



40

Examples of Curriculum Action Items

Curriculum Change: Remove course X and replace with a new course

covering (content) to respond to industry changes and PAC feedback.

Implementation Mechanism: Annual Curriculum Review

Resources: Faculty, Program Coordinator

Approvals: Academic Administrator

Implementation Year: Year 1

Timeline: 1 year

Tracking: Add goal to Academic Administrator’s Performance

Management Plan (PMP)

Curriculum Change: Update the VLOs to reflect the current industry

expectations with regards to (identified gap)

Implementation Mechanism: Program Modification

Resources: Faculty, Program Coordinator

Approvals: Academic Administrator, Program Review Committee


Timeline: 2 years



Curriculum Report Section

PQA Support

• Write PQR Report Section 5: Curriculum Reflection (all sections)

• Add the Curriculum Action Items to the report (Section 8.1)

PQR Team Lead

Review the completed sections written by the PQA Support. Contact your

PQA Support to confirm your acceptance of the section or to ask

questions/provide feedback.


41

Phase 6: Program Delivery

In this phase you’ll review all aspects related to the delivery of the program.

This includes:

1. Learning Activities and Assessments

2. Experiential and Work-integrated Learning

3. Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)

4. Program Pathways

You’ll also work with the Academic Administrator to confirm the date and

time for the second meeting with the faculty.


✓ Confirm date and time for Second Faculty Meeting

✓ Review the Program Overview report

✓ Review the experiential and work-integrated learning (WIL) activities

in the program

✓ Reach out to the Co-op office for more information (if the program

has a Co-op offering)

✓ Review all course outlines and PLAR information

✓ Review current program pathways



✓ Identify date and time for Second Faculty Meeting

✓ Encourage all faculty to attend Second Faculty Meeting and




PQA Support Tasks:


Month 6

(~4 weeks)

42

Second Faculty Meeting (Planning)

The Second Faculty Meeting is an opportunity to share information

collected and key themes that have emerged from the PQR activities.

The timing of this meeting should avoid peak periods in the academic year

and/or the programs’ activities.

• Fall PQRs: Second Faculty Meeting is scheduled in March or April

• Winter PQRs: Second Faculty Meeting is scheduled in October

Refer to Phase 7 in this manual for instructions on how to prepare for

the meeting.


• Schedule the Second Faculty Meeting

• Invite the faculty, and confirm compensation for part-time faculty


PQR Team Lead

• Confirm the meeting has been scheduled and a note-taker has been

assigned

PQA Support

• Create the zoom link

Program Delivery Package

The PQR Program Delivery Package includes the following components:

• Program Overview Report

• Course Outlines

• PLAR information

• Pathways Information

PQR Team Lead

Analyze the Program Delivery information.

Refer to Phase 7

for Second

Faculty Meeting

prep info

43

Learning Activities and Assessments

Review the Program Overview report.

Consider the Faculty Reflection, Student Course Feedback, and student

comments when you are reviewing this information.


Assessments

• Is there an appropriate variety of evaluation types across the

program?

• Does each course have an appropriate variety of evaluation types

(formative and summative assessments)?

• Do any courses have an evaluation type that is weighted more than

40%)? Courses should have a distribution of assessment types with

no type over 40%.

• How do the types and distribution of assessments allow students to

reliably demonstrate their learning?

• Are assessments relevant and related to the vocation (task-based,

reflective of real life, construction / application)?

• Do learners have multiple paths to demonstrating course learning

requirements?

• Does the workload across each level seem manageable?

• Is there any indication that constructive feedback is not always

received in a timely manner (within 10 business days)? If so, what

are the barriers (number of assessments, timing of assessments,

complexity of assessments, etc.)?

Delivery Methods and Learning Activities

• Are there an appropriate variety of learning activities across the

program?

• Does each course have an appropriate variety of learning activities?

• How do the learning activities engage students and support skill and

knowledge development? Provide 3-4 examples.

Write PQR Report Section 6.1 Learning Activities and Assessments: (2-3 paragraphs)

• Describe the learning activities and assessments in the program.

Provide examples.

• Include information related to the questions above.

• Comment on strengths and opportunities to improve.

Reach out to

your PQA

Support if you

need help

analyzing the

data

Look for

connections to

data and

information

previously

reviewed

Learn more about

Remote

Assessments

Learn more about

Learning Activities

and Techniques

Learn more about

Authentic

Assessments

https://www.algonquincollege.com/lts/assessments-rubrics/

https://www.algonquincollege.com/lts/remote-assessment-evaluation/



https://www.algonquincollege.com/lts/learning-teaching-services/learning-activities-techniques/



http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/whatisit.htm



44

Experiential and Work-Integrated Learning

Review and comment on the experiential learning (EL) and work-integrated

learning (WIL) in the program. All learners should have one (mandatory)

WIL experience in their program. Programs with an optional co-op should

include an additional WIL experience for the non co-op students.

Work-integrated learning is a type of experiential learning where there is

a specific experience with an employer and/or external client.

Non-WIL Experiential learning refers to applied learning through

simulated activities and projects.


Work-integrated Learning

The College target is that 100% of programs have a WIL experience.

Co-op A Cooperative Education program formally integrates a student’s academic studies with scheduled hours of work experience. Usually the student alternates classroom learning with periods of experience in career-related fields.

Clinical Placement

Scheduled hours of activities intended to give students hands-on experience in a hospital or health care setting.

Field Placements

Scheduled hours of activities that take place at a workplace and are intended to give student hands on experience. Students are monitored by a workplace supervisor.

Field Projects (includes Applied Research Projects)

Scheduled or unscheduled hours of activities that may or may not take place within a workplace but allow students to work with employers in order to provide a hands-on work experience.

Community Service Learning

Scheduled or volunteer experiential learning opportunities intended to enhance students’ work and personal development by bringing them together with community partners to address local public social issues and community needs.

Learning Enterprises

Learning enterprises combine real clients with simulated workplace environments that are created on an Algonquin campus or learning environment.

• What type(s) of WIL are in the program?

• Do ALL students have an opportunity to experience WIL? (Ex. If the

program has optional co-op, what is the WIL experience for

students in the standard version of the program?). If the program

does not have WIL for all students, this must be added as an

action item.

Learn more about

Experiential and

Work-Integrated

Learning

EL vs WIL

(2 min)

Typology of WIL

Experiences

https://www.algonquincollege.com/el/work-integrated-and-experiential-learning/




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CgynghQMG4

https://www.algonquincollege.com/el/files/2020/02/WIL-Typology-Feb-11-2020.pdf

https://www.algonquincollege.com/el/files/2020/02/WIL-Typology-Feb-11-2020.pdf

45

• How are students prepared for their WIL experience? How does the

program ensure students have the vocational and professional skills

to be successful? Are there opportunities to improve?

• Provide examples of the employers that learners have worked with.

• Are there challenges with finding partner or placements?

• Does the WIL include a learner reflection / self-assessment?

• How do these activities prepare learners for the real-life demands of

the vocation (personal and professional skills)?

• Are there any challenges with the logistics of the WIL in the

program?

For Co-op programs:

Reach out to the Co-op Office at [email protected] and ask the

following questions:

Suggested language: I am currently completing a Program Quality Review

for (program name). Would you please provide some information related to

its Co-op offering?

• Who are the common employers for this program?

• How many students have completed co-op work terms in this

program each year for the last 3-5 years?

• Are there sufficient placements for students?

• Are there any challenges or opportunities to improve?

Experiential Learning

Capstone Projects

Projects simulating a real-life issue, scenario, or expectation of the vocation.

Workplace Simulations

Role-playing and/or simulations of a professional environment or practice.

• What types of experiential learning (simulating vocational

environment but NOT working with/for an employer) activities are in

the program?

• What program knowledge or essentially employability skills are

demonstrated in the experiential learning activity?

• Does the experiential learning include a learner reflection / self-

assessment?

• How do these activities prepare learners for the real-life demands of

the vocation (personal and professional skills)?

Experiential

Learning

Checklist

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.algonquincollege.com/el/files/2019/05/A05-Experiential-Learning-Checklist-FINAL-Sept-5-EN.pdf



46

Write PQR Report Section 6.2 Experiential and Work-Integrated Learning: (4-5 paragraphs)

• Describe the experiential and work-integrated learning (WIL)

experiences in the program.


• Comment on the strengths and any opportunities to improve.

o If not all students have a WIL experience for all students (ex.

non co-op students), include a recommendation to

incorporate a WIL experience into the program. There are

resources available in Learning and Teaching Services to

support programs where incorporating WIL may be a

challenge.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)

Students should have the opportunity to challenge all courses through

PLAR, as per College policy. A PLAR challenge method must be identified

for every course save for exceptional circumstances such as capstone

courses, or programs/courses with regulatory requirements. Where a

course cannot be challenged through PLAR, a rationale should be provided

on the course outline.

Review the PLAR challenge method on all the course outlines.

Review the PLAR information provided for your program in your Teams

site.

Use the questions below to guide your analysis. Take note of specific

courses when answering the questions.

• Are there any courses that cannot be challenged by PLAR? If so, a

strong rationale must be provided and accepted by the PLAR

department. For all courses without a PLAR option, add the

rationale to the PQR report and add a recommendation to review

with the PLAR department.

• PLAR methods should correspond to the main assessment types or

skills in the course. Does the challenge method seem inappropriate

for/ substantially misaligned with the listed assessment types for

any of the courses?

• Courses will ideally have one or at most two PLAR methods. Do

any courses have three or more PLAR methods identified on the

course outline? If so, add a recommendation to review and revise.

Learn more about

PLAR

Review College

Policy AA06

https://www.algonquincollege.com/plar/faculty-resources/

https://www.algonquincollege.com/plar/faculty-resources/


47

• How many learners have applied for PLAR in the last five years?

Are most applications successful?

Write PQR Report Section 6.3 Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition: (2-3 paragraphs)

• Based on the above questions, identify all courses where the PLAR

challenge method needs to be reviewed.

o Identify the reason for the review (no PLAR challenge

method identified / PLAR challenge method inconsistent with

course evaluation / too many PLAR challenge methods

identified).

o Add ‘Review PLAR challenge methods’ as a

recommendation if the program includes any of these

courses. You do not need to identify the appropriate PLAR

method within the PQR. Instead, this can be implemented as

part of the recommendations.

• Provide a rationale for any courses that cannot be challenged by

PLAR and add a recommendation to review with the PLAR

department.

• Comment on learner demand and awareness of PLAR. Comment

on any opportunities for PLAR to better support student progression

and success in this program.

Program Pathways

External Pathways

Find the current pathways for your program Find Your Pathway. If your

program is not listed on the website, it is likely that the program does not

have any current pathways.

Review the Pathways information in your Teams site.

Review the Transfer from College search function of the ONTransfer

website and selection your program or discipline to explore possible new

pathways.


• Do students seem to be aware of the pathways? Is more promotion

required?

• Are the pathways valuable for our graduates? Are the two programs

closely related or is the receiving program broader in scope (ex.

Learn more about

Pathways

Learn more about

ONTransfer

https://www.algonquincollege.com/pathways/list/

https://search.ontransfer.ca/

https://www.algonquincollege.com/pathways/

https://www.algonquincollege.com/pathways/

https://www.ontransfer.ca/index_en.php

https://www.ontransfer.ca/index_en.php

48

Vocational program to Bachelor of Arts). If the programs are not

closely related, perhaps it should not be renewed.

• Are there any opportunities to explore new pathways? Consider the

program offerings at the University of Ottawa and Carleton

University, as well as online Canadian institutions (ex. Athabasca)

and any pathways discovered on the ONTransfer website.

Write PQR Report Section 6.4 Program Pathways (External): (Complete table + 2-3 paragraphs)

• Complete the External Pathways Table

• Comment on the current pathways

• Comment on any opportunities to explore new pathways and/or any

ongoing efforts to formalize a pathway

Internal Pathways

In some cases, students and graduates may transfer programs internally

and seek credit recognition, after level 1 or after graduation. (Ex. Business

– Accounting to Business Administration – Accounting; Electro-mechanical

Engineering Technician to Bachelor of Automation and Robotics).

Note, there are often “invisible” pathways managed by the program

departments. Some pathways or clusters of credit exemptions between

programs exist in spreadsheets that Program Coordinator has mapped out.

but it hasn't been formalized or published. If an informal internal pathway is

uncovered, a recommendation should be added to formalize it.

Seek feedback from the Program Coordinator and/or Academic Administrator regarding any current internal pathways. Use the questions below to guide your analysis.

• Do students seem to be aware of the pathways? Is more promotion

required?

• Do students often transfer to a particular program before completing

this program (internal transfer beyond level 1)?

• Are the pathways valuable for our students and graduates?

• Are there any new internal degree completion pathways that should

be explored? Review Algonquin College’s Degree programs.

Write PQR Report Section 6.4 Program Pathways (Internal): (Complete Table + 2-3 paragraphs)

• Complete the Internal Pathways Table (if applicable)

49

• Comment on the current pathways

• Comment on any opportunities to explore new pathways and/or any

ongoing efforts to formalize a pathway




50

Phase 7: Faculty Engagement

In this phase, you’ll come back together with the program faculty to review

the information collected to date and share key emerging themes. You’ll

seek their feedback on top priorities and possible ways to address

emerging issues and opportunities.


✓ Draft agenda for Second Faculty Meeting

✓ Lead Second Faculty Meeting

✓ Complete PQR Report section 7


✓ Schedule Faculty Reflection Meeting, invite all faculty, and confirm

compensation for part-time faculty

✓ Assign note-taker for Second Faculty Meeting

PQA Support Tasks:

✓ Assist with developing agenda for Second Faculty Meeting

✓ Create zoom link

✓ Attend Second Faculty Meeting


Department Note-Taker

✓ Attend and document the Second Faculty Meeting

✓ Share meeting minutes within five business days

Month 7 or 8

(~2 weeks)

51

Faculty Engagement

Academic Administrator (with PQR Team Lead)

Schedule Faculty Reflection Meeting.

• Invite all faculty who teach in the program

• Confirm compensation for part-time faculty


PQR Team Lead

Plan and lead Faculty Reflection Meeting.

Planning the Meeting

• Ideally plan for 90-120 minutes

• Prepare questions to ask the faculty. Review the sample agenda but

feel free to add or adjust as you see fit. Be sure to leave time for the

faculty to provide other comments or feedback.

• Share the agenda and any documentation that is relevant to the

discussion in advance of the meeting.

o Suggested language: This program is nearing the

completion of its Program Quality Review (PQR). The

upcoming meeting is an opportunity for us to review the key

findings to-date and discuss possible strategies to address

issues and opportunities. Please review the attached

agenda and documentation in advance of the meeting, if

possible.

Meeting Agenda:

1. Welcome (5 minutes)

2. Overview of PAC and Student Feedback (30 minutes)

3. Overview of key themes / issues / opportunities (5-7), including

curriculum recommendations (60 minutes)

a. For each theme / issue / opportunity

i. Does this resonate with the group?

ii. Is there any additional context that is missing?

iii. Is this a top priority issue?

iv. What are some possible strategies to address this?

4. Open discussion (20 minutes)

5. Closing and thank you (5 minutes)

52

Best Practices for Engaging the Faculty

For each theme, start by seeking the perspective of the faculty. For

example, if a theme has emerged related to student workload, start by

asking for the faculty’s perspective on the workload. As ideas are shared,

you can respond by sharing information and feedback that reinforces the

faculty’s perspective or positions it from a different perspective.

Example – positive reinforcement:

• PQR Team Lead: How do students seem to cope with the

workload?

• Faculty: Some students struggle with level 2 if their Math skills are

not strong.

• PQR Team Lead: Yes, this came through in the course failure rates

and Student Council minutes. What actions could the program take

to address this?

Example – new perspective:

• PQR Team Lead: How do students manage with the field

placement?

• Faculty: They seem to manage ok.

• PQR Team Lead: Any other perspectives? (pause) The PAC did

raise some concerns about professional etiquette. Has this been

reported back by placement supervisors? What actions could the

program take to address this? Do we need more feedback to

validate this?

Leading the Meeting

Lead the meeting and reflect on the discussion. Review the meeting

minutes. Use the questions below to guide your analysis.

• Did the faculty agree with the key themes / issues / opportunities

identified? Why or why not?

• What additional information or context did the faculty provide?

• What strategies to address these issues and opportunities did the

faculty provide?

• What did the faculty rank as the top priorities? Did the faculty

identify other issues or priorities?

Write PQR Report Section 7 Faculty Engagement: (5-7 paragraphs)

• Review the meeting notes.

• Summarize the discussion with the faculty.

53






55

Phase 8: PQR Action Items and Implementation

In this phase of the PQR, you’ll complete the following activities:

1. Re-review the report sections that have been completed and look

for themes and connections between the data

2. Develop draft action items for each category of recommendations

3. Review the draft action items with the Academic Administrator and

Program Coordinator

4. Finalize the draft action items

5. Write the PQR report Executive summary

Before you begin this phase, ask your PQA Support to schedule the

PQR Action Items Review Meeting to ensure everyone will be

available. Ideally, your draft recommendations will be finished a few days

before this meeting so your PQA Support can do a first review and provide

feedback.

Your PQA Support will also look to confirm the PQAC presentation

date for your PQR.


✓ Review the report sections that have been completed and look for

themes

✓ Develop draft action items

✓ Lead PQR Action Item Review Meeting

✓ Complete PQR Report section 8

✓ Complete PQR Executive Summary


✓ Attend PQR Action Item Review Meeting


✓ Attend PQR Action Items Review Meeting

PQA Support Tasks:

✓ Schedule and attend PQR Action Item Review Meeting

✓ Provide assistance with formulation of action items

✓ Confirm PQAC date


✓ Provide additional feedback on curriculum recommendations, if

needed

Month 9

(~4 weeks)

56

Review the Draft Report

Before starting to identify potential action items, review the entire report and

look for data and information that are connected. This will identify themes

and priorities.

For example:

• Both the PAC and the students commented on the need for more

preparation for the field placement.

• Both the students and the faculty commented on the workload being

too heavy.

• The students noted dissatisfaction with a particular course, and this

course was included in the course failure rate report.

• The historical student survey data and the PQR student survey

results point to dissatisfaction with timeliness of faculty feedback

and how the program helps develop professional communication

skills.

You may even wish to have a colleague from the program or a different

program to review the report. Fresh eyes can be helpful after completing

such a lengthy process.

Drafting PQR Action Items

The outcome of a PQR is a set of measurable and actionable items to

support the renewal of the program.

As you learned at the beginning of the process, you don’t have to identify

concrete solutions for every recommendation. In some cases, the solution

to an issue may be quite clear. In other cases, the action may be to further

explore an issue in order to identify possible solutions.

PQR action items are grouped by four themes.

Theme Program Elements

Curriculum VLO and EES Maps Program of Study Course Curriculum General Education Admission Requirements Program Monograph

Human, Physical, and Financial Resources

Space Equipment and Technology Staffing and Professional Development

Program Governance Program Advisory Committee Program Council External Accreditations

Faculty

57

Program Delivery Learning Activities and Assessments Experiential and Work-Integrated Learning PLAR Pathways

Curriculum Action Items

Curriculum action items were already identified in the Curriculum Guided

Reflection. Review the draft PQR report and identify any other information

that suggests new curriculum-related actions.

• Did additional information emerge in the Second Faculty Meeting

that would require additional or altered curriculum action items?

Other Action Items

Other action items must include the following information:

Description: Describe WHAT action needs to be taken and WHY it needs

to be taken.

Task: Describe HOW will the action be accomplished.

Resources: Identify WHO is needed to support this action (individuals

and/or departments).

Implementation Year: Year 1 or Year 2.

Outcome: WHAT is the desired result?

Tracking: Identify HOW the progress on the action will be tracked.

Progress on all PQR action items is tracked through the Academic

Administrator’s Performance Management Plan (PMP), unless otherwise

specified.

Examples:

Program Delivery

Description: Review workload to address student capacity concerns.

Task: Complete a workload mapping activity with all faculty prior to the

start of each semester to ensure a well-balanced workload in each level.

Share changes and seek on-going feedback from students via Student

Council meetings.

Resources: Academic Administrator, Program Coordinator, Academic

Development


Outcome: Improved student satisfaction with workload.



Reach out to

your PQA

Support and/or

Curriculum

Consultant if you

want to add or

change the

curriculum action

items.

58

Program Governance

Description: Ensure the PAC is meeting twice per year in order to comply

with policy AA01.

Task: Identify and resolve barriers to PAC scheduling

Resources: Dean

Implementation Year: Year 1 or Year 2

Outcome: PAC is compliant with policy



Program Delivery

Description: Investigate the high failure rate in course X to improve

student success and progression

Task: Assign faculty to complete an investigation.

Resources: Academic Administrator, faculty


Outcome: Report summarizing findings and options presented to the

Academic Administrator and Dean; option selected and implemented



Program Delivery

Description: Review all courses requiring a PLAR challenge method

revision or validation of PLAR ineligibly in order to comply with PLAR best

practices and expectations.

Task: Meet with the PLAR department.

Resources: Academic Administrator, Program Coordinator


Outcome: All courses have an identified PLAR challenge method or

published rationale noting an exception; report summarizing PLAR changes

presented to the Dean and PLAR department.



Human, Physical, and Financial Resources

Description: Identify professional development opportunities related to

developing authentic assessments to respond to faculty feedback regarding

the need to renew assessments.

Task: Meet with LTS to explore options. Identify an approach.

Resources: Academic Administrator, LTS


Outcome: At least one professional development opportunity made

available to faculty in Year 1 of PQR implementation.

59



PQR Team Lead

Develop draft action items. Review the draft report and identify key issues

and opportunities related to:

• Curriculum

• Human, Physical, and Financial Resources

• Program Governance

• Program Delivery

Write PQR Report Section 8.2, 8.3, and 8.4 Action Items and Implementation Plan

Please let your PQA Support know that you have completed a first draft of

the PQR Actions and Implementation Plan.

PQR Action Item Review Meeting

You’ll meet with the Academic Administrator, Program Coordinator, and

PQA Support to review the draft action items. The objective of this meeting

is to:

• Receive feedback on the draft action items

• Confirm the Implementation Year

• Confirm the feasibility of the draft action items

Action Items deemed not feasible: Not all action items may be feasible

based on current human and financial capacity. If an action is deemed to

be not feasible, it can be noted in the PQR Report under the Discretionary

Action Items section. These action items will be revisited by the Academic

Administrator during implementation.

Possible reasons:

• Financial constraints

PQA Team

Reach out to

your PQA

Support and/ or

Curriculum

Consultant if you

need help

60

• Other resource constraints (ex. insufficient human resources /

competing priorities)

• Action not supported by the Academic Administrator (ex. change

credential type, change length of program, etc.)

Update PQR Report Section 8 Action Items and Implementation Plan, including identifying any action items deemed not feasible (Report Section 8.5).

Writing the PQR Executive Summary

The Executive summary should provide a succinct (no more than one-page)

overview of the program’s history, notable highlights from the data and

stakeholder feedback, and an overview of the recommendations. Below is an

example.

The Zoology program was first offered at Algonquin College in 2003 in

response to strong labour market demand in the environmental

management and biotechnology sectors. This two-year, four semester

Ontario College diploma program prepares graduates to work in a variety of

fields including small and large animal medicine, research, zoological parks

and animal shelters. The program is accredited by the Canadian Zoology

Association and following successful completion of the program, graduates

may write the Professional Zoologist Certification exam to acquire their

Registered Zoologist Technician (RZT) credential.

The program has consistently had strong enrolment, meeting or exceeding

its target each intake. Since the program launched, curriculum updates

have focused on maintaining alignment with the Canadian Zoology

Association, managing workload across levels, and expanding the work-

integrated learning opportunities in the program.

The program has an active Program Advisory Committee and receives

positive feedback from industry partners, though student professional

etiquette and written communication skills have been noted as areas of

concern.

Students are generally quite satisfied with the program; annual survey

results show that graduates very strongly agree that the program provides

students with knowledge and skills that will be useful for their future

careers. Student feedback was related to lab and equipment renewal, level

3 workload, and timely feedback on assessments, and increased practical

experience.

Program Current

State

Enrolment Data

Recent

Curriculum

Changes

PAC Feedback

Student

Feedback

Survey Data

61

Faculty note that students are generally prepared for the demands of the

program. A significant portion of students do struggle with the Biology

course in level 1 and faculty recognize that workload still seems to be an

issue in level 3. Additionally, some course content updates are required to

emphasize professional skills and ethical decision-making.

The PQR Recommendations include curriculum updates, changes to

student workload, PAC renewal, improving student professional skills,

renewing labs and equipment, and revising admission requirements.

Write PQR Report Executive Summary

PQR Draft Report – Complete!

Please let your PQA Support know the first draft of the PQR report is now is

complete so they can review and provide you with feedback.

Faculty

Feedback

PQA Team

62

Phase 9: PQAC Review and Report Sign-off

The final phase of the PQR process is a peer review of the draft report by

the Program Quality Assurance Committee (PQAC). This is a supportive

process designed to:

• Provide objective feedback to strengthen the analysis and

recommendations

• Identify themes that emerge across PQRs

It may seem intimidating to discuss your report with a large committee but

rest assured, this is simply an opportunity for your peers to ask questions

and offer suggestions. Don’t feel any pressure – this is a very supportive

process!

There is also a sub-committee of PQAC, which was struck to facilitate more

timely reviews of PQR reports. Typically, one-year programs and other

modified / specialized PQRs are reviewed by this group. This does not

require an in-person discussion. Your PQA Support will advise which group

will review your PQR report.

An outline of the process for each committee is below.

PQAC Review Process

1. PQAC Review Date

• The review date will be determined when the PQR is close to

completion.

• The PQR Team Lead and Academic Administrator will

receive an Outlook invitation for the meeting (30 minutes).

2. Dean Support

• The Dean reviews the PQR draft, provides feedback, and

confirms support to present to PQAC.

3. PQAC Meeting

• The committee will share its feedback, focusing primarily on

the recommendations.

• The PQR Team Lead and Academic Administrator can

respond to the feedback or simply listen to and consider the

feedback. This session is not meant to be a defense of the

report.

4. PQAC Feedback

• A document summarizing the committee’s feedback will be

shared approximately one week after the meeting.

5. Final Report Edits

PQAC is a large

cross-College

committee with

~17 (friendly!)

members

Learn more about

PQAC



63

• The Manager, Program Quality and Renewal will schedule a

meeting with the PQR Team Lead and Academic

Administrator to review the feedback.

• The PQR Team Lead and Academic Administrator

determine how they would like to incorporate the

committee’s suggestions.

• The Manager, Program Quality and Renewal completes any

final updates to the report.

PQAC Sub-Committee Review Process

1. PQAC Sub-Committee Review Date

• The review date will be determined when the PQR is close to

completion.

2. Dean Support

• Dean reviews the PQR draft, provides feedback, and

confirms support to present to PQAC Sub-Committee.

3. PQAC Sub-Committee Feedback

• A document summarizing the committee’s feedback will be

shared approximately one week after the meeting.

4. Final Report Edits

• The Manager, Program Quality and Renewal will schedule a

meeting with the PQR Team Lead and Academic

Administrator to review the feedback.

• The PQR Team Lead and Academic Administrator

determine how they would like to incorporate the

committee’s suggestions.

• The Manager, Program Quality and Renewal completes any

final updates to the report.

PQR Sign-off

The Manager, Program Quality and Renewal requests signatures

electronically. An email with the signed report is sent to the PQR Team

Lead, Academic Administrator, and Dean. The report should be distributed

to all program faculty.

The program now moves into Year 1 of PQR Implementation. A follow-up

report is completed by the Academic Administrator at the end of Year 1.

64

PQR Complete!

Congratulations on completing this Program Quality Review!

If you have any feedback about the PQR process, support, or

documentation, please share it with your PQA Support.

Program Quality Review Manual

Documents

Transcript of Program Quality Review Manual