Program Quality Assurance Committee (PQAC)

2022-23 Committee Mandate

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 process and template align with the College Quality Assurance Audit Process (CQAAP) standards and requirements, as well as internal strategies and requirements.

CQAAP Standards:

  1. Program Quality Management System – Effective quality assurance mechanisms ensure the quality of a program management system and demonstrate continuous improvement.
  2. Program Development – Effective quality assurance mechanisms ensure the quality of the programs of study being developed and demonstrate continuous improvement.
  3. Conformity with Government Requirements – Effective quality assurance mechanisms ensure the conformity of programs of study with relevant government requirements and demonstrate continuous improvement.
  4. Program Delivery and Student Assessment – Effective quality assurance mechanisms ensure the quality of program delivery and student assessment, and demonstrate continuous improvement.
  5. Existence, Monitoring and Communication Of Academic Policies And Practices – Effective quality assurance mechanisms ensure the communication and monitoring of established academic policies and practices related to academic issues that support program implementation and delivery, and student achievement of vocational learning outcomes, and demonstrate continuous improvement.
  6. Availability and Allocation Of College-Wide Resources – Effective quality assurance mechanisms ensure the existence, availability and allocation of resources (human, physical, financial) and technological infrastructure to support student achievement of program vocational learning outcomes, and demonstrate continuous improvement.

The Program Quality Assurance Committee participates in the PQR process by reviewing the draft Program Quality Reviews (PQRs) and providing formative, constructive feedback on the review and the proposed action items. Suggestions from the Committee are incorporated at the discretion of the Chair or Academic Manager. The PQR action items are then implemented over the next two years.

Additionally, the Committee identifies themes across PQRs and reports on these annually through the Committee Chair and the Manager, Program Quality and Renewal to Deans and Directors’ Council. The Committee also provides feedback on quality assurance policies and processes on an ad-hoc basis.

On-Hold for 2022-23

The Committee will not undertake the following tasks in 2022-23 due to capacity limitations:

  • Receive and make recommendations to Deans and Directors Council on new General Education courses.
  • Review all General Education courses every five years and grant a renewable five-year General Education standing.

Committee Structure and Membership

In order to have sufficient capacity to review all PQRs and complete other tasks, the Committee has two groups – A and B. Each group meets monthly for 3 hours, or at the call of the Committee Chair(s).

  • An academic administrator and a faculty member will chair Committee A and B, respectively.
  • The Committee will include one faculty representative from each School/Faculty/Campus:
    • Advanced Technology
    • Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence
    • School of Business
    • Health and Community Studies
    • Police and Public Safety Institute
    • Hospitality and Tourism
    • Arts, Media, and Design
    • Algonquin College in the Ottawa Valley (Pembroke)
    • Algonquin Heritage Institute (Perth)
  • The Committee will include three Academic Administrators (Chairs) and one Academic Manager (AC Online)
  • Standing Members
    • Manager, Program Quality and Renewal
    • Program Quality Review Coordinators (x2)
    • Curriculum Consultants (x2)
    • Manager, Quality Assurance and Academic Operations (IEC)
    • Representative, Learning and Teaching Services
    • Representative, College Marketing

Committee Member Tasks

  1. Review draft PQRs and provide timely and constructive feedback.
  2. Identify themes and patterns across PQRs for annual report to Deans and Director’s Council.
  3. Review quality assurance policies and processes, as needed.