College Quality Assurance Audit Process
The College Quality Assurance Audit Process (CQAAP) occurs once every five years. Overseen by the Ontario College Quality Assurance Service (OCQAS), the audit is an opportunity for Ontario Colleges to analyze and assess existing quality assurance mechanisms against established standards. The process is lengthy and rigorous, and involves extensive self-study and reflection, as well as external review, all in the interest of continual quality improvement.
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CQAAP standards
OCQAS last updated the CQAAP standards in November of 2020. They are as follows:
- Standard 1: Program Quality Management System
- Standard 2: Vocational Learning Outcomes as the Centre of Program Development (throughout the life cycle of the program)
- Standard 3: Conformity with Government Requirements
- Standard 4: Program Delivery and Student Assessment
- Standard 5: Existence, Monitoring, and Communications of Policies and Practices that Influence and Impact Academic Quality
- Standard 6: Availability and Allocation of College-wide Resources
CQAAP 2020
Georgian received an audit decision of “Mature Effort,” in its 2020 CQAAP, the highest level granted to colleges.
In the final CQAAP audit report, the auditors acknowledge Georgian’s culture of quality assurance, our level of engagement, and our professionalism. They commend us on our Office of Academic Quality as an integrated resource for the college, the engagement of our PACs and Student Academic Engagement Committees in program quality assurance, our Curriculum Information Management System (CIM), and our ongoing initiatives in response to the current pandemic.
Several recommendations are included in the final report; however, these recommendations are linked to affirmations we identified in our self-study, many of which are already underway.
Georgian should be very proud of the way we embraced the College Quality Assurance Audit Process as a true continuous improvement process.
Important dates from the 2020 CQAAP
- March 8, 2021: Receipt of final CQAAP report
- Oct. 13 to 15, 2020: Virtual site visit
- June 1, 2020: Response from the college
- May 19, 2020: Review of self-study documents and follow-up
- April 29, 2020: Confirmation of site visit dates and panelists
- April 6, 2020: Submission of self-study package to OCQAS
- Jan. 27, 2020: Informal review of the self-study by OCQAS
CQAAP updates
- Final CQAAP audit report – March 8, 2021 – Georgian receives an audit decision of “Mature Effort.”
- Virtual site visit – Oct. 13 to 15, 2020 – In October, Georgian completed the College Quality Assurance Audit Process (CQAAP) site visit. The audit panel spent three days interviewing college staff members, as well as Board of Governor, Program Advisory Committee (PAC), student and graduate representatives. The auditors were impressed with Georgian’s culture of quality assurance, our level of engagement, and our professionalism. They commended us on our Office of Academic Quality as an integrated resource for the college, and the engagement of our Program Advisory Committees and students in program quality assurance. Recommendations will be forthcoming in the final audit report; however, these recommendations are linked to affirmations we identified in our self-study.
- Self-study package submitted April 6, 2020 – The Office of Academic Quality will work with the OCQAS auditing team to provide any additional evidence requested as a result of their review of the self-study package. Due to the current pandemic, all other aspects of the audit process are on hold until September. The site visit will be rescheduled once OCQAS reevaluates the situation at that time.
- Draft of self-study submitted to OCQAS for informal review January 2020 – Response was positive, with minimal revisions required. Work continues to complete the self-study package.
- Site visit dates confirmed by OCQAS – OCQAS has confirmed that our site visit dates are June 15 and 16, 2020.
- Evidence collection continues – Regular meetings took place throughout the 2019 winter and spring semesters with both the working groups and program teams. Evidence continues to be gathered and organized.
- Working groups established – Twelve working groups (one for each CQAAP program standard and one for each selected program) were created in December of 2018 and are responsible for reviewing and gathering the extensive evidence needed to support the self-study.
- Programs selected by OCQAS – Six programs were randomly selected in the fall of 2018 by OCQAS and will be highlighted throughout the self-study:
- Electrical Techniques
- Sport Administration
- Photography
- Environmental Technology
- Big Data Analytics
- Registered Nurse – Critical Care Nursing