Program of Study Development, Renewal and Change Procedure

1. Purpose

Loyalist College is committed to offering a mix of relevant programs of study that meet student and workforce needs that are supported by a rigorous quality assurance process.

2. Application

This policy applies to all programs of study offered by Loyalist College.

3. Roles and Responsibilities

• 3.1 Faculty will collaboratively review their programs of study and course(s) with their program teams annually to ensure efficiency and currency and will participate in a comprehensive review every five (5) years as per the prescribed PQA schedule.
• 3.2 School Deans will review and support Business Plans for new programs of study and will review and support proposed change(s) to existing programs of study and courses, as appropriate.
• 3.3 The Enrolment Management Team will review and approve new program of study Business Plans, as appropriate.
• 3.4 The Academic Leadership Team (ALT) will review and approve proposed change(s) to existing programs of study, as appropriate.
• 3.5 The College Executive Team (CET) and the Board of Governors will review and approve new program of study Business Plans, as appropriate.

4. Program of Study Development

• 4.1 The new program of study development process can be initiated by anyone in the College community. Ideas are sent to Institutional Research for further exploration through preparation of a Business Plan and will seek a Dean who would champion and own the program. Upon acceptance by a Dean, the Business Plan will be reviewed, supported and approved by the Enrolment Management Team.
• 4.2 The implications of the introduction of the proposed new program of study will be discussed with all academic and support areas of the College that will be impacted through discussion with the Enrolment Management Team, the composition of which includes all required stakeholders for consultation. If the Business Plan is approved by the Enrolment Management Team, it will then go to the College Executive Team for approval and the Credentials Validation Service (CVS) submission and curriculum can then be prepared collaboratively by the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and the subject matter expert(s).
• 4.3 Upon approval by the College Executive Team (CET), the Business Plan will be taken to the Academic, Student Affairs and Advocacy (ASAA) sub-committee of the Board of Governors for consideration and approval. Upon approval from ASAA, the Business Plan will then be taken to the Board of Governors for final approval.
• 4.4 For provincial credential programs, the Office of the Senior Vice-President, Academic and Chief Learning Officer will facilitate the required funding approval from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU).
• 4.5 Upon approval by MTCU, the Office of the Senior Vice-President, Academic and Chief Learning Officer will:
  • 4.5.1 Share the appropriate approval documents with all appropriate stakeholders;
  • 4.5.2 Determine the program launch strategy in collaboration with the Dean; and,
  • 4.5.3 Add the program to the PQA schedule.
• 4.6 Upon approval by MTCU, the Dean’s office will make all necessary arrangements for hiring, scheduling, facilities, and any other required resources in preparation of start-up.
• 4.7 Upon approval by MTCU, the Registrar will arrange the required set-up with financial aid and admissions.
• 4.8 Upon approval by MTCU, Marketing and Communications will work collaboratively with the Dean and program team on the promotional strategy.
• 4.9 A post-implementation update will be required in the form of an annual report following the completion of the third academic year. The Dean will submit this report to the Senior VicePresident, Academic who will present it to the Board of Governors.

5. Program of Study Renewal

• 5.1 Program of study renewal can be initiated in a number of ways including program quality assurance requirements, changes to, or development of provincial standards, changes to industry requirements, standards or regulations, or application for external program accreditation from a professional body.
• 5.2 Depending on the type of review required, program teams or deans may request data from Institutional Research to help inform the review.
• 5.3 The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning will work with program teams on curriculum review as well as various mapping exercises as needed to suit the review or renewal requirements. In instances of significant change to a program, it may be necessary for the Office of the Senior Vice-President, Academic to re-submit a program to the Credential Validation Service (CVS) for re-validation. Likewise, significant change to a program of study may also require a resubmission of the application for funding to the MTCU.

6. Program of Study Change(s)

• 6.1 Program of study changes and rationale are provided by the faculty team requesting the change(s) to the Dean’s office. The Office Coordinator inputs the change(s) into the College’s system and sends it to the Academic Leadership Team (ALT) for review and approval.
• 6.2 Consideration of the implications of the proposed change(s) and consultation with any other affected school or support unit must occur in advance of this submission.
• 6.3 ALT reviews proposed changes based on the following criteria:
  • 6.3.1 The change(s) is/are requested within the appropriate timeframe.
  • 6.3.2 The curriculum and course change(s) meet the requirements of the Ministry’s Framework for Programs of Instruction and Credentials Framework.
  • 6.3.3 Course names are consistent and identify courses that appear to be similar to other courses.
  • 6.3.4 Identify substantial changes (more than 25%) that may require review by either Ontario College Quality Assurance Services (OCQAS) or MTCU.
• 6.4 If the criteria have not been met, ALT will send their recommendations to the Dean’s office through the College’s system via a designate from the Office of the Senior Vice-President, Academic. Further changes can then be submitted by the Dean’s office to ALT for consideration.

7. Course Changes

• 7.1 Change(s) to a course’s delivery method, credit value, pre-requisites, co-requisites and equivalencies are provided by the faculty team requesting the change(s) to the Dean’s office. The Office Coordinator inputs the change(s) into the College’s system and sends it to the Dean for approval.
• 7.2 The Dean will either approve the course change(s) in the College’s system or they will send their recommendations for further amendments via the College’s system. A designate from the Dean’s office will communicate this feedback to the faculty team as necessary. Further changes can be submitted to the Dean’s office for consideration

8. Communication of Approved Changes

Approved changes are automatically updated in the student information system for the purposes of registration and graduation requirements, as well as on the College’s website for marketing purposes.

9. Related Documents or Links

• Program of Study Development, Renewal and Change Policy
• Program of Study Development, Renewal and Change Process
• Appendix B: Processing Timelines
• Business Plan for New Programs of Study

10. References

• Framework for Programs of Instruction (MTCU)
• Credentials Framework (MTCU)