Approval Process

College Approval Process

Submitting/Presenting to Deans Council (DC)
Submitting to the President's Executive Committee (PEC)
Presenting to the President's Executive Committee (PEC)
Submitting to the Board of Governors (BoG)
Presenting to the Board of Governors (BoG)

CVS Validation and MTCU Funding Approval

Submitting to the Credentials Validation Service (CVS)
Submitting to the MTCU for Funding
Request for Funding Approval Form
Program Delivery Information (PDI) Form to Calculate Program Funding Parameters
High Demand Program Comparator Information Form

 

College Approval Process

Deans Council approval is the next step in the approval process after Final Level approval by CRC.

Requirements to proceed to Deans Council:

• finalized program proposal (based on input from CRC and a review of the final revised proposal by the Curriculum Administrator)
• cash flow analysis approved by Executive Director, Academic Operations and Planning
• five year equipment requirements completed
• facilities assessment completed by Physical Resources
  • Cost of renovations or special purpose facilities, as well as the source of funding determined
• completed DC,PEC/BoG Briefing Notes
  • Template and examples available from Executive Assistant to the VPA
• Submission of DC/PEC/BoG Briefing Notes to the Executive Assistant to the VPA the Wednesday prior to the Deans Council meeting; refer to the Program Proposal Timelines available from the Academic Development Homepage accessible from the Program Development link
• Dean presents the program to Deans Council
  • Brief high level overview of the program highlighting the credential, delivery mode, space and infrastructure requirements, and staffing plan (approx. 5 min.)
• Deans Council members will ask questions for clarification
• Deans Council will approve the program to proceed to PEC, or not; revisions to the Briefing Notes may be required

Approval by the Presidents Executive Committee (PEC) is the next step in the approval process.

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Submitting to the President's Executive Committee (PEC)

Requirements to proceed to PEC:

• revisions to PEC/BoG Briefing Notes based on input from Deans Council
• submission of Briefing Notes to President’s Office by the Friday before the PEC presentation; refer to the Program Proposal Timelines available from the Academic Development Homepage accessible from the Program Development link
  

Presenting to the President's Executive Committee (PEC)

• Dean presents program to PEC
  • brief high level overview of the program highlighting the credential, delivery mode, space and infrastructure requirements, and staffing plan (approx. 5 min.); this is essentially the same presentation made to Deans Council
• Dean, Academic Development and Director, Academic Operations provide support at PEC as required
• PEC members may ask questions for clarification
• PEC will approve the program to proceed to the Board, or not; revisions to the Briefing Notes may be required

Approval by the Board of Governors (BoG) is the next step in the approval process.

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Submitting to the Board of Governors (BoG)

Requirements to proceed to BoG:

• revisions to BoG Briefing Notes based on input from PEC
• submission to BoG’s Office by the date specified on the Program Proposal Timelines available from the Academic Development Homepage accessible from the Program Development link

Presenting to the Board of Governors (BoG)

• Dean presents program to the Board
  • brief high level overview of the program highlighting the credential, delivery mode, space and infrastructure requirements, and staffing plan (approx. 5 min.); this is essentially the same presentation made to PEC
• the Chair and program developer are to be invited to attend the Board meeting
• Board members may ask questions of clarification
• the Board will approve the program, or not
  
  

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CVS Validation and MTCU Funding Approval

The Credentials Validation Service (CVS) approval process and Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) Funding approval process take effect when a program proposal has successfully completed the College’s internal processes and has received Board of Governors approval. The simplified processes are streamlined and seamless, and submission of materials is done electronically.

The Curriculum Administrator finalizes all CVS and MTCU relevant forms/documentation and forwards to departments for final review by the Chair prior to submission to CVS. Furthermore, final program proposals are checked for accuracy and consistency with GeneSIS by the Curriculum Administrator prior to being forwarded to CVS. Proper completion of the required forms enables more timely responses. Usually a CVS decision is rendered within five working days, whereas MTCU approval may take anywhere from one to four months.

Once the program receives validation, CVS forwards all documentation to MTCU for programs where there is a request for funding. 

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Submitting to the Credentials Validation Service (CVS)

Programs requiring CVS validation:

• all programs leading to the granting of one of the Ontario college credentials regardless of funding source
• all programs submitted to MTCU for funding approval
  
  

Final program proposals must be submitted to the CVS using the Application for Program Validation* package which consists of:

• Main cover sheet
• Appendix A – Program Description
  • Form 1: Program Vocational Outcome Comparison
• Appendix B – Program Curriculum
• Appendix C – Program Maps
  • Form 1:  Vocational Outcomes Mapping
  • Form 2:  Essential Employability Skills Mapping
  • Form 3:  General Education Mapping

Note:  Forms 2 & 3 are not required for Graduate Certificate Programs

• Appendix D – Regulatory Status Forms 
  
  

Guidance for completing the above Appendices is available within the Program Development section of the Guide and through the assigned curriculum consultant.

*Note:  The process for degree applications differs and goes through the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB) application process and to the MTCU for funding.  The Office of Academic Development will provide guidance for application completion and submission.

The CVS validation decision is based on the:

• consistency of program outcomes with the credential being proposed and with the  Framework for Programs of Instruction (Credentials Framework).
• consistency of proposed title with the accepted college system nomenclature/titling principles and practices.
  
  

Once the program is validated, a unique five-digit Approved Program Sequence Number (APS) is assigned by the CVS. (This number is used by the College for enrolment reporting to MTCU). The APS number is conveyed to the College with the validation decision and to MTCU when there is a request for funding.  When a program does not receive validation, the CVS will substantiate its decision in writing to the College. It is at the College’s discretion to re-submit a separate application at a later date.

The CVS validation decision is formally conveyed to the Dean, Chair/Manager, Registrar’s Office, Marketing & Enrolment, and Financial Aid by the Curriculum Administrator.

Note: For programs seeking Ministry funding, although the program has received CVS validation, the program’s status will continue to have the qualifier - Pending Government Funding Approval on publications, the College website and ontariocolleges.ca (OCAS)**. This will be removed only when funding has been approved by MTCU.

Submitting to the MTCU for Funding

Program approval by the Board of Governors, and receipt of confirmation from the CVS that a program conforms to the Framework for Programs of Instruction (Credentials Framework) and utilizes accepted college system nomenclature/titling principles, are required for funding consideration. When funding is requested (intent for funding expressed on the main cover sheet of the CVS application package), the CVS forwards the program validation package and funding approval specific forms to MTCU. 

The following forms must be completed as part of the submission and are included within applicable program proposal templates, most notably in Template 1 – Section 3:

• Appendix A: Request for Approval for Funding Form
• Program Delivery Information (PDI) Form to Calculate Program Funding Parameters (Total Hours Required per Student )
• High Demand Program* Comparator Information Form Annual Tuition Fees based on two-semester year

*High Demand Program (formerly “additional cost recovery”): a program of instruction eligible for general purpose operating grant funding for which colleges have the discretion to charge fees above the maximum permitted for regular fee programs.

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Request for Funding Approval Form

The form needs to be completed thoroughly as indicated below:

• The delivery mode is not reflected in the program title.
• The program duration is normally expressed in terms of full-time delivery- although the program may be offered on a part-time basis. 
• The contact person is typically the Chair.
• With the exception of the check box making reference to CVS, all other boxes in section 7 must be checked demonstrating that the College meets funding requirements.
• The proposed annual tuition fees need to be exact.  Since the fees for the upcoming academic year are not established until February, 4% factoring needs to be made to reflect the exact fees where applicable.  The Manager of Fees and Reporting in the Registrar’s Office can provide fees information.
• The Curriculum Administrator ensures that the President’s signature is reflected on the form.
  
  

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Program Delivery Information (PDI) Form to Calculate Program Funding Parameters

The instructional settings must be accurate and all hours need to be indicated as this may affect funding.

Definitions (to assist with the completion of the PDI form):          

a) Classroom Instruction:

instruction that may be provided in a setting which individuals do not require access to equipment except as listed below:

• Situations in which microcomputer labs are used for instruction in standard word processing, spreadsheet, and database software packages
• “Traditional” classrooms and lecture halls
• “Virtual” classrooms and in on-line learning
• Situations in which laboratories and workshops may be used for convenience
  
  

b) Laboratories/Workshops/Fieldwork:

Scheduled hours of activities intended to give students hands-on experience; this instructional setting is characterized by:

• Activities in which students are provided with instruction and are directly supervised by college staff
• Settings either inside college facilities (e.g. laboratories, workshops) or outside college facilities (e.g. fieldwork) in which individual students are required to use instructional equipment and or supplies. These settings do not include situations in which microcomputer labs are used for instruction of standard work processing, spreadsheets, and data base software packages or situations in which laboratories and workshops are used for convenience.
  
  

c) Independent (self-paced) Learning:

Student directed learning in which contact with college staff is limited to situations in which advice or solutions to specific problems are sought; usually online learning.

d) One-on-One Instruction:

Those exceptional situations in which college academic staff can provide instruction to only one student at a time, e.g. in a flight simulator or on top of an electric tower.

e) Clinical Placement:

Scheduled hours of activities intended to give students hands-on experience in a hospital or health care setting; this instructional setting is characterized by:

• Activities that are an integral component of the curriculum of the program and necessary for the successful completion of the program.
• Activities in which students are continually supervised directly by college staff or individuals working on behalf of the college
  
  

f) Field Placement/Work Placement:

Scheduled hours of activities intended to give students hands-on experience in the workplace and for which the students do not typically receive a regular salary or wage form the employer; this instructional setting is characterized by:

• Activities that are an integral component of the curriculum of the program and are necessary for the completion of the program
• Activities in which college staff do not directly supervise students and for which college staff undertake one or more of the following activities:
• make periodic site visits
• ensure assignments given to students and the work being done by students are suitable for the program
• monitor the students’ progress in the field placement activity
• help address problems encountered by students in the field or work placement activity
• evaluate students’ performance in the field or work placement activity
  
  

g) Co-operative Education Work Placement:

“A Co-operative Education Program is one that formally integrates a student's academic studies with work experience. The usual plan is for the student to alternate periods of experience in career-related fields according to the following criteria:

• Each work situation is approved by the Co-operative Education institution as a suitable learning situation
• The Co-operative Education student is engaged in productive work rather than merely observing
• The Co-operative Education student receives remuneration for the work performed
• The Co-operative Education student's progress on the job is monitored by the Co-operative Education institution
• The Co-operative Education student's performance on the job is supervised and evaluated by the student's employer
• The time spent in periods of work experience must be at least thirty percent of the time spent in academic study.”
  
  

h)  Small group tutorial:

Small group tutorial: instructional activity that must occur in small 

group settings (usually 5-10 students) and in which  individual students do not require access to equipment except  as indicated below:

• situations in which micro computer labs are used for the instruction of standard word processing, spreadsheet, and database software packages
• situations in which laboratories and workshops are used for convenience
  
  

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High Demand Program Comparator Information Form

Request for funding approval from the MTCU for any new high demand program* requires the completion of this form which addresses the proposed fee and the comparator programs used to set the tuition fee level. (Note: Programs that will charge standard fees are not required to complete the above form). Fees cannot exceed the maximum fee rates charged by other comparable Ontario college programs. Therefore, for new high demand programs, colleges are limited to charging the maximum fee charged for other programs already being offered in the same MTCU family.

Standard programs are considered high demand provided they meet the following criteria:

• high demand for instructional spaces
• high employer demand for graduates
• high income for employed graduates
  
  

MTCU will review the appropriateness of the comparator programs. Where a proposed new program is unique and there are no comparable programs, the Ministry will consider maximum fees of high demand programs within the same family.  Where no comparison exists within the MTCU code family, the maximum fees of the occupational cluster will be used. The Ministry has final authority on all decisions of comparability. 

Note: All graduate certificates, bachelor’s degrees in areas of applied study, and baccalaureate of nursing programs are automatically considered high demand programs.

Enrolment in new high demand programs will be included in the calculation to ensure that no more than 15% of a college’s postsecondary enrollment is in high demand programs.

Ministry Decision

• A request for funding is reviewed against established criteria as outlined in the Minister’s Binding Policy Directive on Funding Approval of Programs of Instruction Procedures.
  
  

Generally, two main factors are considered when the Ministry assigns funding parameters for a program:

• Program Weight (PW): expenditure per hour of instruction (i.e., unit cost). It includes teaching costs (i.e., student/teacher ratio) and non-teaching costs (how much the instructional supplies and equipment cost, support staff…according to the nature of the program).
• Funding Unit (FnU): total number of hours of instruction of the whole program (i.e. number of units). Please note: teaching hours excludes cooperative education workplace hours.
• The Product, which is the Weighted Funded Unit (WFU), is generated by multiplying PW by FnU.
• Tuition Fee Factor will be assigned to the program.
  
  

Proposals approved for funding will be assigned:

• an MTCU code* according to the program titling principles and expressed program learning outcomes confirmed by the CVS.
• funding parameters consistent with MTCU code assigned and the program delivery information received.
  
  

MTCU response is conveyed to the Deans, Chairs/Managers, Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid, and Marketing & Enrolment by the Curriculum Administrator. The qualifier Pending Government Funding Approval is removed from the ontariocollges.ca website and the College website. The status on GeneSIS changes to active.

If the program proposal is not approved, the MTCU provides the College its decision in writing substantiating the reason(s). The College may appeal a Ministry decision using the established process.

*MTCU code: a five-digit number assigned by the ministry to postsecondary programs of instruction and used to identify the provincial program categories to which programs that are broadly similar in their vocational objectives and titles have been assigned.

Note: The first program placed in a new MTCU code establishes the base funding parameters which all future programs in that MTCU code receive.

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