Program Development

Intermediate Level

Establishing a Program Advisory Committee
Tips for Effective Meetings
Initiating the Labour Market/Applicant Demand Analyses
Labour Market Analyses
Applicant Demand Analysis

Curriculum Development

Choosing the Appropriate Template
Confirming the Program Title
Confirming the Credential Level
Writing the Program Description
Identifying the Admission Requirements
Narrative Information
Drafting the Vocational Program Learning Outcomes
Identifying the Essential Employability Skills Learning Outcomes
Identifying the Program of Study
Writing Course Descriptions
Writing Course Learning Requirements
Program Curriculum Mapping
Regulatory Status Form
Submitting and Presenting to CRC at the Intermediate Level
Incorporating Feedback and Recommendations
Planning for Program Delivery

Final Level

Completing Curriculum Development
Applicant and Employment Demand
Advisory Committee Approval of Curriculum
Facilities/Technology/Resource Requirements Analyses
Cash Flow Analysis and Five Year Equipment Requirement Projections
Completing Documents for CRC Submission
Submitting and Presenting to CRC at the Final Level
Incorporating Feedback and Recommendations
Future Program Modifications

Program Development

The Intermediate and Final Level Guide components are intended to provide guidance in the development process for programs that have received approval to move forward to the program proposal development stage following an Initial Scoping or CRC* Preliminary Level presentation.  Guidance on how to proceed for program ideas not yet presented to Deans Council or to the CRC may be found in the Where to Start section.

 It is important for program developers to understand that many elements of curriculum/program proposal development occur concurrently throughout the Intermediate and Final phases of development. However, there are specific expectations for Intermediate and Final Level presentations to CRC. To obtain direction on proposal requirements that must be completed for Intermediate or Final Level CRC approvals, program developers should consult the: Program Development, Approval and Implementation Overview for Ontario College Credential Programs and the applicable CRC Checklist, either for new program approvals for Ontario college credential programs or college certificates, both available under the Key Documents – Supporting Resources link.  

* Preliminary Level CRC presentations apply only to program proposals for College certificates. All proposals for Ontario college credentials are vetted by Deans Council at an Initial Scoping presentation, including Ontario college certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, graduate certificates, and degrees in areas of applied study. 

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Intermediate Level

Establishing a Program Advisory Committee

Advisory Committees are formed to assist the Board of Governors in establishing and maintaining programs relevant to the needs of the community served by Algonquin College.

Algonquin College Directive A1, titled Advisory Committees, states that it is the policy of the Board of Governors of Algonquin College that, in accordance with Regulation 770, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities Act, there shall be an Advisory Committee for each program, or cluster of programs.  These committees represent the pulse of the community and industry in order for the College to provide current and relevant education and training for our students.

All new program proposals must have specific industry feedback regarding the need for the proposed program in the community, and on the proposed program of study and curriculum. Though this requirement is not essential for College certificate programs, it is still recommended where feasible.

There are two main ways of fulfilling this requirement for a proposal:

• If there is an existing Advisory Committee that has the relevant industry expertise for the program being proposed, there is no need to create and assemble a new Advisory Committee.
• If there is no existing Advisory Committee with the relevant industry expertise, an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee must be created that is a broad representative of the stakeholders of the new program proposal.
  
  

Where can one find Ad Hoc Advisory Committee members?

A minimum of eight and maximum of fifteen people external to the College are required to establish an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee.  One can find members with the relevant industry expertise by thinking of who would hire graduates of this proposed program, for example:

• governments
• governmental agencies
• corporations
• businesses
• business association/ chambers of commerce
• community organizations       

Why would anyone want to join an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee?

There are several reasons:

• Most people in their chosen industry are passionate about the field and want to give back to their community.
• Field experts want to ensure graduates coming into their industry have the required knowledge and skills.
• Committee members want an inside track on hiring future graduates of the proposed program.
• Committee members report that participation in existing or Ad Hoc Advisory Committees is an excellent opportunity to network with other leaders within their industry.
• It is recognized that being on an Algonquin College program advisory committee is an excellent addition to a résumé.

Okay – what’s next?

A meeting of the existing or Ad Hoc Advisory Committee is called, a chair is selected and feedback and support for the new program proposal is solicited by:

• Assessing the industry needs locally and nationally.
• Assessing community needs for the proposed program and identifying where workers currently receive their education and training.
• Asking how many graduates committee members would be able to hire from this program on a yearly basis.
• Asking if field or co-op placement opportunities would be provided.
• If there is sufficient need established by the committee, ask for their input:
  • What are the specific skills students will need upon graduation?
  • Are there any specific provincial and national requirements, where applicable?
  • Once available, propose and review potential vocational learning outcomes and the program of study.
  • Obtain a formal motion of support for the proposed program.

Attendance should be taken and detailed minutes from the meeting(s) produced.  Members’ contact information and the minutes of meeting(s) are included in the proposal submission as required within Template 1-Full-time Program under the Advisory Committee Membership and Minutes Sections 2.3.1 and 2.3.2.  The language for a formal motion of support as indicated in Section 2.3.2 must be presented and included within meeting minutes. Note that for Final Level approval by CRC, the formal motion of support from the advisory committee must be included within meeting minutes.

If subsequent meetings are required and finding a time to physically meet is troublesome, an electronic or “email” meeting is acceptable for documenting a motion of support.  In such cases, copies of pertinent email communications must be included in the program proposal submission.

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Tips for Effective Meetings

• Timing – Determine a suitable time of day for all the members to attend.  Breakfast meetings, lunch meetings and late afternoon meetings are most desirable meeting times. 
• Provide parking passes – Established Advisory Committee members will already have a parking pass.  For Ad Hoc Committees, guest-parking passes can be obtained from one’s department.
• Set objectives for the meeting - Before planning the agenda, determine the objective of the meeting. The more concrete the objectives, the more focused an agenda will be. 
• Provide an agenda beforehand - The agenda should include a one-sentence description of the meeting objectives, a list of the topics to be covered, identifying the presenters addressing each topic with designated time frames. The agenda should be followed closely during the meeting.
• Assign meeting preparation – As appropriate, you may wish to assign all participants something to prepare for the meeting. The meeting will take on a new significance and they will be well prepared to provide the information required.
• Watch the clock – Stick to business items and reduce socializing.  You want to maximize your committee members’ time. Keep your meetings as short as possible particularly for early morning or mid-day meetings.
• Assign action items – If action is required, be sure to finish any discussion in the meeting with a decision regarding how to act on it.
• Examine your meeting process – Before the meeting is adjourned assess the meeting outcomes and make a plan to improve the next meeting. 
• Follow-up – Thank the members for taking the time to attend and contribute and ensure follow-up after the meeting.

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Initiating the Labour Market/Applicant Demand Analyses

Labour Market Analyses

It is important to be able to demonstrate to both the College and the Board of Governors, the approving body for Ontario college credentials, that there is sufficient applicant and employment demand for a program. Without applicants, a program can never be financially viable. Employment demand is of importance for two reasons. The first reason is in recognition of the role of Ontario colleges in preparing graduates for the workplace. If there is no employment for graduates then the value of the program is put in question. The second reason is related to funding. One of the Key Performance Indicators for colleges measured by the province is Graduate Employment. Results on this survey are tied directly to the funding that colleges receive on an annual basis. For these reasons the College asks new programs to demonstrate sufficient applicant and employment demand to justify launching the program.

Therefore, examining the labour market or societal need for the program being proposed is an important step in the development of a new program. The College is currently using the services of external firms to examine the secondary research and data that exists related to a proposed program that leads to an Ontario college credential. A customized report is produced for each program under consideration covering such areas as:

• overall need for the program
• demographic/social/economic considerations
• labour market trends/projections
• remuneration of employees in the field
• educational requirements
• competitive environment
• opportunities/challenges inherent in launching the proposed program
• competitive implications
• any other relevant factors identified during research

The Dean, Academic Development commissions this work following Deans Council Initial Scoping or CRC Preliminary Level approval as appropriate. The consultant makes contact with the program developer either in person or over the phone, at the beginning of the project. Completion of a labour market analysis takes 4-6 weeks from commencing research.

The results of the Labour Market Analysis are used in program development either at the Intermediate or Final phase, depending on the point at which the report is received. Minimally, the executive summary should be included within the Needs Assessment/Demonstrated Labour Market or Societal Need (Section 2.2.1) of the program proposal within Template 1. However, there may be other information from the report that is important to also include. The entire report may be appended to the proposal.

On occasion, the results of a study completed independently may be used, rather than commissioning a new study. If program developers are aware of a completed labour market analysis study related to the program area being developed, it is important to bring this to the attention of the Dean, Academic Development as early in the program development process as possible.

For College certificate programs, program developers may conduct their own surveys, or otherwise provide data to indicate need for the program.

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Applicant Demand Analysis

Applicant demand may be assessed in numerous ways and similar to the labour market analysis usually begins at the Intermediate Phase, with data incorporation and presentation at the Final Level CRC presentation. If sufficient information is available, this process may begin at the Initial Scoping or Preliminary Level.

Applicant demand may be assessed by:

• OCAS (Ontario Colleges Application Services – ontariocolleges.ca) data mining. The Office of Academic Development requests an analysis of applicant demand for existing or like programs offered in Ontario. The analysis is conducted by the Manager, Institutional Research and Planning. Program developers’ assessment of interest based on industry reports or prospective student inquiries.
• Feeder program surveys where applicable. This applies to instances where laddering opportunities will be presented by the addition of a new program. Existing students in pertinent programs are surveyed as to their interest in undertaking the proposed program.
• Other relevant sources, e.g., professional associations, industry surveys etc.

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Curriculum Development

When submitting a program proposal for Intermediate Level CRC approval, it is not expected that the whole curriculum will be developed.  At the Intermediate Level approval phase, the proposal should demonstrate a clear picture of the credential that graduates of the program are expected to receive, a preliminary idea of what it’s expected graduates will be able to demonstrate with draft vocational learning outcomes, and a general sense of the courses required in the program of study to enable the learners to achieve this learning. 

For curriculum guidance the Faculty/School CRC representative may be contacted for assistance. A CRC Committee Membership link is accessible from the Program Development Link on the Academic Development Homepage.  Experts in designing curriculum are also available in Learning Teaching Services.  Following receiving approval to proceed to program proposal development, either after an Initial Scoping or a CRC Preliminary Level presentation, a curriculum consultant will be identified to assist in program proposal development.  It is essential that program developers work closely with the curriculum consultant to facilitate program development and completion of all necessary template components required for Intermediate and Final Level CRC approvals. The CRC Chair provides the assigned curriculum consultant’s contact information.

Program developers should select, review and begin to complete the pertinent new program proposal template, although it is important to recognize that at the Intermediate Level, not all areas need be completed.  The templates are available under the Key Documents – Templates and Forms link within Proposal Template Options.

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Choosing the Appropriate Template

At the Intermediate Level, you will need to show the following curriculum components in your template:

• the credential that you are expecting graduates to receive
• the admission requirements for your program
• a first draft of the program description
• a copy of the provincial program outcomes if they exist or an initial draft of the program learning outcomes (vocational learning outcomes and essential employability skills (if applicable)
• a draft of the program of study including the mode of delivery
• a draft of the course descriptions for courses in your program of study (including general education courses if applicable)
• a demonstrated labour market or societal needs (if available)
• applicant demand (if available)
• indication of any accreditation, certification or licensing requirements
• characteristics of the Algonquin Experience

New Program Proposal Checklists (Ontario College Credential Program/College Certificate Program) are available to ensure that you have included the requirements for submitting the proposal for Intermediate Level approval. These checklists are available under the Key Documents – Supporting Resources link. The Program Development, Approval and Implementation Overview for Ontario College Credential Programs may also be of assistance, available from the same link.

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Confirming the Program Title

Following discussions that typically include insight from the Advisory Committee regarding the proposed title, program developers may find that the title originally thought to be appropriate needs to be reviewed.  When submitting the program proposal at the Intermediate Level, the program title can be confirmed, or changes may still be under consideration.  The following guidelines are important to consider when naming a program.

• If the same (or substantially the same) program exists at another Ontario college, the same program title must be used.When choosing the title for a new program, the title should not refer to a particular job title—rather it should describe the discipline or occupational area.  For example, Zoo Management would be acceptable; Zoo Manager would not be acceptable.Do not include the name of the credential or the delivery mode in the title.  For example, Diploma Zoo Management Program should simply be Zoo Management.
• Be careful not to choose the name of a program for which another program already exists at the College.    

The program title is entered on the Application for Program Validation within Template 1, as well as on the cover page for all new program proposals. Additional titling information is detailed within the Curriculum Modification Guidelines available under the Key Documents Supporting Resources link.

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Confirming the Credential Level

Program developers will want to refer to the Framework for Programs of Instruction, commonly referred to as the Credentials Framework to ensure that the correct credential for the program has been targeted.  The Credentials Framework is a helpful tool that describes the breadth, depth and complexity of learning that is expected of graduates who receive credentials from Ontario colleges.  Program developers should check that the expectations of graduates from the program under development match the description of learning for the credential that is expected to be awarded at the end of the program.  Note that there are “typical” hour ranges identified for each credential within the Credentials Framework.  When the program is sent to have the credential validated by the staff at the Credentials Validation Service, they will be checking to see that the program’s vocational learning outcomes reflect the kind of learning that is described in the framework.  They will also be looking to see that the program of study has been designed such that it helps learners to achieve these outcomes. 

Within Template 1, the proposed credential is noted on the first page of Appendix A - Application for Program Validation, and where indicated within other templates.

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Writing the Program Description

In reality, the program description will probably be refined throughout the time that the program is developed.  This is because the program description provides an overview of the program, including a rationale for the program, key learning and graduate abilities, as well as occupational areas for which the program is preparing graduates.  The final draft may not be reached until the program is nearing completion. Regardless, when submitting the program for Intermediate Level approval, a draft of the program description must be included. 

The program description should be two or three paragraphs and should provide the reader with an overview of the program.  It may be the first information that potential students see about a program, so it should be positive and easily understood.  The final program description is used in all relevant publications.

Include the following information in the program description:

• The duration of the program.
• The credential to be granted.
• The rationale for the program.
• The focus of the learning in the program.
• An overview of key learning and abilities that graduates will have developed.
• The employment opportunities for graduates.
• Any key distinguishing attributes of the program.
• Success factors should be noted below the program description.

Some editorial tips to use when writing a program description:

• Use present tense and active voice. Do not use “will”.
• Use simple sentence structure and concise language.
• Use inclusive, gender neutral language.
• Avoid including information that can be quickly dated. Program hours, delivery modes* and other similar information can be found elsewhere and should not be included in the program description.

*Note that fully online or primarily online program delivery should be mentioned in the program description. For example: This online one-year Ontario College Graduate Certificate …

Use lay terms that are understood by potential students. When writing the program description, consult the editorial guidelines and standards from the Data Entry Guidelines for Genesis and Copy writing Guidelines: Full-time Monographs and Calendar Program Pages or the Data Entry Guidelines for Genesis and Copy writing Guidelines: Part-time Monographs and onCourse. Both of these documents are available under the Key Documents - Supporting Resources link.

An example of a program description:

Zoo Management

The program description is entered where identified in Appendix A - Application for Program Validation within Template 1 and where indicated within other templates. 

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Identifying the Admission Requirements

Both the College Eligibility requirements, if applicable, (standard wording applies here for most programs) and the Program Eligibility must be identified.  When considering program specific admission requirements, the knowledge and skills beyond that expected for College eligibility that are essential for success in the program are noted.  When identifying program admission requirements, consideration should be given to how the presence of the indicated attributes or achievements will be fairly assessed.

This chart will serve as a guide for identifying admission requirements.

The admission requirements are identified in the space indicated in the last section of Appendix A - Application for Program Validation within Template 1 and where indicated in other templates. Program eligibility requirements should be reviewed and validated with the Associate Registrar to confirm appropriate wording for publications and plan how students will be assessed, if applicable.

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Narrative Information

In order to expedite the publication process so as to ensure timely marketing of new program proposals subsequent to Board of Governor approval, narrative information needs to be completed for the Final Level submission. Therefore, at the Intermediate Level,  consideration should be given to the narrative information required, however, this content need only be included and finalized for the Final Level CRC submission, where indicated within the applicable template.

Note that the definitions and examples provided are not exclusive and program/departmental specifics will need to be reflected as appropriate.

Expenses

To include:

• The approximate cost of books and supplies.
• Tests/exams for registration or for certification bodies.
•  Placement expenses such as travel.

Note: Expenses do not include Incidental Fees*.

Definition:  Tuition fee revenues are understood to support the general costs of program delivery (in-class and field placement) as well as the general operating costs of college administration and capital expenditures.  Incidental fees are linked to individual courses and are non-tuition related in nature. Examples of course-related incidental fees include CD’s and DVD’s used in specific courses and retained by the student, supplies for arts and crafts that are retained by the student, tools for use in specific courses (e.g., dental tools, screw drivers for computer systems technicians) that are retained by the student.  Consumable supplies (e.g., hairspray, gas for welding) are considered tuition related and are not to be considered as an incidental fee.

* Incidental Fees appear separate to Tuition Fees and are distinguished from other expenses noted within the Fees and Expenses section of Monographs/Brochures.

Employment Opportunities

To include:

• Information related to Employment Opportunities currently under Program Descriptions or Additional Information is to be included in this section for consistency purposes.
• Use of “may”, e.g., students may find employment in and name of industry or public and private sectors instead of “will”.
• As per the revised Minister’s Binding Policy Directive Re: Advertising and Marketing (Section I, (July 31, 2009) – information on any accreditation/certification/licensing requirements that must be attained so that the student may practise in the field must be included. For example, “to practise in the field you need to write or complete the following exam …”.
• Identify areas or specific job titles (dependent upon the field of work) that the student may find employment in.
• All information pertaining to employment opportunities needs to be transparent and accurate.

Additional Information

To include:

• Contact information, e.g., name of program coordinator and their contact information.
• Location of program if offered at more than one campus or off-site, e.g., ‘This program is offered at the Woodroffe, Pembroke and Perth campuses.’
• If there is one or more offering such as Full-time or Part-time,  e.g., ‘This program has flexible delivery options.’
• All relevant information that is not outlined anywhere else in the narrative information

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Drafting the Vocational Program Learning Outcomes

Vocational program learning outcomes must be consistent with the breadth, depth and complexity of knowledge articulated within the Framework for Programs of Instruction (Credentials Framework) for the proposed credential. Where the proposed program has a provincial program standard, the vocational learning outcomes described by the provincial program standard must be met. When the proposed program vocational learning outcomes vary from the provincial program standard, the proposed vocational outcomes must meet or exceed the provincial program standard’s vocational learning outcomes. Where no provincial program standard exists, the proposed vocational learning outcomes must meet or exceed the program goals for similar Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) approved programs. The vocational learning outcomes information is entered into Appendix A – Form 1 – Vocational Program Comparison Chart in the new Full-time Program Proposal Template 1 or where indicated within other templates.

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Identifying the Essential Employability Skills Learning Outcomes

For programs leading to an Ontario College Certificate, Diploma or Advanced Diploma, the Essential Employability Skills (EES) Outcomes are the second component of the program learning outcomes.  It is assumed that students entering an Ontario College Graduate Certificate program have achieved the EES learning outcomes in the diploma or degree program that they have already completed.

There are 11 essential employability skills learning outcomes that need to be demonstrated by graduates of programs leading to an Ontario college credential.  They are listed here. Graduates will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Communicate clearly, concisely and correctly in the written, spoken, and visual form that fulfills the purpose and meets the needs of the audience.
• Respond to written, spoken, or visual messages in a manner that ensures effective communication.
• Execute mathematical operations accurately.
• Apply a systematic approach to solve problems.
• Use a variety of thinking skills to anticipate and solve problems.
• Locate, select, organize, and document information using appropriate technology and information systems.
• Analyze, evaluate and apply relevant information from a variety of sources.
• Show respect for the diverse opinions, values, belief systems, and contributions of others.
• Interact with others in groups or teams in ways that contribute to effective working relationships and the achievement of goals.
• Manage the use of time and other resources to complete projects.
• Take responsibility for one’s own actions, decisions, and consequences.

At Algonquin, performance indicators have been identified that illustrate how these learning outcomes will be demonstrated differently by graduates who have earned different credentials.  Program developers are to refer to the EES website to find more information about these essential employability skills and for the names of EES resource people available in each School to help integrate EES into a new program.  You will find the website at: http://www.algonquincollege.com/ees/  or alternatively under the Additional Resources link of the Program Development Guide.

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Identifying the Program of Study

Once the draft program description and program outcomes are written, program developers begin to articulate the program of study (POS). The program of study is the group of courses that together comprise the learning experiences that, once successfully completed, lead students to the demonstration of the program learning outcomes and the awarding of the program credential.

Faculty content experts are to consult with specialists in the field, employers, program graduates, and accrediting and professional bodies to identify key concepts, knowledge and skills related to the specific field of study and essential to the performance of the occupational roles that are expected of graduates. Program Advisory Committees (PAC) are key participants in this process.

Next, these key concepts, knowledge and skills are clustered into courses and sequenced to provide optimal learning opportunities. Draft course titles and course descriptions are written (see Writing Course Descriptions). Key decisions are made related to the leveling of courses, course hours, course instruction mode (e.g., traditional face-to-face, online and hybrid) and instructional settings for each course (e.g., classroom, clinical, laboratory, field placement, co-op), as defined within the Glossary of Terms Program and Course Nomenclature available from the Glossary link.

The program developer, in consultation with the curriculum consultant, applies curriculum design principles including coherence, sequence, continuity, and integration, to ensure that the developed courses are clearly aligned to the program learning outcomes. Additionally, the developed program of study must meet the requirements of the MTCU Framework for Programs of Instruction (Credentials Framework) and Algonquin College policies related to program development. For example, all new programs must deliver a minimum of twenty percent of program hours online (including hybrid and fully online delivery).

The program of study information is entered into Section 2.2.2, the Program of Study Table in Template 1 or where indicated in other templates, and required for the Intermediate Level approval by CRC.

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Writing Course Descriptions

Once the draft program description and program outcomes are written, program developers begin to articulate the program of study (POS). The program of study is the group of courses that together comprise the learning experiences that, once successfully completed, lead students to the demonstration of the program learning outcomes and the awarding of the program credential.

Faculty content experts are to consult with specialists in the field, employers, program graduates, and accrediting and professional bodies to identify key concepts, knowledge and skills related to the specific field of study and essential to the performance of the occupational roles that are expected of graduates. Program Advisory Committees (PAC) are key participants in this process.

Next, these key concepts, knowledge and skills are clustered into courses and sequenced to provide optimal learning opportunities. Draft course titles and course descriptions are written (see Writing Course Descriptions). Key decisions are made related to the leveling of courses, course hours, course instruction mode (e.g., traditional face-to-face, online and hybrid) and instructional settings for each course (e.g., classroom, clinical, laboratory, field placement, co-op), as defined within the Glossary of Terms Program and Course Nomenclature available from the Glossary link.

The program developer, in consultation with the curriculum consultant, applies curriculum design principles including coherence, sequence, continuity, and integration, to ensure that the developed courses are clearly aligned to the program learning outcomes. Additionally, the developed program of study must meet the requirements of the MTCU Framework for Programs of Instruction (Credentials Framework) and Algonquin College policies related to program development. For example, all new programs must deliver a minimum of twenty percent of program hours online (including hybrid and fully online delivery).

The program of study information is entered into Section 2.2.2, the Program of Study Table in Template 1 or where indicated in other templates, and required for the Intermediate Level approval by CRC.

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Writing Course Learning Requirements

Course Learning Requirements (CLRs) articulate the expected learning in each course in the program of study. The CLRs describe learning that integrates knowledge, skills and attitudes that learners must successfully demonstrate and have verified in order to receive credit for the course.  Additionally, CLRs must be aligned to vocational program outcomes, essential employability skills and/or general education themes. The following list describes the characteristics of robust CLRs. Course Learning Requirements:

• describe essential, durable, meaningful, and significant learning
• are clearly stated and realistic
• are performance based and start with active verbs
• use and apply integrated learning
• describe the results of learning at the end of the learning processes in the course
• are transferable to a variety of work and/or life contexts
• are verifiable through a variety of assessment techniques
• support one or more program outcomes
                                

The final course descriptions and course learning requirements are entered into Section 2.1.2 of the College Documentation section in Template 1 and where indicated in other templates.

Course learning requirements are not required for Intermediate Level approval by the Curriculum Review Committee.

Program developers should ensure that feedback from the Intermediate Level CRC review is incorporated into the final course descriptions. The CLRs and the course descriptions must be identical in Appendix B - Program Curriculum of the Application for Program Validation form and in Section 2.1.2 of the College Documentation area of Template 1. Similarly, the CLRs and course descriptions must be consistently presented, where applicable, within other templates. 

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Program Curriculum Mapping

Program curriculum maps provide an overview of the program and its component courses.  Curriculum maps are developed to show the contribution and alignment of program courses to the program vocational learning outcomes, essential employability skills, and general education requirements. Program developers determine if a program outcome is taught or assessed, and whether or not there is a culminating performance or demonstration of the outcome in each course in the program of study.  Although draft curriculum mapping can be completed at the intermediate phase of curriculum development, curriculum mapping is typically completed for final program development following the development of final course descriptions and course learning requirements. Curriculum mapping is not required for Intermediate Level CRC approval.

The program curriculum mapping information is entered into Appendix C - Program Maps in Template 1 and where indicated in other applicable templates. Completed Program Curriculum maps are required for Final Level approval by CRC.

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Regulatory Status Form

For Ontario college credential programs, Appendix D – Regulatory Status Form within Template 1 must be completed for Final Level CRC approval. At the Intermediate Level Phase, program developers need to assess whether the proposed program involves Mandatory Regulatory Requirements or Voluntary Requirements.  It is then possible to begin working towards completing the form and obtaining supporting documentation required for Final Level approval. 

The Curriculum Administrator may be contacted for guidance, if the distinction between mandatory and voluntary is unclear. Formal documentation to support any published information regarding accreditation/certification/licensing requirements relating to the proposed program, will need to be included with the Final Level program proposal.  This documentation will be forwarded to the CVS with the Application for Program Validation.

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Submitting and Presenting to CRC at the Intermediate Level

Intermediate Level submissions/presentations to CRC are required of all program proposals. Submissions require the completion of the appropriate template selected under the Key Documents – Templates and Forms link. New Program Proposal Checklists (Ontario College Credential Program/College Certificate Program) are available to ensure that you have included the sections necessary for submitting the proposal for Intermediate Level approval. These checklists are available under the Key Documents – Supporting Resources link. The Program Development, Approval and Implementation Overview for Ontario College Credential Programs, may also be of assistance, available at this same link.

The curriculum consultant assigned to the program development will be able to determine the program proposal’s readiness for a CRC Intermediate Level presentation.  Program developers must have their proposal reviewed by their assigned curriculum consultant and incorporate feedback and guidance, as appropriate, into the document prior to presenting the proposal to CRC. Once consultation with the curriculum consultant confirms readiness to proceed to an Intermediate Level CRC presentation, the appropriate template with the required components completed is to be submitted to the Executive Assistant to the Vice President Academic, a minimum of one-week prior to the scheduled CRC meeting date on which the proposal will be presented. The CRC Meeting Schedule should be reviewed well ahead of time to determine the preferred date to bring the proposal forward for an Intermediate Level review. 

The Faculty/School CRC representative and the curriculum consultant are able to guide developers in completing the template and in preparing for an Intermediate Level presentation.  The presentation to CRC will require that the chair and program developers provide a high level overview of the development undertaken to date in approximately 10-15 minutes.  CRC members will have received and revised the program proposal prior to the meeting.  Following the presentation by program developers, CRC members have an opportunity to ask questions or seek clarification throughout a systematic review of the proposal submission, which typically takes an additional 15 minutes, depending on the complexity of the proposal.

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Incorporating Feedback and Recommendations

Feedback from CRC members depends on the nature of the program presented and is intended to advance the development of the program. 

Following an Intermediate Level presentation, program developers can generally expect to receive verbal direction on:

• specific action items to address to proceed with completion of the program proposal for a Final Level presentation; a summary of the action items will be forwarded to the Chair and program developer within 1 week of the CRC presentation.
• the overall program of study, including the alignment with CVS  and College requirements relating to titling, program duration, leveling of vocational outcomes, hybrid delivery, and the Algonquin Experience.
• the need for ongoing consultation with the curriculum consultant to address further curriculum development or refinement of the proposal.
• minor editorial notations to address (provided in writing).
• next steps relating to facilities/technology/resource requirements including the facilities assessment, cash flow analysis, applicant demand analysis, PAC motion of support, etc.
  
  

At the conclusion of an Intermediate Level presentation, and following Committee questions, the CRC Chair will ask the Committee for a recommendation for approval at the level deemed appropriate based on the presentation and status of the program proposal development.  Typically, the approval sought will be at the Intermediate Level, unless during the presentation it is identified that required elements for Intermediate Level approval are not sufficiently developed, such that the recommendation necessitates that the designation of Preliminary Level approval remain. Alternatively, in exceptional circumstances, the program developers may have advanced the proposal beyond the Intermediate Level requirements, to justify consideration for Final Level approval.

Program developers should recognize that feedback provided is intended to be constructive. Ultimately, CRC’s goal is to assist program developers to send forward a program proposal to Deans Council, PEC, the Board of Governors, and then onwards to the Credentials Validation Service/MTCU that will present professionally and include all necessary program proposal components that conform with college CVS/Ministry requirements. The intent is to facilitate program approval in as expeditious a manner as possible.  Additionally, program proposal developers benefit from the individual expertise of CRC members and the many sets of eyes reviewing the proposal.

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Planning for Program Delivery

Throughout the program proposal development and approval processes, program delivery expectations and associated planning must remain at the forefront. This planning is necessary to ensure that the program delivery will not lead to unforeseen facility or resource needs. If it is anticipated that existing space and resources will be utilized, the facilities/technology/resource assessments will require thorough analysis of the current and added space/technology/equipment utilization needs for delivery of the proposed program. 

Likewise, program delivery scheduling must be well planned. If an online program is being proposed with a residency component, a planning exercise must be undertaken that outlines the full delivery schedule including residency periods. Any residency or non-traditional delivery requirements need to be clearly articulated in program publications.

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Final Level

Completing Curriculum Development

• Confirm or revise components arising from action points identified by CRC members following the Intermediate Level presentation.
• Develop the course learning requirements.
• Complete the curriculum mapping.
• Identify the fieldwork resources.
• Identify any other resources needed for curriculum delivery.

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Applicant and Employment Demand

Formal applicant and employment demand analyses are required for all Ontario college credential programs. Results of the labour market and applicant demand analyses are included in the final program proposal within Template 1, or where otherwise indicated, if applicable, in other templates. Minimally, the executive summary of the labour market analysis should be included within the Needs Assessment/Demonstrated Labour Market or Societal Need (Section 2.2.1) of the program proposal. There may be other information from the report that is also important to highlight.  Another option is to append the entire report to the proposal.

ontariocolleges.ca (OCAS) data mining and other applicant demand survey results must also be included, along with a brief narrative summary of these findings within Section 2.2.2 - Applicant Demand of Template 1.

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Advisory Committee Approval of Curriculum

For all Ontario college credential programs there are specific requirements related to the advisory committee that must be included in a Final Level program proposal. For College certificates these are desirable though not essential.  The requirements are noted within Section 2.3 of Template 1 and include:

• a membership list that indicates each member’s name, occupation and/or employer, and contact information
• insertion of any relevant Advisory Committee meeting minutes
• inclusion of a recent formal motion of support using the following language in Template 1 – Section 2.3
  • RESOLUTION:
    MOVED and SECONDED: name and name <note: these should not be college employees> that the xxxxx Advisory Committee has reviewed the curriculum as presented for the <the program name and credential>, supports the need for this program in the community, and recommends this program for approval to the President’s Executive Committee and to the Board of Governors.

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Facilities/Technology/Resource Requirements Analyses

These steps in the program development process should be initiated as soon as possible after Intermediate Level CRC approval. They should occur concurrently with final program proposal development and reflected within the Final Level submission in Section 2.4 of Template 1 for Ontario college credential programs and where indicated, if applicable, within other templates.

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Facilities Requirement Analysis

The Office of Academic Development will initiate contact with the Facilities Planning Specialist and/or designate, to schedule a meeting with the Department Chair/Manager and the program developer. The space requirements for the proposed program will be reviewed in detail in order to:

• ensure that any space needs can be accommodated.
• record these in the College space requirements for the upcoming academic years.
• identify any renovation or new build requirements that the program may have.
• ensure that space needs identified by the program are brought to the attention of the College Space and Infrastructure Committee (CSIC).

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Technology Analysis

Consideration must be given to any instructional or infrastructure technology requirements. If the program is intending to use mobile learning strategies, these must be identified. Similarly, any specialized software requirements must be noted.

Learning Resource Requirements

A discussion with a College librarian is to take place to identify start-up and possible resource material requirements. These are to be noted within Section 2.4 of Template 1 for all Ontario college credential programs and where indicated, if applicable, within other templates.

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Cash Flow Analysis and Five Year Equipment Requirement Projections

The Department Chair/Manager, the program developer, and the school budget officer are to prepare these documents. These templates are available under the Key Documents Templates and Forms link, under Cash Flow and the New Program Equipment Furniture Requirements. The Executive Director, Academic Operations and Planning (AOP), will provide assistance in completion of these documents.

Guidelines for Cash Flow Analysis spreadsheet:

• Enrolment is measured by term rather than by year. Enrolment is at audit date for each term (November 1; March 1, June 30) rather than the start of the term. Staffing is to cover all courses in the program including service courses.Full-time faculty expense is to be projected in the second year of the program to ensure that this expense can be covered by the program; 8/12 of the salary at Step 10 in this year and then increases based on both Step and inflation thereafter.It is highly recommended that new programs be contributing to overhead at 35% once the full grant is attributed to the program in order to be sure that future salary increases, depreciation and space costs can be covered on an ongoing basis. Equipment expenses are to be transferred from the Five-year Equipment Projection spreadsheet.
• Capital costs and renovation expenses are to be based on Physical Resources estimates.

Once completed these documents are to be submitted to the Executive Director, AOP for review and approval. 

This document, once finalized is presented to the President’s Executive Committee and to the Board of Governors for approval.

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Completing Documents for CRC Submission

All sections of the program proposal template should be completed when submitting/presenting for CRC Final Level approval. 

Recommendations for final review prior to submission:

• It is essential that program developers meet with the curriculum consultant to review the final curriculum and overall program proposal.
• A cross reference within the document should be done to ensure that items that are repeated in the document are noted the same in all places, e.g., program outcomes, course descriptions, course hours, and course numbers.
• Course numbers should be assigned to courses based on subject area codes. The Curriculum Administrator should be contacted for guidance.
• New courses must be created and entered in GeneSIS.
• Course descriptions in the final proposal should be identical to the course descriptions entered into GeneSIS.
• Ensure that minutes of advisory committee meetings demonstrating support for the program, including a motion for approval of the final program proposal as it is to be presented to CRC are included.
• Ensure that the Regulatory Status Form is complete and documentation to support any accreditation/certification/licensing requirements provided.
• Documentation of labour market analysis, and applicant and employment demand is to be included; information from the executive summaries from the consultant’s report plus additional relevant information are sufficient, though the entire report may be appended to the template submission.

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Submitting and Presenting to CRC at the Final Level

Final Level submissions/presentations to CRC are required of all program proposals. Submissions require the completion of the appropriate template selected under the Key Documents – Templates and Forms link. New Program Proposal Checklists (Ontario College Credential Program/College Certificate Program) are available to ensure that you have completed the components necessary for submitting the proposal for consideration for Final Level Approval. These checklists are available under the Key Documents – Supporting Resources link. The Program Development, Approval and Implementation Overview for Ontario College Credential Programs may also be of assistance, available at this same link. The curriculum consultant assigned to the program development will be able to determine the program proposal’s readiness for a CRC Final Level presentation.  Program developers must have their proposal reviewed by their assigned curriculum consultant and incorporate feedback or guidance, as appropriate, into the document prior to presenting the proposal to CRC.

Once consultation with the curriculum consultant confirms readiness to proceed to a Final Level CRC presentation, the appropriate template with all required components completed are to be submitted to the Executive Assistant to the Vice President Academic, a minimum of one-week prior to the scheduled CRC meeting date on which the proposal is to be presented. The CRC Meeting Schedule should be reviewed well ahead of time to determine the preferred date to bring the proposal forward for a Final Level review.

The Faculty/School CRC representative and the curriculum consultant are able to guide developers in completing the template and in preparing for a Final Level presentation.  The presentation to CRC will require that program developers provide a high level overview of the development undertaken since the Intermediate Level presentation in ~ 5-10 minutes.   A good approach is to highlight how each of the action items identified at the Intermediate Level presentation have since been addressed, and the further development that has occurred. CRC members will have received a copy of the Final Level program proposal and will have reviewed it prior to the meeting.  Following the presentation by program developers, the CRC Chair will provide Committee members an opportunity to ask questions or seek clarification throughout a systematic review of the proposal submission which typically takes an additional 10-15 minutes, depending on the nature of the proposal.  

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Incorporating Feedback and Recommendations

Feedback from CRC members depends on the nature of the program presented and is specific to the needs to advance the development of a particular program. 

Following a Final Level presentation, program developers can generally expect to receive verbal direction on:

• specific action items to address to complete the program proposal for Final Level approval; following the CRC meeting, a list of action items will be forwarded to the Chair and program developers usually within 1 week of the CRC presentation.
• forwarding the revised final program proposal to the Curriculum Administrator for review and approval.
• minor editorial notations to address (provided in writing).
• ensuring that any edits are also reflected on GeneSIS.
• next steps relating to upcoming timelines and requirements for the preparation and presentation of Briefing Notes to the Deans Council, President’s Executive Committee and the Board of Governors.
  
  

At the conclusion of a Final Level presentation, and following Committee questions, the Chair will ask the CRC Committee for a recommendation for program development approval at the level deemed appropriate based on the presentation and status of the program proposal development.  Typically, the approval granted will be at the Final Level, pending completion of action items, unless during the presentation it is identified required elements for Final Level approval are not sufficiently developed such that the recommendation necessitates that the designation of Intermediate Level approval remain.

Program developers should recognize that feedback provided is intended to be constructive. Ultimately, CRC’s goal is to assist program developers to send forward a program proposal to Deans Council, PEC, the Board of Governors, and then onwards to the Credentials Validation Service/MTCU that will present professionally and include all necessary program proposal components that conform with college CVS/Ministry requirements. The intent is to facilitate program approval in as expeditious a manner as possible. 

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Future Program Modifications

For guidance on a required program modification, refer to the Curriculum Modifications Guidelines and Template 3 - Program Modification, available under the Key Documents - Templates and Forms/Supporting Resources links. Note that program modifications include changes to a program title, vocational learning outcomes, and/or significant changes to the overall program of study or program duration.

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