Where to Start

Idea Generation and Getting Started
Capturing New Ideas
Initial Assessment/Feasibility of New Ideas
Important Elements of a New Program
Other Considerations
Approval by Dean
Preparing the Initial Scoping Submission to Deans Council
Preparing the Preliminary Level Submission to CRC
Presenting at CRC Preliminary Level or Deans Council
Incorporating Feedback and Recommendations

Idea Generation and Getting Started

New program development begins with an idea. The idea must be approved by the Faculty/School Dean. Program ideas for Ontario college credentials that have received approval by the Dean are submitted using the New Program Planning Template and considered at an Initial Scoping meeting of Deans Council. The New Program Planning Template is available under the Key Documents – Templates and Forms link. College certificate program ideas are presented to CRC at the Preliminary Level during a scheduled CRC meeting, also using the New Program Planning Template. In either instance, approval by Deans Council or CRC must be granted prior to moving forward to program proposal development. Further information is detailed in the following sections.

Capturing New Ideas

The first step in new program development is the identification of the idea. Program ideas can come from a number of sources:

content experts (e.g., advisory committee members)
potential learners via course assessments or general inquiries
external agencies (e.g., employer requests)
review of market trends in trades and professional journals
informal environment scan (e.g., talking with colleagues in the field, reviewing brochures, catalogues and other promotional material)

Initial Assessment/Feasibility of New Ideas

With a program idea in mind, the next step is to do an initial assessment to determine its feasibility. This short step consists of answering a series of questions such as:

Does this program fit the vision and mission of the College/Faculty/School? Can this program incorporate characteristics of the Algonquin Experience? Will prospective applicants be interested in this new offering? Why would they be interested?Can the College afford to offer this program? Calculation of the ROI (return on investment) is an important factor in the College’s decision to offer or not to offer programs. The actual calculation of this is done later in program development however a broad assessment needs to be conducted at this time.
Are the resources available (financial, physical and human) to develop and offer this program?

Important Elements of a New Program

The following elements should also be kept in mind:

Potential program title – A reminder that job titles may not be used unless the program title already exists in the college system. Initial program description – A short description of what the program is about is to be developed. Potential delivery modes – This is a vital step in the process. Some useful general principles for the selection of delivery modes include:
- analysis of the anticipated learners’ characteristics content type extent of technology incorporation financial, physical and human resources required to deliver the program
- Type of credential – The decision to offer a certificate, diploma, advanced diploma, graduate certificate, or a bachelor’s degree in an applied area of study is determined by the breadth, depth and complexity of the learning in the program.
Effect on existing programs – If similar programs already exist or are in the planning stage within the College, communication is required with the department(s) in order to make sure this new program will not have a negative impact on their plans or duplicate efforts.

Other Considerations

Rationale for new program – The College needs to know why this program is worth pursuing.
Potential target audience – To increase the likelihood of the program’s success, it is important to define the unique characteristics of the targeted program participants.
Academic residency – How will PLAR (prior learning assessment and recognition) be incorporated into this program?
Requirements for program proposal development – If the proposal is approved to go ahead, it is important to look at who can do the work involved in the development of the proposal and prepare the documents for each phase of the program approval process. It is also necessary to estimate how much time will be required in order to complete the various phases of development to determine an appropriate proposed start date.

Approval by Dean

The Dean must be informed and approve of any program proposal under the School/Faculty. When bringing an idea forward, it would be wise to have prepared answers to potential questions, as much as possible, in order to obtain support for this new program. At the next step of the process for all Ministry approved credential programs, the Dean will be presenting this program proposal to Deans Council at an Initial Scoping meeting. The primary subject matter expert and/or Program Chair may also be invited by the Dean to assist with the presentation. Proposed College certificate programs are presented to the CRC at the Preliminary Level. With the Dean’s approval a New Program Planning Template must be completed and submitted a minimum of one week prior to the scheduled Initial Scoping or CRC presentation date. The New Program Planning Template, available under the Key Documents – Templates and Forms link, should be reviewed to obtain an overview of the information required to propose a program idea.

Initial Scoping to Deans Council or Preliminary Level Presentation to CRC

Preparing the Initial Scoping Submission to Deans Council

Except for College certificate programs, new program proposal ideas are presented at an Initial Scoping meeting of the Deans Council (DC). Ideas for College certificate programs are presented to CRC at the Preliminary Level.

Deans Council is comprised of Deans, Directors and the Vice President from the Academic area. Directors or managers from other areas of the College, such as Information Technology Services, Physical Resources, Marketing & Enrolment, Finance, and the International Education Centre are also invited to the Initial Scoping meeting. The meeting is chaired by the Dean of Academic Development. Deans Council reviews submissions and makes recommendations on the new program proposals to ensure that:

Smart growth guidelines (as defined by DC) are followed.
Characteristics of the Algonquin Experience are being considered.
Resources required for this new program delivery will be available (capital investment and/or space).
- Program development funds are available to support development. (Funds from program development budget cover costs for program proposal development that might involve releasing a faculty member for curriculum development, hiring a consultant, support staff time, printing costs, etc. Note that program development for Part-time Studies and Business Development are funded from within these areas directly.)

Submissions for Initial Scoping require the completion of the New Program Planning Template available under the Key Documents – Templates and Forms link. The completed template must be submitted to the Office of the Dean, Academic Development at least one week prior to the Initial Scoping meeting date. Initial Scoping meetings are typically held twice a year, in mid April and mid October. Other meeting dates may be considered when necessary.

Preparing the Preliminary Level Submission to CRC

Preliminary Level submission and presentation to CRC are required only for College certificate program proposals. Submissions require the completion of the New Program Planning Template available under the Key Documents – Templates and Forms link. To proceed, submit a completed form 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. The Faculty/School’s CRC representative may be able to assist in completing the template and preparing a presentation.

Curriculum Review Committee information is available from the Academic Development Homepage accessible under the Program Development link. The CRC Meeting Schedule, Committee Membership and Contacts are available from the Program Development link. As well, the College Curriculum Review Committee Sharepoint site may be accessed from the Program Development link or from the CRC link under Committees on myAlgonquin. The CRC’s meeting schedule, minutes of meetings and other related documentation may be viewed on the Committee Sharepoint.

Presenting at CRC Preliminary Level or Deans Council

Presentation to Deans Council at Initial Scoping or CRC at the Preliminary Level requires that program developers and the Chair, provide a high level overview of the completed New Program Planning Template. Deans Council or CRC members will have the document in hand, and it is expected that they will have reviewed the contents prior to the presentation.

An effective approach is to briefly provide an overview of the following W5 questions:

Who – To whom will this program be of interest? Are there existing programs at the College with which this program may compete? Are there staff within other areas of the College that need to be consulted in the planning process?
What – What is the general description of the program and what employment opportunities will be available to graduates? In what way will the characteristics of the Algonquin Experience may be incorporated?
Why – Why is this program being considered and are there preliminary indications of student interest or labour market demand?
Where – Where will the program be offered, will existing College resources be suitable for use, or will new infrastructure and/or equipment be required? Are alternative delivery strategies being considered?
When – When will the program be starting, i.e. what is the projected start date for the program?

Following a 5-10 minute presentation, Deans Council or CRC members may have clarification questions to ask, or recommendations to propose to assist in program development. Often, members will be interested to know if there are similar programs in existence, and if so, where they are offered in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada. This is particularly important when establishing a program that already exists as an Ontario college credential offering, for which vocational learning outcomes or a program description may already have been established at the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) that will need to be incorporated in the next phase of program development. Recommendations in terms of the proposed program title may also be made, as there are specific guidelines that must be adhered to in relation to titling. Program titling information is provided within the Curriculum Modification Guidelines available under the Key Documents/Supporting Resources link. The MTCU Framework for Programs of Instruction, also available at this link, is a helpful reference when moving forward in program proposal development.

Incorporating Feedback and Recommendations

Feedback from Deans Council or CRC depends on the nature of the program presented and is specific to the needs in order to advance the development of a particular program.

Following an Initial Scoping presentation, Deans Council holds engages in discussion to determine and prioritize the programs approved to move to the program proposal development phase. The Dean of Academic Development is responsible to advise presenters of outcomes, including the funding allocation if applicable, and to identify a Learning Teaching Services curriculum consultant to work with program developers to move their proposal forward.

In the case of a Preliminary Level presentation to CRC, and following Committee questions, the CRC Chair will ask the Committee for a recommendation for program development approval at the Preliminary Level. Normally, this will be granted, unless during the presentation it is identified that an alternative approach to program development is required. For example, a modification to an existing program must first be considered, or consultation with another department is necessary.

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 (CVS)/MTCU that will present professionally, and include all necessary program proposal components that conform with CVS/Ministry requirements. The intent is to facilitate program approval in as expeditious a manner as possible.

At the conclusion of a Preliminary Level presentation, next steps are provided to give program developers guidance as to how to proceed to the Intermediate Level of development. Additionally, a Learning Teaching Services curriculum consultant will be assigned to assist in program development. The assigned individual will be an excellent resource and guide, throughout the various stages of program development.

The Program Development, Approval and Implementation Overview for Ontario College Credential Programs and/or the CRC Checklists for New Program Approvals for College Certificates or Ontario College Credential Programs, both available under the Key Documents – Supporting Resources link, may also be of assistance in moving forward with program proposal development.