What does PQAPA mean to me?
Durham College is participating in the Program Quality Assurance Process Audit (
PQAPA). The purpose of this communication is to begin the campus dialogue around quality concepts, to encourage individual and collective ownership of quality as a priority, and to provide you with an update on our PQAPA initiatives.
PQAPA and Faculty:
- I believe the existing and newly developed quality assurance processes at Durham College will prove to satisfy the audit to be carried out in the spring of 2008. The audit process itself will give faculty from all schools cause to celebrate the strength of their respective programs and at the same time possibly exposing areas for enhancement.
- The best possible outcome of this process will be improved alignment of course and program outcomes with teaching and assessment methods which in turn will lead to greater student success and personal professional growth for many faculty members.
- Faculty members from all schools will benefit by keeping themselves involved in, and informed of, the audit and pre-audit activities carried out by the Task Group. By meeting with their respective program teams to review the criteria outlined in existing, and newly developed college-wide policies and practices, faculty will be ensuring the quality of their programs thus leading to continued student success.
Kevin Dougherty
Professor
Schools of Business & Information Technology
x2295 | Kevin.Dougherty@durhamcollege.ca
Kevin is a strong advocate for student success and is constantly striving for a high level of student engagement in the classroom. He teaches in the Schools of Business and Information Technology in the Computer Programmer, Programmer/Analyst and Accounting programs.
PQAPA and Academic Council:
- I believe the timing of the audit (Spring 2008) will coincide well for Academic Council as council currently undergoes its' own personal review. As Academic Council re-organizes and better aligns itself to the academic strategic plan of the college, it will also review and improve upon the role it plays as an academic voice for faculty and students.
- This re-organization will provide the opportunity to become more involved in the preparation for the audit and serve as a body willing to offer suggestions and recommendations to the Vice President Academic and the DCLT regarding current and proposed policies and procedures.
- Academic Council members will be in the position to offer information about the audit to theirconstituents thereby alleviating the potential fears an audit typically brings. The auditors, when they visit the campuses, will be looking for compliance to current policies and procedures ensuring that we are doing what we say we do. This should not be looked at as negative criticism but instead as an opportunity to identify areas that require addressing.
- In preparation, we will be creating our own 'score card' to pre-identify areas of concern and generate an action plan to improve. This will show the auditors that we are indeed ready and willing to accept comments and by improving we improve the quality on campus for all concerned from the Students to the President.
Allan Martin
Co-Chair, Academic Council
x2425 | Al.Martin@durhamcollege.ca
A member of Academic Council since 2000 and Co-Chair for the past 2 years, Allan brings (to council) 9 years of faculty experience from the Whitby campus along with 2 years of experience from the Innovation Centre offering his leadership and his desire to make the learning process a pleasant one for both students and faculty. Al looks forward to returning to the Whitby campus this December in his new position as Associate Dean.
PQAPA and the Associate Dean:
- Supporting the quality of the learning experience at Durham College through the implementation of quality assurance processes is a key priority in the Associate Dean role.
- My role focuses on developing and monitoring program specific academic policies and procedures to ensure the students as learners are receiving a positive learning experience.
- PQAPA to the Associate Dean role also focuses on responsibility for ensuring the five quality criterion align with and contribute to learning and student success in our School programs.
- Working towards a strategic vision for the School of Health and Community Services and assisting in the future development of programs and partnerships, PQAPA will support and ensure the student experience comes first at Durham!
Susan Sproul RN, BScN, MScN
Associate Dean, School of Health and Community Services
x2544 | Susan.Sproul@durhamcollege.ca
The School of Health and Community Services is committed to student success and ensuring the student experience comes first at Durham College. To facilitate Durham College's strategic plan and vision, Susan focuses on striving to ensure the needs of students and staff in the School are met on a daily basis. Working with a strong team of dedicated and committed team members is pivotal in moving forward initiatives embraced by the College and School of Health and Community Service programs.
PQAPA Task Group:
The PQAPA process reaches across the college and thus, requires cross-college participation and communication. To carry out the work that must be done to prepare for the Spring audit, a cross-college PQAPA Task Group has been formed, composed of representatives including: VP academic, VP planning, student affairs representative, dean, associate dean, office of the registrar representative, academic council chair, faculty, human resources representative, campus services representative, innovation centre/curriculum representative, and a facilitator/writer. The committee meets every two weeks and its mandate and purpose will be defined at the first couple of meetings. For more information about PQAPA, please visit the following website: www.ocqas.org/pqapa.html
Although PQAPA is ultimately an externally driven "review", it is an opportunity to meet our own goals for quality improvement, and to ultimately serve our objectives on behalf of the student experience at Durham College. Please stay tuned for updates and events related to this important initiative as we work to ensure a quality learning environment.
Don Lovisa, VP Academic and
Martin Hicks, VP Priorities and Planning
Co-chairs, PQAPA Task Group.
