Quality Assurance Organization and Structure
Quality is perceived as the essential foundation that supports Mohawk College’s Strategic Plan. The College Mission of “Creating new realities by opening endless opportunities” can only be realized with the involvement and commitment of every staff member to quality assurance processes. The quality assurance process is a shared responsibility at Mohawk that is addressed and formalized through four key “supports: Governance and Management Framework; Legislative (Policy) Framework; Teaching and Learning Framework and the Planning and Reporting Framework (0.2.01).
As the Quality@Mohawk graphic illustrates, the governance structure at Mohawk College facilitates strong, collaborative working relationships between the Board of Governors, various layers of management and the college community. Opportunities for collaboration and feedback are formalized through an intelligent, responsive and focused committee structure that addresses a variety of quality issues including policy and program development and review, enrolment planning and management, student success, and resource management. The Board’s Program Development and Renewal Committee (0.2.02a) is an important conduit for validating academic directions. In addition, in September 2010, the Board of Governors approved the establishment of a new Student Services Committee, the first in Mohawk’s history, to assist in achieving and maintaining excellence in the provision of student services (0.2.02b) .
The President’s Advisory Council (0.2.03) provides faculty, staff and students with opportunities for consultation and feedback on policy and other key college decisions, while the ‘grassroots’ Program Advisory Committee structure (0.2.04a, 0.2.04b, 0.2.04c, 0.2.04d) ensures valuable input from community and business representatives. Academic quality receives an additional boost through the work of the Faculty Advisory Councils which meet regularly throughout the academic year. Established by each Dean, the primary role of the Faculty Advisory Council is to advise the Dean and the College on academic and operational issues. Membership includes representatives of administrative, faculty and support staff selected by peers within each constituent group. Each Council is linked to the President’s Advisory Council through joint membership of certain participants; this connection provides an opportunity for valuable information exchange between the individual Faculty Council and the President’s Advisory (0.2.11).
A well developed Policy Framework formalizes educational directions and quality initiatives in a medium that is transparent and easily appreciated by faculty, staff and students. The Program Quality Policy (0.2.05a, 0.2.05b, 0.2.05c, 0.2.05d) provides an overarching framework to support academic quality and exemplary program standards, with strategies and processes for new program development, program review and modification, program suspension /cancellation and effective enrolment management. In 2012, the college revised the program quality policy. The primary purpose of this revision was to move from a centralized department approach to quality to a more distributed approach where the general philosophy is that all faculty and administrators and responsible and accountable for the quality of their programs. The attached management reports provide further rationale for this change (0.2.05e 0.2.05f).
The Teaching and Learning Framework integrates and implements governance directions and policy to introduce tangible strategies for supporting and realizing academic quality. Curriculum mapping and program review processes (0.2.06) processes drive and support quality academic programs, while tools such as course outlines and learning plans serve as vehicles for operationalizing curriculum decisions, together with learning enhancements like e-learning and applied research (0.2.07). The focus on program quality is complemented by professional development initiatives for faculty – Mohawk-specific programs like “Inspiring Minds”, “Making your Mark” and “Teaching for Success” and regional college initiatives like the “College Educator Development Program” (0.2.08). A key element of the Teaching and Learning Framework is user feedback, acquired through the (0.2.09a and 0.2.09b) and the Key Performance Indicator surveys which provide valuable input on how well the College delivers on its commitment to teaching excellence.
Finally, the Planning and Reporting Framework provides systematic, structured mechanisms to support efficient use of physical and financial resources, inform academic programming decisions, and manage student enrolment, retention and success. Again this Framework integrates a variety of Mohawk-specific reporting initiatives with system-mandated reports.
The drive for quality at Mohawk received an additional boost in May 2012, when, as a complement to and enabler of the College’s Strategic Plan, the Vice-President Academic released the Mohawk College Academic Plan (0.2.10). The Academic Plan is both a visible indication of the College commitment to quality and the catalyst for continued quality improvement which characterizes College operations. The product of a year-long, multi-faceted consultation that involved more than 500 people, the Academic Plan identifies academic priorities for the next decade and informs key decisions related to program development, human resource requirements and technology needs. Five themes drive the focus and substance of the Plan: Technology, Learning, Skills, Pathways and Connections. Reference to the Academic Plan has been integrated at appropriate points in this report as the various quality criteria are discussed. In Fall 2013, as a complement and additional support for the Academic Plan, the Mohawk College Student Success Plan was launched. Providing visible evidence of the College’s commitment to student success and retention, the Plan focuses particularly on increasing the College Graduation rate (0.2.12).