A113: Programs and Courses

DEFINITIONS

Program: A series of courses intended to meet specific vocational learning outcomes that results in a College Credential. For the purposes of this policy, a program is taken to encompass any academic series of courses that has assessments and outcomes

Course: A discrete teaching and learning framework, containing measurable learning outcomes and competencies, and usually delivered over an identified period.

Learning Outcomes: A statement of performance that can reliably be demonstrated by a student indicating that certain learning has been completed. Learning outcomes reflect the intended knowledge, skills, attitudes, and experiences that are taught and evaluated in a course.

Micro-credential: A discrete unit of assessed learning that delivers specific knowledge and skills.

Micro-credential Series: A micro-credential series is composed of two or more related micro-credentials. Learners can elect to register for one or more micro-credentials in a series based on their areas of interest, level of skill, and career-related needs; learners are not required to register for all micro-credentials in a series. A micro-credential series badge is issued when all micro-credentials in a series have been completed.

POLICY

The College will share timely, clear, and consistent information to students and applicants regarding the content of all College curriculum.

Scope

This policy applies to all academic college programming/curriculum.

Principles

The content of Program and Course information shall align with the College's Vision and Mission.

Curriculum information shall be made available to students and applicants in a timely fashion.

Curriculum shall be presented and delivered in a clear and consistent manner.

Administration

Curriculum is typically developed, modified, and approved in each academic school through standard College processes.

Program records are typically developed and approved through a process within the academic schools and facilitated by the Office of the Registrar.

Associated addenda to this policy may be amended by authority of the Policy Sponsor with advice from the Academic Leadership Team.

REFERENCES

College Documents

The CODE Book for Course Development (Available from the Centre for Academic Excellence)

Program Development Guide (Available from the Centre for Academic Excellence)

College Policies

• A105: Academic Standing
• A112: Course Grade System
• A115: Online Learning and Educational Technology
• A122: Graduation from Approved College Programs
• A124: Recognition of Prior Learning
• A126: Program Excellence
• A128: Student Appeals
• A131: Evaluation of Student Learning

Minister's Binding Policy Directives

Framework for Programs of Instruction Minister's Binding Policy Directive

ADDENDA

• Guideline A: PREPARATION OF PROGRAM INFORMATION
• Guideline B: PREPARATION OF COURSE INFORMATION
• Guideline C: ACHIEVING CURRICULUM CONSISTENCY
• Guideline D: PROGRAM AND CURRICULUM MODIFICATION
• Standard 1: CONTENT OF COLLEGE PROGRAMS

Guideline A: PREPARATION OF PROGRAM INFORMATION

Issued by: Senior Vice-President, Academic

Effective: 2024-09-01

PURPOSE

The purpose of this guideline is to promote consistency for how program information is reviewed, updated, and presented.

DEFINITIONS

Program Information: Essential documentation provided to all stakeholders including applicants, students, faculty, and the College, necessary for entrance into, academic progression within, and graduation from the program.

PROGRAM INFORMATION DESCRIPTION

Program Development

Programs are developed in accordance with policy A126: Program Excellence.

Responsibility

The academic manager responsible for the program arranges for the initial documentation and ongoing maintenance of program information.

Program information is maintained in the student information system by the Office of the Registrar.

Program Information Publication

Program information within the student information system is used to inform the College website, the printed Program Calendar, and targeted marketing material. The program "overview" section on the website can be edited any time by academic managers. All other website information is strictly controlled by the program information entered into the student information management system.

PROCESS

Maintenance of Program Information

Program information is updated regularly with the Office of the Registrar to maintain currency and provide access for all stakeholders.

Overview

Program information is provided to the public through the College's website and is stored internally on the student information management system. Program information is vital to students and prospective students and must be comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date. This information outlines expectations and requirements for entry and graduation as well as the goals and opportunities available to students who participate in the program.

Program Information Preparation and Review

Program information is prepared through the Program Development Process facilitated by the Centre for Academic Excellence (CAE). Following approval of the program from the Credential Validation Service, the College's Board of Governors, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, and others, as applicable, the information is shared with the Office of the Registrar and published in the program calendar and on the website prior to the launch of the program.

Program information is reviewed annually. Generally, program information changes can be made by the academic manager at any time on the website, however, some program information requires approval to be modified (e.g., program titles, admission requirements, curriculum). The annual review typically operates on an 18-month cycle before a program's start date in a new academic year. Changes to the program information must be confirmed with the Office of the Registrar in alignment with that cycle.

Any changes to program information outside of the annual review process may be requested through the Senior Associate Registrar, Domestic & International Admissions.

Guideline B: PREPARATION OF COURSE INFORMATION

Issued by: Senior Vice-President, Academic

Effective: 2024-09-01

PURPOSE

The purpose of this guideline is to establish the consistent provision of course information.

DEFINITIONS

Lead: An academic unit (School or Campus) that is responsible for a program or course in collaboration with Affiliates

Affiliate: An academic unit (School or Campus) that offers a program or course in collaboration with the Lead

Course Outline: A summary document of essential course information, which includes learning outcomes and evaluations, in a standardized format. This document is a primary source of course information for students.

Course Plan: A summary document of the sequence of topics scheduled within the course, the required preparation for each topic, and the corresponding learning resources and evaluation items. This document guides students in managing their time to prepare for each class and complete evaluation items on time.

COURSE INFORMATION DESCRIPTION

Course Information

Course information includes both documents (i.e., course outline and course plan) and/or course sites that summarize essential course information for the student, the professor, and the College. Course information expresses the necessary course learning outcomes that must be taught and evaluated. These course-level learning outcomes are developed in relation to the program vocational learning outcomes.

Information given in any description or publication should be consistent and minimize repetition.

Curriculum Development

Curriculum development follows the framework and process described in A126: Program Excellence.

Course Content

Course content is derived from the course learning outcomes. Teaching methodologies and the evaluation of learning complement both the course and, where applicable, program vocational learning outcomes.

PROCESS

Micro-credentials

Micro-credential information includes the title, description, duration, delivery method, learning outcomes, and structure of the offering (e.g., part of a series). In consultation with CAE, this information is developed, and reviewed by the academic or service area manager responsible for the micro-credential and then submitted to the Micro-credential Steering Committee for approval. Once approved, the micro-credential information is added to the student information system. This information is displayed on the College website and posted Fanshawe Online (FOL) for students enrolled in micro-credentials.

An annual review and update of the posted information is undertaken by Part-time Studies in consultation with all offering areas.

Post-Secondary Courses

Overview

Course outlines and course plans for post-secondary programs are official college documents that professors are expected to review with and explain to students enrolled in each class. Students are required to have access to course outlines and course plans in FOL by the first day of class. These documents help facilitate student progression by identifying prerequisites and they support recognition of prior learning processes. Fanshawe has adopted the Course Outline Mapping and Management System (COMMS) to enable the development, review, and approval of course outlines and course plans. Course outlines must be submitted and approved in COMMS for each academic year before being posted to FOL. Course plans must be uploaded as a PDF document in COMMS for each term and/or delivery method that a course is offered before being posted to FOL. CAE circulates the deadlines for post-secondary course outline and course plan submissions on an annual basis.

Course Outline/Course Plan Development

Academic Managers are responsible for ensuring the development of course outlines and course plans. For each course, academic managers will assign one professor as the Course Outline Writer who possesses the combination of experience and qualifications appropriate to, and required by, the credential and field of study. The Course Outline Writer is responsible for submitting the course outline into COMMS. There could, however, be more than one person assigned to prepare the course plan(s). This decision is determined by the Lead program. Consultation with other academic managers may be required if there are multiple deliveries of a course.

Annual changes to course information shall follow the process outlined in Guideline D: Curriculum Modification. Changes are considered minor, moderate, and/or major, and those categories affect the level of academic approval and supporting documentation required to make curriculum modifications. For further information about the contents of course outlines and course plans, please consult the CAE portal site for samples in The CODE Book for Course Development and further COMMS documentation.

CURRICULUM CONSISTENCY

Academic quality and consistency among course and program offerings will be maintained when more than one academic unit of the College offers the same course or program, or where a course or program is offered in more than one delivery format.

Refer to Guideline C: Achieving Curriculum Consistency.

INFORMATION ACCESS AND STORAGE

All course outlines are prepared, reviewed, and archived within COMMS and are publicly available. Course plans are also archived within COMMS and are widely available to College employees.

Guideline C: ACHIEVING CURRICULUM CONSISTENCY

Issued by: Senior Vice-President, Academic

Effective: 2024-09-01

PURPOSE

The purpose of this document is to establish guidelines to:

• maintain academic quality;
• ensure consistency of learning outcomes and evaluation categories and weightings among courses and/or programs that may be delivered by more than the Lead program or in a different method;
• maintain curriculum consistency to support College processes for recognition of prior learning.

DEFINITIONS

Consistency: A measure of the similarity in program or course content that is achieved when at least 80% of course and program learning outcomes and evaluation methods are the same. Consistency should be achieved between Lead and Affiliate programs and courses even when the method of delivery, sequence, and/or rate of delivery and teaching vary.

Course Outline Writer: The person assigned by the Lead who prepares the Course Outline. This person can be a full-time or non-full-time faculty member from either the Lead or Affiliate school or campus.

POST-SECONDARY GUIDELINES

Introduction

Programs and courses developed by the Lead may be offered by an Affiliate if there is a requirement/evidence of labour market or societal need. These programs and courses follow the New Site Delivery approval process as defined by CAE.

Procedure

Decision to Offer the Course or Program

The Affiliate interested in offering a course or program will follow the New Site Delivery approval process as defined by CAE.

Course Plans

Course Plans complement and align with the Course Outline, which specifies course learning outcomes (CLOs), overall evaluation categories, and evaluation weights. There may be one or multiple versions of a Course Plan to reflect different delivery methods and/or different sections. When a program must meet standards set by a regulatory or accrediting body, the Course Plan for that delivery is determined through consultation between the Lead and Affiliate. The Course Plan does not require approval by an Academic Manager.

Course Plans are archived on COMMS. Course Plans should include time, topic, and delivery details, including preparation and/or learning resources, and evaluation – by week, module, and/or unit.

Fanshawe Online (FOL)

Detailed weekly content must be posted on FOL and may be customized by delivery method and/or sections. The Course Plan and the Course Outline must be posted. Faculty are encouraged to use the lesson templates prepared and available on FOL and conform with the requirements of Policy A115: Online Learning and Educational Technology, which have been designed to meet Quality Matters requirements as a best practice.

Curriculum

The Lead will provide course information (at a minimum, Course Outline and Course Plan(s)) to the Affiliate prior to course start date.

When there are multiple deliveries of the same program, the Lead and Affiliate programs will complete the program review, curriculum modifications, and the annual Program Excellence Self-Assessment Survey in collaboration. One representative should attend each other's Program Advisory Committee meetings when these are separate entities.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites will be the same for all deliveries. Following processes outlined in Policy A124: Recognition of Prior Learning, internal and external credits, advanced standing, program transfer and PLAR will be evaluated and awarded by the Lead and Affiliate programs assuming agreement of the program or course Lead. The Registrar is informed of the decision.

Professor and Other Staff Delivering the Course or Program

The academic manager responsible for the Lead program will identify the relevant academic, occupational and professional credentials that are required. Using these requirements, the Academic Manager of the Affiliate program may proceed to hire professors and other staff. If the Academic Manager of the Affiliate program is in doubt about appropriateness of qualifications, the Academic Manager of the Lead program is consulted.

Quality

Program Leads and Affiliates will collaborate with the Course Outline Writer to ensure quality of course development, content, and delivery. The Lead will be responsible for the final determination related to quality, development, content, and delivery.

Curriculum Modification

If there is a curriculum modification submitted, the Program Lead and Affiliates must agree to the change.

Facilities

The Academic Manager who wishes to deliver the course or program is responsible for providing facilities and equipment that are appropriate to the curriculum.

Evaluation

Evaluations of students' learning and performance must match the outcomes. Schools and campuses will share responsibility for the development of appropriate evaluations and will collaborate to ensure alignment in the nature of the evaluation and the weighting in accordance with policy A131: Evaluation of Student Learning.

Resolution of Non-compliance

Issues and concerns are normally resolved in the spirit of common purpose and collegiality. If an issue cannot be resolved in this way, the impacted Deans will decide the matter.

Guideline D: PROGRAM AND CURRICULUM MODIFICATION

Issued by: Senior Vice-President, Academic

Effective: 2024-09-01

PURPOSE

The purpose of this guideline is to ensure that Fanshawe's Programs and Courses align with the College's Vision and Mission while ensuring compliance with the Ministry Binding Policy Directives.

DEFINITIONS

Curriculum Modification: The process of updating a Program's content in order to meet the changing needs of its vocational learning outcomes.

Degree Audit: A tool within Curriculum Modification that lists the academic requirements to graduate from a program.

GUIDELINES

On an annual basis, Programs may engage in Curriculum Modification in order to ensure accurate information is offered to students and that programs comply with quality and integrity directives from the Ministry.

Curriculum Modification to a Program most frequently occurs as part of a formal program review and/or annual review described in A126: Program Excellence, but may also occur independently of those processes.

Curriculum Modification

• Must be to the benefit of the student;
• Validates that the program vocational learning outcomes are relevant/current and that they continue to be taught and evaluated within the program;
• Shall follow the process administered by CAE and the Office of the Registrar;
• Will be communicated to the public through the College website.

When a program title change is initiated internally and supported by the Program Advisory Committee, a Curriculum Consultant is assigned to facilitate the process using the relevant OCQAS form. The Curriculum Consultant will ensure the rationale for the proposed change is appropriate, aligns with provincial requirements when they exist, satisfies the Curriculum Validation Service (CVS) requirements, and that all other requirements have been met. Following these steps, the title change is submitted to the affected Dean(s), the Senior Vice-President Academic, the Board of Governors, CVS for review and validation, and the Ministry. Notification of OCQAS-approved changes shall be given to the Office of the Registrar and the Scheduling Office.

When the Ministry modifies programs (standards and/or titles) through a provincial standard memo, the College response will be supported by CAE. When the Ministry modifies a program's standard and/or title, CAE will contact the appropriate Associate Dean(s) and Dean(s) to ask them to review and confirm the attestation to the new standard/title (this activity may include mapping). Notification of the approved changes shall be given to the Office of the Registrar and the Scheduling Office.

REFERENCES

Curriculum Modification Information and Timelines

Curriculum Modification Request Form

Standard 1: CONTENT OF COLLEGE PROGRAMS

Issued by: Senior Vice-President, Academic

Effective: 2024-09-01

PURPOSE

Programs align with the requirements set by the Ministry through Binding Policy Directives. These programs are subject to approval by the College's Board of Governors and include program vocational learning outcomes (PVLOs), essential employability skills (EESs), content that aligns with the College's strategic goals, and general education/breadth requirements as outlined in the Credentials Framework for the following program types:

• Fanshawe College Certificate
• Ontario College Certificate
• Ontario College Diploma
• Ontario College Advanced Diploma
• Ontario College Graduate Certificate
• Degree

All degree programs will also comply with the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB) requirements with respect to the degree-level standard and the composition of the core and non-core components of the program.

CONCEPTS

The College requirements for the following concepts are published in the Minister's Binding Policy Directive, Framework for Programs of Instruction.

Vocational Learning Outcomes (VLOs)

Vocational learning outcomes measure the knowledge and skills specifically applicable to, and necessary for, entry into a particular job or vocational field. VLOs specify the breadth and depth of learning appropriate to the credential. These VLOs are focused on specific labour market and/or certification requirements for a particular job or vocational field.

Essential Employability Skills (EESs)

Essential Employability Skills (EES) are skills that, regardless of a student's program or discipline, are critical for success in the workplace, day-to-day living, and lifelong learning. They comprise the following six skill categories: communication, numeracy, critical thinking & problem solving, information management, interpersonal, and personal.

General Education

General Education curriculum contributes to the development of citizens who are conscious of the diversity, complexity, and richness of the human experience; who are able to establish meaning through this consciousness; and who, as a result, are able to contribute thoughtfully, creatively, and positively to the society in which they live and work. This curriculum comprises the following five themes: arts in society, civic life, social and cultural understanding, personal understanding, and science and technology.

Degree Level Standard

The degree level standards identify the generic competencies that the holder of a degree is expected to be able to demonstrate, with a focus on knowledge and skills transferable to the workplace or useful for further study. The degree level standards comprise these categories and competencies: depth and breadth of knowledge, conceptual and methodological awareness, communication skills, application of knowledge, professional capacity/autonomy, and awareness of the limits of knowledge.

PROGRAM CONTENT

Specific Program Curriculum Requirements

Program curriculum includes measurable learning outcomes that identify vocational skills.

Where appropriate to the program, curriculum includes content aligned with the College's strategic goals.

Essential Employability Skills (EESs) are taught and evaluated in all of the following college credentials: Fanshawe College Certificates, Ontario College Certificates, Ontario College Diplomas, Ontario College Advanced Diplomas, and Ontario College Graduate Certificates.

Ontario College Diploma programs include a minimum of three General Education courses, at least one course of which must be selected from General Education elective offerings. Ontario College Advanced Diploma programs include a minimum of four General Education courses, at least two of which must be selected from General Education elective offerings. Wherever possible, students will have choice in the selection of General Education courses.

The School of Language and Liberal Studies oversees the General Education curriculum, though individual General Education course offerings are not restricted to any one school and may be offered by any school or campus qualified to offer such courses.

Where appropriate to the program, work-integrated learning opportunities with associated evaluative requirements are included. These opportunities are described more thoroughly in Procedure C of A112: Course Grade System.

REFERENCES

PEQAB Handbook Framework for Programs of Instruction (gov.on.ca)