Stage Two: Program Design
In Stage Two of the New Program Development process, the academic area works toward ensuring that the college is able to deliver the quality of education necessary for the new program’s success. The academic area is responsible for designing the new program curriculum. Use the list below for quick access to selected sections of Stage Two:
Program Curriculum Team
The design of a program depends upon a team of academic experts working collaboratively. This team includes the Dean/Associate Dean, lead faculty (often the Program Coordinator), faculty experts in the area, and a member of the Office of Academic Quality.
Internal and External Stakeholders
A Steering Committee of industry advisors is an essential component of new program development. Members provide subject matter expertise and knowledge of the employment landscape, and help to ensure the new program is current and relevant to future employment and academic pathways. Members of this committee generally becomes members of the Program Advisory Committee (PAC) once the program is launched. Other external stakeholders include regulatory bodies who should be consulted regarding external requirements, and industry partners.
Internally, the Office of the Registrar is a key stakeholder around admissions requirements; it can also help to resolve any issues around how the structure of a program may impact funding, student fees, academic space and scheduling. Other academic areas can collaborate around shared courses or potential pathways. Internal stakeholders should be consulted on an as needed basis and can include the following:
- Credit for Prior Learning
- Information Technology
- graduates and students
- Physical Resources
- Student Services (Library Commons, Co-op, etc.)
For a list of complete stakeholders, refer to the Integrated Planning and Stakeholders Collaboration process.
Provincial Program Standards and Descriptions
Provincial Program Standards and Descriptions provide program teams with the foundation for developing all new programs of instruction at the college: Vocation Learning Outcomes (VLOs), Essential Employability Skills (EES) and General Education requirements. When developing a new program, it is important that teams identify whether they are starting from Provincial Program Standard or a Provincial Program Description. The ways in which VLOs are used are based on this distinction, as dictated by the Ontario Colleges Quality Assurance Service (OCQAS), the body that oversees the Credentials Validation Service (CVS), and the College Quality Assurance Audit Process (CQAAP).
Titling Protocols
When considering the title of a program, it is necessary that teams adhere to the Titling Protocols established by the Credentials Validation Services (CVS). In brief, these protocols were designed to ensure that program titles are
- consistent across the college system
- describe of the field of study (not the delivery mode or occupation)
- uphold truth in advertising
Refer to the CVS Titling Protocols document for the complete protocols with explanation, and contact the Office of Academic Quality for support.
Program Outline
The Program Outline includes essential information about an academic program, including program learning outcomes, courses, admission requirements, graduation requirements, student progression and more. This document serves the needs of students, faculty, administrators, and external approval bodies. For a new program to launch at the college, the program outline must be approved both internally and externally.
Program Tracking
The Program Tracking illustrates the sequencing of courses as students take them from semester one through to graduation. Pop-up bubbles linked to the course codes are used within the tracking to provide essential information, including the course description, hours, requisites, and Prior Learning Assessment eligibility. In this section, teams also identify whether or not work integrated learning in the program exists to meet the requirements of a professional or occupational regulatory body.
The program tracking is completed within CIM, and does require some training. Refer to the CIM section of our website for further information.
Course Outlines
All course outlines for a new program need to be drafted and approved by the Dean or Associate Dean within the Curriculum Information Management system (CIM) prior to program approval at Academic Council. The course proposal form in CIM provides instruction regarding all of the essential components via help bubbles: title, hours, semester offered, delivery method, requisites and equivalents, the course description, course learning outcomes, course content, and course evaluation.
Course outlines are finalized in the system once the Program Outline is approved at Academic Council during Stage 3: Internal Approval.
Please contact the OAQ for curriculum coaching and resources. The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) will provide support with assessment and instructional design, once the program curriculum is approved.
Program Mapping
There are numerous ways to map the curriculum of a program. Maps are useful in creating a picture of your program from a particular angle, and the type of map you use is dependent upon your goal. Elements of mapping might include program and course learning outcomes, assessment, and accreditation requirements, to name a few.
Mapping requirements for New Programs include Vocational Learning Outcome Mapping and Detailed Curriculum Mapping.
Vocational Learning Outcome Mapping
Vocational Learning Outcome (VLO) Mapping is a requirement of the Ontario Colleges Quality Assurance Service (OCQAS), and is used to ensure that programs are developed from VLOs and Essential Employability Skills (EES). Program teams will map proposed Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) to Provincial VLOs, and individual courses to both PLOs and EES. At the same time, if proposed PLOs differ from the VLOs, teams are required to justify the difference. This VLO mapping and justification is done within the Curriculum Information Management system (CIM), and must be approved internally by Academic Council.
Detailed Curriculum Mapping
The Detailed Curriculum Map enables faculty to map every Course Learning Outcome (CLO) to each Program Learning Outcome (PLO) and Essential Employability Skill (ESS), as well as to institutional priorities such as entrepreneurship and Indigenization. In a grid layout, faculty also identify when each CLO is Introduced for the first time (I), Reinforced (R), and/or Assessed (A) in each course.
Curriculum mapping helps faculty to conceptualize the “big picture” in the sequence of course learning concepts and see how the pieces of the curriculum fit together. It helps faculty identify gaps in the intended learning and provides opportunity to re-think course sequencing. Course mapping also helps the college illustrate its adherence to Ministry guidelines that program PLOs, courses, lessons and evaluation stem from the Provincial Vocational Learning Outcomes (VLOs).
Once the program curriculum (including the outline, mapping, tracking, and course outlines) is completed within CIM, it is submitted to Academic Council for approval. Please refer to Stage Three: Internal Approval.