Board of Governors - APPENDIX V - November 25, 1999
FOR APPROVAL
Recommended: That the Board of Governors approve the introduction of a Joint PhD program in Educational Studies to be offered by The University of Western Ontario in collaboration with Brock University, Lakehead University, and the University of Windsor, commencing January 1, 2000.
Background:
The Faculty of Education currently has a stand-alone PhD program in Education Studies that was approved by the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies (OCGS), the Senate and the Board of Governors in March 1999. The first students were admitted to begin the program in September 1999. In parallel with this initiative, the Faculty of Education has been developing a proposal for a Joint PhD program to be offered in collaboration with Brock, Lakehead, and Windsor Universities. The program of study is designed to be undertaken, in part, using distance modes of instruction, and is designed to suit the needs of individuals who are in mid-career and are unable to spend four or more years in full-time residence at a university remote from their location. It is anticipated that such students will take their courses as part-time students and then conduct their research full-time and in residence at the university of registration. A student's degree will come from the University of registration. The applicant pool for this program is therefore orthogonal with that for the Western stand-alone PhD program.
The mounting of this program is regarded as a contribution to the profession and as an opportunity for Western to take a leadership role in quality graduate education in Ontario. It is unlikely that any of the other three universities have the resources to mount a stand-alone PhD program in Education, and a joint program without Western's participation would likely be only marginally viable. In addition, participation in the program will benefit the students and faculty in Western's stand-alone PhD program by bringing them into contact with their counterparts at the other three universities.
The proposed Joint PhD program was approved by the Internal Appraisals Committee of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and by GPPC in January 1999. It was approved by the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies on October 22, 1999.
The degree will be designated as Ph.D. in Educational Studies (as distinct from the stand-alone Ph.D. in Education Studies).
Senate approved the establishment of the following programs, effective September 1, 2000:
Four-Year General BA in Film
Four-Year BSc in Honors Physics and Computer Science
Four-Year BSc Geology
Four-Year BSc Geophysics
Senate also approved the establishment of the following program, effective September 1, 1999:
Four-Year BHSc Program - Honors Sociology of Ageing and Health
In an effort to ensure that all universities in Ontario have in place appropriate review procedures for undergraduate academic programs, the Ontario Council of Academic Vice-Presidents in 1996 established an Undergraduate Program Review Audit Committee. Beginning in 1997, this committee began a systematic audit of the procedures in place at each institution, first collecting all relevant documentation concerning the current program review processes and then dispatching auditing teams on site visits to examine recent reviews of selected undergraduate programs. In May 1998, the UPRAC auditors visited The University of Western Ontario, examining the most recent reviews in English, Business, Electrical Engineering, and the Economics, Business and Mathematics program at King's College. In addition, the auditors examined procedures used in establishing the new undergraduate program in Health Sciences (BHSc) in the newly-merged Faculty.
In April 1999, the Report of the Auditors on Undergraduate Program Reviews at The University of Western Ontario was completed by the reviewers. It was subsequently submitted to the Ontario Council of Academic Vice-Presidents and forwarded in its final form in August. The Provost's response to the Audit including each of the recommendations is attached as Annex 1. The full report can be obtained from the University Secretariat.
Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
J. Roth, Assistant Dean - Policy and Planning (SJHC), July 1, 1999 - June 30, 2000
J.A. Silcox, Associate Dean - Admissions/Student & Equity Affairs, July 1, 1999 - June 30, 2000
Conclusion, Summary of Recommendations and Suggestions from the Report of the UPRAC Auditors on Undergraduate Program Reviews at the University of Western Ontario
Conclusion:
The University of Western Ontario has a well-established tradition of the conscientious attention to the merit of its undergraduate programs. That concern has expressed itself recently in the steps taken by the University to bring its policies into conformity with the Guidelines established by OCAV. This audit touches mainly on aspects of the reformulation of policy not yet achieved--as in the recommendations concerning the implementation of new programs--and on points of procedure that might be made more effective--as in the suggestions about the conduct of self-appraisals. The audit is emphatically positive. The evidence provided to the Auditors demonstrates that the University of Western Ontario has performed well and is anxious to satisfy the measures recommended by OCAV to ensure that the quality of undergraduate programs is effectively assessed.
Summary of Recommendations and Suggestions:
For ease of reference the Recommendations and Suggestions are repeated here:
Recommendation 1: It is recommended that the colleges affiliated with the University of Western Ontario develop program review policies that meet the requirements of the UPR Process and are appropriate to the scale of the institutions.
Recommendation 2: The guidelines related to self-appraisal should be expanded to emphasize the collective nature of the process, to invite a critical appraisal of all aspects of the academic character of the unit, and to direct particular attention to the topics on which the external reviewers are to comment.
Recommendation 3: The Program Review Committee should specifically ensure that its final report responds clearly to the concerns raised in the self-appraisal document produced by the academic unit concerned.
Recommendation 4: The Program Review committee should ensure that its final report includes a consideration of the non-confidential documents provided by the external reviewers.
Recommendation 5: The Program Review Committee should ensure that, when reviews with different objectives are undertaken simultaneously, the distinctive needs of the undergraduate program reviews are satisfied.
Recommendation 6: The provisions governing the implementation of new undergraduate programs at the University of Western Ontario, as at all Ontario universities, should be revised to bring them into conformity with the OCAV's UPRAC Guidelines.
Suggestion 1: To assist members of the university in adapting to changes in the guidelines governing the review of undergraduate programs, the Provost should make available for a suitable interim period instructions noting the differences between the old and the new procedures and the priority to be given to self-evaluation.
Suggestion 2: In order to further the coherence of program reviews, the Program Review Committee should ensure that questions directed to the consultants are also addressed by the academic unit under review.
Suggestion 3: To remove any procedural ambiguity in the directions concerning the final reports completed by the Program Committee, the relevant guidelines should be amended to specify that, whatever composite documents may be produced by the Program Review committee concerning program reviews, each review should have its own final report. The academic unit involved should be given an opportunity to respond to the final report.
Suggestion 4: The Auditors suggest that, in order to bring the Guidelines for the Appraisal of Academic Units and Programs into agreement with the UPR Process and with the recommendations of the Provost's Advisory Committee on Procedures for the Review of Undergraduate Programs, specific reference be made to consultation, where appropriate, with bodies external to the University.