An independent panel of auditors has unanimously concluded that Conestoga meets or exceeds all provincial quality assurance standards required for Ontario’s public colleges.
The Ontario College Quality Assurance Service (OCQAS) oversees the College Quality Assurance Audit Process (CQAAP), which was developed to ensure quality and continuous improvement at the province’s 24 public colleges. Each college is required to participate in the audit every 5 years. It involves a comprehensive self-study followed by an in-depth review and site visit by an independent panel of auditors who assess college performance across six standards:
- Program Quality Management System
- Vocational Learning Outcomes as the Centre of Program Development
- Conformity with Government Requirements
- Program Delivery and Student Assessment
- Existence, Monitoring and Communication of Policies and Practices that Influence and Impact Academic Quality
- Availability and Allocation of College-Wide Resources
The November 2020 site visit for the most recent audit involved the participation of approximately 160 Conestoga stakeholders, including students, recent graduates, Program Advisory Committee members, Board of Governors members, faculty, support staff and administrative employees.
The audit report, issued in April 2021, commends Conestoga for its commitment and significant investments in a quality culture.
As a result of the “comprehensive, effective quality assurance practices embedded throughout the College that have led to compliance with OCQAS standards,” the panel was unanimous in assessing Conestoga as being at the Mature level of the OCQAS scale, the highest possible ranking.
For more information about OCQAS and the College Quality Assurance Audit Process, visit https://www.ocqas.org/