Assessment of Academic Programs (Degree Providers under the New Brunswick Degree Granting Act)

The Commission carries out assessments of programs submitted/designated under the New Brunswick Degree Granting Act. As per the Act, programs are required to be assessed prior to designation and again five years after designation (i.e., assessment of existing programs). In some cases, a program is designated with conditions that also require a follow-up assessment (i.e., conditional designations).

Programs Under Review

Prior to designation

Under the New Brunswick Degree Granting Act, institutions are required to submit proposals for new degree programs to the Province, and in turn the Commission, prior to designation (and implementation). The purpose of this external program quality assessment is to determine the suitability and the quality of the proposed program given its objectives, structure, institutional appropriateness, resources, stated students outcomes and their relevance.

Key steps of the program assessment process are as follows:

The applicant drafts a proposal using the MPHEC Guidelines.
Upon receipt, program proposals, not including appendices or proprietary information, are distributed to institutions on the MPHEC's schedule as well as MPHEC members and staff for comment.
The AAU-MPHEC Academic Advisory Committee oversees the assessment and selects a minimum of three consultants to comprise a panel that will assess the proposed program.
The panel is asked to provide a joint report on which the MPHEC could make a recommendation to the Minister. Should the panel not be able to reach consensus, the Commission will accept that a dissenting report be added to the majority report.
The report is to be based on:
- A site visit
- The assessment of the program proposal submitted by the organization, as well as any other pertinent information provided to or requested by the panel.
- The consultants' expertise in the field and knowledge of similar programs elsewhere in Canada or in North America.
The panel report is forwarded to the applicant for response.
The Committee reviews the report prepared by the panel and the applicant's response to the report and makes a recommendation based on these, as well as any other documents obtained during the assessment process.
The Committee then forwards its final recommendation to the MPHEC. Both the Committee's recommendation and the MPHEC's advice are forwarded to the Minister which remains confidential until the Minister notifies the applicant of the final decision and simultaneously advises the MPHEC that the Minister's decision has been communicated to the applicant.

The Policy on Assessment of Programs submitted under the New Brunswick Degree Granting Act provides a description of the process, assessment criteria, and guidelines for the preparation of proposals.

Conditional designation

Upon Ministerial decision, an institution may be required to undergo a follow-up to their program assessment as a condition to designation. The purpose of such follow-ups is to determine whether an applicant has met the conditions of approval outlined by the Minister and has responded to any questions/concerns identified during the initial assessment process. This assessment process differs from the assessment of existing programs; that process is outlined in the next section.

Key steps in the assessment of programs designated with conditions are as follows:

The applicant submits a status report according to the MPHEC's Information Requirements.
The AAU-MPHEC Academic Advisory Committee oversees the assessment and selects the consultant to carry out the review. Where possible, the Chair of the panel (or alternatively a member of that same panel) that had carried out the initial program assessment is hired as an external consultant to determine whether the program, in its first years of implementation, appears to continue to meet the standards normally associated with the degree.
The external consultant will submit a report summarizing his/her assessment.
The report is to be based on:
- A site visit
- Assessment of the status report, as well as any other pertinent information provided to or requested by the consultant
- The consultant's expertise in the field and knowledge of similar programs elsewhere in Canada or in North America.
The consultant's report is forwarded to the applicant for response; the external consultant will be responsible for incorporating the institution's response into the final report.
The Academic Advisory Committee receives the final report from the consultant prior to it being submitted to the Commission for review; as appropriate the consultant will present his/her findings to the Committee and/or the Committee will formulate comment for the Commission.
The external consultant presents his/her report and the applicant's response to the Commission.
The Commission formulates its advice to the Minister where it remains confidential until the Minister notifies the applicant of the final decision and simultaneously advises the Commission that the Minister's decision has been communicated to the applicant.

The Procedures and Information Requirements for the Follow-Up on Conditional Program Designations under the New Brunswick Degree Granting Act provides a description of the process and guidelines for the preparation of the status report.

Assessment of Existing Programs

Under the New Brunswick Degree Granting Act, all designated institutions are required to submit their programs for reassessment in the fifth year following designation. The general purpose of reviewing existing programs is to monitor the quality of approved degree programs on a continuing basis.

Key steps of the assessment process for existing programs are as follows:

The applicant submits a self-study prepared in accordance with the MPHEC's Information Requirements.
The AAU-MPHEC Academic Advisory Committee oversees the assessment and selects a minimum of three consultants to comprise a panel that will assess the program.
The panel is asked to provide a joint report on which the MPHEC could make a recommendation to the Minister. Should the panel not be able to reach consensus, the Commission will accept that a dissenting report be added to the majority report.
The report is to be based on:

A site visit
Assessment of the self-study, as well as any other pertinent information provided to or requested by the panel.
The panel's expertise in the field and knowledge of similar programs elsewhere in Canada or in North America.

The panel report is forwarded to the applicant for response. Once a response is received, the panel is responsible for incorporating the applicant's response into the panel's final report.
The Chair of the panel presents the final report to the Academic Advisory Committee, which provides comment as appropriate, and formulates its advice to the Commission.
The Chair of the panel presents the report and the applicant's response to the Commission; the Chair of the Academic Advisory Committee will report on the Committee's advice.
The Commission formulates its advice to the Minister based on the report as well as any comment by the Academic Advisory Committee.
The Commission's advice is forwarded to the Minister where it remains confidential until the Minister notifies the applicant of the final decision and simultaneously advises the Commission that the Minister's decision has been communicated to the applicant.

The Policy on the Assessment of Existing Programs Established under the New Brunswick Degree Granting Act provides a description of the process, the assessment criteria and information requirements for the preparation of self-studies.