Instead of four separate evaluating bodies, the province has proposed a new, one-body system
KAMLOOPS (CUP) — The provincial government wants to streamline the process in which the quality of education from postsecondary institutions is verified.
Currently, there are four separate bodies that evaluate and monitor the quality of education in BC, depending on the type of institution. BC has 11 public universities, 11 public colleges, 15 private degree-granting institutions, 330 private career training schools and 13 private theological institutes.
The province wants to have a single evaluating body that is easier to understand and has clear processes and reporting requirements, while still accounting for diversity between different institutions.
This single quality assurance system would look over all post-secondary institutions, including ESL schools, which were previously deregulated in 2004. Currently, the bodies in place are the Degree Quality Assessment Board, Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA), Industry Training Authority, and the Ministry of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology.
“Under the proposed quality assurance framework,” said thenminister of advanced education John Yap in a press release, “students can be assured of the postsecondary education institution they attend, the education promised will be the education delivered, and the credentials earned will have value when they seek employment to choose to pursue further education.”
The proposal is still in the discussion stage. The provincial government has issued a green paper with a proposed quality assurance framework as a basis for discussion. John Yap stepped down just one hour after the green paper was released.
“A grounding principle is that the rights and privileges of institutions will be respected,” wrote Dan Gilmore, communications manager for the Ministry of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology, in an email. “Under the proposed quality assurance framework, institutions that have mature quality assessment processes and practices will have greater independence from external oversight by government.”
The framework proposes five levels of maturity for postsecondary institutions. At level one and two institutions, where quality assurance processes are ad-hoc and barely existent, the government will review the institution. At level three and above, where quality assurance processes are organized and sustainable, the government will review the process and the institution will receive more autonomy.
The government also wants to apply a standard level of tuition protection for students across the entire post-secondary system. It proposes that all institutions submit a percentage of tuition revenue to a fund that will repay students their tuition if their institution closes down.
The quality assurance framework also has the potential to make it easier for post-secondary institutions to deal with student transfers.
Gilmore wrote, “Having all post-secondary education institutions under a single quality assurance framework, combined with the implementation of a qualifications framework, will strengthen BC’s transfer system by providing greater understanding of the requirements all institutions undertake.”
But that doesn’t mean that students will suddenly be able to transfer their courses to another post-secondary institution easily. “Individual institutions remain the primary arbiters of whether to accept transfer credit,” Gilmore wrote.
The green paper said it hopes a new quality assurance body will be cos-neutral. It expects to charge post-secondary institutions a fee every time it uses the services provided by the body.
