the association of accrediting agencies of canada

The Association of Accrediting Agencies of Canada

The Association of Accrediting Agencies of Canada • Founded in 1994 • National network of professional

education accrediting bodies• Represents over 30 professional

education accrediting agencies in Canada• Established Guidelines for Good Practice

of Accreditation of Professional Programs

AAAC Mission

To foster the highest quality education of professionals, the Association of Accrediting Agencies of Canada pursues excellence in standards and processes of accreditation.

AAAC Functions to • Establish benchmarks for standards/processes• Provide a forum for networking and information

exchange.• Represent interests of professional education

accrediting agencies to government, educational institutions, public and private sectors

• Monitor and investigate common issues related to accreditation and mobility of professionals internationally

• Promote the expertise of Canadian accrediting agencies in Canada and abroad.

AAAC Achieves its Mission by• Providing a website, publishing a newsletter,

making representations to stakeholders• Offering an online education program for

member and non-member site team evaluators.• Improving and advancing standards & processes

of accreditation through meetings / workshops• Conducting surveys of members to identify

commonalities, good practices.

Accreditation is • A process of quality

assurance through which education programs meet standards of education established by responsible authorities.

• A condition that provides a credential to the public and regulators, assuring that a program has accepted and is fulfilling its commitment to educational quality

Regulation is • Governance of a

profession with regard to entry requirements, occupational standards and ethics, credentials, licensure, discipline, professional development, continuing competence, compliance with legislative provisions, portability, etc.

Steps in the Accreditation Process

1. Program meets all requirements & submits self-study report

2. On-site accreditation review3. Preparation of review report, with input

from program4. Accreditation decision5. Regular monitoring and review

Links Between Accreditation & Regulation

• Consistency between entry-level education standards and regulatory entry-to-practice standards

• Quality student education that leads to high quality services provided to the public by graduates of accredited programs

Links Between Accreditation & Regulation – Panel Presentation• Models of collaboration between

accrediting agencies and regulatory bodies

Informal and formal links Outcomes Future considerations

Links Between Accreditation & Regulation - Panel Presenters1. Lise Talbot, Director of Accreditation

Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing2. Gordon Griffith, Director of Education, Engineers Canada3. Janis Leonard, Manager of AccreditationOntario College of Teachers4. Peter Waite, Executive Director, Canadian Federation of Chiropractic Regulatory &

Educational Accrediting Boards

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Click to edit Master subtitle styleThe CASN Accreditation Process:

How It Links To Regulation?AAAC Presentation

Lise R. Talbot, Inf., Psy., PhD Director of Accreditation

November 2010

Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing

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Invest in nursing faculty supply and nursing program infrastructure Foster innovative initiatives to sustain an appropriately prepared nursing workforce

Invest in nursing research and knowledge translation

Mission of CASN

Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing is the national voice for nursing education, research, and scholarship and represents baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in Canada.

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Vision of CASNCASN:

– Speaks for Canadian nursing education and scholarship

– Establishes and promotes national standards of excellence for nursing education

– Promotes the advancement of nursing knowledge

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Vision of CASN Continued

CASN:– Facilitates the integration of theory, research

and practice – Contributes to public policy – Provides a national forum for issues in

nursing education and research

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CASN Organizational Structure

Executive Committee (Lynnette Stamler)

Nominations and Awards

Operations

Education

Advocacy

On-Line Journal

Standing Committee

Working Group

International Accreditation

Accreditation Advisory

Board of Directors (Lynnette Stamler)

March 2010

*On behalf of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is ultimately responsible to ensure each committee is supported administratively.

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3

4

5

Strategic Planning

Finance and Budget

Governance and Bylaws

Membership Options

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7

Graduate Studies

Nurse Practitioner

IEN

Palliative

Public Health

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Accreditation Bureau

Executive Director

(Cynthia Baker)

Student/Faculty Survey

Research and Scholarship

Accreditation

CASN Council(Lynnette Stamler)

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Who Is Accredited93 schools in Canada

– 90 are members– 68: 76 % accredited– 22: 24% unaccredited– 4 schools are in the process

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Links Between Accreditation and Regulation

• Regulation is mandatory in 10/10 provinces

• Accreditation is mandatory in 3/10 provinces

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Links Between Accreditation and Regulation

• 3 provinces sign an MOU– Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador

and Ontario • 3 other provinces are in the process for

signature or thinking of an MOU– PEI, New Brunswick, British Columbia

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Process of Collaboration

• Review standards of each partners• Pilot the process• Have a reviewer and an observer from

regulatory body integrated• Have an observer on the accreditation

decision committee

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Outcomes of Collaboration

• Integration of all stakeholders• Alignment of standards and timeframes • Sharing best practices• Striving towards quality improvement and

excellence

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Future Considerations

• Link with the regulatory bodies of each province

• Align the accreditation standards (internal/ external)

• Align the evaluation procedures

Accreditation →RegulationThe Engineering Perspective

Gordon Griffith, P.Eng., ing.Director, EducationNovember 2010

On behalf of our constituent members CCPE shall provide national leadership and support to the engineering profession in Canada by:

Enhancing the public image of the Canadian engineering profession, promoting its interests, and increasing public awareness of how thee work of Canada’s professional engineers benefits society

Fostering strong, effective and ongoing relationships with our constituent members

Supporting our constituent members’ efforts to achieve international/territorial consistency in their licensing and regulatory practices, and interprovincial/territorial practice mobility for licensed engineers

Mandate

Promoting high standards of engineering practice and education in Canada

Acting as the national and international voice of our constituent members, and representing them on the national and international stage

Protecting the terms, titles, images and words that are integral to the regulatory and licensing functions of our constituent members

Understanding trends in engineering human resources and emerging fields

In recognition that the constituent members are the regulatory bodiesfor the engineering profession in Canada, CCPE undertakes specificregulatory mandates only at their request.”

Mandate (cont’d)

Organizational Structure

CEO

Awards Committee

GR Committee

Audit Committee

Engineers Canada Board

Executive Committee

Intl. Committee

Finance Committee

Staff

Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board

Canadian Engineering Qualifications Board

Established in 1965 Membership:

– 15 volunteers, all ing./P.Eng.– Range of disciplines and backgrounds from

across Canada– Rely on specialist volunteers during program

evaluation visits

Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB)

Accredits Canadian undergraduate engineering programs

Monitors education/accreditation systems in other countries, including countries that have signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement with Engineers Canada (Washington Accord, Commission des Titres d’Ingénieur)

Conducts substantially equivalent evaluations

Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB)

Accreditation – by the Numbers

Over 260 accredited programs42 post-secondary institutions

Over 70 fields of study

55,000 students

10,500 graduates per year

13 Engineering Acts regulated by 12 licensing bodies Requirements for Licensure as Professional Engineer:

– Academic Requirements– Work Experience Requirements– Professional Practice Examination– Language Competency– Good Character

Regulation of the Profession

Links between Accreditation and Regulation

Formal– Accreditation process delegated to Engineers

Canada– Degree from Accredited program satisfies academic

requirement for licensure– Accreditation system internationally recognized

Informal

Future Considerations

Outcomes Based Assessment– Graduate Attributes– Professional Competencies

1100-180 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2K3

Tel. 613-232-2474 / Fax. 613-230-5759

engineerscanada.ca

Accreditation as a Provincial

Regulatory Responsibility

CNNAR November 2010

Ontario College of TeachersLeadershipExcellenceResponsibility

Leadership Excellence Responsibility 39

Ontario College of Teachers (OCT)

• Established in 1997 as self-regulatory body for teaching profession

• Regulates and governs over 220,000 members in the public interest

• Certifies teachers who want to work in Ontario’s publicly funded schools

• Works to ensure Ontario are students taught by skilled professionals guided by ethical and practice standards

http://www.oct.ca/home.aspx?lang=en-CA


Regulatory Mandate of the OCTCollege is governed by the Ontario College of Teachers Act (OCTA) and its regulations.

OCT:•Sets qualifications for membership•Issues teaching qualifications and suspends or revokes certificates•Establishes ethical and practice standards for profession•Deals with discipline and fitness to practise issues



Link between Accreditation and Regulation – OCT Dual RoleRegulator also has accreditation mandate under the OCT Act:

OCT Accredits:•Initial teacher education programs offered in Ontario•Additional qualification (AQ) courses for members

Ontario teacher education programs must be accredited for graduates to be certified as teachers.


How is the OCT Governed?

E x e c u tiv e

In v estig a t io n

D isc ip lin e

F itn e ss to P r a c t ise

R eg is tra tio n A p p ea ls

S ta tu to ry C o m m ittee s

F in a n ce

S ta n d a r d s o f P ra c tic ea n d E d u c a tio n

A cc r ed ita tio n

A c cred ita tio n A p p ea ls

S ta n d in g a n d R eg u la to ry C o m m ittee s

E le c tio n

N o m in a tio n

Q u a lity A ssu r a n c e

H u m a n R e so u rce s

E d ito r ia l B o a rd

S p e c ia l C o m m ittee s

C o u n c il

Accreditation


Who is Accredited by the OCT?• Provincial jurisdiction - accredit university

professional programs offered within Ontario• 18 English-language faculties • 2 French-language faculties• 5 self-funded institutions

• Review programs at 3 – 5 institutions per year • Accredited more than 300 AQ courses in 2009

submitted by 28 Ontario providers



Outcomes of the OCT Model

– Dual Role of Professional Regulator and Accreditor



Dual Role - Accreditation as a Regulatory Process• Accreditation process governed by regulation

made under College’s Act• Duties of the Accreditation Committee:

• to determine if programs qualify for accreditation

• to grant accreditation, with or without conditions, to qualifying programs

• Committee’s work guided by key principles that provide for quality assurance, accountability and transparency



Dual Role - Accreditation as a Regulatory Process• The Accreditation Regulation defines:• components of application• review panel membership and role• 15 requirements for accreditation• process and timelines for carrying out the

review• Accreditation Committee decisions• length of the accreditation period • Appeal process also regulated



Outcomes• Regulatory Council and Accreditation Committee can

collaborate to regulate key functions • Regulated process can provide for greater assurance

of accountability, fairness and transparency • Use of consultative process for enhancements to

accreditation process• Can be more cost effective administratively



Considerations• Regulatory body has significant influence over

accreditation process• Accreditation Committee made up of 9 members

of OCT Regulatory Council • Committee members establish review panel and

participate in review• Accreditation Committee needs support of

Council to change the regulation• Accreditation decisions have also influenced OCT

regulatory policy (distance ed)



Future Considerations - Impact of AIT on the Accreditation Process • Teacher education programs are currently influenced by

Ontario requirements for accreditation and licensure• AIT led to increased collaboration among provincial

education bodies • Registrars are working toward more national standards

for teaching profession• Common tool to assess language proficiency of

teacher candidates• National protocol for teaching programs offered by full

distance



Contact:Janis [email protected]

OCT Website: www.oct.ca

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.oct.ca/


ACCREDITATION & REGULATIONCNNAR – November 3, 2010

Peter Waite, CAEExecutive Director

Overview

7,500 Doctors of Chiropractic in Canada

Eleven provincial & territorial regulatory boards

Uniform entry to practice requirements in place for past decade as a result of AIT

Mission

The Canadian Federation of Chiropractic Regulatory and Educational Accrediting Boards serves the public interest by promoting national excellence in regulatory practice.

Goals

provide a forum for the exchange of best practices concerning regulatory issues

educate federal government policy makers in the public interest concerning regulatory affairs

educate those involved in chiropractic regulation

educate the chiropractic profession concerning the public interest

Goals

establish standards and to evaluate and accredit chiropractic educational programmes

provide leadership on issues such as licensure, accreditation, examination, continuing competence, inter-jurisdictional mobility, scope of practice, standards of practice, codes of ethics and specialty designation.

History of Accreditation

1978 - Council on Chiropractic Education of Canada (CCEC) established as the accrediting body

2007 – The CCEC amalgamates with the CFCRB to create the CFCREAB

Accreditation Responsibilities

accredit, recognize, and certify the quality and integrity of chiropractic programmes; encourage excellence in education within chiropractic programmes; and inform the public, the chiropractic profession, and the educational community regarding the nature, quality, and integrity of chiropractic education.

Accreditation Authority

Provincial and Territorial regulatory boards are authorized under their legislation to determine what educational programmes are acceptable – They delegate this to the CFCREAB.

In some legislation the CFCREAB is named directly as the responsible body.

Formal Links - Accreditation Standards & Policies Committee

Appointees from regulatory boards, the national association and accredited programmes.

Drafts all changes to standards and policies. Submits changes to the Commission on

Accreditation, the programmes and finally the national Board.

Formal Links - Commission on Accreditation

Appointees from regulatory boards & the national association – not the programmes.

No appointee can currently be serving in another capacity with a regulator, association or programme.

Autonomous in its decision making.


1982 – Recognition agreement with CCE-US 1986 – Recognition agreement with Australasian

CCE 1993 – Recognition agreement with European

CCE 2000 – CCEC becomes a founding member of

the Councils on Chiropractic Education International (CCEI) with the CCE-US, ECCE and ACCE.


The CCEI is an international agency whose primary purpose is to promote and oversee high quality standards for chiropractic education on a worldwide basis. Membership in CCEI and adherence to the CCEI Standards now form the basis for recognition of accredited programmes internationally.


CCEI member agencies accredit programmes outside of their home territory

The CCEI aids and recognises new accreditation agencies that implement the CCEI Standards and meet other qualification requirements.

Outcomes

Cost effective – give there are only two programmes in Canada

Gives regulatory boards direct input into appointments and setting Standards

Provides arms length “decision making body” Brings regulators and programmes to one

table Facilitates international accreditation

www.chirofed.ca

Summary & Questions

Contact UsAssociation of Accrediting Agencies of

Canada3-247, Barr St.,

Renfrew, Ontario K7V 4A6

Tel: 613-432-9491Fax: 613-432-6840

www.aaac.ca

the association of accrediting agencies of canada

Documents

standards of education

director of education

processes of accreditation

accreditation processprogram

phd director of accreditation

education programs

good practice of accreditation

online education program