Program Development and Quality Assurance
UFV supports the development of programs that meet its institutional goals and priorities as articulated in the following documents:
UFV is located on Stó:lō territory and is committed to indigenizing the curriculum. For more information, visit the Xwexwílmexwawt website.
Program developers are expected to consult with people outside of UFV to ensure that the program is of high quality and will meet the expectations of all stakeholders. Who is consulted depends on the nature of the program, but typically external consultation will include academics from similar programs, employers, and accrediting agencies (when relevant). For degree-level programs, the proposal is normally sent for desk review to academics in the field. Generally, consultation takes place before the internal review begins, so feedback received can be incorporated in the proposal before it is approved internally.
Consultation with internal stakeholders is also a part of gathering evidence. It is important to consult different areas within the institution to determine if there are additional considerations. For example, to ensure your program is eligible for student loan funding, contact UFV Financial Aid & Awards early in the process. A Consultation Request form is used to track this process, while a Consultation Summary form will be attached as an appendix to the full program proposal.
Analysis of comparable and related programs serves mainly to avoid unnecessary duplication at UFV, in our region, and in B.C.
Consider the related programs that are already offered at UFV and identify useful combinations (from a student's perspective). In some cases, it might make sense to revise an under-utilized existing program than to create a new one.
Consult the Education Planner or other institutions' websites to determine where similar programs are offered in the region and in B.C. Consider possible partnerships such as block transfer agreements, which will facilitate students' mobility. For example, does a short program exist elsewhere that would feed well into a degree-level program at UFV?
Finally, an examination of comparable programs will also be useful to determine what is standard for programs like the one you are considering in terms of entrance requirements, curriculum structure, course content, and fees, among other key components.
To ensure that students have a recognizable credential and good employment prospects at a competitive cost, your program should be innovative and forward-looking, but not too out of line with programs elsewhere.
You are expected to demonstrate how your program will respond to labour needs, prepare graduates for employment, and/or further education. PDQA will also work closely with the office of Institutional Research and Planning to assist you with this important task.
The BC government has put significant effort into providing data on industry sectors, occupational categories, and connecting jobs or career paths, and education. Here are some resources to get you started:
The PDQA office also helps with systematic searches using online aggregate job search engines. According to a recent US-based survey, online job boards are the tools used most by Generation Z students when searching for a job.
Published reports of employer surveys and graduate outcomes surveys are also useful:
The development of new programs might also benefit from consultation with an External Program Advisory Committee. For information on forming an advisory committee, please consult the instructions template for an External Program Advisory Committee that accompanies policy 60.
External Program Advisory Committees - Instructions & Template
Students graduating from each program at UFV should possess a set of core abilities and skills. You will be asked to show how your program ensures the Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) are met. This requires that you:
You must also align your program learning outcomes with the competencies required for employment or further education in the field. This may require that you:
Other UFV resources:
You will need to estimate the student demand and provide evidence that there is sustainable interest in the program. Factors to consider:
Ways to answer these questions include:
You will be asked to demonstrate that there is a sufficient number of faculty with relevant expertise to deliver a high-quality program. Alternatively, a plan for hiring the required expertise will need to be put in place.
PDQA will collect the curricula vitae of faculty members teaching in the program if the proposal is submitted to the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training.
Every new program draws on the resources of the library, and a proposal must include an analysis, done by the library faculty, of the collection in the relevant subject area(s).
To request a collection analysis, PDQA will complete a Library Consultation request form along with your draft proposal (including learning outcomes, curriculum, proposed course outlines and names and expertise of faculty participating in the delivery of the program) and submit to the library. Allow at least 3-4 weeks for the library to conduct the analysis.
A summary of the analysis will be included in the proposal, with the detailed results attached as an appendix. If the analysis reveals that the library resources are insufficient to support the program, you will need to work with the library to determine how they can be supplemented.
Consider what resources will be required to sustain the program and whether you can draw on existing resources. This includes faculty, staff, advising, new classroom or lab space, equipment, etc.
Lay out the program on a four-year schedule to see what will be needed in each year. Sometimes, the resources required should be phased in. For instance, supervision for a capstone course will not be required until year four.
If the new program draws from courses currently offered, recent utilization and capacity to serve additional students will be analyzed. It might be sufficient to request reserve seats for the new program, or additional sections might have to be budgeted.
A detailed budget analysis will be done by the Budgets and Financial Planning Office once the curriculum is drafted, with the assistance of PDQA and the dean.