Evidence of Faculty, Student and Program Quality Listed below are some of the indicators that departments may provide as evidence of faculty, student and program quality. Faculty: funding, honours and awards, and commitment to student mentoring; Students: grade-level for admission, scholarly output, success rates in provincial and national scholarships, competitions, awards and commitment to professional and transferable skills; Program: evidence of a program structure and faculty research that will ensure the intellectual quality of the student experience, and commitment to development of professional and transferable skills; evidence of sufficient and regular graduate level course offerings to ensure that students will be able to meet university requirements in terms of: (1) the minimum number of course required, (2) the level of courses required, and (3) the timely completion of other required elements appropriate for the degree level (e.g., transfer exams, comprehensive exams). PROGRAM ENHANCEMENT Please discuss the following four areas identified below: Outcomes of Previous Academic Reviews Discuss any concerns and recommendations that were raised in previous reviews and outline any changes that resulted from recommendations to strengthen the program. If any of these documents cannot be located, please contact IQAP at Quality Enhancement Describe initiatives that have been undertaken to enhance teaching, learning and/or research environments and thus, the overall quality of the program. Please also discuss how these initiatives will be sustained. Areas of Improvement Describe any areas within the program that have been identified, through the conduct of the Self-Study, as requiring improvement. Departments may also provide some narrative on an implementation plan for improvement. Areas of Enhancement Provide information regarding any areas within the program, identified through the conduct of the Self-Study, that hold promise for enhancement.
APPENDIX B: GRADUATE DEGREE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS MASTER’S DEGREE This degree is awarded to students who have demonstrated: DOCTORAL DEGREE This degree extends the skills associated with the Master’s degree and is awarded to students who have demonstrated: 1. Depth and Breadth of Knowledge A systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, much of is at, or informed by, the forefront of the academic discipline, field of study, or area of professional practice. A thorough understanding of a substantial body of knowledge that is at the forefront of their academic discipline or area of professional practice. 2. Research and Scholarship A conceptual understanding and methodological competence that: i) Enables a working comprehension of how established techniques of research and inquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the discipline; ii) Enables a critical evaluation of current research and advanced research and scholarship in the discipline or area of professional a. The ability to conceptualize, design, and implement research for the generation of new knowledge, applications, or understanding at the forefront of the discipline, and to adjust the research design or methodology in the light of unforeseen problems; b. The ability to make informed judgments on complex issues in specialist fields, sometimes
competence, and iii) Enables a treatment of complex issues and judgments based on established principles and techniques; and, On the basis of that competence, has shown at least one of the following: i) The development and support of a sustained argument in written form, or ii) Originality in the application of knowledge. requiring new methods; and c. The ability to produce original research, or other advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, and to merit publication; 3. Application of Knowledge Competence in the research process by applying an existing body of knowledge in the critical analysis of a new question or of a specific problem or issue in a new setting. The capacity to: i) Undertake pure and/or applied research at an advanced level; and ii) Contribute to the development of academic or professional skills, techniques, tools, practices, ideas, theories, approaches, and/or materials; 4. Communication Skills The ability to communicate ideas, issues and conclusions clearly. The ability to communicate complex and/or ambiguous ideas, issues and conclusions clearly and effectively. 5. Awareness of Limits of Knowledge Cognizance of the complexity of knowledge and of the An appreciation of the limitations of one’s own
potential contributions of interpretations, methods, and disciplines. work and discipline, of the complexity of knowledge, and of the potential contributions of other interpretations, methods, and disciplines. 6. Autonomy and Professional Capacity a. The qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring i) The exercise of initiative and of personal responsibility and accountability; ii) in complex situations; and b. The intellectual independence required for continuing professional development; c. The ethical behaviour consistent with academic integrity and the use of appropriate guidelines and procedures for responsible conduct of research; d. The ability to appreciate the broader implications of applying knowledge to particular contexts. a. The qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in complex situations; b. The intellectual independence to be academically and professionally engaged and current; c. The ethical behaviour consistent with academic integrity and the use of appropriate guidelines and procedures for responsible conduct of research; and d. The ability to evaluate the broader implications of applying knowledge to particular contexts. Ontario Universities’ Degree Expectations are available as part of the Quality Assurance Framework policy document available at: