Program creation

1. Academic unit: The academic unit that wishes to offer a new program prepares a letter of intent (see templates section above) for the creation of a new program and submits it to all its academic authorities for approval (program committee and departmental assembly or their equivalent).
2. Deputy Provost, Planning and Academic Budgets: the academic unit submits the letter of intent to the Office of the Deputy Provost, Planning and Academic Budgets for an analysis of resources.
3. Faculty: The letter of intent is submitted for approval to all faculty academic authorities (program committees or their equivalents, and faculty council or councils).
4. Graduate Studies Committee or Council of Undergraduate Studies: The vice-dean responsible for the program submits the letter of intent to the Office of the Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies or the Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Affairs. The respective committee or council reviews the letter of intent for approval.
5. Academic unit: The academic unit prepares a detailed new program request (see templates section above) and submits it to all its academic authorities for approval (program committee and departmental assembly or their equivalent).
6. Enrolment Management: The request is submitted to the curriculum management team at the Office of the Registrar ([email protected] ) to technically validate the proposed changes and ensure that it meets Senate guidelines for submitting requests.
7. Faculty: The detailed new program request is submitted to all faculty academic authorities (program committees or their equivalents, faculty council(s)).
8. Graduate Studies Committee or Council on Undergraduate Studies: The office of the vice-dean responsible for the program submits the detailed request to the Office of the Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies or to the Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Affairs. The respective committee or council reviews the detailed request for approval.
9. Academic unit: The director of the academic unit submits to the Office of the Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies or the Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Affairs, a list approved by the dean of at least five possible external reviewers (see template section above). The academic unit also submits the CVs of every full professor who will teach and/or supervise in the new program.
10. Nomination committee: The nomination committee selects two external reviewers from the nominations submitted by the academic unit. This committee also names an internal delegate.
11. External review*: In most cases, the external review of a new program will be conducted onsite, but for undergraduate programs it may be conducted by desk audit, video conference of equivalent method. The external review of a new graduate program (except for a graduate diploma) necessarily includes an onsite visit. For graduate programs, the Office of the Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies invites the external reviewers and the internal delegate and notifies the academic unit, which will be responsible for organizing the visit. For undergraduate programs, the Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Affairs coordinates the external review. The external reviewers must submit their report(s) no later than one month after the consultation.
12. Academic unit: The academic unit, the office of the vice-dean, and the office of the dean each receive a copy of the report(s). The unit and the faculty are each asked to separately submit their written comments about the report within one month.
13. Senate: The Vice-Provost, Academic Affairs (for undergraduate programs) or the Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (for graduate programs) reviews all the documentation (detailed new program request, external reviewers’ reports(s), internal comments on the report and the professors’ CVs) and submits it to Executive Committee of the Senate, and to the Senate for final institutional approval.
14. Quality Assurance Council: The Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs sends the Senate-approved request to the Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance for approval.
15. Ministry: The request is also submitted to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities for approval and for funding purposes.
16. Program launch: The program must be launched within 36 months of its approval.
17. Three-year evaluation: At the end of the third academic year after first registrations in the program, the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs will ensure that the program is running smoothly. At this time, Institutional Research and Planning will submit a brief report to the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs, with a copy to the office of the dean of the relevant faculty.
18. Cyclical review: The first cyclical review of the program will be conducted no later than eight years after initial enrolment in the program.

Note: At any stage in the approval process, the academic unit is responsible for incorporating recommended modifications before moving on to the next approval stage.

* Because of Covid, the Ontario Quality Assurance Council allows virtual visits for the external evaluation of a new program at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.