The objectives of a Cyclical Audit of a university, which occurs at least once every eight years, are to ensure transparency and accountability in the development and review of academic programs, to assure students, citizens, and the government of the meeting of international standards of quality assurance in the processes used, and to monitor the degree to which a university has:

1. Improved/enhanced its quality assurance processes and practices;
2. Created an ethos of continuous improvement; and
3. Developed a culture that supports program-level learning outcomes and student-centered learning.

Process

The audit process includes several core components: an Institutional self-study, an initial desk audit of a sample of the university’s quality assurance activities representing the Protocol for New Program Approvals and the Protocol for Cyclical Program Review, and a site visit, typically conducted in person by an Audit Team, consisting of members from the Audit Committee and Quality Assurance Secretariat.

The Institutional self-study, introduced in the 2021 QAF, is an opportunity for self-reflection on the part of the university. It presents a self-assessment of the university’s quality assurance work, including challenges, opportunities, and developments in areas flagged in previous audits.

The desk audit consists of a review of a university’s Institutional self-study and documentation related to the sample of representative quality assurance activities. The aim of the desk audit is to understand whether the university’s quality assurance practices are in compliance with its IQAP and the QAF.

The site visit portion of an audit normally involves the Audit Team visiting the university in person over the course of typically three days. The main purpose of the site visit is for the Audit Team to get a more fulsome and accurate understanding of the university’s application of its IQAP in its pursuit of continuous improvement of its programs.

In the course of the site visit, the Audit Team will speak with the university’s senior academic leadership, representatives from the programs included in the sample of quality assurance activities selected, as well as students, and representatives of units that play an important role in ensuring program quality and success.

Following the site visit, the Audit Team develops the Audit Report which includes a summary of the overall findings of the audit, including the identification of Causes for Concern, Recommendations and Suggestions as well as Best Practices. Once drafted the Audit Report is provided to the university for fact-checking and is subsequently reviewed and approved by the Quality Council. All Audit Reports are posted on the website, in the Audit Schedules and Reports as well as on the university’s website.

Depending on the outcome of an audit, a university may be required to provide some form of follow-up.

More details about the Audit Process can be found here.