Web Publication of Quality Assurance-Related Material
Quality Assurance Framework Principle 9: The Quality Council operates in accordance with publicly communicated principles, policies and procedures. Both the Quality Council’s assessment process and the internal quality assurance process of individual institutions is open, transparent, and accountable, except as limited by constraints of laws and regulations for the protection of individuals.
The public posting of Quality Assurance related material on each university’s and the Quality Council’s website is an important element of the system’s commitment to Principle 9. It is essential that the required materials are posted in such a way that they can be located through navigation of the university’s website rather than through a direct link.
The tables below outline the requirements for the publication of Quality Assurance-related documents on the Quality Council (QC) website and on universities’ websites.
Publication of General Quality Assurance Material
| Document | Publication Requirements |
| IQAP | QC website: Not published University website: It is strongly recommended that the IQAP be published on the university’s website. |
Publication of New Program-related Material
| Document | Publication Requirements |
| Decision re. approval to commence | QC website: Upon approval to commence, a brief description of the program is posted on the QC website. University website: The university may publicly announce its intention to offer a new program prior to QC approval, however, these announcements must contain the following statement: “Prospective students are advised that the program is still subject to formal approval.” Upon QC approval to commence, the university posts information about the QC decision on its website. |
Publication of CPR-related Material
| Document | Publication Requirements |
| Schedule of Reviews | QC website: Not published University website: Publication of the schedule of Cyclical Program Reviews on the university’s website is recommended. |
| Final Assessment Report, including the Executive Summary and the Implementation Plan | QC website: Not published University website: Only the Executive Summary and the Implementation Plan are required to be posted on the University’s Website. Program’s website: The QAF strongly recommends that the Executive Summary and Implementation Plan be posted on the program’s website |
| Monitoring Reports | QC website: Not published University website: Published on the University’s Website Please note: Interim monitoring reports for New Programs are not required to be posted on the University’s Website. |
Publication of Audit Findings
These requirements apply only to Audits that fall under the 2021 Framework. Audit Reports and other Audit-related documents completed under the 2010 Framework, that is, materials from all Cycle 1 Audits, should be posted according to the requirements of the 2010 Framework.
| Document | Publication Requirements |
| Draft Audit Report: | Not published. Sent to university for fact-checking upon conditional approval by the Audit Committee |
| Separate addendum to Audit Report containing detailed findings related to audited programs and related confidential material | Sent to university but not published. |
| University’s report on factual accuracy | Not published, but part of the official record and may be used by the audit team to revise its report. |
| Audit Report (minus addendum) | QC approved Audit Report published on the university’s website and the QC website. QC website: Materials from Cycle 1 remain posted, according to the requirements of the 2010 QAF. Audit Report (minus addendum) from Cycle 2 is also published on QC website. University website: Universities may replace the Cycle 1 materials with the Cycle 2 Audit Report when it is available. |
| University’s Follow-up Response Report | Published on the university’s website and the QC website. QC website: One-year Follow-up Responses from Cycle 1 remain posted, according to the requirements of the 2010 QAF. When required, the Follow-up Response from Cycle 2 will also be posted, as per the 2021 QAF. University website: Universities may replace their Cycle 1 One-year Follow-up Response with the Cycle 2 materials, as applicable. If no Follow-up Response is required for the Cycle 2 audit, the university may remove the previous cycle’s Follow-up Response when the Audit Report is posted. |
| Auditors’ Report on the scope and sufficiency of the follow-up response | Published on the university’s website and the QC website. QC website: Summary Auditors’ Report from Cycle 1 remain posted, according to the requirements of the 2010 QAF. Cycle 2 Summary Auditors’ Report will also be posted on the QC website, as per the 2021 QAF. University website: Universities may replace the Cycle 1 Summary Auditors’ Report with the Cycle 2 documentation, if applicable. If no Follow-up Response is required, the university may remove the previous cycle’s Summary Auditors’ Report on the One-year Follow-up Response when the Cycle 2 Audit Report is posted. |
| Focused Audit Report | Published on the university’s website and the QC website. QC website: Any reports from Cycle 1 remain posted, according to the requirements of the 2010 QAF. Cycle 2 reports will also be posted on the QC website, as per the 2021 QAF. University website: If a Focused Audit Report was posted at any time during Cycle 1, it may be removed once the university’s Cycle 2 Audit Report is posted. Likewise, a Focused Audit Report from Cycle 2 may be removed once the university’s Cycle 3 Audit Report is posted. |
| Focused Audit Follow-up Response (where applicable) | Published on the university’s website and the QC website. QC website: Focused Audit Follow-up Reports from Cycle 1 remain posted, according to the requirements of the 2010 QAF. Reports from Cycle 2 will also be posted, as per the 2021 QAF. University website: If a Focused Audit Follow-up Response was posted at any time during Cycle 1, it may be removed once the university’s Cycle 2 Audit Report is posted. Likewise, a Focused Audit Follow-up Response from Cycle 2 may be removed once the university’s Cycle 3 Audit Report is posted. |