Ontario’s universities are committed to delivering high-quality programming at all levels — undergraduate and graduate. The Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) appraisal process focuses on program quality, sustainability, and continuous improvement. It provides a structure for developing engaging and rigorous educational experiences for students.

The QAF includes two protocols through which universities may advance submissions for review by the Quality Council’s Appraisal Committee:

1. Protocol for New Program Approvals, and
2. Protocol for Expedited Approvals.

The Protocol for New Program Approvals applies to both new undergraduate and new graduate programs (but not to new for‑credit graduate diplomas, which are reviewed under the Protocol for Expedited Approvals), whether offered by a single institution or jointly with other institutions.

The primary responsibility for designing and assuring the quality of new programs lies with universities and their governing bodies. When preparing a New Program Proposal under this Protocol, universities are responsible for developing program objectives, curriculum design, program‑level learning outcomes, assessment methods, and ensuring that the necessary institutional resources are in place. Under this Protocol, universities must also arrange an independent external review of the proposed new program. This review is mandatory and serves as one of the foundational components of the Quality Assurance process.

Once a university completes a New Program Proposal, it is submitted to the Appraisal Committee, which reviews the submission and once satisfied that it meets the requirements of the QAF, makes recommendations to the Council. Requests for additional information are a routine part of the appraisal process. Under the Protocol for New Program Approvals, the final authority to approve or decline a new program proposal rests with the Quality Council.

Flow Chart 1: Overview of the Protocol for New Program Approvals outlines the major steps, both within the institution and through the Quality Council, required for approving new programs under this protocol.

The QAF also provides a more streamlined form of external oversight through the Protocol for Expedited Approvals, which allows universities to submit for‑credit graduate diplomas for review by the Appraisal Committee without undergoing an independent external review. In some cases, universities may also use this protocol to submit major modifications to existing programs that approach the threshold of being considered a new program. The Appraisal Committee’s review determines whether the change can be processed as a major modification or if it constitutes a new program requiring adherence to the Protocol for New Program Approvals. The Appraisal Committee has final decision‑making authority for proposals submitted under the Protocol for Expedited Approvals, and the Quality Council receives these decisions at its meetings for information.

A detailed description of the review processes for both new program proposals and expedited submissions is provided in the Quality Assurance Framework’s Protocol for New Program Approvals and Protocol for Expedited Approvals.