Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario

Infobox_University
name = Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario
motto =
established = 2005Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (n.d.). "About us". Retrieved July 1, 2008, from http://www.heqco.ca/inside.php?&ID=1]
president = James DowneyCNW Telbec (2007, January 4). "James Downey appointed first president of Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario". Retrieved July 1, 2008, from http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/January2007/04/c3135.html]
city = flagicon|Canada Toronto
state = Ontario
country = Canada
affiliations =
address = 1 Yonge Street, Suite 2402, Toronto, Ontario M5E 1E5
phone =
website = http://www.heqco.ca/

The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario is an independent advisory agency funded by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (TCU) to provide recommendations for improving quality, accessibility, inter-institutional transfer, system planning, and effectiveness in higher education in Ontario. In 2005, the provincial government established the Council through the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario ActCite web
url=http://www.canlii.org/on/laws/regu/2006r.336/20061024/whole.html
title=HIGHER EDUCATION QUALITY COUNCIL OF ONTARIO, O. Reg. 336/06
publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario
date=2005
accessdate=2008-07-02] and appointed Frank Iacobucci as its Chair.Cite web
url=http://www.thestar.com/article/240008
title=Studying the Ivory Tower
last=Brown
first=Louise
publisher=Toronto Star
date=2007-07-26
accessdate=2008-07-02]

Background

In 2005, Bob Rae released a comprehensive review of postsecondary education entitled "Ontario: A leader in learning" or more commonly known as the Rae Report or Rae Review. The report included a recommendation to change the structure of higher education in Ontario by adding an independent and objective "Council on Higher Education" to monitor the dynamic changes of post-secondary institutions in order to provide advice to government on the overall system.Cite web
url=http://www.usask.ca/communications/ocn/05-feb-18/news12.shtml
title=THE RAE REPORT
publisher=University of Saskatchewan, On Campus News
date=2005-02-18
accessdate=2008-07-06] [Skolnik, M. L. (2005). The Rae Review and the structure of postsecondary education in Ontario. In C. M. Beach (Ed.), "A challenge for higher education in Ontario" (pp. 21 - 22). Kingston, ON: John Deutsch Institute for the Study of Economic Policy.] The provincial government acted on this recommendation and created an independent advisory agency to provide assessment and advice to improve higher education in Ontario. [Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (n.d.). "2006/07 Annual Report". Retrieved July 1, 2008, from http://www.heqco.ca/assets/HEQCO%20Annual%20Report%202006-07%20EN.pdf, p. 1.] In 2005, the provincial government established the Council through the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario Act as part of the provincial government's "Reaching Higher" six-year plan for higher education.Cite web
url=http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/strategic_plan/report/12.htm
title=Public Investment and Accountability
work=Engaging the Future: Draft Report of the Task Force on Strategic Planning
publisher=University of Western Ontario
date=2006-06-22
accessdate=2008-07-06] [Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (n.d.). "2007 Review and Research Plan". Retrieved July 1, 2008, from http://www.heqco.ca/pdf/101_EN.pdf, p. 4.] In January 2007, the Council announced the appointment of James Downey as its first president. During its first year of operation ending in March 2007, the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities approved a budget of $1.1 million for operations and $700,000 for purchasing initial assets. [Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (n.d.). "2006/07 Annual Report". Retrieved July 1, 2008, from http://www.heqco.ca/assets/HEQCO%20Annual%20Report%202006-07%20EN.pdf, p. 16.] In July 2007, Dr. Downey predicted that the annual budget would grow to $8 million per year sometime during 2008. [Brown, Louise (2007, July 26). New council to examine the quality, accessibility of the province's colleges, universities. "Toronto Star". Retrieved July 1, 2008, from http://www.thestar.com/article/240008]

Research

By August 2007, the Council sponsored and published three research publications.Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (n.d.). "Publications". Retrieved July 1, 2008, from http://www.heqco.ca/inside.php?&ID=2] In August 2006, the Council delivered a paper to gather input on priorities and research themes.Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (n.d.). "Priorities and Research Agenda for the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario". Retrieved July 1, 2008, from http://www.heqco.ca/inside.php?&ID=116] In July 2007, the Council distributed the "2007 Review and Research Plan". In August 2007, the Council released a report on "Education Decisions of Canadian Youth" that summarized published research on access to higher education in Canada. [Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (n.d.). "Education Decisions of Canadian Youth". Retrieved July 1, 2008, from http://www.heqco.ca/inside.php?&ID=111] The Council outlines research interests and accepts bids for projects through its Request for Proposal (RFP) process. [Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (n.d.). "Request for proposals". Retrieved July 2, 2008, from http://www.heqco.ca/inside.php?&ID=8]

Hosted events

By May 2008, the Council hosted five events to support its mandate. [Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (n.d.). "Events". Retrieved July 2, 2008, from http://www.heqco.ca/inside.php?&ID=113] In April 2007, the Council held its inaugural workshop focussing on learning quality and accountability by discussing the National Survey of Student Engagement. [Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (n.d.). "National Survey of Student Engagement Workshop". Retrieved July 2, 2008, from http://www.heqco.ca/inside.php?&ID=114] In October 2007, the Council facilitated a workshop with delegates from Ontario's twenty-four Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATS) on the themes of learning quality and measurement. [Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (n.d.). "HEQCO/College Dialogue on Learning Research". Retrieved July 2, 2008, from http://www.heqco.ca/inside.php?&ID=122] In November 2007, the Council held a joint workshop with the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) to compare and discuss performance indicators tracked by the universities with the objective of gathering advice on their use in the operating agreements between the ministry (i.e., TCU) and the universities. [Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (n.d.). "Performance Indicators Workshop for Universities". Retrieved July 2, 2008, from http://www.heqco.ca/inside.php?&ID=125] In March 2008, the Council hosted a lecture by John Randall at which he presented observations on the evolution of quality assurance in higher education systems globally based on his experience as the head of the UK's Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. [Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (n.d.). "Council hosts lecture by international quality assurance expert". Retrieved July 2, 2008, from http://www.heqco.ca/inside.php?&ID=128] In May 2008, the Council hosted a lecture by Walter Sudmant where he shared his insights on accountability for colleges and universities from his role as director of planning and institutional research at the University of British Columbia. [Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (n.d.). "British Columbia’s Experience with Performance Indicators in Postsecondary Education". Retrieved July 2, 2008, from http://www.heqco.ca/inside.php?&ID=131]

References

Further reading

* Iacobucci, F. & Tuohy, C. (2005), "Taking public universities seriously". Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.