Quality Assessors and Organization Reviewers

As part of the application process, all programs must undergo a program quality assessment as outlined in the applicant handbooks. All private applicants must undergo a organization review as described in the Handbook for Private Organizations.

Quality assessors should possess the qualifications and personal qualities to engender the confidence of the board, the Minister, the public, accrediting bodies, relevant regulatory bodies, and degree-granting institutions. Quality assessors must:

• be committed to the principles and practices of quality assurance in postsecondary education;
• be recognized by their peers for having a broad outlook, open mind, and sound judgment;
• be free of any conflict of interest, in accordance with the board’s policy on conflict of interest for quality assessors; and
• have demonstrated skills in oral and written communication, preferably including experience of writing formal reports to deadlines.

The board will seek to select highly qualified individuals as quality assessors who possess:

• an advanced academic credential related to the subject area under review (normally at the terminal level in the field);
• any required or desired professional credentials and/or related work experience of substantial depth and range;
• relevant academic experience such as administration, teaching, curriculum design and/or quality assessment experience (e.g., as appraisers for accrediting bodies or as reviewers of degree programs).

Chairs of Quality Assessment Panels for graduate program proposals will normally have the following additional qualifications:

• be an active scholar, normally at the rank of full professor;
• be currently/recently involved in graduate teaching and, as appropriate, in graduate thesis supervision or in graduate clinical or applied studies supervision;
• be experienced in the administration of graduate programs (e.g., as chair of a department with graduate programs, graduate program coordinator, chair of the graduate committee, member of an OGS/SSHRC/NSERC/MRC scholarship committee, member of a faculty or university graduate or research council or committee); and
• be an experienced committee member who can function objectively and effectively as chair of an assessment committee.

The board will strive to name Quality Assessment Panels that reflect an appropriate mix of academic/professional credentials and experience related to the field. In establishing its roster of quality assessors, the board may seek nominations of qualified individuals from the public and a wide variety of constituencies, including but not limited to the following:

Suggestions for and self-nominations by qualified individuals are welcome.

Information for Assessors and Reviewers

• Guidelines and Workbooks for Assessors

Entering Canada as an Assessor or Reviewer

Citizenship and Immigration Canada notes that professors and academic experts may come to Canada to evaluate academic projects and research proposals. In these cases they do not need a work permit.