The postsecondary education system in New Brunswick is described in CICIC's Postsecondary Education Systems in Canada, Provinces and Territories. The system can be divided into four categories of postsecondary program delivery:
Quality assurance mechanisms in New Brunswick's postsecondary education system vary by type of institution and program. They include
- legislation (statutes and regulations)
- affiliation
- credit transfer and articulation
- external and internal review
- provincial registration
- professional accreditation
- other organizations related to quality assurance
- Working Group on University Accountability
Universities
Legislation
New Brunswick has four public universities and three private universities established by individual statute. The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission Act establishes the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC), which has responsibility for all public universities in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The statute provides the commission with the responsibility of (a) reviewing all new program and proposed program modification proposals and (b) monitoring the institutions' quality assurance mechanisms. The commission is directly accountable to the Council of Atlantic Premiers.
Besides these institutions, the Degree Granting Act establishes the New Brunswick government as the sole authority in the designation of degree-granting institutions in the province. The Act also provides the Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour with the authority to conduct periodic institutional and program reviews to determine compliance with the act and regulations. The MPHEC does the institutional and program reviews within the Degree Granting Act process.
Affiliation
New Brunswick's public universities have no formal affiliations with other institutions. Private universities have affiliations with organizations such as the Acadia Divinity College, the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches, and the Wesleyan Church.
Credit Transfer and Articulation
Credit transfers between New Brunswick's public universities and other universities are considered by program and administrative staff on a course-by-course basis that includes a review of course content, student evaluation methods, and instructor qualifications.
In some programs there are informal agreements between New Brunswick universities and colleges that certain courses will be recognized. Credit transfers are also conducted on a case-by-case basis depending on the educational backgrounds of individual students from other institutions.
Some articulation agreements are in place between New Brunswick universities and community colleges. Through these agreements, specific academic programs are jointly developed and delivery is shared. Students undertaking these articulated programs are provided with a previously established and coordinated program of study at both the universities and community colleges where they can earn both a diploma and a degree. The quality of these joint programs is protected through the articulation agreements and the program review process at each institution.
External and Internal Review
The quality of New Brunswick's university programs is addressed in three additional ways. First, programs are evaluated by the universities' own processes of self-study and review conducted in accordance with internal policies and procedures. Second, the MPHEC reviews all new program proposals and all significant changes to existing programs. The commission focuses on continuous quality improvement of programs and teaching. The overall objective of program reviews is to ascertain the suitability of the program given its objectives, structure, institutional appropriateness, resources, stated student outcomes, and their relevance. Detailed program proposal guidelines are provided to institutions.
The third quality assurance activity is the MPHEC's monitoring of quality assessment procedures used by universities. This is especially important given that the cornerstone of quality assurance is self-assessment by the institutions. The specific objective of the MPHEC monitoring function is to ascertain that the procedures used by institutions to assess the quality of existing programs are performing adequately. The process is formative; institutional policies and practices are reviewed with a view to providing assistance and advice to institutions.
The process pays particular attention to each university's mission and values. MPHEC's quality assurance procedures start with internal reviews by the universities. For details on these procedures, contact the individual institutions.
Professional Accreditation
Many of Canada's regulated professions have associations that conduct accreditation reviews of university programs pertaining to their professions. In these instances, accreditation teams from the professions review reports provided by the universities and may establish criteria for curriculum, provide some staff, and conduct on-site visits in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the professions.
Other Organizations Related to Quality Assurance in Universities
All public universities in New Brunswick are members of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). Although the association does not perform formal quality assurance functions, it does maintain membership criteria that address the primary missions of institutions; the range of program offerings; the breadth and depth of programs; the nature of members' relationship with parent institutions; the size of enrolment; institutional focus on scholarship, academic inquiry, and research; and compliance with the principles of academic freedom and responsibility. Institutions applying for membership must host an AUCC Visiting Committee that reports to the AUCC Board of Directors on a variety of items and recommends a decision on whether the applying institution is providing education of university standard.
The Association of Accrediting Agencies of Canada (AAAC) is a national organization composed of professional associations involved in promoting good practices by its members in accreditation of educational programs.
Community Colleges
Legislation
The Adult Education and Training Act and its regulation govern New Brunswick's college postsecondary education and assigns responsibility to the minister of training and employment development. The minister's responsibilities include setting policy for non-university postsecondary programs, coordination of program development, and the establishment and operation of the New Brunswick Community College network (NBCC).
Affiliation
The NBCC network has no formal affiliations with universities or other colleges.
Credit Transfer and Articulation
In July 2000, the colleges of the four Atlantic provinces (Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island) signed a memorandum of understanding to "maximize the recognition and transfer of learning acquired through formal education, workplace training, and work and life experience." In accordance with this memorandum, member colleges have agreed to transfer credits for all courses to approved programs delivered by other members.
In some programs there are informal agreements between New Brunswick colleges and universities that certain courses will be recognized for credit transfer. Credit transfers are also conducted on a course-by-course basis depending on the educational backgrounds of individual students from other institutions.
Articulation agreements are in place between some colleges and universities. Through these agreements, specific academic programs are jointly developed, delivery is shared, and the universities generally grant applied degrees. The quality of these joint programs is protected through the articulation agreements and the program review process at each institution.
External and Internal Review
As a special operating agency, the NBCC network develops new program proposals and conducts internal reviews of existing programs. Program advisory committees with external representation from industry are employed in this process. Proposals on the need for new programs and significant program changes are reviewed by the NBCC management team. Those programs identified for analysis are subsequently reviewed to determine if necessary resources are available to deliver the program, following which a decision is made and financial support is determined. Programs that undergo less significant change to curriculum are reviewed by the colleges in consultation with related program advisory committees.
Additional quality assurance activities are provided by a Quality Management Unit (QMU), which conducts ongoing audits of programs and services at all locations, and whose reports are forwarded to the NBCC Management Team. All college programs are reviewed annually for performance on a number of factors including retention, graduation and employment rates, and student satisfaction. Further, programs are updated at least every three years in consultation with program advisory committees.
Apprenticeship
The Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Act and regulations provide the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour with responsibility for the administration of apprenticeship and certification in New Brunswick in designated occupations. The act also establishes the minister-appointed Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Board and program advisory committees in designated occupations.
The board's main function is to advise the minister on matters relating to apprenticeship including the designation of occupations, prerequisites for entry to the program and guidelines for implementation of training. The department is responsible for approving programs of study; providing periodic tests; supervising all training and approval of facilities; and approving of courses of study in pre-apprenticeship programs.
External and Internal Review
The Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Board is responsible for developing the curriculum of the in-class portion of apprenticeship training and for providing it to training deliverers. Although there is no prohibition to other deliverers providing this training, NBCC is currently the main provider of in-school apprenticeship training.
Quality of the program delivery is monitored through student surveys, on-site visits, and the success rates of technical training examinations and final examinations (Certificate of Qualifications).
An Interprovincial Standards "Red Seal" Program promotes and facilitates the standardization of provincial and territorial apprenticeship training, as well as the regular updating of national trades standards in order to reflect the ongoing technological changes taking place in all trades. The Canadian provinces and territories developed the Red Seal program in cooperation with the federal government (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada formerly Human Resources Development Canada) to standardize trade skill requirements and provide greater employment mobility throughout Canada. A provincial Certificate of Trades Qualification bearing the Red Seal provides training recognition in most jurisdictions throughout Canada. For employers in other jurisdictions, the Red Seal is an assurance of quality training and certification to nationally recognized standards.
Professional Accreditation
Many of Canada's regulated professions have associations that conduct accreditation reviews of college and institute programs pertaining to their professions. In these instances, accreditation teams from the professions review reports provided by the colleges and may conduct on-site visits in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the professions.
Other Organizations Related to Quality Assurance in Colleges and Apprenticeship
The Atlantic Provinces Community College Consortium (APCCC) was established in 1998 as an informal consortium of departments and institutions to enhance cooperation across the community colleges in the four Atlantic provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The activities, initiatives, and projects of the consortium are designed to reflect the values and principles agreed to by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) in A Report on Public Expectations of Postsecondary Education in Canada (February 1999). Key areas of performance expectations demonstrating these values and principles include quality and accountability among others. The primary activities of the consortium include sharing information, issues, and solutions and generally promoting consistency, cooperation, joint initiatives, and transferability across institutions. The impact of the consortium on program quality is indirect.
Membership in the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) is not mandatory for the NBCC network, but it is a member. ACCC does not perform formal quality assurance functions with respect to its members, but it does promote quality programming and the use of high academic standards by conducting research and facilitating broad discussion on quality assurance issues.
The Association of Accrediting Agencies of Canada (AAAC) is a national organization composed of professional associations involved in promoting good practices by its members in accreditation of educational programs.
The Atlantic Apprenticeship Council (AAC) was established to share common concerns and economical opportunities for cooperation among apprenticeship programs in the four Atlantic provinces (Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island). Apprenticeship training programs in the Atlantic provinces ensure consistent standards of achievement by using the same training standards in a large number of trades and Red Seal examinations for Certificates of Qualifications.
Private Training Institutions
Legislation
The Private Occupational Training Act and its regulation, administered by the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, have been established to regulate private sector training organizations delivering occupational training in a number of disciplines. The legislation is primarily established to provide financial protection for students attending private sector training organizations. In addition to registering the organization, programs, and teacher-instructors, the act and regulation make provision for the establishment of a Training Completions Fund. This fund, administered by a minister-appointed board, may be used to complete training for students who may be affected by a failure or closure of a registered training organization. The fund can also be used to reimburse students when training completion is not feasible.
The legislation also makes provision for a mandatory contract between the training organization and the student. There are a number of elements in the contract pertaining to areas such as competencies expected, teacher-instructor qualifications, course content, maximum class size, and prerequisites for admission. The training organizations are monitored on an annual basis to ensure that the organization is in compliance with the act and regulation. While all programs in excess of twenty-one hours must be registered and program outlines provided, reviews from a quality assurance perspective are not conducted.
External and Internal Review
Information on internal review processes may be obtained from individually registered private vocational schools.
The department provides schools with sample contracts to use with students and gives advice to students on how to select an appropriate training program. However, it does not review or approve private occupational training programs. Registration procedures require that schools provide the department with copies of course outlines, but reviews from a quality assurance perspective are not conducted.
Relevant Legislation
In addition to the above statutes and regulations, all New Brunswick universities are established under individual statutes.
Most provincial legislation can be accessed through the Internet.
Additional Sources of Information
- Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour
- Chestnut Complex
470 York Street
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3B 3P7 Canada
- Web Site: http://www.gnb.ca/0105/index-e.asp
- Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC)
- 82 Westmorland Street, Suite 401
P.O. Box 6000
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3B 5H1 Canada
Tel: (506) 453-2844
Fax: (506) 453-2106
Web site: http://www.mphec.ca/
List of recognized degree-granting and non-degree-granting postsecondary institutions in New Brunswick
Revision: February 4, 2008