CAE’s Academic Quality unit welcomes new consultants, moves to consultancy model

A message from Jeff Post, Director, Academic Quality, Partnerships and Business Development in the Centre for Academic Excellence:

In September, the Academic Quality unit within the Centre for Academic Excellence will move to a consultant model that will have three Academic Quality (AQ) Consultants who will work closely with individual academic schools and programs to provide a broad range of services to better support academic quality and continuous improvement initiatives.

This new staffing model will allow Deans, Associate Deans, Program Coordinators and faculty more opportunity to enhance the rapport with their consultant, while each consultant will have an increased understating of the academic schools they are responsible for, as well as the interconnectedness between programs within each school.

Within their suite of programs, each AQ Consultant will be responsible for the following:

• Curriculum mapping and visualization
• Program reviews and reports
• Program of Instruction (POI) modifications
• Vocational Learning Outcomes (VLOs) updates

To support this new model, as well as contribute to achievement of the NC Strategic Plan, I am pleased to announce two new hires:

Joyce Bott is the new Quality Assurance and Pathways Manager in the CAE.

Joyce Bott has accepted the position of Quality Assurance and Pathways Manager within the Academic Quality department in the Centre for Academic Excellence.

No stranger to the CAE, Joyce has most recently worked as an Academic Quality Consultant within our department, providing invaluable support and guidance to Deans, Associate Deans and program faculty as they navigate the program review process.

In her new role, Joyce will oversee all aspects of academic programming offered at Niagara College Toronto as well manage the growth, development and maintenance of all student pathways and articulation agreements. Joyce brings a wealth of knowledge and experience with analyzing and interpreting data as well as designing new systems, processes and frameworks. These skills will serve her well in this new role.

A lifelong learner and alumni of Niagara College, Joyce holds a Bachelor of Science in Earth Science from Waterloo University, a Graduate Certificate in Computer Network Operations from Niagara College, and a Master of Education in Administration and Leadership from Brock University.

Karin Perry is a new Academic Quality Consultant in the CAE.

Karin Perry has recently accepted the role of Academic Quality Consultant.

Bringing a wealth of experience to this role, Karin recently served as the New Initiatives Project Development Specialist at Fanshawe College where she was responsible for introducing and implementing standards of practice for course development, review, and curriculum design. Prior to her work at Fanshawe, Karin served as the Professional Development Coordinator, Development and Training in the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Brock University. In this role, Karin was responsible for oversight of all curricular development, implementation, and coordination of all professional development workshops.

Karin’s vast experience in facilitating workshops and discussion will serve her well as she facilitates the program review and curriculum mapping processes. Her passion for education and sense of humour is greatly appreciated by her colleagues in the CAE.

Karin has Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Nutrition from Guelph University and a Master of Arts in Applied Health Sciences from Brock University.

Candace Rempel, who has served in the CAE since 2015, will continue in her role as Academic Quality Consultant. Our third consultant, who will join Karin and Candace will be hired in the coming weeks. Until that time, please contact me for any inquiries related to this portfolio.

The breakdown of programs by AQ Consultants is as follows:

In the coming weeks the AQ consultants will continue to work with their academic schools and programs to ensure they have the resources and support needed to maintain our rigorous Academic Quality standards. In addition, the Centre for Academic Excellence website will be updated to reflect the new portfolios for each AQ Consultant.

If you would like more information about the AQ consultants and their roles, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.