The Ontario College Quality Assurance Service (OCQAS) is established to provide effective and efficient mechanisms that ensure specific program quality and consistency standards are met by the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT) in Ontario.

Organizational Structure:
The OCQAS operates within the structure of the Colleges Ontario, and is responsible to a separate Management Board. The Management Board operates independently of government and of any individual college or the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. It develops policy and oversees the implementation of related processes within its specific mandate. Members of the Management Board are appointed, on recommendation of the Vice-Presidents, Academic, by the Committee of Presidents. Staff of the OCQAS is under the administrative direction of the Senior Director of Colleges Ontario.

The Management Board is made up of Senior Academic Officers from the Colleges and Curriculum / Instructional Design experts from the Colleges.

Responsibilities:
The OCQAS manages and oversees each of these two self-regulatory components for the colleges of applied arts and technology in Ontario. Each of the two services outlined above is developed, implemented, and made available to the college system independently, and yet will result in an overall, coordinated whole.

The first of these services, the CVS, became effective and operational February 1, 2005. The second component, the PQAPA, is being implemented as an initial one-year pilot project run in the 2005-2006 academic year with 5 volunteer colleges. Following an external evaluation of the pilot project, full implementation began spring 2007.

Staff:
The OCQAS is initially staffed by two positions; one full-time permanent senior staff to manage the overall service, and one bilingual position to provide French-language service to the French-language colleges. This staffing model will mean that service for French-language colleges will be available in French, and English-language services are available to the English-language colleges through both aspects of the OCQAS.

From time to time there may be need and opportunity to second additional staff resources, at peak times, to manage the workload.