The OCQAS is aware of the broader environment in which it operates and engages with individuals and organizations connected to Ontario’s public college system to support the development and implementation of its quality assurance activities. These include Ontario public colleges, quality assurance professionals, auditors, the Management Board, operating groups, and provincial committee representatives.

As described under Requirements 9.3 and 13.3, the OCQAS engages these groups through formal and informal consultation processes associated with the development and review of quality assurance standards, procedures, and guidance documents, as well as through working groups, Board meetings, and ongoing dialogue with colleges. These mechanisms ensure that the OCQAS’ quality assurance activities including their development, implementation and continuous improvement are informed by diverse perspectives and remain responsive to the needs and expectations of the Ontario public college system.

The OCQAS also engages with the broader international quality assurance community to inform its practices. As part of this work, the OCQAS conducted interviews with 17 quality assurance agencies globally to better understand emerging practices and approaches (lessons learned across different quality assurance systems). Insights gained through this engagement have directly informed enhancements to OCQAS processes, including the introduction of audit panel chairs presenting audit reports to the Management Board, refinements to audit interview structures (such as reducing the number of participants per interview and separating students and graduates), adjustments to the audit cycle duration, and the development of practices to support virtual audit activities. These changes demonstrate the OCQAS’s commitment to learning from international practice and applying relevant improvements within its own context.

The OCQAS involves relevant invested parties directly in its governance structures and consultation activities that inform the development and oversight of its quality assurance framework.

The OCQAS Management Board provides governance oversight of the agency and includes representation from multiple groups connected to the Ontario public college system. Every member of the Management Board represents invested parties, including a college president, vice-presidents academic, and college quality assurance professionals. The Board also includes students and quality assurance experts, ensuring that diverse perspectives inform the development and oversight of OCQAS policies and frameworks.

The Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCURES) is invited to participate in unique project discussions when appropriate to ensure alignment with provincial policy directions, although it is not formally represented on the Board.

The composition of the Management Board and the processes governing appointments and terms are established in Management Board Structure and Membership Policy 04 and related procedure (Management Board Appointments and Terms Procedure 04-1) , which are publicly available on the OCQAS website (www.ocqas.org).

This policy (Management Board Structure and Membership Policy 04, 2021) was reviewed in November 2024, in which a student seat was added and again in February 2026 to modify the terms of the appointments and the addition of the role of a Vice Chair. As the OCQAS is reviewing policies, it is now removing procedural language and creating separate procedure documents. The new Management Board Appointment and Terms Procedure has been implemented since November 2024.

Through this governance structure, together with consultation processes described in Requirement 16.1, the OCQAS ensures that the development and oversight of its quality assurance framework reflect the expertise and perspectives of those directly involved in the Ontario public college system.