The OCQAS and its College Quality Assurance Audit Process (CQAAP) is recognized by the International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) as being an agency that meet the Guidelines of Good Practice (GGP), and was developed to ensure quality and continuous improvement in Ontario’s colleges.

The CQAAP is an institutional level process that involves the regular and cyclical review of each college’s quality assurance mechanisms. The standards provide the framework for Ontario’s colleges in assessing the extent to which their quality assurance mechanisms meet the established standards. Its purpose is developmental and its intent is to ensure continual improvement.

CQAAP Continuous Improvement

As a part of OCQAS’s system of continuous improvement of its own activities that emphasize flexibility in response to the changing nature of higher education, the effectiveness of its operations, and its contribution towards the achievement of its objectives, the OCQAS continues to engage in a range of activities:

  • The OCQAS has conducted an internal self-review of its own activities, including of its own effect and values. The OCQAS has also been subject to external reviews: the evaluation of the PQAPA pilot in 2006 (Massy Report), the review of the OCQAS services in 2010 (J Randall Report), and recognition from the International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) in 2011 and 2021.
  • The OCQAS recognizes that the quality assurance processes and practices are the responsibility of the institution, and that as independent entities they are best positioned to develop and implement policies, practices, and procedures that best suit their own experience. In that respect the OCQAS continues to take a consultative approach in all aspects of the delivery of service.
  • Finally, the OCQAS collaborates in areas such as exchange of good practices, capacity building and review of decision, provision of transnational education, and joint projects.

If you would like to learn more about the history and development of CQAAP, we invite you to visit the CQAAP background page. If you are looking for useful tools and templates to prepare for your CQAAP audit, we encourage you to check out the CQAAP resources page.