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Guelph one of seven Ontario universities singled out for effectively monitoring quality and for accountability
U of G is among a group of universities singled out for effectively monitoring quality and accountability in a new report by the Ontario Council of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA).
Released earlier this month, the report is a response to recent provincial government announcements that say even more post-secondary funding in the future will be tied to performance linked to quality and accessibility objectives. Currently, performance measures of quality, including graduation rates, graduate employment after six months and graduate employment after two years, influence the distribution of a portion of provincial funds for universities.
But OCUFA says those measures don't accurately reflect quality of education or show how much progress universities are making. Universities must be allowed to continue using their own internal measures for determining effectiveness, quality and accountability because each institution is unique, the report says.
OCUFA names seven Ontario universities that it believes are doing an effective job of monitoring quality and being accountable: Guelph, Toronto, Carleton, Ryerson, Western, Queen's and McMaster.
Many of U of G's indicators used for quality assessment and planning are “student-focused,” including student satisfaction, diversity, recruitment, retention, enrolment and graduation. Other indicators are faculty research, class size, resource utilization, employment equity, education outcomes, and co-op and distance opportunities.
“We have always focused on the student experience at Guelph,” says president Alastair Summerlee, “so it's fitting that many of our measures of quality also focus on our students because that reflects our mission.”
U of G based its standard for quality on its unique characteristics and its teaching and learning environment, and this sets Guelph's performance indicators apart from the government's standard, he says. “These aren't just utilitarian measures of employment or graduation.”
Summerlee adds that it's gratifying to see U of G held up as an example for its proactive efforts.
“We have always embraced the values of public accountability and responsibility, and it's nice to have that acknowledged in this way. Our philosophy is that accountability is not just filing reports and making them available. It's also about setting clear and measurable objectives, then continuing with dialogue about whether these goals are being achieved.”
In its report, OCUFA notes that great variability exists among the seven schools reviewed in its report, which illustrates there isn't a “one size fits all” way to measure quality.
The report says the government's desire for accountability must be balanced with respect for a university's autonomy and the need to serve its mission.
OCUFA suggests doing away with the current indicators that stress graduation and jobs and not linking funding to any performance indicators. It says the key to improving quality is more money for higher education, which can be used to hire faculty and support staff, invest in resources and reduce student-faculty ratios.
