Records of academic program quality assurance and accreditation.
Responsible Unit | Information Steward | Information Confidentiality Classification | Retention | Disposition | Archival Records | Authority | Retention Rationale | Version Information
Content & Scope
Academic program cyclical reviews, reviews of new programs and reporting of program major modifications are carried out under the University’s Institutional Quality Assurance Process (IQAP). A number of University of Waterloo programs are also subject to accreditation by professional bodies at the provincial, Canadian, or international levels. After initial accreditation, programs are subject to periodic review at intervals determined by the relevant accrediting bodies.
This class includes records relating to the IQAP, accreditation of professional programs, and other quality assurance activities within academic programs. Records include self-study reports, appraisal briefs, review team/consultants' reports, responses, chairs/directors' and Deans' reports outlining future strategies, follow-up reports where required, decisions, and related correspondence. Accreditation records also include: other reports required by the accrediting body; site visit reports; accreditation decisions; annual, interim, and other between review reports; and, records relating to complaints and appeals of accreditation decisions.
Responsible Unit
- Associate Vice-President Academic: undergraduate program reviews and some augmented reviews;
- Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs: graduate program reviews and some augmented reviews;
- Faculty of Engineering: accreditation of all engineering programs
- In other faculties, the schools and departments responsible for initiating and maintaining accreditation for particular programs are responsible for the associated accreditation records.
- Faculties, academic departments and schools: records of academic program quality assurance activities not specifically associated with cyclical program reviews and accreditation.
Information Steward
- Associate Vice-President Academic: undergraduate program reviews and some augmented reviews;
- Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs: graduate program reviews and some augmented reviews;
- Faculty Deans: accreditation of programs within their faculties; records of academic program quality assurance activities not specifically associated with cyclical program reviews and accreditation.
Information Confidentiality Classification
- Public: templates, guidelines and reports intended for public release.
- Confidential: all other records.
Retention
Until the next program review or accreditation cycle is complete, and then until superseded or obsolete.
Disposition
Archives Selection.
Records which are not selected for the University archives should be destroyed at the end of their retention period. All confidential records must be securely destroyed.
Note
Responsible Units should document the disposal/destruction of official records using the University records destruction form or equivalent documentation, to verify that we are following our records retention rules.
Archival Records
Cyclical academic program review and accreditation records are of long-term historical value to the University. Please contact the University Records Manager for further assistance with these records at the end of their retention period.
Authority
- University of Waterloo. Institutional Quality Assurance Process (IQAP).
- Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance. Quality Assurance Framework;
- Policies and procedures of accreditation bodies.
Retention Rationale
The retention period is based on operational use. These records have long-term historical value.
Under Review Date
24 January 2020
Previous Version
26 July 2010
(This records retention schedule replaces TL10 – Accreditation, TL15 – Graduate Program Review, and TL18 – Undergraduate Program Review)