The assistance of Industry Canada in supporting this project is gratefully acknowledged.

Postsecondary education touches the lives of all Canadians, and informs and enriches the lives of most. Over 1.4 million students are now enrolled in colleges and universities, full and part time. By 1995, 25% of the population 15 years and over held a college diploma or certificate, and 13%, a university degree. In addition many individuals access training and further education through private providers.

Postsecondary education (PSE) is about much more than individual development. The social, cultural, and economic health of the diverse regions of Canada is interlinked with the health of their postsecondary education systems. As society and the economy become increasingly dependent on the production, distribution, and use of knowledge and information, so too the institutions responsible for nurturing our intellectual capital through advanced education and training, research, and service have taken on an increased importance in the policy agendas of the provinces and territories.

Recognizing this, provincial and territorial governments across Canada have been actively engaged in discussions with learners, institutions, and society to identify how public policy and public funding can best support the evolving role of the PSE sector and individual institutions and learners within it. Each region of Canada has a different social, economic, and cultural context and set of challenges, but all agree that for institutions to act most effectively in the public interest and to be accountable, public expectations should be made clear.

This document is designed to assist participating jurisdictions⁽¹⁾ in discussing those public expectations for their PSE systems and to contribute to the formulation of a report to ministers in February 1999. A generic set of draft expectations is offered as a focus for discussion. We want to hear the views of PSE stakeholders on their suitability and adequacy. Each jurisdiction has responsibility for consultations with its own institutions and organizations. CMEC will coordinate consultations with national organizations.

This is an important and exciting project. The PSE system in each of the regions of Canada will play a central role in addressing the challenges of our evolving society. But our horizons must not be set too narrowly. The intellectual enrichment of individuals and the expansion of knowledge frontiers are long-term activities that require vision and commitment, and innovation in the structures, policies, and practices of governments, institutions, and partners in postsecondary education. We invite your participation in this important consultation.

Education is an investment in the individuals and communities of Canada.

"[E]ducation is a lifelong learning process ... the future of our society depends on informed and educated citizens who, while fulfilling their own goals of personal and professional development, contribute to the social, economic, and cultural development of their community and of the country as a whole."⁽²⁾

In this 1993 Joint Declaration of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), ministers responded to the premiers'⁽³⁾ call for them to provide "leadership for change and ... the strong national voice for education in Canada." In accepting this challenge the ministers stated that in addition to developing and adapting policies for our education systems to the needs of the various regions and communities of Canada,

"We share many common educational goals ... We jointly want to have the highest quality education based on shared and relevant goals, and to demonstrate accountability for achieving them ...

We are embarking on an action plan to address education concerns now and into the next century. This plan must involve national cooperation, in the context of lifelong learning, with all partners ..."⁽⁴⁾

The CMEC Postsecondary (PSE) Expectations Project (PEP) is a key deliverable on that cooperative action plan -- articulation of the desired outputs and outcomes of the PSE sector in a way that has operational significance.

This document is designed to promote constructive dialogue and cooperation among educational stakeholders (institutions, learners, employers, government, citizens). The outcomes of that consultation will be considered by ministers in February 1999.

For all of Canada's communities to thrive, there must be a healthy and continuously evolving PSE sector. It is the responsibility of governments to promote the development of shared and relevant goals and to provide a framework for accountability in relation to those goals within each jurisdiction. Those goals and the accountability framework are not an end in themselves, but a means of fostering continuous improvement in PSE through constructive dialogue and cooperative action.

The PEP will clarify pan-Canadian expectations for postsecondary education/adult learning and inform the activities of the respective jurisdictions. The following are active concerns of ministers:

• the overall quality, effectiveness, impact, and viability of PSE
• public accountability of institutions and the PSE sector as a whole in relation to public expectations
• effective government policies and actions -- i) allocation of public funds among program options, e.g., the shape and balance of student aid relative to institutional support; ii) assessments of effectiveness and efficiency of various interventions
• promoting differentiation of institutional roles
• fostering institutional and system change

Governments fund postsecondary education inasmuch as it is in the public interest. This amounts to a value statement of the extent to which the benefits from PSE flow to society, as well as the individual learner. With that investment come two particular responsibilities:

• to state what governments expect of the PSE sector, and
• to seek accountability for progress towards achieving those expectations that are defined as desirable outputs and outcomes.

This set of system-level expectations and accountabilities provides an essential basis for the interactions of governments and institutions.

Discussion of postsecondary education needs to be framed by a broadly shared vision of its overall role. The first challenge of this consultation is to explore views on the appropriate roles of the sector as a whole (including universities, colleges, private providers, distance education providers, and second chance providers).

1. to inspire and enable individuals to develop their capabilities to the highest potential levels throughout their life (for individual growth and fulfilment, for effective participation in the work force, and for meaningful contributions to society)

2. to advance knowledge and understanding

3. to foster the application of knowledge and understanding to the benefit of the economy and society

4. to serve the learning and knowledge needs of an adaptable, sustainable, knowledge-based economy at local, regional, and national levels

5. to help shape a democratic, civilized society ⁽⁵⁾

In the 1993 Joint Declaration four priority themes were identified -- quality, accountability, accessibility, and mobility, to which two more have since been added -- relevance/responsiveness⁽⁶⁾ and research and scholarship⁽⁷⁾. This consultation document proposes expectations in the context of these six overarching themes. Each is discussed in sequence, with specific statements of expectations proposed (see Appendix 1).

1. Quality
2. Accountability
3. Accessibility
4. Mobility
5. Relevance and Responsiveness
6. Research and Scholarship

1. Quality

   The PSE sector and its individual institutions provide high quality educational outcomes and intellectual environments in all activities. Institutions and the sector as a whole emphasize creativity and innovation and provide a diversity of learning environments, various forms of service to local and broader communities, and internationally respected research consistent with mandates.

2. Accountability

   Institutions, individually and collectively, provide information on programs and activities for i) informed choices by learners, ii) identifying institutional knowledge and research expertise, iii) government decisions on policies and the deployment of funds for PSE, and iv) broader institutional accountability to the public in relation to mandates and outcomes. This information is readily accessible and understandable to the public.

3. Accessibility

   The PSE sector accommodates and provides quality learning opportunities to qualified and motivated learners. Financial need is not a barrier to accessing learning. International students are received by institutions according to the importance and benefits of their inclusion within the PSE sector.

4. Mobility

   The PSE sector provides effective and efficient means for educational progression and for transitions among educational programs, institutions, sectors, and regions.

5. Relevance and Responsiveness

   Postsecondary education gives the learner the opportunity to acquire relevant and diverse competencies and skills, for example, academic mastery, technical capability, creativity, innovation, communication, cultural understanding, and sensitivity, for a complex social environment and labour market and promotes the productive connection of learning and work. The PSE sector is critically responsive to the changing needs of society, the economy, and the learner.

6. Research and Scholarship

   Research and scholarship in the PSE sector contributes to

   • the cultural, social, and economic development of communities, regions, Canada as a whole, and the global community
   • human resource development by training a highly educated and competitive work force, providing for a new generation of researchers, as well as the broad education of citizens.

PSE Expectations - An Expansion

A Consultation Document

Expectations are meaningful only if they have some operational significance. The following statements expand on the higher level expectations provided in the overview paper and are intended to be the focus of consultation with key stakeholders.

1. Quality
2. Accountability
3. Accessibility
4. Mobility
5. Relevance and Responsiveness
6. Research and Scholarship

1. Quality

   The Premises

   • Quality⁽⁸⁾ is interpreted in different ways by different institutions and constituencies, but some common attributes remain in terms of how learners and society benefit from PSE⁽⁹⁾ activities and the international frame of reference for PSE.
   • Quality is an essential characteristic of all PSE institutions. This includes quality in teaching, quality in learning, quality in research and scholarship, and quality in service.
   • Quality in PSE is not static, but an evolving concept shaped by and helping to shape international activities at the knowledge frontiers.

   The Expectations

   The PSE sector and its individual institutions provide high quality educational outcomes and intellectual environments in all activities. Institutions and the sector as a whole emphasize creativity and innovation and provides a diversity of learning environments, various forms of service to local and broader communities, and internationally respected research consistent with mandates.

   At a system level

   • Quality in substance -- all academic offerings (teaching, learning, service, research) no matter what mode of delivery, are of high quality and of a scope and level appropriate to their function within the sector.
   • Quality in diversity -- The PSE sector comprises a variety of interrelated study opportunities and settings, programs and institutions, and methods of teaching and learning, service, and research.

   At an institutional level

   • Institutional self-characterization -- Institutions publicly articulate their definition of excellence/quality in the context of their missions and their distinctive learning and research environments.
   • Instructional delivery -- Institutions plan, prepare, and deliver the curriculum in a way that fosters and supports student learning.
   • Quality of inquiry and research -- Where there is a research mandate, individuals, institutions, and networks of individuals and institutions conduct scholarship and basic and applied research and produce creative works of highest quality as judged by international standards.
   • Institutional quality management -- Institutions continuously monitor their outputs and take action to improve or discontinue programs and activities that are found to be substandard.
   • Quality in technological deployment -- Institutions promote innovation in curriculum design and in teaching and learning strategies that exploit the creative and educational powers of technology to advance learning and knowledge creation/dissemination objectives.

   At an individual level

   • Learner outcomes
   1. Field-specific learning -- Graduates exhibit field-specific learning, problem solving and analysis skills, and a capacity to access and use knowledge in their chosen area of study.
   2. Generic skills -- Graduates are equipped, in addition to field specific knowledge, with the skills required to search for, acquire, and hold employment. This includes effective oral and written communication skills, basic computer competence, critical thinking, and problem solving.
   3. Technology literacy -- Graduates, whatever their areas of specialization, demonstrate awareness of emerging technology and its potential in the workplace. They have the skills to deal, in a discriminating fashion, with the large volumes of complex information made available by communications and computer technologies.

2. Accountability

   The Premises

   • Institutions are accountable to stakeholders.
   • Governments have an incentive and an obligation to ensure that postsecondary education meets stakeholder needs as part of its accountability for the deployment of public funds.
   • Accounting for how the "inputs" are used, for example, financial accountability, is secondary to the issue of what is being accomplished and to what end for learners, and in research and service activities.
   • Transparency and accuracy in public reporting and advertising is a force for continuous improvement.
   • Effective system and institutional accountability is a quid pro quo for autonomy (in the context of the delegated autonomy/responsibilities at the institutional level).

   The Expectations

   Institutions, individually and collectively, provide information on programs and activities for i) informed choices by learners, ii) identifying institutional knowledge and research expertise, iii) government decisions on policies and the deployment of funds for PSE, and iv) broader institutional accountability to the public in relation to mandates and outcomes. This information is readily accessible and understandable to the public.

   At a system level

   • Articulation and coherence of vision -- The objectives of the overall PSE sector and each institution are clearly articulated, well integrated, and understood. These objectives frame the accountability provisions and reporting.
   • Public satisfaction -- PSE graduates are satisfied with their learning experiences and the results from those experiences. Employers are satisfied with recent hirings from the PSE sector.
   • Who funds what -- Funding proportions take into consideration the benefits that accrue to each partner.

   At an institutional level

   • Output and outcomes assessment -- Institutions state, monitor, and report on outputs and outcomes, demonstrating high quality in the design and delivery of postsecondary education, training, and research consistent with their institutional missions.
   • Comparable management statistics -- Institutions report relevant management statistics on an annual basis consistent with system-wide reporting standards⁽¹⁰⁾ in order to
     - generate public confidence in the institutional management and
     - provide the base for continuous self-assessment and improvement.
     This includes provision of data that are comparable among institutions in regard to the cost of instructional provision and research and service activities.
   • Transparency -- Institutions, individually and collectively, provide relevant, timely and easily accessed information in a form that is suitable for decisions by learners (educational pathways), faculty and boards (governance), and governments (funding).
   • Efficiency -- Resources provided by government, students, donors, and others are used efficiently and effectively at system and institutional levels. Institutions avoid unnecessary duplication in program offerings among institutions.
   • Program rationalization -- Institutions reassess, restructure, and rationalize their own program offerings and activities in ways consistent with their evolving missions.
   • Stewardship -- Institutions demonstrate stewardship over the physical plant and other facilities provided from public and private funds.

   At an individual level

   • Learner feedback -- Learners provide effective and timely feedback on the quality of learning opportunities and learning outcomes. That learner feedback has operational significance within the institution.

3. Accessibility

   The Premises

   • The concept of access includes both the transition to PSE from various educational, employment, and social situations and the transitions among the various learning opportunities within the PSE systems.

   The Expectations

   The PSE sector accommodates and provides quality learning opportunities to qualified and motivated learners. Financial need is not a barrier to accessing learning. International students are received by institutions according to the importance and benefits of their inclusion within the PSE systems.

   At a system level

   • Opportunity -- The PSE sector provides learning opportunities for qualified individuals with the capacity and the desire to further their education, training, and retraining, throughout their lives.
   • Diversity of choice -- Across the PSE sector, programs and learning opportunities are diverse and reasonably comprehensive, using a variety of delivery methods that accommodate part-time and full-time study and on- and off-campus study.
   • Financial barriers to access -- No qualified individual is denied the opportunity of undertaking or completing PSE studies only for want of financial means.
   • Non-financial barriers to access and progression -- Barriers to the access and mobility of qualified individuals are identified and removed.
   • Specific structural barriers to under-represented groups -- Institutions, individually and collectively, deploy best efforts to identify and remove barriers that inhibit recruitment and progression of under-represented groups, as learners, staff, and faculty. They publish measures of progress towards equality of opportunity and participation.

   At an institutional level

   • Outreach -- Educational institutions reach outside the physical constraints of their "bricks and mortar" to support lifelong learning, providing learning opportunities as, when, and where required.
   • Counselling - career, financial, and personal counselling is actively promoted for learners.

   At an individual level

   • Individual responsibility - Individuals have an obligation to contribute towards the costs of accessing postsecondary education.

4. Mobility

   The Premises

   • The concept of mobility entails movement:
     - among educational programs, institutions, and sectors
     - between the work force and the learning environment
     - between regions of Canada
     - between Canada and other countries
     
   • Repetition of mastered learning is inefficient.

   The Expectations

   The PSE sector provides effective and efficient means for educational progression and for transitions among educational programs, institutions, sectors, and regions.

   At the system level

   • Readiness for PSE -- Young people are able to make a smooth transition from high school to adult learning, having acquired the necessary level of learning and attitudes to, and aptitudes for, self-directed study.
   • Coordination -- All components of the PSE sector work in a cohesive and coordinated fashion to serve collectively the lifelong learning needs of individuals and local communities.
   • Qualification recognition -- Qualifications are portable, intelligible, and reputable and are recognized across regional and jurisdictional boundaries. Experiential learning is recognized.

   At the institutional level

   • Mobility within the PSE sector -- Institutions facilitate learners entering into, exiting from, and transferring between different components of the PSE sector, institutions, and programs, for example, through credit transfer, credit accumulation, and articulation agreements, to maximize efficiency and value in relation to the investment of learner time and money.
   • Informed choice -- Institutions provide the information necessary for learner decisions about movement among programs and pathways appropriate to learner needs and interests (including personal development, career relevance, cost).
   • Prior learning assessment and recognition -- There is formal recognition of experientially acquired skills and knowledge. No individual is required to duplicate learning or training for which they can demonstrate mastery.
   • International students in Canada -- International students in Canadian institutions enhance the educational experience for all and provide international linkages.

   At the individual level

   • Mobility for access -- Individual learners relocate as needed to access distinctive and differentiated programs and learning environments, wherever they may be located.
   • Mobility for lifelong learning -- Learners move freely between the labour force and the learning environment throughout their lives.
   • Canadian learners abroad -- A significant number of PSE learners study and/or work abroad as part of their PSE experiences.

5. Relevance and Responsiveness

   The Premises

   • Postsecondary education serves as a vital catalyst and facilitator for an adaptable, sustainable, knowledge-based economy and society at local, regional, national, and international levels.

   The Expectations

   The PSE sector gives the learner the opportunity to acquire relevant and diverse competencies and skills, for example, academic mastery, technical capability, creativity, innovation, communication, cultural understanding, and sensitivity, for a complex social environment and labour market and promotes the productive connection of learning and work. The PSE sector is critically responsive to the changing needs of society, the economy, and the learner.

   At a system level

   • Responsiveness to learners -- Institutions, individually and collectively, are responsive to the needs and expectations of learners.
   • Responsiveness to employers -- Institutions, individually and collectively, work with employers to address issues pertaining to the quality and quantity of graduates, the capacity for research, and employer needs for training and research services.
   • Responsiveness to the community -- Institutions, individually and collectively, transmit the values of knowledge, objectivity, tolerance, and citizenship.

   At an institutional level

   • Timeliness -- Institutions ensure their capacity to respond to major opportunities and challenges in a timely fashion.
   • Partnerships in education -- Institutions partner with industry and other employers to meet the lifelong learning needs of individuals and society.
   • Community interactions - There is active and systematic engagement of institutions (in relation to their education, service, and research roles) in local and regional matters in recognizing that:
     - learning communities are key economic units in the global economy
     - the social and cultural fabric of a community is enriched by a dynamic interaction between the PSE institution and its community.

   At an individual level

   • Individual role - Individuals have a role to play in articulating their learning and development needs and in providing feedback on how well the sector responds to their needs.

6. Research and Scholarship

   The Premises

   • The creation and dissemination of knowledge gained through scholarship and research is an important and valued activity for the PSE sector as a whole, and for Canada as an innovative and civilized society.
   • Within the PSE sector, all PSE institutions have a scholarship function; not all PSE institutions have a research function.
   • Research and research training activities in the PSE sector play a key role in regional and national systems of innovation, including sustaining the capacity to access, adopt, adapt, and utilize knowledge, wherever it is developed.⁽¹¹⁾

   The Expectations

   Research and scholarship in the PSE sector contributes to: the cultural, social, and economic development of communities, regions, Canada as a whole, and the global community. human resource development by training a highly educated and competitive work force and providing for a new generation of researchers and for the broad education of citizens.

   At a system level

   • Breadth and depth -- While the PSE sector as a whole maintains a broad and evolving research capability, it also recognizes the value of selective concentrations and differentiation among institutions for excellence and affordability. Within the overall PSE sector is a vibrant research environment that has the ability to attract and retain excellent researchers.
   • Quality assurance -- The systems, institutions, and individuals employ an open process of critical scrutiny and evaluation of research ideas and outputs to promote quality in research.
   • Partnerships in research -- Institutions and governments partner with the private sector in the funding and performance of research and in research training.

   At an institutional level

   • Explicit statement of balance -- Each institution shows a justifiable balance among teaching, scholarship, research, and service.
   • Diversity of research -- Institutions with a research mandate value scholarship of discovery, integration, education, and application.
   • Knowledge transfer -- Institutions promote the open dissemination and transfer of research results, and the international flow of people and ideas, while maximizing the potential returns to Canada on those outputs that are commercializable.
   • Intellectual property -- Institutions have clear policies concerning intellectual property rights.
   • Access to PSE expertise -- The research and scholarly expertise base of institutions is accessible to the local community.

   At the individual level

   • Networking and collaboration - Those faculty active in research build and maintain active linkages with other researchers and with research users across disciplines, institutions, sectors, and countries.

2. Joint Declaration -- Future Directions for the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, September 1993, p. 2.

3. The annual meeting of premiers, Baddeck, Nova Scotia, 1993.

4. Joint Declaration, p. 2.

5. Adapted from the 1997 report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, chaired by Sir Ron Dearing, United Kingdom.

6. See Education Indicators in Canada, Canadian Education Statistics Council, 1996.

7. The annual meeting of premiers, Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, 1997.

8. Note the terminology suggested by Robert Birnbaum on interpreting quality in relation to the differing perceptions of society and of individuals on the role of a PSE institution: The meritocratic view Institutional conformity to professional and scholarly norms. The social view The degree to which the institution satisfies the needs of important collective constituents. The individualistic view The degree to which the institution contributes to the personal growth of students.

9. The PSE sector comprises community colleges, CÉGEPS, universities, private providers, virtual education providers, and "second chance" educational providers.

10. See, for example, the annual publication of management statistics by the vice-chancellors of the UK universities.

11. The term "national innovation systems" refers to the set of institutions and flows of knowledge, including the creation of knowledge and its diffusion and application, that are understood to play a crucial role in innovation and economic progress.

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