HEQCO became operational in 2007 and since that time has published, completed, or has in progress, more than 250 publications stemming from research it has conducted or commissioned.
In early 2011, as HEQCO neared the conclusion of its fourth operational year, its Board of Directors determined that an external expert review of HEQCO’s performance and its future plans would be appropriate. The following report was prepared for the HEQCO board by Lorne Whitehead, a professor and holder of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Industrial Research Chair in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of British Columbia. As UBC’s Leader of Education Innovation, he has also worked to apply the methodology of innovation to the improvement of teaching and learning. For his review, interviews with HEQCO senior executives and eight stakeholders were conducted in August and September of 2011. The report assesses the scope, quality and dissemination of HEQCO research, the fulfillment of its mandate and its future plans. Strategic opportunities and challenges for HEQCO are also addressed.