A key component of the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario’s mandate is to advise the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities on the accountability of the postsecondary education sector, particularly on the format and content of Multi-Year Accountability Agreements (MYAAs) between the Ministry and institutions. Thus, the Council welcomed an opportunity to discuss this important challenge at a workshop organized in collaboration with the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) at Ryerson University on November 23, 2007.
The workshop brought together representatives from Ontario universities who are responsible for compiling and using performance indicators (PIs) in academic planning, and had three primary objectives: first, to compile and circulate an inventory of all PIs that universities currently produce and make public, and to address any issues around data availability and reliability; second, to discuss how PIs were used in academic planning; and third, to seek advice on constructing a framework for MYAAs.
In support of the workshop and the Council’s future accountability-related research, an inventory of the performance indicators currently utilized at Ontario universities was prepared by COU staff in cooperation with all universities in the province. The inventory, called the Ontario Universities Performance Indicators Matrix, presents PIs by institution, organized under four broad categories – accessibility, quality, accountability and inter-institutional relations. Hard copies of the matrix are available upon request. To obtain a copy please e-mail info@heqco.ca or call 416-212-5248.
HEQCO wishes to thank workshop participants for making time in their busy schedules to assist the Council in this important task. Special thanks go to the workshop’s exceptional group of presenters, as well as Jamie Mackay and COU staff, and all those involved in producing the performance indicators matrix. Their contributions were invaluable to the ultimate success of the workshop.
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