Introduction
In January 2015, in accordance with the Royal Military College of Canada (RMCC) Institutional Quality Assurance Process (IQAP), the cyclical review of the Bachelor of Military Arts and Science (BMASc) (30 Credits) and the BMASc Honours (40 credits) was started. To carry out this review, the Dean of Continuing Studies, who is responsible for the BMASc programmes, set up the BMASc IQAP Cyclical Review Committee. The BMASc IQAP cyclical review process involved several steps which will be described in the section below. This document represents the Final Assessment Report for submission to the RMCC Senate for approval.
Overview of BMASc IQAP Cyclical Review Process
After a comprehensive data gathering phase from January to June 2015, the BMASc IQAP Cyclical Review Committee completed a draft Self-Study Report (SSR) in summer 2015. As part of the Self-Study process, the draft report was submitted to the Dean of Continuing Studies and circulated among members of the Division of Continuing Studies (DCS). In August 2015, the SSR was submitted to the External Review Committee (ERC), comprised of Dr. Danielle Charbonneau, Associate Professor, Department of Military Psychology and Leadership at RMCC and Dr. Allan English, Associate Professor, Department of History, Queen’s University. After reviewing the SSR, the ERC asked for further clarifications and statistical data, which involved additional data mining and research by the BMASc IQAP Cyclical Review Committee. Consequently, a more comprehensive SSR was written and re-submitted to the ERC on 29 February 2016. The ERC confirmed that the second submission met their expectations, and subsequently the Site Visit was planned.
During the Site Visit, which took place at RMCC on 12-13 May 2016, the ERC met with senior RMCC administrators, including the Vice-Principal Academic and the Dean of Continuing Studies, the BMASc Programme Chair, DCS staff, including Programme Services Supervisor, Business Planner, Administrative Officer, Exam coordinator, Undergraduate Programme Representative, Course Development and Delivery Manager, Instructional Designer, Communication and IM Services Manager, and staff from other RMCC offices, including the Director of Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition, the Chief Librarian and the Head of Technical Services & Systems, Library.
The ERC produced a report dated 17 June 2016 based on the SSR and Site Visit. The ERC report was circulated by the Dean of DCS among various members of DCS and discussed in detail during various meetings of the BMASc IQAP Cyclical Review Committee. Overall, the ERC report was well received and many of its recommendations are in line with the recommendations of the SSR.
The BMASc IQAP Cyclical Review Committee conducted a thorough comparative analysis of the ERC and SSR reports and based on that, completed a Programme Response Report, which was submitted to the Dean of DCS on 01 Sep 2016. After receiving the Dean’s approval and comments, the Programme Response was finalized and resubmitted to the Dean of DCS in its final version 08 Sep 2016. The programme response was deemed very comprehensive and it provided a good foundation for the Final Assessment Report.
Summary of Strengths of the Programmes
The ERC recognized a number of strengths of the BMASc programmes, including that:
- All required courses are available in English and in French and these courses are comparable, concluding that the two streams are receiving equivalent programmes with respect to core courses;
- Most Degree Level Expectations (DLEs) are being met by all students;
- The modes of delivery are appropriate in meeting the programmes’ identified learning outcomes;
- The senior credit requirements are reasonable; and
- The assessment methods for all core courses are appropriate.
The ERC also acknowledged that the BMASc programmes benefit from the positive relationships that exist between DCS staff and members of other key services such as the Registrar’s Office which introduced the Degree Navigator Audit that allows DCS staff and students to monitor academic progress of BMASc students, and the PLAR section which is crucial in providing complimentary service to mature students and military members, in particular, by recognizing their prior learning.
As an area of exceptional achievement, the external reviewers commended the efforts of the DCS and RMCC Library staffs toward keeping the BMASc programmes viable, in spite of significant personnel and resource cuts made in 2012.
The Division of Continuing Studies is committed to maintaining and building on these strengths.
Summary of Opportunities for Programme Improvement and key Recommendations
The ERC found a number of areas of concern or which required improvement, as well as areas holding promise for enhancement. The most significant concerns include: missing information from the RMCC Calendar; the fact that a few students do not meet the programmes’ DLEs; and providing better access to online resources through the RMCC library. The key areas holding promise for enhancement include: creating an award for BMASc students; providing student support through the RMCC Writing Centre; adding minors to the BMASc degrees; conducting student exit surveys; encouraging more RMCC faculty to teach online; and offering an online tutorial “Introduction to University”.
Additionally, the BMASc IQAP Review Committee acknowledges the high level of effort required through the course of the IQAP process to map the DLEs to each course in the programme based on historical information. This should be addressed at the outset, during the design of new courses or major modifications of existing courses presented at Syllabus Committee.
The table below provides, in priority order, a clear summary of the identified areas of concern and those requiring improvement, as well as areas holding promise for enhancement, with the corresponding proposed action or recommendation to be implemented by the Office of Primary Interest (OPI) (identified by position in some instances).
| Areas identified as requiring improvement | Action/Recommendation |
|---|---|
| 1. Make both PO205 Canadian Politics and Society and PO116 Introduction to International Relations mandatory in the core of the BMASc degrees so that all students meet the applicable DLEs. | 1. The BMASc Chair will present this change to the Syllabus Committee in 2016-17 for change in degree requirements and calendar entries in 2017-18. |
| 2. Augment BAE268 Introduction to Defence Resource Management/AAF268 Introduction à la gestion des ressources de la défense to meet the DLEs related to the ability to communicate orally and the ability to work effectively with others (group work). This course is currently in the BMASc core, but is not meeting any specific DLE. | 2.DCS OPI will meet with the Head of the Management and Economics Department 2017-18 to discuss augmentation of BAE268/AAF268 courses in 2018-19. |
| 3. Add a definition of “Military Arts & Science” in the RMCC calendar drawing from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Profession of Arms manual and material to ensure the definition remains current. | 3.DCS OPI will update the definition of “Military Arts & Science” in 2017-18 and provide it to the Registrar’s office to update the calendar in 2018-19 |
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4. Add programme-specific DLEs to the RMCC calendar, as listed below, with any enhancements that may have been made based on the new definition of “Military Arts & Science”: i. ability to reason scientifically; |
4. DCS OPI will update the programme-specific DLEs for the BMASc degrees, once the new definition of “Military Arts & Science” has been updated, and will ensure that the programme specific DLEs are captured and made available in a central location to be determined by 2018-19. |
| 5. Add pertinent DLEs to new core courses and core courses undergoing major modifications. For current core courses, not undergoing major modifications, add the pertinent DLE’s being met by each course. |
5. If a new core course is being developed or a major modification is being made to an existing core course, the pertinent DLEs must be included in the course manuals (i.e. syllabi) by the relevant department OPI. Ongoing. For current core courses, DCS OPI in collaboration with the relevant department OPI will add DLEs to the appropriate course manuals in 2018-19 and the Vice-Principal Academic will ensure that similar practices are employed for all other RMC courses. |
| 6. Improve access to RMCC library online resources. | 6.The RMCC VP-Academic needs to ensure that the library is properly resourced to improve online resource access in 2018-19. |
| 7. Develop a new online tutorial on library literacy. | 7.The RMCC Chief Librarian needs to ensure that the previously offered tutorial is updated and made available in 2018-19. |
| 8. At least one of the two required science courses should have a substantial quantitative content. | 8.The BMASc degrees do currently meet the DLE concerning the ability to review, present, and interpret quantitative information. However, DCS OPI will meet with Heads of the Chemistry Department and the Physics Department in 2017-18 to discuss the development of online versions of the equivalent French courses to CCE106 Basic Chemistry and PHE 203 Introduction to Astronomy (currently available in English only online). These are the most popular science courses currently completed online in 30 credit degrees and the ERC referred to them as Science courses that are “more quantitative and, as such, more likely to satisfy the quantitative DLE requirement”. New courses to be offered starting in 2018-19. |
| 9. More options should be offered to students to satisfy the DLE on knowledge of technology, in addition to HI275 Survey of Technology, Society and Warfare and HI475 Technology, Society and Warfare. | 9.The BMASc degrees do currently meet the DLE related to understanding of the basis of modern technology. However, DCS OPI will meet with Management and Economics Department Head in 2017-18 to discuss the development of an online version of AAF220 as it is currently available in English only (BAE220 - Introduction to Information Technology) and could also be taken to enhance student’s knowledge of technology. New course to be offered starting in 2018-19. |
| 10. Professors developing courses should be encouraged to consider adding verbal communication as a learning objective to their course. | 10. DCS OPI will encourage all professors developing courses or doing major course reviews to include verbal communication as a learning objective to their courses enabled by appropriate resources and technology. Ongoing. |
| 11. DCS should continue to encourage departments to have permanent faculty teach online courses. | 11. DCS Dean will keep encouraging Departments to assign some of their permanent faculty to teach online. Ongoing. |
| 12. An exit survey should be provided to all students in an effort to get details about the reason for their departure (graduation, transfer elsewhere, made historical due to lengthy period of inactivity, etc.). | 12. DCS OPI will lead the development of an exit survey for BMASc students in 2017-18. Once developed and approved, the survey will be deployed through the RMCC Quality Assurance (QA) office to ensure it does not conflict with course evaluation surveys starting 2018-19. |
| 13. Course evaluation forms should be adapted for online courses and distance students’ experiences. | 13. DCS OPI, in consultation with the relevant departments and the director of QA, will meet to discuss adaptations of course evaluation forms in 2017-18 with an implementation date of 2018-19. |
| 14. Create a yearly award for the BMASc and BMASc Honours student with the highest academic standing. | 14. BMASc Chair will develop criteria for this award in 2017-18 and will present this recommendation to the RMCC Prizes and Awards Committee in 2018-19. |
| 15. Students in the BMASc degrees should have the option of completing a Minor such as those available in BA degrees. |
15. BMASc Chair, in consultation with the relevant departments, will present to the Syllabus Committee in 2017-18 this recommended change in degree options resulting in a change in degree requirements and calendar entries in 2018-19. The same courses that are required for the BA with a Concentration would meet the Minor requirements in the BMASc so no further resources would be required for this enhancement. The BMASc Chair will consult with the QA Director regarding meeting IQAP requirements. |
| 16. RMCC should provide statistical data regarding CAF members under the Continuing Education Officer Training Plan (CEOTP) to the CAF as appropriate. | 16. The RMCC Registrar needs to ensure that the undergraduate admissions form for Distance Learning students includes a section for self-identification as an Officer in the CEOTP plan starting in 2017-18. This will allow RMCC to provide statistical data on CEOTP numbers to the CAF as appropriate. |
| 17. Offering an online tutorial such as “Introduction to University” should beinvestigated. |
17. DCS OPI, in consultation with the relevant departments, will collaborate in the development of an on line tutorial “Introduction to University”, which would include a module on academic integrity in 2018-19. This tutorial could adapt an existing course from one of the CVU partner universities such as Athabasca. |
| 18. RMCC Writing Centre should provide tutoring to online students, with appropriate personnel and online tools. | 18. The RMCC Dean of Arts needs to ensure that the Writing Centre is properly resourced to offer tutoring to online students in 2018-19. |