The Douglas College Board Thursday announced it has initiated an independent review of the policies and procedures governing the college's partnership programs in China.
The review follows up on issues raised in a 2010 internal review of the college's partnership programs related to the Heilongjiang Institute of Science and Technology (HIST) in Harbin, China.
"Our internal review identified issues around English-language proficiency and supplemental exams, which led to changes that were implemented by faculty and administration in 2010 and 2011," says Paul Wates, chair of the Douglas College board. "The independent review is to ensure that those changes have been effective and sufficient in 2012 to meet Douglas College standards."
Following the internal review in 2010, admission standards were raised, class sizes were reduced by half and English-language instruction was added to the second year of studies. In 2011, policies governing supplemental exams were also changed.
The independent external review, being conducted by Deloitte and Touche, will look at controls in place related to the examination process, student grades and course marks awarded in the programs as well as the processes and structures in place for the oversight of the programs in China. The findings of the report will be available to the public following its conclusion in March.
"We are committed to international education as part of our strategic plan," Wates says. "We are also committed to academic excellence, whether our programs are in Canada or around the world."
Since 1998, Douglas College has offered Chinese students the opportunity to earn diplomas or certificatesin Business Administration and, after 2008, degrees. Studying in Shanghai or Harbin, students follow a Douglas College curriculum taught in English by Canadian Douglas College faculty, as well as by Chinese faculty. The programs are independent partnerships, receiving no provincial or federal funding.
Douglas College is one of the largest colleges in British Columbia, providing a variety of bachelor's degrees, university transfer, career and post-degree programs for over 20,000 students each year.
