Academic Program Suspension and Cancellation Operating Procedure

To outline how Cambrian College (“the College”) makes decisions and communicates intake suspensions, program suspensions, and program cancellations.

This procedure applies to all Ministry approved programs with the following credentials: Ontario College Certificates, Ontario College Diplomas, Ontario College Advanced Diplomas, Ontario College Graduate Certificates, and Degrees granted by Cambrian College.

Dormant program: a program approved for funding that has never been delivered or that has not been delivered for more than five years and has not been reported to the ministry as cancelled.

Intake suspension: involves the suspension of a specific intake cycle (e.g. fall) for the program at a specific site. The program is expected to remain as part of Cambrian’s active program mix. An intake suspension does not necessarily impact intakes outside of a specific site, delivery mode, or cycle, unless otherwise decided.

Program cancellation: a program that the College is no longer offering and in which no students are enrolled nor being taught out as part of the teach-out period. Cancellation of a program entails the official cancellation of the program with the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence, and Security (MCURES). The program will no longer be offered by the College and is removed from the list of program offerings.

Program suspension: a program that the College has decided not to admit its first year or beginning level of students, and for which it will develop a transition plan to teach out those students currently registered in the program.

1. Intake Suspension

1.1. Academic Deans review data and submit proposals for program intake suspension to the Vice President, Academic (VPA) for consideration, as required.

1.2. The VPA consults with the appropriate Academic Dean(s) on proposals.

1.3. The VPA presents recommendations for intake suspension to Senior Team.

1.4. Upon approval by Senior Team, the VPA notifies the appropriate Academic Dean/Chair; Planning, Institutional Research, and Quality; Pathways; Marketing, Recruitment, and Student Success; International; Human Resources; and the Registrar.

1.5. The Deans/Chairs notify:

1. 1. Full and part-time faculty, and arrange alternative teaching assignments of full-time faculty and staff as required.
   2. Current students, if applicable

1.6. The Office of the Registrar coordinates notification to applicants and offers other program options, where possible. Applicants should be notified at least four weeks prior to the program start date.

1.7. The academic school works with impacted full-time students to develop transition/teach-out plans that lead to alternative program options and/or program completion.

1.8. The academic school and the Pathways Office work with impacted part-time students to develop transition plans that lead to alternative program options and/or credit course completion.

2. Program Suspension or Cancellation

2.1. Academic Deans review data and submit proposals for program suspension or program cancellation to the VPA for considerations, as required.

2.2. The VPA consults with the appropriate Academic Dean(s) on proposals.

2.3. The VPA provides updates to the Strategic Enrolment Committee on program suspensions and program cancellations.

2.4. The VPA presents recommendations to Senior Team for endorsement.

2.5. Upon endorsement by Senior Team, the VPA presents program suspensions and/or program cancellations to the Board of Governors for approval.

Note: Board motions to approve a program suspension include approval for any future cancellation of the program, as determined by the College.  Once a program has been suspended and reported to the Ministry, the College may decide to cancel the program with the Ministry at its discretion

2.6. Once approved by the Board of Governors, the VPA notifies the appropriate Academic Dean/Chair; Planning, Institutional Research and Quality; Pathways; Marketing, Recruitment, and Student Success; International; Human Resources; and the Registrar.

2.7. The VPA ensures that there is adherence to contractual protocols with academic bargaining unit members.

2.8. The Academic Deans/Chairs notify:

1. 1. Full and part-time faculty, and for full-time faculty, arrange alternative teaching assignments with the understanding that every effort will be made to revise workloads in a manner that facilitates the necessary changes.
   2. Current students, to provide academic counselling and develop transition plans that lead to alternative credentials or credit course completion.
   3. The Program Advisory Committee Chair.
   4. The timetabling personnel regarding faculty loading/timetable changes.

2.9. The Office of the Registrar notifies all applicants and offers other program options where possible.

2.10. Applicants and students should be notified at least four weeks prior to the program start date.

2.11. Planning, Institutional Research, and Quality (PIRQ) formally notifies MCURES of the program decision and submits a letter signed by the College president.

3. Dormant Programs

3.1. The Ministry will review program lists at regular intervals to identify programs that have been dormant or suspended for five years or more.

3.2. A list of programs identified for automatic cancellation will be sent to the College president. The College will have 30 days to notify the ministry of changes to the status of a program on the list. At the end of the 30-day period, the programs that have not been identified as still active will be cancelled.

4. Re-activation of a Suspended or Cancelled Program

4.1. Any program that has been formally suspended and reported to the Ministry shall follow the Program Modification Operating Procedure and must be approved by the Board of Governors to re-activate and resume intake. The College will notify the Ministry of the decision and submit a letter signed by the College president.

4.2. Any program that has been cancelled and reported to the Ministry will require re-approval as a new program and must adhere to the New Program Development and Approval Policy and Procedure to be re-instated. A new funding approval application form must be submitted to the Ministry.