Co-Operative Education Accreditation

CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION ACCREDITATION

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

"Cooperative education" isa model of education that integrates a student’s formal academic learning and workplace learning. The usual plan is for the student to alternate periods of school and work experience in appropriate fields of business, industry, government, social services and the professions in accordance with the following criteria:

(i)each workterm is developed and/or approved by the co-operative educational institution as a suitable learning environment;

(ii)the co-operative education student is engaged in productive, full-time work rather than merely observing, and intentionally reflecting on that work term;

(iii)the co-operative education student receives remuneration for the work performed;

(iv)the co-operative education student's progress on the job is monitored by the co-operative educational institution;

(v)the co-operative education student's performance on the job is supervised and evaluated by the student's employer;

(vi)the time spent in periods of work experience mustcomprise at least 30% of the time spent in academic study. For example, a traditional 4-year university program (8 academic terms) requires a minimum of 3 co-op work terms (of equal length to the academic terms). A college program with compressed academic terms must demonstrate that the duration of academic terms is equal to the number of expected hours/weeks on the work term.

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Contact Person:Click here to enter Contact Person.

[CAFCE Member]

Institution Name: Click here to enter Institution Name

Telephone:Click here to enter Telephone.

Fax:Click here to enter Fax.

Address:Click here to enter Address.

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Type of Post-Secondary Institution:

☐College☐Institute

☐University☐University College

☐Polytechnic☐Other ______

Nature of the Programs(check applicable option): / Non-Mandatory
Mandatory / Selective
(Institution’s Choice) / Optional
(Student’s Choice)
Co-op (alternating)
Co-op Internship

Total Full-Time Enrolment:

Institution-Wide:______

All Co-op Programs:______

This Program (including co-op): ______

This Co-op Program:______

This Application is for First-Time Accreditation: ☐Yes ☐No

☐If “No”, check here to confirm that a copy of the review recommendations from previous accreditation is included with this application.

CERTIFICATION:

"To the best of my knowledge and belief, the information on this application is true."

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______

Name

______

Title [e.g.: President, Vice President,

Associate Vice President, or Dean]

Signature (insert or sign here)

______

Date [MM/DD/YY]

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If you are applying for accreditation for multiple faculties, please complete information under this section for each faculty in the table below.

Faculty/Division/College/ Department/Centre / Undergraduate/ Graduate Program Name / List of Program Options (e.g., major, minor, discipline) / Co-operative Education Program Start Date [Year/Month] / Credentials Awarded (B.Sc., M.Eng., Ph.D., Diploma, etc.)

The program structure must facilitate student development and learning through the integration of and balance between work experience and academic study. Programs with multiple, alternating academic and work terms provide students with that opportunity. Co-op internship programs provide students with the opportunity for similar development through in-depth exposure with an employer during a single extended work experience.

1)Please provide a calendar or an equivalent official publication showing the following characteristics associated with the appropriate program type in Appendix 1.

Please complete either the co-op alternating or co-op internship table below that is relevant to your program.

Program Type: Co-op (alternating)

CAFCE Criteria / Our Program - Narrative / Status / Supporting Materials
- The total amount of co-op work experience is at least 30% of the time spent in academic study. For example, a program with 8 academic terms requires at least 3 work terms; one with 6 academic terms requires at least 2 work terms. / Appendix 1
- The length of each work term is approximately equal to the length of each academic term (for example, 4-month academic terms are balanced with 4-month work terms).
- A college program with compressed academic terms must demonstrate that the duration of academic terms isequal to the number of expected hours/weeks on the work term.
- Work terms and academic terms are full-time, alternate in a formalized sequence and end on an academic term.
- Co-op work terms occur in different seasons to ensure exposure to the work environment at different times of the year; any exceptions to this rule must clearly show that the type of work is seasonal in nature.

Program Type: Co-op internship

CAFCE Criteria / Our Program - Narrative / Status / Supporting Materials
-One continuous work period where the total amount of co-op work experience is at least 30% of the time spent in academic study.
-The work period is preceded by an academic period which is of sufficient duration, typically at least 50% of the program length.
-Both academic and work terms are full time and the program begins and ends with an academic term.

This section describes the institutional environment in which the applicant’s co-op program operates. It provides the review team with an understanding of co-op programs within the institution, including the structural, marketing and evaluation mechanisms for co-operative education. Provide information and a brief narrative for each question below:

STRUCTURAL

CAFCE Criteria / Our Program - Narrative / Status / Supporting Materials
2) Provide information about the history of co-operative education at your institution, including the list of programs offered. / Appendix 2
3) Indicate whether your co-op organizational model has a centralized administration, decentralized administration, both centralized and decentralized (i.e., coordinators are based in the academic unit but report to a co-op director or manager), or other. Provide an organizational chart for your institution, identifying co-operative education's relationship(s) within the organization, and ensure your program’s internal organizational chart is included. / Appendix 3
4) Describe and/or append a document that describes the information management system you have in place for co-op. / Appendix 4
5) Describe and/or append a document that describes your advisement support, such as advisory committees. If referencing an advisory committee, clarify membership (such as deans, faculty, employers, coordinators and students). / Appendix 5

MARKETING

CAFCE Criteria / Our Program - Narrative / Status / Supporting Materials
6) Provide marketing and promotional material samples. / Appendix 6

INTERNAL MECHANISMS/REVIEW

CAFCE Criteria / Our Program - Narrative / Status / Supporting Materials
7) Describe and provide samples of co-op evaluation and/or academic/administrative review processes that are in place and how results are reported within the institution. / Appendix 7
8) Provide co-op statistics that demonstrate the scope of your program in the following capacities
-the percentage of available students for the last three terms employed each work term; and,
-a three-year co-op employment summary (number employed and not employed) by discipline and by employment period. / Appendix 8

Demonstration of institutional commitment to co-operative education is required. The accreditation review team looks for evidence of institutional commitment, supported by approval from the highest academic body within the institution and formal recognition of co-op in the institution's calendar (or equivalent official document). Please provide the following:

Demonstrate the commitment of your institution for co-operative education and provide samples for each of the following (with pages appended and referenced):

CAFCE Criteria / Our Program - Narrative / Status / Supporting Materials
9) A sample document generated by the institution (degree, diploma, official transcript or certificate) that recognizes successful completion of the co-operative education experience and differentiates co-op from non-co-op graduates. Having co-op recorded on the official transcript is the minimum requirement. / Appendix 9
10) Evidence of the strategic priority co-op enjoys within the institution/faculty/program. / Appendix 10

Demonstration of practice and commitment to quality program delivery is required. Quality in program delivery includes standards for entry, progression, and completion of the program, fairness in the job competition process, quality of the paid co-op work experience, preparation of students, and support for learning obtained from the work term.

CAFCE Criteria / Our Program - Narrative / Status / Supporting Materials
11) A student must qualify for entering, continuing and graduating in co-operative education. / Appendix 11
12) Students are prepared by the program prior to participation in co-op work terms. Standards of behaviour have been established. / Appendix 12
13) There is equity and fairness in the job competition process. / Appendix 13
14) The institution approves suitable paid co-op work terms. / Appendix 14
15) Students are informed of the requirements for student-developed jobs. / Appendix 15
16) Communication to employers is provided in writing stating that students are engaged in paid and productive full-time work which is related to their academic and/or career objectives. / Appendix 16

Monitoring and evaluation are critical to co-operative education objectives and in ensuring quality program delivery. Employers, as major partners in the educational process, are made aware of their educational role, including their part in the evaluation process.

Monitoring and evaluation are a critical part of ensuring quality program delivery. Show how:

CAFCE Criteria / Our Program - Narrative / Status / Supporting Materials
17) Employers are informed of their integral role in co-operative education. / Appendix 17
18) Employers and students are informed of the purpose and practice of a) site visits and b) monitoring student performance. / Appendix 18
19) Students' progress/learning and performance on a work term are monitored and evaluated through a work term visit. For co-op internship work terms or multiple co-op work terms with the same employer, each term is evaluated separately. / Appendix 19
20) The requirement to complete a project/assignment or work term reports (including at least one formal written report) is communicated to students and employers. / Appendix 20
21) Student performance on-the-job is measured by the employer and monitored by the co-op coordinator. / Appendix 21
22) Employers and students discuss the students’ evaluation together at the end of the work term. / Appendix 22

While this section is not compulsory, being an accredited member of the Canadian Association for Cooperative Education (CAFCE) gives you access to a community of professionals focused on establishing and exceeding best practices. Consequently, it is the responsibility of each member to share innovations and enhancements from the outset. In return, these best practices are given back to the community through CAFCE Best Practices articles, conference sessions, and professional development events.

Innovations and enhancements are a critical part of ensuring a healthy and vibrant community of practice. These examples should demonstrate the overall quality of your program and how you organize, structure, or operate your program. Show how:

CAFCE Criteria / Our Program - Narrative / Status / Supporting Materials
23) The innovative ways your institution and program makes a commitment to co-operative education. For example: special events; large scale advertising campaigns;the ratio of students per coordinator; statistical compilations (intake, retention and graduation); participation of faculty (grading work term report, going on site visits);co-op student and advisory councils; strategic, communication or marketing plans; credit for work terms;etc… / Appendix 23
24) The quality of program delivery is innovative and enhances the student experiences. For example: through e-learning; social media; field trips; discussion groups;professional development/pre-employment training programs; etc… / Appendix 24
25) The processes, procedures and/or methods for monitoring and evaluation are innovative and enhance the student, employer or faculty’s experience. For example: through technology or delivery methods;learning objectives; special innovations such as the type of work term reports required; debriefing procedure; etc… / Appendix 25

You may request up to two copies of the Accreditation certificate. For those with multiple programs, we ask that your requests be grouped under faculties or broadly defined departments, to ensure that the certificate production process is manageable. Use the sample certificate provided in Appendix A (English or French) to insert the appropriate wording.

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