College
College Education is governed by the provisions of the General and Vocational Colleges Education Regulations. The public colleges are legal institutions each with a Board of Governors (BOG) composed of twenty members appointed by the Ministry of Higher Education. It includes senior administrators, personal and students of the college, parents and representatives of regional groups. Each College also has an Academic Council with 20 members of which the majority are instructors. The administrative head of the institution is the director general. The colleges level below the director general is the academic dean and the director of student services. Other administrators, directors, deans and coordinators make up the next tier of the institution. Private colleges are governed by the Act Respecting Private Education, and regulations adopted under this act known as the Regulation Respecting the Application of the Act Respecting Private Education, but they are still subject to the same College Education Regulations, which apply to public CEGEP's.
Universities
"Since the 1960's the Quebec government has assumed a more commanding presence in university policy than was previously the case, allocating resources, standardizing procedures, setting broad policies objectives and attempting to rationalize the university system in the interest of the common good" In December 2006, the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations, announced the creation of a study group on the governance of Quebec universities. The mandate of the group was three-fold. The first was to assess current practices and challenges for the proper governance of universities in Quebec and elsewhere. Second was to assess various principles and practices put in place to improve the quality of university governance in Quebec and around the world, and the final mandate was to make specific recommendations that are likely to enhance the quality of university governance in Quebec. The eleven member group consisted of university rectors, chancellors and principals as well as board members of various universities across the province. Their report was released in September 2007. It was rejected by the Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d'université (FQPPU) as well as the McGill Association of University Teachers (MAUT) and the Concordia University Faculty Association (CUFA). In February 2008, representatives of CUFA and MAUT denounced the report's recommendations in a written response to the study group's report. The report recommended a fifteen-member board of governors, where ten members are to be external. The board would also be responsible for hiring and compensation of senior administration as well as strategic planning and establishment of performance measures for teaching and research. The report did not take into account the current bicameral system of a board of governors as well as a senate, a system in place across North American universities. CUFA and MAUT were concerned about the lack of academic presence, both in teachers and in students, as well as the overwhelming presence of corporate and business interests on the proposed structure of the board.
Provincial bodies that influence the higher education system in Quebec
Association of Private Colleges of Quebec (Association des collèges privés du Québec (APCQ)) acts as the voice of twenty-two private subsidized colleges in order to promote education at the college level.
Confédération des Syndicats Nationaux (CSN), most public college instructors are associated with this union.
Council of Education (Conseil supérieure de l'Éducation) is composed of twenty-two members and is an advisor body to the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sport. This council is independent from the Minister, but it provides suggestions and information about the state of education in the province. It conducts research and encourages stake holder to provide their input.
Commission of College Teaching Evaluation (Commission d'évaluation de l'enseignement collégial) acts as an independent government organization whose evaluation mandate covers most aspects of college education, with special emphasis on student achievement and programmes of studies. Legislation attributes to the Commission the power to evaluate and make recommendations, as well as to exercise a declaratory power.
Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec (Conference of Rectors and Principles of Quebec (CREPUQ)). This group is an association of university institutions. The CREPUQ currently have a campaign promoting the importance of higher education titled Knowledge Matters to promote the benefit of having a well-educated, highly skilled society.
Services provided by CREPUQ include the following:
Evaluation of program projects by the Commission of Evaluation of Program Projects (CEP)
Verification of program evaluation processes of university programs in Quebec through its Commission of verification of program evaluation (CVEP)
Follow-up committee on programs through the work of the Commission of universities on programs.
Integration centre of information technologies and communication to university teaching and its site PROFeTIC
Coordination of student exchange programs through formal agreements reached with numerous higher education institutions in the United States, Mexico and Latin America, Europe, Iceland, Japan, China and Australia.
Control mechanism of multiple acceptances for first cycle students
Electronic transmission of college academic files to universities for admissions processes
Management of agreements relative to study associations with outside institutions which allow students to take courses at another university when the same course is not offered at their own.
Inter-university exchange on teaching vacancy notices
Centre for special documents in higher education instruction offering professionals in CREPUQ and university personnel a library of over 100000 documents
Information system where the CREPUQ assumes current management within the framework of a protocol with the ministry for Education
on admissions into universities
on university personnel
Exchange programs are negotiated with other organizations similar to CREPUQ, not with individual schools
Official program of cotutorship with French universities, created post-signing of Quebec-France general agreement signed by Quebec premier and French prime minister.
Allows PhD students to register simultaneously in two universities (one in Quebec, one in France), with two supervisors (one per university), meeting requirements at both universities and spending half the time in each institution.
Thesis defense occurs in front of a mixed jury of experts from each school.
Earn a double diploma: one from Quebec university and one from French university, both mentioning the other institution involved
Co-tutorship model duplicated with other countries (ie. Sherbrooke has one with a Belgian university), but funding is not equivalent if schools are not in France, due to close ties of French language support
Federation of CEGEPs (Fédération des cégeps) is the voice of the forty-eight public colleges in Quebec. The Fédération promotes education at the college level, and more specifically in the general and vocational colleges known as CEGEPs.
Fédération des associations des professeurs des universités du Québec (FAPUQ) was created in 1970. This organization grew out to the new Québécois identity triggered by the societal changes in higher education following the Quiet Revolution, and according to Greg Allain was the central body in the formation of the FQPPU
Federation of Employees of Public Services (Fédération des employées et employés de services publics(FEESP-CSN)) represents support staff located in the province of Quebec
The McGill Association of University Teachers (l'Association des Professeur(e) s et Bibliothécaires de McGill ((MAUT - APBM)) was organized at McGIll University in 1951 to increase the involvement of faculty in the governance of the university. Through this involvement, McGill has fostered an atmosphere of academic freedom with improvements have made with regards to working conditions and salaries for teachers and librarians.
Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export (Ministère du Développement économique, de l'Innovation et de l'Exportation) Promotes and develops the overall scientific and technological development required in Quebec. This Ministry encourages university research and technology transfer
Ministry of Education, recreation and Sport (Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport) directs, promotes and develops postsecondary, college and university education, including scientific research and development.
For a list of past Ministers see Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports (Quebec).
Quebec House of Labour (Centrale des syndicats du Québec(CSQ)) prior to June 2000, this union was known as the Quebec Teachers' House of Labour (Centrale des enseignants du Québec(CEQ)).
The Office of Professions(Office des Professions) is a government agency mandated to protect the public by ensuring that the workers of fifty one professions in Quebec follow the Professional Code Part of the public protection is done through the regulations of the total students admitted for specific professions; furthermore, the Office of Professions maintains the accreditation standards for professional programs including upgrading and continuing education for practitioners.
The Quebec Federation of University Teachers (Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d'université (FQPPU)) was founded on May 16, 1991. The federation is made up of fifteen unions and it is primarily concerned with the maintenance, defence, promotion and development of the university as a public service including the defence of the right to university access and quality.