Implementation Plan
| Recommendation | Proposed Follow-up | Responsibility for Leading Follow-up | Timeline for Addressing Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1. First, funding cuts have curtailed the ability of the War Studies programme to offer courses outside of Kingston. |
Finalize installation of new hardware. Complete software evaluation and secure adequate licences for offerings. | CIO | Completed. All courses are now being delivered as Virtual Classroom (synchronous with remote students) or Distance Learning (asynchronous) |
| 2. The need for a better IT strategy and blended learning platform (Address lack of blended learning hardware and software. Complete trial of BBB and move to implementation phase). | Finalize installation of new hardware. Complete software evaluation and secure adequate licences for offerings. | CIO | Completed. The learning platform, Moodle, contains an integrated virtual classroom (Big Blue Button) and instructors use Moodle for the distribution of material and either Big Blue Button or Moodle for a virtual classroom. |
| 3. The ERC raised concerns that GDLEs are not connected to admissions, curriculum, or student performance. | Align governance mechanism (the War Studies Committee) with the GDLEs to inform policy development and implementation on admissions, curriculum, and performance. | Chair | Ongoing. Based on the new IQAP process, GDLE will inform drafting of PO, PLO and CLO. |
| 4. The need for a full-time program representative. | Addressed with the transition to DGS structure. WS now has 50% of a CR-04 doing admin support and 50% of a CR-04 shared with MDS for program support. | DGS | Completed |
| 5. The need for new staff, especially to broaden its areas of coverage. | Encourage departments to take WS needs into account when staffing positions and to seek to get new faculty to teach or supervise WS students. | Chair | Ongoing – this is a function of when supporting departments seek to engage new faculty as well as identification of the opportunities for teaching and supervision. Active outreach has added several first-time instructors to the list of WS-affilitated instructors over the past year. |
| 6. The ERC suggested rationalization of the standards after noting the entry standards for the WS Programme were higher than the minimum required by the SGS. | No plans were in place to reduce the standards, but the Admissions Committee recommended reform to the process of referee recommendations that were supported by the WS Committee. | Chair | Completed. Ph.D. applicants require 3 referees. MA students should have two. Exceptions to this are to be explained in the applicant’s statement of purpose. |
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7. Dealing with the WFA, especially in terms of the program’s course offerings (Address imbalance between a range of courses in calendar and offerings). |
Assess the graduate studies calendar and remove all courses no longer being offered or planned to be offered in the foreseeable future. |
Dean of SSH | Ongoing – the current Chair is reviewing how to split the two term courses while also reducing overlap between the current set of courses to develop an effective plan to reform the offerings. Two courses were modified to become single-credit courses this spring and any new courses are required to be single credit offerings. |
| 8. The need to involve senior faculty from Politics and other relevant departments in long-term challenges confronting the program. | Engage faculty to broaden those actively supervising in the programme. | Chair of the programme |
Ongoing. This is being done through the War Studies Committee, which meets twice a year. Also, er have encouraged some senior members of faculty to "co-supervise" with new faculty members to encourage and long-term availability of supervisors. |
| 9. The need for more research support. | Normalize funding support for sponsored students and seek additional funding opportunities. | Dean of SSH | Ongoing. While the funding issues and bureaucratic obstacles have been reduced, the pandemic also suppressed the demand for travel. Opportunities to apply for funding are regularly advertised to students when WS becomes aware of them. |
| 10. The need for more staff members who can teach in French. | Develop French language capacity within RMC to attract the student population to justify offerings. Integrate into programme strategic plan. | Chair | Completed. There are sufficient professors to cover the French-language offerings in the program on a recurring basis. The number of francophone students is increasing at a manageable rate. |