Accreditation

What is CEWIL Canada accreditation?

Members of Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL Canada) first established criteria and a process for the accreditation of co-operative education programs (co-op) in 1979. Accreditation standards were developed to establish co-op as an educational strategy and to provide leadership in ensuring quality co-op programming.

Accreditation Council members from across Canada articulate and review accreditation measures as the needs of students, employers and institutions change. In order to qualify for accreditation, Co-op programs must provide documentation demonstrating the following:

• structural criteria
• co-op in the institutional context
• institutional commitment criteria
• quality program delivery criteria
• monitoring and evaluation criteria

Maintaining accreditation criteria helps build quality into existing co-op programs and provides a benchmark for establishing new co-op programs.

Institutions seeking accreditation are eligible to apply once their first co-op class has graduated. A review team, consisting of three (3) members from separate institutions that offer co-operative education, evaluates the application and submits its recommendation to the Accreditation Council for their final approval. Programs maintain their accreditation status for a period of six (6) years.

Mentorship is available for those who are interested in becoming accredited. Please contact the CEWIL office to inquire.

NEW TO ACCREDITATION CRITERIA:

The following was approved at the CEWIL Canada, formerly known as CAFCE, Annual Meeting October 29, 2015:

Whereby the total amount of coop work experience is normally at least 30% of the time spent in academic study, but for programs of two years or less, the total amount may be a minimum of 25%. For programs to meet the 25% requirement, a work term is defined as a minimum 12 weeks and/or 420 hours full-time, paid experience.

*The accreditation fee is $750.00 per application.

Accredited Co-op Institutions

CEWIL Canada accredited programs receive recognition on the CEWIL Canada web site, in the CEWIL Canada Co-op Program Directory, and in other appropriate documentation. The "CEWIL Canada Accredited" designation granted through CEWIL Canada's Accreditation Council for a six-year period when an applicant program meets required criteria, as evaluated by an assigned review team.

CEWIL Canada Member Institutions with accredited programs

• Acadia University
• Algonquin College
• British Columbia Institute of Technology
• Brock University
• Camosun College
• Capilano University
• Centennial College
• College of the North Atlantic
• Conestoga College
• Dalhousie University
• Douglas College
• École de technologie supérieure
• Fanshawe College
• Georgian College
• Kwantlen Polytechnic University
• Langara College
• Laurentian University
• McMaster University
• Memorial University of Newfoundland
• Mount Saint Vincent University
• Mohawk College
• New Brunswick Community College
• North Island College
• Nova Scotia Community College
• Okanagan College
• Redeemer University
• Saint Mary's University
• Saskatchewan Polytechnic
• Selkirk College
• Simon Fraser University
• St. Francis Xavier University
• Thompson Rivers University
• Toronto Metropolitan University
• Université de Sherbrooke
• Université Laval
• University of Alberta
• University of British Columbia
• University of Calgary
• University of Guelph
• University of Lethbridge
• University of Manitoba
• University of New Brunswick, Saint John
• University of Ottawa
• University of Prince Edward Island
• University of Regina
• University of the Fraser Valley
• University of Toronto, Scarborough
• University of Victoria
• University of Waterloo
• University of Windsor
• Wilfrid Laurier University

Accreditation Review Teams

Volunteer to be a reader on a review team to learn how applications are evaluated. The reader role takes anywhere from four (4) to eight (8) hours of your time in total, depending upon the complexity of the application. You could be expected to review a new application or a program that has been previously accredited.

The best way to prepare for being a reader is to view the accreditation materials available for download on the CEWIL website. If you become familiar with the standards as noted in the documents and the preambles to each section, you will quickly learn what to look for in an application. Typically, the Chair of the review team will set up a schedule in consultation with the two (2) other team members to move the review process along. You are normally given at least a month to read through the submitted application and make notations (such as noting an excellent student preparation program). You will also flag any questions you have (such as, "how are employers informed of their roles?").

After team members have had time to review the materials, the team Chair arranges a teleconference where the members consider the various criteria and discuss their findings and recommendations. If required, the Chair contacts the applicant to clarify any questions the team might have. The Chair then updates the team via e-mail. After the team has come to an agreement, the Chair writes a letter to the Accreditation Council Chair outlining their recommendations and any notations that the team thinks appropriate to include. It is important that all required criteria are met in order for the application to be accredited; recommended criteria (in Part G) are identified as program enhancements only. The team's letter is reviewed at the next scheduled Accreditation Council meeting and the Council votes on the recommendation. The applicant is then notified of the decision.

Accreditation Council's Mission, Goals and Members

In 1979, Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL Canada), formerly known as CAFCE, established the Accreditation Council. Council members from across Canada articulate and review accreditation criteria for effective co-operative education programs as the needs of students, employers and institutions evolve.

MISSION

The Accreditation Council of CEWIL Canada provides leadership for the development of quality co-operative education programs.

GOALS

• Establish and maintain rules and procedures for the conduct of Accreditation Council business
• Establish, review, and amend standards regarding which co-operative education programs will be accredited by CEWIL Canada
• Receive and respond to suggestions and queries regarding accreditation standards
• Establish guidelines, documentation and procedures for evaluation of co-operative education programs
• Evaluate co-operative education programs presented to the Accreditation Council and award or withhold accreditation in accordance with the established standards
• Establish a period of accreditation
• Establish an appeal procedure
• Recommend to the CEWIL Canada Board an appropriate fee structure for the evaluation of programs in order to maintain a self-supporting review and assessment procedure. All fees will be paid to CEWIL Canada.
• Appoint review teams to conduct the review of co-operative education programs in accordance with the established guidelines and procedures. Teams shall be comprised of three (3) voting members of CEWIL Canada, one (1) of whom must be a voting member of the Accreditation Council
• Survey CEWIL Canada members about co-op practice as appropriate
• Maintain and update material for publications and the CEWIL Canada website such as Accreditation Standards and Rationale and Accreditation FAQ

CEWIL CANADA ACCREDITATION COUNCIL:

• An institution seeking accreditation must have at least one employee who is a current member of CEWIL Canada; institutions with de-centralized programs must have at least one member for each de-centralized unit
• Each institution with accredited programs is invited to appoint a representative to become a member of the Accreditation Council. Institutions with de-centralized programs are requested to establish an institutional representative from among those with accredited programs
• A letter is sent to the president, CEO or CEWIL Canada Board member who signed the application for accreditation, copied to the co-op contact person of the institution announcing their application results, and requesting a council representative for the six-year accreditation period if one is not already identified in the application, or, in the case of a re-accreditation, already a member of the council

Council Leadership:

• Claudia Sperling, Chair, Camosun College
• Julia Zhu, Chair-elect, Brock University

Council Members:

• Scott Dempsey, Acadia University
• Mary Grammatikakis, Algonquin College
• Earl Anderson, British Columbia Institute of Technology
• Christine Dodds, Capilano University
• Sarah Briffett, College of the North Atlantic
• Dan Kennedy, Conestoga College
• Robert Wooden, Dalhousie University
• Lianne Johnston, Douglas College
• Marie-Claude McDuff, École de technologie supérieure
• Darlene O'Neill, Fanshawe College
• John Daggett, Georgian College
• Julia Denker, Kwantlan Polytechnic University
• Heather Workman, Langara College
• Alice O'Carroll, McMaster University
• Geoff Smith, Memorial University of Newfoundland
• Scott Daniels, Mount Saint Vincent University
• Jason Peng, Mohawk College
  
• Lori Cameron, New Brunswick Community College
• Anita Budisa-Bonneau, North Island College
• Jessica Isenor The Nova Scotia Community College
• Alison Gibson, Okanagan College 
• Bruce Wilson, Redeemer University
  
• Jocelyn Hanson, Saskatchewan Polytechnic
• Paula Mackay, Saint Mary's University
• Celina Duarte, Selkirk College
• Natalia Bussard, Simon Fraser University
• Jane Macdonald, St. Francis Xavier University
• Sean Read, Thompson Rivers University
• Donna Muirhead, Toronto Metropolitan University (Formerly Ryerson University)
• Alain Tremblay, Université de Sherbrooke
• Marjorie Guay, Université Laval
  
• Sherri Kuss, University of Alberta
• Sara Buse, University of British Columbia
• Trisha Henschel, University of Calgary
• Candace Stewart-Smith, University of the Fraser Valley
• Lily Abediny,  University of Guelph
• Stacey Gaudette-Sharp, University of Lethbridge:
• Kelly Mahoney, University of Manitoba
• Sarah King, University of New Brunswick
• Marc-André Doust University of Ottawa
• Megan Maclean, University of Prince Edward Island
• Kendra Poitras, University of Regina
• Christine Arsenault, University of Toronto (Scarborough)
• Andrea Giles, University of Victoria
• Richard Wikkerink, University of Waterloo
• Kristen Morris, University of Windsor
• Colleen Myronyk, Wilfrid Laurier University

Past Chairs:

• 2021-23: Robert Wooden, Dalhousie University
• 2019 - 21: Scott Davis, University of Waterloo
• 2016 - 19: Muriel Klemetski, Simon Fraser University
• 2014 - 16: Karen Reimer, University of Guelph
• 2012 - 14 : Rocco Fondacaro, University of Waterloo
• 2010 - 12 : Karen McCargar, Wilfrid Laurier University
• 2008 - 10 : Jenny Reilly, University of British Columbia
• 2006 - 08 : JoAnne Akerboom, Dalhousie University
• 2004 - 06 : Carmen Poulin, University of Ottawa/Université d'Ottawa
• 2002 - 04 : Joanne Thomas, University of Victoria
• 2000 - 02 : Karen McCargar, Wilfrid Laurier University
• 1998 - 00 : Bruce Lumsden, University of Waterloo
• 1996 - 98 : Karen McCargar, Wilfrid Laurier University
• 1995 - 96 : Pamela Racher, Mount Royal College
• 1993 - 95 : Doreen Godwin, Simon Fraser University
• 1992 - 93 : Gilles Joncas, Université de Sherbrooke
• 1991 - 92 : Gordon Lancaster, Fanshawe College of Applied Arts & Technology
• 1990 - 92 : Randy Klawitter, University of Waterloo
• 1988 - 90 : Lynne Crouch, Georgian College of Applied Arts and Technology
• 1986 - 88 : William Holbrow, University of Regina