Overview

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment supports the delivery of adult and post-secondary education programs in the Northwest Territories.

Services include:

• System coordination reviews for post-secondary institutions
• Quality assurance reviews for post-secondary institutions
• Consent for the establishment and operation of a university
• Authorization for an NWT post-secondary institution to deliver post-secondary education programs from other jurisdictions (Letter of Authorization – LOA)
• Development and implementation of the Adult Recognition Model (ARM)
• Administration and coordination of adult literacy resources
• Distribution and submission of GED testing
• Administration and coordination of contribution agreements supporting post-secondary education programs within public and private institutions
• Reporting and evaluation of adult and post-secondary education supported by ECE

Timelines

System coordination review

• Applicants will be notified within 48 hours that their application has been received
• Complete applications will be posted for public feedback for 15 business days
• The Quality Assurance Review Advisory Committee (QARAC) will carry out a review of the system coordination application within 45 business days
• The QARAC will begin its review while the application is out for public review and will conclude after public feedback has been received and incorporated
• Recommendation will be forwarded for consideration at the end of the 45 business days

Quality assurance review

• After a successful system coordination review the institution must add the additional information required for a quality assurance review
• College, degree, and university applications can take up to 18 months
• Private Vocation Training (PVT) and Private Training Institutions (PTI) applications can take 6 to 8 months
• Subject matter experts will be identified for PVT and PTI reviews within 30 days of receipt of a completed application

Consent for the establishment and operation of a university (the timeframe will vary depending on the application)

• A new institution’s application can take up to 18 months
• An institution that has been operating with completed certificates of registration will be reviewed within 6 – 8 months
• The consent to operate as a university or college requires the drafting of legislation and can take up to 24 months

Letter of Authorization (LOA)

• Will be reviewed within 45 business days after receipt of a complete application and recommendation/s will be forwarded for consideration

Adult Recognition Model (ARM)

• Responses to program inquires will occur within 2 business days

Literacy resources

• Responses to program inquires will occur within 2 business days

General Education Diploma (GED)

• Responses to program inquires will occur within 2 business days

Contribution agreements

• Responses to inquires will occur within 2 business days

Annual reports

• Reviewed and correlated within 45 business days of receiving the last report (post-secondary institutions commonly have 90 days to provide an annual report from June 30th)