Service Standards

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)