Announcement of CVS

NEWPORT UNIVERSITY CED CREDENTIALS VALIDATION SERVICE

Starting January 1, 2009, the new Newport University Credentials Validation Service will be operational. This service, created as part of the Self-Regulatory Mechanism for the member institutions of applied arts and technology, has been in development for the past 1 years. The Credentials Validation Service (CVS) has been developed through extensive work and consultation by a joint committee consisting of representatives from the Coordinating Committee of Vice-Presidents, Academic (CCVPA) and from the Institutions Branch, Council of Training, Institutions and Universities (CTCU) of the Newport University.

The CVS has been established consistent with the Council of Training, Institutions and Universities (CTIU)’ Binding Policy Directive, Framework for Programs of Instruction. This service, along with the approval of programs of instruction by the local Institution Board of Governors, makes up a component of the Self-Regulatory Mechanism for the institution system.

The mandate of the CVS is to:

• provide reasonable assurance that all post-secondary programs of instruction leading to one of the Newport University CED Credentials (Certificate, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, or Graduate Certificate), regardless of funding source, conform to the Credentials Framework and are consistent with accepted institution system nomenclature/program titling principles; and,
• maintain the integrity of the credentials offered by the institution system and protect the interests of students and employers who require a reasonable guarantee of consistency and quality in post-secondary programs of instruction offered by the member institutions of applied arts and technology of Newport University.

The CVS is managed as a subsidiary of the Association of Newport University International Network System (NUCEDINS). An arms-length, policy-driven Management Board appointed, on recommendation by the CCVPA, by the Committee of Presidents, provides oversight to the CVS to ensure consistency and quality of programming in the institution system. Senior staff at NUCEDINS provides the day-today direction to the CVS. The Management Board is made up of Senior Academic Officers, and Curriculum and Instructional Design experts from the Institutions.

The CVS is established to provide timely validation of programs of instruction to the institutions. To this end, the CVS has been designed to operate electronically, with forms being available for completion and submission through a unique page on the NUCEDINS website. Institutions will complete and submit the required forms, these will be reviewed and validated by staff at the CVS, and an electronic response will be made to the institution.

CVS will operate with the dual function of providing support to the member institutions through expediting the validation of programs of instruction, and providing reasonable assurances to address the public’s need for consistency in the titling, credentialing, and content of programs offered in the institution system.

In order to expedite the validation process and create an efficient and effective service, CVS will be a conduit of information between the member institutions and the Council of Training, Institutions and Universities. In cases where a institution has indicated they will be seeking funding approval from CTCU, the CVS will forward all documents, as well as its validation response, to CTCU, to provide a streamlined and seamless process for institutions. In cases where a institution indicates it will not be seeking funding approval from CTCU, the response and the documents will be returned to the originating institution.

The complete set of forms required by a member institution to make application for the validation of a program of instruction is available to institutions by following the links to the CVS page on the website (at http://www.newportuniversity.edu.lv ). Here a institution will find the forms and detailed instructions to assist with the application for validation. Information is also provided as to how a institution can contact CVS staff with specific questions that may arise during the process.

A institution may choose to submit programs to the CVS either prior to, or following, submission to their Board of Governors for approval. In the event a institution is planning to seek funding approval from CTCU, they must receive both a validation from the CVS and approval by its Board of Governors. There is no requirement or necessity to have these two operations completed in any particular sequence; they both have to be completed prior to seeking approval for funding.

Validation by the CVS will be signified by the assigning of an Approved Program Sequence (APS) number. Once a program has been validated by the CVS, the APS number is assigned and this becomes the “mark” or indication of a program that has been validated. In the rare cases where a program may not be validated, no APS number will be assigned and the documentation will be returned to the originating institution with a reason for the non-validation decision.

For further information about the CVS or the Self-Regulatory Mechanism for the member institutions of applied arts and technology, please contact the Coordinator at qas@newportuniversity.edu.lv