Durham College’s Paramedic programs receive six-year accreditation Posted on December 12, 2013 at 10:00 am. One of only three college Paramedics programs in Ontario to achieve this level of accreditation OSHAWA, Ont. – Durham College announced today that its two-year Paramedic and Advanced Care Paramedic graduate certificate programs were both afforded six-year accreditation through the Canadian Medical Association after completing a rigorous review of programs, documentation and outcomes. “This is the national standard by which all paramedic programs are judged and I am happy to say that our results speak for themselves,” said Judy Robinson, vice-president, Academic. “This is a tribute to the incredible skills, abilities and dedication of our faculty, the positive learning environment that Durham College provides and our great relationships with our stakeholders.” The Paramedic programs were evaluated in five different areas: relevance, students, resources, integration and quality assurance. This process ensures programs enable students to attain the competencies specified in the national entry-level competency profile for the profession; support the students’ educational interests and protect their rights; offer adequate resources to support student learning to the level required to meet the objectives; provide an integrated learning experience for students. In addition, it ensures the evaluation process results in continuous quality improvement. Each level of the evaluation process identifies critical criteria that must be met if a program is to be accredited, starting with a paper submission of evidence which is reviewed by a survey team recruited from across the country. The team evaluates the submission against the criteria and if enough are met, a site visit is arranged. Durham College’s submission was more than 5,000 pages in length. During the site visit, the survey team interviews stakeholders from all facets of the program to validate the evidence that is submitted. Stakeholders include students, graduates, faculty, administration/leadership, field placement preceptors, clinical agencies, employers and service providers. There are three possible outcomes from the submission and site visit: accreditation withdrawn: not enough criteria are met; two-year accreditation: some critical criteria not met; or six-year accreditation: all critical criteria met. “The common outcome of an accreditation review is two years. Further evidence and/or changes to address the criteria not met are then submitted,” said Stephanie Ball, dean, School of Justice & Emergency Services. “To receive six-year accreditation for the Paramedic and most health-care programs is the exception.” Durham College currently offers one of only three six-year accredited Paramedic programs and one of only three, six-year accredited Paramedic – Advanced Care programs in Ontario. About Durham College At Durham College, the student experience comes first. In September 2013, the college welcomed more than 30,000 students to campus including more than 10,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students as well as part-time and continuing education students and online learners. The college offers a wide range of market-driven programs in a number of different disciplines including culinary, hospitality, tourism, horticulture, business, information technology, media, art, design, general arts, science, skilled trades, justice, emergency services, health and engineering technology, enabling students to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. A three-phase expansion of the college’s Whitby campus was recently completed when the 36,000-square-foot Centre for Food opened on the northwest corner of campus. Accommodating approximately 900 additional students studying in culinary, hospitality, tourism, agricultural and horticultural programs, it also features Bistro ’67, a new, 70-seat, full-service, green-certified teaching and learning restaurant and Pantry, a new retail store featuring fresh-baked items, meals-to-go, preserved foods and ready-to-cook meals created by students in the college’s culinary programs. For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000. Media contact:Cosette KazarianDurham College905.721.2000 ext. 3611cosette.kazarian@durhamcollege.ca SHARE:
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