The Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources competed the most recent review of the undergraduate and graduate programs in 2019 under the University of Toronto Quality Assurance Process (UTQAP). This page contains information about the review process and links to the CIRHR's self-study document and the Final Assessment Report & Implementation Plan.
The University’s full complement of undergraduate and graduate degree and diploma programs are reviewed on a planned cycle to ensure University of Toronto programs meet the highest standards of academic excellence. The Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources competed the most recent review of the undergraduate (Specialist and Major in IRHR, Certificate in Human Resource Management) and graduate (MIRHR and PhD) programs in 2019, completing a review process that began in the Fall of 2017. This built on a previous review completed in 2009; the next cyclical review of the CIRHR and its programs is scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
The UTQAP for the conduct of Cyclical Program Reviews has five principal components:
- Self-study;
- External evaluation (peer review) with report and recommendations on program quality improvement
- University evaluation of the self-study and the external assessment report resulting in recommendations for program quality improvement;
- Preparation and adoption of plans to implement the recommendations and to monitor their implementation; and
- Follow-up reporting on the principal findings of the review and the implementation of the recommendations
Our Self-Study
The self-study is a broad-based, reflective, and forward-looking report that includes critical self-analysis. It is an assessment of the strengths and challenges facing the program(s) and/or unit, the range of its activities, and the nature of its future plans.
The CIRHR self-study was written by Director of the CIRHR (Prof. Rafael Gomez), Associate Directors Undergraduate and Graduate (Professors Lori Riznek and Frank Reid), and administrative staff at CIRHR. In compiling the Self-Study document, all stakeholders—faculty, staff, current MIRHR and PhD students, alumni and advisors were included. Emails were sent out calling for ideas, suggestions, and recommendations on the broad-based, reflective and critical analysis of program offerings, outcomes, resources and infrastructure, and meetings were conducted with current students and alumni.
The Table of Contents of the CIRHR self-study document are linked below; CIRHR students, staff or faculty wishing to have access to the full document can send a request to director.cirhr@utoronto.ca
The Reviewers Report
On Monday, June 4th and Tuesday, June 5th, Professors John Budd (University of Minnesota), Richard Chaykowski (Queen’s University) and Anthony Nyberg (University of South Carolina) visited the CIRHR as part of the University of Toronto’s Quality Assurance Program (UTQAP). Their report was prepared based on their meetings with CIRHR students, faculty, alumni, and staff, as well as the CIRHR Self-Study Document.
The reviewers’ report recognizes many of the things that we at the Centre are so proud of, noting that, “Overall, the Centre is one of the leading units in the field in Canada and internationally. The Centre is well-positioned to continue to advance both research and studies in the field of employment relations not only in Canada, but also internationally.”
The report also identifies challenges and potential strategies to help us grow and produce an even better set of academic programs.
The full reviewers’ report is not a public document and is not being circulated beyond the stakeholders involved in the review, but a summary of the review is included in the Final Assessment Report and Implementation Plan. CIRHR students, staff or faculty wishing to have access to the full document can send a request to director.cirhr@utoronto.ca
The Vice-Provost, Academic Programs has compiled a Final Assessment Report providing the institutional synthesis of the external evaluation and internal responses and assessments. This report identifies significant strengths of the programs and opportunities for program improvement and enhancement. It also sets out and prioritizes recommendations along with plans for implementation.
Some of the recommendations that are already being implemented to ensure the ongoing success of the CIRHR include:
- Planned undergraduate and MIRHR curriculum reviews
- Increasing the CIRHR PhD travel grant from $500 to $2,000 per student and creating more opportunities for PhDs to TA in the MIRHR program
- The recent hiring of new faculty, which significantly expands the capacity for CIRHR to put tenured and tenure-stream faculty in the classroom.
- The ongoing renovation of the CIRHR basement to create more functional and useful community space, as well as long-term reconfigurations of spaces in the CIRHR building and the new academic building in the Woodsworth precinct, which is currently in the design phase.