PROGRAM MODIFICATION

Overview

The photography industry underwent a period of significant transition beginning in the late 1990s. Digital photography revolutionized the way images were created, processed, and distributed. Both educators and photographers struggled to predict how best to respond to these rapid changes.

The Algonquin College Photography program responded through incremental solutions, course additions, and modifications during the Annual Curriculum Review. Beginning in 2017, faculty began discussing how to reorganize the program rather than continuing with ad hoc solutions.

Following the 2021 Program Quality Review (PQR), I was tasked with implementing the recommendations. With the support of my colleagues, I presented a proposal for a full Program Modification. Initially, we felt that renaming all courses, and reorganizing by replacing three would be sufficient. We recieved approval and the project began in January 2022.

Working alongside a Curriculum Consultant, we reviewed previous PQR and Program Advisory Council information for recommendations. We critically examined all existing courses to identify and remove pressure points, barriers, and stressors. Ultimately, we replaced seven courses. These adjustments redistributed the program hours equally across all levels.

PRC Final___Photography___OCD___Title Modifier___PQR Implementation___JV___October 17, 2022.pdf

Approval Process

I made presentations about the project at several stages of the process, including:

Initial proposal (December 15, 2021).
First Program Advisory Committee (April 13, 2022), seeking initial feedback (video below).
Second Program Advisory Committee (September 29, 2022), seeking approval.
Final Program Review Committee (October 17, 2022), seeking approval and defending all aspects of the project.

Program Name Qualifier

Halfway through the project, it became clear that beyond the program and course discriptions misaligning with the curriculum content and industry expectations, but the program name insufficently captured the skills students were learning. Following multi-year faculty discussions, we proposed adding the qualifier Content Creation to the program name.

Completing this addition required new Vocational Learning Outcomes (VLOs) to differentiate the Algonquin College Photography program from other Ontario colleges of applied arts and technology (CAAT) photography programs. We proposed three new VLOs to validate the inclusion of pre-production, video, and client-focus aspects. Although the program taught these skills over the previous 15 years, they extended beyond the requirements of the credential and lacked official Provincial recognition.

The Province approved the program name qualifier and additional VLOs in April 2023, making Algonquin's program the only Photography - Content Creation program at an Ontario CAAT.

Additional Improvements

Course Naming

We renamed all course in the program to improve accessibility and differentiate the focus of each course level. Previously, all course names indicated levels by utilized Roman numerals, which created challenges for PDF readers. The renaming addresses this by using standard numbering. Adding qualifiers to course names, such as Capture 2: Stuido Lighting or Capture 3: Location Lighting, clarified the focus of each subsequent level of a sequentially delivered course stream.

Dual Credit

The program added a dual credit course. First trialed in Winter 2023, the program modification included a level one course designed to adapt to dual credit delivery beginning in Winter 2024. This course offering extended beyond the program closure in 2025.

Program Cancellation

The program was ultimately suspended pending cancellation during the massive restructuring of the Ontario CAAT system in 2025, with teach-out completed in May 2026.

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