Master of Science in Computer Science Degree Program ...

Master of Science in Computer Science Degree Program Review

Organization and Program Information:

Organization: Northeastern University Toronto

Campus Address: First Canadian Place, 100 King St W, #4620, Toronto, ON M5X 1A9

URL: https://www.northeastern.edu/toronto/

Proposed Degree Nomenclature: Master of Science in Computer Science

Contact Information for Program Review Submission and Site Visit: Name: Kaelan Kennedy Title/Office: Director, Global Regulatory Affairs and Planning, Office of the General Counsel Mailing Address: Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, 301 CP, Boston, MA 02115

Office Phone: 617-373-6619

Email: [email protected]

Submitted to the Post-Secondary Education Quality Assessment Board on September 10, 2018

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………….......2

2. Degree Level …………………………………………………………………………….. ...4

3. Admission, Promotion and Graduation ……………………………………………….....5

4. Program Content …………………………………………………………………..............7

5. Program Delivery …………………………………………………………………….......14

6. Capacity to Deliver …………………………………………………………………........15

7. Credential Recognition ……………………………………………………………..........21

8. Regulation and Accreditation …………………………………………………………...23

9. Nomenclature ………………………………………………………………………..........23

10. Program Evaluation …………………………………………………………………....25

Appendix 4.1 ………………………………………………………………………………..28

Appendix 4.2 ……………………………………………………………………………......32

Appendix 5.1 …………………………………………………………………………….....34

Appendix 6.1 ………………………………………………………………………………..57

Appendix 6.2 ……………………………………………………………………………......65

Appendix 7.1 ……………………………………………………………………………......76

Appendix 10.1 ……………………………………………………………………………....77

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1. Introduction

Executive Summary Institutional Overview

Northeastern University, founded in 1898 in Boston, Massachusetts, is a private, non-profit global research university, and a worldwide leader in experiential education. Northeastern University received degree-granting authority from the Great and General Court of Massachusetts through legislative act in 1920, and has maintained its good standing in accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) since it was first awarded in 1940.

At Northeastern, learners shape the world by confronting and solving authentic challenges through experiential learning opportunities that range from co-ops to capstones to industry- sponsored research projects to doctoral dissertations and non-credit academic boot camps. Faculty collaborate with colleagues and peers across the globe, working towards practical solutions to make the world safer and more sustainable. With over 19,000 undergraduate students and 15,000 graduate students, as well as nearly 6,000 faculty and staff, Northeastern has established a reputation as a premier provider of experiential education by serving learners with programs that inculcate the practical knowledge needed to compete and thrive in the future world of work.

To prepare professionals for the rapidly changing world of technology and work, the University has created a platform that promotes lifelong learning across a growing network of global campuses that includes Boston, Seattle, Charlotte, Silicon Valley, and Toronto. Through this network, Northeastern strives to bring its innovative suite of academic programs to learners across the globe so they can develop the skills necessary to succeed in today’s dynamic workplace. With flexible program formats, tailored degree pathways, and a range of both short- and long-term experiential opportunities, the University can serve professionals that work full-time, have family commitments, are recent immigrants, or want to change careers entirely. Because of its success in delivering on the promise to prepare learners for professional success, Northeastern’s programs enjoy a global reputation that has attracted tens of thousands of students from over 130 countries to its campuses across the network.

Program Abstract

Northeastern University’s Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS), offered by the College of Computer and Information Science (CCIS), prepares students for a variety of careers in computer science. The program combines both computing and application domains, enabling students to increase their broad-based knowledge in the field while focusing on one curricular concentration selected from a range of options, including software engineering, database management, and information security. If granted consent, Northeastern's proposed MSCS program is anticipated to be offered in Ontario in the fall 2019 semester.

Program Objectives:

• Exhibit proficiency in the design and maintenance of large application software

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• Develop the ability to maintain network infrastructure• Build familiarity with basic algorithms and theoretical computer science principles• Demonstrate ability in advanced programming and software design materials

Students in the MSCS program are taught by leading faculty with years of experience in the field, providing them with cutting-edge academic and research methodologies, and allowing them to develop an unparalleled depth and breadth of knowledge in computer science. With a strong focus on experiential education and hands-on application of the learning materials, students develop the communication and leadership skills, and autonomy, needed to thrive in an ever-changing career field.

Differentiation through Align

The MSCS Align option provides a direct path to an MS in Computer Science for individuals who did not major in computer science at the undergraduate level, and individuals without programming experience. Two semesters of rigorous academic bridge courses accelerate a student’s learning while preparing them for two semesters of Master’s level core courses and electives. Align empowers students to achieve a Master’s degree in two- to two-and-one-half years.

Align prepares students from diverse backgrounds without prior experience in the field or subject matter to successfully navigate computer science coursework, while also equipping them with the skills required to enter the tech field. Of the nearly 250 students pursuing the Align option in fall 2018, 45% of those enrolled are women and nearly 15% are underrepresented minorities, representing significant progress towards CCIS’s goal of enrolling 50% women and 25% underrepresented minority populations. The program’s latest retention rate by cohort year is 92% from the first to second semester, and 95% for the remainder of the program.

Align students often take advantage of co-op opportunities, and for the fall of 2018, have been placed at Facebook, TripAdvisor, Intuit, Amazon Web Services, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Goldman Sachs, Dell EMC, and Hotwire. MSCS Align graduates are subsequently employed at top tech companies after graduation, such as Amazon, Google, Nordstrom, Zillow, Staples, Facebook, Microsoft, Comcast, and Apple. Moreover, there are admirable patterns emerging in trajectories of Align alumni, with 100% of graduates working at a firm of the same size or larger than the firm where they completed their co-op or internship. In addition, 35% of graduates are working at the company where they completed their co-op or internship, and 100% of the aforementioned 35% were hired for positions more senior than that of their co-op or internship. Furthermore, Northeastern continues to advance its scholarship opportunities to underrepresented populations towards a goal of $11 million in student funding, raising $3.2 million in foundation support, $1 million from the National Science Foundation, $300,000 from individual philanthropists, and $200,000 from corporate partners.

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2. Degree Level

Northeastern University’s Master of Science in Computer Science program builds on students’ current knowledge and abilities to provide the skills needed to be successful in designing and maintaining large application software, maintaining network infrastructure, mastering basic algorithms and theoretical computer science principles, and demonstrating ability in advanced programming and software design materials.

Students in the MSCS program take three foundational classes, building on knowledge and skills gained through prior undergraduate coursework or acquired professional skills. Upon completion of the core coursework, students take an additional 20 semester hours of general or specialized elective classes from the Course Catalog in Information Security, Database Management, and Software Engineering tracks. Electives allow students to customize their program to meet their individual professional goals. The Align program, as described previously and detailed below, offers students without a background in computer science the opportunity to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills through an additional 16 credit hours of relevant bridge courses prior to beginning their Master’s level coursework.

The Master of Science in Computer Science program features and supporting resources demonstrate the knowledge and skill expectations of the Master’s Degree Level Standards will be met:

1. Depth and Breadth of Knowledge

The program’s three core courses and foundational elective classes provide a systematic understanding of knowledge for students to advance through the program, beginning with functional program design, mathematical techniques used for the design and analysis of computer algorithms, and the structure and development of software design. As students advance through the program, both core and elective courses provide students with a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights with respect to the rapidly advancing state of computing technology.

2. Conceptual & Methodological Awareness/Research and Scholarship

Several core courses provide students with a conceptual understanding and methodological competence that enables a working comprehension of how established techniques of research and inquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the computing field. These courses also enable a critical evaluation of current and advanced research and scholarship through a comprehensive study of the formal methods used in the field. Based on these principles and techniques, students are able to address complex issues in computer science and apply their knowledge in innovative ways.

3. Communication Skills

The program is designed to provide students with the ability to communicate issues and conclusions clearly to both specialist and non-specialist audiences through written coursework,

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oral presentations, and team-based collaborations, as well as the ability to communicate ideas through their software and technological systems. Several courses, particularly specialized seminar courses, require students to read, evaluate, and present findings from existing research. Other courses require students to submit written findings of their own research in the field.

4. Application of Knowledge

Students are consistently required to apply the knowledge of computing systems to complete practical exercises and design their own projects. These practical exercises are intended to provide students with competence in the research process by applying an existing body of knowledge in the critical analysis of a new question or of a specific problem or issue in a new setting.

5. Professional Capacity/Autonomy

Students are equipped with the qualities and transferable skills necessary for post-degree employment through courses that stress exercise of initiative and personal responsibility, accountability, and decision-making in complex situations. Students also develop the intellectual independence required for continuing professional development. Several courses involve hands-on group projects that simulate real-world work experience. Many courses also require students to autonomously create high-quality deliverables by specific deadlines, requiring students to demonstrate ethical behavior consistent with academic integrity and the use of appropriate guidelines and procedures to conduct research responsibly. Additionally, the program emphasizes experiential learning through co-op and XN opportunities, providing students with the ability to appreciate the broader implications of applying knowledge to particular contexts.

6. Awareness of Limits of Knowledge

Over the course of the program, students develop a cognizance of the complexity of knowledge in the computer science field, such as its recent growth, trends, and limitations. There are interdisciplinary elective course options that bring students from different focus areas together to explore the potential contributions of other interpretations, methods, and disciplines.

3. Admission, Promotion and Graduation

Admission Requirements for Direct Entry

MSCS applicants must satisfy the following prior to admission to the program:

• Undergraduate coursework in the following subject areas: Data Structures, ComputerOrganization, Calculus (one year), and Discrete Mathematics. Industrial experience inthese areas may be an acceptable substitute for formal coursework.

• Experience in a high-level procedural language (C, C++, Java, or Scheme)

Candidates who do not meet these requirements may be admitted to the degree program by completing the Align curriculum, which provides the requisite foundational knowledge for the

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MSCS program. Acceptance to the MSCS program is granted upon recommendation of the CCIS Graduate Committee after a review of the candidate’s completed application.

Promotion and Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate from the program, students must complete a total of 32 semester hours and earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in three core courses. Students must also complete eight semester hours from one of the specialization areas, including Information Security, Database Management, or Software Engineering. Finally, students must complete 12 semester hours from the available elective courses.

Full-time students can complete this course work in four semesters by taking two courses per semester. Degree candidates can choose to take more courses per semester, but the courses selected for credit toward the degree must remain within program guidelines, and a GPA of 3.0 is required for matriculation. A student whose GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation automatically and will be notified by the College. Once on probation, a student has one academic semester (summer excluded) to achieve a 3.0 GPA. If the GPA is still unsatisfactory at the end of that semester, the student becomes eligible for dismissal from the program.

A commitment to the principles of academic integrity is essential to the mission of Northeastern University. The promotion of independent and original scholarship ensures that students derive the most from their educational experience and their pursuit of knowledge. Academic dishonesty violates the most fundamental values of an intellectual community and undermines the achievements of the entire University. Students found to be in violation of the Academic Integrity Policy will be placed on deferred suspension by the College. A deferred suspension is the most serious formal warning for a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy and remains with the student for the remainder of their time in the program. Based on the severity of the violation, the Academic Integrity Committee may recommend one or more of the following sanctions:

• Removal of co-op privilege for the remainder of time in the MSCS program• Suspension or deferral of co-op for one to two semesters• Disqualification from paid graduate student positions within the college (i.e. graders,

course assistants, TA/RA appointments)• No further consequence beyond assignment of a deferred suspension• Termination from the program (typically following a second instance of violation)

Students are entitled to appeal any and all decisions made by the College’s Academic Integrity Committee. In Ontario, this Committee will be comprised of a graduate co-op faculty member, the Associate Director of Graduate Students Services, and one CCIS faculty member. Student appeals will first be heard by the Committee itself, and then by the College Dean. In the event the appeal is denied at the College level, the student will have the right to have their appeal heard

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by a Provost Review Committee. Appeals will be heard on a monthly basis, in accordance with the Academic Integrity Committee meeting schedule.

Advanced Standing Policies and Requirements

Though professional experience is an important element of the admissions process for students applying to the program, CCIS does not accept advanced standing credit.. Prior professional experience for entering graduate students is part of the admissions assessment, but is separate from students transferring earned credits from another institution.

Transfer Credit Policies

As articulated in the Graduate Catalog, it is the University’s policy that a maximum of 9 semester hours of credit (or 12 quarter hours) obtained at another institution may be accepted toward the degree, provided the credits consist of work taken at the graduate level for graduate credit, carry grades of 3.0 or better, have been earned at an accredited institution, and have not been used toward any baccalaureate or advanced degree or certificate at another institution. Transfer credits must be no more than five academic years old at the time the student is admitted to graduate study. Courses older than five years will be accepted only in rare circumstances. Grades earned in transferred credits are not counted as part of the overall grade point average earned at Northeastern. Transfer credits are accepted at the discretion of the academic department and the College.

4. Program Content

Northeastern’s Master of Science in Computer Science program is designed to meet the needs of students through flexible delivery formats and personalized degree pathways. The standard curriculum takes approximately two years to complete, and is comprised of 32 semester hours delivered through hybrid, on-ground, and online delivery formats.

Standard Program Curriculum

Required Courses (3 courses) - Students must complete three of the following four courses:

CS 5010 Program Design Paradigm 4 semester hours CS 5500 Managing Software Development 4 semester hours or CS 5600 Computer Systems 4 semester hours CS 5800 Algorithms 4 semester hours

(Students must complete both CS 5010 and CS 5800, and either CS 5600 or CS 5500)

A cumulative 3.0 GPA is required for the core courses above in order to advance through the program. An additional 20 semester hours must be completed from MSCS electives with a minimum of eight semester hours taken from the same specialization. A detailed overview of program course options can be viewed in the Course Catalog. Please note, if granted consent to

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offer this program in Ontario, Northeastern University intends to offer the following specializations to Ontario students: Information Security, Database Management, and Software Engineering.

Students seeking to engage the University’s vast employer network and enhance their professional experiences and skills may have the opportunity to take part in experiential learning experiences, including our XN Network and co-op placements. Please see more on experiential learning at Northeastern in Section 5 of this proposal.

Align Curriculum

Students without a background in computer science may enroll in the Align program to take bridge courses before beginning the standard curriculum listed above. The Align curriculum equips students across various disciplines with the knowledge and practical skills they need to transition into the computer science field, regardless of their professional background or bachelor’s degree. Full-time students typically complete the Align program in two- to two-and-one-half years. All classes are held in the evening to allow students with full- or part-time jobs to enroll. In addition, Align students gain real-world work experience through a six- to eight-month co-op or internship at one of Northeastern’s many industry partners. Align is a unique way for individuals seeking a professional transition to access a rewarding career across several dynamic, high-demand, and fast-growing fields.

Please see sample course outlines and course descriptions for the MSCS program in Appendix 4.1.

Program Advisory Committee

If granted consent to offer this program in Ontario, Northeastern will identify members for an MSCS Advisory Committee to assess the program quality and delivery in Toronto, and to ensure that local and regional industry needs are addressed through degree program curricula and objectives. Reflective of the composition of the committees that have been established for the three programs currently offered in Ontario, the MSCS Advisory Committee will be expected to meet on a consistent basis, and provide input for ongoing program relevance and sustainability in Ontario. Advisory Committee guidance in Toronto and elsewhere is viewed as an integral aspect of ongoing quality assessment and assurance planning for program and campus evaluation and improvement. The Northeastern University Toronto Advisory Committees are organized as follows:

• Recruit five to seven senior level industry leaders from the Greater Toronto Area that arerepresentative of the industry and relevant professional associations

• Ensure committee diversity and global representation

• Create a committee mission with goals and objectives for the Northeastern UniversityToronto campus

• Hold committee meetings annually

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• Assess committee minutes and annual report as a quality measure for the effectiveness ofthe overall program

Professional Accreditation

The Master of Science in Computer Science program falls within the University-wide accreditation, assessment, and review process by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Additionally, the bodies that govern higher education in the US states of Washington, California, and North Carolina have approved Northeastern’s MSCS degree for on-ground delivery at Northeastern’s other regional campus locations.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will exhibit proficiency in the design and maintenance of large application software (Learning Outcome 1 below), will develop the ability to maintain network infrastructure (Learning Outcome 2 below), will build familiarity with basic algorithms and theoretical computer science principles (Learning Outcome 3 below), and will demonstrate ability in advanced programming and software design materials (Learning Outcome 4 below).

Program Curriculum Learning Outcomes

1 2 3 4 CORE Requirements (12 credits)

CS 5010 Programming Design Paradigm X CS 5500 Managing Software Development X X CS 5600 Computer Systems X X X CS 5800 Algorithms X X X

Sample Electives (20 credits) CS 5200 Database Management Systems X X X

CS 5610 Web Development X X X

CS 5700 Fundamentals of Computer Networking X

CS 5770 Software Vulnerabilities and Security X X

CS 5800 Algorithms X X X

CS 6140 Machine Learning X X X X

CS 6220 Data Mining Techniques X X X X

CS 6240 Large-Scale Parallel Data Processing X X

Optional: Align Bridge Courses (16 credits) CS 5001 Intensive Fundamentals of Computer Science X

CS 5004 Object-Oriented Design X

CS 5006 Algorithms X X

CS 5007 Computer Systems X

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Course Descriptions

The course descriptions of the MSCS core courses are provided below. Additional course descriptions can be found in Appendix 4.1.

CS 5010 - Programming Design Paradigm Introduces modern program design paradigms. Starts with functional program design, introducing the notion of a design recipe. The latter consists of two parts: a task organization (ranging from the description of data to the creation of a test suite) and a data-oriented approach to the organization of programs (ranging from atomic data to self-referential data definitions and functions as data). The course then progresses to object-oriented design, explaining how it generalizes and contrasts with functional design. In addition to studying program design, students also have an opportunity to practice pair-programming and public code review techniques, as found in industry today.

CS 5500 - Managing Software Development Covers software life cycle models (waterfall, spiral, and so forth), domain engineering methods, requirements analysis methods (including formal specifications), software design principles and methods, verification and testing methods, resource and schedule estimation for individual software engineers, component-based software development methods and architecture, and languages for describing software processes. Includes a project where some of the software engineering methods (from domain modeling to testing) are applied in an example. Requires admission to MS program or completion of all transition courses.

CS 5600 - Computer Systems Studies the structure, components, design, implementation, and internal operation of computer systems, focusing mainly on the operating system level. Reviews computer hardware and architecture including the arithmetic and logic unit, and the control unit. Covers current operating system components and construction techniques including the memory and memory controller, I/O device management, device drivers, memory management, file system structures, and the user interface. Introduces distributed operating systems. Discusses issues arising from concurrency and distribution, such as scheduling of concurrent processes, inter-process communication and synchronization, resource sharing and allocation, and deadlock management and resolution. Includes examples from real operating systems. Exposes students to the system concepts through programming exercises. Requires admission to MS program or completion of all transition courses.

CS 5800 - Algorithms Presents the mathematical techniques used for the design and analysis of computer algorithms. Focuses on algorithmic design paradigms and techniques for analyzing the correctness, time, and space complexity of algorithms. Topics may include asymptotic notation, recurrences, loop

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invariants, Hoare triples, sorting and searching, advanced data structures, lower bounds, hashing, greedy algorithms, dynamic programming, graph algorithms, and NP-completeness.

Graduate Course Schedule 1

Year and Semester Course Title

Course Semester

Hours

Course Prerequisites and

Co-requisites Instructor(s)

Instructor’s Highest

Qualifications Earned and

Discipline of Study

Year 1

Semester 1

CS5010 – Program Design

Paradigm 4 Co-Req: CS5011 –

Recitation To be hired PhD in CS or related discipline

CS5200 – Intro to Database

Management 4 N/A

To be hired/Online – Name Omitted

PhD in CS or related discipline

Semester 2

CS5500 – Managing Software

Development

4 Pre-Req – CS5010 To be hired PhD in CS or related discipline

CS5800 – Algorithms 4 N/A

To be hired/Online – Name Omitted

PhD in CS or related discipline

Year 2

Semester 1

CS5610 – Web Development 4 N/A To be hired PhD in CS or

related discipline CS 6650 –

Building Scalable Distributed

Systems

4 N/A To be hired PhD in CS or related discipline

Semester 2

CS6140 – Machine Learning 4 N/A To be hired PhD in CS or

related discipline CS6220 – Data

Mining Techniques

4 N/A To be hired/Online – Name Omitted

PhD in CS or related discipline

Total Program Hours 32 1

1 Table represents example of a student’s schedule. Students may alter course selection based on their concentration.

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Graduate Course Schedule 2

Year and Semester Course Title

Course Semester

Hours

Course Prerequisites and

Co-requisites Instructor(s)

Instructor’s Highest

Qualifications Earned and

Discipline of Study

Year 1

Semester 1

CS5010 – Program Design

Paradigm 4 Co-Req: CS5011 –

Recitation PhD in CS or

related discipline

CS5200 – Intro to Database

Management 4 N/A PhD in CS or

related discipline

Semester 2

CS5500 – Managing Software

Development

4 Pre-Req – CS5010 PhD in CS or related discipline

CS5800 – Algorithms 4 N/A PhD in CS or

related discipline

Year 2

Semester 1

CS5610 – Web Development 4 N/A PhD in CS or

related discipline CS 6650 –

Building Scalable Distributed

Systems

4 N/A PhD in CS or related discipline

Semester 2

CS6140 – Machine Learning 4 N/A PhD in CS or

related discipline CS6220 – Data

Mining Techniques

4 N/A PhD in CS or related discipline

Total Program Hours 32 2

Work-Integrated Learning Experience

The MSCS program offers experiential learning opportunities throughout the curriculum. MSCS courses are designed and revised in concert with advisory committees, and the University’s

2 Table represents example of a student’s schedule. Students may alter course selection based on their concentration.

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industrial partners to promote the ability of its graduates to learn and apply state-of-the-art technologies throughout the course of their degree programs. Instructors use a project-based approach to the curriculum, where students are trained in marketable skills sought by top technical employers. For students seeking to engage the University’s employer network and enhance their professional experiences and skills, the following experiential learning opportunities are accessible:

Cooperative Education (Co-op): Experiential learning lies at the heart of academic life at Northeastern. The integration of study with professional work, research, and service gives students real-world opportunities and responsibilities. Students explore their path, acquire a deeper grasp of their studies, and develop an understanding that is essential to lifelong achievement—how to learn and grow outside the comfort zone of the classroom. Generally, full-time students participating in co-op as experiential learning alternate semesters of academic study with semesters of full-time employment in positions related to their academic and/or career interests in the U.S. or globally.

Experiential Network (XN): The Experiential Network (XN) is an initiative built to ensure experiential learning opportunities for graduate and professional studies students, and further enhance Northeastern’s position as the global leader in experiential learning for all students. By partnering with sponsoring businesses and organizations, XN facilitates opportunities for students to work on short-term, real-world projects to complement their academic course work. Projects are conducted through virtual interface with the project sponsor over a six-week period, and students and sponsors work closely in an authentic professional environment during which students produce deliverables that may inform the sponsor’s critical business decisions.

Course Outlines/Teaching and Learning Plans

Please see Appendix 4.1 for sample MSCS course outlines and course descriptions.

Align/Bridging Course Descriptions

The course descriptions for the Align/Bridging courses are as follows:

CS 5001 - Intensive Foundations of Computer Science Introduces the fundamental ideas of computing and programming principles. Discusses a systematic approach to word problems, including analytic reading, synthesis, goal setting, planning, plan execution, and testing. Presents several models of computing, beginning with functional program design. The latter part of the course consists of two parts: a task organization (ranging from the description of data to the creation of a test suite) and a data-oriented approach to the organization of programs (ranging from atomic data to self-referential data definitions and functions as data). Offers students an opportunity to practice pair programming and public code review techniques, as found in industry today. No prior programming experience is assumed; therefore, suitable for students with little or no computer science background.

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management system, students are guided through online coursework by their instructors, and are able to interface with fellow students virtually where necessary. The University approaches online education as a medium that augments accessibility for our students, while maintaining the same qualitative standards and educational outcomes that exist for all University programs.

Subsequently, online students are subject to the same rigorous academic standards as any other student at the University, but with the added flexibility that online courses offer. This functionality of the online platform allows a dynamic array of formats for both material delivery and activity implementation. Students and instructors all over the globe enjoy audio, video, and white board capabilities, as well as synchronous and asynchronous modes of discussion and collaboration. To learn more about online education at Northeastern, please see Appendix 5.1.

Quality Assurance of Delivery

Northeastern University’s attention to program delivery from a quality assurance perspective is implemented at several levels, and includes the involvement of both internal and external stakeholders. The quality of program delivery is governed internally by and through the auspices of the Faculty Senate and the Graduate Council, which approve all new programs and subsequent changes to current program operational units. Online program delivery quality assurance is managed by our NU Online Experiential Learning Team, which works with faculty to ensure that the quality of the course materials selected for instruction in all modalities of instruction is optimized, and the online learning management system is equipped to simulate on-the-ground experiences virtually. Please read more about the quality assurance, assessment, and continuous improvement processes for the MSCS program in Section 10 of this proposal.

Student Feedback

In order to incorporate student feedback into strategies for improving program outcomes and objectives, student experience, and course curriculum content and design, the system for term-by-term course and instructor evaluations in the College of Computer and Information Science is Teacher Rating and Course Evaluation (TRACE). This online student survey is administered to MSCS students each semester. TRACE was developed in a joint effort between the Faculty Senate and student government, and is designed to be submitted anonymously, with timely published results that inform improvements for both teaching and learning. CCIS also administers an Alumni Survey, as well as an Outcomes Assessment Survey for recent graduates. If granted consent to deliver this program in Ontario, students enrolled through the Toronto campus would participate in TRACE surveys in the same capacity as Northeastern students located elsewhere. Examples of survey questions are provided in Appendix 10.1.

6. Capacity to Deliver

Learning and Physical Resources

Library Resources

Northeastern University Libraries transcend geography to offer students, faculty, and staff full access to the University’s vast online holdings, including 60,000 e-journals, and hundreds of

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licensed databases containing over 548,806 e-books, 25,652 databases and online platforms, as well as searchable articles, documents, images, data, and streaming music and video. The University has also created a “gateway” to library resources for each of its current regional campuses, including Northeastern Toronto, improving access to library resources to all students.

The Northeastern Libraries are redefining what a library needs to be in order to deliver its virtual and brick-and-mortar forms to students around the world. This means continued work and investment to increase the range and richness of our collections and to accelerate their transformation from mainly-print to mainly-digital. Students who seek both synchronous and asynchronous librarian support may elect to call or online chat with library staff (24 hours per day, seven days per week), as well as email or text message. Furthermore, an array of online workshops are available regularly, ranging from an introduction to library services to specialized graduate research methods. As part of the orientation process, remote students are offered opportunities to engage in library sessions designed to familiarize students with the array of services offered by the Northeastern Libraries system.

Northeastern University also continues to offer swift interlibrary loan services for materials to which it does not provide regular access. As such, community members are able to have most articles delivered to their desktop within 24 hours. Furthermore, to replicate and enhance the experience of browsing library shelves, the University now offers a Virtual Browse feature on Scholar OneSearch. By selecting the record for any book, journal, or media title, students are able to electronically browse adjacent materials in all formats by call number from their desktop, and in many cases, directly access the full text of items on similar topics. Moreover, the changing aspirations and expanding research environment at Northeastern has called for support of a commensurate research library of the same breadth, quality, and global stature. Please see Appendix 6.1 for the University’s Library Strategic Directions, a set of broad initiatives, thrusts, and values that serve as an agenda for the Library’s next round of strategic planning.

Information Technology

Information Technology Services at Northeastern University provides central information technology support to over 35,000 students, faculty, and staff who use our secure, high speed connectivity to the Internet through our Boston based network and a host of other services tailored to the online or regional campus student. Northeastern University Online constantly assesses new technologies to supplement or replace existing technologies and conducts a formal evaluation of its Learning Management System every 18 months.

Physical Resources in Ontario

As described in a July 2016 notification, in August of 2016, Northeastern University entered into a temporary lease arrangement for office space at 250 University Avenue, #203, Toronto, ON M5C 1X6. This arrangement gave Northeastern access to office space for four employees, and a variety of spaces for meetings and classes. In August of 2017, the University expanded this lease

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to include Suite #225 within the same office complex.

In spring of 2018, Northeastern University Toronto moved into a permanent campus location on the 46th floor of First Canadian Place, 100 King St W, #4620, Toronto, ON M5X 1A9. This location was chosen for its accessibility via public transportation and its close proximity to a wide range of employers. This location provides a variety of partnership opportunities with businesses in the area for the University and experiential learning opportunities for students. The campus space at First Canadian Place is accessible from 9AM to 5PM, Monday to Friday. The campus is accessible beyond standard operational hours on select occasions (e.g. evening classes, special events). Students are issued a building pass card allowing them access to the campus. Facilities at First Canadian Place are equipped with the following resources and amenities:

• Secure and encrypted high speed Wi-Fi access throughout the space• High definition video conferencing technology• Enterprise grade printer, copier, scanner, fax linked to building pass card• Two classrooms, each accommodating 20 people• One conference room, accommodating 12 people• Kitchen area with fridge, coffee machine, microwave• Three breakout rooms for private student collaboration, accommodating two to four

students each• Additional seating area for students and guests• Event space equipped with surround sound and audio-visual presentation options to be

used for student recruitment activities, faculty lectures, industry engagementopportunities, and other vital events and services

Since opening the permanent campus space in March 2018, Northeastern University Toronto has hosted a range of student-focused events at its location in First Canadian Place, including in-person meetings between Boston-based program directors and students, and panel discussions, lectures, and networking events related to currently approved programming.

Resource Renewal and Upgrading

The Strategic Mission of Northeastern University’s Information Technology Services (ITS) is to deliver robust, reliable, and secure technology and services that enable and advance excellence in teaching, learning, research, and community engagement while aligning to Northeastern University’s 2025 vision. The strategic vision of ITS is to empower Northeastern to achieve excellence through technology, using change as a guiding principle. As such, ITS values and embraces the culture of rapid change.

ITS works closely with Northeastern faculty, staff, and students to offer the latest technology and services to our community across all network locations. The collaborative efforts of these initiatives provide necessary tools in the pursuit of academic excellence and meeting the goals of the University from enhanced communications to high-performance computing.

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The University’s Faculty Senate has several standing committees that advise on maintenance and improvements of certain University resources, including the Information Technology Policy Committee (ITPC) and Library Policies and Operations Committee (LPOC). The ITPC is charged with all questions relating to the development, maintenance, security, and availability of information systems and infrastructures. The Committee periodically reviews information systems priorities, policies, resources, and operations and, based on these reviews, makes recommendations concerning activities that may improve operations or enhance the seamless flow of data and information to the communities that depend on it. The ITPC also makes recommendations to the Senate Agenda Committee, the administrative head of Information Systems, or to others in the administration, as appropriate, on matters concerning operations, resources, or policies. The LPOC is charged with policy issues involving library strategic planning, infrastructures and resource adequacy, collections development and maintenance, program and service development, and other matters of concern to the faculty as the institution strives to achieve and retain status as a top teaching and research university.

Support Services

The Office of Graduate Student Life, in conjunction with Student Affairs and other University offices, provides a number of services and resources for Northeastern graduate students. To view a comprehensive list of academic resources and other student services available to all Northeastern University students, please see the following links:

• Academic Resources• University Resources

Consistent with staffing models at the other regional campuses, student services are available on site to Ontario-based students. The Academic and Student Affairs Manager at the Toronto location serves as the main point of contact for questions related to Northeastern’s processes and policies, including questions related to billing, degree financing, course registration, and academic standing. The Academic and Student Affairs Manager also acts as a liaison to Boston-based resources, including academic and career advisors and program directors. As enrollments grow in Ontario, the University anticipates hiring additional staff to serve more tailored functions, such as program-specific academic advising. In order to make students aware of services available, the Toronto campus distributes a campus-specific resource guide to all incoming students. A copy of a recent campus-specific resource guide is available in Appendix 6.2.

Faculty

The University faculty is sufficient in number and representative of the principal areas of instruction offered by the institution to assure the effectiveness of the academic programs, as well as counseling and advising. The maximum student-to-faculty ratio for online courses is 25:1, and is often less students for on ground programming, which established more individualized attention. A traditional distinction of the Northeastern experience is the integration of faculty, who are recognized industry experts in their respective fields, into the instructional environment, both in person and virtually.

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Ontario Enrollment Plan

The enrollment plan for the MSCS program was developed through combination of the University’s market research in Toronto, input from MSCS and CCIS leadership, and the University’s prior experience with campus planning and implementation in Charlotte, NC, Silicon Valley, CA, and Seattle, WA.

If granted approval to deliver the MSCS program in Ontario, the University will appoint a program director to facilitate growth of the program when appropriate. The faculty model will suppose a hybrid delivery approach. Initial student cohorts will be enrolled in existing online courses that will be augmented by additional faculty members providing in-person learning experiences several times throughout a term. As enrollments increase, the University will secure local adjunct faculty with appropriate academic credentials and deep industry experience. New faculty will be evaluated, hired, managed, and assessed through the standard College-based processes. Northeastern is committed to hiring qualified local candidates for faculty roles, as locally-sourced faculty are best positioned to contextualize the academic content of the degree program with the realities of Ontario and broader Canadian industry and workforce culture.

Please see the below table for a four-year projection of cumulative enrollment that accounts for program attrition and indicates the number of staff, including faculty, technical, teaching assistants, etc., assigned to the program.

Four Year Student Enrollment/Faculty Projections for MSCS

Term FL 1 SP1 SM 1 FL 2 SP 2 SM 2 FL 3 SP 3 SM 3 FL 4 SP 4 SM 4

Fall 1 4 4 4 3 3 3

Spring 1

3 3 3 2 2 2

Summer 1

3 3 3 2 2 2

Fall 2

8 8 8 6 6 6

Spring 2

6 6 6 5 5 5

Summer 2

4 4 4 3 3 3

Fall 3

8 8 8 6 6 6

Spring 3

6 6 6 5 5

Summer 3

4 4 4 3

Fall 4

10 10 10

Spring 4

6 6

Summer 4

4

Total Students 4 7 10 17 22 26 29 31 32 34 34 34

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Total Faculty 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Faculty Qualifications Desired qualifications for MSCS faculty candidates in Ontario include a doctoral degree and at least ten years of industry and/or research experience. A history of successful teaching at the graduate level is also strongly preferred. Northeastern University hires the highest quality faculty who exceed the standards of their disciplines and University standards through educational, professional, and service experiences.

Academic Freedom

Northeastern subscribes to the 1940 Statement of Principles of Academic Freedom and Academic Tenure issued by the American Association of University Professors and the Association of American Colleges, as amended in 1970, which is substantially incorporated into the Faculty Handbook. This policy applies to all individuals insofar as they are involved in teaching or scholarship at the University, and is available in the Faculty Handbook.

Review of Faculty Performance

As noted in Section 6, faculty evaluation is informed by two components, including term-by-term course evaluations and annual faculty reviews conducted by College leadership. The system for term-by-term course evaluations in the College of Computer and Information Science is Teacher Rating and Course Evaluation (TRACE), and is designed to be submitted anonymously, with timely published results that inform improvements for both teaching and learning.

Policies and Procedures Pertaining to MSCS Program Faculty

The University’s primary faculty governance document is the Faculty Handbook, which sets forth general policies and procedures regarding the rights and responsibilities of all faculty members, as well as more specific explanations of policies relating to tenure, promotion, leaves, grievances, and many other operational activities. The Faculty Handbook and University Policies site contains University-wide policies governing academic life and faculty rights and responsibilities, including but not limited to the Faculty Handbook, and provides information for faculty, staff and students on the University's mission, history, and administrative structure.

Professional Development

Northeastern provides numerous resources to support the growth and renewal of faculty throughout their careers. The University’s plan for faculty development is consistent with its commitment to innovation, research, and exemplary pedagogy. From stand-alone workshops and training opportunities, to professional organizations and content specific workshops, Northeastern provides significant professional development support. CCIS also maintains a faculty development fund from which faculty members can request funding through the College Dean.

The Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning through Research (CATLR) provides opportunities for faculty to evolve their teaching practice in ways that enhance student learning.

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Their mission is to inspire, equip, and connect educators to create and integrate transformative learning experiences using evidence-based practices. Evidence-based teaching benefits both from existing educational research and from evidence collected as teaching unfolds.

Additionally, NU Online provides regular workshop and seminar opportunities throughout the year for skill enrichment. The Northeastern University Online Instructor Resource Center promotes instructional innovation and continuous development of technological skills. Its website provides helpful how-to information, features on teaching with technology, links to webinars, contact information, and tutorials on best practices for all Northeastern University faculty teaching online. NU Online also maintains a Faculty Resource Center on Blackboard, which includes course templates, instructional modules, tutorials, and policy documents.

Faculty Appointments

The University observes a standard procedure for selection of full-time and part-time faculty appointments, detailed in the Appointments, Terms, and Reappointments section of the Faculty Handbook, regardless of campus location of hire. In all instances, the new hire and offer process includes verification of degrees, employment, and references, and Northeastern University provides a written contract upon assignment of a faculty member, which details the nature of the assignment and the status of the faculty member. Faculty contracts also detail the conditions of employment, remuneration, and fulfillment of faculty course load, when applicable. Faculty contracts are issued under the authority of the respective College Dean, and full-time appointments are reviewed and approved by the Provost, President, and Board of Trustees.

Curriculum Vitae Release

Northeastern University has on file and available for inspection, from all faculty whose CVs are included in this submission, signatures that attest to the truthfulness and completeness of the information obtained in their CV, and an agreement to the inclusion of their CV in any documents/websites associated with the submission, review, and final status of the program application.

Curriculum Vitae of Faculty Assigned to the Degree Program

Please see Appendix 7.1 for current MSCS faculty CVs.

7. Credential Recognition

Ontario Market Demand and Competitor Differentiation

Northeastern’s Master of Science in Computer Science program has been designed to maximize the graduates’ potential for employment and promotion in their field, and to provide further in-depth knowledge, which allows students to accelerate their career trajectory. In spring of 2018, Northeastern’s Office of Strategic Research and Analytics conducted an assessment and analysis of Ontario’s demand for computer science graduates, talent and skills gaps, and differentiation across similar credentials in market. The following results were based on information sourced from Emsi’s Analyst Tools, Burning Glass’ Labour Insight Database, and StatsCan Postsecondary Student Information System.

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There is significant and growing demand for employment in the computer science field in Ontario. Based on information from the above named sources, there are roughly 225,000 individuals employed in occupations that MSCS graduates would be qualified for, and employment is expected to increase to approximately 253,000 by the year 2024. Computer science-related occupations are projected to increase 13% between 2018 and 2024, well above the 6% average growth rate in Ontario across all occupations during the same time period. Information Systems Analyst and Consultant positions are expected to experience the most growth at 16%, followed by Computer and Information Systems management at 13%.

Across Ontario, the number of Master’s level job postings seeking computer science professionals has increased by 46% between 2015 and 2018, which represents a growth significantly higher than Ontario’s 6% average growth rate in Master’s level postings during this period. In the Greater Toronto Area, the number of Master’s level job postings seeking computer science professionals has increased by 59% between 2015 and 2018, exceeding Toronto's 13% average growth rate during this period across all Master’s level job postings. Over the past 12 months, the most common Master’s level positions that Ontario employers were looking to fill included Software Development Engineer (236 job postings), Software Developer (127) and Data Analyst (79), all of which are common outputs of the MSCS program.

Student Demand and Program Differentiation

According to available data, there were 310 Master’s level computer science degree conferrals in Ontario in 2014. The number of computer science conferrals has remained consistent from 2010 to 2014, however, there is a large gap between the number of computer science graduates and the number of computer science-related job postings over the past year, as noted above. This number, by all indications, will continue to grow at a rapid pace, widening this gap over the next several years. As detailed, Northeastern’s MSCS program will be able to meet this market demand and shrink the anticipated skills gap, meeting the needs of the industry in the region as it continues to grow.

While other MSCS programs in the Greater Toronto Area exist, Northeastern’s flexible delivery formats, including online, hybrid, and on-ground programming, are uniquely designed to meet the needs of a diverse student population. Combined with Northeastern’s focus on experiential learning and strong industry partnerships, the flexible delivery structure of programming positions students for success, both academically and professionally. The majority of programs offered in Ontario are designed for students with a background in computer science or a related discipline. Northeastern’s MSCS Align option will create new access pathways for students from a wide variety of backgrounds, with undergraduate majors ranging from math, biology, history, engineering, and classics. In this program, students have an opportunity to acquire both the knowledge needed to transition into a new career and the practical skills to build the next great app, and the cohort-based learning model provides a supportive community for students throughout the program.

Further, the tangible link for graduates to employers through both co-op and XN opportunities create ample opportunity to meet market demand and growth. Within the computer science fields in the Greater Toronto Area, and given the anticipated growth of the field, this program will offer

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the labor market in Ontario opportunities to collaborate both on curricula development and design and on program graduate output.

8. Regulation and Accreditation

The Master of Science in Computer Science program does not currently have any government regulations or specific program accreditations associated with degree completion and practice. All Northeastern University graduate programs fall within the University-wide accreditation process, assessment, and review by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Further, Northeastern University Toronto (and its approved programs) was formally acknowledged to be encompassed within the University’s accreditation in September 2017. Northeastern University continually self-assesses and formally reports every five years on its compliance with the nine Standards set forth by NEASC. As a member in good standing continuously since 1940, Northeastern University engages in a detailed assessment of institutional quality. Each of the Standards articulates a dimension of institutional quality. In applying the Standards, the Commission assesses and makes decision regarding the effectiveness of the institution as a whole.

In the fall of 2018, Northeastern will undergo re-accreditation, culminating in a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. At the heart of the self-study process are data, documents, and information gathered from across the University as a whole. In addition to the administrative offices of the University, each of Northeastern’s academic programs and regional campuses contributes in this way to representing the institution’s goals and accomplishments in learning and research.

9. Nomenclature

The University’s degrees and other forms of academic recognition are named following practices common to North American institutions of higher education in terms of both length and content of the programs. Northeastern follows a standard model for all degrees. Master’s degrees are a minimum of 32 semester hours and are generally completed within two years.

Northeastern University’s Master of Science in Computer Science is designed for experienced professionals seeking to enhance their knowledge and expand their technology leadership responsibilities in organizations that design, develop, market, or utilize computing systems. The Master of Science designation for the proposed degree offering has been chosen to communicate the degree level. The specialization in computer science reflects generally understood naming conventions of the computing systems-focused content of the program and is similarly used by other institutions in the province. Following the degree standards outlined in the Handbook for Private Organizations, 2017, Northeastern University’s nomenclature for the proposed degree program will meet the appropriate conveyance of a graduate level degree.

Northeastern University adheres to the following Guidelines for Degree Designations for Graduate Programs:

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Guidelines for Degree Designations for Graduate Programs

The following sections related to degree designation language are standard guidelines. Any and all degree designations follow field-specific standards.

1. Degree Designation for Master’s Programs

There are several possible choices for the name of a master’s program: Master of Arts, Master of Science, Masters of Professional Studies, Masters of Arts in Teaching, Masters of Education, and the Professional Master.

Either of the first two degrees may or may not be designated: e.g. Master of Science in Chemical Engineering. The names(s) should follow established practice in the academic and professional area to be served, including consideration for accreditation and credentialing. Subject at all instances to this overriding consideration, the following guidelines are offered to govern those situations where practice and precedent are not definitive.

2. Selection of Name

If the degree program is practice oriented, either with no explicit scientific methodology, or with a method that is derived from practice rather than taught as preparation for practice and focuses upon a particular professional area, then the degree should be named as a Professional Master. This type of program is similar in all other respects to an MA or MS except for the professional orientation noted above: e.g., Master of Music, Master of Business Administration.

If the degree program is in the social sciences and requires a scientific methodology, where this qualification is taken to mean the knowledge and rigorous application of the principles of orderly investigation to the phenomena of nature and human experience, then the name of the degree program should be Master of Science or Master of Arts, depending on the norms in the discipline.

If the degree program is in the sciences, then the name of the degree programs should be Master of Science. If the degree program is in the humanities then the name of the degree program should be Master of Arts.

3. Designated versus Undesignated Master’s Degree Programs

If the program is primarily research oriented, then the name of the degree program should be without designation. However, if the research orientation has a strong applied focus and an associated scientific methodology, then the degree program may be with designation. The designation versus undesignated decision is to be guided very strongly by consideration of tradition, accepted practice, professional recognition and accepted practice for determining credentials.

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10. Program Evaluation

All academic programs across the University are responsible for developing their own learning outcome statements and assessment plans. The Academic Assessment Group (AAG) in the Center for Advanced Teaching and Learning (CATLR) is an institutional resource to help programs develop outcomes that can be assessed in informative ways to continuously improve their curriculum. Under the guidance of NEASC, the AAG has developed a survey system to collect learning outcomes and assessment plans based on NEASC’s institutional reporting forms. Please see NEASC’s institutional reporting forms on the organization's website.

CCIS Academic Quality Assurance Procedures

In addition to required NEASC reporting, CCIS administers assessment plan implementation and the continuation of such plans in order to maintain quality assurance across its programs. This includes exercises, such as administering surveys, at several points throughout an academic year. CCIS assessment planning and quality assurance mechanisms use both direct and indirect assessment to determine how well students are achieving program outcomes.

Direct assessments include an anonymized assessment of student coursework to be sampled at random from the core courses of the MSCS program. Selected work is cumulative and synthetic to each course, such as final projects. The program faculty develop quality rubrics to assess the outcomes of each course and the level of achievement by current students, and coursework is sampled annually.

Indirect assessments of the program include standard institutional metrics including, but not limited to, application statistics, enrollment data, completion and persistence rates, TRACE evaluations, student surveys (current and graduate), and student-employer co-op reviews. The program conducts student interviews (group and individual) from students across all campus locations to understand student perceptions of program and course operation.

In order to incorporate student feedback into strategies for improving program outcomes and objectives, student experience, and course curriculum content and design, CCIS also administers an Alumni Survey, as well as an Outcomes Assessment Survey for recent graduates. Example survey questions have been provided in Appendix 10.1.

Continuous Improvement

In order to determine that graduates are achieving stated learning outcomes, MSCS program administration and faculty review both earned grades by course and cumulative grade point averages. Additionally, the cornerstone course of the MSCS program, CS5010-Program Design Paradigm, is viewed as an essential measure of student success in the program. CS5010 is a required course for all first-semester MSCS students.

If MSCS administration- and faculty-determined outcomes are not met through the methods noted above, curricular revisions are implemented. In addition to evidence relating to individual

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student performance, curricular revisions are prompted by an evolution in the fields of computer science and information science, faculty teaching upper level MSCS courses detecting knowledge or skills gaps in students progressing through the program, and co-op employers reporting concerns with MSCS student preparation. A specific example of a curricular change that has been implemented is the creation of the Program Design Paradigm course, which was created as a result of faculty and co-op employer feedback. Also, in consultation with industry and co-op partners, One-Credit Training Courses were created to train students in specific programming languages or development theories to aid in their co-op performance.

Statement of Assessment Plan

The assessment plan for the Masters of Science in Computer Science degree uses both direct and indirect assessment to evaluate how well students are achieving the core program outcomes.

Direct assessments will include an anonymized assessment of student coursework to be sampled at random from the core courses. Selected work will be cumulative and synthetic to each course, such as final projects. The program faculty will develop quality rubric to assess the outcomes of each course and the level of achievement by current students. Coursework will be sampled annually.

Indirect assessments of the program will include standard institutional metrics including, but not limited to, application statistics, enrollment data, completion and persistence rates, TRACE evaluations, student surveys (current and graduate), and student-employer co-op reviews. The program will also conduct student interviews (group and individual) to understand student perceptions of program and course operation.

Assessment of the MSCS program in Ontario, if granted consent to operate, will be conducted every three years in an effort to continually improve the admissions rubric, identify curricular gaps, employment/co-op trends, as well as program strengths and weaknesses. Below is a tentative timeline for program assessment, beginning in fall 2017.

Assessment Plan Frequency

AY 17/18 AY 18/19 AY 20/21 AY 21/22 AY 22/23

F Sp Su F Sp Su F Sp Su F Sp Su F Sp Su Current Student Survey

Every summer x x x x x

Co-op Placement

Every Co-op Cycle

(C1/C2)* C1 C2 C1 C2 C1 C1 C2 C1

Graduate Surveys

Annually after graduation for

Post Grad x x x x x

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TRACE Evaluation

Every Semester x x x x x x x x x X x x x x x

Program Data** Every Summer x x x x x

Student Coursework Every Summer x x x x x

*CCIS Co-Op runs on two entry cycles: Cycle 1 runs summer-fall and Cycle 2 runs spring-summer.**Program data to include admissions rubric review, persistence and completion rates, and gradedistribution review

Quality Assurance in Ontario

Northeastern’s program assessment and quality assurance processes do not differ by location or method of program delivery. Any program offered at a regional campus location is included in standard assessment processes, as Colleges collect information from faculty and students at each site to further inform continued curricular and administrative revisions.

In an effort to continuously ensure quality, the University also understands that consent holders in Ontario are required to provide certain information to the Minister when requested, including, but not limited to, proof of continuing accreditation status, confirmation that arrangements for students to have access to their transcripts remain in place, student enrollment data, and other performance measured as requested by the Minister. Additionally, Northeastern acknowledges that under the Standard Terms and Conditions of Consent, the Post-Secondary Education Quality Assessment Board reviews applications for renewal of consent to ensure the institution and its programming has maintained, and will continue to maintain, quality. If granted consent, Northeastern intends to comply with the Ministry’s requirements around annual and renewal reporting.

Program Advisory Committee

If granted consent to offer the MSCS program in Ontario, Northeastern will identify members for the Program Advisory Committee to assess the program quality and delivery in Ontario, and to ensure local and regional industry needs are addressed through degree program curricula and objectives. The Advisory Committee specific to the program would be expected to meet on a consistent basis, and provide input for ongoing program relevance and sustainability in region. Advisory Committee guidance in Ontario and elsewhere is viewed as an integral aspect of ongoing quality assessment planning for program and campus evaluation and improvement.

Appendix 4.1 Sample Course Descriptions -- Full Course

Syllabi Omitted

Master of Science in Computer Science Sample Course Descriptions

Core Coursework

• CS 5010 Programming Design Paradigms: Introduces modern program designparadigms. Starts with functional program design, introducing the notion of a designrecipe. The latter consists of two parts: a task organization (ranging from the descriptionof data to the creation of a test suite) and a data-oriented approach to the organization ofprograms (ranging from atomic data to self-referential data definitions and functions asdata). The course then progresses to object-oriented design, explaining how it generalizesand contrasts with functional design. In addition to studying program design, studentsalso have an opportunity to practice pair-programming and public code reviewtechniques, as found in industry today.

• CS 5800 Algorithms: Presents the mathematical techniques used for the design andanalysis of computer algorithms. Focuses on algorithmic design paradigms andtechniques for analyzing the correctness, time, and space complexity of algorithms.Topics may include asymptotic notation, recurrences, loop invariants, Hoare triples,sorting and searching, advanced data structures, lower bounds, hashing, greedyalgorithms, dynamic programming, graph algorithms, and NP-completeness.

• CS 5500 Managing Software Development: Covers software life cycle models (waterfall,spiral, and so forth), domain engineering methods, requirements analysis methods(including formal specifications), software design principles and methods, verificationand testing methods, resource and schedule estimation for individual software engineers,component-based software development methods and architecture, and languages fordescribing software processes. Includes a project where some of the software engineeringmethods (from domain modeling to testing) are applied in an example. Requiresadmission to MS program or completion of all transition courses.

• CS 5600 Computer Systems: Studies the structure, components, design, implementation,and internal operation of computer systems, focusing mainly on the operating systemlevel. Reviews computer hardware and architecture including the arithmetic and logicunit, and the control unit. Covers current operating system components and constructiontechniques including the memory and memory controller, I/O device management, devicedrivers, memory management, file system structures, and the user interface. Introducesdistributed operating systems. Discusses issues arising from concurrency and distribution,such as scheduling of concurrent processes, interprocess communication andsynchronization, resource sharing and allocation, and deadlock management andresolution. Includes examples from real operating systems. Exposes students to the

system concepts through programming exercises. Requires admission to MS program or completion of all transition courses.

Database Management, Software Engineering, and Information Security Elective Sample:

• CS 5200 Database Management Systems: Introduces relational database managementsystems as a class of software systems. Prepares students to be sophisticated users ofdatabase management systems. Covers design theory, query language, andperformance/tuning issues. Topics include relational algebra, SQL, stored procedures,user-defined functions, cursors, embedded SQL programs, client-server interfaces, entity-relationship diagrams, normalization, B-trees, concurrency, transactions, databasesecurity, constraints, object-relational DBMSs, and specialized engines such as spatial,text, XML conversion, and time series. Includes exercises using a commercial relationalor object-relational database management system.

• CS 5770 Software Vulnerabilities and Security: Seeks to help students to become aware of systems security issues and to gain a basic understanding of security. Presents the principal software and applications used in the Internet, discussing in detail the related vulnerabilities and how they are exploited. Also discusses programming vulnerabilities and how they are exploited. Examines protection and detection techniques. Includes a number of practical lab assignments as well as a discussion of current research in the field.

• CS 6140 Machine Learning: Provides a broad look at a variety of techniques used inmachine learning and data mining, and also examines issues associated with their use.Topics include algorithms for supervised learning including decision tree induction,artificial neural networks, instance-based learning, probabilistic methods, and supportvector machines; unsupervised learning; and reinforcement learning. Also coverscomputational learning theory and other methods for analyzing and measuring theperformance of learning algorithms. Course work includes a programming term project.

• CS 5700 Fundamentals of Computer Networks: Studies network protocols, focusing onmodeling and analysis, and architectures. Introduces modeling concepts, emphasizingqueuing theory, including Little’s theorem, M/M/1, M/M/m, M/D/1, and M/G/1 queuingsystems. Discusses performance evaluation of computer networks including performancemetrics, evaluation tools and methodology, simulation techniques, and limitations.Presents the different harmonizing functions needed for communication and efficientoperation of computer networks and discusses examples of Ethernet, FDDI, and wirelessnetworks. Covers link layer protocols including HDLC, PPP, and SLIP; packet framing;spanning tree and learning bridges, error detection techniques, and automatic repeatrequest algorithms; sliding window and reliable/ordered services; and queuing disciplines

including FQ and WFQ. Introduces flow control schemes, such as window flow control and leaky bucket rate control schemes, and discusses congestion control and fairness. Requires knowledge of probability theory.

• CS 6220 Data Mining Techniques: Covers various aspects of data mining, includingclassification, prediction, ensemble methods, association rules, sequence mining, andcluster analysis. The class project involves hands-on practice of mining useful knowledgefrom a large data set.

• CS 6240 Large-Scale Parallel Data Processing: Covers big-data analysis techniques thatscale out with increasing number of compute nodes, e.g., for cloud computing. Focuseson approaches for problem and data partitioning that distribute work effectively whilekeeping total cost for computation and data transfer low. Deterministic and randomalgorithms from a variety of domains, including graphs, data mining, linear algebra, andinformation retrieval, are studied and analyzed in terms of their cost, scalability, androbustness against skew. Coursework emphasizes hands-on programming experiencewith modern state-of-the-art big-data processing technology. Students who do not meetcourse prerequisites may seek permission of instructor.

• CS 5610 Web Development: Discusses Web development for sites that are dynamic, datadriven, and interactive. Focuses on the software development issues of integratingmultiple languages, assorted data technologies, and Web interaction. ConsidersASP.NET, C#, HTTP, HTML, CSS, XML, XSLT, JavaScript, AJAX, RSS/Atom, SQL,and Web services. Each student must deploy individually designed Web experiments thatillustrate the Web technologies and at least one major integrative Web site project.Students may work in teams with the permission of the instructor. Each student or teammust also create extensive documentation of their goals, plans, design decisions,accomplishments, and user guidelines. All source files must be open and be automaticallyserved by a sources server.

• CS 6535 Engineering Reliable Software: Continues the exploration of several themesfrom CS 5010: unit testing, random testing, and logical reasoning about software.Specifically revisits the idea of systematic design and its connection to making logicalclaims about the workings of programs. After an introduction to the ACL2 programminglanguage and theorem prover, offers students an opportunity to redesign interactivegames (e.g., “Space Invaders”) and work on turning them into reliable projects. Studentswho do not meet course prerequisites may seek permission of instructor.

Appendix 4.2 Align Course Descriptions --Full

Course Syllabi Omitted

Master of Science in Computer Science – ALIGN Program Bridging Course Descriptions

Core Coursework

• CS 5001 - Intensive Foundations of Computer Science: Introduces the fundamental ideasof computing and programming principles. Discusses a systematic approach to wordproblems, including analytic reading, synthesis, goal setting, planning, plan execution, andtesting. Presents several models of computing, beginning with functional program design.The latter part of the course consists of two parts: a task organization (ranging from thedescription of data to the creation of a test suite) and a data-oriented approach to theorganization of programs (ranging from atomic data to self-referential data definitions andfunctions as data). Offers students an opportunity to practice pair programming and publiccode review techniques, as found in industry today. No prior programming experience isassumed; therefore, suitable for students with little or no computer science background.

• CS 5004 - Object-Oriented Design: Presents a comparative approach to object-orientedprogramming and design. Discusses the concepts of object, class, metaclass, message,method, inheritance, and genericity. Reviews forms of polymorphism in object-orientedlanguages. Contrasts the use of inheritance and composition as dual techniques for softwarereuse—forwarding vs. delegation and subclassing vs. subtyping. Offers students anopportunity to obtain a deeper understanding of the principles of object-orientedprogramming and design, including software components, object-oriented design patterns,and the use of graphical design notations such as UML (unified modeling language).Illustrates basic concepts in object-oriented design with case studies in applicationframeworks and by writing programs in Java.

• CS 5006 – Algorithms: Introduces the basic principles and techniques for the design andimplementation of efficient algorithms and data representations. Considers divide-and-conquer algorithms, graph traversal algorithms, linear programming, and optimizationtechniques. Covers the fundamental structures for representing data, such as hash tables,trees, and graphs.

• CS 5007 - Computer Systems: Introduces the basic design of computing systems,computer operating systems, and assembly language using a RISC architecture. Describescaches and virtual memory. Covers the interface between assembly language and high-levellanguages, including call frames and pointers; the use of system calls and systemsprogramming to show the interaction with the operating system; and the basic structures ofan operating system, including application interfaces, processes, threads, synchronization,interprocess communication, deadlock, memory management, file systems, andinput/output control.

Appendix 5.1 NU Online Overview

360 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115

Executive Summary

Northeastern University, based in Boston, Massachusetts, is a non-profit, doctorate granting university known for its leadership in experiential learning. Since Northeastern’s founding in 1898, the University has established a long and storied tradition of preparing students for a rapidly changing world through an innovative and distinct approach to education and research. Students are encouraged to shape the world through a myriad of experiential learning opportunities for work, research, study, and service. Our world-renowned faculty collaborate with colleagues and peers across the globe, working towards practical solutions to help make the world a more safe and sustainable place. Northeastern offers a comprehensive range of both undergraduate and graduate programs in nine different colleges and schools, and select advanced degrees at four regional campuses in Seattle, Charlotte, Silicon Valley, and Toronto.

Northeastern has embraced new technologies to help educate and prepare students in every continent. Northeastern has a strong commitment to excellence in online instruction and has more than 80 online degree programs across the institution and more than 10,000 online students across the globe.

Online Education at Northeastern University- Mission and Purpose

Northeastern University is a pioneer in the field of distance education, from broadcasting classes through satellite and microwave technologies in the 1970’s to being an early adopter to online education in the late 1990s, Northeastern has continually strived towards making its academic offerings available to all students regardless of location. This commitment to distance learning has continued to grow throughout the years and Northeastern is now recognized as one of the leaders in providing high quality, rigorous, online education across the country and the world. Northeastern’s own in-house online education division Northeastern University Online Experiential Learning (NUOEL) has helped to strengthen our existing offerings, as well as formulating new innovative approaches to online education that enhance the learning environment for all students.

The University approaches online education as a medium that augments accessibility for our students, while maintaining the same qualitative standards and educational outcomes that exist for all University programs. Subsequently, online students undergo the same rigorous education standards that any other student in the University goes through, but with the added flexibility that online courses offer. This functionality of the online platform allows a dynamic array of formats for both material delivery and activity implementation. Students and instructors enjoy audio, video and white board capabilities, as well as synchronous and asynchronous modes of discussion and collaboration.

Distance education will continue to play a crucial role in the Northeastern University learning experience and is a pivotal part of Northeastern’s long-term strategy plan, Northeastern 2025. Northeastern 2025 seeks to position the University as a leader in the changing landscape of higher education. Northeastern will continue to expand and develop its online portfolio and

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increase its digital presence to meet the needs of students across the world, regardless of place. Northeastern 2025 will enable the University to take advantage of new and emerging technologies by tailoring education to the learner’s schedule and unique situation. Students will be able to connect with their peers, professors, and industry partners and use Northeastern’s wide-ranging global network to provide students with a multitude of educational and professional opportunities.

NUOEL Overview

Northeastern delivers its academic programs via the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS), a leader in LMS systems, as well as online tutoring, web-based synchronous video-conferencing, and online community building tools.

Northeastern follows a formal university-wide process for the review of academic programs where each of the University’s academic units undergo periodic review, usually on a five to seven year cycle. These reviews are designed to provide independent and authoritative evaluation that assist academic units with long-term academic planning. The review provides individual academic units an opportunity to assess strengths and weaknesses, as well as to evaluate strategies and goals. Further, the review examines the manner in which program objectives and outcomes are integrated throughout the coursework, as well as the relevance of the outcomes to the contemporary workforce in the discipline. A successful review will identify the comparative advantage that the unit has within its discipline, where excellence can be achieved, and what opportunities exist to enhance program stature.

The University devotes significant resources to monitoring degree delivery and maintaining a high-quality student experience. Both faculty and course designers regularly review the progress of every online course, offering instructors guidance and criticism where appropriate, based on best practice of online education. Students have the opportunity to offer insight on individual courses twice a quarter. Program specialists field student concerns on course content, instruction, and other administrative issues, channeling communication to faculty, academic leadership and administrators. Through constant monitoring of online courses, as well as frequent opportunities for students to provide feedback, NUOEL provides a premium online experience, which operates with a goal of continuous improvement and innovation.

In 2012, Northeastern was an honorable mention for the National University Technology Network’s (NUTN) Distance Education Innovation Award. Northeastern received this award for our economical, accessible, scalable, efficient and effective (EASEE) multipoint approach to ensuring quality in online teaching and learning. The NUTN commended NU Online for successfully deploying and delivering an increasing number of online courses while being supported by a small team of instructional designers. The multipoint quality assurance program focuses on comprehensive training and mentoring of faculty, rubric-based courses’ readiness checks and quality reviews, and formative and summative student evaluations. This scalable and systematic approach has proven to ensure high quality of instructors’ readiness and preparation for large numbers of online classes.

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Quality of Curricula and Instructional Design of Online Programs

Northeastern University’s attention to program delivery is implemented at several levels and reviewed for quality assurance from both internal and external stakeholders. From an internal perspective, the quality of program content is governed through the auspices of the Faculty Senate, which approves all new programs and subsequent changes to current programs, as well as the ‘Course and Program Change’ process. Administrative units like the Academic Advising Office and the Registrar’s Office are charged with ensuring that the students are registering in the right courses and are on the path towards graduation by utilizing the Banner course registration program.

Additional program delivery quality assurance is managed via the NUOEL’s multi-point system that includes faculty development and certification, course readiness, best practice reports, summative evaluations, and regular curriculum reviews. The NUOEL Instructional Designers work with faculty to ensure that the quality of the course materials selected for instruction in all modalities is optimized. Program managers and coordinators are assigned to each program, and work with scheduling appropriate faculty to specific courses and ensure that all of the aforementioned operational quality assurance controls are effectively administered. Lastly, Academic Quality Assurance faculty and administrators work directly with Program Faculty Leads to monitor the internal and external program reviews which are conducted in accordance with the Master Schedule; internal reviews are conducted yearly and external reviews are conducted on a rotating 5-year schedule.

Northeastern faculty members facilitating these online and hybrid-based programs integrate their deep theoretical knowledge with strong professional experience. Using the online support tools to make the online and hybrid education a rich learning environment, faculty draw from a wide array of resources that enable students to apply new knowledge directly to the problem-solving needs of the workplace.

Our hybrid format, the blending of online and classroom learning, offers students the best of both worlds: the flexibility and convenience of online education and the personal, faculty/peer interaction of classroom based programs. By focusing students on the application of knowledge and on 21st century skills such as inquiry and analysis and information technology literacy, Northeastern’s extended model of learning develops students who are able to create dynamic new ideas and new approaches that can change whole fields of endeavor.

Creating and Maintaining Quality Online Curricula

Curricular creation and maintenance reside within the academic departments. Faculty members create online curricula in collaboration with NUOEL’s staff of highly qualified Instructional Designers who hold graduate degrees in instructional technology. Online, blended, and hybrid course offerings are equivalent to the on-ground curricula, which the faculty-centered process ensures. In addition, all online courses undergo quality checks on a continuous basis. NUOEL is supported by 24/7 technical support, as well as 24/7 synchronous and asynchronous tutoring.

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Northeastern’s online programs are subject to review by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) under the auspices of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). In addition, a large number of Northeastern’s graduate programs hold accreditation, where required, by the appropriate professional organizations.

Faculty Qualifications for Teaching Distance/Online Courses

Appointment of Faculty

The University observes a standard procedure for selection of full-time faculty, detailed in Section II of the Faculty Handbook, as well as part-time instructor (lecturer) appointment. Northeastern University provides a written contract upon assignment of a faculty member, which details the nature of the assignment and the status of the faculty member (probationary or tenure-track; part-time or full-time). In addition, faculty contracts detail conditions of employment, remuneration, and fulfillment of faculty course load, when applicable. Faculty contracts are issued under the authority of the College Dean, and full-time appointments are reviewed and approved by the Provost, President and Board of Trustees.

Faculty Qualifications

Candidates must hold a terminal degree in a related field and/or an MBA, MD, JD or similar, and at least five years of industry or governmental experience. A history of successful teaching at the graduate level is strongly preferred. Northeastern University hires the highest quality faculty who exceed the standards of their disciplines and University standards through educational, professional, and service experiences. Faculty titles at Northeastern are indicative on whether or not the position is tenure track or not. Faculty members holding the rank of assistant professor, associate professor, and professor are considered members of the Northeastern tenure-track and tenured faculty. Non-tenured/term faculty hold the title of academic specialists or lecturers who provide specialized knowledge, expertise, and professional experience to an academic program and college. Lead faculty is a term used in the College of Professional Studies, which designates select full-time faculty to serve as lead for a program. The lead faculty serves as a master teacher for a specific curriculum, assuring learning through curriculum development, effective instruction, and assessment of learning outcomes.

Faculty Training and Supervision

One main resource for faculty members is the NU Online Instructor Resource Center, http://www.northeastern.edu/nuolirc/ , which serves as a central hub for faculty as they design, instruct, and evaluate their online courses. Faculty members can use this site to learn how to use Blackboard, how to create an online course, schedule training seminars, and learn about NU Online Updates. Faculty members are encouraged to complete the Introduction to eLearning Certification Training to ensure that they are prepared for the issues related to online education.

The Northeastern University Online Instructor Certification training is a comprehensive approach to providing our faculty who are teaching online with the necessary best practices and

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skills to design and facilitate hybrid, blended, and fully online courses for Northeastern University. This training is for anyone wishing to teach hybrid, blended, or online courses for the College of Professional Studies (CPS) at Northeastern University. Whether they are a new or experienced online instructors, this training will be beneficial for them to familiarize themselves with the essential best practices for online design and facilitation.

This two-week, immersive approach to online teaching and learning prepares faculty to design and facilitate their own online course at Northeastern University. Faculty complete individual lessons that inform them about best practices and research-based methods for providing content including learning objectives, readings, multimedia content, instructor perspectives, discussion activities, collaboration exercises, writing assignments, and online assessment techniques. Instructors then apply what they learn to their own practice course by completing hands-on assignments and engaging with their classmates and our instructors in discussions and other collaborative exercises. Essentially, they will participate in and complete this course much in the same way a faculty member can expect to design and facilitate their own course when they teach online.

At the start of the training instructors will log onto their myNEU account, much in the same way a student would, to access their course. Faculty members will then be asked to complete the assignments located in each week’s assignments folder. These assignments are designed to give them practice and experience using Blackboard tools and require development of online course materials. Their course facilitators will provide feedback on your completed assignments.

At the end of each week, instructors will have the opportunity to test their understanding of the material covered in the training by completing an asynchronous online assessment (a 20-question quiz). Faculty members must score a cumulative 80% or higher on both quizzes to pass this course and obtain certification as a Northeastern University Online instructor. If the faculty member doesn’t pass the quiz, they can review the course materials and retake it. They have up to three attempts to pass each quiz. Further support for faculty is available if needed.

Supporting Faculty and Professional Development

The University’s plan for faculty development is consistent with its commitment to innovation, research, and exemplary pedagogy. Northeastern provides online instructor training for all faculty new to online instruction or new to the University. In addition, NUOEL provides regular workshop and seminar opportunities throughout the year for skill enrichment. Aside from stand-alone workshop and training opportunities, the University engages externally through professional organizations and other higher education institutions that provide content specific workshops. Each college at Northeastern maintains a faculty development fund for this purpose. Faculty members may request to attend these events through their College Dean. The University also holds institutional memberships to dozens of professional organizations, allowing faculty members to engage in a disciplinary dialogue with colleagues at peer institutions.

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Northeastern University Online Instructor Resource Center promotes instructional innovation as well as continuous development of technological skills. Its website, www.northeastern.edu/nuolirc, provides helpful how-to information, features on teaching with technology, links to webinars, contact information, and tutorials on best practices for all Northeastern University faculty teaching online. Further, NUOEL maintains a Faculty Resource Center on Blackboard, which includes course templates, instructional modules, tutorials, and policy documents.

Northeastern University’s Center for Advancing Teaching

and Learning Through Research

CATLR Research was established to support the Northeastern University community in creating opportunities for lasting learning. To realize this goal, CATLR takes a multi-pronged, research-based approach to working with faculty and administrators in the classroom through departmental programs or university-wide initiatives. Colleagues at CATLR are available to discuss teaching and learning in courses across departments or in their related colleges and to work to achieve the learning goals and outcomes that are important to faculty and students. Services range from one-on-one consultations to group programs (workshops and seminars), consultations on the development of courses and programs to providing guidance on their assessment. Furthermore, and just as importantly, a venue for collaborating with faculty on research and grants focused on teaching and learning is specific to individual disciplines. For more information about CATLR follow this link: http://www.northeastern.edu/learningresearch/.

Northeastern University Online Senior Administrators

Chris Mallet, EdD: Vice President for Online Experiential Education:

Chris Mallett oversees a team supporting all Northeastern’s Colleges in adding and growing their online programs. He also drives the university’s strategic vision in this space, leading the direction and growth of Northeastern’s online and hybrid-learning pro-grams, which are strengthened by the integration of experiential learning. Mr. Mallett came to Northeastern from Western Governors University, an online university based in Utah. As a member of WGU’s senior leadership team for the past 13 years, Mr. Mallett was been deeply involved in developing and leading organizational strategy, driving performance, and achieving aggressive operational, student progress, student satisfaction, student retention, and graduation goals. Chris holds a B.S. in Political Science from Weber State University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah; he earned his Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University.

Erin Smith, PhD, Executive Director: Online Experiential Learning:

Erin Smith oversees a team that develops and supports the Northeastern digital student experience through online and hybrid course and program development. In addition, Erin

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informs and leads strategies for extending the mission of Northeastern through online experiential learning and digital communities. Prior to joining Northeastern, Erin served as Director of Mentoring Initiatives at Western Governors University leading mentoring and product design strategies to improve quality and consistency in the student experience. Erin holds a PhD in English from the University of London and a BA in English from the University of California, Riverside. She recently completed an MBA from Western Governors University in Management and Strategy.

Gretchen Ulrich: Senior Director Online Experiential Learning:

Joining Northeastern in 2013, Gretchen leads efforts in online and hybrid course and program development. She brings over 18 years of experience in designing high-quality evidenced-based learning for higher education and the private sector. She has consulted for clients that include the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, Sylvan Learning, Southern New Hampshire University, the University of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the US National Guard and others. Gretchen earned a BA in History from Niagara University and a MA in Organizational Communication: Communication Technologies from the University of Colorado. She has completed coursework from the Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Allison Ruda, EdD: Director of Online Programs at NUOEL:

She leads curriculum development projects for new and existing online graduate programs across diverse academic disciplines, and in conjunction with both tenured and adjunct faculty. As a key contributor to Northeastern's strategic implementation of online learning initiatives, Allison focuses on building strong partnerships between academic programs and curriculum designers to produce world-class educational offerings. Prior to coming to Northeastern in 2007, Allison worked at Regis College, Emerson College, and Harvard University, and has produced and consulted on educational projects for non-profit organizations in the Boston area. Allison holds a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and an Ed.M. from Harvard University. She earned an EdD from Northeastern University, where her research focused on fostering cultures of inquiry among educators as a means for professional renewal and an openness to curricular experimentation.

Assessment and Ongoing Improvement of Online Education

Academic Quality Assurance

The Office of Academic Quality Assurance facilitates the implementation of Annual Program Evaluation, a systematic and standardized process to assist in the mapping, tracking, analyzing, and reporting of student learning outcomes at the program level. Annual Academic Program Reports provide program faculty with current data for decision-making and planning, reinforcement of best practices, and also assist with systematic data collection for program evaluation and accreditation processes.

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The Annual Academic Program Report is completed by the assigned lead faculty in consultation with other relevant faculty, and includes the following stages for each degree program:

• Review and update the programs mission, student learning outcomes, and overallobjectives, as needed.

• Review and revise course mapping, direct and indirect assessments tied to the learningoutcomes, and S.M.A.R.T goals tied to the defined learning outcomes and programobjectives.

• Submit assessment results: a comparative analysis and narrative on:

o Student success data (S Series data on retention, graduation rates, coursecompletions, licensure and/or job placement rates) in relation to defined goals,previous reporting cycles, and any internal or external benchmarks.

o Data related to direct assessment of the program’s Student Learning Outcomes interms of goals, and internal or external benchmarks.

o Past progressive refinement plans and/or what changes have been made to theprogram as a result of using this data/evidence.

The annual review process for each program is tracked and stored in the AQA SharePoint site. Program reporting on the approval and implementation of each programs’ Progressive Refinement Plan will be tracked and developed for the use of the Senior Management Team. All programs go through the same rigorous quality assurance process described under the Annual Program Evaluation plan to ensure similar course outcomes and student learning experience, regardless of their delivery format.

Periodic Reviews

The process includes both internal (self) and external (peer) reviews and is aimed at fostering academic excellence at all levels, to determine how to raise and maintain the quality of the academic unit to a higher level, and to provide guidance for administrative decisions in support of continual future improvement. The review will provide the unit with an opportunity to take stock of its strengths and weaknesses and to evaluate its strategies and goals. It is intended to help units determine whether their programs are cohesive, coherent, effective, and true to their mission.

The Dean of the College within which the unit resides is responsible for initiating the external review process in accordance with the Master Schedule. The Office of the Provost provides oversight and facilitates the process of appointing both the internal and external review committees.

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Goals of External Program Review:

• Ensure quality of degree programs.

• Assess department’s functions and contribution to the goals of the University.

• Identify those aspects of the department that are strong and those that require morefocused attention.

• Assess progress toward achieving previously defined objectives.

• Gain external perspective through peer/aspirant analysis and external review committee.

• Evaluate strategy for meeting objectives.

• Develop future goals

Timeline for External Program Review:

• Notification to department that it is scheduled for review; to be made by the CollegeDean no later than October of the review year (normally the last year of the regularreview cycle).

• Department chair meets with the College Dean to discuss issues/concerns regardingreview, and recommendations regarding members of the internal and external reviewcommittees; occurs during fall term of review year.

• The Dean discusses membership of the internal and external review committees andappointment letters are sent. A spring date is scheduled for external visit.

• Internal review committee completes Self-Study and discusses with Dean and Provost;due four weeks prior to visit of external committee.

• External committee visit takes place; spring of review year.

• Report from external committee to Dean; preliminary report at end of visit and full reportwithin 2-3 weeks.

• Dean reviews Self-Study and external committee report with department, and submitssummary with actionable items to the Provost.

Self-Study Process

Northeastern University completes a self-study through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation process that includes two major reviews. The first is the 5 Year Interim Report, which is primarily an external review process comprised of a compressed self-study for all academic programs and operational units of the university. The 10 Year reaffirmation process is comprised of both an offsite review of a comprehensive self-study for

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each academic program, as well as in-depth onsite review of all academic and operational units of the university. Material required for the self-study includes:

• Faculty Profile

o List all current tenured/tenure track faculty members, indicating academic rank, academic age (years since terminal degree), current workload distribution (% teaching/scholarship/service), and any changes in rank during the review period (e.g., hiring, promotion, tenure award). At the end of the list, please include any prior T/TT faculty members who were in the department during the review period and summarize their reasons for leaving the department in the change-in-rank column.

o List any other full-time faculty or staff, indicating titles and brief descriptions of roles.

o Describe departmental governance, including the roles for any faculty with significant service workload distribution.

o Describe departmental faculty workload policy, including (a) guidelines for the allocation of teaching loads and research expectations, and (b) guidelines for merit and other faculty review.

o Describe faculty recruitment and retention processes, including initiatives to encourage professional and academic development of faculty. Provide information on the current representation of underrepresented groups among faculty.

• Academic Program Profile

o For each degree program, provide five-year enrollment, retention and graduation information, including funding support for graduate students (some of the data to be supplied by the Office of the Provost). If applicable, please also include interdisciplinary programs in which the department plays a significant role, and provide a brief description of the interdisciplinary program(s).

o Provide information, where possible, on placement of graduates.

o If degree programs involve a subset of departmental faculty, please indicate which faculty members are currently involved with the programs. For the current academic year, indicate the amount of part-time instruction for each program.

o Describe the goals, priorities and challenges for each degree program, including a summary of how the goals intersect with those of the University academic plan.

o Describe instructional innovation within the degree programs.

o Describe processes for periodic review of curriculum and course contents, and for assessing student-learning outcomes.

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o Provide a summary of student evaluations of faculty teaching (data to be supplied bythe Office of the Provost). Describe additional approaches to assessing teachingeffectiveness, including assessment of teaching assistants. What departmental trainingand mentoring mechanisms are in place to ensure teaching quality?

o Provide a summary of how advising is carried out in the degree programs. Describemechanisms for training, mentoring and evaluating program advisors.

• Scholarship/Research Profile

o Describe major areas of specialization for the department, including a summary of howthese areas intersect with the goals of the University academic plan.

o Describe 2-3 key departmental productivity metrics of faculty scholarship/researchproductivity (e.g., # senior-authored articles, performances, # books, # PhD graduates),and provide a summary for the department’s research-active faculty members over thereview period. [If appropriate, utilize different key metrics for different areas ofspecialization.]

o For departments with PhD programs, indicate which faculty members are affiliatedwith the department’s PhD program, how many students they mentored and graduatedduring the review period, and list PhD student publications. Describe plans to fosterinterdisciplinary research/scholarship opportunities for PhD students.

o Provide a summary of external research funding during the review period, includingawards to support future research (some of the data to be supplied by the Office of theProvost). Metrics should include grant proposals submitted, new awards, andexpenditures. Provide the department’s plan to sustain and grow research productivityincluding external research funding. Provide metrics regarding the development ofintellectual property including disclosures submitted, copyrights, patent applicationsand patents awarded.

o Describe mechanisms to encourage student collaboration in faculty research, andprovide a summary of undergraduate research projects in the department during thereview period.

o Describe faculty participation in multi-investigator and interdisciplinary research andPhD programs. Provide details of how the department is fostering involvement ininterdisciplinary research and graduate programs.

• Strategic Analysis: Areas of strength and weakness, opportunities for the department,threats to departmental goals

o Describe current departmental strategic goals, their fit with the University’s goals,and the progress toward their attainment.

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o Provide an environmental scan for the discipline. Where is the discipline going?

o Provide an analysis of departmental peers and aspirants.

o Outline the department’s strategic plan for the next five years including:

Goals for each academic program

Goals for the unit’s faculty composition, including underrepresented groups, if applicable.

Goals for the unit’s research mission

Indication of how the department’s goals fit with the University’s goals, including interdisciplinary goals.

Student Protection and Academic Integrity

Student Preparation and Readiness

The NUOEL home page details the online student experience. The website provides insight into the experience of online learning with such features as a demo class and guidelines on how to be a successful online learner at the following link: (http://www.northeastern.edu/online/). The College of Professional Studies has developed a self-paced online orientation consisting of multiple modules including understanding “myNEU”, registration, academic performance, university resources, technical services, and career services. The comprehensive orientation eases the online student into online learning environment.

The NUOEL website, specifically http://www.northeastern.edu/online/online-learning/, is a primary vehicle for informing potential students about the technological requirements of participation and the technical competence required of them, the nature of learning and the personal discipline required in the online environment, any additional costs, beyond tuition and ancillary fees associated with e-learning aspects of course/program delivery, and the kind of support and protection available to them.

Academic Integrity Policy

A commitment to the principles of academic integrity is essential to the mission of Northeastern University. The promotion of independent and original scholarship ensures that students derive the most from their educational experience and their pursuit of knowledge. Academic dishonesty violates the most fundamental values of an intellectual community and undermines the achievements of the entire University.

As members of the academic community, students must become familiar with their rights and responsibilities. In each course, they are responsible for knowing the requirements and restrictions regarding research and writing, examinations of whatever kind, collaborative work, the use of study aids, the appropriateness of assistance, and other issues. Students are responsible

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for learning the conventions of documentation and acknowledgment of sources in their fields. Northeastern University expects students to complete all examinations, tests, papers, creative projects, and assignments of any kind according to the highest ethical standards, as set forth either explicitly or implicitly in this Code or by the direction of instructors. The following is a broad overview, but not an all-encompassing definition, of what constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

Cheating: The University defines cheating as using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise. When completing any academic assignment, a student shall rely on his or her own mastery of the subject.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Unauthorized use of aids such as but not limited to notes, text, the Internet, cell phones,etc. to complete any academic assignment.

• Copying from another student’s academic work.

• Unauthorized communication during an examination.

• Handing in the same paper for more than one course without explicit permission from theinstructor(s).

• Intentionally viewing a test before it is administered.

• Storing notes in a portable electronic device for use during an examination.

Fabrication: The University defines fabrication as falsification, misrepresentation, or invention of any information, data, or citation in an academic exercise. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Inventing data, facts, or sources for an academic assignment.

• Altering the results of a lab experiment or survey.

• Citing a source in a bibliography that was not used.

• Stating an opinion as a scientifically proven fact.

Plagiarism: The University defines plagiarism as using as one’s own the words, ideas, data, code, or other original academic material of another without providing proper citation or attribution. Plagiarism can apply to any assignment, either final or drafted copies, and it can occur either accidentally or deliberately. Claiming that one has “forgotten” to document ideas or material taken from another source does not exempt one from plagiarizing.

The following sources require citation:

• Word-for-word quotations from a source, including another student’s work.

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• Paraphrasing (using the ideas of others in your own words).

• Unusual or controversial facts not widely recognized.

• Audio, video, digital, or live exchanges of ideas, dialogue, or information.

Students unclear as to whether or not a source requires citation should speak with their professor or consult the Writing Center.

Unauthorized Collaboration: The University defines unauthorized collaboration as instances when students submit individual academic works that are substantially similar to one another. While several students may have the same source material, any analysis, interpretation, or reporting of data required by an assignment must be each individual’s independent work unless the instructor has explicitly granted permission for group work.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Submitting work that closely matches that of another student, even when the work is tobe original to the student handing in the assignment.

• Sharing a take-home examination, case write-up, lab report, or any other assignmentwith a peer without express permission from the instructor.

Participation in Academically Dishonest Activities: The University defines participation in academically dishonest activities as any action taken by a student with the intention of gaining an unfair advantage over other students. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Misrepresenting oneself or one’s circumstances to an instructor.

• Stealing an examination.

• Purchasing a pre-written paper.

• Selling, loaning, or otherwise distributing materials intended for the purpose of cheating,plagiarism, or other academically dishonest acts.

• Destroying, altering, stealing, or forging another student’s work, library materials,laboratory materials, academic records, course syllabi, or examination/course grades.

• Intentionally missing an examination or assignment deadline to gain an unfair advantage.

• Forging information or signatures on official University documents.

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty: The University defines facilitating academic dishonesty as intentionally or knowingly helping or contributing to the violation of any provision of this policy. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Doing academic work for another student.

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• Making available previously used academic work for another individual whointends to resubmit the work for credit.

Obligation to Uphold Academic Integrity: All members of the Northeastern University community have a role in upholding the Academic Integrity Policy. Any member of the community who witnesses a violation of this policy should report it to the appropriate faculty member or the Office of Student Conduct & Conflict Resolution (OSCCR). All instructors are required to refer to Northeastern’s Academic Integrity Policy in their course syllabi.

Options for Instructors Reporting Alleged Violations of the Academic Integrity Policy: A faculty member who suspects a student in his or her class, or working under his or her direction, of violating the Academic Integrity Policy can choose to:

• File official charges with the OSCCR, or

• Submit the complaint as an “information only” case to request that the incidentbe kept “on file” for the student.

An instructor who believes that a student made an unintentional mistake and who does not want to file an official complaint may submit an “information only” complaint. The faculty member will speak with the student suspected of violating the policy before sending forward a complaint. OSCCR will inform the student via e-mail when it receives an “information only” complaint. This correspondence will provide the student with resources to avoid potential future violations as well as notice that another “information only” complaint for an Academic Integrity violation may result in an official charge and meeting with a member of the OSCCR staff. When an “information only” complaint is received by OSCCR for a student who already has one or more “information only” complaints on file, OSCCR reserves the right to determine whether there are sufficient facts in the new complaint to support a charge of an Academic Integrity violation. The Director of OSCCR will review all complaints submitted against a student to determine whether sufficient evidence for a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy exists. If the Director determines that the evidence is sufficient, the case will be assigned to a staff member within the OSCCR. The staff member will assign the case to an Administrative Hearing or to the Student Conduct Board as appropriate.

Sanctions: Hearing Officers and the Student Conduct Board have discretion to impose sanctions for a Responsible finding of an Academic Integrity violation that range in severity from a written warning to expulsion and include an action taken by the student to help rebuild trust within the community.

Hearing officers will take the following into consideration when determining appropriate sanctions for violations of the Academic Integrity policy.

• Nature of the violation(s)

• Severity of the damage, injury, or harm resulting therefrom

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• Student’s past disciplinary record

• Mitigating circumstances

• Aggravating circumstances

Appeals: Students may appeal the disciplinary actions of an Academic Integrity violation on the three grounds identified in the Code of Student Conduct. The Appeals Process outlined in the Code of Student Conduct will be used for such appeals. Please refer to the Code of Student Conduct for a complete description and explanation of the Appeals Process.

Grading Authority: OSCCR does not have authority over assignment or course grades. Therefore, a student who violates Northeastern University’s Academic Integrity Policy may also be subject to academic penalties at the discretion of the instructor in the course. This can result in, but is not restricted to, the student failing the course. A student with questions about the Academic Appeals process should contact the academic advisor to review that process.

Student Feedback

Responsibility for the quality of curriculum and the assurance of learning reside with the faculty and leadership of the colleges. One of the primary vehicles used to inform faculty and leadership is Teacher Rating and Course Evaluation (TRACE). This online student survey is used for both undergraduate and graduate programs and is administered each semester. Student identity is protected and all surveys completed by students are anonymous. The College of Professional Studies has a similar system entitled EvaluationKIT (EvalKit). Faculty and academic leadership are able to review results from either system immediately following grade deadlines and incorporate the information into their next teaching and learning opportunity.

Security Standards for Online Education

Currently Northeastern University’s Learning Management System (LMS) leverages the university-wide authentication of programs. LMS is a software program designed to include a number of instructional functions which include lectures, discussions, and assessments. In addition to this Northeastern has two different online proctoring vendors to support secure exams for online courses, Examity and ProctorU.

Instructors are guided through the process of setting up secure online testing through NU Online, http://www.northeastern.edu/nuolirc/nu-online-staff/examity/. Examity is an online service that allows exams to be proctored without a professor being present. Online proctors watch test-takers and look for any violations, if there is any suspicious activity it will documented and flagged. Flags are given for both the authentication and completion of the test, different color flags signify different actions. Before a student takes an exam they must register through Examity in order to provide the monitoring service. Instructors are required to provide sufficient time prior to the exam for students to register and become familiar with the procedures. Exams are made available for both students and Examity in a folder, ensuring easy access. In

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addition to required students to close out of any other browsers the University also offers Respondus LockDown Browser for secure online testing. Additionally, Northeastern offers Turnitin for plagiarism detection. Any problems or complaints with online testing or proctoring can be made through the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution.

Online Student Support Services

Northeastern University Libraries: Resources and Support for Online Students

The Northeastern University Libraries (Library) provides a strong array of resources and services to fully support the curricular and research needs of students enrolled at the graduate campuses, taking online courses provided via the main campus in Boston, or needing online support for coursework at the main campus.

Library Resources

Northeastern University’s online services transcend geography and offers students, faculty, and staff full access to the University’s vast online holdings, including 60,000 e-journals, and hundreds of licensed databases containing over 399,488 e-books, 25,652 databases and online platforms, as well as searchable articles, documents, images, data, and streaming music and video.

The University has created a “gateway” to library resources for each of its current Graduate Campuses, and all other distance learners. Links to library resources are also featured prominently on myNEU, the electronic gateway for the Northeastern University community that offers, “One stop shopping” for faculty, staff, and enrolled and admitted students:

Library Resources for Online Education

Northeastern University’s Library maintains a comprehensive system of support for distance learners. Aside from a vast collection of academic holdings available online, special-order articles are available to distance students through NExpress and Iliad. Students are notified by e-mail when PDF articles are available for download.

Students who seek both synchronous and asynchronous librarian support may elect to phone or online chat with a librarian (24/7), as well as e-mail or text message. Furthermore, an array of online workshops is available regularly; these range from an introduction to library services to specialized graduate research methods. As part of the orientation process, off-campus cohorts engage in a synchronous library session to familiarize students with the array of services.

Service and Use

The library provides both in-library and online, live-chat reference services. Librarians provide an extensive program of instruction and information literacy training. Groups receiving instruction include all new students.

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The Libraries are a designated Government Publications depository (mostly electronic) and provide all the associated services to Northeastern users and the local community. With the purchase of the ProQuest Digital Hearings collection, all congressional hearings are now available online. The Department of Archives and Special Collections actively solicits, acquires, and makes accessible historically significant university materials as well as the documentation of underrepresented local communities (see www.lib.neu.edu/archives).

Collections

The NU Libraries plan for and redefine what the Library needs to deliver in both its virtual and its brick-and-mortar forms. This means continued work and investment to increase the range and richness of our collections and to accelerate their transformation from mainly-print to mainly-digital.

When the option is available, the Library purchases the online versions of books and journals so that online students have the widest range of materials to support their course and research activities. The Library provides an active Interlibrary Loan Service for resources that are not held locally. Journal articles can usually be delivered electronically within a day or two of the request. Subject librarians work with the online and graduate campus student to locate copies of a book that is not offered online by Northeastern.

Online Assistance Reference Librarians and Library Subject Specialists are available to assist online and graduate campus students day and night, seven days a week. The Library offers a number of methods to contact these specialists for assistance, including:

• Reference Email. This is a method for getting assistance with more complex researchsupport needs. Reference Librarians will analyze the student’s particular needs andrespond with in-depth solutions within one business day.

• Contact a Library Subject Specialist. A student can choose and communicate with thelibrarian who has an in-depth familiarity with the Library resources in a particular subjectdiscipline. Both email and telephone communications are available during businesshours.

• Reference Desk. Individuals can speak directly with a reference librarian at our toll freeline: (855) 618-7512. Hours are 9 am to 9 pm, Monday through Thursday, 9 am to 6 pmFriday, 12 pm to 5 pm Saturday, and 12 pm to 8 pm Sunday. All times are EasternStandard Time.

• Ask 24/7. Reference librarians are available at all hours to interact online with thestudent and to point that student to the best resources to meet the student’s particularresearch or assignment needs.

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• Subject Guides. Subject librarians have created these online guides and tutorials to assist students in identifying and accessing the most important resources in a particular discipline.

Strategic Directions of Library 2016-2020

The changing aspirations and expanding research environment at Northeastern University demand that it supports a commensurate research library of the same breadth, quality, and global stature. It is in this context that this document articulates a set of broad initiatives, thrusts, and values that serve as an agenda for the Library’s next round of strategic planning. Northeastern University’s Library is evolving to position itself beyond its role as a trusted repository of information to serve as a true partner in the teaching and research enterprise of the University. Snell Library undertakes to be a full participant in the development and support of new student learning goals and competencies as outlined in the new strategic direction, NUpath.

Support Services for Online Students

Career Services:

University Career Services specializes in helping students figure out which program, career, or job might be a strong fit, and also in helping students plan and carry out successful job searches, or explore other options through offering exposure to a wide variety of resources, programs, events, and opportunities to meet employers in region.

Student Financial Services:

Student Financial Services is committed to helping the student navigate the process of financing his/her education.

myNEU:

myNEU is an electronic gateway for the Northeastern University community and offers “one stop shopping” for faculty, staff, and enrolled and admitted students. Services are targeted to members of the Northeastern University community by role, providing a personally tailored experience. Campus news and departmental announcements are also accessible via the myNEU Portal.

Information Technology Services:

Information Technology Services at Northeastern University provides central information technology support and access to technology to over 25,000 students, faculty, and staff who use our secure, high speed connectivity to the Internet through our on-campus network and a host of other services tailored to the online student. Students also have 24/7 access to a wide range of support including live support and a comprehensive suite of resources via the Northeastern University Online Blackboard Support and Resource Center.

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Online and Hybrid Student Orientation:

Students have access to several online student orientations that cover a range of topics including but not limited to:

• Habits of Successful Learners: A video resource that review best practices forparticipating in an online course;

• Communicating Online: Tips that will assist you in communicating effectively with yourinstructor and classmates;

• Blackboard 101: A series of resource links that will support and expand your use of Bb;

• Getting Help: A resources page that will show you where to go when you are havingdifficulty.

Disability Resources Center:

Students needing accommodations or services due to a disability are able to access the Disability Resource Center (DRC) of Northeastern University. The DRC provides information on the staff, services available, how to contact the DRC for more information and assistance, and forms a student will need to access these services. Main webpage: http://www.northeastern.edu/drc/

Catalog:

The Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs, published by the Office of the University Registrar in collaboration with the colleges of the university, contain Northeastern University’s primary statements about student academic life, conduct, and the responsibilities of students and the university to one another, as authorized by the president or the Board of Trustees.

Academic Calendar:

The university academic calendar, published on the Registrar’s web site, provides information students need to stay on track with their degrees.

Writing Center –Mobile Consulting:

The Writing Center is comprised of Northeastern University writing instructors, graduate students, and undergraduate students studying composition theory, literature, and technical/professional writing. The Writing Center offers online consulting for any level writer and works with graduate students from all academic disciplines, speakers of other languages as well as native speakers of English, and weak, average, and strong writers.

Free Online Tutoring:

SMARTHINKING (PDF) provides live academic help. Students may have access to help in the following subjects and skills: Math (Available up to 24/7), Writing, Grammar, Chemistry, Statistics Managerial and Financial Accounting, Microeconomic, Macroeconomics, and Spanish.

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Student Grievances:

Northeastern University has processes and resources to ensure that student grievances are treated with respect and addressed in a fair and professional manner. Both formal and informal means to resolve issues are available. Students are able to consult the university website for information on academic policies and procedures, and the university ombuds.

• University Ombuds: http://www.northeastern.edu/ombuds

• University Registrar: http://www.northeastern.edu/registrar/

• Catalog /Handbook – Academic Policies & Procedures

Additionally, online or distance students are provided access to contact information for all state higher education agencies through the following links: http://www.northeastern.edu/online-complaint/

http://www.northeastern.edu/online/about-northeastern-online/state-agreements.php

Organizational Capacity to Support and Expand Online Education

Information Services: Planning and Oversight

In fall of 2009, the Provost commissioned the creation of an Information Services Academic Advisory Committee, comprised of faculty leaders from each of the colleges and chaired by the Dean of Libraries. The Committee reviews current service offerings and advises Information Services (IS) leadership on technologies and Information Technologies (IT) services that would serve the teaching, learning, and research mission. The Committee has provided two reports, with recommendations, to the IS leadership and the Provost. Northeastern University Information Services has incorporated these recommendations into its plans for new or enhanced services.

In spring of 2010, the Provost and Senior Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs commissioned an Enterprise Systems Team (EST), comprised of key functional leaders in the University. The EST reviews and prioritizes all enterprise initiatives to ensure that the priorities of University are met and to ensure that IS has the appropriate resources to accomplish these initiatives.

Resources Supporting the Academic and Research Program

In December 2008, Information Services reconstituted the department of Academic Technology Services (ATS). ATS is the principal IS partner with the academic community, responsible for 1) ensuring that Information Services is delivering up to date technology and support which meets the needs of the University’s academic units across all services, including teaching and learning enablement and assessment; and 2) working with research centers and research intensive faculty to ensure that their IT needs are met. This includes core services such as networking and software delivery, specialized services such as high performance computing and storage, and

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individual services such as hosting and database administration assistance. In addition to creating and managing the research enablement services portfolio, the ATS Director works with Deans and other senior executives to support the recruitment of researchers to cultivate the research commitments in the Long-Range Academic Plan.

In spring of 2009, an Instructional Technology Group (ITG) was formed, comprised of technology leaders from EdTech, the Libraries, the College of Professional Studies/NU Online, and Information Services, chaired by the director of ATS. The goal of the ITG is to assess the ever-changing landscape of instructional and teaching technologies and to identify suitable solutions with a mind toward support and consistency across all departments and disciplines.

Financial Stability

The Office of the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer manages the fiscal affairs of the University and is responsible for establishing and monitoring sound financial controls for use within the University Community. The Office of the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer is also responsible for: Institutional Audit, Compliance and Risk Management, University Controller's Office, Budget Office, and Treasury. Northeastern’s financial resources utilized to sustain the distance programs and manage their growth can be reviewed through the institution’s most recent audited financial statements: http://www.northeastern.edu/finance/pdfs/2015NortheasternUniversityFinancialStatements.pdf

Appendix 6.1 Resource Renewal and Upgrading

February 2016 Library Strategic Directions 2016-2020

1

Northeastern University Libraries

Strategic Directions 2016-2020 The changing aspirations and expanding research environment at Northeastern University demand that it supports a commensurate research library of the same breadth, quality and global stature. It is in this context that this document articulates a set of broad initiatives, thrusts, and values that serve as an agenda for the Library’s next round of strategic planning. Northeastern University’s Library, like many academic libraries, is evolving strategically beyond its role as a trusted repository of information to serve as a true partner in the teaching and research enterprise of the University. Snell Library undertakes to be a full participant in the development and support of new student learning goals and competencies as outlined in the new NUPath. Its librarians and specialists are actively engaged in teaching and co-curricular support, with a focus on information and media literacy and new skills such as data management, GIS and data visualization. An overarching and persisting goal of the Library is to attain levels of information resourcing, staffing and service delivery that are properly aligned with those of Northeastern’s agreed peers in the Colonial Academic Alliance and elsewhere. As befits an excellent research library, a higher aspiration is to meet the benchmark requirements of membership status within the Association of Research Libraries. Both of these goals imply a significant institutional commitment to the resourcing of the Library and need to be addressed by the University’s leadership.

Underpinning the Library’s strategic directions for the next several years are several broad themes and values to which the Library and its staff adhere:

User-centricity User privacy Excellent customer service Innovation and creativity Preservation of unique knowledge Intellectual freedom Open access to information

Diversity and cultural competence Sustainability Accessibility Continual assessment Deep and extensive collaboration Respect for colleagues and co-

workers

The starting point for Library strategic planning is the University’s existing Mission and Long Range Academic Plan, with which all Library planning must be consistent. The following strategic goals are grounded in the context of Northeastern University, especially the institution’s increased emphases on experiential learning, use-inspired research, and innovation and globalization in higher education. They affirm the directions that will guide the Library’s work for the next several years and in which context annual action plans will be developed.

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1. User Experiencea. Personalized Services – As the Library moves further into a heavily online

information environment, it will need to develop services that both engagewith users at the point where they encounter and create information, andalso promote new approaches to information and media literacy. This willinclude a shift towards online tutorials, interactive/intelligent referenceguides, “My Librarian” personalized services, and various synchronous andasynchronous means of working face-to-face and virtually with diverseindividuals and groups, both locally and abroad. Personalized support forfaculty members and researchers will need to be developed for deliverythrough new digital scholarship services.

b. Multiple Modes of Delivery – The Library will further develop the processesfor ensuring that the content it manages is device- and location-agnostic.This includes development of a formal usability testing process, moreintense negotiation with vendors (and with ITS with regard to VPN andrelated technologies), and greater emphasis on mobility and accessibility.At the same time, the Library will explore and support new technologies,and develop virtual engagement environments in venues with the greatestlikelihood of student uptake.

c. Promotion and Communication - In response to needs assessment andmarket research, the Library will direct promotion toward raisingawareness about library offerings, using creative new media and traditionaltools. These communications will open a wider space for dialogue withusers that the Library can use as inspiration for new programs and services.

2. Learning and Teachinga. Instruction – The Library will transition from mostly traditional in-person,

class-based information literacy sessions to an instruction program thatmore closely aligns with University-supported research-based methods, tobe developed in collaboration with the Center for Advancing Teaching andLearning through Research (CATLR), CPS, academic departments, and othercenters of expertise in learning support on campus. These components willencompass media and other emerging information platforms, such asvisualization and data-based information.

b. NUPath – The Library’s approach to teaching and learning will increasinglybe informed by the implementation of the University’s new core curriculumand by its points of emphasis, particularly in addressing learning goals forinformation literacy, creative expression, understanding society andinstitutions, analyzing and using data, and several other related corerequirements.

February 2016 Library Strategic Directions 2016-2020

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c. Learning Experiences - The Library will increase curricular collaboration by

working with faculty to develop new types of learning experiences outside of class such as leading students in recurring reading or working groups or creating opportunities for experiential project work tied to the curriculum or course credit. These opportunities will have the potential to benefit a wider constituency of learners, including students on co-op and research assistants. The Library will also increase curricular support by developing new forms of publications tied to class needs, such as Open Educational Resources or online exhibit spaces via platforms like the DRS Toolkit or Omeka.

3. Research Services

a. Researcher Engagement – All Library staff are encouraged to more actively engage in the research and scholarly life of the faculty and students, mindful of new approaches to research and scholarship. The Library’s objective will be to create a vigorous and healthy ecosystem accessible to and interacting with the University’s research community, with the Library offering, for specific disciplines or technologies, expert partnerships involving specialists (for example in GIS and data visualization) and a range of generalist professionals.

b. Scholarly Communication - The Library will continue to advocate for

emerging scholarly communication models, particularly for open access deposit of scholarly output in DRS. It will collaborate with other organizations and individuals to respond to copyright issues such as author rights, fair use rights, and orphan works. Through its publishing program, the Library will sustain the important legacy of Northeastern University Press by digitizing and distributing open-access editions of out-of-print titles. The publishing program will also support open-access journal publishing on campus, provide a platform for researchers to produce and disseminate output in nontraditional formats, and increase the visibility of Northeastern-produced intellectual content.

c. Data Management Services – The Library will develop a wide-ranging and

flexible data management program that offers a range of services from basic (assistance with grant-writing requirements) and practical (depositing/versioning tools that allow faculty to work with their data in the DRS during their research) to advanced (developing customized data access portals atop the DRS framework).

4. Space

a. Rebalancing Library Space – The Library will redeploy as appropriate space no longer required for physical collections, in order to meet a range of needs, including space for study and to support new modes of collaborative work and knowledge creation.

February 2016 Library Strategic Directions 2016-2020

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b. Library as Intellectual Center - The Library will strengthen its role as anintellectual center on campus by hosting performances, workshops, lectures,and exhibits.

c. Library as Creative Center - The Library will provide a central focus, withaccompanying services and showcases, for students and scholars producingand sharing creative, innovative and artistic work.

5. University Expansion & Community Engagementa. Campus Expansion – As a key component of the University’s successful

expansion strategy and its Global Network, the Library will embracedifferent models for information delivery, provision of informationresources, service engagement, and assessment in many areas of activity.

b. Cultural Competency - The Library will foster the cultural competency ofstaff members and the organization as a whole, and specifically with regardto the deployment of its services and information resources. It will placeincreasing emphasis on assuring equally sensitive and appropriate serviceand civility to all members of the University’s diverse and increasinglyinternational community, paying special attention to the needs of those forwhom English is not their first language.

c. Community Outreach and Engagement - the Library will adopt a strong,leading position in building partnerships and services with communitiesbeyond the campus.

6. Collections and Resourcesa. Electronic Collections – The Library will continue to work through the

implications of its transition from an e-preferred to e-only (with appropriateexceptions) collections policy. As funding permits, legacy print materialswill be converted to online versions, preferably in partnership with otherinstitutions. Major emphasis will be placed on providing powerful yetintuitive interfaces to digital information, whether “owned” by the Libraryor not, and on promoting discovery of Library resources wherever usersstart their searches. Subject to appropriate funding, the Library will alsohelp to support the University community with the recommendation ofdigital resources appropriate for data mining, and with general negotiationwith publishers to allow data mining of licensed resources.

b. Streaming Media - The Library will make more of its media collectionavailable via streaming technology, to complement an existing richcollection of DVDs, CDs and aging VHS. It will strategize to ensuresustainable licensing and purchase models and improve discoverability andaccessibility (via video captioning) of open access and licensed media assets.

c. Demand-driven Acquisitions – the Library will concentrate on providingaccess to information which is immediately required by the patron or indirect support of the curriculum, through models such as patron-drivenacquisitions, purchase on demand, faculty requests, etc. Local resource-

February 2016 Library Strategic Directions 2016-2020

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sharing networks and collaborative purchasing will continue to be explored and expanded.

d. Purchase Models – the Library will work with colleges and departments todevelop hybrid management-based models for the purchase, lease or cost-sharing of major information resources required mostly by one revenuecenter on campus.

e. Archives and Special Collections – the Library will identify and promotespecific special collection/archives foci with closer ties to the teaching andresearch mission of the university and aggressively seek fundingopportunities to develop these collections. It will identify interdisciplinarythemes in archival and special collections material (e.g. health, social justice)that closely align with the major emphases of the University and promotethese to the faculty. The Library will place special emphasis on the role thatthe Archives can play in supporting campus diversity and increasingknowledge of and sensitivity to the nature, significance, and societal role ofgroups under-represented. It will greatly expand its related teachingfunctions and integrate materials with class projects. In collaboration withthe campus partners and larger Boston community, the Library will createsustainable models for the digitization of its unique resources (and thepreservation of originals).

f. Print Collection Management – Over time, much of the remaining printcollection will either be transferred to on-site compact storage or bewithdrawn in favor of efficient and economical “as needed” access via theLibrary’s participation in the EAST (Eastern Academic Scholars Trust)distributed repository project.

g. Digital Repository Service – The Library will continue to expand the DRS bymore fully engaging the widest possible spectrum of campus constituenciesto assess needs and areas for innovation. Through the participation ofappropriate library staff, the Library will develop procedures and policies toensure that a) content is deposited in preservation-friendly formats, withappropriate metadata, and b) all due diligence is given to ensuring thepreservation and long-term access to and use of this content. This includesworking with ITS on developing auditing systems, storage allocation andbusiness models.

7. Technologya. Systems – The Library will continually investigate, integrate, and implement

systems and interfaces that best support its strategic directions, fulfill theresearch needs and behavioral expectations of its users, and streamline itswork. These systems should also support the development of collaborativecollection development, technical processing and resource-sharingnetworks.

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b. Innovation and experimentation – The Library’s staff will investigate,develop (as appropriate) and implement cutting-edge software solutionsthat best meet the needs of its patrons and staff. The Library needs to betechnologically responsive and focus on the unique needs of theNortheastern community to determine a road map for sustainabletechnology, and will develop partnerships with campus and externalpartners that allow Northeastern to be viewed as a leader in the innovativeuse of academic and library technology.

c. Digital Preservation - The Library will develop a digital preservationinfrastructure to support a more sustainable future for online scholarshipand to preserve library assets, digitized archival materials, as well asselected administrative and departmental materials from across theuniversity. This will be undertaken with due regard to the potential ofpartnerships with broader consortial or national initiatives such the DigitalPublic Library of America (DPLA). The Library can offer a specialcontribution to the University’s diversity goals here, in conjunction withrelated Library initiatives, by providing a safe and long-term digital havenfor legacy materials supporting diversity awareness on campus, and byensuring the persistent digital memory of community and otherwise under-represented groups.

8. Staffinga. Realignment to New Work – The Library will continually review its staffing

models and associated workflows appropriate to the context of the evolvingacademic research library. This may include a move to collaborative staffingwith other institutions.

b. Developing Library Staff - The Library will develop and encourage a cultureof continuous education and improvement, emphasizing projectmanagement skills, discipline knowledge, research support, technical, andpublic service skills as appropriate. This will require collaboration withacademic departments to identify, advocate for, fund, and assess positionscreated as part of this ongoing process. In addition, the Library andindividual staff should seek opportunities for service on campus committeesand participation in campus life.

c. Contributing to the profession – As part of the Library’s commitment toinnovation, and to complement its mission to advance the range of servicesand spaces it offers to the University community, Library staff will seek toexpand their contributions to the professional literature, and investigateways of furthering the development and success of the profession (includingby such forms of engagement as presenting at conferences, mentoring andsupporting internships.)

9. Assessmenta. Data Gathering and Analysis – To create an outstanding user experience and

support data-driven decision-making that is responsive to user needs, the

February 2016 Library Strategic Directions 2016-2020

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Library will analyze user preferences and behavior, as well as outside trends and factors affecting library programs and services. The Library will engage users individually and in aggregate to determine unmet needs and identify gaps in awareness about library offerings, and recommend directions for new offerings.

b. Outcomes and Outputs - Library Assessment will focus on exploring andstrengthening the contribution of Library use to research and to studentlearning and retention outcomes, and on supporting the cost-effectiveness oflibrary operations.

10. Funding and Developmenta. Advancement – to implement these Strategic Directions will require the

realignment of existing Library resources. The Library will identify andsecure diverse sources of funds or revenue including: intensifiedidentification of new donors, active participation in the University’sEmpower Campaign, the exploration of naming and sponsorshipopportunities provided by new and existing Library spaces, and the moreeffective cultivation and development of existing donor contacts.

b. Other Funding Sources – the Library will focus more closely onopportunities for additional funding such as: ongoing identification of grantopportunities, the submission of compelling applications, and successfulaward outcomes; the negotiation of cost-sharing based on mechanismsavailable through the Hybrid Management framework; the negotiation of aLibrary-related indirect costs component of University research grantawards; and other innovative approaches.

11. Cooperation and Collaborationa. The Library will further leverage collaborations and partnerships across and

beyond the campus in order to improve the delivery and development ofservices. This will include deeper engagement with Northeastern partnerssuch as ITS, CATLR, the Colleges, and the University’s other administrativeunits, as well as with institutional groups such as the Boston LibraryConsortium and Boston Public Schools, and with project partnerships suchas the EAST, Digital Commonwealth, Duraspace, DPLA, and HathiTrustcommunities.

February 3rd, 2016

Appendix 6.2 Toronto Campus Resource Guide

1

Toronto Campus Resource Guide NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY- TORONTO

First Canadian Place 100 King Street West,

Suite 4620, P.O. Box 400 Toronto, ON

M5X 1E2

http://www.northeastern.edu/toronto

2

Dear Student,

Welcome to Northeastern University’s Toronto Campus. Our mission is to give you the training you need to move ahead in your career and to add value to your workplace and community. The Toronto Campus Guide is intended to answer questions you have regarding the resources available to you as a Northeastern student in Toronto. For information concerning academic policies, services, and procedures, as well as the general policies and resources of Northeastern University, please refer to the Code of Student Conduct, College of Professional Studies Student Handbook, College of Computer Sciences Student Handbook. Customer service and a quality educational experience are our top priorities. Do not hesitate to contact me or any of our staff to help in any way.

Aliza Lakhani Regional Dean and CEO, Northeastern University Toronto

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Contents Staff Contact Information

Toronto Campus • Location• Access by Public Transportation• Access by Car• Hours of Operation

Campus Resources • Facilities• Student Support Services• Wireless Internet• Husky ID Cards• Printing

Northeastern University Resources • Library• myNEU• Information Technology Services• Disability Resources Center• Student Catalogs• Academic Calendar• Online Tutoring• Student Grievances

Neighborhood Information • PATH System• Parking Map: First Canadian Place

4

Staff Contact Information

Name and Title Contact Information

Aliza Lakhani Regional Dean and CEO

[email protected](416) 895-6792

Rue Quizon Campus Operations Manager

[email protected](647) 946-9291

Evan Clarke Academic and Student Affairs Manager

[email protected](437) 888-1121

Anupriya Karmakar Communications and Events Coordinator

[email protected](416) 573-4212

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Toronto Campus

Location

The Toronto campus on the 46th floor of First Canadian Place, at 100 King St. W. To access the 46th floor, take the elevator marked 44-56 in the main lobby.

Access by Public Transportation

The campus is located between St. Andrew Station and King Station, both on the Yonge-University Subway line. From either station, follow the underground PATH network to First Canadian Place. (See PATH map on page 9).

Access by Car

Belowground parking is available at First Canadian Place. Enter the parking facility on York St. north of King, or on Adelaide St. east of York. (See attached parking map on page 10).

Hours of Operation

Our regular hours of operation are Mon-Fri, 9AM-5PM. Hours may be extended in the case of evening courses or special events.

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Campus Resources Facilities

The Toronto campus is comprised of an open space with two large classrooms, a conference room seating 12 people, a number of spaces for individual and group work, and a kitchen (including fridge and microwave)

Student Support Services

Please contact the Academic and Student Affairs Manager, Evan Clarke, with questions or concerns related to Northeastern policies and processes. Evan’s complete contact information is listed above in Staff Contact Information.

Wireless Internet

• Secure NUwave wireless internet is available to all Northeastern students and faculty at theToronto campus location. Users can login using MyNEU credentials.

• Guests at the Toronto campus have access to NUwave-Guest. Please note that this network doesnot offer data encryption.

• For questions related to wireless access, please call the ITS Service Desk at(617) 373-4357 (xHELP) or email [email protected].

Husky Cards

The Husky Card is your student ID. It is required in order to gain access to the campus. Husky ID cards can also be used for printing. For information, visit www.northeastern.edu/huskycard.

How to get a Husky Card: Staff are available to create Husky Cards for new students during scheduled campus orientation events or by appointment.

If you prefer to upload your own photo and have your Husky ID mailed to your address: • Please send an e-mail to Husky Card Services at [email protected]• In your e-mail, provide the following information:

o First and last nameo NU ID Numbero Your mailing address (which should match the mailing address in MyNEU).

• You will receive a return email from Husky Card Services with instructions on uploadinga photo via MyNEU.

The first Husky ID card is issued free of charge. Replacement cards are $25 (USD).

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Printing

• Printing is available on campus and requires a Husky ID card for access.• Students receive $120 free printing credit annually. The annual credit does not rollover

from year to year.• The cost for printing is $0.10 per page for Black & White and $0.30 per page for Color.• You can check your print allowance by logging into myNEU and using the “Husky Card

Account Balances” and “Husky Card Account Transactions” applications.• Students are required to install the student printer software on their personal computers in

order to print.

Northeastern University Resources Library Services

Northeastern University Libraries (http://library.northeastern.edu/) offers Toronto-based students access to the University’s extensive online holdings, which includes 60,000 e-journals, 399,488 e-books, 25,652 databases and online platforms, searchable articles, documents, images, data,and streaming music and video. Students also have the opportunity to special-order articlesthrough NExpress and Iliad. Journal articles are generally delivered electronically within a day ortwo of the request. Subject librarians work with the online and regional campus student to locatecopies of books that are not offered online by Northeastern.

Online Assistance Reference Librarians and Library Subject Specialists are available to assist students day and night, seven days a week, regardless of location. The Library offers a number of methods to contact these specialists, including:

• Reference Email. This is a method for getting assistance with complex research supportneeds. Reference Librarians will assess the student’s needs and respond with in-depthsolutions within one business day.

• Contact a Library Subject Specialist. Students can communicate with librarians with in-depth familiarity with the resources available in a particular subject area.

• Reference Desk. Individuals can speak with a reference librarian at our toll free line:(855) 618-7512. Hours are 9 am to 9 pm, Monday through Thursday, 9 am to 6 pmFriday, 12 pm to 5 pm Saturday, and 12 pm to 8 pm Sunday (EST).

• Ask 24/7. Reference librarians are available at all hours to interact online with studentsand to point them to the resources that will meet their research and course-work needs.

• Subject Guides. Subject librarians have created these online guides and tutorials to assiststudents in identifying and accessing the most important resources in a particulardiscipline.

Links to specialized Library webpages, including those for our Toronto regional campus, are “gateways” from the main Northeastern Libraries site: https://library.northeastern.edu/gateways/toronto-students

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myNEU

All relevant student information (excluding billing information) can be accessed through myNEU, an electronic gateway for the Northeastern University community. Services are targeted to members of the Northeastern University community by campus location, providing a personally tailored experience.

Information Technology Services

Information technology support is available through Information Technology Services. Students also have 24/7 access to a wide range of support including live support and a comprehensive suite of resources via the Northeastern University Online Blackboard Support and Resource Center. In addition to these resources, Northeastern will be using the web domain ‘northeastern.ca’. This country-specific domain will help to make our electronic services (such as e-mail and MyNEU) accessible and tailored to our Canadian students.

Disability Resources Center

Students needing accommodations or services due to a disability have access to Northeastern’s Disability Resource Center (DRC). The DRC provides information on services available to students and the forms necessary to access these services. (http://www.northeastern.edu/drc/)

Student Catalogs

Northeastern University’s primary statements about student academic life, conduct, and the responsibilities of students and the university to one another, are available in the Student Catalog, published by the Office of the University Registrar in collaboration with the colleges of the university (https://www.northeastern.edu/registrar/catsugd.html).

Academic Calendar

The university academic calendar, published on the Registrar’s web site (www.northeastern.edu/registrar/calendars.html) provides information students need to stay on track with their degrees. Where the Toronto campus elects to offer programming independent of the established academic calendar, information will be made available to student on course descriptions, marketing material, registration confirmations and syllabi.

Student Grievances

Northeastern University has processes in place to ensure that student grievances are treated with respect and addressed in a fair and professional manner. Students can report concerns to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (www.northeastern.edu/osccr) or the University Ombuds (http://www.northeastern.edu/ombuds). At the Toronto campus, students can contact the on-site Student Support Specialist or the campus Principal. Established procedures and policies regarding student grievances have been examined and rendered consistent with Canadian law and norms.

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PATH MAP

500 University Avenue

MaRS Discovery District

480University Avenue

481University Avenue

Southcore Financial Centre

Harbour Street

College Street

Gerrard Street

Elm Street

Quee

n’

60 Harbour

k

777 Bay

444 Yonge

382 Yonge

CollegePark

Aura

Colle

ge S

ubw

ay S

tatio

n

20

22

21

DynamicFundsTower

156 Front West

10 Dundas East

The Plazaat SheratonCentre

85 Richmond West

First Canadian PlaceSun Life

TowerThe Bank ofNova Scotia

TDNorth Tower

TorontoDominionBankTower

TorontoDominionBankPavilion

TD West Tower100 WellingtonWest

BayWellingtonTower

TD CanadaTrust Tower

Sam PollockSquareAllen Lambert Galleria

VIA RailCanada

GO TransitInterContinentalTorontoCentre Hotel

Delta Toronto PwC TowerBremner Tower

151 Front West Citigroup Place

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

Bremner Boulevard

College Street

Lake Shore Boulevard

Gardiner Expressway

NorthbridgePlace

RBC WaterPark Place88 Queens Quay West 10-20 Bay

WaterPark PlaceWestin Harbour CastleConvention Ctr

WestinHarbour Castle Hotel

s P

Infinity Condos

One King West Hotel &Residence

CollinsBarrowPlace

LRT

At GradeAbove Grade

438University Avenue

111 Richmond West

Richmond-Adelaide Centre

Union Pearson Express (Spring 2015)

90 HarbourOne York

TTC Queens Quay Ferry Terminal

One University Avenue

100 Adelaide West

120 Adelaide West

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Parking Map: First Canadian Place

Appendix 7.1 Faculty Curricula Vitae --

Omitted for Confidentiality

Appendix 10.1 Student Survey Questions

MSCSAlumniSurveySampleQuestions

WhatyeardidyougraduatefromtheMSinComputerScienceprogramattheCollegeofComputerandInformationScienceatNortheasternUniversity?

Thinkingaboutyourcorecoursesspecifically,pleaserateonascaleof1to5howwellyoufeeltheypreparedyouforlifeaftergraduation.

Pleaserateonascaleof1to5howimportantyouthinkthateachcorecoursewastoyouroveralleducation.

Onascaleof1to5,howoftendoyouusetheskillsyoulearnedineachcourseinyourcurrentjob?

HowhasyourlearningintheMSCSprogramcontributedtoyoursuccessonthejobsinceyougraduated?

Aretherespecificskillsyoulearnedintheprogramthathavebeenvaluabletoyouinyourcareer?Ifyes,whichones?

Arethereanyskillsortopicsthatwerenotcoveredinthecurriculumthatwouldhavebeenhelpfultoyouinyourcareeraftergraduation?Ifyes,whatarethey?

Whatdidyoulikemostaboutthecorecourses?

Whatdidyoudislikemostaboutthecorecourses?

Inordertogetabettersenseofwhereourgraduatesaregoing,pleaseprovidethenameofyourcurrentemployer.

Whatisyourcurrentjobtitle?

Whatisyourcurrentsalary?

MSCSOutcomesAssessment-GraduateStudentSurveySampleQuestions

Whatareyourplansaftergraduation?

Didyoureceiveanyjoboffersfromyourco-opemployerforaftergraduation?

Ifyes,pleaselistthecompany(companies)thatofferedyouaposition.

Whatistheannualsalaryofthisposition?

Doyouplantocontinueyoureducation?

Overall,rateyourlevelofsatisfactionwiththeeducationyoureceivedfromtheCollegeofComputerandInformationScience.

WhatisthemostvaluableaspectofyourexperienceinCCIS?

Whatwayscouldweimprovethisprograminthefuture?Pleasebeasspecificaspossible,sowecanunderstandhowbesttomakepositivechanges.