• Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

Since 1998, Ontario colleges have been mandated by the provincial government to collect and report performance data to measure how well they are meeting the needs of:

The Key Performance Indicator initiative is designed to ensure that the needs of above stakeholders remain:

The following are a few of our highlights from the provincial government's latest KPI survey of Ontario colleges, released April 7, 2009.

We are committed to providing our students with quality learning experiences and support in finding pathways to jobs and productive citizenship.

Graduate Employment Employer Satisfaction Graduate Satisfaction Student Satisfaction Graduation Rate
86.5 per cent 92.3 per cent 80.0 per cent 77.3 per cent 64.6 per cent

For more information: www.collegesontario.ca

How are KPI results calculated?

Five KPIs are used to measure performance:

Data for graduate and employer satisfaction as well as graduate employment are collected by an external survey consultant through telephone surveys.

Student satisfaction surveys are completed in-class by colleges across the province and the results are then compiled by an external survey consultant.

Graduation rate is calculated annually by each college.

What graduates are contacted for the graduate satisfaction survey? When and how?

As per an agreement with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, all colleges provide Forum Research, a consulting firm, with a list of the official graduates for each graduating term.

For the 2008-2009 reporting period our graduating terms were:

As a graduate you will be surveyed by phone six months after graduation. These parameters were developed by the province-wide KPI Steering Committee, which is made up of college representatives and ministry personnel and is consistent across all colleges.

In addition to being asked about your satisfaction with the programs and services that you experienced while at Durham College, you will be asked about your employment status, which provides information for the Graduate Employment KPI including if you have gone chosen to further your education.

What employers are contacted for the employer satisfaction survey?

As a part of the graduate satisfaction survey, you will be asked for permission to contact your direct supervisor. If permission is granted, every effort is made by the consulting firm to contact your employer within five weeks after completing the survey. Your employer will not be contacted without your consent.

The purpose of the employer satisfaction survey is to assess the performance of the college, not you.

How is the graduation rate calculated?

As defined by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, graduation rate is based on tracking individual students who entered a program of instruction in a particular enrolment reporting period and assessing how many of those individuals completed the program a number of years later.

For each program of instruction, students who transfer out are removed from the group that is being tracked, and those who transfer in are added.

The normal program duration used to establish a student's program completion time frame equals approximately 200 per cent of the normal program duration.

For example, the 2008-2009 graduation rate is based on students who started one-year programs in 2006-2007, two-year programs in 2004-2005, and three-year programs in 2002-2003, and who graduated by the 2007-2008 academic year.

How valid/reliable are the surveys and corresponding results?

The surveys used in the KPI data collection process were developed from surveys previously used within the college system. Minor adjustments were made to select surveys by the province-wide KPI Steering Committee to meet] KPI objectives.

The surveys meet conventional standards with respect to satisfaction surveying or opinion polling.

The third-party consultants who were contracted to gather the data brought both experience within the college system and expertise in survey design to the planning tables.

Sample size plays a significant role in the reliability and validity of data. Small sample sizes can sometimes result in chance findings that are not accurate. Sample size for program level, by definition, is always smaller than the overall college level. Caution is urged in interpreting data at the program level.

What is the margin of error for these surveys?

The graduate sample at the system-level has a margin of:

The employer sample at the system-level has a margin of error of:

The student sample at the system-level has a margin of error of:

Across the three completed graduate survey periods, more than 39,350 interviews were completed out of a total graduate population of about 59,235. For Durham College, more than 1,500 graduates were surveyed out of a total graduate population of about 2,200.

More than 7,920 employers completed the survey. Of these, over 300 had employed Durham College graduates.

More than 109,000 college students in their second semester or later completed the Student Satisfaction Survey, including almost 4,500 from Durham College. 

What scale was used and why?

All decisions regarding survey design, instrumentation, etc. were made by the province-wide KPI Steering Committee with input from the contracted research firms. It was decided to use a five-point scale, where:

Such five-point scales are often used in instances where satisfaction is being measured.

Only results registered as very satisfied and satisfied were considered and/or reported as positive results.

How were the KPI figures reached?

Each survey is comprised of many questions to provide valuable feedback to the colleges on how they might improve programs and services.

Embedded in each survey are questions that are referred to as capstone questions - key questions that ask respondents to give his or her overall opinion about the central issue. These capstone questions are used to calculate the KPI figures.

In selecting/designing the surveys, the general goal is to gain a comprehensive picture of user satisfaction. Each question is designed to measure slightly different aspects of respondents' experience, so the use of capstone questions focusing on the overall satisfaction level, was adopted. This is a standard procedure for these types of surveys.

What does Durham College do with these ratings?

The Office of Institutional Research and Planning is responsible for the analysis of KPI data. Each program and service/facility area is provided with a KPI report card that includes current year results as well as five-year trends. Particular emphasis is placed on aspects identified as important to students. Each program and service/facility area is responsible for completing an improvement plan that will further enhance the student experience.

What improvements has Durham College made as a result of KPI feedback?

Based on our KPI results over the past few years, we have continued to introduce a number of new initiatives designed to enhance the student experience.

These initiatives include:

Where can I find specific program information on KPIs for Durham College?

The full survey results are available at our Campus Library at the Oshawa campus.

How can I find out more about graduate employment for Durham College?

Each year, we produce a graduate employment report based on the information compiled from our KPI survey results. The information contained in the report profiles the employment status of our students who graduated from post-secondary programs.

For more information:

How can I find out more about the performance of specific programs?

All Ontario post-secondary institutions are required to provide students with information on:

While common methods have been used to calculate the program-related information provided by each college, there may be some differences between how universities and private colleges calculate their information.

For instance, graduate employment rates for college graduates are based on surveys completed six months after graduation, while university graduate employment rates are based on surveys completed six months and two years after graduation.

For more information: