7210-7 Standing and Advancement Policy

1. Scope

Full-time students as defined (Definitions 3.1).

2. Purpose

1. To define and detail the additional program requirements established by certain programs for standing and/or advancement.
2. To define the mechanisms designed to notify students of their status concerning good academic standing and/or additional program requirements.
3. To define and detail the mechanisms by which programs may add, change and update additional requirements to standing and/or advancement in their program.

3. Definitions

1. Full-time student: A person who is registered at the College in a program leading to a Diploma of College Studies or an Attestation of College Studies and who is registered in at least four courses or at least 180 hours.
2. Good academic standing in the College
   1. Diploma of College Studies full-time students
      • Pre-university programs
        • Each autumn and winter semester, pre-university day division program students must pass a minimum of four courses and more than 50% of the courses in which they are registered.
        • Full-time continuing education students must pass more than 50% of the courses in which they are registered.
      • Career and technology programs
        • Each autumn and winter semester, career and technology program students must pass more than 50% of the courses in which they are registered and more than 50% of their career and technology program courses.
   2. Attestation of College Studies full-time students
      • Each semester, attestation of College Studies students must pass more than 50% of the courses in which they are registered.
3. Additional requirements in the program: Notwithstanding being in good academic standing in the College, students in certain programs may be obliged to meet additional requirements in order to remain in, or to advance in, their program. These additional program requirements are defined by the program as detailed in Appendices P of this policy.
4. Academic probation: The status given to students who do not meet the criteria for good academic standing in the College in any one semester.
5. Career and technology courses: All courses in career and technology programs which are program specific, excluding general education courses (English, Humanities, Physical Education, French and Complementary courses).
6. Program review process: The student review processes which are established and implemented by programs in which additional program requirements exist. Guidelines are appended in Appendix C.
7. Probation contract: The contract that all students with first-time academic probation status must sign. This contract must include:
   • Indication of the probation status;
   • Permanent notification on the student’s academic record;
   • Consequences of a subsequent failure to achieve good academic standing in the College;
   • Acknowledgement by the student of the probation status and remedial services available.
   A probation contract is attached in Appendix E.
8. Letter of suspension: The written document transmitted to a student who has failed to achieve good academic standing two or more times. The content must contain:
   • Reference to the probation contract previously signed;
   • Notification of suspension for second time failure to achieve good academic standing;
   • Length of suspension;
   • Loss of full-time student status;
   • Conditions to be fulfilled during the suspension;
   • Procedures to be followed to be readmitted as a full-time student to the college;
   • Reiteration of the permanent notification of this in the student’s record.
   A letter of suspension is attached in Appendix F.
9. Admissions probation: Students from another CEGEP who have not achieved good academic standing in one or more semesters, using Vanier criteria for good academic standing, will be admitted on probation.
10. Academic suspension: A suspension from full-time study incurred by a student through failure to maintain academic standards. The period of suspension is one calendar year (two semesters – fall and winter). Procedures are appended in Appendix B.

4. Standing and advancement requirements

1. Students who fail to meet the criteria for good academic standing in the College, as defined above (Definitions 3.2 and Definitions 3.9), for a first time are placed on academic probation (or admissions probation, if applicable) immediately, and must follow the academic probation procedures of the Faculty/Centre responsible for their program.
2. Students who fail to meet the criteria for good academic standing in the College a second time are suspended from a program and full-time student status for a specified time, for one academic year (Definitions 3.10).
3. Readmission into a full-time program (studies) is not automatic. Students must reapply by using the formal application procedures (SRAM) before the application deadlines: November 1 or March 1.
4. To be eligible to return to full-time studies students must upgrade their academic record by passing a minimum of four (4) cegep credit courses at the Vanier College Centre for Continuing Education, or at another Cegep. In cases where students on academic suspension have taken more than four courses in continuing education, more than 50% of these courses must be passed to be eligible for readmission to a program.
5. Students in good academic standing in the College must also meet any additional requirements in their program, should they exist, to be permitted to advance in their program. Students in good academic standing in the College who fail to meet any additional program requirements must follow the program review process (Definitions 3.6) implemented by the program in order to continue. Details of programs with additional program requirements are listed in Appendix P.

5. Procedures to notify students of good academic standing and additional program requirements

The standing and advancement policy is implemented by the Faculty Deans and Director of the Centre for Continuing Education, under the authority of the Academic Dean.

• Additional program requirements must be approved by the Faculty Dean or Director of the Centre for Continuing Education for programs under their responsibility.
• All full-time students receive a statement of the conditions for good academic standing in the College and any additional program requirements during their first semester in the program and whenever there is an adjustment to any of these conditions during their enrollment.
• The Faculty Dean or Director of the Centre for Continuing Education provides semester data on the academic standing process.
• If a student’s name appears on a document it is subject to the College policies on confidentiality of student records and student records retention policy.

6. Mechanisms to adjust additional program requirements

1. Programs wishing to submit adjustments or changes to their additional requirements in the program must do so with the appropriate template (Appendix G) before the commencement of the winter semester. Such changes will come into effect upon formal approval as outlined on the template; usually such changes will come into effect for the subsequent autumn semester.
2. The Academic Dean annually consults the Faculty Deans and Director of the Centre for Continuing Education prior to the end of the winter semester to maintain the accuracy of program information and requirements listed in this policy.