Attendance Policy

In-Class Programs

Regular attendance and participation are essential to student learning and academic progress. Students are expected to meet the attendance requirements of their program and communicate with their instructor regarding any circumstances that may affect their ability to attend.

1. Minimum attendance requirements

The minimum attendance requirements for students are as follows:

• Students must maintain a minimum 80% attendance rate throughout their program.
• Students are expected to attend and participate in all scheduled classes.
• Attendance and participation are recorded and monitored by instructors and maintained by the College.

2. Consequences of not meeting attendance requirements

The consequences for students who do not meet the minimum attendance requirements are as follows:

• Students will be notified of attendance concerns and given an opportunity to address the issue.
• Continued attendance concerns may result in an attendance agreement and/or further academic action.
• Students who do not maintain the required attendance may be ineligible to extend or continue a course and may be required to repeat the course to receive credit.
• Students who are absent for 10 consecutive calendar days without notifying the College may be dismissed from the program in accordance with the College’s dismissal policy.
• Absences due to medical or serious personal circumstances may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Director of Instruction or Senior Educational Administrator (SEA). Supporting documentation may be requested.

3. Reporting an absence

The process by which students must report an absence is as follows:

• Students must notify their instructor of an absence within 2 hours of the start of class on the first day of absence and each subsequent day of absence.
• Absences must be reported by email, on Google Classroom (LMS) or by telephone.
• Students who are absent for more than 3 consecutive days may be required to provide supporting documentation.
• Students should communicate with their instructor as soon as possible regarding circumstances that may affect their attendance or academic progress.

Distance Programs – Online/Combined- Synchronous

Regular attendance and participation are essential to student learning and academic progress. Students are expected to meet the attendance and participation requirements of their program and communicate with their instructor regarding circumstances that may affect their ability to participate.

1. Minimum attendance and participation requirements

The minimum attendance and participation requirements for students are as follows:

• Students must maintain a minimum 80% participation rate throughout their program.
• Participation requirements are outlined in the applicable course information. Students are expected to follow the course schedule, complete required coursework, and demonstrate ongoing participation.
• Instructors are responsible for recording and monitoring student participation. The College maintains student attendance records.
• Students who experience circumstances that may affect their participation should communicate with their instructor as soon as possible.

2. Consequences of not meeting participation requirements

The consequences for students who do not meet the minimum participation requirements are as follows:

• Students will be notified when participation concerns arise and will be provided an opportunity to address the issue.
• Continued concerns may result in an attendance or participation agreement and further academic action.
• Students who do not maintain the required 80% participation may not be permitted to extend their course.
• A student who does not participate in course activities for 2 consecutive weeks without notifying the College may be considered withdrawn from the course and may be required to repeat the course.
• A student who does not participate in an online course for 4 consecutive weeks without notifying the College may be dismissed from the course and required to repeat the course to receive credit.
• Absences or interruptions in participation due to medical or serious personal circumstances may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Director of Instruction or Senior Educational Administrator (SEA). Supporting documentation may be requested.
• Where circumstances warrant, the program may be extended at the discretion of the Director of Instruction or Senior Educational Administrator (SEA).

3. Reporting an absence or interruption

The process by which students must report an absence or interruption in participation is as follows:

• Students must notify their instructor as soon as possible if they are unable to participate due to illness or other circumstances.
• Students are responsible for maintaining the requirements of their program.
• Students absent for more than 1 week may be required to provide supporting documentation, such as a medical note.
• Students should discuss any circumstances that may affect their attendance or participation with their instructor as soon as possible.

Respectful and Fair Treatment of Students Policy

Harassment and Anti-racism

The staff at CCBC are committed to ensuring that its learning environment promotes respectful and fair treatment of all students.

Core Values

The core values that guide the College’s interactions with each other and the community:

• We believe cultural and social diversity is essential to our long-term success.
• We celebrate learning as a lifelong achievement for students, staff, and faculty.
• We strive for fairness in all decisions.
• We promote a safe, healthy environment free from discrimination, bullying and harassment.

Prohibited Activities

While on College premises or during activities or events hosted by the College the following activities are prohibited:

• Bullying, harassment, and/or discrimination. Violence- perceived or actual.
• Theft, willful damage to student property, College property and/or illegal activity.

Addressing a Prohibited Activity

If a prohibited activity occurs, the College will take appropriate steps to address the situation, as outlined below:

• Reporting the Incident: Urgent incidents must be reported to the Director of Instruction or Senior Educational Administrator as soon as possible, either verbally or in writing.
• Immediate Response: If the situation requires immediate attention, the student should notify a College employee. The employee will assess the urgency of the situation, take appropriate action to ensure safety (such as contacting the police in cases of violence), and refer the matter to the Director of Instruction or Senior Educational Administrator as necessary.
• Confidential Meeting and Complaint: Students may request a confidential meeting with the Senior Educational Administrator or the Director of Instruction to discuss the incident. All members of the College community have the right to submit a complaint regarding discrimination or harassment.
• Review, Resolution and Legal Obligations: The College will review and address the incident in accordance with its applicable policies and procedures, including the Dispute Resolution Policy and any relevant discrimination, harassment, or safety policies. Where required by law, the College will take appropriate steps to meet its legal obligations, which may include reporting the incident to the relevant authorities or cooperating with a lawful investigation. Serious incidents may also be referred to law enforcement or other appropriate external agencies, where warranted.

Sexual Misconduct Policy

CCBC is committed to the prevention of and appropriate response to sexual misconduct.

Sexual misconduct refers to a spectrum of non-consensual sexual contact and behavior including the following:

• sexual assault;
• sexual exploitation;
• sexual harassment;
• stalking;
• indecent exposure;
• voyeurism;
• the distribution of a sexually explicit photograph or video of a person to one or more persons other than the person in the photograph or video without the consent of the person in the photograph or video and with the intent to distress the person in the photograph or video;
• the attempt to commit an act of sexual misconduct; and
• the threat to commit an act of sexual misconduct.

Complaints and Reports

A Complaint of sexual misconduct is different from a Report of sexual misconduct. A Complaint is when the victim/survivor discloses or chooses to tell someone at the institution of an incident of sexual misconduct to seek support but may not want to make a formal report to police or the institution. A Report is a formal notification of an incident of sexual misconduct to someone at the institution accompanied by a request for action. A Report does not have to be made by the victim/survivor.

A student making a Complaint will be provided with resolution options and, if appropriate, accommodation, and will not be required or pressured to make a Report.

It is contrary to this policy for an institution to retaliate, engage in reprisals or threaten to retaliate in relation to a Complaint or a Report.

Any processes undertaken pursuant to this policy will be based on the principles of administrative fairness. All parties involved will be treated with dignity and respect.

Confidentiality

All information related to a Complaint or Report is confidential and will not be shared without the written consent of the parties, subject to the following exceptions:

• If an individual is at imminent risk of severe or life-threatening self-harm.
• If an individual is at imminent risk of harming another.
• There are reasonable grounds to believe that others in the institutional community may be at significant risk of harm based on the information provided.
• Where reporting is required by law.
• Where it is necessary to ensure procedural fairness in an investigation or other response to a Complaint or Report.

In all instances the institution will:

• Ensure the safety of the victim/survivor.
• As appropriate, provide emergency numbers for on and off campus security (if applicable), law enforcement, medical assistance, mental health services, and other services.
• Respect the right of the individual to choose the services they consider most appropriate.

Dispute Resolution Policy

1. This policy governs complaints from students regarding Coastal College of British Columbia and any aspect of its operations.
2. A student who makes or is otherwise involved in a complaint will not be subject to any form of retaliation by the institution at any time.
3. The process by which the student complaint will be handled is as follows:

• All student complaints must be made in writing.
• The student must make a written complaint to the Director of Instruction (jas@coastalcollegeofbc.com) or Senior Educational Administrator (kirpaul@coastalcollegeofbc.com). If the Director of Instruction is absent or is named in a complaint, the student must provide the complaint to the Senior Educational Administrator. If the Senior Educational Administrator  is named in a complaint, the student must provide the complaint to the Director of Instruction.
• The Senior Educational Administrator or Director of Instruction will review any complaints. Within 5 days of receiving the complaint, the Director or Senior Educational Administrator will arrange to meet with the student to discuss the concern(s).
• Following the meeting with the student, the Director or the Senior Educational Administrator will conduct whatever further inquiry or investigation is necessary to determine whether the concerns can be substantiated.
• Any necessary inquiries or investigations shall be completed within 10 college days of the initial meeting with the student. This timeline can be extended with approval of the Director if the complaint is deemed complicated and requires additional time.
• The Director or Senior Educational Administrator will connect with the student and other persons and do one of the following:
  • Determine that the concern(s) were not substantiated; or
  • Determine that the concern(s) were substantiated, in whole or in part.
• The Senior Educational Administrator or the Director will prepare a written summary of the determination, and a report of what action (s) may be taken.
• A copy shall be given to the student, and the original will be placed in the student’s file. If the student is under 19 years of age, a copy will be sent to their guardian/ parent.
• Written reasons for the determination will be provided to the student within 30 days after the date on which the complaint was made.
• The written reasons will advise a student, that if the student is dissatisfied with the determination, and has been misled by the institution regarding any significant aspect of that program, the student may file a complaint with the Private Training Institutions Regulatory Unit (PTIRU) (privatetraininginstitutions.gov.bc.ca). Complaints must be filed with PTIRU within one year of the date a student completes, is dismissed from, or withdraws from the program.

4. The student making the complaint may be represented by an agent or a lawyer.

Academic Integrity Policy

Students are expected to be honest in all their activities at the College. All forms of cheating and/or plagiarism are unacceptable:

• Copying from another student’s work.
• Allowing another student to copy their work.
• Using AI programs/software to complete assignments.
• Collusion is the act of two or more students working together on an individual assignment without permission.

Plagiarism and AI

At CCBC, plagiarism is defined as presenting the work of others as a student’s own without proper credit. It involves submitting such work to meet academic requirements. All academic work submitted must be the student’s original work. Work generated entirely by AI is not considered original.

The use of AI software to complete assignments constitutes plagiarism.

However, writing-assistance tools are permitted. Examples include Google Docs’ autocorrect and Grammarly. These tools review a student’s own writing for errors or suggest edits, unlike AI programs that generate entire papers. The key distinction is that the student’s original work is refined, not replaced, by the tool.

Consequences

The student has the onus and the burden of proof of the integrity of their work.

The instructor will consult with the Senior Educational Administrator or Director to determine the severity of the situation and determine the consequences which may range from a zero grade on an evaluation to academic warning, suspension and/or dismissal.

Refund Policy

Programs Not Requiring PTIRU Approval

The institution will refund 100% of the tuition other than the application fee if:

• The student does not attend the program, and
• The institution receives from the student a notice of withdrawal no later than 5 days before the start date of the program as stated in the enrolment contract.

The refund will be issued within 30 days of the institution receiving the notice of withdrawal.

Crisis and Critical Incident Management Policy

The College is committed to providing a healthy, safe working and learning environment for all staff, students, and visitors, and to reduce the risks of accident or injury for the purpose of maintaining a safe environment.

Health and Safety

The College follows health and safety guidelines relevant to the types of programs offered.

A review of the guidelines will be conducted annually to ensure the guidelines are being followed.

Any possible breaches or concerns relating to the guidelines must be directed immediately to the Instructor, Director or SEA. Students, Employees, visitors, and clients can discuss relevant matters. Any immediate safety concerns will be addressed immediately; not urgent or more general concerns will be recorded and reviewed by the Senior Educational Administrator within 72 hours.

References

• WorkSafe BC – https://www.worksafebc.com/en/law-policy/occupational-health-safety/searchable-ohs-regulation
• OH/ safety guidelines – https://www.worksafebc.com/en/law-policy/occupational-health-safety/searchable-ohs-regulation/ohs-regulation

Procedure for Fire Safety

1. The Senior Educational Administrator and the Director ensure that sufficient fire suppression equipment is available as needed throughout the whole campus and that all fire suppression equipment is examined by a qualified inspector at least annually.
2. The Senior Educational Administrator and the Director ensure that all employees receive training in both the operation of the fire suppression equipment and college fire evacuation procedures.
3. The Senior Educational Administrator and Director are responsible for preparing and posting emergency exit instructions and route maps in each classroom.
4. In the event of a fire emergency, staff will immediately contact the fire department (911) relaying the location of the campus and will give the details of the type of fire if known, location and follow the instructions of the 911 operator.
5. All persons will evacuate the campus under the direction of senior staff.
6. Instructors will escort their students to the safety area identified on the exit plan, ensuring that he or she takes the class lists with them. The instructor will check the students present against the class list and will immediately advise the Senior Educational Administrator or Director if anyone is missing.
7. The Senior Educational Administrator or the Director will act as a liaison between fire officials and students or employees during the emergency. If necessary, the Senior Educational Administrator or Director will authorize college closure.
8. No student or employee will re-enter the campus until the fire officials have authorized re-entry.

Procedure for Earthquake Safety

1. The Senior Educational Administrator or  Director ensures that adequate precautions are taken throughout the campus to assure that injury due to falling or unstable items during an earthquake is limited, this may include securing file cabinets and shelving and keeping binders below head-level.
2. The Senior Educational Administrator or Director ensures that all employees receive training in the college earthquake evacuation procedures.
3. The Senior Educational Administrator or Director prepares and posts emergency instructions and exit route maps in each classroom at the campus with the exit specifically noted in a colored highlight.
4. In the event of an earthquake emergency, all staff and students will take cover and remain under cover until the shaking stops.
5. When deemed safe to do so, all persons will evacuate the campus.
6. Instructors will escort their students to the safety area set out in the exit plans, ensuring that he or she takes the class lists with them. The instructor will check the students present against the list of students in attendance that day and will immediately advise the Senior Educational Administrator or the Director if anyone is missing.
7. The Senior Educational Administrator and the Director will act as a liaison between rescue officials, students and employees during the emergency. If necessary, the Senior Educational Administrator or Director will authorize college closure.
8. No persons will re-enter the campus until the officials have authorized re-entry.