Academic Standing and Advancement Policy

College Policy

Academic Standing

Please refer to Bylaw 8: Concerning the Promotion of Academic Success in English or French.

Program Policy

Academic Standing

Academic standing is determined at the end of each semester of the program according to the criteria that follow.

Students will be allowed to remain in the program under the following conditions:

• Students must not fail more than one of their Specific Education courses in a semester.
• Students must not fail the same Specific Education course twice.

Students must complete the Medical Ultrasound Technology Program within five academic years, and must complete any year of the program within a maximum of two academic years.

Students who do not satisfy the criteria of this Academic Standing Policy will be expelled from the Program and the College. Expelled students have the right to appeal the expulsion to the College Academic Standing Appeals Committee.

Advancement

Students are allowed to advance to the following term of studies under the following conditions:

• To advance to Term 2, students must pass all Specific Education courses in Term 1.
• To advance to Term 3, students must pass all Specific Education courses in Term 2.
• To advance to Term 4, students must pass all Specific Education courses in Term 3.
• To advance to Term 5, students must pass all Specific Education courses in Term 4 and have completed all General Education courses.
• To advance to Term 6, students must pass all Specific Education courses in Term 5.

Students in the program who are prevented from advancing in their Specific Education courses may continue taking General Education courses and must either:

• Submit an “Intent to Continue in Current Program” form to the Registrar’s Office by March 1 or November 1, as appropriate, in order to resume taking Specific Education courses in the following semester.

OR

• Submit an online Program Transfer request by March 1 or November 1, as appropriate, in order to enrol in a different program.

Students not taking any courses in a semester must reapply to the College by the application deadline in order to be part of a program of study.

Exceptional Circumstances

In extenuating circumstances, the Program Coordinator may recommend an exception to the Program Academic Standing and Advancement Policy to the Program Dean for approval. This recommendation must be accompanied by a revised Progression Chart.

Professional Conduct

The medical nature of the Medical Ultrasound Technology Program requires that students develop professional and ethical behaviours in addition to the essential program competencies. Throughout the program, students will receive on-going feedback to assist them in developing behaviours that are essential to the medical imaging profession.

Medical Ultrasound Technology students are expected to behave in a professional manner once admitted to the program, both on campus and at the clinical sites. As student members of the Ordre des technologues en imagerie médicale, en radio-oncologie, et en électro-physiologie médicale du Québec (OTIMROEPMQ), they are expected to abide by their provincial code of ethics and that of Sonography Canada, as well as to conform to the specific rules and regulations of the clinical sites during their training.  These are the governing documents:

• Provincial Law (C-26 T-5 r.5): Code of ethics of medical imaging technologists, radiation oncology technologists and medical electrophysiology technologists.
• Professional Practice Guidelines and Member Policies of Sonography Canada.

Students who exhibit unprofessional behavior may be expelled from the program. The procedure for expelling students from the program on the basis of Professional Conduct will be applied in accordance with the College’s ISEP – Professional Conduct Policy.

Some examples of unprofessional conduct for students in the Medical Ultrasound Technology Program include:

• Unsafe work practices;
• Not adhering to established protocols, including the rules and regulations governing the general operation of the laboratory and clinical settings;
• Not treating patients with dignity and respect;
• Violating patient confidentiality;
• Repeatedly arriving late for a clinical rotation;
• Communicating inappropriately or indiscreetly with patients, peers, or clinical site staff;
• Engaging in written or spoken defamatory behavior toward patients, peers, or clinical site staff;
• Dishonesty in documentation in the clinical setting;
• Not demonstrating improvement when professional behavioural issues or weaknesses are identified;
• Refusing to collaborate with peers or clinical site staff;
• Inability to deal effectively and responsibly with stressful situations in the laboratory or clinical setting;
• Failing to disclose any conflict of interest for clinical placement.

Students expelled from the Medical Ultrasound Technology Program under the Professional Conduct portion of the Academic Standing and Advancement Policy may appeal to the Academic Dean.