Academic Standing and Advancement Policy

There are two major aspects to successful progression in a career program: academic performance and demonstration of suitability through professional conduct.  Below you will find definitions of these criteria.

To be in good standing and to register unconditionally, students must meet the requirements of the College Academic Standing and Advancement Policy, as well as the program requirements.

College Policy

Academic Standing

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

Program Policy

academic Standing

In order to be in good standing in the program, students must meet the academic advancement requirements and must demonstrate professional conduct, attributes and qualities suited to the field of social service. These requirements are elaborated below.

In addition, students who fail the same Specific Education course twice will not be able to continue in the program.

Advancement

Students may not proceed to the next term if they have dropped or failed two or more Social Service discipline (388) courses.

To proceed to term 2 students must have passed:

• Communication Skills in Social Service Practice
• Introduction to Social Service Practice

To proceed to term 3 students must have passed:

• Introduction to Intervention
• Fieldwork 1
• Addressing Social Problems 1 OR Addressing Social Problems 2
• Human Development OR Abnormal Psychology

To proceed to term 4 students must have passed:

• Intervention with Individuals
• Fieldwork 2

To proceed to term 5 students must have passed:

• Understanding Families 2
• Fieldwork 3
• Topics in Understanding Intervention 1 OR Topics in Understanding Intervention 2
• Nine or more of the 14 General Education courses required to graduate

To proceed to term 6 students must have passed:

• Crisis Intervention
• Intervention with Mandated Clienteles
• Fieldwork 4
• Groupwork 2

The Program Coordinator may recommend an exception to Standing and Advancement decisions in extenuating circumstances.

Expelled students have the right to appeal the expulsion to the College Academic Standing Appeals Committee.

Professional Conduct

Social Service students are in training to become helping professionals working with sensitive psychosocial issues and vulnerable clienteles. To remain in good standing and to advance through the program, students are expected to demonstrate “use-of-self” appropriate for a career in the human services. Certain attributes and behaviours are viewed as essential, such as: demonstrated empathy and sensitivity in dealing with others, an awareness of the impact of one’s behaviour on others, the ability to manage personal needs effectively, attitudes and value judgments that support professional conduct, the capacity to manage one’s time effectively in order to set priorities and meet deadlines, and the ability to receive feedback constructively and follow through on recommendations. Such personal qualities and behaviours for professional practice are identified and evaluated via an Individual Assessment process and Fieldwork Evaluation forms. The Program’s Student Standing Committee meets periodically to evaluate student professional conduct.

Students who exhibit inappropriate behaviour may be removed from the Program. The procedure for removing students from the Program or a course, on the basis of professional conduct or unsuitability to the profession, will be applied in accordance with the College’s Institutional Student Evaluation Policy (ISEP, 2009, p.20 and pp.42-43).

Some examples of inappropriate behaviours are:

Aggressive or disrespectful behaviour, e.g.:

• use of insults
• verbal or physical intimidation
• argumentative or belligerent manner of interaction

Poor judgment in relation to social norms and application of professional values in a professional and academic context, e.g.:

• excessive disclosure of personal information
• sexual innuendo
• violation of professional boundaries with clients, professional workers, teachers
• creating a risk to others
• plagiarism or lack of integrity in the reporting or conduct of professional and academic work

Alcohol or substance use which interferes with performance in the Program.

Apparent unstable mental health, e.g.:

• cognitive disorganization (including hallucinations or delusions)
• marked lack of emotional control
• impaired judgment in relation to social norms and impact on others
• posing a danger to oneself
• posing a threat to others

The expelled student retains the right to appeal the expulsion to the Academic Dean.

Results of Failure to meet the requirements of the Student Standing and Advancement Policy:

Failure results in the student’s status being reviewed by the Social Service Program’s Student Standing Committee that meets periodically and at the end of each semester, which may recommend the following for the student:

• expulsion from the program, hence the college (Winter term review);
• withdrawal of permission to take concentration courses. Student will be allowed to take General Education and Complementary courses in the following semester and must request permission to resume studies in social service or make a program transfer (Fall or Winter term review);
• remaining in the program and repeating the course in the subsequent year (Fall or Winter term review);

As mentioned above, the student who is expelled retains the right to appeal the expulsion to the College Academic Standing Appeals Committee or the Academic Dean, as appropriate.