Ethics

Ethics

  • The Academy operates in a manner which encourages achievement of excellence and which elicits a sense of pride in belonging to the Academy.
  • Students are encouraged to make every conscious effort to practice the following:
      • Responsibility for their actions and conduct
      • Respect for their peers, faculty and Academy personnel
      • Respect for the general public when attending Academy sponsored events  either on-site or off-site
      • Respect for themselves and their personal well-being

Suspension & Expulsion
Prior to expulsion, depending on the severity and nature of the situation, the Academy may take intermediate steps at its discretion including:

    • verbal warning
    • written warning
    • suspension
    • expulsion

The Academy is committed to taking all reasonable steps to ensure the students have the opportunity to successfully complete their programs.  The Academy has a commitment to ensure that within this general framework, that all students are treated fairly and equitably.

Students who do not support the academic and ethical goals of the Academy for themselves and their fellow students may be subject to penalties, up to and including expulsion.

In general, the Academy will attempt to resolve a situation without expulsion and this may involve implementing the alternative approach of temporary suspension.

Verbal warning, written warnings and suspension may precede this final and most serious of actions.

Where the Academy deems the integrity, safety or well being of the Academy, students, staff, faculty, clients, visitors and other guests is in danger, then expulsion may be applied at the Academy’s discretion at any point in the process.
In conjunction with this policy, the Academy will have to ensure that students receive and are aware of its code of conduct, the academic policy, the dress code and attendance policies.

The following outlines the conditions under which a student may be expelled with cause:

  1. Academic Dishonesty – students may be subject to expulsion at the discretion of the Academy for academic dishonesty.  Academic dishonesty is any word, action or deed performed alone, or with others, for the direct or indirect intention of providing an unfair advantage or benefit to their self or to another student(s) including:
  • Cheating – which includes copying examination questions
  • plagiarism
  • unapproved collaboration of examination questions & answers
  • alteration of records
  • bribery
  • lying
  • misrepresentations
  • misleading supervising faculty during clinics or patient situations
  • purposely mis-stating/recording information on client records or forms provided to supervising faculty

2. Outstanding Fees – failure to pay overdue accounts owing to the Academy within the specified period may be grounds for expulsion, after a written warning has been given.
3. Code of Conduct – all students are required to adhere to the Academy’s published code of conduct.  Where the violations do not have the potential to result in physical harm to persons or property the Academy may expel a student who has received suspension for failure to comply and has since violated any of the terms of the Academy’s code of conduct.
Students who are found under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol or carrying weapons while on the Academy’s premises, will be subject to immediate suspension and following a review by the Education Committee, the student is liable to be expelled. 
Students will be expelled for selling or buying social or prescription drugs and/or alcohol on the Academy premises.

Students will be expelled for any act of physical assault on other students, a member of the faculty, staff or administration.
Students will be expelled for theft. 
Students may be suspended for rudeness or disrespect to peers while on the Academy’s premises, to staff or faculty while on-site or at an off-site supervised event, if he/she continues to exhibit such traits or actions, or after having received a written notification from the Academy requesting full future compliance.
Students who lie to faculty or falsify patient treatment records or clinic reports are included in this section of conduct.
A student may be suspended from attending classes or asked to leave a class, for rudeness, inappropriate classroom behavior, sarcasm, inappropriate dress or refusal to follow student guidelines as issued, which includes eating food during class presentations.
4. Significant Omissions or Errors in Admissions Documentation – the Academy has a responsibility to ensure students have been admitted in accordance with the registration requirements for the program.  Students who knowingly misrepresent their applications are subject to immediate expulsion.
5. Academic Failure – students who fail to achieve the required academic standing in their programs may be expelled from the program.   The Academy may at its discretion, offer alternatives to a student and these are outlined in the academic policies for the program of study which include such items as ‘the transfer to another Group’. Representatives of the Academy’s Education Committee will have met with the student to discuss alternatives prior to an expulsion.
6. Attendance – students who do not achieve the required attendance as stated in Academy policy are subject to suspension and possibly expulsion. A meeting will be held with the student by an Academy Executive and/or the Department Head and/or a member of the Education Committee to give the student an opportunity to improve; however, in the event the attendance policy is being ignored and it is deemed by the Academy the student cannot or will not meet the Attendance Standards for the Academy, the Academy may suspend or expel the student, at its own discretion.

7. Harassment or Discrimination –
The Academy does not condone harassment or discrimination of any student, staff, client or visitor to the Academy.  Students participating in harassing or discriminatory activities that are racial, sexual, or pertaining to sexual orientation, may be subject to immediate suspension depending on the severity of the activity and pending investigation.
Any student, who is deemed by the investigation to have engaged in severe harassing or discriminatory activities, may be expelled at the discretion of the college, depending on the severity of the activity.

  • Racial harassment means bothering, threatening, or treating someone unfairly because of their race, colour, ancestry, birthplace, religious belief, ethnic background, citizenship, or language.
  • Sexual harassment means bothering someone by saying or exhibiting unwanted or unwelcome acts/gestures of a sexual or gender-related nature, including touching inappropriately, making offensive jokes about women and men, making sexual suggestions or requests, staring at or making unwelcome comments about one’s body, displaying sexually offensive pictures, or being verbally abusive because of one’s gender.
  • Sexual orientation harassment means treating someone unequally because they are gay, lesbian, heterosexual, bisexual, or living in a same-sex relationship.  This could include making a hurtful comment or action to an individual, making homophobic jokes or hints about a person’s sexual orientation or same-sex partnership status, or displaying of disrespectful signs, caricatures, cartoons or graffiti.
  • In determining what constitutes harassment or discrimination, the College refers to The Ontario Human Rights Code. Students requiring more specific information may refer to the specific code as posted on the Provincial website:

(http://www.ohrc.on.ca/english/code/index.shtml).
Students are encouraged to respect, care and be understanding for those with disabilities.
8.   Misuse of Academy Property – Academy property is for the provision of Academy services.  Students who damage, misuse, steal or otherwise use the property in a way that is prohibited, may be expelled and required to make restitution.
9.   Endangerment of Staff or Students – The Academy is committed to the right for all Academy staff, faculty, students, clients and visitors to be safe.   Students who by action or neglect in any way endanger the safety of themselves or others may be suspended or expelled.

A student may also be asked to leave a classroom by a faculty member or member of Academy administration for rudeness, being argumentative or a violation of the dress code, conduct or eating/drinking policies.

Faculty are required to report such an occurrence and the incident may be put forth for further review and action by the Education Committee which may lead to a suspension. Any absence from class due to being requested to leave by the faculty or academy administration will be counted as a missed class for make-up of hours.

The student will be provided with one opportunity to defend a pending recommendation by the Education Committee to suspend or expel the student, in situations that do not involve suspension for drugs, alcohol or weapons.

The student will be advised in writing of such a review.

The student’s defense may be in writing or made in person at a meeting called by the Education Committee. A non-response or non-attendance by the student will be viewed as ‘acceptance’ of the pending recommendation.

The Education Committee has the sole right to suspend or expel a student.

The results of a decision by the Education Committee will be advised in writing to the student.