About - Policies

Privacy Policy

Under the Personal Information Act students are entitled to access their student file. The personal information collected will only be used for the purpose for which it was originally collected or for a use consistent...read more

Tuition Payment Policy

        (Non-Tuition) Mandatory full-time student fee ($200 per term).
        (Non-Tuition) Mandatory part-time contract student fee ($100 per term).
        
Personal payments: tuition and fees must be paid by...read more

Tuition Refund Policy

1. If the Victoria College of Art receives tuition from the student, or a person on behalf of the student, the institution will refund the student, or the person who paid on behalf of...read more

Attendance Policy

All full-time programs require a minimum of 20 hours or more of attendance per week. Students are expected to attend and be punctual for all classes. If students are absent, they are to advise their...read more

Dismissal Policy

If students act in contravention to the instructions of staff, rules, regulations or policies, VCA reserves the right to suspend or dismiss them. A student may also be dismissed due to poor attendance. VCA will...read more

Dispute Resolution Policy

Victoria College of Art (VCA) provides an opportunity for students to resolve disputes of a serious nature in a fair, reasonable and equitable manner. This policy governs complaints from students respecting VCA and any...read more

Student Conduct Policy

Victoria College of Art deems it necessary to protect the safety and integrity of the learning environment of the college. Students who violate the rights of others are subject to disciplinary action which can...read more

Withdrawal Policy

Students who wish to withdraw from a program will be required to provide their dated withdrawal notice in writing to administration. Depending on the circumstances and the details given in the student's written notice, the...read more

Grade Regulations Policy

Grade Appeal Policy

  1. If a student is dissatisfied with a grade received and can provide evidence that a higher grade is warranted he/she should discuss with his/her instructor. The instructor will reconsider the grade and, if warranted, assign a different grade.
  2. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of his/her appeal to the instructor, he/she should submit a written appeal to the Senior Educational Administrator.
  3. The Senior Educational Administrator will obtain a copy of the assignment/test in question from the instructor and will have another instructor re-assess the test.
  4. If the student achieves a higher grade on re-assessment, the higher grade will be assigned to the student. If the student achieves a lower grade on re-assessment, the original grade will be retained.
  5. The grade will be considered final and cannot be appealed. The decisions on the grade appeal will be provided to students within 30 school days of Victoria College of Art's receipt of the written appeal.

Grades Regulations Policy Jan 2021

  1. Once a course is completed, the instructor will give a final grade based on assignments, class attendance and participation. The mid-term report (mid-course report) to the student will give a written assessment of student progress, possibly listing the assignments given by this point. Students will be given notice (mid-course) as to whether they have a chance to complete the course or not.
  2. There will be no extension for handing in assignments beyond the due date or the last class of the course. Only exception would be extenuating circumstances that will be determined by both the instructor and the administration. As indicated in the PTIB manual, instructors do not have any responsibility to students beyond the end date of the term or course.
  3. In the case of incomplete (formally “INC”) course work by the end of the course, the instructor has three options:
  1. Written notice must be given to admin that the student is withdrawing from the course.
  2. Student can receive a grade based on what the instructor has received by the end of the course.
  3. If no course work has been received from the student and there was no official written withdrawal sent to administration, then the instructor will give the student an “F” for “Failed” which will appear on the transcript. NOTE: With the “W” or “F” on the transcript, the student will not receive credit or course hours. If it is determined that the course is a required course in the program, it will be necessary for the student to repeat the course at another time.

Attendance:

Because Student Aid and PTIB require the student to be at least 80% in attendance, the student will need to attend the course at least 10 of the 12 classes. If this is not possible, due...read more

Online Delivery and Recorded Classes:

With respects to the new online program delivery on Zoom, the instructor will keep a recorded class session that might be available to the student, at the instructor’s discretion. Most instructor’s lectures...read more

Exceptions are as follows:

  1. New students starting the course late (first two classes missed) due to late enrolment.
  2. Students making changes to their course schedules at the beginning of the term
  3. Students with Illness or any other legitimate excuse accepted by the instructor

Beyond the first two classes, the student will wait to enroll in the course at another time.

Sexual Misconduct Policy

The Victoria College of Art is committed to the prevention of and appropriate response to sexual misconduct. The college does not tolerate any form of sexual misconduct, and pledges to support victims/survivors and ensure...read more

Respectful and Fair Treatment of Students

While on VCA’s premises or in the course of activities or events hosted by the college the following activities are prohibited:

  • As a joy-oriented community, the Victoria College of Art will not...
This policy extends to the college’s students, staff, and faculty.

If under any circumstances, a prohibited activity occurs, the following outlines the process for addressing the activity:

  • If you feel that you have been subjected to harassment, bullying or discrimination; bring the matter to the attention of the person responsible for the conduct.
  • If you do not feel comfortable approaching the person responsible, or doing so did not solve the problem, discuss the matter with the Office Administrator, who will take immediate action to resolve the problem (See our Dispute Resolution Policy).

Student Statement of Rights

The Victoria College of Art is certified with the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) of the British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training. 

Before you enrol at a certified private training institution, you should be aware of your rights and responsibilities. 

You have the right to be treated fairly and respectfully by the institution. 

You have the right to a student enrolment contract that includes the following information:

  • amount of tuition and any additional fee for your program 
  • refund policy
  • if your program includes a work experience, the requirements to participate in the work experience and the geographic area where it will be provided 
  • whether the program was approved by PTIB or does not require approval.
Make sure you read the contract before signing.  The institution must provide you with a signed copy.  

You have the right to access the institution’s dispute resolution process and to be protected against retaliation for making a complaint. 

You have the right to make a claim to PTIB for a tuition refund if:

  • your institution ceased to hold a certificate before you completed an approved program
  • you were misled about a significant aspect of your approved program.
You must file the claim within one year of completing, being dismissed or withdrawing from your program. 

For more information about PTIB and how to be an informed student, go to: http://www.privatetraininginstitutions.gov.bc.ca/students/be-an-informed-student

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PRIVATE TRAINING INSTITUTIONS BRANCH

Please be advised that under section 61 of the Private Training Act, the Registrar is authorized to collect, use, and disclose personal information in accordance with the Registrar's regulatory duties under that...read more