General Education Policies

Updated October 1, 2010

A. THE EDUCATION TEAM

A:1 PROGRAM DIRECTOR / PROGRAM MANAGER

A:2 PROGRAM COORDINATOR

A:3 EDUCATION CONSULTANT

Each CHA Learning student is assigned an education consultant. Education consultants are experienced managers and executives, dietitians and health information management professionals who have specialized education in their fields and a professional commitment to education. Students may be assigned education consultants from communities and provinces other than their own.

• communicating with students in person and/or by e-mail or telephone;
• being available for consultation on an ad hoc basis; commenting on written units;
• grading each unit submitted.

Education consultants establish contact with their students either by e-mail, telephone or a meeting early in the program to discuss the program and the evaluation of units. Before the first unit assignment is due, the education consultant and the student will mutually agree on the format for submitting assignments, i.e. electronic or regular mail.
 

Students who have concerns about their relationship with or performance of their education consultant should contact their CHA program director or program coordinator to discuss the issues. Students should NOT assume that the CHA program director and program coordinator are aware of concerns or difficulties.

B. PROCEDURES AND REGULATIONS 

B:1 PURPOSE

All CHA Learning programs have a unit structure. Each unit addresses a different topic, develops concepts specific to that topic and includes relevant readings and an assignment.

Students may discuss the units with fellow students, their education consultant and other people in their organization or community. This discussion can help them gather information and clarify concepts. Students must form and write their answers independently for all assignments.

All questions in each assignment must be answered. If a question is left unanswered, the entire unit assignment will be deemed incomplete (see policy section D.a. Certificate Requirements). The education consultant will advise the student and will not grade the unit until all the answers have been submitted. A late penalty may be applied.

B:2 DEADLINES

The deadline for each unit assignment appears in the program schedule in the study guide. Assignments may be submitted by mail or email.

Assignments may be e-mailed to the education consultant on or before the student deadline date, and the education consultant’s critiques may be e-mailed to students, if this method has been agreed upon.

• If a unit is mailed to the education consultant, the envelope must be postmarked on or before the student deadline date. Include a large stamped, self-addressed envelope for returning the assignment.
• If sent by a courier service, the envelope containing the unit must be in the hands of the courier on or before the student deadline date. Include a large stamped, self-addressed envelope for returning the assignment.
• If hand delivered, the envelope containing the unit must reach the education consultant's mailing address on or before the student deadline date. Include a large stamped, self-addressed envelope for returning the assignment.
• If there are disruptions in postal services or internet provider failures, students must make alternate arrangements for delivering unit assignments to their education consultant. Education consultants are not authorized to return units to students by commercial courier.

B:3 LATE ASSIGNMENTS

Late assignments make it difficult for education consultants to plan their marking schedule, to be consistent in grading, to provide feedback before the next assignment is due and to forward marks to CHA on time.

A 20% penalty is applied to late units. CHA Learning will apply the late penalty.

Assignment extension requests may be granted in the following circumstances and with appropriate documentation:

• death of a close relative: including father, mother, brother, sister, child or spouse (verification required);
• sickness or hospitalization (medical certificate required);
• childbirth (medical certificate required);
• change in work situation or transfer to another workplace (letter from employer);
• temporary stay abroad for business (proof of stay);
• other circumstances of a serious nature that, in the view of CHA Learning, justify an extension (documentation will be requested). 

Students who expect to submit a unit assignment late because of one of the above circumstances must request an extension for the assignment from their program coordinator. Students must request an extension by e-mailing their program coordinator a minimum of 24 business hours before the deadline date and must confirm their request with necessary documentation. All documentation must be forwarded to CHA Learning within one week of the extension request.

Education Consultants are not authorized to grant extensions.

If an extension is not granted the assignment will be considered late and the 20% penalty will be applied to the final grade.

No extensions will be granted for the final unit of any program.

CHA Learning will notify the education consultant of the extension and of the new submission deadline date once they are approved.

Students who submit late assignments (without getting an extension from CHA) may not be eligible for program awards.

B:4 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

CHA Learning considers academic integrity a serious matter and all CHA students are expected to conform to the highest level of academic integrity. If a student is found guilty of academic dishonesty or misconduct, sanctions will be applied. Examples of academic dishonesty or misconduct include, but are not limited to: 

• Plagiarism: Presenting the work of others as your own is plagiarism. Plagiarism relates to the misuse of written, audio, electronic or visual material from journals, textbooks, the internet, newspapers and recordings and to the use of other students' assignments and projects. Students are expected to include the appropriate citation for all sources of information. See The Canadian Style: A Guide to Writing and Editing (Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1997) for the correct format.
• Copying: Copying is similar to plagiarism, and includes the submission of the same work or assignment on more than one occasion.
• Unauthorized Cooperation and Collaboration: Students are not authorized to cooperate or collaborate on an assignment or project when it is clear that the assignment or project must be completed on an individual basis.
• Falsification: It is an offence to submit or present false documents, such as: fraudulent assignments; false credentials; false medical certificates; false letters of support; falsified academic records.
• Unauthorized Aids and Assistance: It is an offence to use any unauthorized aids such as documents or electronic devices, or to seek assistance to complete an examination or test.
• Improper Dissemination: It is an offence to disseminate or make public any confidential information acquired while completing program requirements without prior written consent.
• Breach of CHA copyright: It is an offence to copy, reproduce, store or disseminate in any form or by any means CHA copyrighted material including, but not limited to, study guides, assignments, examinations.

If a student is found guilty of an offence, an Official Warning will be issued and placed in the student’s record. In addition, one or more of the following sanctions may be applied:

• A mark of zero on all or part of the assignment or exam
• Resubmission of a new assignment; the new assignment will be marked, and a penalty of 20% will be applied to the mark
• Retaking of an exam
• Termination from the program

In case of a second offence, the student’s enrolment will be terminated.

If a student’s enrolment is terminated for breach of the Academic Integrity Policy B: 4, the student will not be eligible to apply for any CHA Learning program for a period of three years. Students who wish to reapply to any program after three years must obtain permission from the Director, CHA Learning whose decision will be final.

B:5 OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

If your first language is not French or English, you may need to submit proof of an English or French proficiency test (see program requirements).

B:6 WRITING SKILLS

• clarity,
• conciseness,
• logical arrangement of ideas.

The reference for writing style in CHA Learning programs is The Canadian Style: A Guide to Writing and Editing (Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1997). Students must follow this guide in developing footnotes (or endnotes) and bibliographies.

Students who show weak writing skills may be asked by the program director to seek help from a tutor. Former students have had success in improving their writing skills by working with volunteer tutors from local literacy groups.

B:7 APPEALS, REWRITING AND REGRADING

Students may rewrite any failed essay or short answer question as agreed to by the education consultant and submit the rewrite within five weeks of the study unit deadline (see program schedule).

• The grade awarded for the question will be the average of the initial and rewrite grades. CHA Learning will calculate the average.

• The education consultant will forward the grade for the rewritten unit to CHA for calculation of the average grade.

• If an education consultant feels that the original answer cannot be graded as presented (i.e. value = 0) the student may rewrite the answer and submit it. The education consultant will grade the rewritten answer.  The education consultant will record a grade of 0 for the initial answer and will submit the new grade for the rewritten answer. The student will receive this grade minus 20% which will be deducted by CHA.

Consistent failures will require the student's work to come under review by the program director and may result in termination from the program.

Students may request a re-grading of a unit by sending their assignment back to their education consultant within two weeks of the deadline date for returning the assignment to students (see program schedule). Requests for regrading will not be accepted for marks 90% or higher unless a mistake in fact has been found. Students must indicate in writing to the education consultant the reasons they believe a review of their grade is appropriate. The education consultant may maintain or modify the grade and will send this decision to CHA.

Students who remain dissatisfied following their education consultant's re-grading of an assignment may appeal to their program director. Such appeals must be in writing and include a copy of the re-graded assignment.

If the students still remain dissatisfied, they may appeal the grading to the Director, CHA Learning whose decision will be final.

C. EXAMINATIONS

C:1 FINAL EXAMINATION

All students will write a final examination as part of the program requirement. Health Information Management students will write an examination after the first four study units and another after the last four study units. Exam dates are indicated in the program schedule in the study guide.

All students will receive notification in writing of their examination results, either by letter, by e-mail or by a statement of marks for the year. Examination papers are not returned to students but may be discussed with the program director.

C:2 SUPPLEMENTAL EXAMINATION

Students who are unable to write their final examination on the date established by CHA will be required to write a supplemental examination. The date of the supplemental examination will be determined by CHA. A supplemental examination fee will will apply.

A supplemental examination will be offered to students who are not successful in obtaining the required 50% grade on the final examination. There is a fee for the supplemental exam.

Students who fail to obtain the passing mark of 50% on the final examination, and who fail to obtain the passing mark of 50% on the supplemental examination will not be allowed to write another examination and will be terminated from the program.

D. CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for a CHA Learning program certificate students must: 

• complete all unit assignments, projects and examinations;
• obtain a grade of 50% or better on the final examinations in each year of the program. The HIM Program has an exam after every four units;
• obtain a final average of 60% or higher in each year of the program;
• attend and participate actively in all intramural sessions for the program;
• participate actively in the required practical experiences and field placements;
• complete the university component, if required for LTCM and HSM programs;
• follow CHA Learning’s program policies and procedures.

Program requirements must be completed within five years of registering for a CHA Learning program.  Students required to complete the university component upon completion of their studies with CHA, must submit their university transcripts to CHA.

Students who must complete the university component and who cannot meet the five-year requirement must contact CHA Learning to review their student status.

E. STUDENT STATUS

E:1 WITHDRAWALS

• Students who withdraw from a 1-year or 2-year program may be entitled to a partial refund of tuition fees. Terms and conditions for refunds are outlined in the current distance education calendar of important dates.
• The letter requesting withdrawal must state to whom the refund is payable (e.g. individual or sponsoring organization).
• Textbook sales are final and returned textbooks will not be accepted for refunds.
• Students who withdraw from a program may apply for admission to the same or another program in a subsequent year. However, as criteria and space for admission change, students who are admitted one year and withdraw are not guaranteed admission in a subsequent year.
• Students who wish to withdraw from a short course must advise CHA Learning in writing within 3 working days of paying their tuition fee. Students will receive a refund of their tuition fee, minus an administration fee.

E:2 POSTPONEMENTS

Students who need to temporarily stop their studies, but wish to remain enrolled in a CHA Learning program, may request a postponement to the next academic year by notifying CHA Learning in writing by letter, e-mail or fax. Postponements do not apply to short courses.

Postponement requests will be accepted, at the discretion of CHA Learning, under the following circumstances and with appropriate documentation:

• health reasons (Medical Certificate Required);
• change of work situation or transfer to another workplace (letter from employer);
• other circumstances of a serious nature that, in the view of CHA Learning, justify a postponement.

To qualify for a postponement, the student’s tuition fee must be paid in full. Postponements allow students to carry-over their tuition fee to the next academic year. Students who postpone are not entitled to a refund of their tuition fee at any time.

• If there is an increase in the tuition fee, the student will be asked to pay the difference between the fee already paid and the current fee.
• Students who postpone their studies are required to pay a postponement administration fee. 
• The postponement administration fee must be received by CHA within 30 days of acceptance of the postponement request by CHA Learning.  If the administration fee is not received, the student will be terminated from the Program.
• To continue their program, students must request that CHA Learning reactivate their file by the registration date of the next academic year. Postponements are accepted for only one year.  Students may not postpone their studies more than once.
• Students who request the reactivation of their file will be admitted into the program and their marks for the study units completed will be brought forward. (Unless there have been major changes to the program content, in which case, students will have to redo the study units.)
• Students admitted into the program may have to purchase new textbooks, and must order the current year's Study Guide. The Study Guide will be forwarded to them. Students will be responsible for all shipping and handling costs.
• Students who reactivate their file and then choose to with withdraw from the program, will not be entitled to any tuition refund.
• Students who do not activate their file will be deemed to have withdrawn without refund and the Withdrawal Policy will apply.
• Students who must complete the university component and who cannot meet the five-year requirement must contact CHA Learning to review their student status. 

E:3 SHORT COURSE EXTENSIONS

Postponements do not apply to short courses. However, CHA offers students the possibility of extending the deadline for a short course. Extension requests will be accepted, at the discretion of CHA Learning.

Extensions allow students to extend the deadline of the short course up to a maximum of 6 months. Students who extend their program are not entitled to a refund of their tuition fee at any time.

Students who wish to extend their deadline are required to pay an extension administration fee. The extension administration fee must be received by CHA no later than 30 days after the student’s course completion deadline. If the administration fee is not received, the student will be terminated from the Program.

E:4 ACADEMIC PROBATION

CHA may at any time place students on academic probation. Terms and conditions of the academic probation will be at the discretion of the program director/manager.

E:5 TERMINATIONS

The Director, CHA Learning may terminate a student's enrolment for the following reasons:

• the student is two or more assignments behind schedule without acceptable reasons;
• the student did not abide by program policies and regulations;
• the student has an academic record that suggests that they are unlikely to complete the program successfully;
• the student has been found guilty of academic dishonesty or misconduct according to the Academic Integrity Policy B: 4 .
• tuition fees have not been paid in full;
• the student’s verbal or written communication with CHA Learning, other CHA staff, education consultants, other students, or healthcare organization staff, patients or residents, is deemed unprofessional, threatening or abusive according to recognized standards of behavior.

Students who are terminated from any of the Programs are not eligible to postpone their studies.

Students who are terminated from any of the Programs are not entitled to a refund of their tuition fee at any time.

F. STUDENT RECORDS

F:1 CONFIDENTIALITY

Records of student performance in the program are held by CHA. Records of performance will only be released to the student or persons authorized by the student in writing.

Employers who inquire about students' progress will be advised only whether students are enrolled. This confidential relationship is maintained to ensure that students do not have their employer/employee relationship affected by assignments or assignment results.

F:2 OFFICIAL CERTIFICATES

Official certificates will be mailed to students who have successfully completed their CHA education program.

Duplicate official certificates may be obtained upon written request accompanied by a fee, see Order Documents.

F:3 STATEMENT OF MARKS

Students will automatically receive a statement of marks at the end of the academic year, once all the exam marks, intramural projects, field placements and other assignments are complete and recorded.

F:4 TRANSCRIPTS

Official transcripts with the Canadian Healthcare Association corporate seal and the signature of the Director, CHA Learning, are available upon written request and a fee payment.

F:5 OFFICIAL LETTERS OR FORMS

A fee may be charged, at the discretion of CHA, to students who request CHA Learning to complete documentation from a third party.