Niagara College Canada

Anyone age 19 or over, or with a Secondary School Graduation Diploma is eligible to attend our courses. If you’re under 19 and without a Secondary School Graduation Diploma, you may be eligible to enroll in some classes one week prior to the class start date, provided you have permission from the faculty teaching the course and the Registrar's Office.

For information, call 905-735-2211, ext. 7500.

The waiting list addresses the unfortunate situation when demand for a course exceeds supply. The good news is that you’re automatically placed on a waiting list whenever the course you apply for is already filled.

If, or when, a vacancy occurs, the seat is then offered to the first person who was added to the waiting list. The applicant then has 24 hours to accept the offer and pay for official enrollment. If official registration is not completed within the time limit, the offer is cancelled and a new one is made to the next person in line on the waiting list.

For information, call 905-735-2211, ext. 7556.

This important document provides a registered student with the room/campus location of the chosen course and access to the college labs and library services. It's also part of the necessary documentation needed to withdraw from a course. Within five days after registration, students will receive this document.

For information, call 905-735-2211, ext. 7556.

Where is my class? Room locations.
The scheduling information listed with each course description in this calendar indicates Campus Location. The actual classroom for your course will be printed on your Confirmation of Enrollment form and will be posted at the appropriate campus on the first night of class.

For information, call 905-735-2211, ext. 7500.

Transfer privileges
To request a transfer from one course to another (pending space availability), you must transfer before the start of the third class of the section (class number) TO which you are transferring, AND before the start of the third class of the section (class number) FROM which you are transferring.

All course transfer requests must be made through the Registrar’s Office (this option is not available on-line). Transfers cannot be made from one term to the next. For information call ext. 7500.

Only officially registered students may attend class, laboratory situations or field placement activity. This means that the official registration forms must be completed and fees paid in accordance with College regulations.

When are fees due?

Fees—including lab and/or material fees—are payable in full at the time of registration.

For many courses, a textbook may be required. This cost is not included in the course fees listed in this catalogue.

Non-credit recreational and personal interest courses include the Goods and Services Tax (G.S.T.).

Some courses qualify for income tax credits. Students will receive a T2202A - Tuition and Education Amounts Certificate for these courses. The T2202A will be mailed in February of the next year for courses that qualify. See your Income Tax guide for details on course eligibility.

Special Rates for Seniors

If you’re 60 years of age or over, you are eligible for a 10% discount off the regular tuition fee of credit and vocational courses. This discount does not apply to one-day or general interest classes.

Please note that senior and staff discounts will not be deducted from the tuition fee when enrolling on-line. Discounts do apply and will be refunded to your account within 10 business days.

For information, call 905-735-2211, ext. 7500.

Withdrawals
Students who wish to withdraw must notify the Registrar’s Office in writing and return the Confirmation of Enrollment (withdrawals cannot be done on-line).

For (in-class) courses starting the week of Monday, May 10, 2010, the final withdrawal date is June 25, 2010.

This date will be adjusted accordingly for courses that start early or later. If the Registrar’s Office does not receive written notification (telephone notification is not acceptable) before June 25, 2010, your official student transcript will be assigned your accumulated grade to-date.

Students who withdraw after the third class and prior to the final withdrawal date will receive a grade of W (Withdrawn).

Please remember that notice by telephone will not be accepted as course withdrawal notification, nor will the cancellation of a payment cheque or the failure to attend classes. Only a written notification along with the Confirmation of Enrollment, received by the Registrar’s Office before the withdrawal deadline will be considered to be a valid withdrawal request.

For information, call 905-735-2211, ext. 7556.

Refunds for On-line Learning Courses

On-line learning students must contact the Registrar's Office in writing within 12 calendar days for a refund less the administration fee.

What about Refunds?
A full refund of fees is issued when:

1. the College cancels a course, or
2. the student is unable to attend a course due to unanticipated scheduling or location changes made by the College.

A refund of fees, less a $20 administration charge, will be issued if the student:

1. withdraws from a one-day seminar or general interest course seven or more days prior to the class start date, or
2. withdraws from other courses prior to the third class.

Please allow 3 weeks for processing refunds.

For information, call 905-735-2211, ext. 7556.

International Students
International students will be assessed a $50.00 administration fee per course if withdrawing from a credit course, regardless of the date of withdrawal.

For information, call 905-735-2211, ext. 7556.

Course Changes
Occasionally, we too are forced to deal with the unexpected and will make a change, or changes, to a course’s location, teacher, starting date or content. Niagara College reserves the right to do this.

For information, call 905-735-2211, ext. 7510.

Cancellation of Courses
While Niagara College sincerely regrets having to cancel any courses, we reserve the right to do so.

For information, call 905-735-2211, ext. 7510.

Cancellation of Classes - Campus Closings
Severe weather conditions or storm warnings may result in the cancellation of classes. These types of cancellations will be announced on local radio stations. You many also check the college website: niagaracollege.ca

For information, call 905-735-2211, ext. 7510.

It is Niagara College’s policy to record all attempted courses on the official transcript in accordance with the “National Transcript Guide for Use in Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions”.

The basic principle that the transcript should be a complete and historically accurate image of the academic record means that requests to have grades removed from your student record cannot be granted.

When a student repeats the identical course, even though the lower grade will remain on the transcript, it will not be included in the weighted grade average calculation.

For more information, please refer to the Grading and the Transcript practice on the college website at: niagaracollege.ca/eval

Grade reports are issued to all students registered in credit courses and most vocational courses. Your official transcripts are available from the Registrar’s Office at no cost. The transcript includes an explanation of the College evaluation system printed on the back. A request for your official transcripts must be submitted in writing. Please allow two working days for the request to be processed.

For more information on transcripts and a copy of the Transcript Request form, go to: niagaracollege.ca/transcripts or call ext. 7500.

Parking at the Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Maid of the Mist campuses is free on weekends and daily after 5 pm. If you are attending a Continuing Education activity or event prior to 5 pm, Mon-Fri, parking is by permit only. Daily paid-parking permits are available at all campus locations.

Be sure to display the pemit on your dashboard.

Vehicles that are not in compliance with the College parking regulations will be subject to ticketing under the Municipal Bylaw. For further information, please call ext. 7510.

Ontario Street Site Parking
Paid parking at the Ontario Street Site is managed by the St. Catharines Parking Authority. Ticket machines are on-site.

For more information on parking, go to: niagaracollege.ca/parking

The Campus Stores sell in-class textbooks, supplies, computer accessories, trade and reference books, College clothing and giftware. The stores, located at the Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake campuses, are open year-round to students and the general public.

Textbooks for on-line courses are to be purchased on-line at www.textnet.ca

The Campus Store accepts cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express or debit card for payment. Credit card phone orders are also accepted and shipped directly. A shipping fee applies. You can also shop on-line at: niagaracollege.ca/store

Returned merchandise must be in resaleable condition. Do not remove the shrinkwrap, mark or read your textbook until you are certain about your courses.

The Campus Store Refund Policy requires that a sales receipt must be provided for all returned items. Refunds are available for two weeks from date of purchase with receipt. NO refunds will be given just prior to, during or just after exam weeks. If you are withdrawing from a course after the two week period, you must provide a copy of your withdrawal form.

All refunds are made at the discretion of store personnel.

For more information about the Campus Store including hours of operation, go to: niagaracollege.ca/store

Talk to a counsellor
Having trouble deciding just which course to take? Let Niagara’s Counselling Services help! To make a day or evening appointment with one of our counsellors, call the Student Success Centre:

Welland Campus:
905-735-2211, ext. 7778

Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus:
905-641-2252, ext. 4409

For more information about Counselling Services including hours of operation, go to: niagaracollege.ca/counselling

Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Centre for Students with Disabilities (CSWD). The CSWD provides academic support, accomodations and services for students who have documented disabilities, including learning difficulties, visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical or mobility impairment, chronic health problems or social/emotional problems.

If you are a student with a disability, please contact the Centre for Students with Disabilities located in the Student Success Centre at the Welland or Niagara-on-the-Lake campuses to make an appointment with a counsellor to discuss your needs for assistance.

NOTE: Documentation of disability is required. Evening hours are available.

For more information, call:
905-735-2211
ext. 7602 Welland Campus (room SE102)
ext. 4009 NOTL Campus (room W102)

Or visit our website at:
niagaracollege.ca/cswd

Niagara College is committed to making college education affordable for students. The following types of financial assistance are available to eligible students: The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) provides eligible students with various types of assistance based on financial need. Students must be enrolled in CREDIT courses leading to the completion of a Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities approved post-secondary certificate or diploma.

Assistance is available through the following programs:

• Ontario Special Bursary Program
• Bursary for Students With Disabilities
• Part-Time Canada Student Loan Program.

For detailed information on the above programs refer to the OSAP website at: osap.gov.on.ca and the CanLearn website at: www.canlearn.ca

Please check with the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office to see if your certificate program is eligible for bursary and/or loan assistance.

Information on available financial aid/scholarships and bursaries can be obtained online at: niagaracollege.ca/finaid

For more information about Financial Aid Services, go to: niagaracollege.ca/finaid

Each teaching contact hour consists of a 50 minute block plus a break of up to ten minutes. The scheduling of breaks within any class session is at the discretion of the teacher and students.

A student may be exempted from courses at Niagara based on course work at recognized post-secondary institutions.

A copy of the Transfer Credit Request form is available at the Registrar’s Office and Information Centre at both campuses, or by calling ext. 7538 (Welland Campus) or ext. 4204 (Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus) or visiting the transfer credit page on the college website at niagaracollege.ca/transfercredit

A prerequisite is a course that is required prior to taking a higher level course. A corequisite is a course that must be taken in conjunction with another course. The student must ensure that he/she has the necessary prerequisite(s) and is also registering in any specified corequisite(s).

Niagara College believes that many people acquire college-level learning and skills through various learning situations such as: work experience, community work, non-credit courses, self-directed study, travel and military service.

Candidates who can show that they have achieved the learning outcomes of a specific course may be granted Niagara College credits based on an assessment of their prior learning.

For information call ext. 7491 or go to: niagaracollege.ca/plar

Upon completion of all requirements, the student must complete an "Application to Graduate" form available from the Registrar's Office. Students will be required to pay a $25 fee to attend the convocation ceremony on October 28, 2010.

This fee is payable with the application to graduate. Applications for October 2010 ceremony must be received by the Registrar’s Office no later than September 1, 2010.

Ext. 7500

CE students taking a credit course are automatically entitled to full library services. A student photo ID card is required to borrow material from the Library. This can be obtained at the InfoCentres located at each campus.

CE students in non-credit courses can obtain a library card at their campus library by bringing in their Confirmation of Enrollment form.

For more information on library schedules and services please call ext. 7767 or visit the Library website at: niagaracollege.ca/library

For more information on Student Rights and Responsibilities, visit the Student Administrative Council web site and download the Student Handbook. Go to: niagaracollege.ca/handbook