Department Policies & Program Policies

Field Placement

Students who do not meet the minimum standard of acceptable and appropriate behaviour, and/or have breached our Student Code of Conduct and/or the Disruptive Student Behavior policy are ineligible for Field Placement, and will need approval from the Chair to be eligible.

Group Work

Much of the learning and assessment in the Community & Justice Services Program includes working and collaborating in small groups. Group work can be challenging for all of us, as we strive to balance our individual ideas, preferences, goals, learning needs and standpoints with those of other group members, as well as with the group as a whole. The skills of inter-professional collaboration and learning are essential in all professions and fields of practice, and especially so in the community services professions. Working in groups helps students to develop essential personal, interpersonal and professional skills and offers the opportunity to experience and share diverse perspectives, roles and responsibilities. It is normal and expected that group members may experience conflict at times, and the faculty team is highly skilled in supporting students’ development of conflict management and resolution skills – and these skills are invaluable in achieving successful results in the busy and complex world of professional practice. While sometimes challenging, learning through group collaboration can be transformative.

Email Communication

Students are expected to communicate professionally by email with professors, staff, fellow students and others at Centennial College. Professors who receive unprofessional emails will redirect your email back to you, to ask that you rewrite it in a professional manner. As well, if your email is incomprehensible or inappropriate it will be redirected to you, for you to rewrite your email and resubmit it appropriately. We are here to support your preparation for professional employment.

Examples of unprofessionalism in emails include:

▪ Spelling and grammar errors

▪ A blank subject line (emails should have a meaningful subject line)

▪ Written in ‘text’ language (not full sentences, using abbreviations like lol, etc.)

▪ No greeting/salutation (emails should begin with a respectful greeting, such as “Hello Shelley,” or “Dear Judy,” etc.)

▪ Negative or rude tone (e.g. ALL CAPS and/or excessive punctuation!!!)

Please note that disrespectful, aggressive and/or rude emails are considered a breach of the Student Code of Conduct and can result in disciplinary action. Email is not instant messaging so please refrain from marking it “urgent”. That will not necessarily result in a quicker response. Please allow time for your Professor to respond to your email. They will respond as soon as possible, but responding within 48 business hours (which doesn’t include weekends and holidays) is reasonable. Therefore, please plan ahead to ensure there is enough time for your Professor to respond and your question to be answered.

Balancing Work and School

Many students work while they are in the program. We understand that this is necessary for some to afford their education. Please remember that this is a demanding full time program. We will not excuse missed work or absenteeism due to employment. If this becomes an issue, please speak with the faculty or Student Success Advisor as soon as possible.

It is your responsibility as a student at Centennial College to:

• check your myCentennial email at least once a day. Very important information from your faculty team and the college community at large will be communicated to you through your myCentennial account.
• check your eCentennial Newsfeed for each of your courses at least once a day. Very important announcements can be found here about upcoming classes and other events.
• keep track of significant dates such as registration, field practicum schedules, add/drop deadlines, OSAP deadlines, assignment deadlines and test dates, etc. If you miss a deadline, you run the risk that you will not get another opportunity to submit your work for grading.
• ensure that you are meeting all program requirements, including College Communications (COMM) English (ENGL), and General Education (GNED) courses.
• keep track of your own progress in the program and be aware of all incomplete and missing courses.
• keep copies of your assignments and all email confirmations of drop box submissions to demonstrate that you have achieved the program outcomes and adhered to the program expectations in the event of a dispute.
• familiarize yourself with Centennial College’s Policies and Procedures.
• obtain handouts, notes or other materials distributed during the class from peers or from the course shell on eCentennial. DO NOT email or ask your professor about what you have missed or might miss by not attending class.
• listen attentively to your professors and other students when they are speaking and respect their opinions, even if you don’t agree. It is incredibly disrespectful to speak when another person is speaking. Respect the diverse opinions of others.

Children/Minors in the Learning Environment

Balancing work and school can be challenging at times and so can balancing a family life along with that. Due to the nature of the content taught in the CJS courses, children/minors are NOT permitted in the learning environment under any circumstances. This includes but is not limited to the classroom, labs, online synchronous lectures and labs, etc. The college also has a policy regarding no children/minors in the learning environment. If a student is unable to attend classes/labs due to childcare responsibilities, they are expected to contact their course faculty of their absence and discuss options to support the students learning. Faculty will work to support the student in their absence when applicable.