Course fees, registration, withdrawals and refund policy….
Course Fee: $675 There is no text for this course.
Students must be OCT certified to register for an AQ course with us. Your OCT number will be required as part of the registration process.
Withdrawals prior to the commencement of the course date including those for medical reasons or ineligibility will result in a refund of the course fee (less a $100 administrative processing fee). The refund will be processed in approximately 10 business days.
If withdrawal occurs after the commencement of the course and prior to midpoint of the course, a 50% refund (less a non-refundable $100 administrative processing fee) will be issued if written notification is received by email to oscadesk@gmail.com. Summer course midpoint will be 2 weeks; Fall/Winter/Spring courses midpoint will be 4 weeks. Should withdrawal from a course occur after the midpoint, no refund will be issued. No deferrals or resumption of AQ courses will be permitted to other sessions.
Course technology requirements…
For each course, you will require earphones and a microphone to participate. A built-in microphone is acceptable, but please ensure you use earphones. (Using external speakers causes unwanted background noise in the online classroom.) You can find a cheap set of earphones/earbuds at any dollar store.
The videos and interactive nature of the course require the most recent Adobe Reader (http://get.adobe.com/reader/) and Quicktime (http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/) downloads. Both of these are free downloads.
If you choose to log in at school you may experience some difficulty. Please check with your help desk and they will be able to assist you. You should have no difficulty from your home computer.
Before the course begins…
Once registered, you will receive an email containing a link to OSCA’s virtual classroom, as well as a user login ID and password. Please bookmark this classroom link for easy access in the future. When you are first able to login, we suggest you review all the required modules in the course and map out gauge your time lines.
Attendance expectations…
Following an adult education model, students are expected to put in the required hours (125) to complete the learning tasks. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the weekly online classes whenever possible since these are a highlight of our program. Our most positive student feedback relates to these sessions.
Accessibility Services and Supports
We are committed to providing an inclusive learning environment that respects the diverse needs and abilities of all learners. Our approach to accessibility is informed by the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We strive to ensure that all participants have equitable access to course materials, resources, and activities. Some examples of how we assist students include the following.
Flexible Learning Formats: Course content is presented in multiple formats to accommodate diverse learning styles and preferences.
Assistive Technology Support: Guidance on using assistive technologies and software tools is provided when necessary to enhance accessibility for all learners.
Socioeconomic Accessibility: We recognize the socioeconomic diversity of our learners and strive to ensure that access to technology and resources is not a barrier to participation. Alternative options for accessing course materials offline or through low-bandwidth connections are available upon request.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Our course design incorporates Universal Design for Learning principles, offering multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression to support diverse learners.
Feedback and Support: Personalized feedback and support are available to address individual needs and challenges. We are committed to identifying and removing barriers to participation as they arise.
Collaborative Learning: Opportunities for peer collaboration and support are facilitated within the course, allowing learners to benefit from diverse perspectives and expertise.
If you require any accommodations or have specific accessibility needs, please contact your course instructor to discuss how we can best support you.
Assessment, evaluation, and course completion requirements…
Assessments for and of learning are built-in throughout all the learning tasks (written assignments, presentations, discussion posts) to provide timely feedback to assist candidates in maintaining a satisfactory level of learning/work. Please note that a grade of ‘incomplete’ or “complete” is given.
All assignments are due by the end of your course. We use an adult education model – you are responsible for your learning and are in charge of your learning. Any extensions must be negotiated with the instructor. The maximum allowable date for extensions must not exceed five days following the conclusion of the course.
At the end of each course session, the AQ instructor will report all student pass/fail grades to the Office Administration Coordinator and Additional Qualifications Manager up to a maximum of two weeks from the course completion date. The Office Administration Coordinator will upload marks to the OCT within fourteen days of receiving them and will double check the accuracy of the upload within one week. The Additional Qualifications Manager will issue a letter of completion or incompleteness of the course to each student within fourteen days after receiving marks from the AQ Instructor. This letter may be useful to show an employer your course completion status.
Integrity and appeals procedure…
Academic honesty is expected from all candidates. Plagiarism may be dealt with by the instructor giving a “0” on any assignment containing plagiarism in the course. A grade of “not recommended” may be awarded to the candidate guilty of academic dishonesty.
Appeals: At OSCA/ACOSO, candidates may appeal program procedural requirements, evaluations, or other program requirements through the process outlined below.
All appeals must begin with informal resolution outlined in Steps 1 and 2 below.
Questions regarding appeals can be directed to the OSCA/ACOSO Association Manager, via oscadesk@gmail.com or 519-800-0872.
Step 1: Informal Resolution with the AQ Instructor
In the case of a dispute, candidates must first attempt to resolve the issue with the instructor. This discussion should take place as soon as possible, or at the latest, within 10 days after the date of the matter at issue. When communicating with the AQ Instructor, candidates should be clear about the rationale for disputing the decision/evaluation and any proposed remedy for resolving the matter. Should the matter not be resolved with the AQ Instructor, and should the candidate wish to pursue the matter, the candidate can proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: Informal Resolution with the OSCA/ACOSO Association
If the matter is not resolved with the AQ Instructor, candidates have the option of submitting their concern in writing to the OSCA/ACOSO Association Manager at oscadesk@gmail.com. Step 2 should be initiated within 10 days after the date of the last interaction with the AQ Instructor. When making their written request to the Association Manager, candidates should specify the rationale for disputing the decision/evaluation, the outcome of the attempted informational resolution with the AQ Instructor, and the candidate’s suggested remedy for resolving the matter.
In most cases, these informal steps with the AQ Instructor and/or with the Association Manager should suffice to resolve the matter. Should informal resolution fail to resolve the dispute, the candidate may file a formal written appeal to the President of the Ontario School Counsellors’ Association.
Step 3: Initiating a Formal Appeal with the Ontario School Counsellors’ Association
In order to initiate a formal appeal with the Ontario School Counsellors’ Association, the candidate must submit a completed copy of the Notice of Appeal form in the link below, to the President of OSCA/ACOSO at oscadesk@gmail.com. The notice of formal appeal must be submitted within four weeks of the decision the candidate wishes to appeal. This notice must summarise the nature and grounds of the appeal, any decisions appealed against, and relevant facts and allegations. Detailed supporting documentation may be attached.
OSCA/ACOSO Application for a Formal Appeal
Once the formal appeal has been filed with the OSCA/ACOSO Administration Coordinator for the President, the President will consult with the OSCA/ACOSO Executive members, AQ Instructor, and Association Manager. The President will render a decision within four weeks after the formal appeal has been filed. The decision will be final and conveyed to the student. All records of the appeal will be kept on file for seven years, along with the student’s final evaluation.
Confidentiality, security and integrity policy…
AQ course participant prerequisites, marks and course completion status is confidential information and will be shared with the student, instructor, Office Administration Coordinator, and Additional Qualifications Manager only. Successful course completion data will be shared with OCT. Any additional data sharing must adhere to the FIPPA and MFIPPA. The Excel Spreadsheet of marks will be password protected. Student data will be kept for seven years. Course completion data will be kept in an Excel Spreadsheet, and shared with the OSCA/ACOSO Board of Directors, as an ongoing file. Data that is kept will be generic: identifying number who completed, number who withdrew and number who did not complete the course. Names and other personal data will not be shared with BOD members. General, non-identifying information garnered from the course evaluations will be shared with the OSCA/ACOSO Board of Directors for the purpose of course improvement only.
Website Security: OSCA uses a double firewall. Web Application Firewall and Local Website Firewall to scan all incoming requests to shield against online threats. We use Cloudflare Enterprise WAF to provide SQL injection prevention, DDoS protection and block other security events. We use daily offsite backups. We use a managed hosting service on Canadian servers by Hostpapa. Online purchases are protected by SSL Security.
