Vancouver Policy Documents

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Refund Policy

1) A student may be entitled to a refund of tuition fees in the event that:
(a) The student provides written notice to the institution that he or she is withdrawing from the program; or
(b) The institution provides written notice to the student advising that the student has been dismissed from the program.

2) The written notice of withdrawal or dismissal may be delivered in any manner provided that a receipt or other verification is available that indicates the date on which the notice is delivered.

3) The notice of withdrawal or dismissal is deemed to be effective from the date it is delivered.

4) The refund to which a student is entitled is calculated on the total tuition fees due under the contract. Where total tuition fees have not yet been collected, the institution is not responsible for refunding more than has been collected to date and a student may be required to make up for monies due under the contract.

5) If the institution has received fees in excess of the amount it is entitled to under the student contract, the excess amount must be refunded.

6) Refund policy for students:
(a) Refunds before the program of study begins:
1. If written notice of withdrawal is received by the institution within 7 days after the contract is made, and before the commencement of the period of instruction specified in the contract, the institution may retain 5% of the total tuition and fees due under the contract to a maximum of $250.
2. If written notice of withdrawal is received by the institution 30 days or more before the commencement of the period of instruction specified in the contract and more than 7 days after the contract was made, the institution may retain 10% of total tuition only due under the contract to a maximum of $1000.
3. Subject to Section 6(a)(1) above, if written notice of withdrawal is received by the institution less than 30 days before the commencement of the period of instruction specified in the contract, and more than 7 days after the contract was made, the institution may retain 20% of the total tuition only, due under the contract to a maximum of $1300.

7) Refunds after the program of study starts:
(a) If written notice of withdrawal is received by the institution or a student is dismissed before 10% of the period of instruction specified in the contract has elapsed, the institution may retain 30% of the tuition due under the contract.
(b) If written notice of withdrawal is received by the institution, or a student is dismissed after 10% and before 30% of the period of instruction specified in the contract has elapsed, the institution may retain 50% of the tuition due under the contract.
(c) If a student withdraws or is dismissed after 30% of the period of instruction specified in the contract has elapsed, no refund is required.

8) Where a student did not meet the institutional and/or program specific minimum requirements for admission through no misrepresentation or fault of their own, the institution must refund all tuition and fees paid under the contract, less the applicable non-refundable student application or registration fee.

9) Where a student withdraws or is dismissed from their program, they are entitled to 100% refund of any as-yet to be received consumables that have been pre-paid.

10) Where a student withdraws or is dismissed from their program after receiving technical equipment from the institution free of charge:
(a) The student must return the equipment unopened or as issued within 14 calendar days; and
(b) If the student fails to return the equipment as set out above, the institution may deduct the reasonable cost of the equipment from any amount to be refunded to the student.

11) Refunds owed to students must be paid within 30 days of the institution receiving written notification of withdrawal and all required supporting documentation, or within 30 days of an institution’s written notice of dismissal.

12) Where the delivery of the program of study is through home study or distance education, refunds must be based on the percent of the program of study completed at the rates as set out in Section 7 above.

Student Health and Safety Policy

EC recognises that it is responsible for ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its students. We aim to provide an environment which is stimulating and safe to study in, promotes the highest health and safety standards and encourages a positive attitude towards continuous improvement.

To help us to do this, it is important that students appreciate that they also have responsibilities to look after their own health and safety and that of others that may be affected by their actions.

What EC is responsible for

To meet the aim of ensuring the health, safety and welfare of students, EC will undertake to:

provide school premises and equipment that are safe, fit for purpose and maintained to ensure that this is always the case
ensure that all activities that have associated significant health and safety risks are assessed and measures put in place to ensure that the risks to students are reduced to an acceptable level
provide students with appropriate information as necessary, regarding the risks to their health and safety
provide students with training and information as necessary to ensure that they are competent to carry out any activities that have associated risks
ensure that arrangements are in place to deal effectively with emergencies and incidents such as fires and accidents and that all such incidents are fully investigated to minimise the likelihood of similar incidents
to react to the concerns of students regarding their health and safety and take the appropriate action

Your responsibilities

The health and safety of students is a high priority at all times. All reasonable provisions will be made to achieve this objective. Equally, students have an important role to play inimplementing EC policy, and the following responsibilities are placed on them to ensure they make that valued contribution. At all times students must:

take all reasonable steps to ensure their own health and safety, and the health and safety of others
cooperate with EC regarding all health and safety arrangements (for example by attending any briefings or participating in any other safety induction processes)
report all accidents and incidents (including significant near misses), and to bring to the attention of the Centre Director (or any other member of staff) any concerns they have regarding health and safety
behave in a responsible and safe manner at all times, and to take reasonable steps to encourage others to do so – including visitors, contractors and others.

Fire safety is particularly important and EC expects that students will help to ensure their own safety and that of other people by:

cooperating with EC regarding any fire safety arrangements (e.g. attending fire safetybriefings or induction courses and evacuating buildings promptly when the fire alarm is sounding)
making proper use of any equipment provided by EC to improve fire safety (e.g. fire alarm equipment, etc.), and reporting any defect of such equipment
reporting any fire related incidents (including significant near misses) and bringing to the attention of the Centre Director (or any other member of staff) any concerns they have regarding fire safety arrangements, hazards or risks.

First aid

If you or another student requires first aid please go to Front Desk to ask for help. EC always has a trained first aider on site and for activities out of the school premises and maintains a number of first aid kits throughout the building. A trained first aider will treat you for injuries, contact the emergency services and contact your next of kin if necessary.

Physical disability

We will do our best to accommodate those with physical disabilities at EC. Please contact us if you think you may need special arrangements.

Visual and audial impairment and learning difficulties

We can usually help clients with some difficulties with their sight or their hearing but our courses are probably not suitable for the totally blind or the very deaf. Please contact us if youthink you may need special rrangements for any impairment or learning difficulties. For example, if you are dyslexic it is very helpful if you can tell us in advance.

Mental health issues

The school is a friendly and supportive place, and people who are nervous or anxious about being away from home will find a friendly welcome and personal support to help them to adjust to life in an unfamiliar environment. However, we strongly advise clients – or their parents or sponsors – to tell us before enrolling anyone who is experiencing, or has a history of mental health problems to ensure that we can make any necessary arrangements.

Last reviewed: June 2023
Reviewer: Martha Delgadillo, Centre Director

Is My Attendance Important?

What We Expect

At EC Vancouver we take student attendance very seriously. We expect a minimum of 80% attendance.
We want you to get the maximum benefit from your course!

As an example: if you miss 3 or more periods (GE/AY20 and GE/AY24 students) or 4 or more periods
(GE/AY30 students) in any week then your attendance for that week will be less than 80%. 1 period = 2
lessons.

Warnings

Every week we check students overall attendance and we issue a series of warnings for poor attendance.

These warnings are as follows:

A verbal warning or email
A first written warning by email. We will also inform your agency.
A second written warning by email and a meeting with the Director of Studies or the Operations
Manager. We will also inform your agency.
A final written warning and a meeting with the Centre Director. We will also inform your agency.
We terminate your course.*

* No certificate will be given.

If your attendance at the end of your course is less than 80% we will not issue your certificate. Please note
that doctor’s certificates are no longer accepted as an excuse for absence.

We Are Here To Help

If you miss (or are likely to miss) lessons then you must tell us as soon as possible. You can telephone +1604-683-1199 FREE or email vancouver@ecenglish.com. If you have a genuine reason for absence we may be able to help.

If you have a personal problem that you would like to discuss with someone in confidence, you can always contact the admin staff you feel comfortable speaking to.

Bullying and Harassment

Bullying and Harassment are types of abusive behaviour. This can take different forms:

It can be physical - such as hitting or kicking or pushing
It can be verbal - such as teasing or name-calling or threats
It can be non-verbal - such as ignoring or excluding someone
It can create an intimidating environment, or leave you feeling vulnerable or upset or threatened.
It can happen once, or it can be persistent.
It could occur in your class, residence, family or homestay – or even just walking down the street.

What is EC Vancouver's Policy?

Our policy is simple - we do not accept any kind of bullying or harassment, or other abusive behaviour. Our aim is to promote understanding and to embrace diversity.

Don't ignore it, Tell Someone!

Please tell us if you feel you are being harassed or bullied - or if you are worried about someone else.

You can talk to a member of staff that you feel comfortable with, or directly with the Centre Director
Martha Delgadillo (MarthaDelgadillo@ecenglish.com).