Academic Policies

CCNM's academic policies are designed to help create a College environment that is learner-centred and focused on helping our students succeed in their academic and professional careers. As we are all members of the CCNM com­munity, we have an obligation to ensure that our community conducts itself in a manner that is safe, honest, and centred around our learning objectives. It is CCNM's goal to see our students succeed. If you are experiencing difficulties of an academic or personal nature, it is highly recommended that you contact Student Services or the Office of Academic Affairs as soon as possible so that assistance and support can be provided.

Academic sessions
The curriculum is comprised of four academic years. The 2009-2010 academic year is divided as follows:

NOTE: Licensing exams are written in August following completion of the second and fourth years of the program.

Attendance policy
Attendance at all classes is expected. All practical sessions and labs are mandatory. For specific attendance policies in individual courses, please consult the course outline.

In the event of documented illness or other exceptional circumstances, please report to the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) with supporting documentation. Absence from classes does not provide grounds for appeal of final grades.

A daily swiping procedure is in effect for all full- and part-time students. Students are required to swipe their CCNM student ID card at one of the card readers located at the front desk once a day for each day they have a scheduled class. Card readers are active for the entire day.
 
CCNM complies fully with the performance requirements for the administration of the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) by Private Schools (non-PVS), as set out by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU). Failure on the College’s part to enforce an active participation policy consistent with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities guidelines could result in the loss of eligibility for CCNM students to access federal/provincial/U.S. financial aid.

Students will be requested to meet with the registrar to provide valid documentation if they fail to meet the following requirements:

1. Failure to attend for five consecutive scheduled days without valid documentation.
2. Maintain a course load of 60 per cent.
3. Participate in 20 hours of instruction per week for four consecutive weeks.

Failure on a student’s part to meet CCNM and MTCU active participation policy requirements may result in suspension and/or dismissal from the College.

Examination policy
A student who misses a final examination, for any reason, must contact the academic office on the date of the examination, or as soon as possible (but no later than three working days thereafter). In the event of a documented illness or other unavoidable cause, an examination will be rescheduled by the academic office.

The supplemental examination time periods are published in the Student Handbook for each academic year. Supplemental examinations must be written during the prescribed supplemental examination period. 
 
Grading scale
Students must maintain a minimum grade of 70 per cent in each academic and clinical course. Certain courses are given either a pass (P) or a fail (F) grade.

A student's level of comprehension and competency of course material will be determined based on a set of criteria as defined by the course instructor and outlined in the course outline.

Final course grades will normally be derived from a series of examinations, quizzes, tests or assignments. Final grades will be reported to the Registrar as a percentage grade. The percentage grade will be converted to an alpha grade and a grade point based on the following scale: