Faculty Academic Regulations

Limitation of Enrolment

Admission to UVic is not a guarantee of admission to particular Schools or programs within the Faculty. Applicants should be aware that admission to Schools and programs is competitive and subject to limited enrolment. Meeting minimum requirements is not a guarantee of admission. The Faculty of Human and Social Development recognizes that many factors contribute to a person’s chances of success in professional programs and therefore in addition to academic requirements (GPA), professional suitability for the selected program will be considered.

Credit for Courses Offered by Other Institutions

Students who plan to undertake upper-level course work at another university must normally receive prior approval from the Dean and the Director of the School in which the student is registered if they wish such course work to be credited toward a degree program or diploma program in the Faculty of Human and Social Development. Upon successful completion of such course work, it is the student’s responsibility to request the Registrar of the other university to send an official transcript of record to the Records Office of the University of Victoria.

English Requirement

The four-year bachelor programs in Child and Youth Care and Health Information Science will normally include 3 units of English; Social Work and Nursing include 1.5 units. All courses are chosen in consultation with the department of English.

Guidelines for Professional Conduct

The Faculty of Human and Social Development expects students to develop and adhere to a professional code of conduct. The Faculty supports models for professional conduct based on the following guidelines:

• submission of oneself to a professional code of ethics
• exercise of personal discipline, accountability and judgement
• acceptance of personal responsibility for continued competency and learning
• willingness to serve the public, client or patient and place them before oneself
• ability to recognize the dignity and worth of all persons in any level of society
• willingness to assist others in learning
• ability to recognize one’s own limitations
• maintenance of confidentiality of information (including all electronic communication) appropriate to the purposes and trust given when that information was acquired
• acceptance that one’s professional abilities, personal integrity and the attitudes one demonstrates in relationships with other persons are the measure of professional conduct

Unprofessional Conduct

Students in the Faculty of Human and Social Development are subject to the provisions of the code of ethics of their respective professions, and may be required to withdraw from their School for violating these provisions. Students may also be required to withdraw from their School when ethical, medical or other reasons interfere with satisfactory practice in their respective disciplines.

Minor

Students registered in a degree program in the Faculty of Human and Social Development may declare a Minor Program in another Faculty with written permission from their School and the department offering the Minor, and the Deans of the respective faculties. The Minor will be added to the student’s academic record upon completion of program requirements in Human and Social Development and the general degree or Minor requirements in the other faculty.

Regulations Concerning Practica

General Practicum Policies

The Faculty reserves the right to approve any agency or institution that provides placements for student practica, and to change any placement assigned to a student. The student, however, has the right to be informed in writing of the reasons for any change in placement.

While the Faculty accepts a responsibility to provide a sufficient number of practicum opportunities to serve the needs of all registered students, a student may be required to withdraw from a practicum course if none of the available practicum agencies will accept the student.

It is the responsibility of the course instructor to inform students of the criteria by which unprofessional conduct will be judged in the practicum setting.

Practica Dates

The dates of practica will be established by each School or program, and will be announced to the students involved at the beginning of each term.

Attendance

Attendance at practicum activities is required. Students are expected to notify the placement agency whenever practicum appointments cannot be kept, and also to inform the course instructor. Failure to do so may result in a student being withdrawn from the practicum setting.

Denial and Withdrawal

Denial

Students will be denied the practicum experience if their preparatory work is considered unsatisfactory by the Director of the School in the Faculty of Human and Social Development.

Temporary Withdrawal of Students Pending Report

The Director may require a student to withdraw temporarily from a practicum if, during the course of a term, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the conduct or lack of competence of a student enrolled in the practicum has adversely affected or may adversely affect:

• clients or pupils, or
• personnel, including students associated with the practicum

The student will be required to withdraw temporarily pending the receipt of a report on the conduct and lack of competence of the student. This written report from the course instructor will normally be provided to the student within 10 business days of the withdrawal.

Withdrawal

After giving the student an opportunity to be heard, the Director may require a student to withdraw from the practicum if the Director is satisfied that the student’s conduct or lack of competence may adversely affect members of any of the groups identified in the paragraph above.

Voluntary Withdrawal

Students seeking voluntary withdrawal from a practicum, whether permanent or temporary, must receive permission to do so from their faculty supervisor in Human and Social Development.

Termination of Practicum by Placement Agency

In situations where a practicum is terminated by the agency, the student will be informed in writing of the reasons for termination, by the Instructor of Record within 15 business days of the termination. After giving the student an opportunity to be heard, the Director or designate will determine appropriate action: 1) withdrawal from the School; 2) additional preparatory work; 3) placement in a different practicum setting.

Practicum Evaluation Documentation

If a student withdraws from practicum or is required to withdraw from practicum by their School, all practicum evaluation materials to date of withdrawal will remain on their student file and may be taken into account in determining whether their preparatory work is satisfactory to enter a subsequent practicum.

Notification of Records Services

Students who withdraw temporarily from a practicum must notify Records Services in writing. Students who are required to withdraw from a practicum will be withdrawn from any course involved by written notification from the Director to Records Services.

Readmission

Students who have withdrawn from a practicum for whatever reason who later wish to reenter the practicum must apply for readmission to the course and should not assume that readmission is guaranteed.

Appeals

The normal avenues of final appeal are available to students who have been required to withdraw from a practicum. Students in the Faculty of Human and Social Development may follow regular appeal procedures within the faculty.