Academic Regulations.

• Academic Integrity

Academic integrity refers to a high standard of moral uprightness and honesty in the delivery of and participation in the academic programs at Covenant College. Faculty, students, and staff work together to promote good academic practice in an atmosphere of trust and support.

The faculty is expected to provide students with clear directions about academic practices. Faculty members will also provide adequate support to help students fulfill course requirements.

Students are expected to demonstrate good work habits by completing assignments punctually, conscientiously, and in accordance with standard academic practices. Students are expected to display honesty and deal fairly with fellow students by being active and responsible participants in collaborative learning sessions and projects.

Covenant College seeks to uphold good academic practice and, therefore, academic dishonesty will result in academic penalty. The following practices are considered forms of academic dishonesty:

• Unacknowledged use of the ideas and work of others whether that be in written, oral, or graphic form (plagiarism)
• Seeking double credit for a single assignment submitted to two different instructors in two different courses without the prior consent of both instructors (double-dipping)
• Claiming authorship of a paper or assignment completed by someone else
  
  
•  Academic Year

The academic year of the College runs from the beginning of September to the end of May and observes the same holidays as the elementary/secondary schools in Ontario.

An academic year is divided into a fall semester and a winter semester.

•  Assignments

Written and oral assignments constitute an important part of course requirements. Instructors will advise students of course requirements and due dates for major assignments by means of a course syllabus during the first sessions of a new term. Such requirements can be changed only after mutual consultation and agreement.

Instructors will provide written guidelines as well as assistance as needed. Students are urged to consult with their instructors during all stages of assignment preparation.

Unless otherwise indicated by instructors, all written assignments should:

• Be word-processed, double-spaced, and page-numbered.
• Be clearly identified by a title page.
• Adhere to the referencing format of the American Psychological Association (APA) which the College has adopted.
  
  
•  Attendance            

Students are expected to attend all classes, orientation/observation days, and practicum sessions. The College maintains a record of attendance. Students are expected to call the College before 9:00 a.m. in order to report an absence. Sickness and family/personal emergencies constitute valid reasons for absence. The College reserves the right to request a doctor’s certificate as medical proof of absence.

If a student is to be absent during a practice-teaching session, the student must notify the associate teacher or the school principal.

•  Components of College Programs

Both programs offered by the College consist of two components:

• An academic component consisting of approximately 12 weeks of course work per semester
• A practicum component consisting of 5 or 12 weeks of practice teaching per academic year depending on the student’s year and program
  
  
• Course Credit and Load           

Unless indicated otherwise, courses offered at Covenant are full-credit courses based on three hours of class contact per week for a 12-week semester for a total of 36 hours of class contact time per course.

A typical study load for Diploma of Teaching students consists of the equivalent of six full-credit courses per semester. For Diploma of Education/Studies students, a typical study load consists of 6.5 full-credit courses per semester. Students may expect 18 to 20 hours of class contact time per week.

•  Course Failure

Students who fail one or more courses may request the opportunity to repeat these courses when they become available. Generally, courses are repeated either in the following academic year, or as part of a two- or three-year cycle.

The College reserves the right to stipulate the length of time that a student will be given to make up the required courses.

•  Practice Teaching

Students gain field experience by means of practicum placements in schools both in Ontario and in the provinces of Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia. Some placements are arranged with Reformed schools in the United States (e.g., Washington, Michigan). The College has also established contact with Gomarus College, a secondary school in the Netherlands, where eligible students in the Diploma of Education program can be placed for an extended practicum session.

Each student will receive a current edition of the Practicum Guidelines for Student Teachers in his/her first year at the College. This document outlines all the requirements of the practicum program for each year and each program.

•  Evaluation of Student Learning

Academic Component

In addition to in-class participation and overall preparedness, students will be evaluated on the basis of at least three of the following:

• Term quizzes and tests and/or a final exam
• Portfolio assignment; instructional unit plan
• Formal papers (e.g., essays, position papers)
• Critical book and/or article reviews
• Seminar presentations; oral reports

Practicum Component

The practicum component of a student’s work is evaluated separately by a College supervisor on the basis of the student’s practicum portfolio which consists of:

• Two lesson plans selected by the student
• Two lesson reflections based on the selected lesson plans
• Daily log book entries
• The associate teacher’s evaluation reports
• The faculty supervisor’s observation report
• A collection of all lesson plans, schedules, activities, notes, etc. pertaining to the session

The final (induction) practicum in Year 3 and the Diploma of Education program is evaluated on the basis of the following components:

• The associate teacher’s evaluation reports
• The principal’s (or designate’s) observation report
• The College supervisor’s observation report
• The content and presentation of the student’s practicum portfolio
  log book entries
• A detailed reflection on the induction experience
  
  
•  Grading & Grade Reports

Student Progress Reports

Twice during an academic year, students receive a report on their progress. The first term report is dated January 15; the second term report is dated June 15. No final reports will be released until a student’s account has been paid in full and all library materials returned.

Grading

All designated course and practicum work will be assessed and awarded a numerical grade on final transcripts according to the following scale:

To obtain credit for a course, a student must achieve 50% in that course.
A student must maintain an overall average of 70% in the academic component of his/her program in order to continue in his/her program and/or to be considered eligible for graduation.

When a student does not achieve the expected average, his/her academic progress will be reviewed by the faculty. A student may be placed on probation as the result of such a review.

A student needs to maintain an average of 70% in practicum work in order to remain in the practicum component of his/her program. A student may continue the academic component of his/her program even though he/she is not going to complete the practicum component.

• Graduation Requirements

In order to be considered eligible for graduation, students in the Diploma of Teaching program must have:

• Earned a total of 36 academic credits by completing all course work with an overall minimum average of 70%.
• Earned a total of 6 practicum credits with an overall minimum average of 70%.

Students in the Diploma of Education/Education Studies program must have:

• Earned a total of 13 academic credits by completing all course work with an overall minimum overall average of 70%.
  
• Earned a total of 2 practicum credits with an overall minimum average of 70%.

In addition, students in both programs must have:

• Completed a professional portfolio.
• Paid all fees, dues and other costs by the date stipulated by the Board.
• Returned all library and other College materials before graduation.
  

Students who fail to meet the requirements for the Practicum component of either program, but who have successfully completed the academic component, will graduate with an Academic Certificate.