Information for Parents

College policy and Bill 65 of the Province of Quebec guarantee the confidentiality of every student’s file at Champlain. No information can be released to anyone, including parents, or to any agency without the express written permission of the student. The only exceptions are certain designated members of the college administration, as well as the parents of the student under 18 years of age. The college encourages all students however, to keep their parents informed and involved in their education. The Academic Advisors are always available to both parents and students to consult with in regard to the subject of confidentiality.

Students should take great care in selecting their courses during registration, as preference course change is not permitted. That is, courses may not be changed for personal reasons such as part-time jobs, teacher preference or time preference. Certain course adjustments will be authorized up to and including the 5th day of classes in a semester, but only for serious reasons such as correcting a placement level to a higher or lower version of a course. Students must see an Academic Advisor in order to make these changes.

The course load for full-time day students varies according to the program in which they are enrolled. Students are expected to carry and attend a full course load as specified in the “Program” section of the calendar unless a significant reason is given for taking a reduced load.

In order to be considered a full-time student, the minimum number of courses that a student must register for and attend is four (or 12 hours of classes per week). Failure to attend a course regularly may result in a retroactive change from full-time status to part-time status. Part-time students are required to pay fees at the rate of $2.00 per course hour.

Permission to register as a part-time student must be obtained from the Registrar.
Application to take an additional course in excess of the regular course load for a program must be made at registration to the Registrar. In general, students would be eligible to take an extra course following a semester in which they have successfully completed a full course load appropriate for their program with a minimum 75% overall average.

The academic demands, the amount of study time required, and the level of difficulty of college studies may surprise and sometimes discourage students who, in high school, did well without much effort or who never really learned how to study. If students want to avoid any surprises in cégep, they are expected to study, on an on-going basis outside of class time, an average of 20-25 hours a week. Priorities must therefore be set between schoolwork, part-time jobs and socializing, or students may find themselves over-extended, which could lead to personal stress and academic failure.

Adjusting to a new course schedule is one of the biggest changes from high school. Planning and good work habits are key to student success. Each student receives a Student Agenda Handbook which is an essential tool for planning homework, study schedules and recording deadlines. Students are encouraged to make use of the breaks in their schedules to do homework. Students must be prudent in not allowing part-time employment to interfere with their studies as being a student is a full-time job.

Students are permitted to withdraw from one or more courses up to and including September 19th in the Fall semester and February 15th in the Winter semester. Students who cease attending a course before these dates, but who do not do so by informing the College in writing, are considered to be registered in the course, and will receive a failure.

In addition, if a student’s attendance in a course cannot be verified as of September 19th or February 15th, and if the student is not in actual attendance in at least 4 courses (or 12 hours per week), the student’s status may be changed retroactively to part-time. At that moment, the student will be required to pay part-time tuition fees required at the rate of $2.00 per course hour.

Students who find they must withdraw from the College are required to complete the appropriate form at the Academic Advising Office. Students who withdraw from all classes after September 20th in the Fall semester, or February 15th in the Winter semester, will receive failures in all courses for which they have registered and will be subject to regulations regarding re-admission.

All students (Full Time Day Students & Continuing Education Students) are reminded that they are responsible for advising the college of any absences for flu-like symptoms. Our staff will be able to help with any questions that you may have concerning absences.

Attendance in class, labs and course-related activities is mandatory. In the event of an absence from a single class, students should advise their teacher in advance or explain their absence directly to their teacher at their next class.

However, in the following cases, students should report their absence directly to their teacher, and then follow up with a doctor’s note as described below:

• When you have missed a test, examination or lab.
• When you have missed two or more classes due to illness or accident.

In the note, the doctor must clearly identify the time period (i.e. dates) that the student was absent from class or indicate the dates of the recommended absence. N.B. A vague note that simply confirms an appointment with the doctor is not sufficient. Non-urgent medical appointments should always be scheduled outside class time.

The medical note justifying the absence must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar will will notify the teacher of the validated absence once the medical note has beeen received and validated. In the meantime, students are responsible for leaving a message for each of their teachers, as described above.

Students arrive at Champlain College Saint-Lambert having already made a program choice. Their studies, however, may lead them to reflect upon themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, and what they really want in life. The college experience expands students’ horizons and decisions to change direction are often made at this point. A student may request a change of program for the following semester. The deadlines for program changes are November 1 for the Winter semester and March 1 for the Fall semester. These deadlines may be extended if there is sufficient place in a program. Students are not automatically accepted into a new program. Decisions are based on several criteria such as high school grades, prerequisite course grades and satisfactory performance in the student’s current program. A change of program does not automatically protect a student from the consequences of a failed semester, which could include being asked to leave the college. Students must see an Academic Advisor to request a program change.

The first academic results a student receives are certain to have an effect on their motivation. If they obtain the same or better results that they were used to getting in high school, this will generally provide encouragement for them. However, if they initially receive disappointing marks on exams or assignments, it may result in self-doubt about their ability and/or choice of academic program. It is important to know, however, that in certain cases it may only signify that they are experiencing temporary difficulties. Nevertheless, for some students, their academic results may signal that a change in program choice should be considered.

All students will receive a Mid-Term Assessment on their academic standing midway through each semester on their Omnivox account. Students who are struggling in two or more of their courses will be mailed a letter encouraging them to come and speak with an Academic Advisor.

All teachers will provide an assessment for each of the courses in which the student is registered based on the following criteria:

A Performing extremely well
B Performing satisfactorily
C Passing but needs work
D Experiencing difficulty
E Absent – student not attending class
S See the teacher
X No evaluation available: Course not yet started/Student on stage/Course completed

Keeping in mind that half the semester remains and that there is still much work to do, a student receiving A’s and B’s should expect to be successful if they continue to apply themselves. Students receiving C’s and D’s should seek help immediately by speaking with their teachers or consulting with an Academic Advisor to find out what resources are available to help them improve their grades. We at Champlain College Saint-Lambert want to see our students succeed and as such, students are encouraged to communicate directly and regularly with their teachers.

Full-time students in a D.E.C. program are eligible for the Dean’s List if they have carried a full course load in their program with no failures and have obtained an average of 90.00% or greater in a given semester.

Full-time students in a D.E.C. program are eligible for the Honour’s List if they have carried a full course load in their program with no failures and have obtained an average between 80.00% and 89.99% in a given semester.