Directives

PURPOSE

To provide a framework by which all applicants shall be considered for full-time or part-time admission into Ontario College Credential or degree programs. 

SCOPE

All full-time and part-time applicants to a postsecondary program

DEFINITIONS

POLICY

The College assesses applicants against criteria which indicate the prospect of success in the program selected by the applicants. The College gives consideration to admit those applicants who meet the published admission requirements.

The selection procedures to programs offered by the College shall be equitable, fair and open, and consistently applied. 

Selection Process

The applicant selection process is governed by the Ministry of Training, College and Universities Binding Policy Directive on Admission at http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/.

The selection process requires that all applicants be reviewed using three criteria:

•                  College eligibility
•                  Program eligibility
•                     Applicant selection 

1.            College Eligibility

To be considered for admission to the College, an applicant must have one of the following: 

a.            an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), or equivalent

b.            mature student status on or before the start of the program. Mature students may be required to write an academic achievement test administered by the College Test Centre 

c.             an Academic Career Entrance (A.C.E.) certificate (formerly Basic Training for Skills Development (BSTD) – Level IV Certificate) 

d.            General Educational Development (G.E.D.) certificate 

e.            any lesser minimum admission requirement as established by the College on a program-specific basis 

Note: If applicants are home-schooled, they must submit appropriate documents for evaluation. Such documents should include: curriculum outline, course descriptions, examinations and examination results.  These documents are to be certified by the appropriate school board.  As an alternative, home-schooled applicants will be invited to write tests to determine their eligibility.  

2.            Program Eligibility 

2.1          Program eligibility criteria are established for each program by the academic departments in consultation with the Associate Registrar, Client Service, and are approved by the Vice President, Academic.

2.2          Program eligibility criteria must be objective, measurable and relevant to the program.

2.3          Identical programs offered at different locations of the College will have the same program eligibility criteria.

2.4          No secondary school university preparation course or Ontario Academic Course (OAC) shall be required as a program eligibility criterion with two exceptions:

a.            Collaborative college-university degree programs governed by joint agreements are not subject to the restrictions on use of secondary school university preparation or Ontario Academic Courses, where those requirements are specifically stated in the agreement.

b.            The College bachelor’s degrees are not subject to the restrictions on use of secondary school university preparation or Ontario Academic Courses.

3.            Applicant Selection

3.1          Place of Residence

Applicants will be accepted into highly competitive programs according to the following order of preference:

a.            permanent residents of Ontario

b.            permanent residents of other provinces or territories in Canada

c.             other applicants

3.2          Program-Specific Criteria

3.2.1      Applicant selection criteria will be objective, measurable and relevant to the program.  The applicant selection criteria may vary from year to year depending on the local needs and number of qualified applicants.

3.2.2      If questionnaires are used for applicant selection, they must include the following notification to comply with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act:

 “Information contained (in this form) is collected under the authority of the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, Chapter 8,Schedule F, Section 6 and will be used as part of the selection process of the Registrar’s Office and the program department to determine an applicant’s eligibility for admission to the     (Program Title)                program.”

3.2.3      No secondary school university preparation or Ontario Academic Course (OAC) shall be used as an applicant selection criterion, except on an exception basis, as noted in Admissions Criteria, Section D, Eligibility Requirements, of the Ministry Admissions Policy (November, 2004).

3.2.4      Random selection will not be used as an applicant selection technique.

3.2.5      Where selection criteria include applicant tests, interviews or other selection tools requiring mandatory college visits, alternative arrangements must be available for any applicant who resides outside of normal commuting distance from the College. 

3.2.6      All applications received by February 1 will be given equal consideration.  Applications received after February 1 will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis as long as spaces are available in the program.

3.3          Applicants with Foreign Credentials

Applicants who have been educated outside of Canada must submit proof of their academic record to the Registrar’s Office.  Documents submitted in languages other than English must be submitted with a certified true translation.

3.4          Applicants with First Language other than English

The College has established English language entry levels for all its programs.  Applicants for whom English is not a first language must provide proof of English language proficiency as an admission requirement for their selected program. 

Applicants are required to provide proof of English proficiency by submitting a test of English which is recognized internationally. Applicants residing within commuting distance of the College have the option to have testing arranged by the College.

4.            Publication of Criteria

The College maintains a current compilation of the admission criteria and the selection procedures for all programs.  This document is available for reference by the public from the Registrar’s Office.

5.            Waiting Lists 

Based on the experience of the Registrar’s Office, realistic waiting lists will be established and maintained up to the end of the registration period for highly competitive programs.  The Registrar’s Office will inform applicants, upon request, of their relative position on the waiting list. 

6.            Admission Review 

6.1          An applicant, who was not successful in being admitted to a program, has the right to ask for a review of an admissions decision to the Associate Registrar, Client Service, Registrar’s Office. 

PROCEDURE 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Appendix 1         Admission Review Panel

RELATED POLICIES
AA 05                    Advanced Standing
AA 07                    Admission of International Students
AA 06                    Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
AA09                     Transfer of Academic Credit (internal)
AA10                     Transfer of Academic Credit (External)

RELATED MATERIALS

Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Binding Policy Directive on Admission