School of Business and Hospitality

2022 – 2023 Academic Procedures

All programs follow College policies, including the Rights, Freedoms, Responsibilities, and Code of
Conduct for the Algonquin College (AC) Community. Algonquin College Corporate Policies can be found at
http://www.algonquincollege.com/policies/. It is the faculty and student’s responsibility to read and
understand the College Policies and the School of Business and Hospitality Procedures outlined below.

The procedures below are specific to School of Business and Hospitality programs and either cover
matters not included in the Algonquin College Corporate Policies or elaborate on them. This document
contains information on the following:

A. Use of Brightspace
B. College Email
C. Use of Laptops and Other Electronic Devices
D. Business Acumen
E. Academic Integrity
F. Evaluation of Student Learning
G. Student Accommodations/Retroactive Accommodations
H. Academic Standing and Progression

A. USE OF BRIGHTSPACE
Brightspace is the learning management system used by faculty and students at Algonquin College. All
courses will have all relevant documents and content posted in Brightspace. The system is used for
announcements, course information (including the course outline and Course Section Information (CSI)),
professor information, course documents, online testing, assignment submissions, discussion boards, and
the grade book.

Students are expected to check Brightspace daily to keep informed of course developments.
Click here for Brightspace training.

Technical issues should be directed to the Information Technology Services (ITS) Helpdesk at 613-727-
4723, extension 5555, by email at 5555@algonquincollege.com.

B. COLLEGE EMAIL
Expectations related to the use of Algonquin email services and network accounts are stipulated in
Algonquin College Policy IT01: Acceptable Use of Computer Networks and Accounts.

Failure to comply with any of the rules below may result in the suspension or removal of mail account
privileges and/or academic punishments:
• Users are responsible for all mail originating from their account.
• Users will not forge, or attempt to forge, mail messages.
• Users will not attempt to read, delete, copy, or modify the mail directed to other users.
• Users will not send or attempt to send harassing, obscene and/or threatening mail to another user.
• Users will not send unsolicited "for-profit" messages or chain letters.
• Users will not knowingly use their account to spread viruses.
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Email Procedures
Except under special circumstances, professors will make every effort to respond to student emails within
two (2) working days of email receipt.

Students must check their Algonquin College email account daily. It is the student’s responsibility to
confirm the professor received email messages using the read receipt feature of the email system instead
of sending a follow-up “did you receive my email” message. When sending emails to fellow students,
college faculty, or staff, students must use proper business writing skills and include the following
information: full name, student number, course number, and section number.

C. USE OF LAPTOPS AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES

All students must have access to the necessary hardware and software for their program of study and
reliable internet access. Information regarding minimum technical requirements can be found here:
https://www.algonquincollege.com/its/study-and-work-from-home/. Program-specific requirements can
be viewed here: https://www.algonquincollege.com/byod/.

Students are responsible for the maintenance and functionality of their electronic devices and taking all
reasonable precautions to secure their devices, both for the protection of their work and the College’s
network infrastructure. Students are encouraged to have their own devices whenever possible, and to
avoid sharing devices, as sharing of devices may lead to concerns regarding academic integrity.

For courses delivered virtually, students will be required to have access to a computer and the internet.
There may also be additional technology-related resources required to participate in a course that is not
included in the course materials fee, such as headphones, webcams, specialized software, etc. Details on
these requirements can be found in the Course Section Information (CSI) for each course and may be
mandatory for specified evaluative activities.

D. BUSINESS ACUMEN
Business acumen is a set of behavioural skills directly transferable to the workplace and gives a
graduating student distinctive value. Further, possessing these business and personal skills enables a
more seamless transition from academic to professional life. These skills include:
• Respect for all individuals and groups.
• Capacity to handle stressful situations with professionalism.
• Professional language and punctuality.
• Ability to network and establish new relationships.
• Capability to effectively contribute to a team, assuming leadership roles as required.

It is the policy of Algonquin College that every member of the college community can expect a
work/learning environment free from harassment and discrimination. Therefore, the College will not
tolerate harassment, discrimination, or other forms of misconduct. Further information can be found in
the Algonquin Policy HR22: Respectful Workplace and SA07: Student Conduct.

Students are encouraged to seek help from their professors. The College requires faculty to set aside time
for student consultation and notify the students accordingly. The contact information and professor’s
availability for consultation will appear in the course section information and be posted to Brightspace. If
a problem occurs in a course, students must first seek resolution with their professor. If this step has
been unproductive, students are encouraged to meet with the Program Coordinator. If this step has been
unproductive, students are encouraged to meet with the department Chair. The student can seek the
advice of the Ombudsperson at any time.

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E. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic integrity is the commitment to and demonstration of ethical and professional behaviour in an
academic setting. Adherence to acceptable standards of academic honesty is an important aspect
learning process. Academic work submitted by students is evaluated on the assumption that the work
presented by the student is their own. Algonquin College Policy AA48: Academic Integrity on academic
dishonesty and plagiarism defines the acts that can compromise academic integrity and outline the
various sanctions and consequences of such actions, as well as the procedures for handling allegations
and setting sanctions.

Definitions and Examples of Academic Misconduct

Academic Misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:

a) Aiding, Abetting, and Unscholarly Behaviour: Any action that encourages, enables, or causes others
to attempt or commit an act of academic misconduct; interfering with the ability of another student to
successfully complete academic work. Examples include:
i. Providing other learners with questions/scenarios/simulations/other being used on assessments at
any time.
ii. Damaging any academic work of another learner.
iii Influencing or attempting to influence any College employee responsible for processing grades,
evaluating learners, or maintaining academic records, through the use of bribery, threats, or any
other means of coercion in order to affect a grade or evaluation.
iv. Altering, destroying, hiding, or otherwise restricting access to academic materials intended for
general use.
v. Any forgery, alteration, unauthorized possession or misuse of College documents such as copying or
photographing assessment questions and assignments.
vi. Unauthorized access of an electronic file for the purpose of using, reading or altering its contents.
vii. Unauthorized copying, use and/or transfer of one or more or parts of files or data within a file.
viii. Not complying with laws regarding copyright, trademark, and/or licensing agreements pertaining to
the use of print and electronic materials, software, databases, and all other resources and materials.
ix. Being disruptive during an exam or other assessment.

b) Cheating: Using unauthorized aids or supports in order to secure an unfair advantage during testing or
other evaluation/assessment. Examples include:
i. Accessing or possessing unauthorized materials, unauthorized information or devices during
assessments.
ii. Obtaining an assessment, in whole or in part, in advance of its administration, without the
permission of the professor.
iii. Changing grades or answers on an assignment for the purpose of regrading.
iv. Failing to abide by the instructions of the professor or proctor concerning assessment procedures,
such as, but not limited to, talking or failing to adhere to start/stop times.

c) Contract Cheating:
i. A third-party completing work, with or without payment, for a learner, who then submits the work
as their own, where such input is not permitted.

d) Misrepresentation: Falsifying information with the goal of deception. Examples include:

i. Submitting false, fraudulent or purchased assignments, research or credentials.
ii. Taking or releasing, without permission, the ideas or data of others that were shared with the
expectation that they were confidential.

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 iii. Falsifying, altering, withholding or concocting medical records, compassionate documents,
correspondence, academic documents, research results, references, or research sources.
iv. Forging or using College documents, records or instruments of identification with intent to defraud.
v. Impersonating another or permitting someone to impersonate you, either in person or electronically,
for academic assessment or in order to improperly gain access to services. vi. Unauthorized use of
another’s identification/username and password.

e) Plagiarism:
Plagiarism, whether done deliberately or accidentally, is defined as presenting someone else’s work, in
whole or in part, as one’s own. This applies to ideas, wording, code, graphics, music, and inventions from
all sources, including the Internet, television, video, film, and recordings; all print and written sources,
such as books, periodicals, lyrics, government publications, promotional materials, and academic
assignments; and all verbal sources such as conversations and interviews. Sharing one’s work with other
learners where this has not been authorized is also considered an act of plagiarism. The reuse of one's
own words, ideas, artistic expression or work from pre-existing material especially without
acknowledgment of their earlier use, is self-plagiarism.

f) Unauthorized Cooperation and/or Collaboration: Working with others without the knowledge or
consent of the professor. Examples include:
i. Providing other learners with questions/scenarios/simulations/other being used on assessments at
any time.
ii. Accessing or possessing unauthorized materials, unauthorized information or devices during
assessments.
iii. Taking part in unauthorized collaboration with another learner, which may include letting your
answers be viewed, lending your work, or working in a group on an assessment that is deemed to be
an individual effort, and submitting the same course work as one or more learners in the course,
unless expressly permitted by the professor.

g) Unauthorized Resubmission of Work: Students submitting the same work previously submitted for
grading in the same or of another course without the professor's knowledge and/or permission and/or
citations and references. This may also be considered self-plagiarism.

If the student is suspected of academic misconduct, the professor must inform the learner of the alleged
act of academic misconduct as close to the time of observation as realistically possible. Communication to
the learner will include the perceived breach of academic integrity and the reasons, including existing
evidence leading to this perception. The Learner will be provided with an opportunity to give their
perspective and any supporting evidence/documentation supporting their position. If the issue is not
resolved, the professor may file a formal investigation and file an Academic Integrity Incident Report with
the Academic Chair responsible for the process and a sanction may be imposed in accordance with
Algonquin College Policy AA48: Academic Integrity.

Academic Appeal - Students in good academic standing may appeal a sanction imposed under AC Policy
AA48 – Academic Integrity. A full description of the appeal policy can be found under Algonquin College
Policy AA19 – Academic Appeal.

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F. EVALUATION OF STUDENT LEARNING
1. Marking and Feedback
All summative assessments are either awarded a numerical mark expressed as a percentage or a pass/fail
grade.
• All marks are awarded according to the College’s marking scale as stipulated in AC Policy AA14:
Grading System.
• All assessments are marked using specific criteria, which are shared with students at the start of
the module. Marking criteria will align with program and module intended learning outcomes.
• Where assessments are awarded pass or fail grades, the requirements for passing the assessment
must be described in the assessment brief.
• Marks and feedback, including the completed rubric, shall be provided to students within ten (10)
working days of the assessment submission deadline during the term, and within ten (10) days of
the final assessment at the end of the term where requested by the student.
• All marks and graded rubrics must be returned to students via Brightspace.
• Feedback should be easily accessible and clear, ensuring that comments can be accessed
confidentially by individual students and can be retained by students and the College.
• Arrangements for formative feedback should be clearly articulated to students.
• All efforts should be made to ensure students have sufficient time to act on any feedback
received, and faculty should not accept last-minute drafts close to the submission date.

Providing Feedback prior to the Withdrawal Deadline

• Providing students with feedback on their academic work is a key part of learning because it
allows them to assess their progress in a course. Therefore, professors should assign, evaluate
and return academic work worth at least 25% of the final course mark no later than one week
prior to the deadline for withdrawal without academic penalty (by the end of week 10).

Normalization of Grades
• The use of a predetermined distribution (statistical or otherwise) in order to determine the
assignment of marks is contrary to the principles of evaluation endorsed by the College.
• When a faculty deems that the assignment of marks in one or several courses is not in
accordance with the official grading system or with the faculty guidelines for its implementation,
the faculty can take any corrective action required, provided that no such measure results in a
mark lower than that previously communicated to a student. Such measures must be applied
uniformly across all students without prejudice.

Late Submission of Work During the Term

• Late submission arrangements do not apply to assessments for which timely submission is an
integral component of the vocational learning outcomes, learning objectives, employability
skills, and/or course learning requirements (ex: legal documents, bids, etc). This shall be
indicated clearly in either the Course Section Information or relevant rubric.
• Late submission arrangements do not apply to in-class assignments, presentations,
examinations or similar scheduled and timed assessments.
• Unless otherwise indicated, the late submission period is two (2) consecutive days, or 48 hours,
following the assessment submission date. The consecutive day period includes weekends and
holidays.
• Where assessments are submitted in the late submission period, the following rules apply:
 If the work is no more than two days late and the work would meet the assessment
standards, then the mark shall be capped at the pass mark. However, if the mark achieved is
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 lower than the pass mark, the mark will be a zero.
 If the work is more than two days late, it cannot be submitted. It will be recorded as a non-
submission (NS) and assigned a grade of zero (0). No feedback will be provided.

Reasonable Adjustment Plans

• Agreed upon adjustments for submission deadlines are not subject to penalties for late
submission of assessment, provided the student has submitted the work within the adjusted
deadline. Penalties for late submission in line with the policy will apply after the adjusted
deadline has elapsed.
• Where a student has valid reasons for submitting an assessment late and has a request for
personal mitigating circumstances and/or accepted through the Retroactive Accommodations
Process, the penalty applicable for late submission will be removed.

2. Deferred Evaluation
The College recognizes that students may face exceptional circumstances during the semester preventing
them from completing an evaluation as scheduled. In those circumstances, students in good academic
standing can request an extension to complete the missed evaluation. Please refer to Algonquin College
Policy AA21: Deferred Evaluation.

a. Professors shall indicate expectations about appropriate notice for absences due to illness or other
exceptional reasons on course outlines.

b. Students are expected to make every effort to meet the originally scheduled course requirements
by writing assessments as scheduled and submitting assignments by the due date.

c. Students can request to have an evaluation rescheduled if one of the following eligibility criteria is
met:
• Suffer from a serious illness resulting in the inability to be present for a scheduled evaluation.
• Have legal obligations such as jury duty or court appearances.
• Face significant personal circumstances such as family bereavement or family crisis.
• Have a conflict with religious observance.

d. Students are to notify their professor of their absence in writing and the need for a rescheduled
evaluation as soon as possible, before or, in extenuating circumstances, immediately after the
evaluation is missed, normally within three (3) working days.

e. Documentation to support any of the eligibility criteria may be required of students. Professors are
to exercise discretion when requiring documentation, particularly when the assessment in question
constitutes a small proportion of the course grade or when alternative means for carrying out the
assessment are available.

f. When a student’s absence affects several courses, the request to reschedule the evaluations will be
submitted to the Coordinator, who will discuss the exceptional circumstance with the Chair. Should
the deferral of evaluations be granted, the Chair will notify the professors concerned of the student’s
absence and the need to reschedule the evaluations. Supporting documents may be required.

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 g. If a professor agrees or has been notified by the Chair that the student has grounds to have one or
more evaluations rescheduled, the professor may:
• Arrange with the student to have missed course work, test(s) or assignment(s) completed
beyond the regularly scheduled deadline.
• Give alternate assignments or evaluations.
• In extenuating circumstances, apply the weighting of a missed assignment or term test to the
weighting of the final grade if agreed to by the student.

If the student believes the accommodation is unfair, the decision can be appealed to the Chair.

3. Assignment Procedures
Assignments refer to any instrument submitted for marks and included in the evaluation structure
established by the course. These include, but are not limited to, assignments, projects, reports, take-
home tests, case studies, or essays. Assignments are to be submitted in a manner determined by the
professor.

Team Assignments
Team assignment marks shall be distributed equally amongst the team members if no formal peer
evaluation process was established and shared with the class at the beginning of the term.

Team assignments that use formal peer evaluation to assist the professor in determining an equitable
distribution of team assignment marks, will be required to have published formal mechanisms to
distribute team marks. Professors will adjust individual team member grades based on both peer and
faculty evaluations of student contribution. Thus, individual student grades may not be the same as the
team grade.

Assignments as Critical Course Components

If an assignment is determined to be a critical course component, it must be indicated as such in the
course evaluation and must be completed at a satisfactory level of performance for the student to be
eligible to pass the course. Exceptions due to special circumstances are at the discretion of the professor.
If the critical course component includes formal peer evaluation, professors may use additional
mechanisms to determine whether the student has demonstrated acceptable performance.

Citations and Bibliography

All assignment sources must be properly referenced using in-text citations and a bibliography. Improper
or absent referencing is considered plagiarism. Unless specified otherwise, the referencing standard in
the School of Business and Hospitality is the American Psychological Association (APA)style format. For
further information on reference styles, please refer to:
https://algonquincollege.libguides.com/research/citing.

4. Electronic Submission of Assignments (Standard Format)

Electronic submission of assignments must be done through the Brightspace platform. Additionally,
professors may require assignments to be submitted through plagiarism detection software such as
Turnitin.

5. Exam and Test Procedures (see Appendix A and B)

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G. STUDENT ACCOMMODATIONS/RETROACTIVE ACCOMMODATIONS – Centre for Accessible Learning
(CAL)
Student accommodations are processed through CAL. Please refer to AC01 – Students with Disabilities.
Students are expected to meet evaluation and completion deadlines as stated in the course outline and
course section information documents. In circumstances where evaluation and/or completion deadlines
are missed, or student performance has been affected by a temporary or permanent disability (including
mental health), interim or retroactive accommodations may be considered. In such instances, please
consult your professor.

H. ACADEMIC STANDING AND PROGRESSION

To be considered in good academic standing, a student must have achieved a cumulative GPA at or above
1.7 (or letter grade of C-). A student will only be eligible for graduation if they meet the minimum
cumulative GPA and have met all course requirements for their program.

Academic Probation and Lifting Probation

Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 1.7, or who have failed two (2) or more courses in one term,
will be put on academic probation. Additionally:

• Students who have failed two (2) or more courses, will not progress to the next level in their
program of study until they have passed all required courses successfully.
• Probation is re-assessed each term.
• Academic probation is lifted if, upon reassessment, the student’s cumulative grade point
average is higher than 1.7.
• If a cumulative 1.7 GPA is not reached, students may be considered for an extension to their
probation, provided the term GPA earned during probation was higher than 1.7.

Thereafter, if a student fails to clear probation, they will be required to withdraw from their program.
Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the Chair of the department.

Repeating a Course
In an effort to improve their grade or reinforce their knowledge, students can repeat courses they have
either passed or failed.

Withdrawal
In addition to the cases of mandatory withdrawal set out in the College’s regulation on academic integrity
and student conduct, a student may be required to withdraw from a program if:

• The student has failed two compulsory work terms;

• The student has received a second grade of F in more than one compulsory course;
• The student has failed more than five (5) courses, including repeated courses.

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Appendix A
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND HOSPITALITY
FACULTY ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES
Classroom

1. Assessments will be written during the week indicated on the CSI to balance workload across
courses.

2. Assessments will be written during scheduled class time unless approval is given by the Chair to
ensure that conflicts between evaluative activities do not occur, with the exception of students
with documented accommodations.

3. Final assessments will be written during the time scheduled by the Registrar’s Office during Final
Assessment Week as posted to ACSIS. Once the final assessment schedule is confirmed, direct
students to ACSIS to confirm their assessment schedule. All students are fully responsible for
their assessment schedules. Faculty shall not post or announce assessment schedule information
to guard against misinformation.

4. Assessment procedures for students will be posted to Brightspace at the beginning of the
semester and reviewed before each assessment.

5. Faculty will notify students of the scheduling of assessments via Brightspace announcements at
least one week prior to the assessment.

6. Faculty will be responsible for setting up assessment procedures. Faculty should familiarize
themselves with the Student Assessment Procedures.

7. Students will be permitted to enter the assessment space ten (10) minutes before the start of the
assessment.

8. Students will be permitted to begin an assessment up to thirty (30) minutes late. Students may
not leave the classroom until 30 minutes after the assessment has begun.

9. Faculty will begin the assessment on time, keeping records on student attendance and those
students beginning the assessment late or requiring extended time according to letters of
accommodation issued by Centre for Accessible Learning. Faculty should keep a record of
students’ movements during the assessment period, i.e. bathroom visits.

10. Faculty will end the assessment on time, providing extended time to those students with
previously submitted letters of accommodation.

Please refer to Algonquin College Policies: AA 48: Academic Integrity and AA13: Assessment and
Evaluation of Student Learning

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Appendix B

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND HOSPITALITY

STUDENT ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES
Classroom
1. Students are expected to assess their health situation and ability to write an assessment prior to
entering the assessment room. Students who do not write a final assessment because of illness or
other circumstances beyond their control may apply for a deferred evaluation. Please refer to
Algonquin College Policy AA21: Deferred Evaluation for more information on the criteria required for
deferring an assessment.

2. Silence is compulsory in the assessment room.

3. Students must present their student identification cards upon request by the assessment monitor.

4. Students who arrive more than thirty (30) minutes after the assessment has begun will not be allowed
to write the assessment. Students may not leave the assessment room until thirty (30) minutes after
the assessment has begun.

5. Students are not allowed to bring any assessment materials in/out of the assessment area.

6. The only time students may leave the assessment room with the intention of returning is to use the
washroom. To do so, they must leave their assessment materials, student identification card, and any
electronic communication device to the designated sign-out staff person. They must also sign out and
sign back in, on the sheet provided.

7. Unless otherwise indicated in writing, the use of books, notes, mathematical tables, dictionaries, or
any other reference tools are not allowed.

8. Students are prohibited from using electronic devices or any other communication tool that has not
been approved beforehand.

9. It is the student's responsibility to verify which electronic devices or tools (e.g. calculators) are
permissible for each examination.

10.Any unauthorized electronic device or communication tool must be shut off, stored and out of reach.

11.Students have the right to see their assessment materials upon request and after being marked. This
consultation must be done under supervision. Students shall not retain the original assessment or the
assessment materials.

Failure to comply with these procedures will be considered evidence of cheating and may receive an “F”
for the complete course under Algonquin College Policy AA48: Academic Integrity.

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