Progression Guidelines

• Students registered in the PSW full-time program will register for a full course load each semester.  Students experiencing academic challenges should make an appointment with the course professor and the Academic Coordinator to discuss options. Additionally, Counselling and Accessibility Services and the Student Advisor can assist with support.

• Students may repeat the same professional PSW course once.

• Students may drop a professional PSW course once.

• A program interruption may be granted once.  Only under extenuating circumstances will a second program interruption be permitted.

• A student unsuccessful in any two professional PSW courses will be at risk of being withdrawn from the PSW program.

• **Students are accountable for ensuring that their timetables are accurate (including meeting the prerequisites the co-requisites) and contain all the courses that they are taking. If there is a discrepancy, the student needs to follow up with registration and with the Student Advisor immediately.

Promotion Policy

The Personal Support Worker Certificate Program requires students to achieve a minimum grade of C (60%) in all Professional PSW theory courses and a minimum grade of Satisfactory in each clinical placement in order to graduate and/or progress through the program.

Withdrawing/Dropping a Course

• Students may drop a professional PSW course once. The subject must be successfully completed the next semester, or the student may be withdrawn from the program.

• Students may drop a clinical course once with the approval of the Clinical Coordinator. The subject must be successfully completed the next semester, or the student may be required to repeat the PSW 061 lab course.

• Students who choose to drop a course without academic advisement may jeopardize their progression in the program.

• Not attending class and/or notifying the professor of your intention to withdraw does not qualify as a withdrawal.

• Students are considered to have withdrawn from a course only when they drop the course officially through Student Centre.

• Day 10 (week 2) – Courses dropped by this date will not appear on the transcript.  This can be done independently on Student Centre or by an academic advisor.

• Day 45 (Week 9) - Courses dropped by this date will receive a Did Not Complete (DNC) code on the transcript. This does not affect the Grade Point Average (GPA).  Only an academic advisor can assist with dropping courses after Day 10.

• Week 10 and beyond – If a course is dropped after Week 10, the transcript will reflect the earned grade.  This will affect the Grade Point Average (GPA).

Academic Standing

• Good: Successfully completed all professional courses with a term GPA of 2.0 or greater

• Probation: Failed one professional course or term GPA is below 2.0.

• Academically Withdrawn: Does not meet program progression requirements.  Failed two or more professional courses.

Academic Probation

Students are placed on Academic Probation once they are unsuccessful in any ONE professional PSW course. They will remain on academic probation for the remainder of their program. Students are not permitted to drop any professional PSW courses while on probation.  

Academic Withdrawl from the PSW Program

The Promotions Committee may recommend to the Chair, or designate, that a student be withdrawn from the Personal Support Worker program. A student who is unsuccessful in two or more professional courses over the entire program may be withdrawn from the program.   

A full-time student that is absent for ten successive school days without contacting the faculty and/or the registration office will be deemed to have withdrawn from the Personal Support Worker Program.

Leave of Absence/Program Interruption

• Students are required to contact the Academic Coordinator for a leave of absence (LOA) from one to two terms for an extenuating circumstance which temporarily effects the student’s ability to continue in the program.

• The student must complete the Leave of Absence Request form: https://students.senecacollege.ca/spaces/134/forms/home no later than 10 business days after the start of the current term.  Other timelines will be considered in extenuating circumstances; however, a refund cannot be granted beyond the tenth day of classes.

• If a leave of absence is granted for a medical condition, medical documentation of fitness to return is required before returning to the program.

• Students must meet with both the Academic Coordinator and Clinical Coordinator before returning to the program to discuss program progression.

• Students who have been out of the program for two consecutive terms may be required to repeat professional PSW courses that support client safety.

• Students who have been out of clinical for two consecutive terms will be required to repeat the most recent clinical practicum and the PSW 061 lab course.

Voluntary Withdrawal from the College

A student who wishes to withdraw from the College must notify the Registrar's Office in writing to be eligible for appropriate academic standing and fees refund where applicable. The official date of withdrawal for grading and refund purposes will be the date on which the student’s letter of withdrawal is received in the Registrar’s Office. 

https://students.senecacollege.ca/spaces/134/forms/wiki/view/2127/withdraw-form-full-time-program 

Mandatory Withdrawal from the College

A Promotion Meeting, regularly or specially convened, may recommend to the Dean, or designate, that a student be required to withdraw from the College. Such a college-initiated requirement may be made before the normal completion date of a course or program. The basis of mandatory withdrawal may be a student's behavior; and/or attendance; and/or performance; where one or all of these are detrimental to the learning process, or disruptive to the aims and objectives of the College. The unexpended portion of fees may be refunded. http://www.senecacollege.ca/academic-policy/acpol-14.html