Community Ground Rules

In an effort to ensure our learning community develops, thrives and sustains throughout our time together, the following ground rules will be in effect at all times.

As a student in this program, you agree to:

• Consider yourself a member of a community. A community is a group of individuals who work together to support a common goal or interest. We are working together to support the successful achievement of our learning outcomes.
• Log-in and participate regularly in group conversations and activities.
• Make every effort to manage your time and meet scheduled due dates. Not doing so will affect the interactive nature of this program.
• Treat the diverse contributions made by other community members with respect. Absolutely no hateful language will be tolerated in this class.
• Be a learner. Keep an open mind when introduced to new ideas that may challenge your perceptions.
• Ask for help when you need it, and assist others when possible.
• Understand that communications shared through text have a higher likelihood of being misinterpreted than words that are spoken. Therefore, when you type a thought or a comment, read it carefully before you submit it. If you question the way it is worded, read it out loud to yourself. If you still question the way it’s phrased, re-write it.
• Contribute regularly to group dialogue. The contributions of each individual plays a role in the collective strength and diversity of our community.

As a College, we are entitled to expect that you:

• Provide the College with accurate information about yourself and your circumstances (e.g., avoid using of fraudulent, false, or misleading information, or information)
• Register with the College at the start of your programme and to re-register as required
• Attend scheduled sessions regularly, access the VLE, and undertake the necessary independent study. (If you fail to do this, without good reason, the College is unable to provide you with any additional sessions or support, and you may need to proceed to the next level).
• Ensure you attend at least 90% of all scheduled classes unless there is a valid reason preventing you to attend.
• Work with tutors, support staff and fellow students to achieve the best you can.
• Notify your programme or module leader in the case of absence or illness or alert them to any difficulties you are experiencing at College, including the submission of any work for assessment.
• Use the systems in place to offer your feedback on College services
• Make use of the services provided by the College.
• Comply with the College’s Code of Conduct for Students, behaving with care and consideration for others and respecting their rights and feelings
• Read and fully understand the information provided to you within the Learner Handbook that has been made available to you in the Learning Platform and gain an understanding of the policies and procedures involved in progressing through your course.
• Undertake sufficient self-study measures to ensure that you gain and enhance your knowledge pertaining to the subject area with the aid of our course materials, online resources, and learner forums.
• Submit work which is your own original work, clearly presented and a true reflection of your knowledge and abilities, and avoid plagiarism, collusion, cheating or any other form of academic misconduct.
• Follow Health and Safety requirements to ensure your safety at all times
• Attend classes on a regular basis and keep constant touch with your lecturer or tutor in addition to attempting the activities provided to you in the Learning Platform.
• Pay all required fees in a timely manner. The college reserves the right to refuse to issue a Learner ID, transcript, qualification, or other document where fees remain outstanding

If a Ground Rule is Violated

If, at any time, you feel that any of these ground rules has been violated by a member of our community, you are encouraged to bring your concern directly and immediately to your instructor. In your message, clearly identify which ground rule has been violated and include specific evidence of the violation in your email. Your concerns will be addressed promptly and in an individualised manner.