Admission Policies

1. Limit of Applications

A prospective student may apply for admission to one or more programs in any given semester or term, whether degree, associate degree, diploma or certificate, as described in this calendar.

A student may apply for admission to a given program at more than one campus location. Such will be deemed to be a single program application. Each program will allow the prospective applicant to indicate their first and second choice of attendance with respect to the campuses offering the program.

Okanagan College is a multi-campus institution, and many programs are offered at more than one campus. However, not all programs are offered at all campuses.

A student must accept a formal offer of admission to a program specific to a given campus, within a prescribed period of time, as articulated in the letter of admission.

A student may choose to accept an offer of admission to one program and remain actively waitlisted for, at most, one other program.

2. Determination of Admissibility

Notwithstanding the general and specific program prerequisites set out in this calendar, Okanagan College reserves the right to determine the admissibility of all applicants and to deny admission when, in the opinion of the College, there is reason to conclude that granting admission would not be in the best interest of the applicant or the College. This includes, but is not restricted to, applicants with a criminal record. Applicants thus denied admission may appeal the decision to an Admissions Appeal Committee.

Criminal record searches are required for applicants to certain programs. The cost of this search is the responsibility of the student. Results which identify relevant criminal convictions may disqualify an applicant from admission into a program. Subsequent criminal record searches may be required by the program or provincial certification bodies prior to field placement or professional registration.

3. Unconditional Admission

Students granted "Unconditional Admission" on their letter of admission have satisfied all admission requirements for the program to which they are being admitted. The student can register into their program of study (see registration procedures).

4. Conditional Admission

Students granted "Conditional Admission" on their letter of admission, must complete or confirm all of the stated admission requirements by a specific deadline as indicated on their letter of admission. The student is cleared to register conditionally (see registration procedures). Applicants who do not meet admission requirements or proof of enrolment by dates specified and are cancelled by Admissions may seek reinstatement. Applicants will be reinstated on the date that the College receives the required documents provided there is still space in the program.

To expedite the processing of applications, the College strongly encourages applicants to take advantage of the online application form at www.okanagan.bc.ca.

The College recognizes that students may be completing their studies at the time they apply for admission and consequently will not be able to submit their final, official transcript. Grade 12 students must submit an interim statement of all grade 11 and 12 subjects if they are applying for a program with specific admission requirements. If applicants are enrolled in the stated admission requirements, they will be admitted on a conditional basis according to the date on their completed application and statement of marks is received.

The conditional status will be removed when the College receives a final, official transcript confirming that all admission requirements have been satisfied. Okanagan College should be named as a recipient of the official provincial transcript. B.C. and Yukon grade 12 students must provide their provincial student I.D. number (PEN).

a) Mature Student Applicants: Mature applicants may be granted conditional admission on the basis of enrolment in a course of studies which, if successfully completed, will satisfy the specific admission requirements before registration or by a specific deadline as stated in their letter of admission. Failure to do so may lead to ineligibility and cancellation of the application.

5. Recipients of the President's Entrance Scholarships

Special consideration is granted to recipients of Okanagan College President's Entrance and Tuition Scholarships. Student recipients will be granted priority to program admission and course registration provided the application has been submitted and the award approved no later than May 1.

6. Aboriginal Admission

An Aboriginal applicant is a person of Native ancestry who is one of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada defined by the Constitution Act of 1982 to include the Indian, Inuit and Metis peoples of Canada.

The College is committed to enhancing the participation rate of Aboriginal peoples in post-secondary education to a level which is representative of the Aboriginal population of the region served by the College. It will strive to increase and maintain its Aboriginal student population to a level reflective of this ratio. The College, in collaboration with  departments, will annually set aside a predetermined number of places specifically for Aboriginal students, the number being commensurate with student interest, available teaching and learning support resources. While the number may vary from program to program, it will not normally exceed six percent of the intake capacity for any given program in a particular year.

Pursuant to College policy, qualified Aboriginal applicants will have access to the predetermined number of reserved places specific to each program during the period from November (first allowable application submission date) to March 15 (or the last day applications are being accepted) each year for programs commencing the immediately following September and up to eight weeks before commencement of classes for multiple-intake programs. Any remaining, unused reserved space will revert to the general application pool.

Qualified Aboriginal students who apply beyond the time limit or who apply within the time limit but after the predetermined number of reserved seats for a given program have been filled, will be admitted in accordance with the general admission policies of the College, subject to the availability of space.

7. Concurrent Enrolment for Secondary School Students

A student who is enrolled in grade 11 or 12 in a B.C. secondary school may be admitted to Okanagan College to pursue "Concurrent Studies". Normally, no more than 12 credits obtained through concurrent studies may be applied toward a certificate, diploma or degree at the College. The following conditions will apply:

• The applicant must have a superior academic record;
• The applicant must have the support and written recommendation of the secondary school principal;
• The applicant must be enrolled at the grade 11 or 12 level in a program of studies that meets the regular entrance requirements of the College program to which admission is sought;
• The applicant must have the written approval of the appropriate Okanagan College dean for the courses in which the applicant plans to enrol; and
• The applicant must have the written consent of the parent or legal guardian if under the age of majority on the first day of classes.

Admission will be limited to one academic year; however, this may be renewable with the continued support of the Regional Dean and the program dean. Students in concurrent studies will be treated as regular students except that they may not enrol in a full course load. Their selection of courses must be approved by the appropriate dean, and their eligibility to register is valid for one year unless renewed by the dean. Standard transcripts will be issued, and fees, deadlines and all other regulations will be as for regular students.

Students enrolled in concurrent studies at the College who satisfy program entrance requirements upon secondary school graduation will be treated as continuing students and will not be required to reapply. Students who have enrolled in concurrent studies at other recognized post-secondary institutions before secondary school graduation may also be eligible for transfer credit.

8. Career Technology Centre (CTC) Programs

In keeping with Ministry and industry initiatives CTC programs provide a seamless transition from secondary to post-secondary education and to employment. This policy provides the opportunity for approved secondary school students to apply for and be admitted to Okanagan College programs/courses in Industrial Trades and Services, Engineering Technology and Business.

• CTC (dual credit) programs are based on the articulation of secondary and post-secondary programs/courses that allow secondary school students an opportunity to earn credits in both education levels simultaneously.
• During grades 11 and 12, secondary students must complete all Provincial foundation graduation required courses within a secondary school environment.
• Pre-determined grade 11 and 12 elective courses normally required for secondary school graduation are replaced with an educationally approved post-secondary program or course(s). The post-secondary program/course can be offered on a post-secondary institution campus or in another mutually agreed environment such as a secondary school or industry job site.
• Post-secondary credits earned are applied towards secondary school graduation.
• A CTC student must produce an approved grade 11 and 12 training plan that meets graduation requirements of both education levels. The sponsoring School District and/or secondary school are responsible for the approval process.
• Academic portions of the advertised admission requirements for post-secondary programs/courses must be met upon graduation from grade 12.
• A post-secondary credential will not be issued unless successful grade 12 graduation has been achieved.
• To be eligible as a CTC student, the student must be under the age of 19 prior to the commencement date of the post-secondary program/course and be currently enrolled in a secondary school of their choice.
• CTC students will have post-secondary fees paid by the sponsoring school district. Testing fees, the registration fee, and the nonrefundable deposit must be paid by the applicant.

(Note: for more information on CTC program admission procedures, see the online Calendar at www.okanagan.bc.ca/calendar/policy)

9. Apprenticeship Programs

Apprentices and trainees registered with the Industry Training Authority are given preferred admission into apprenticeship programs and will be considered in chronological order of receipt of their application. Apprentices may apply to be considered for more than one program level and program start date.

Waitlists: Registered apprentices and trainees may apply to be on more than one waitlist for a specific program, level and date. The waitlists for apprenticeship programs may be considered for a subsequent program. For example: if an apprentice does not secure a seat in a preferred class then the apprentice will be considered for a subsequent class date for the same program and level.

10. Criminal Record Check

Under the Criminal Records Review Act, students working with children and/or vulnerable adults or having unsupervised access to children and/or vulnerable adults must obtain a criminal record clearance from the B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General's Criminal Records Review Program Office.

Okanagan College Health and Social Development programs and some Continuing Studies programs include mandatory clinical, preceptorship or practicum placements involving work with children and/or vulnerable adults. Accordingly, all applicants to such programs are required to undergo a criminal record check as part of the admissions process and are advised that:

• A criminal record check clearance is a mandatory admission requirement to Okanagan College Health and Social Development programs and some Continuing Studies programs, as specified in the program admission requirements.
• The criminal record check must be completed through the B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General's Criminal Records Review Program Office within the timelines specified by the College's admissions offices.
• Should the criminal record check clearance not arrive at the College's admissions offices within the prescribed timelines, the applicant's admission to, or registration in, the program to which they have applied may be cancelled.

Procedures:

The College's admissions offices will provide the applicant with the appropriate forms and instructions to obtain a criminal record check through the Solicitor General's Criminal Records Review Program Office. The Solicitor General's Criminal Records Review Program Office will determine the clearance of an applicant and issue a clearance letter to the College's admissions office.

If an applicant's record is not clear, the Solicitor General's Criminal Records Review Program Office will undertake adjudication to determine if there is risk and inform the College's admissions office of the result. An applicant determined to be a risk will be denied admission to the College in the program for which they have applied.

The decision to deny admission is made by the Solicitor General's Criminal Records Review Program Office. As a result, no appeal can be made by the applicant to Okanagan College on the denial of admission on this basis.

11. Program Waitlist - Policy and Procedure

These policies do not apply to the Bachelor of Business Administration degree and diploma, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the Practical Nursing and the Certified Dental Assistant programs where admission may be competitive and based on factors other than date of application.

Programs beginning in September: Qualified applicants to a program who are not admitted because of enrolment limitations will be notified:

• That their name has been placed on a waitlist for admission to the program and, in the event space becomes available, they will be admitted in chronological order of receipt of their application.
• In the event that a space in a program becomes available, the College shall notify the next applicant on the program wait list by making a formal offer of admission. If the College does not receive a reply on or before the response deadline as stated in the offer of admission, the College shall remove the applicant's name from the waitlist and offer the space to the next qualified applicant. This process will continue until the end of the registration period.
• Immediately after the registration period, the waitlists for programs with an annual intake will be discontinued. Applicants not granted admission will be required to submit a new application for the same program or an alternate program. Re-applicants must be prepared to go through the full admission review process even though they may have met the admission requirements at the time of the original application.
• Applicants will be informed that their application is being considered for one program start date only.

For programs that have start dates throughout the year (e.g. Health Care Assistant, Carpentry/Joinery, Recreation Vehicle Technician, Culinary Arts, and Welding Level C):

Applicants not admitted to the first entry date offered must submit an application to each intake of the program. Okanagan College will accept applications for more than one intake in the same program at the same time.

12. Admission Appeals

An applicant who believes that he/she has been unjustly denied admission to a program or who believes that he/she is deserving of special consideration is encouraged to discuss the matter with the Associate Registrar Admissions.

If a satisfactory resolution is not achieved by the Associate Registrar Admissions, the student may appeal to the appropriate admissions appeal committee. Students denied admission due to a criminal record check must appeal the decision with the Solicitor General's Criminal Records Review Program office.

Admissions Appeals Committee: Baccalaureate Programs

Admissions Appeals Committee: Associate degrees, Diploma Programs

Admissions Appeals Committee: Vocational and Trades, and Health and Social Development, and Continuing Studies certificate programs

Admissions Appeals Committee: Foundational Programs

Procedures

Submissions to the appropriate committee must clearly state the reason for the appeal and must be accompanied by a $10 deposit, which will be refunded if the appeal is upheld. Appeals which clearly contravene College policies or which clearly fail to comply with the specific academic entrance requirements of a program will not be considered. All formal appeals will be forwarded to the various committees.

Each committee will have the following membership: the Registrar, who shall act as chair and shall not vote; three faculty members from the program area; and one student from the program area. The student submitting the appeal has the right to appear before the appeals committee or may be requested by the committee to attend the appeal hearing. The committee's conclusion shall be given in writing to the student appellant by the Registrar.