Policies and procedures

General policies for everyone

Policies for credit courses

Definitions

Face-to-face: Also referred to as ‘traditional learning’, this is an on-campus course that may be supplemented with internet-based educational technology.

Virtual: These courses run over Zoom with a love instructor at designated times. 

Online: Also known as online learning or e-learning. These courses use electronic media and information as well as communication technologies in computer-based learning. E-learning can use a number of media including (but not limited to) text, audio, images, animation and streaming video. Online learning is self-paced so you learn and when and where works best for you.

Blended learning: Also known as hybrid courses, these are classes where a portion of the traditional face to face instruction is replaced by online learning. Students still attend in a classroom setting, with a combination of classroom teaching and computer-mediated activities. Unless otherwise noted, policies pertaining to face to face courses will also apply to blended courses.

Waiver

UNBC Continuing Studies accepts no responsibility in the event that any face to face course or workshop is either cancelled or not completed as a result of strikes, lockouts, fire, acts of God, or any other cause beyond the control of the department. UNBC Continuing Studies reserves the right to change or amend its programs, instructors, fee structure and regulations at any time from those published.

First-come, first-served

Registrations in face to face courses are processed on a first-come, first served basis. Early registration is strongly recommended as class sizes are limited to ensure a quality educational experience.

Registration deadline

Face-to-face Continuing Studies courses require a minimum enrolment to proceed. Usually, the registration deadline is 10 days prior to the course start date. Some courses have unique deadlines due to the nature of the course. This date affects withdrawals, course transfers, and course cancellations. Students may register after this date for courses that have sufficient enrolment and seats available.

Course fees

All course fees, unless otherwise stated, are payable at the time of registration. Post-dated cheques are not accepted.

NSF cheques must be replaced with a certified cheque or cash; a charge of $25 will be levied for each NSF cheque.

Fees are payable by cheque, money order, Visa, MasterCard, cash or debit. If paying by invoice, invoices MUST be paid within thirty (30) days or prior to the start of the course, whichever occurs first. No certificates will be issued until payment is received in full.

UNBC tuition and student fees as published in the academic calendar do not apply to Continuing Studies courses. All students are reminded that fees for Continuing Studies courses, whether approved for their academic program of study or not, are additional to the tuition fee units for their academic program. The UNBC tuition waiver does not apply to Continuing Studies courses, whether taken for credit or not.

Financial hold

Students who fail to pay the outstanding balance of their current Continuing Studies account will be placed on financial hold. While on financial hold, no subsequent activity will be allowed, and no certificates of completion or academic transcripts will be issued. The financial hold will be removed when the outstanding balance, including all service charges, is paid in full.

Confirming your registration

Shortly after you register, you will receive a Confirmation of Registration via email from Continuing Studies to let you know that we received and have processed your registration. This email will contain course details, important policy, and procedure information as well as your payment receipt. Please read this email carefully. If details of your course are not available in full at the time of registration, your course confirmation will come by email.

Confirming your course

Continuing Studies face to face courses require a minimum enrolment to proceed. When minimum enrolment has been met, or approximately five days prior to the course start date, you will receive a Course Confirmation from Continuing Studies via email. This message will include course details including times, location, what to bring and any textbooks required for the course. Please ensure you have provided Continuing Studies with an active email address when you register, or a daytime phone number where we can reach you.

Course cancellation

In face to face courses, a minimum number of registrations must be received by the posted registration deadline. Some courses have unique registration deadlines due to the requirements of the course. If sufficient registration is not met by this date, the course may be canceled.

Withdrawing from a course

If you need to withdraw from a face to face course, please notify Continuing Studies by telephone, email, fax or letter. Voice mail is not considered an adequate method of notification. When you withdraw from a course, financial penalties may result. Unless otherwise stated in course information the following penalties will apply:

  1. Withdrawal up to and including 11 calendar days prior to course start date: no financial penalty, a full refund
  2. Withdrawal 10 calendar days prior to the course start date: 100% financial penalty, no refund
  3. There will be no withdrawals accepted for online course registration, and no refunds will be offered once online course purchase has been completed
  • Under NO circumstance will refunds be granted for requests received after the start of a course or workshop.
  • Exceptions to the above policy are made on compassionate grounds. In such cases, a written request for a refund  (letter, fax or email), must be submitted prior to the end of the course or workshop.
  • Refunds issued in exceptional circumstances may be full or partial refunds either in the method of original payment or by Continuing Studies gift certificate.

Receiving a refund

If Continuing Studies cancels a face to face course due to low enrolment or other unforeseen circumstances, all registrants will automatically be issued a refund in the manner of original payment, or by cheque in the case of cash or debit purchases.

Refunds for student withdrawals will be made in accordance with the withdrawal policy above.

Transferring seat to another participant

It may be possible to have another individual fill your seat in a face to face course if you are unable to attend. Please consult Continuing Studies prior to making any arrangements. Participant transfers will not be accepted after a course has started.

Parking

The UNBC Prince George campus is pay parking, 24 hours, seven days per week. Hourly parking stub dispensers are located conveniently around campus. Costs of parking are in addition to course fees.

Grading for online courses

Unless otherwise stated, the following grading applies to online courses:

  1. Students must achieve a 100% grade on lesson level quizzes in order to progress through the course to the next lesson. If not successful, students have unlimited attempts at these quizzes, but the questions and answers are randomized to ensure academic integrity.
  2. Once students have successfully completed all lessons in a course, they will be directed to a final quiz/exam. Students have only one attempt at this quiz, and must achieve a grade of 70% or higher to pass the course.
  3. In the event that a student fails this quiz, they will be charged a $50 administration fee to be registered for another quiz. Details will be provided by email.
  4. Students can expect a variety of assignments. If submissions do not meet the requirements to pass, one re-submission is allowed for each assignment. In the event that a student fails the re-submission, they will be charged a $50 administration fee for each succeeding re-submission. Details will be provided by email.

Policies for credit courses

Continuing Studies credit courses

Continuing Studies has an offering of courses that are potentially available as earning academic credit at UNBC. These courses are unique to Continuing Studies and are usually in program areas that are not normally found in regular UNBC degree programming. These Continuing Studies courses are clearly designated as potentially earning academic credit at UNBC. Credit earned in this manner is unspecified and is treated as elective credit hours. Students do not need to be admitted to the university or pursuing a degree at UNBC to participate in these courses.

Extension courses

Some regular UNBC academic courses are offered on an extension basis through Continuing Studies. Courses that are normally part of a degree program at UNBC are offered to members of the general public who are not admitted to the university.

Students participating in courses offered through extension are bound by all UNBC academic regulations. Please refer to the UNBC academic calendar for more information. Transfer credit for all Continuing Studies Credit and Extension courses can be applied to your existing academic student record on completion of the course, or on admission to UNBC, upon request at Continuing Studies.

Auditing a course

Students interested in auditing a Continuing Studies or Extension course would do so by registering for it on a non-credit basis. Students must indicate their interest in registering on a non-credit basis at the time of registration. Whether taken for-credit or not-for-credit, the content and requirements of these courses are the same.

Students participating on a non-credit basis may elect to not complete course assignments or examinations, and will not receive a grade for the course. Students who register for courses on a non-credit basis are not eligible to have course credits appear on their academic student record should they be enrolled in a degree program at UNBC, either as current students or on admission to the University in the future.

Please note that students who audit a course through Continuing Studies still pay the full course fees.

Student fees

Continuing Studies courses are not subject to the tuition and student fees as published in the academic calendar. Even those students registering in a Continuing Studies credit course or a course offered through Continuing Studies by extension need only pay the fee(s) listed with Continuing Studies. As such, Continuing Studies students do not have access to some services and facilities offered to students pursuing an academic degree, such as the Northern Sport Centre, computer labs, library or bus passes.

Student cards

Continuing Studies students generally are not eligible to receive a UNBC student card. Only those students who are enrolled in a Continuing Studies credit course or a course offered through extension may acquire a student card. Students requiring a student card must complete a Student Card Request Form at the Continuing Studies office to verify enrolment in a credit course(s). This form is brought by the student to the Cashier’s Office to pay for and receive their student card. There is an additional charge for a student card.

Library access

Continuing Studies students enrolled in a Continuing Studies credit course or a course offered through extension may access library resources at UNBC. These students must acquire a UNBC student card at the Cashier’s Office for an additional charge. After the UNBC ID card is acquired, library access is automatic within 1 - 2 days. Access remains for the duration of the studen'ts courses (s). 

UNBC Library

Textbooks

Many Continuing Studies Credit and Extension courses require a textbook and/or other reading materials. For most courses, the cost of these resources are additional to the course fee. Students should carefully read all information contained in the Course Confirmation. Textbooks will be available for purchase through the UNBC Bookstore.

Assignments and exams

Students enrolled in Continuing Studies Credit or Extension courses can expect a variety of small assignments, large projects, quizzes, presentations and examinations. Many courses have a final examination held after the last scheduled class. The evaluation criteria for these courses will be established in the course syllabus/outline by each instructor.

Grading scheme

Continuing Studies credit courses and courses offered through extension will usually follow either a Pass/Fail or Alpha Grade scheme. Some specialized programs of study may have a unique grading system in place.

Grade point letter grade % range

GPA Grade Percentage range
4.33 A+ 90 - 100%
4.00 A 85 - 89.9%
3.67 A- 80 - 84.9%
3.33 B+ 77 - 79.9%
3.00 B 73 - 76.9%
2.67 B- 70 - 72.9%
2.33 C+ 67 - 69.9%
2.00 C 63 - 66.9%
1.67 C- 60 - 62.9%
1.33 D+ 57 - 59.9%
1.00 D 53 - 56.9%
0.67 D- 50 - 52.9%
0.00 F 0 - 49.9

Failing a course

Continuing Studies credit courses

Failing grades are not recorded for students enrolled in a Continuing Studies credit course who do not receive a passing grade. Neither unofficial or official UNBC transcripts will indicate the failing grade.

Extension courses

Failing grades for courses offered by Continuing Studies on extension will have failing grades recorded. All grades earned for these courses, including failures, will be recorded on a student’s academic transcript automatically or on admission to the University.

Appealing a grade

Continuing Studies credit courses

The formal academic appeals procedures at UNBC do not apply to Continuing Studies Credit courses. Students who have specific questions regarding their academic work should contact the course instructor. General questions should be directed to Continuing Studies.

Extension courses

Students participating in Extension courses offered by Continuing Studies should follow appeals procedures as outlined in the UNBC academic calendar.

Transferring credits to your academic student record

Continuing Studies Credit courses are available for elective credit towards most degree programs at UNBC. Extension courses are transferable to an academic student record as equivalent courses within an academic program as stated with course information. Any participant in these courses who is a current academic student at UNBC, or on admission to the university, can have credit for courses successfully completed transferred onto their official academic student record upon request at Continuing Studies. Unsuccessful attempts are not recorded for Continuing Studies Credit courses. Unsuccessful attempts are recorded for Extension courses.

Graduate students are reminded that, as with all other academic credits, credits earned in this manner may not be applied to their degree programs without the express permission of their Supervisory Committee and approval by the Dean of Graduate Programs.

Requesting a copy of your transcript

Unofficial transcripts

Any student interested in receiving an unofficial transcript showing their academic standing for any Continuing Studies courses completed may obtain one through myUNBC Student Account.

Log in to myUNBC Student Account to access this information with their UNBC student number and PIN. Students unable to access this information through the internet may request an unofficial transcript from Continuing Studies.

Unofficial transcripts may be obtained free of charge.

Official transcripts

Students enrolled in a UNBC degree program should ensure that all course credits have been transferred onto their academic record and then request an official transcript through the UNBC Office of the Registrar.

Students not enrolled in a degree program may request an official transcript with UNBC Continuing Studies by completing the transcript request form.

There is a fee for official transcripts.

T2202 tuition and enrolment certificate

As of the 2019 tax year, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requires that all Canadian post-secondary institutions collect student Social Insurance Numbers (SINs) on the T2202 (formerly T2202A). See below for links that reference this legal requirement.

For this reason, students who completed courses in 2019 and onward must provide their SIN to the University of Northern British Columbia to facilitate the receipt of your T2202 Tuition and Enrollment Certificate necessary to claim eligible tax deductions.

To review or update your SIN, please log into your UNBC Continuing Studies account and scroll down until you see the Social Insurance Number field.  Insert your SIN and press save. If you have any issues with logging in or updating your account, please contact our office between the hours of 8:30 am - 4:30 pm at 250-960-6724.

Further information