Student Handbook
Distance Education Policy
Community Wellness Foundations Certificate — Older Adult Focus
Effective Date: Upon Institutional Certification
This policy is provided to every student before the program start date and is available in the Institutional Policy and on the Institutional Learning Management System (Tutor LMS).
1. Purpose
This policy sets out how Seaside Coast College delivers its program through synchronous distance education, including the learning management system, technology requirements, attendance and identity verification, and student support. It reflects the distance-delivery requirements of the Private Training Act and its regulation.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all students, instructors, and staff involved in the delivery of the Community Wellness Foundations Certificate — Older Adult Focus.
3. Delivery Method
The program is delivered entirely through synchronous distance education. Students attend scheduled online classes in real time with their instructor and classmates and are expected to participate in the scheduled instructional sessions and learning activities. The program does not include in-person, clinical, or laboratory components.
4. Learning Management System
Tutor LMS is the institution’s learning management system and system of record. It hosts course materials and is used for assignment submissions, knowledge checks and quizzes, attendance records, grade reporting, communication, and monitoring of student progress. Tutor LMS:
- is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, subject to scheduled maintenance;
- includes reasonable security protections for student information;
- supports student identity verification; and
- records and tracks student progress; and
- supports the integrity of assessments.
Microsoft Teams is used for live synchronous instruction only and is not the institution’s learning management system. Formal tracking, assignment submission, grading, and progress records are maintained in Tutor LMS.
The technology and equipment standards students must meet are set out in section 5 and are provided before enrolment, and instructional materials are available through Tutor LMS before each course begins.
5. Technology Requirements
To participate, students are responsible for maintaining access to reliable internet service, a computer or other approved device, audio capability, video/webcam capability when required, institutional email, and access to Tutor LMS and Microsoft Teams.
6. Technical Support and Disruptions
Students can request technical support through the institution’s support request (“raise a ticket”) system in Tutor LMS or through institutional support channels; requests are monitored and responded to through the institution’s support procedures. A student experiencing technical difficulties should notify the instructor or the institution as soon as reasonably possible. The institution maintains procedures to support continuity of learning during technical disruptions where operationally possible.
7. Attendance and Participation
Attendance is based on live participation in the scheduled synchronous sessions, supported by Tutor LMS records such as login and submission activity. Attendance is recorded and applied in accordance with the Student Attendance Policy, and the institution records the hours of instruction each student attends.
8. Student Identity Verification
The institution verifies student identity through individual institutional login credentials, password-protected Tutor LMS access, institutional email, live video participation during synchronous sessions, student identification where required, and Tutor LMS submission and activity records. These steps support the integrity of assessment under the Academic Integrity Policy.
9. Instructor Access and Support
Students have regular access to their instructor throughout the program. The instructor provides information about office hours, communication methods, response timelines, and academic support. Instructors are oriented to online teaching and complete professional development consistent with the requirements of the Private Training Regulation for instructors of an approved program.
10. Academic Integrity, Privacy, and Conduct
Assessment integrity in the online environment is maintained under the Academic Integrity Policy. The privacy and security of student information and the online learning environment are addressed under the Privacy and Records Policy; recording, sharing, or distributing instructional sessions or participant information without authorization is prohibited and is addressed under the Student Conduct Policy.
11. Records
Records related to distance delivery — including attendance, assessment, and progress records maintained in Tutor LMS — are retained in accordance with the institution’s Privacy and Records Policy, which provides for retention of Class A student records for at least eight years.
12. Related Policies
This policy operates alongside the institution’s Student Attendance Policy, Academic Integrity Policy, Student Conduct Policy, Privacy and Records Policy, and Accommodation Policy.
13. Contact and Approval
Seaside Coast College · 3514 Fairmont Road, North Vancouver, BC V7R 2W9
Email: lynth@seasidecoastcollege.com · Website: seasidecoastcollege.com
Approved by: Senior Educational Administrator · Review cycle: Annual