
Student Services Team provides students with direction, support and advice to assist students achieve their academic goals. Academic Planning and Consultation is available by appointment or drop-in basis:
To contact one of our Student Service Officers:
Megan Zhao
Student Services
Email: meganz@vpcollege.com
Michael Wang
Student Services
Email: michaelw@vpcollege.com
Yue Li
Student Services
Email: yuel@vpcollege.com
Individual counselling service is provided to students to enhance their personal development and capabilities in handling their personal issues in social, psychological, financial and other aspects. All information shared with the Student Services Officers will be kept in strict confidence. Students in need are encouraged to approach the Student Services Officers for help.
To contact one of our Student Service Officers:
Megan Zhao
Student Services
Email: meganz@vpcollege.com
Michael Wang
Student Services
Email: michaelw@vpcollege.com
Yue Li
Student Services
Email: yuel@vpcollege.com
Professional counselling services by Registered Clinical Counsellors are offered to VPC students on an appointment basis. This is in conjunction with the TWU Wellness Centre. The first session is free; the second to fourth sessions are $20 per visit; and subsequent sessions are $30 per visit.
To book an appointment:
Email: twu.wellness.services@gmail.com
Text/ Voice Message: 672-999-3618
Any student who wishes to take leave is required to submit an Application for Leave. This form must be submitted a minimum of two weeks in advance of the cycle start date. Please note that the maximum amount of time off is one cycle per year.
To contact one of our Student Service Officers:
Megan Zhao
Student Services
Email: meganz@vpcollege.com
Michael Wang
Student Services
Email: michaelw@vpcollege.com
Yue Li
Student Services
Email: yuel@vpcollege.com
We offer appointments and drop-ins for students wishing to meet one-on-one with a Student Services Office for acadmic planning and support.
Student Services Team assists students with student life initiatives to ensure a positive student learning and VPC experience through different student activities, we provide opportunities for students to socialize with their peers, develop leadership skills and life skills. VPC organizes year-round activities for our students. These may include social events, outings, “Top Chef” cooking demonstrations, Online karaoke contests, photography contests, practice workshops, seasonal festivities and much more.
For more information, please visit Student Activities.
VPC welcomes feedback from our current students. If you have any issues, concerns, complaints, suggestions or anything you would like to share in confidence, then please send an email to feedback@vpcollege.com
Registration is the process of formally assigning and recording the enrolment of a student usually in a course(s), or in a program(s). Registration is available only to those students who have been accepted by the College for admission, for re-admission or for continuing from one semester to the next, and whose statement of grades indicates eligibility to continue.
Evaluation criteria for each course are shown on course outlines, which are distributed at the beginning of each cycle by the instructors. Evaluation criteria (e.g. participation, quiz scores, projects, presentations) have their own value or weight towards the final grade. Letter grades for each course taken are assigned based on the percentage achieved by weighing the evaluation criteria as indicated on the course outlines. Our Colleges utilize the Alpha Grading Scale. You are assigned a final letter grade when you complete a course. Each grade corresponds to a grade point value.
Students must attempt informal resolution with the involved individual prior to proceeding with a formal appeal. If informal resolution is not successful, the student should obtain a General Appeals Form and submit it in full to the relevant College responsibility center. The procedure for a formal appeal is found in the Student Handbook.
Students who have attended a post-secondary institute other than our Colleges may be eligible to transfer some credits toward our diploma/certificate programs. Our Colleges accept transfer credits from colleges and universities in B.C., Canada and elsewhere. In general, transfer credit is permitted for courses completed with a minimum C- grade (or equivalent in the institute’s grading system) to a maximum of 50% of the credits toward a diploma/certificate program. Transferred credits will be counted into the total credits earned at our Colleges but will not be calculated into the overall GPA on the transcripts.
Other Refunds:
Students must attempt informal resolution with the involved instructor prior to proceeding with a formal appeal. If informal resolution is not successful, the student should obtain a Grade Appeal Form from the front desk and complete it in full and submit it to the Registrar’s Office. The procedure for formal appeals is as follows:
Ceasing to attend classes or the College does not constitute withdrawal from the class or the College. Students who wish to withdraw must notify the College in writing by completing required paper work.
Students who wish to withdraw from any program must fill out a Program Withdrawal form and submit it to the front desk. Please refer to the Refund Policy regarding withdrawals. We request the student also meets with the Director of Education for an exit interview.
Students who wish to withdraw from a hospitality management course must fill out a Course Add/Drop form and submit it to the front desk. If the form is submitted after the first class of the scheduled course cycle, the grade of the withdrawn course “W” will appear on the transcript. Withdrawal from a course after the 10th class is not permitted. Please refer to the Refund Policy regarding withdrawals.
If a student discontinues his or her program of study in any of the following cases while he or she is not yet expected to graduate, the student will be dismissed from their program of study.
In the above circumstances, the regular refund policy for students will apply. If the student wishes to apply for readmissions to the College in the future, he or she must reapply as a new student. See Fees section for more information.
Other possible grounds to dismiss a student:
In the above cases, students will be dismissed only after following procedures have been followed and the student has not shown adequate improvement.
Final decisions with respect to a student’s status at our Colleges will be at the discretion of the Registrar. Our Colleges reserve the right to expel a student without prior warning for a criminal offence or action that causes harm to our Colleges, staff or students.
Our Colleges expect students to attend all of their classes, to be on time and ready for classes and not to leave classes before they are finished. If a student is unable to attend classes, he/she is required to inform our College in advance. In the event of an unexpected delay or absence, please notify our College immediately. If students need to leave class early, they will receive a “late” or “absent” on their attendance record. How this will be recorded will ultimately be up to the course instructor.
We understand that life can sometimes get in the way. However, excessive lates or absences will not be tolerated and will thus be reflected in the Participation portion of your grades. Students should also be aware that attendances are tracked and the records will be submitted to PTIB, student loan regulator, ESDC (Employment and Social Development Canada), and/or IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) as required. Excessive absences will cause your student loans or funding to be defaulted or your study permit to be revoked. Additionally, absences and punctuality are qualifications for co-op and practicum. In the event of a delay or absence, please notify the College immediately.
Please note that the attendance policies may differ for those students who are on academic probation. For more details, please refer to Academic Probation section in this policy booklet. Please also note that the attendance polices may differ for non-credit courses. Please follow the policies specified in the course outlines handed out by your instructor.
Students should be reminded that by simply stop attending does not constitute withdrawal. An official withdrawal is only valid and effective from the date a Course Add/Drop form is received and approved by the Registrar’s office. Students who do not meet the class attendance requirements are required to withdraw from a class and will assigned a letter grade of RW (required class withdrawal).
If a student will be absent from classes due to illness, he/she should notify our College by phone or email beforehand. A doctor’s note will be required for absenteeism over 2 days due to illness.
An “Application for Leave” form must be completed and submitted to the Student Service Officer a minimum of two weeks in advance. After receiving the completed form, the Student Service Officer will schedule a meeting with the student to discuss their academic progress and how the absence will impact their graduation date. If approved, students can take a maximum of one cycle off per calendar year. Class rescheduling fees will apply to all classes affected.
If a student takes time off without our Colleges’ permission or extends their approved time off without permission, they are still responsible for all of the tuition paid/owed for classes that they miss during that time. No refunds or tuition credits will be issued for courses missed during unexcused absences.
We appreciate students calling to inform their instructors of any unexpected lates or absences, sick days, or vocational planned absences, but this will usually not affect the above policies. These missed sessions will still count towards your overall course attendance record and might affect your grades.
All students are expected to abide by our Colleges’ Attendance Policy. Final decisions with respect to a student’s status will be at the discretion of the Director of Education.
Our Colleges recognize that not all learning happens in a formal classroom environment. PLA is a way to document that a student possesses the necessary knowledge, competencies, abilities and skills for academic credit for a particular course(s) in his or her program. Obtaining credit through PLA can be time-consuming and rigorous as the student will be required to provide a number of documents, as well as clearly demonstrate his or her competency with respect to the subject matter being evaluated.
To gain credit through Prior Learning Assessment, a student needs to first meet the following criteria:
Up to 50% of the credits needed to graduate from a particular program may be gained through PLA.
For more detailed information about gaining credits through PLA and related fees, please obtain a PLA Information Sheet and Application Form from the Registrar.
The following policies and procedures have been designed for the protection and interest of both the student and our Colleges. It is acknowledged by both parties (or representatives thereof) that the contents are read and understood and will be the basis of conflict and dispute resolution between the two parties.
Co-op
Once a student confirms taking co-op, the student must also make an appointment with the Co-op Coordinator to go through an interview process. The interview is an integral part for the College to decide if a student can be accepted to co-op or not. The interview must be done before the end of the current semester. After the interview, the Co-op Coordinator will determine the student’s eligibility and notify the student his/her decision through a letter handed out along with the student’s semester report card.
To be eligible for a co-op, a student must satisfy the Co-op Coordinator with the following:
If a student is denied for a co-op the first time, he/she can re-apply once at no extra cost.
If the student decides to withdraw or the College withdraws the student from a co-op, the College’s refund policy will apply. See refund policy for details.
Co-op Work Cycles
If the student does not have a job secured before the following cycle commences, the student will proceed with classes as usual.
Dismissals
A student may be required to withdraw from co-op if he/she does not complete required tasks by deadlines set by the Co-op Coordinator or performs poorly at work and does not make expected improvement. In the case of dismissal, the student is required to meet with the Co-op Coordinator to discuss the reasons for dismissal. VPC is not prepared to continue the placement process and/or place the student for a second co-op position if it is deemed that the dismissal is the fault of the student. If VPC decides to allow the student a second co-op placement, there may be conditions set before the student can apply for jobs again. Also, the student will be charged another placement fee for the second placement. If a student is dismissed from a co-op job placement, VPC reserves the right to deny the work experience towards a student’s work experience requirement.
Practicum
Diploma students who choose to take a practicum will complete a 200-hour practicum concurrently with their studies while certificate students who choose to take a practicum will normally take the practicum after completing their course components.
Practicum Orientation
All students who are interested in the practicum must attend VPC’s Practicum Orientation. This orientation is a pre-requisite for being placed in a practicum and will help the student understand how the practicum works, what the requirements are for being placed in a practicum, and what the expectations are during the practicum. The date for the Practicum Orientation will be indicated on the Course Timetable as well as the College Calendar.
Applying for Practicum
Just like Co-op students, students will have until the semester’s course selection (for the following semester) deadline to confirm their enrollment in the practicum program by completing a Practicum/Co-op Confirmation form.
Practicum Eligibility
The Practicum Coordinator will evaluate all students who choose to take Practicum at the end of the semester to decide whether or not they meet the requirements to be placed in a practicum. Requirements include:
If a student does not meet the requirements, he or she will meet with Student Service to discuss options. Students will need to pay their full practicum fee before they can be placed.
Practicum Discussion Group Class
All students who have registered for practicum must attend the Practicum Discussion Group class through the semester they are taking practicum. Students will also meet individually with the Practicum Coordinator on a regular basis for a practicum placement. The discussion class provides an opportunity to discuss practicum work and get advice or assistance. Attendance at these sessions is mandatory, regular attendance policies apply, and missing any of the sessions may affect the student’s status at the College and in his/her practicum.
Placements
We recommend students do some research early in their program to determine what department or type of hospitality business they are most interested in. VPC is responsible for placing the student in a practicum that best suits his/her abilities and interests. Students will not be allowed to find their own practicum placements.
There will be a maximum number of students placed on practicum each semester. Late registrants may need to postpone practicum. VPC reserves the right to refuse any student a practicum. Students who are not denied for a practicum or are not able to complete the practicum requirements successfully may choose to change their program of study to a program that does not require practicum to graduate.
Dismissals
Regular course attendance policy applies to the Practicum Discussion Group class. Students who violate the attendance policy will be required to withdraw from practicum. Students may also be dismissed from their practicum if they do not complete required tasks by deadlines set by the Practicum Coordinator or performs poorly at work and do not make expected improvement. Students who are dismissed from their practicum will meet with the Practicum Coordinator to discuss the reasons for dismissal. VPC will not find the student a second placement if it is deemed that the dismissal is the student’s fault. If VPC decides to place the student in a second practicum, there may be conditions set before the student is placed. The student will need to pay full fees again for a second placement.
Refunds
The practicum will be treated as a regular course when it comes to refunds.
Students will be expected to adjust their personal schedules and social life during their practicum in order to fit the additional hours into their routine. Once students have been placed in a practicum, they will not be able to take any holidays or non-emergency leave from the position until the required hours are completed.
If you have lost an item then please go to Front Desk to report it. We will do our best to report any found items.
Applicable to the Richmond campus only. Students will be issued access cards for entry to the main campus and student lounge area, from the upper mall of Lansdowne.
Lockers are availble for rent on a semester basis. Please see Front Desk for registration and payment.
Please be informed that for the 2019 tax year and going forward, per the Income Tax Regulations, all designated education institutions issuing T2202 forms are required to include individual’s social insurance numbers (SIN) on the forms and to disclose the collected SINs to CRA.
Please update your SIN number under “Profile” via student information system (AmpEducator). If you do not provide your SIN, you may be subject to a penalty from CRA pursuant to the Income Tax Regulations.
Important Dates for 2021:
– Submit your SIN number before February 5, 2021
– You can download your T2202 Form on March 1, 2021 from your student information system
– Students who studied at VPC after 2018 can download from your student information system.
– Students who studied at VPC between 2014- 2018, can send an email to kathyp@vpcollege.com to request their T2202 form with personal information.
– Students who studied at VPC before 2014 will not get a T2202 form as per CRA regulation.
Social Insurance Number – Overview
The Social Insurance Number (SIN) is a 9 digit number that you need to work in Canada or to have access to government programs and benefits. There is no fee to apply for a SIN.
A SIN is issued to one person only and it cannot legally be used by anyone else. You are responsible for protecting your SIN. Store any document containing your SIN and personal information in a safe place—do not keep your SIN with you.
SINs that begin with a “9” are issued to temporary workers who are neither Canadian citizens nor permanent residents. The use of these SINs is temporary and are valid only until the expiry date indicated on the immigration document authorizing them to work in Canada.
If your SIN begins with a “9”, you must update your SIN record to ensure that the expiry date always corresponds with the expiry date on your document from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada authorizing you to work in Canada. Once your SIN record has been updated, you will receive a SIN with the new expiry date. Your previous SIN (whether it is a paper format or plastic card) is no longer valid and should be destroyed in a secure manner.
How to apply
Apply Online: https://sin-nas.canada.ca/en/Sin/
If you are applying online, you must provide the following documents:
Note: If you do not meet either of these requirements, contact IRCC to verify if you are eligible to apply for an amended study permit
Examples of acceptable secondary documents:
· a passport (Canadian or foreign)
· a provincial or territorial ID card or driver’s license
· any other government-issued ID
Note: Correspondence from the SIN Program, such as a previous Confirmation of SIN letter or a reject letter, is not accepted as proof of address.
The outside of an envelope is not accepted as proof of address.
Examples of acceptable proofs of address:
· a letter or document from a federal, provincial, territorial or foreign government.
· a letter or document from a financial institution. For example:
· bank statement
· credit card statement
· mortgage contract or statement
· a residential tenancy agreement or lease
· a bill. For example:
· from a telecom provider
· from a cable provider, or
· from a utility provider
· any document issued by:
· a school
· a college, or
· a university
· an employment contract
· a letter from an organization or an institution attesting the mailing address of the applicant. The organization or institution and the applicant must sign the letter confirming the mailing address
Frequently Asked Question
Q: In September 2020 I paid tuition for the Fall 2020 semester and Winter 2021 semester, how come it is only showing for the amount for September 2020 on the T2202?
A: The official tax receipt or form you received from your educational institution will indicate the amount of eligible tuition fees that you paid for that calendar year (ie 2020).
To qualify, the fees you paid to attend each educational institution must be more than $100. For example, if you attended two educational institutions in the year, the amount on each of your tax certificates must be more than $100.
More information here: CRA