School Policy

Fluffy Paws Grooming School does not guarantee employment for any student who successfully completes a vocational program offered by Fluffy Paws Grooming School.

It is understood that fees are payable in accordance with the fees specified in this Enrolment Contract and all payments of fees shall become due forthwith upon a statement of accounting being rendered. Fluffy Paws Grooming School reserves the right to cancel this Enrolment Contract if the undersigned student does not attend classes during the first 14 days of the program begins. For information regarding cancellation of this Enrolment Contract and refunds of fees paid, see sections 25 to 33 of O. Reg. 415/06 made under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005.

Fee Refund Policy as Prescribed under s. 25 to 33 of O.Reg. 415/06

Full refunds
25. (1) A private career college shall refund all of the fees paid by a student under a contract for the provision of a vocational program in the following circumstances:

  1. The contract is rescinded by a person within two days of receiving a copy of the contract in accordance with section 36 of the Act.
  2. The private career college discontinues the vocational program before the student completes the program, subject to subsection (2).
  3. The private career college charges or collects the fees,
    1. before the registration was issued for the school under the Act or before the vocational program was approved by the Superintendent, or
    2. before entering into a contract for the provision of the vocational program with the student, unless the fee is collected under subsection
      44 (3).
  4. The private career college expels the student from the school in a manner or for reasons that are contrary to the School's expulsion policy.
  5. The private career college employs an instructor who is not qualified to teach all or part of the program under section 41.
  6. The contract is rendered void under subsection 18 (2) or under section 22.
  7. If a private career college fails to, or does not accurately, provide in the itemized list provided to the Superintendent under section 43 a fee item corresponding to a fee paid by a student for the provision of a vocational program, the school shall pay the student,
    1. in the case of an item not provided by the school, the full amount of the fee for the item, and
    2. in the case of a fee in excess of the amount of the fee provided for the item, the difference between the amount of the fee for the item provided to the Superintendent and the fee collected.

(2) A full refund is not payable in the circumstances described in paragraph 2 of subsection (1) if the discontinuance of the vocational program coincides with the private career college ceasing to operate.

(3) A refund is not payable under paragraphs 1 to 6 of subsection (1) unless the student gives the private career college a written demand for the refund.

(4) A refund under subsection (1) is payable by the private career college within 30 days of the day the student delivers to the school,

  1. in the case of a rescission under section 36 of the Act, notice of the rescission; or
  2. in the case of a refund under paragraphs 2 to 6 of subsection (1), a written demand for the refund.

Partial refund where student does not commence program
26. (1) If a student is admitted to a vocational program, pays fees to the private career college in respect of the program and subsequently does not commence the program, the school shall refund part of the fees paid by the student in the following circumstances:

  1. The student gives the school notice that he or she is withdrawing from the program before the day the vocational program commences.
  2. In the case of a student who is admitted to a vocational program on the condition that the student meet specified admission requirements before the day the program commences, the student fails to meet the requirements before that day.
  3. The student does not attend the program during the first 14 days that follow the day the program commenced and the school gives written notice to the student that it is cancelling the contract no later than 45 days after the day the program has commenced.

(2) The amount of a refund under subsection (1) shall be an amount that is equal to the full amount paid by the student for the vocational program, less an amount equal to the lesser of 20 per cent of the full amount of the fee and $500.

(3) A refund under subsection (1) is payable,

  1. in the case of a refund under paragraph 1 of subsection (1), within 30 days of the day the student gives notice of withdrawing from the program;
  2. in the case of a refund under paragraph 2 of subsection (1), within 30 days of the day the vocational program commences; and
  3. in the case of a refund under paragraph 3 of subsection (1), within 45 days of the day the vocational program commences.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph 3 of subsection (1), it is a condition of a contract for the provision of a vocational program that the private career college may cancel the contract within 45 days of the day the vocational program commences if the person who entered the contract with the school fails to attend the program during the 14 days that follow the day the vocational program commences.

(5) A private career college that wishes to cancel a contract in accordance with subsection (4) shall give written notice of the cancellation to the other party to the contract within 45 days of the day the vocational program commences.

Partial refunds: withdrawals and expulsions after program commenced
27. (1) A private career college shall give a student who commences a vocational program a refund of part of the fees paid in respect of the program if, at a time during the program determined under subsection (3),

  1. the student withdraws from the program after the program has commenced; or
  2. the student is expelled from the program in circumstances where the expulsion is permitted under the private career college's expulsion policy.

(2) This section does not apply to vocational programs described in sections 28 and 29.

(3) A private career college shall pay a partial refund under this section only if the withdrawal or expulsion from the vocational program occurs at a time during the program determined in accordance with the following rules:

  1. In the case of a vocational program that is less than 12 months in duration, the withdrawal or expulsion occurs during the first half of the program.
  2. In the case of a vocational program that is 12 months or more in duration,
    1. for the first 12 months in the duration of the program and for every subsequent full 12 months in the program, the withdrawal or expulsion occurs during the first six months of that 12-month period, and
    2. for any period in the duration of the vocational program remaining after the last 12-month period referred to in subparagraph i has elapsed, the withdrawal or expulsion occurs in the first half of the period.

(4) If the student withdraws or is expelled from a vocational program within the first half of a period referred to in subsection (3), the amount of the refund that the private career college shall pay the student shall be equal to the full amount of the fees paid in respect of the program less,

  1. an amount that is equal to the lesser of 20 per cent of the full amount of the fees in respect of the program and $500; and
  2. the portion of the fees in respect of the portion of the period that had elapsed at the time of the withdrawal or expulsion.

(5) If the student withdraws or is expelled from a vocational program during the second half of a period referred to in subsection (3), the private career college is not required to pay the student any refund in respect of that period.

(6) A private career college shall refund the full amount of fees paid in respect of a period that had not yet commenced at the time of the withdrawal or expulsion.

Partial refunds: distance education programs
28. (1) This section applies to a vocational program that is offered by mail, on the internet or by other similar means.

(2) A private career college shall give a student who commences a vocational program referred to in subsection (1) a refund of part of the fees paid in respect of the program if,

  1. the student withdraws from the program or the student is expelled from the program in circumstances where the expulsion is permitted under the private career college’s expulsion policy; and
  2. at the time of the withdrawal or expulsion, the student has not submitted to the private career college all examinations that are required in order to complete the program.

(3) The amount of the refund that a private career college shall give a student under subsection (1) shall be determined in accordance with the following rules:

  1. Determine the total number of segments in the vocational program for which an evaluation is required.
  2. Of the total number of program segments determined under paragraph 1, determine the number of segments in respect of which an evaluation has been returned to the student.
  3. The amount of the refund that the private career college shall pay the student shall be equal to the full amount of the fees paid in respect of the program less,
    1. an amount that is equal to the lesser of 20 per cent of the full amount of the fees in respect of the program and $500, and
    2. the portion of the fees in respect of the number of segments determined under paragraph 2.

(4) A private career college is not required to give a student any refund if the student, at the time of withdrawal or expulsion, has been evaluated in respect of more than half of the total number of segments in the program.

Partial refunds: non-continuous programs
29. (1) This section applies to a vocational program approved by the Superintendent to be provided through a fixed number of hours of instruction over an indeterminate period of time.

(2) A private career college shall give a student who commences a vocational program referred to in subsection (1) a refund of part of the fees paid in respect of the program if, before completing the required number of hours of instruction,

  1. the student has given the school notice that he or she is withdrawing from the program; or
  2. the student is expelled from the program in circumstances where the expulsion is permitted under the private career college’s expulsion policy.

(3) The amount of the refund that a private career college shall give a student under subsection (1) shall be equal to the full amount of the fees paid in respect of the program less,

  1. an amount that is equal to the lesser of 20 per cent of the full amount of the fees in respect of the program and $500; and
  2. a portion of the fees in respect of the program that is proportional to the number of hours of instruction that have elapsed at the time of the withdrawal or expulsion.

(4) A private career college is not required to give a student any refund if the student, at the time of withdrawal or expulsion, has completed more than half of the required number of hours of instruction in a program.

No retention of refund
30. A private career college shall not retain, by way of deduction or set-off, any refund of fees payable to a student under sections 25 to 29 in order to recover an amount owed by the student in respect of any service or program other than a vocational program offered by the private career college.

Treatment of books and equipment
31. In calculating a refund under sections 25 to 29, a private career college may retain the retail cost of books or equipment that the private career college supplied to the student if the student,

  1. fails to return the books or equipment to the private career college within 10 days of the student’s withdrawal or expulsion from the program, or
  2. returns the books or equipment to the private career college within the 10-day period referred to clause (a), but fails to return it unopened or in the same state it was in when supplied.

Refund for international students
32. A notice to a private career college that is provided by or on behalf of an international student or of a prospective international student and that states that the student has not been issued a temporary resident visa as a member of the student class under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) is deemed to be,

  1. notice of a rescission of the contract for the purposes of section 36 of the Act if the notice is given within two days of receiving a copy of the contract; and
  2. notice that the student is withdrawing from the program for the purposes of paragraph 1 of subsection 26 (1) or clause 29 (2) (a) if the notice is received on or before half of the duration of the program has elapsed.

Currency
33. Any refund of fees that a private career college is required to pay under the Act shall be paid in Canadian dollars.

Student Complaint Procedure
General Guidelines:

  1. A statement of complaint must be made in writing.
  2. All complaints are confidential.
  3. The procedure outlined below must be followed.
  4. A staff presented with a verbal complaint will ask the student to follow the procedure and remind the student of the written complaint requirement
  5. The Administrator will also ask for a copy of any written response(s) from those already contacted by the student in accordance with the procedure.
  6. Arrangements for meetings and written responses from the person being complained about will be made in a timely and professional fashion. No complaint will go unanswered.
  7. Records of Complaints will be maintained in the location where it originated for a period of at least three years.

Complaint Procedure:
Step 1.
The student will request a meeting with the Instructor responsible for the course to discuss the complaint verbally.

If not resolved at this level, the student will proceed to Step 2.

Step 2.
The student will submit a completed written complaint to the Administrator, using the contact information:

Wynne Wong
Administrator
328 Highway 7, Unit 3 Richmond Hill ON L4B 3P7
Phone: 905-709-9908 e-mail: wynnew1@rogers.com

The Administrator will arrange a meeting with the student within 7 days of receipt of the written complaint.

The student will have an opportunity to make an oral presentation of the complaint at this meeting and to have another person present or another person make the oral presentation on his/her behalf. This meeting will be minuted.

The Administrator will provide a written response to the student, outlining the discussion and any proposed and/or agreed upon solution(s) within 14 days of the meeting. This response will include a decision statement, together with the reasons on which the decision is based and minutes of meetings held. If not resolved at this level, the student will proceed to Step 3.

Step 3.
The student will submit a completed written complaint to the Director, using the contact information:

Vanessa Wong Wan Shan
328 Highway 7, Unit 3 Richmond Hill ON L4B 3P7
Phone: 647-282-8660 E-mail: vanessaws@gmail.com

The Director will arrange a meeting with the student within 14 days of receipt of the written complaint and the report from the Administrator with recommended solutions and the student’s objections or comments regarding these solutions.

The student will have an opportunity to make an oral presentation of the complaint at this meeting and to have another person present or another person make the oral presentation on his/her behalf. This meeting will be minuted.

The Director will provide a written response to the student, outlining the discussion and any proposed and/or agreed upon solution(s) within 14 days of the meeting and minutes of meetings held.

Download Student Complaint Form

If the student is not satisfied with the College’s decision after the review process, he/she can file a complaint with the Superintendent of Private Career Colleges using PARIS, the ministry’s new automated system, provided the student is attending a program approved under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005.

Example 1:
First, please go to this website: www.pcc.tcu.gov.on.ca/PARISExtWeb/public/register.xhtml. Once you have registered for a student account you’ll have access to the PARIS Reference Guide for students in case you need assistance lodging your complaint. The reference guide can be found in the Tools & Resources section.

Student Expulsion Policy Guide

Fluffy Paws Grooming School is committed to taking all reasonable steps to ensure the students have the opportunity to successfully complete their programs. The School has a commitment to ensure that within this general framework that all students are treated fairly and equitably. Students who do not support the academic and ethical goals of Fluffy Paws Grooming School for themselves and their fellow students may be subject to penalties, up to and including expulsion.

In general, Fluffy Paws Grooming School will attempt to resolve a situation without expulsion. Verbal warning, written warnings and suspension may precede this final and most serious of actions. Where Fluffy Paws Grooming School deems the integrity, safety or well being of the School, students, staff, clients, visitors and other guests is in danger then expulsion may be applied at the School’s discretion at any point in the process.

In conjunction with this policy, Fluffy Paws Grooming School ensures that its students have received and are aware of its code of conduct, its academic policy, and its attendance policy as outlined in the Student Handbook and any other Policy Handbooks specific to a particular course of study. The following outlines the conditions under which a student may be expelled with cause:

  1. Academic Dishonesty – students may be subject to expulsion at the discretion of the School for academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty is any word, action or deed performed alone, or with others for the direct or indirect intention of providing an unfair advantage or benefit to self or other student(s) including: a. cheating b. plagiarism c. unapproved collaboration d. alteration of records e. bribery f. lying g. misrepresentations
  2. Outstanding Fees – failure to pay overdue accounts owing to the school within the specified period may be grounds for expulsion after a written warning has been given.
  3. Code of Conduct - all students are required to adhere to the School’s published code of conduct. Where the violations do not have the potential to result in physical harm to persons or property the School may expel a student who has received suspension for failure to comply and has since violated any of the terms of the School’s code of conduct. Students who are found under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol or carrying weapons will be subject to immediate expulsion.
  4. Significant Omissions or Errors in Admissions Documentation – the School has a responsibility to ensure students have been admitted in accordance with the registration requirements for the program. Students who knowingly misrepresent their applications are subject to immediate expulsion.
  5. Academic Failure – students who fail to achieve the required academic standing in their programs may be expelled from the program. The School may at its discretion offer alternatives to a student and these are outlined in the academic policies for the program of study.
  6. Attendance – students who do not achieve the required attendance as stated in School policy are subject to expulsion.
  7. Harassment or Discrimination – the School does not condone harassment or discrimination of any student, staff, client or visitor to the School. Students participating in harassing or discriminatory activities that are racial, sexual, or pertaining to sexual orientation in nature may be subject to immediate suspension depending on the severity of the activity and pending investigation.

    Any student, who is deemed by the investigation to have engaged in severe harassing or discriminatory activities, may be expelled at the discretion of the school, depending on the severity of the activity.

    Racial harassment means bothering, threatening, or treating someone unfairly because of their race, colour, ancestry, birthplace, religious belief, ethnic background, citizenship, or language.

    Sexual harassment means bothering someone by saying or doing unwanted or unwelcome things of a sexual or gender-related nature including touching inappropriately, making offensive jokes about women and men, making sexual suggestions or requests, staring at or making unwelcome comments about one’s body, displaying sexually offensive pictures, or being verbally abusive because of one’s gender.

    Sexual orientation harassment means treating someone unequally because they are gay, lesbian, heterosexual, bisexual, or living in a same-sex relationship. This could include making a hurtful comment or action to an individual that is known or ought to be known to be unwelcome, making Homophobic jokes or hints about a person's sexual orientation or same-sex partnership status, or displaying of disrespectful signs, caricatures, cartoons or graffiti.

    In determining what constitutes harassment or discrimination, the School refers to The Ontario Human Rights Code. Students requiring more specific information may refer to the specific code as posted on the Provincial web site (http://www.ohrc.on.ca/english/code/index.shtml).

    If students, in good faith, report an incident of, or make a complaint about, sexual violence, they will not be subject to discipline or sanctions for violations of the private career college’s policies relating to drug or alcohol use at the time the alleged sexual violence occurred;

    Students who disclose their experience of sexual violence through reporting an incident of, making a complaint about, or accessing supports and services for sexual violence, will not be asked irrelevant questions during the investigation process by the private career college’s staff or investigators, including irrelevant questions relating to the student’s sexual expression or past sexual history.

    Click the following to view and/or download the complete SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT POLICY.

  8. Misuse of School Property – School property is for the provision of School services. Students who damage, misuse, steal or otherwise use the property in a way that is prohibited may be expelled and required to make restitution.
  9. Endangerment of Staff or Students – The School is committed to the right of all School staff, students, clients and visitors to be safe. Students who by action or neglect in any way endanger the safety of themselves or others may be expelled. Prior to expulsion, depending on the severity and nature of the situation, the School may take intermediate steps at its discretion including:
    1. verbal warning
    2. written warning
    3. suspension
    4. expulsion

Notification:
Students who are subject to expulsion for any reason will be notified in writing, either hand delivered or by registered mail with return receipt. Fluffy Paws Grooming School is not responsible for non-delivery by registered mail if the student has not provided a valid home address where the student currently resides.

The notification will contain a description of the basis for expulsion and the effective date. Expelled students who dispute the facts of the expulsion and wish to appeal must appeal the decision in writing within one week of the notification by following the school’s student complaint procedure provided to the student and by providing sufficient proof to support the complaint.

A Student whose expulsion is upheld after having followed the school’s student complaint and appeal procedure, may file a further appeal through the Complaints process of the Ministry of Training, Schools and Universities, provided the students are attending a program approved under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005.

If a student's appeal is successful and he/she is eventually reinstated as part of the internal school or Ministry appeal processes, then the school will arrange for the student to make up the training time that he/she had missed since the date of expulsion specified in the written notification.

Fees
Settlement of student’s accounts, for students that have been expelled, will be completed under the School’s Fee Refund Policy, using the effective date of expulsion as the final day of attendance in their program of study.

Return of Property
A student who is expelled is responsible for the return of any School property in his/her own possession within 10 days of the expulsion and will be held financially responsible for any property not returned in good condition or as outlined in the student contract.