“Some private career college operators have requested permission to accommodate students by offering classroom programs via online, distance, or other alternative methods of instruction on a temporary basis.
Where local public health officials have advised businesses and institutions to limit the number of people on their premises, I am prepared to consider requests for special, short-term accommodations on a program-by-program basis to allow students to continue their training via alternative methods of instruction.
To facilitate streamlined and timely decisions, I will require an attestation, signed by an individual with authority to bind the private career college, that the private career college has the current capacity to train, evaluate, and support students via alternative methods of instruction without significant loss of program quality. At a minimum, the attestation must include the following:
• A list of all programs that the private career college wishes to deliver by alternative methods of instruction; • details concerning how the private career college will support its students during their period of accommodation;
• Endorsements by a relevant third party (if applicable) that the method proposed is appropriate for the program (e.g. supporting documentation from the Law Society of Ontario for alternative means of delivering paralegal programs); and
The appendix to this memo sets out items to consider when preparing attestations.
Any alternative training measures approved by the Superintendent for OSAP-approved students will remain subject to their Performance Requirements. This means that the Approved Institution must be able to display that it is:
- Monitoring full-time participation of its students (providing students a work load equivalent to 20 hours/week);
- Monitoring academic progression (i.e. weekly reports); and
- Adhering to the Active Participation Policy.
Attestations should be sent by email to your private career college inspector. I will review the attestation and respond promptly by email through the inspector. Once you have my approval, you may proceed with your accommodation plan for students.
Suspension of Operations
If a private career college is required to suspend operations entirely, the Superintendent of Private Career Colleges expects the operator to inform their inspector immediately and to ensure that students are adequately supported during the period of suspension.
Supports for students should include planning for the resumption of programs following the suspension, ongoing communications and updates concerning the duration of the suspension, and provisions for refunds of training fees should students choose not to continue in programs during or following the suspension. “