Guidance

Guidance offers students direction and assistance with course selection beginning in Grade 8. Our students are encouraged to achieve ambitious post-secondary goals. In addition to individual guidance counselling, students develop skills to become self-guiding through enrolment in a guidance course.

The academic program includes a course in career studies in which students explore post-secondary programs and career options based on their identified strengths and interests. Students develop a career plan which includes the selection of appropriate secondary school courses and post-secondary programs.

Applying to post-secondary schools can be intimidating for many students. Knowing which schools are going to be a good fit can also be a difficult decision to make. Our Guidance Department is committed to making students feel confident in their post-secondary decisions while supporting the application process. Here is how we help our graduates with their post-secondary goals:

One-on-one guidance and support provided for course selections and post-secondary application and admission procedures in Canada and abroad. 
Provide updates on application process to parents and student advisors.
Group and individual information sessions held prior to and throughout application process.

Visits from Ontario and Canadian universities are arranged at the beginning of the academic year for students to learn and collect resource materials about post-secondary options. The Guidance Department assists graduates with their post-secondary applications and admission procedures including scholarship and bursary applications.

ACCOMMODATION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES POLICY

As Canada’s oldest independent co-educational day and boarding school, Albert College is committed to providing enriched and engaging curriculum and a “home away from home” to all students.

To achieve that aim, the College recognizes the importance of maintaining a campus environment that promotes inclusion and full participation, and enables barrier-free access to facilities and services. Each member of the College community is responsible for fostering a climate of understanding and mutual respect for the dignity and worth of other members.

All Albert College policies and procedures are therefore designed with a view to the College’s responsibilities under the Ontario Human Rights Code (“the Code”), the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (“AODA”) and regulations, and any other applicable legislation as may be in force from time to time respecting the provision of equal treatment and accommodation in education.

Additionally, this Policy shall be read in concert with the College’s Human Rights Policy, which prohibits discrimination based on any Code-protected ground and provides that members of the College community responsible for such discrimination may face disciplinary consequences, as outlined therein.

For the purposes of this Policy, the College adopts the definition of disability set out in the Code, as may be amended from time to time. “Disability” therefore may include, but is not limited to:

• A physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect, or illness;
• A condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability;
• A learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language; or
• A mental disorder.

Policy

 The College endeavours to provide students with disabilities with the greatest possible opportunity to participate fully in educational services and campus life by:

Promoting Inclusive Design: The College will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that its facilities, programs, polices, and services are structured and designed with a view to inclusiveness.

Removing Barriers: Wherever possible, the College is committed to removing institutional barriers in order to provide equal access to students with disabilities. 

Accommodating Remaining Needs: Where it is it not possible to resolve accessibility issues through inclusive design and/or the removal of barriers, the College is committed to working with students and their families to address students’ need for special services or support.

Additionally, all students have the right to be free from violence and harassment in any form while on College premises. If a student, or his or her parent or guardian, feel that he or she is experiencing violent or harassing behaviours related to the student’s disability, they are encouraged to report such behaviour to the Head of Junior School or Head of Senior School, who shall direct the student, parent, or guardian on the options available under the College’s Violence and Harassment Policy and Procedure.

 Accommodation

The aim of the College is the inclusion and full participation of students with disabilities. The College recognizes that students with disabilities are a diverse group, and that each student’s needs are unique. Therefore, requests for accommodation will be handled on a case-by-case basis. If a student, or his or her parent or guardian, believe that a student requires accommodation on the basis of a disability, they are directed to contact the Head of Junior School or Head of Senior School to develop an individual accommodation plan.

College staff and administration also play a vital role in identifying student needs. If the College feels that a student may require or benefit from special services or other accommodation to participate effectively in school, it will notify the student’s parents or guardians and advise them of the College’s accommodation and support services.

The College will take whatever measures are reasonable to accommodate student needs in a timely manner. However, students and their families are responsible for participating in this process, which may involve providing the College with medical documentation concerning a student’s restrictions or limitations, or participating in psychological, psycho-educational, or other professional assessments. The College will be responsible for the cost of obtaining any reasonably necessary documentation or evaluation, unless to do so would cause undue hardship within the meaning of the Code. If the costs amount to such undue hardship, the parents/guardians will be responsible for those costs.

As disabilities may be temporary, sporadic, or permanent, all accommodation requests shall be considered with a focus on the current abilities of the student.

Any records relating to an accommodation request will be treated as confidential and will only be disclosed as necessary to facilitate accommodation.

Special Services

Where a request for accommodation involves hiring or engaging additional staff, such as an Educational Assistant, to provide academic or other support, administration and current staff will work together to determine how to best implement that assistance.

All members of the College community recognize that the College is an independent institution, with funding for services and facilities derived from tuition and private fundraising efforts. The College will make its best efforts to identify and secure grants, bursaries, or other publicly-available funds to assist in implementing accommodation supports.

If the costs of accommodation supports amount to undue hardship within the meaning of the Code, which will be determined on a case-by-case basis, parents/guardians may be responsible for those costs in addition to regular fees paid.

College Standards

The College has an obligation to ensure that it maintains a safe, respectful environment for all members of the College community. Students are expected to abide by the College’s policies and procedures and to follow the direction of staff and administration. Students are also expected to successfully meet the College’s academic requirements as a university preparatory school. At the same time, the College recognizes that academic and disciplinary sanctions need to be approached on an individual basis, and with regard for the circumstances of the student or students involved.

The College will work with students and their families to develop strategies to address performance issues, behaviours, or incidents connected with a student's disability. The College reserves the right to implement sanctions or discipline, up to and including expulsion, where additional accommodation would constitute undue hardship to the College.