If your question is about course content or about extensions to deadlines, first consult with the instructor as soon as possible. Questions or concerns about the BEd program can be directed early on to the Teacher Education Program Coordinators so that issues may be resolved before there is an impact on your progress.

For questions or problems relating to practicum (e.g., placement, progress, withdrawal), you can contact Teacher Education Program Coordinators – Practicum. The Education Student Association may also offer ombudsperson services for students, as well as UBC's Office of the Ombudsperson for Students. The Director and Associate Dean of Teacher Education are also available to hear concerns.

It is the teacher candidate's responsibility to complete registration in all required courses for winter and summer session. Follow the guidelines in the Registration Guide for your program. Course schedules are also listed under Current Students.

Ensure that you are enrolled in the appropriate courses for your program option and in the total number of credits specified for each term as indicated in the Registration Guide. Many courses will be part of a standard timetable. All courses, including electives, are at the 300-400 level. Distance Education courses are not permitted.

Timetables are constructed to minimize the necessity for course changes. Courses may only be dropped from a standard timetable with approval from a program coordinator in the Teacher Education Office.

In some cases, you may change sections of a course if there is room in the preferred section. You are expected to make timetable changes that are permitted online by the end of the first week of class. You may only attend classes for which you are registered.

• The teacher candidate is responsible for the completeness and accuracy of registration as it relates to the regulations of the degree or diploma program in which the teacher candidate is enrolled. UBC Calendar (Chapter: Policies and Regulations)

You may withdraw voluntarily from courses or the extended practicum in accordance with the university deadlines for withdrawal as outlined in the UBC Calendar (Chapter: Policies and Registration—Withdrawal). If you need to withdraw voluntarily from any component of the Teacher Education program, first immediately notify and obtain approval from the Teacher Education Office.

Withdrawals and/or a standing of “W” may have implications for loans and tuition fees.

• Check the UBC Calendar for exact dates.

Courses:

You may change your term one registration on the web without consequence up to a specific date in mid-September. (Check the UBC Calendar for specific dates.)

Withdrawals made between September and October dates will record a "W" standing on your transcript. If changes are necessary after mid-October, a "Change of Registration" form has to be authorized by a program coordinator in the Teacher Education Office. The form must include the instructors' signatures for courses added and dropped.

• Check the UBC Calendar for exact dates.

Change of Registration forms may be obtained in the Teacher Education Office only after the online registration closes. In place of add/drop forms, email correspondence indicating permission to add/drop may be provided for the program coordinator.

The procedures are the same for Winter Session Term 2 and for Summer Session. In mid-January, the last day for Term 2 changes in registration and withdrawal without a "W" standing on your academic record is scheduled. Withdrawals made January to February will result in a "W" standing on your academic record. Teacher Education Office approval for withdrawals is required.

• Check the UBC Calendar for exact dates.

Practica:

The extended practica has specific dates for withdrawal. Withdrawal from practica must occur in consultation with your School and Faculty Advisors, and with approval from the Program Coordinators (Practica). The Program Coordinators (Practica) in the Teacher Education Office (TEO) are also available for advising and support.

• Withdrawals of any type and/or a standing of "W" may have implications for loans and tuition fees. The University policy on Withdrawals and Change of Registration applies.
  
  Please contact UBC's Student Financial Assistance & Awards for advising on student loans.

Students who withdraw from the program voluntarily will not be entitled automatically to return; each request for reinstatement will be considered along with other applications at the time.

Please note that the Teacher Education program must be completed in its entirety within four years of first date of admission. (UBC Calendar: Bachelor of Education)

You may move to a different cohort only if there is room available in that cohort before classes begin in September. Once classes start, it is not possible to change to a different cohort unless there are exceptional circumstances.

The Teacher Education program is an intensive full–time program. Normally, you may not add credits to your prescribed course load without approval from a Program Coordinator. You may not take any evening courses (credit or non-credit) while on practicum.

The BEd program schedule includes courses until mid-August. There are no exceptions to this schedule. Only teacher candidates admitted to the July Start options complete their program in June. Vacations, weddings and other personal events must not conflict with scheduled courses.

• You may not register in more than 7 credits in any 3-week summer session sub-term.

If you must miss a class, notify your instructor immediately. The nature of the Teacher Education Program is participatory. Teacher candidates who miss a significant amount of class time (i.e. more than 15% of course hours) are normally required to repeat the course.

Teacher candidates are not able to proceed to practicum or graduate until all prior courses are successfully completed.

Assignments are expected to be submitted on or before due dates scheduled by instructors.

If you are absent or unable to complete an assignment due to illness, contact your instructor(s) and explain the situation. Discuss the possibility of an extended due date or alternate arrangements to deal with class material missed.

If you wish to request an academic concession, obtain a medical statement from your physician or UBC Counselling, Health & Wellness. The statement must be submitted to the Teacher Education Office as soon as possible. Note: A medical statement does not constitute a concession; it is evidence to be considered when a request for a concession is made. Your instructors may request a copy of the statement or confirmation from the TEO. Teacher candidates will not be excused from classes to take teacher-on-call assignments.

If you are unable to submit your assignment(s) on time, this may result in exclusion from, or in not passing the course. Likewise, on the practicum if you do not submit unit or lesson plans by requested dates, you may be excluded from the practicum (Calendar – Bachelor of Education). Contact your instructors immediately if you cannot meet your deadlines. Please also refer to: What happens if I must miss classes or am unable to complete an assignment due to medical, financial or emotional crises?

You have the following options:

1. In case of sudden illness that interferes with your ability to function as a teacher candidate, you may seek and obtain an emergency appointment with the Student Health Service (SHS) clinic located next to the hospital emergency department on campus. (Patient Appointments – Tel: 604.822.4848) You may also request assistance from a program coordinator in TEO.
   
   If you are absent or unable to complete an assignment due to illness, contact your instructor(s) to explain the situation. Discuss the possibility of an extended deadline or alternate arrangements to deal with missed course materials.
   
   Should the absence or inability to complete an assignment exceed three days and you request an academic concession, obtain a statement from your physician or from Student Health Services. The statement must include sufficient detail to explain the inability to extend or to complete a course. Submit the statement to a program coordinator in the Teacher Education Office without delay. You may wish to provide your instructors with this statement, as well. In the case of repeated absences, instructors will require you to contact a program coordinator in the TEO.


2. For financial assistance and for student loan advising, contact an advisor in Student Financial Assistance & Awards:

Brock Hall (East Wing)
Room 1036 – 1874 East Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
Tel: 604.822.5111
Email: awards.inquiry@ubc.ca
Web: www.students.ubc.ca/finance

3. For personal crises requiring urgent counselling, emergency drop-in hours are scheduled daily in the UBC Counselling Services Centre. You may request the assistance of a Program Coordinator in the TEO to arrange for a counsellor to see you at the earliest opportunity.

UBC Counselling Services
Brock Hall
Room 1040 – 1874 East Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
Tel: 604.822.3811
Web: www.students.ubc.ca/counselling

Requests for academic concessions must first be directed to instructors, and second, to a Program Coordinator in the Teacher Education Office before or as close as possible to the time that attendance or performance is affected. Teacher candidates should provide documentation for such requests (e.g., medical condition; personal or other problems; or religious observances). Documentation from a physician or other authority needs to provide sufficient details to support any concessions requested. Concessions may include permission to: obtain assignment extensions, drop a course(s), withdraw from the program, or obtain deferred or aegrotat standings.

• Please note that untimely notification (of request) will normally not be taken into account. UBC Calendar: Bachelor of Education

An Aegrotat Standing (AEG) allows credit for a course even though the course requirements have not been completed. This standing is awarded (in unusual cases) only if the instructor and the Associate Dean agree that you have demonstrated the capacity to deal with the course material satisfactorily. UBC Calendar

A Deferred Standing (SD) may be granted only when you have a valid reason for not completing course requirements as scheduled and you do not qualify for an Aegrotat Standing.

If you have been granted Deferred Standing in the Winter Session, you must complete all outstanding course requirements by the following mid–August [or earlier to meet a specific deadline negotiated with the instructor(s)].

If you have been granted Deferred Standing in the Summer Session, you must complete all outstanding course requirements by the following mid–December (or earlier as negotiated).

If you have been granted Deferred Standing, you are responsible for making satisfactory arrangements with your instructors for completion of outstanding requirements. If you fail to complete the deferred requirements by the date specified, the SD will be replaced with a grade or standing that reflects the requirements completed in the course.
UBC Calendar: Bachelor of Education

• For guidelines related to an SD standing in the teaching practica, please refer to
  Practica – FAQ: "When and under what conditions do I finish the practicum if I am granted a standing of SD?".

Either before or when you start the program, you need to first meet with a Program Coordinator in the Teacher Education Office so that we are aware of your needs. You will be advised to meet with an advisor at UBC's Access & Diversity Office, who will assess and plan for disability-related services within your teacher education program. Collaboration between the TEO Program Coordinator, the teacher candidate and the Diversity Advisor to provide for accommodations identified by the Access & Diversity Office are part of the planning process, and follow-up advising will continue when necessary as you

Access & Diversity Office
Brock Hall
Room 1203 – 1874 East Mall
Tel: 604.822.5844
Email: access.diversity@ubc.ca
Web: www.students.ubc.ca/access

All teacher candidates admitted to the teacher education program must demonstrate competency in oral English. If questions arise regarding your written or oral English competency, you may be advised to participate in Language Support seminars offered through the Teacher Education Office and the Department of Language and Literacy Education before proceeding to the Extended Practicum. You may also wish to participate in other sources of English language support offered at UBC or elsewhere. Teacher candidates who have language challenges that are not satisfactorily addressed, may be excluded from participating in practicum experiences.

UBC Calendar: Bachelor of Education – Academic Regulations

UBC elementary and middle years teacher candidates are encouraged to include a second language methodology course as one of their electives, (e.g., LLED 324 – Teaching and Learning French as a Second Language) either during their pre-service year or once they are teaching. There are also federal government bursaries available for summer French immersion programs for teacher candidates and for teachers.

• UBC Continuing Studies – French Language courses
• Faculty of Education – Language & Literacy Education (LLED) courses

Teacher candidates are normally given one opportunity to revise assignments. If you do not meet the expected standard in coursework you may be required to do supplemental work, do a supplemental examination, and/or repeat a course in order to meet expected standards. If your academic standing is unsatisfactory in one or more courses you may be required to repeat courses, or to discontinue, or to withdraw from the Faculty.

UBC Calendar

You must pass all the requirements for each consecutive term preceding the extended practicum. Similarly, you must pass the extended practicum in order to proceed to the enhanced practicum, and subsequently, to the program’s final Summer session courses. In exceptional cases, after consultation with a program coordinator and with the permission of the Associate Dean, Teacher Education, you may be permitted to proceed to the final term of the Teacher Education Program, prior to completing the extended practicum. Permission to proceed out of sequence is not automatically granted.

UBC Calendar

Re-admission into the Teacher Education Program is not automatic.
UBC Calendar

• Re-Admission Guidelines

Conditions of re-admission are outlined below:

The Faculty makes recommendations for student awards and scholarships based upon achievement in classes and practica during the program. You do not apply for most scholarships or academic awards. However, you may apply for scholarships and bursaries that do not require a recommendation by the Faculty.

Check application procedures and deadlines at the office of Student Financial Assistance & Awards in Brock Hall. Canada Student Loan application information and deadlines are also available from the TEO and under the Awards section of this website.

Teacher candidates must make a formal application to have their Bachelor of Education degree conferred.

To apply for graduation, go to the Student Services Centre (SSC).

Check the UBC Calendar for the February date that applications must be submitted online to the Student Services Centre for Spring Convocation, and submit by August 31 for Fall Convocation.

• If you do not apply or are not eligible for graduation, a recommendation for certification will not be submitted to the BC College of Teachers.

The Faculty of Education applies the following policy in determining satisfactory completion of the Bachelor of Education:

• Entry into the profession of teaching is not a right, but a privilege. Suitability to teach includes satisfactory academic performance, teaching performance and professional conduct. Although satisfactory academic performance is prerequisite to advancement, it is not the sole criterion in the consideration of the suitability of a teacher candidate for promotion or graduation.
  
  The Faculty reserves the right to require a teacher candidate to withdraw from the Faculty if the teacher candidate is considered to be unsuited to proceed with the study or practice of teaching. UBC Calendar

You must apply to graduate, and upon approval of your degree completion, the Faculty will recommend you to the British Columbia College of Teachers. The possession of a Bachelor of Education does not in itself confer the right to teach in public schools in British Columbia.

Certification to teach is granted by the Ministry of Education Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB) . Applicants who intend to teach in other jurisdictions must obtain information concerning the requirements for entry from the governing or credentialing body in those jurisdictions. Refer to "The School Act and Professional Associations: Ministry of Education Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB)" section of the Bachelor of Education Program Policy Handbook.

Teacher Certification:

Possession of a certificate of qualification to teach is mandatory for teaching within public elementary, middle years or secondary schools of British Columbia. The Teaching Profession Act has assigned the authority to the Ministry of Education Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB) to issue teaching certificates and to determine the classes of certificates of qualification issued.

Persons convicted of or given an absolute or conditional discharge on a criminal offence and who are considering a teaching career, should write the Ministry of Education Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB) for clarification of their status.

At the end of each session, the Faculty reports to the Teacher Regulation Branch the names of teacher candidates who have satisfied requirements for BC teacher certification. This report includes a copy of each teacher candidate's UBC transcript but does not include copies of transcripts from other institutions.

Those not wishing their status reported and their transcripts forwarded to the College of Teachers should inform the Associate Dean, Teacher Education, in writing at least one month before they complete teacher certification requirements. (Committee on Curriculum, Admissions, Standing, and Appeals, Spring 2001).

Ministry of Education Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB) Standards

In order to be recommended by the Faculty of Education for certification to the Ministry of Education Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB), teacher candidates must provide evidence in their professional e-portfolios of demonstrating the Standards for the Education, Competence and Professional Conduct of Educators in British Columbia.

• Expectations of Teacher Candidates – Professional E-Portfolios

Standards for the Education, Competence and Professional Conduct of Educators in British Columbia:

1. Educators value and care for all students and act in their best interests.
2. Educators are role models who act ethically and honestly.
3. Educators understand and apply knowledge of student growth and development.
4. Educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools.
5. Educators implement effective practices in areas of planning, instruction, assessment, evaluation and reporting.
6. Educators have a broad knowledge base and understand the subject areas they teach.
7. Educators engage in career–long learning.
8. Educators contribute to the profession.

• TRB – Standards for the Education, Competence and Professional Conduct of Educators in BC

All information in your student file is considered confidential. You may request copies of any information in your file except for confidential reference letters submitted to support your admission application.

Requests for information must be presented in writing at least one month prior to release of records. Under no circumstances will the Faculty forward academic or practicum records to potential employers. You are expected to retain copies of practicum reports for this purpose.

Requests for official transcripts must be made online to Enrolment Services.

Upon program completion, practicum reports and anecdotal records are normally retained for a period of five years following convocation. Academic transcripts of courses and degrees may be obtained from Enrolment Services for a fee.

UBC academic records are kept indefinitely.

The TEO does not receive individual copies of criminal record check clearances; however, if you wish, you can request a letter from our office stating that this check was performed and the clearance date. 

The criminal record check is required of each teacher candidate upon admission or re-admission to the teacher education program.

Entry into the profession of teaching is not a right but a privilege. Suitability to teach includes satisfactory academic performance, teaching performance, and professional conduct. Although satisfactory academic performance is prerequisite to advancement, it is not the sole criterion in the consideration of the suitability of a student for promotion or graduation. The Faculty reserves the right to require a student to withdraw from the Faculty if the student is considered to be unsuited to proceed with the study or practice of teaching.

Should a registered student come under investigation for a relevant criminal offence during the course of the program, the Faculty asks that the teacher candidate notify the Director, Teacher Education immediately.

Should a registered student be charged with a “relevant offence” during the program pursuant to Section 17.4 of the Criminal Records Review Act, UBC is required to obtain, and students are required to provide authorization for a further criminal record check. Failure to meet the requirements of the criminal record check may affect a student’s status in relation to both graduation and certification.

An offence is deemed relevant in determining the risk that an individual may pose in a position where they have unsupervised access to children (Criminal Records Review Act).
 Teacher candidates who are readmitted to the program will be required to authorize a new criminal record request if they have not been registered in the program during the past Winter Session.

Teacher candidates who wish to protest evaluative decisions relating to their academic coursework may do so. Appeals should first be directed to the nearest source, typically an instructor. If there is no resolution, appeals should be made in writing to the Head of the Department concerned, for most purposes, or to the Teacher Education Office for EDUC courses (including practica).

Appeals received within 60 days of the decision, by the Associate Dean of Teacher Education, will be reviewed and forwarded to the Faculty of Education's Committee on Curriculum, Admissions, Standings, and Appeals (CCASA). Advice concerning the process and forms on which to submit an appeal are available from the Teacher Education Office.
UBC Calendar: Bachelor of Education

An Appeal must be accompanied by a written statement which shall include:

1. a statement of the decision being appealed including the name and title of the person who made the decision
2. a statement of the reasons for the appeal
3. a chronology of the circumstances related to the appeal issue
4. copies of any documents to which the appellant refers