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Reports and Policies

If you require these documents in an alternative format please contact:
Kristene Long, Office of the Vice President Academic
email: klong@sl.on.ca
613.544.5400 ext. 1585

As part of the value of Belonging, SLC supports an inclusive teaching and learning environment that respects and values the diversity of our students. In 2021, Policy AC836: Academic Accommodations for Religious, Indigenous and Spiritual Observances Policy was introduced. Under the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC), SLC faculty and employees are required to accommodate students’ rights to practice their individual faith observances. As the diversity of our student population grows, it becomes critical that we understand students’ rights and work to set up our programs to accommodate individual spiritual practices.

This student-focused policy provides consistent structure and practice for accommodations resulting from a conflict between academic obligations and religious, Indigenous, and spiritual observances, ensuring (as per OHRC), every individual has the right to be "treated equally based on creed, and to freely hold and practice creed beliefs of their choosing". Like accommodations under other OHRC grounds, such as disability, we have a duty to accommodate to the point of undue hardship.

The Student Wellness and Accessibility team includes a Spiritual Care Facilitator, who focuses on spirituality as a key foundational component of overall health and well-being. Through direct support and/or linkages to community faith groups, the College’s Spiritual Care Facilitator builds an ongoing safe and healthy community for all students on all campuses, regardless of denomination, faith tradition, or spiritual conviction. 

Resources:

Contacts:

Caryn Langstaff, M.Sc., SLP (she/her)
Director of Wellness, Accessibility & Student Success
clangstaff@sl.on.ca

Kathy Doering, M.Ed. (Counselling) (she/her)
Spiritual Care Facilitator (tri-campus)
kdoering@sl.on.ca
spiritualcare@sl.on.ca

St. Lawrence College is committed to fairness and requires adherence to policy in decisions affecting students. Academic appeals provide a mechanism for a reasonable review of academic decisions. 

Advancement Policies ensure that there are guidelines in place for any gifts and fundraising associated with St. Lawrence College. These policies ensure our organization adheres to ethical and consistent fundraising practices.

This policy reflects the College’s commitment to address complaints in a prompt, fair, and effective manner. Our objective is to resolve the issues of dissatisfaction as close to the point of contact as can be reasonably managed. Our intention is to continuously improve our services and to achieve high standards in part through diligent consideration of all complaints. We also continually seek feedback from our students and customers by providing a feedback card in our Student Services Centres on each campus and/or through completion of this form.

Copies of the Complaint Policy and Procedure, including the complaint forms, are available in the academic school offices, Student Services, and in Student Government offices.

Staff requiring assistance are to contact their immediate supervisor. Students requiring assistance are to approach the receptionist in the appropriate academic school offices or the Student Services Centres.

POLICY STATEMENTS

1. The College will respond to any dissatisfaction with its services fairly and promptly.

  • An initial response is provided within 10 working days.
  • A furthermore detailed response is made if appropriate.
  • The complainant may be offered a facilitated meeting with the parties involved if appropriate.
  • The complainant can appeal to the senior manager if dissatisfied with the outcome.

2. Information on how to move the complaint to the next level is provided if the complainant is not satisfied with the College’s initial   response.While confidentiality is respected whenever possible, it is not typically possible to resolve complaints without disclosing details of a complaint to relevant parties in order to allow the College a fair opportunity to resolve the issue. It is hoped that most complaints can be addressed informally. Where complaints are very serious or cannot been resolved informally, recourse to the formal process is made.

A student or client is protected from retaliation in accordance with this policy as long as the complaint is made in good faith and is not knowingly false or materially inaccurate. If retaliation occurs, further investigation is warranted.

3. All College staff have a responsibility for receiving complaints, treating them seriously, and dealing with them promptly and courteously in accordance with the procedure set out in Appendix A. Advice and information regarding the complaint process for students or clients can be obtained from Academic School offices, Student Services, and Student Government offices.

4. Department managers, associate deans, and/or senior management have the responsibility to resolve a complaint, and to lead or to contribute to an investigation into a complaint when this is considered appropriate. The Senior Vice- President, Advancement, Student and External Affairs is responsible for the appeal process.

5. A student who makes a complaint found to be vexatious, mischievous, or malicious, following the investigation under the Complaints Procedure, is deemed to be in breach of the Student Code of Conduct policy. The onus is on the student or the client to present sufficient evidence to warrant investigation under the procedure.

6. A student or client is protected from retaliation in accordance with this policy as long as the complaint is made in good faith and is not knowingly false or materially inaccurate. If retaliation occurs, further investigation is warranted.

7. Complaints made anonymously are considered if there is enough information provided in the complaint submission to allow the College to make further meaningful inquiries. If, however, an anonymous complainant does not provide sufficient information, the College has the right not to investigate the complaint. Complaints from third parties are only accepted if the student confirms in writing that the third party is acting on his/her behalf and if the student wishes the complaint to be investigated.

1. Step 1 – Informal Process (Front-line)  

1.1 Concerns are raised in the first instance with the person or area concerned as soon as possible and no later than five working days after the incident. This timeline is reconsidered in extenuating circumstances only. Complainants are normally directed to the person responsible for the service or program. If appropriate, a meeting of the complainant and the area of complaint is arranged to arrive at an agreed-upon resolution.

1.2 A complaint about a member of staff is referred to the appropriate manager of the staff member’s department or a designate.

1.3 Verbal complaints made in Reception and to staff in public areas and requests to meet with the president are referred to the manager or to the associate dean of the department of the area of complaint or to an appropriate representative.

1.4 At this informal stage, complaints may be made in person, by phone, or by email. The complainant is kept informed of progress at all stages with a written or verbal response provided within ten working days. If the issue is not resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction, the complaint moves to step 2 within five days of receiving notification of the decision.

2. Step 2 - Formal Process  

2.1 A complainant who has been through Step 1 and remains dissatisfied submits a complaint form (Appendix B) within five days of receiving notification of the decision. This form is available in all Academic School offices, Student Services, Student Government offices, and on the College website. The completed form is sent to the Complaints Resolution Office located in Student Services and Human Resources Office, – Kingston Campus, or is sent via email to complaint@sl.on.ca.

2.2 The Complaints Resolution Office documents and reviews the complaint and responds to the complainant within five days and identifies the individual who will be addressing the concern. The Complaints Resolution Office forwards the complaint to the appropriate senior manager for follow-up and response.

2.3 The senior manager investigates the complaint and responds to the complainant within ten working days. The manager may decide to:

• Propose an amicable settlement.

• Dismiss the complaint as unfounded with reasons.

• Uphold or partially uphold the complaint, offer an apology, and take appropriate steps to address the issue and avoid a similar problem in the future.

2.4 All complaints are to be addressed as quickly as possible. All formal complaints (Step 2) are acknowledged in writing, including the detailed response, within 15 working days. All formal complaints receive a formal written response outlining the outcome and the right of appeal where appropriate. The Complaints Resolution Office is copied on all decisions.

St. Lawrence College has posted a new policy on free speech that has been endorsed by all of Ontario’s 24 colleges.

The policy was developed by a task force of senior college leaders in collaboration with the College Student Alliance, legal experts and others.

The policy statement is primarily based on the University of Chicago’s Statement on Principles of Free Expression and has five core elements:

  • A definition of freedom of speech.
  • A commitment to allow open discussion and free inquiry.
  • A statement that it is not the colleges’ role to shield members of the college community from ideas they disagree with.
  • A statement that while members of the college community are free to contest the views of others, they must also respect the rights of others to express their views.
  • An affirmation that speech that violates the law is not allowed.

The policy describes the procedures for handling complaints and ensuring there is compliance. The policy also states that it is aligned with other college policies and they shall all be considered together. Once it takes effect, it will apply to the entire college community.

You can view the entire policy here: Free Speech Policy

Reports

Questions about the St. Lawrence College Free Speech Policy can be sent to freespeech@sl.on.ca

Inclement Weather Class and Service Cancellation process for St. Lawrence College

Inclement weather cancellations for the college are made by a College Incident Management Team. This group is convened whenever the situation arises at any one of our campuses or college locations. Notice of class or service cancellations will be communicated in the following ways:

  • When possible notification of day classes and service interruptions will be posted by 6:30 am.
  • Evening class or service interruptions will be posted by 3:00 pm.
  • During class cancellations/service interruptions college facilities will remain open unless it is deemed unsafe to be in the building.
  • Email will be sent to all students and staff via college email accounts.
  • Notifications will be posted on the college website homepage.
  • Local media will be notified by college officials.
  • Notifications will be posted on official college social media: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

View the full Inclement Weather Policy

Link to FAQs

Learn more about Internationalization.

Click here to view the St. Lawrence College Smoke Free Policy

St. Lawrence College (SLC) is pleased to announce that its campuses in Kingston, Brockville, and Cornwall Ontario are 100 percent smoke-free, effective October 15, 2018. 

Each of Ontario’s 45 publicly funded universities and colleges has an agreement highlighting institutional priorities for the period 2020-2025. These are called Strategic Mandate Agreements.

The agreements help promote student success and institutional excellence. They encourage institutions to work with the government to help build a highly-skilled workforce and also put an emphasis on collaboration and openness. They focus on each institution’s strengths to enhance quality and outcomes, as well as planned enrolment growth and financial sustainability.

Previous SMA Documents

SLC in Five - Our 2019-2024 Strategic Plan

SLC in Five ensures we collectively understand what our key priorities are for the next five years. The plan conveys how important it will be for us to continue working together, how our objectives will support the college values.

Our College Vision

Rooted in our communities, we will be a globally recognized college delivering innovative learning opportunities and preparing career-ready graduates to be leaders in their fields.

Our College Mission

We are dedicated to student success, academic excellence and leadership in our communities.

Visit slcinfive.ca for more details including our multi-year objectives, strategic directions, and testimonials from students and staff.