American Sign Language - Basic Skills

2023/24 | Conestoga College

Program Code: 0889
Interdisciplinary Studies

Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning

This is a companion document to the current Conestoga College Student Guide

Program Handbook Guidelines

​The purpose of this handbook is to provide students with program-specific details and other important information. The material in this handbook is accurate at the date of posting and is applicable for the current academic year. Students will be informed of handbook changes that occur, if any, through college email. Program handbooks are updated yearly, and students must check their program handbook for the current edition.

This handbook must be read in conjunction with general information about Conestoga College found on the website and in the Student Guide. The information in the Student Guide and on the college website​ applies to all students, regardless of program.

The Student Guide provides details regarding Student ServicesSafety and SecurityStudent Rights and Responsibilities and more. 

Welcome

Welcome to Conestoga!

Congratulations!

You are entering a journey into a new world of language learning.  Whether you are acquiring a new language, such as French or American Sign Language (ASL), learning to teach English as a Second Language (TESL), or learning how to interpret for those who have challenges expressing themselves in English, your world and opportunities within it have now grown.

Effective language and communication skills are Essential Employability Skills that are vital to today's global economy.  You can apply these newly learned skills in a variety of settings: business, education, health care community services, or the trades.

This handbook provides you with the specific information related to the academic standards, guidelines, and protocols to help ensure your success in your respective program of choice.  If you have any additional questions, please contact your faculty, your coordinator, or me directly.

Sincerely, 

Shawn Brake

Executive Dean, School of Interdisciplinary Studies

Program Academic Team

Executive Dean, School of Interdisciplinary Studies
Shawn Brake
Doon, 2A139
519-748-5220 ext. 3058
sbrake@conestogac.on.ca

Chair, Conestoga Language Institute
Natalie Hughes
Doon, 2A139
519-748-5220 
nhughes@conestogac.on.ca

Coordinator
Amanda Moorhead
Canadian Hearing Services
1-866-518-0000 x4307
amoorhead@conestogac.on.ca​

Administrative Assistant
Liliana Pereira Melo
Conestoga Language Institute
519-748-5220 
lpereiramelo@conestogac.on.ca​

Program Faculty

Contact information for faculty will typically be provided on the first day of related courses.​​​               

Communication

Conestoga College email accounts will be used as the primary method of communication between instructors, the college and the students. You are expected to regularly check your email accounts for messages and updates.

Career Services – Program Specific

Students are provided access to MyCareer - Conestoga's online career solutions system via the "Services" tab in the Student Portal. Use MyCareer to search summer, part-time, on-campus and graduate job postings, register for upcoming workshops and employer events, and access valuable career and employment-related resources.

For more information or to book an appointments visit the Career Services webpage.

College Hours

The College is open and offers classes seven days a week.

Program Overview

Program Description

Conestoga College and Canadian Hearing Services are pleased to offer the American Sign Language (ASL) Basic Skills joint certificate part-time program. ASL is the language of most Deaf Canadians. It is a visual language made up of specific gestures (signs), hand shapes and facial expressions with its own unique grammatical rules and sentence structure. This program will be of interest to those who wish to develop sign language concepts and use basic ASL skills.

Our qualified Deaf instructors use an established curriculum that teaches both ASL and Deaf culture. You will learn abstract concepts dealing with the environment outside of the classroom as well an introduction to Deaf Culture where language, values, rules, and traditions will be explored. An immersive "no-voice" teaching method is used to reinforce the learning experience. You will learn through classroom instruction and role-play, as well as through videotext and a workbook. The videotext and workbook supplement and reinforce the classroom instruction, providing an opportunity to review, practice and retain what has been taught. This program will give graduates sufficient skills to enable them to communicate, at a basic level, with members of the Deaf Community in a variety of situations. Please note that this is not an Interpreter Training program.

The program consists of eight courses which must be taken in sequence. Students should be able to complete the program in 2 1/2 to 3 years. A maximum of 5 years will be allowed for completion of the program. A joint Conestoga College Continuing Education and Canadian Hearing Services Certificate will be awarded upon completion of the program requirements.

In addition to classroom instruction, students are advised there are 12 hours of independent study in each course. Note: Students who have previously studied ASL courses may use them toward this joint certificate. However, if your qualifications are over three years old and/or you have not been practicing ASL for some time, it is strongly recommended that your signing skills be assessed. ​

Current Program Design

Students can find their program design on the Student Portal by following the steps below:

  1. Log in to Student Portal
  2. Click on 'My Courses' tab
  3. Select 'View Progress Report' button

Courses are listed by level/semester. Please be aware that General Education electives and program option courses are listed at the bottom of the student's progress report and indicate the specific level/semester in which they are to be completed.  ​

Program Learning Outcomes

Through successful completion of this program, the graduate will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:

  1. Use expressive, receptive, and grammatical American Sign Language skills to communicate effectively with members of the Deaf Community in a variety of situations.
  2. Discuss various features of Deaf Culture, including language values, rules of behaviour and traditions.

Program Technology Requirements

Program technology requirements are posted on the program web page. Students in hybrid delivery courses will require a device, webcam functionality, and reliable Internet access. 

Program Materials

Students are advised that books, course packs and other materials frequently do change. It is therefore recommended that students wait until the first night of classes to purchase materials from the bookstore once the instructor has given clear direction about what is to be purchased.

Academic Information

Academic Dates

It is the student's responsibility to be aware of various important academic dates throughout the year. These academic dates are posted on the college website.

Please note that Continuing Education courses and Apprenticeship programs may have different start dates and exam dates for courses. 

Academic Assistance

Academic assistance is available to students through a variety of avenues. The program coordinator and faculty can advise students on specific program and course information.

Program Schedule

Conestoga College reserves the right to modify program schedules when necessary and in the interest of program improvement. The college also reserves the right to cancel, postpone, reschedule or combine classes, limit registration, change content, hours or instructors to meet changing conditions.

Program Admission

Students may wish to take courses before deciding on pursuing the program certificate. For students who wish to pursue the certificate, admission to the program should be completed no later than the start of American Sign Language 204 (the last course in the program). The Program Application Form for Continuing Education and Corporate Training Programs must be completed and submitted to the Registrar’s Office along with the processing fee. The form can be found at the following website Program Application Form.

Course Add/Drop

For more information regarding course add/drop please refer to the Continuing Education Part-time Studies section of the Student Guide located in the Student Portal.

Credit Transfer, Pathways & PLAR

Conestoga recognizes you may have formal post-secondary education that may allow you to enter a program at an advanced level or provide for individual course exemptions. To ensure your credits are eligible for transfer, please contact our Credit Transfer Office at: credittransfer@conestogac.on.ca. 

The Credit Transfer Policy and Procedure are available on the college website.

For more information, visit the Credit Transfer webpage and the PLAR webpage.

If you are currently a Conestoga student and want to continue studying at Conestoga, there are a number of different pathway opportunities available to you.

Whether you wish to transfer to another program or apply to a new program after graduation, Conestoga has established pathways, to help you meet your goals.

Conestoga College has articulation agreements with many domestic and international institutions. These agreements allow students to transfer into a specific program with advanced standing. Students must meet the academic requirements stated in the agreement.

For more information regarding pathways at Conestoga, contact the Credit Transfer Officer at 519-748-5220 ext. 2166.

Awards

​​​Conestoga has more than 400 awards, bursaries, scholarships and academic grants available to Conestoga students. These funds are made available to our students through the partnerships we have established with local business and industry leaders. To be considered for an award, complete the General Application available through your Student Portal. Notifications and instructions to complete the application are sent to all full-time students' email accounts in the fall semester (Deadline: First Friday in October) and winter semester (Deadline: First Friday in February). Visit the Student Financial Services on Conestoga's website.

Attendance and Program Standards

Working Together to Plan Your Success

Your success matters!  Regular, punctual attendance, and active participation in scheduled classes, field and clinical placements, labs and any on-campus and off-campus activities scheduled by your program will help you to understand and master the learning complexities of your program.

If extenuating, unplanned circumstances require you to miss a class or an assessment, please note that it is your responsibility to follow up with individual faculty members prior to the class/assessment and access any missed information.

Attendance for Evaluations

Evaluations are critical components of each course and your overall success in your program. It is your responsibility to attend all evaluations (e.g. test, exam, presentation, etc...). If there is a concerning pattern of absence from evaluations across your program, you may be asked to meet with the Program Coordinator and/or Student Advisor to discuss strategies for success.

While circumstances such as religious holidays and academic accommodations may necessitate rescheduling of evaluations and will be accommodated, please note that there will be no special arrangements made for rescheduling evaluations due to personal conflicts such as work, commuting, or vacation plans.  

Faculty Responsibilities

  • To communicate the dates of each evaluation at the beginning of each semester through the Instructional Plan.
  • To communicate, in writing, any unplanned extenuating circumstances that may require changes to the course schedule.
  • As per the Religious Holiday Procedure, provide alternative evaluation arrangements for missed evaluations due to recognized religious holidays as defined by the College Employer Council.
  • To provide all accommodations requested by Accessible Learning.
  • To consider alternative evaluation requests in good faith and examine the unique circumstances (e.g., unexpected family obligations, personal emergencies, etc...) and collaboratively determine an appropriate solution.
  • Note, do not request doctor's notes from students.

Student Responsibilities

  • To review the instructional plan and familiarize with the dates of evaluation.
  • As per the Religious Holiday Procedure, inform your faculty member in writing that the religious holiday defined by the College Employer Council will occur during the semester and may require considerations for evaluations to be rescheduled.
  • If you must be absent from any scheduled evaluation, report your absence on the Student Portal using the procedure below. You must do this prior to the start of the evaluation or risk receiving a mark of zero.

How to Report Absences on the Student Portal

  1. Log into the Student Portal and click on the 'Absence tab'.
  2. Indicate whether or not there is an assessment scheduled on that day by clicking 'Yes or No', as well as the reason for the absence (illness or other).
  3. Click 'Continue' to report the absence.
  4. Click 'I agree' to confirm the absence.
  5. You will receive a confirmation email that your absence has been recorded.

Important! Please note the following:

  • The earliest you can record an absence for a particular day, is after 8:00 p.m. the day before. You must report each day you are absent.
  • The Absence Recording System will show you as being absent for the day, starting from the time that you recorded the absence. For example, if you record your absence on a specific day at 11:00 a.m., the system will show you as being absent for all classes starting after 11:00 a.m. that day.
  • If you are going to be present for any other classes on the day for which you recorded an absence, please let the faculty member know by attending or following up by eConestoga or college email.
  • As soon as possible, email the faculty member associated with the evaluation you missed and arrange for appropriate follow-up. 

Documentation for Absences

Conestoga recognizes that unexpected circumstances, such as brief illness, do arise during the term. As a visit to a health practitioner may not be necessary or possible, we do not ask you to provide a doctor's note except in exceptional circumstances.       

If the evaluation cannot be rescheduled, (e.g., experiential activity, lab, or a group presentation) your professor may provide you with a revised assignment or allocate its marks to another evaluation item, so long as the combined total does not exceed 40% of the course grade. This will be communicated to you by email.

Attendance

Due to the nature of language learning, class attendance is important to practice language skills orally. Please review each course outline for specific details.

What is Academic Integrity?

Having academic integrity means acting fairly and honestly when engaging in academic activities. 

By having and applying an Academic  Offences Policy and Procedure, Conestoga ensures graduates complete their studies fairly and honestly through hard work and dedication, and thus are well-prepared for their future careers.

Copyright at Conestoga 

Conestoga facilitates access to print, media, and electronic resources to support and enrich learning, teaching, and research in compliance with the following:

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is submitting or presenting work of another person(s)/organization in whole or substantial part as one's own without proper citation and referencing.

Evaluations

Attendance for exams and tests is mandatory. The only time a re-write will be arranged is when you can provide appropriate documentation stating due to illness or other authorized reasons you were unable to write the exam or test on the scheduled day. Faculty may choose to handle the makeup tests/exams directly or use the test centre service.

For more information visit the Testing & Assessment Services webpage.

Academic Progress through the Program

Academic Progression

The college's approach to academic progression is governed by the Promotion Decision Procedure.

A student's academic achievement results in a promotion decision, such as eligible to continue, graduate, and discontinued.

Progress from one level to the next in a program is dependent upon the successful completion of courses and/or meeting program promotion standards.

Academic Standing and Promotion Requirements

Students are required to successfully pass all courses by meeting the specified minimum requirements in order to continue with the program.

For more information visit the College Policies, Procedures and Guidelines webpage then click on the Academic Administration side tab and search for the document entitled Academic Standing and Promotion Requirements Procedure.

Academic Probation 

 For more information visit the College Policies, Procedures and Guidelines webpage then click on the Academic Administration side tab and search for the document entitled Academic Standing and Promotion Requirements Procedure.

Clearance of Academic Deficiency

During a student’s academic career, there may be occasions when the student’s performance results in a failing grade for a course. Conestoga grants students the opportunity to raise this grade to the minimum passing grade under specific circumstances. 

NOTE:  Supplemental evaluation will not be granted for a course in which a student has received an academic offence. An academic incident resulting in a warning is not considered an academic offence.

For more information visit the College Policies, Procedures and Guidelines webpage then click on the Academic Administration side tab and search for the document entitled Clearance of Academic Deficiency.

Discontinuance

Students may be discontinued from a program if they do not meet specific academic standards. For more information visit the College Policies, Procedures and Guidelines​ webpage then click on the Academic Administration side tab and search for the document entitled Discontinuance Policy.

Re-Admission Requirements

Students are required to apply for re-admission when they have been absent from their program for one semester or longer unless an Intention Form has been completed (returning students only), or when the student has withdrawn or been discontinued. Upon re-admission, students are placed into the current program of study which determines graduation requirements. Students are subject to the college and program policies and procedures in place at the time of re-admission.

For more information visit the College Policies, Procedures and Guidelines webpage then click on the Academic Administration side tab and search for the document entitled Re-admission Procedure.

Student Engagement

Conestoga 101

The Student Engagement Department is here to help you transition to the Conestoga College experience, connect with your community, and build your skills. 

Start your college experience by completing Conestoga 101 (CON0101) on eConestoga, a mandatory course for all new full-time students that will take you approximately one hour to complete. CON0101 provides an overview of the supports, services, and opportunities available to you throughout your time at Conestoga. Make sure you complete it early on in the term, as it contains valuable information that will help you transition to Conestoga.

​​Student Feedback

​Student feedback is an essential component of our continuous improvement process. Our opportunities for student feedback include:

Ontario College Student Experience Survey

All college programs in the province are evaluated using the Ontario College Student Experience Survey. This survey is conducted each academic year in select classes - every student is invited to participate in each year of their program. Strategic goals to improve the programs are developed from these results. This data and other data specific to the campus and the program/school are collected so that Conestoga College can continually improve quality.

Student Appraisal of Teaching (SAT)

The Student Appraisal of Teaching (SAT) allows direct feedback from students on teaching for a particular course. Completion of the SAT forms give teachers and academic managers valuable information to use for the improvement of teaching at Conestoga.

The SAT process has two components: the Early Course Check-in and the Full-SAT. The Early Course Check-in is 8-12 questions, occurs during week 10 of classes and provides early feedback to faculty about the student experience within their classroom. The Full-SAT is 43 questions and occurs late in the semester; a summary of the results goes to the faculty member and their academic manager. Typically, about one-quarter of the faculty is appraised per term. All full-time faculty have a SAT review at least once every two years. Part-time faculty may be reviewed more frequently. 

Program Advisory Committees (PACs)

Program Advisory Committees (PACs) provide the necessary link between Conestoga and the community it serves. PACs operate in an advisory capacity to Conestoga administration with the objective to keep Conestoga responsive to current and future workforce needs, trends or opportunities in industry and the marketplace.

All post-secondary education programs of study at Conestoga, both full-time and part-time, which lead to an employment related credential, or are approved by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU), will be associated with a PAC, with the exception of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. For any program not leading to an employment related credential, such as foundation programs, PACs are optional.

At the beginning of each year, the coordinator(s) of the program will ask for student volunteers. The coordinator(s) will select which student(s) will represent the program at PAC. Student attendees are important members of the PAC and are expected to be present at all meetings and are responsible for preparing and submitting a report based on guidelines provided by the program coordinator.

Students who participate in PACs will receive credit on their Co-Curricular Record (CCR) . Your CCR is an official document, complementary to your academic transcript, which recognizes and records learning that you have achieved through approved Co-curricular experiences at Conestoga.

Conestoga Policies and Procedures

​​Student Protection Acknowledgement

A Student Protection Acknowledgement confirmation pop-up will appear when a student logs into the Student Portal on a yearly basis. This will direct students to policies and procedures relevant to their academic responsibilities. All Conestoga College wide academic policies and procedures are listed on the college website under "About Conestoga", "Policies and Procedures". 

Students are advised to review and comply with all policies and procedures, including the following:         
  • Academic Dispute and Resolution Policy & Procedure
  • Academic Offences Policy & Procedure ​
  • Clearance of Academic Deficiency Policy & Procedure
  • Convocation Procedure
  • Co-operative Education Policy
  • Discontinuance Procedure
  • Evaluation of Student Learning Policy & Procedure
  • Grading Procedure
  • Program and Course Withdrawal and Refund Procedure/International Student Withdrawal and Refund Procedure
  • Readmission Procedure
  • Religious Holiday Policy & Procedure
  • Student Expectations for Online Engagement
  • Student Feedback Policy
  • Student Fees Policy & Student Fee Invoicing and Payment Procedure
  • Student Rights and Responsibilities Policy & Procedure

Students must follow all of the policies and procedures for Conestoga College and it is expected that faculty will accept, fulfil and enforce these standards.​​ 

Web-based Tools

​Program courses may use web-based services with data centres outside of Canada. Students may be expected to complete assessments where information is transmitted outside of Canada. Students who do not wish to submit their information to other countries have the right to opt-out. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor if they, in the first week of term or at the time assignment details are provided, wish to submit an alternate assignment.

Course examinations may be administered through a remote proctoring service to assure academic integrity. Ensure that you meet the system requirements that will allow the recording of your computer screen, webcam, and microphone.

Accommodation Disclaimer

​Conestoga College provides an equitable environment where all students have the opportunity to participate in College life. In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code, Conestoga recognizes its responsibility and legal obligation to provide education, information and services in an accessible manner.

Conestoga's Accessible Learning services provide support for students with permanent and temporary disabilities who feel they are encountering barriers to learning. They work with students to understand the impact of a disability in the college environment and will help develop a success plan that considers student goals and required academic accommodations. Accessible Learning will also communicate necessary accommodations to professors on behalf of the student. 

To consult with an Accessibility Advisor about accommodations please make an appointment by emailing accessibility@conestogac.on.ca or calling 519-748-5220 ext. 3232.

Exceptions for non-accessibility focused issues need to be consulted on with your professor. Final approval for exceptions unrelated to academic accommodations rests with the program chair.

Program Handbook Revision Log

​ ​ ​
​Revision Date
​Scope of Changes

​October 2014
​Initial Conception of Handbook
​June 2015
​Revision - annual handbook updates
​May 2016
​Revision - annual handbook updates
​June 2017
​Revision - annual handbook updates
​June 2018
​Revision - annual handbook updates
​May 2019
​Revision - annual handbook updates
​August 2020​Revision - annual handbook updates
​November 2021​Revision - annual handbook updates
​July 2022​Revision - annual handbook updates



American Sign Language - Basic Skills