Post-secondary Teaching – College Certificate

2023/24 | Conestoga College

Program Code: 1534
Teaching and Learning

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

​A Message from the Program Director

Welcome to Conestoga College! Congratulations! You have been accepted into the Certificate in Post-Secondary Teaching Program offered through Teaching & Learning.

Your program will help you gain the skills needed to do well in teaching within post-secondary education in Canada. You will have the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to provide students with effective learning opportunities in both in-person teaching contexts and in those that are hybrid or online.

You will benefit from having faculty members who are familiar with a variety of teaching practices and teaching disciplines. Our unique set up allows you to choose from a variety of foci those that are best suited to your teaching situation. The supportive learning environment will give you the opportunity to participate in meaningful development and to receive feedback that you can reflect on.

Please review this handbook to understand the academic standards, guidelines, and protocols necessary for your success in the Program. If you have any additional questions, please contact your faculty, the coordinator, or me directly.

Enjoy your studies with us!

Kathryn Brillinger
Executive Director, Teaching & Learning, Conestoga

Program Academic Team

For current contacts and team profiles in Teaching & Learning, please see the About Us page on the Faculty Learning Hub.  

For any general questions and inquiries, email teachingandlearning@conestogac.on.ca

​Communication Standards

Students employed at the College will be expected to communicate through Conestoga College email accounts. Part time students from outside the college will communicate primarily within eConestoga course learning management systems.


College Hours

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

Program Overview

​Program Description

Conestoga's Postsecondary Teaching College Certificate program prepares you to teach credit and non-credit courses in colleges, universities, apprenticeship and other programs for adult learners. Emphasis is placed on developing the knowledge, skills and competencies to deliver quality outcomes-based educational opportunities across various delivery modes. You will develop a clear understanding of your role within an educational team and how you can add real value to the learner experience and positively influence the learning opportunities of others. You will learn how to both teach and assess effectively and engage in activities that support the needs and preferences of learners in achieving course outcomes both remotely and in person. Theoretical foundations and practical applications of post-secondary teaching are integrated throughout the program, positioning you to work in post-secondary teaching.

Graduate Opportunities

Graduates from this College Certificate program will have acquired knowledge, skills, and attitudes from a range of topics that are directly relevant and applicable to teaching in any postsecondary educational context.

​​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' tab

Courses are listed by level/semester.

Successful graduates from this program will have completed 29 elective courses and a final Capstone course as indicated on the Continuing Education Course List page.   

Note that students will have choice from over 90 different elective courses, and these courses can also be used towards stackable micro-credentials in specified areas of educator/faculty development. 

Upon successful completion of at least 25 elective courses, students may reach out to Teaching and Learning for registration into the Capstone course. 

Program Outcomes

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

  1. Work within a teaching role in post-secondary settings in accordance with the expectations of outcomes-based education (OBE)
  2. Provide student-centred teaching and assessment that is based on educational science and principles and is sensitive to student experiences, values, beliefs and needs
  3. Assist in the provision of culturally relevant learning opportunities for diverse students
  4. Choose or create and implement appropriate and accessible resources and learning technologies to facilitate student learning
  5. Reflect on aspects of teaching to the support the development of one's identity as a postsecondary educator.

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 Requirements and Modality

Students in this program will require the use of a device capable of supporting Zoom meetings, including a webcam function and reliable internet access.

The majority of courses in this program are delivered in an Online – Async/Sync modality, meaning that students will join scheduled synchronous sessions via Zoom and will also complete independent work asynchronously.  Some courses will be offered in-person or fully asynchronously.  It is recommended that you verify the mode of delivery upon registration. 

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. 

Course Add/Drop

If you wish to withdraw from a course after the start date, you can do so in the Student Portal or by contacting the Registrar's Office.  These courses follow a similar schedule to that of regular programming whereby there is a designated withdrawal date set for each course.  If you do not withdraw from the course by the withdrawal date (check with your facilitator if you are not sure what that date is), you risk receiving a "Fail" grade in the event of unsuccessful completion.  Backdated withdrawals can be requsted through teachingandlearning@conestogac.on.ca for those with extenuating circumstances.

Late Course Registration

It is possible to be registered in a course after the start date, as long as the first synchronous session has not yet occurred.  Late registrants are responsible for catching up on any missed material or missed evaluations.  For late registration into any EDEV course, please contact teachingandlearning@conestogac.on.ca.

Credit Transfer/Exemptions

With the exception of the Ontario Extend courses, credit transfers are not applicable for this program.

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​

Visit the Financial Aid and Student Awards Office on Conestoga's website for more information.​

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

Throughout this program, you are welcome to choose the method of learning that best suits your preferences and schedule.  Courses in this program are offered in multiple modalities, such as Online Synchronous where you will have the option to meet via Zoom, or watch the recordings of those synchronous sessions.  For courses designated as In-Person, attendance at the synchronous meetings is highly recommended, as the sessions will not be recorded.  Be sure to verify the modality of the course you are interested in upon registration via the CE website

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 (Deadlines, Tests and Examinations)

All courses in this program are assessed on a pass/fail basis.

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.

Program Completion

To attain Conestoga's Postsecondary Teaching College Certificate, students must successfully register in the program and complete any 29 of the Educator Development (EDEV) electives offered, plus one 12-hour capstone course (for a total of 186 hours).

This part-time program must be completed within 3 years of admission.

Agreement Opportunities

If you complete The Empowered Educator (Ontario Extend) series, you will receive a badge from eCampus Ontario in addition to credits toward Conestoga's Post-Secondary Teaching Certificate.  In order to faciliate credit transfer, please contact teachingandlearning@conestogac.on.ca for details.

Learn more about the Ontario Extend series here: https://extend.ecampusontario.ca/

Program Withdrawal 

Students are not required to register for the program until the capstone course.  Students who have registered for the program and who wish to withdraw sign into the Conestoga Student Portal. Next, click on the SERVICES tab. From there, click on the MY FORMS tab and select the WITHDRAWAL FORM option from that list. Complete this form with your information and submit.

Discontinuance

Students who fail the capstone twice will be discontinued from the program.

Graduation

Students are eligible to graduate on the successful completion of 29 program elective courses and the capstone course. Upon completion of all program requirements, the Application to Graduate Form ​must be completed and submitted to the registrar's office.  The indicated fee will be waived for this program, and forms can be emailed directly to studentrecords@conestogac.on.ca

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 DateScope of Changes
​Spring 2023​Updated
​Winter 2021Created

Post-secondary Teaching – College Certificate