Rights and Responsibilities
You are responsible for reviewing the complete George Brown College Academic Policies, Guidelines and Codes of Conduct. You can access this information online or at a campus library.
Behaviour on Campus/Disciplinary Action
- As a student of George Brown College, you are a member of a complex community and, as such, are required to obey the laws of the country, the province and the city; to observe the rules of the College; and to conduct yourself within commonly accepted standards of behaviour.
- Dishonesty, misconduct, disruption of the academic environment, destruction of property, fraud, misdemeanours, other offences against persons or things, failure to abide by the various regulations of the institution or failure to respect the rights of others cannot be tolerated in the George Brown community, which is dedicated to the development of mature and responsible individuals.
- You are responsible for your own actions at all times. Ignorance of the rules or of the law is not a defence against disciplinary action. Lack of intention to violate College policy will not generally excuse an infraction.
- George Brown College reserves the right at all times and at any time to discipline, suspend, expel, place terms or conditions upon or refuse admission or registration to any individual whose action or influence is considered contrary to the College's policies. Disciplinary actions may become part of an individual's permanent academic record.
- Individuals posing a risk of harm to others – in the classroom, elsewhere on campus or in the context of a field or clinical placement – will initially be dealt with in accordance with College policy and then disciplined if appropriate and applicable.
Copyright
- Copyright law protects creators, owners and users of copyrighted materials. You are reminded to abide by the following policies, acts and tariffs. You are also reminded that the photocopying of any substantial part of textbooks is not permitted, but you do have limited permissions. Under the Access Copyright Interim Tariff, students are authorized to photocopy up to 10% of a work and can only photocopy more than 10% in the following circumstances: an entire chapter that constitutes 20% or less of a book; an entire single short story, play, essay or poem from a book; an entire newspaper article or page; an entry from a reference work.
- If you need help with or clarification on the copyright rules, contact the Copyright Helpline at 416‑415‑5000, ext. 6945 or copyrighthelp@georgebrown.ca. For information on academic honesty, see Plagiarism/Academic Honesty.
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy
- The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (1987) provides a person with a legal right to access certain records and personal information that is under the control of institutions. This act also protects the privacy of individuals with respect to personal information held by institutions.
- The personal information collected on the College's registration form (online or in print) is collected under the legal authority of the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act, 2002. The information is used by the College for administrative and statistical purposes, including (but not limited to) admission, registration and record maintenance as well as awards, scholarships and the administrative functions of Alumni Relations, the College Foundation and/or the ministries or agencies of the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada. This information is being collected under section 39(2) and section 42 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act of Ontario.
- If you have any questions or concerns in this area, contact the Freedom of Information Co-ordinator at 416‑415‑5000, ext. 4646, or at this address:
Freedom of Information Co-ordinator
George Brown College, Casa Loma campus
P.O. Box 1015, Station B
Toronto, Ontario M5T 2T9
It is your responsibility to ensure that your contact information is up-to-date. Go to the Continuing Education home page to log on to your student account, and update your profile as needed. George Brown College does not accept responsibility for communications missed because of incorrect contact information.
Health and Safety
- To promote the health and safety of students and staff as well as the cleanliness of the buildings, George Brown College has adopted firm rules regarding its campuses. These include no eating or drinking (except water) in classrooms; no animals (except for Seeing Eye or Hearing Ear dogs); and no in-line skates (e.g., Rollerblades), bicycles or other vehicles in College buildings. (All campuses have approved bicycle storage areas.)
- Insurance regulations prevent you from bringing children into classes or leaving them unsupervised in libraries or other common areas.
- In accordance with City of Toronto By-law No. 23-88 and the Smoke-free Ontario Act, George Brown College is a smoke-free environment.
- Learn about our Safe Walk Program or read about our Security and Emergency Procedures.
Prevention of Discrimination and Harassment
- George Brown College is one of the most diverse colleges in Canada and is committed to promoting and providing an equitable environment for students and employees. It encourages community access and participation in all aspects of College life. George Brown College's Prevention of Discrimination and Harassment Policy talks about these commitments and identifies rights and responsibilities for all members of the College community. The full text of the Prevention of Discrimination and Harassment Policy can be found on the Diversity, Equity and Human Rights Services web site.
- The rights of all College members are protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and George Brown College policies and procedures. Copies of these documents are available in every Library Learning Commons at the College.
- George Brown College has strict policies that prohibit discrimination or harassment in any form based on race, colour, place of origin, ethnic origin, citizenship, ancestry, creed, sex, marital status, family status, age, disability, sexual orientation, record of offences, being in receipt of public assistance and socio-economic class. If you feel harassed or discriminated against by staff, faculty, administration or other students, you should keep careful notes about the incident and contact the department chair, the Diversity, Equity and Human Rights Services advisors at 416‑415‑5000, ext. 4609, ext. 4646, ext. 4715 or ext. 6670, or security. The College is prepared to take steps to prevent incidents of harassment or discrimination. Counselling is also available through the Student Affairs Department at 416‑415‑5000, ext. 2107 (St. James) or ext. 4585 (Casa Loma).
