Victoria Academy of Ballet is certified with the Private Training Institutions Regulatory Unit (PTIRU) of the British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training.

Before you enrol at a certified private training institution, you should be aware of your rights and responsibilities.

You have the right to be treated fairly and respectfully by the institution.

You have the right to a student enrolment contract that includes the following information:

• amount of tuition and any additional fee for your program
• refund policy
• if your program includes a work experience, the requirements to participate in the work experience and the geographic area where it will be provided
• whether the program was approved by PTIRU or does not require approval.

Make sure you read the contract before signing. The institution must provide you with a signed copy.

You have the right to access the institution’s dispute resolution process and to be protected against retaliation for making a complaint.

You have the right to make a claim to PTIRU for a tuition refund if:

• your institution ceased to hold a certificate before you completed an approved program
• you were misled about a significant aspect of your approved program

You must file the claim within one year of completing, being dismissed or withdrawing from your program.

For more information about PTIRU and how to be an informed student, go to:
http://www.privatetraininginstitutions.gov.bc.ca/students/be-an-informed-student

The institution must pay the tuition or fee refund within 30 days after receiving notice of withdrawal or refusal of study permit; providing a notice of dismissal, or the date on which the first 30% of the hours of instruction are provided (no-show).

Bridge Program: Homestay Refund Policy:

Upon withdrawal from Victoria Academy of Ballet’s Homestay Program, fees for the following will be owed regardless of the reason for cancellation:

• Homestay Coordination Fee is non-refundable.
• Homestay Accomodation Fee for the month of June is non-refundable.
• If needing to withdraw from VAB’s Homestay Program, one full month’s written notice will be required and one additional month of Homestay Accommodation Fee will be due.

A work and learning environment that is comfortable and professional requires adherence to high standards of personal conduct. Victoria Academy of Ballet is committed to providing a work and learning environment that is free of all forms of harassment, including bullying and harassment, sexual harassment and discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, harass­ment of any kind will not be tolerated, and harassing conduct may result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate dismissal depending on the severity of the behavior.

This harassment policy applies to all workers and students, including permanent, temporary, casual, contract, volunteer, and student workers. It applies to all interactions, including inter­personal and electronic communications such as email.

The contents of this harassment policy will be reviewed at least annually and updated as re­quired.

Definitions:

For the purposes of this policy, harassment includes bullying and harassment, sexual harass­ment and discrimination.

Bullying and harassment means any inappropriate verbal and/or physical conduct by a person towards another person that the first person knows or should know would cause the second person to be humiliated, intimidated or degraded. Generally, it means engaging in conduct that is known or reasonably known to be offensive. Bullying and harassment does not include reasonable action taken by an employer or supervisor relating to the management and direc­tion of workers, or students.

Examples of bullying and harassment include verbal aggression or insults, calling someone de­rogatory names, harmful hazing or initiation practices, vandalizing personal belongings, and spreading malicious rumours.

Sexual Harassment means unwanted and unwelcomed conduct of a sexual nature, either ver­bal or physical, that interferes with a person’s work, study, or job opportunities. It can include sexual advances, sexually oriented remarks and behaviour or any unwelcome sexualized suggestions or comments.

Some examples of sexual harassment include offensive, degrading or derogatory remarks, sexually implied jokes or comments, touching, rubbing or brushing up against another per­son, unwelcomed invitations or propositions, impeding or blocking the movement of another person, distributing obscene pictures or cartoons, making insults about a person’s gender, and asking for sexual favors. Sexual harassment does not include reasonable body and move­ment correction and demonstration by an instructor, which may necessitate a professional touch or direction of a dancer’s limbs, extremities, head, abdomen, or other body parts, excluding genitalia.

Discrimination means a distinction, whether intentional or not, relating to personal character­istics of an individual or group which imposes burdens or limits access to opportunities.

Personal characteristics include: age; race; colour; ancestry; place of origin; political belief; religion; marital status; family status; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression, mental or physical disability; and criminal or summary conviction unrelated to legitimate em­ployment considerations.

Reporting Procedure:

1. If you have reasons of observation, experience, or knowledge to believe that you, a fellow worker or student, or a worker or student who reports directly to you is a victim of harass­ment, you are required to report it immediately in accordance with this policy.
2. If the individual to whom you would normally report an incident in accordance with this policy is the person who has engaged in or is engaging in conduct that you believe amounts to harassment, report the incident or complaint to the alternate reporting contact, or another member of management.
3. Incidents or complaints of harassment may be reported verbally or in writing. When submit­ting a written complaint, please use the harassment complaint form. When reporting verbally, the reporting contact, along with the complainant, will fill out the complaint form.
4. Be prepared to tell exactly what happened, when it happened, where it happened, whether there were any witnesses to the incident, and any other information that may help with the investigation. All complaints will be handled discreetly and promptly investigated.

Investigation Procedure:

1. Once an incident or complaint is reported, management will initiate an investigation. Most investigations will be conducted internally by the designated supervisor or, if the supervisor is the person alleged to have engaged in conduct amounting to harassment, by another member of management. In complex or sensitive situations, an external investigator might be hired. Management will assign an appropriate person to conduct the investigation and to provide a written report with conclusions.
2. Investigations will be undertaken promptly and diligently and will be as thorough as necessary given the circumstances of each case. Investigations will be fair and impartial, providing both the complainant and the person accused of engaging in harassment with equal treatment in evaluating the allegations. All information received in the course of an investigation will be treated in a confidential manner. An investigation is focused on finding facts and evidence. Management will incorporate, where appropriate, any need or request from the concerned parties for assistance during the investigation process.
3. Investigations will include interviews with all concerned parties and potential witnesses in order to determine the nature of the incident(s). All workers and students are expected to cooperate with the investigator and provide any details of incidents they have experiences or witnessed. The investigator will also review any evidence, such as emails, handwritten notes, photographs, or physical evidence like vandalized objects.
4. Once an investigation is complete, management will review the contents of the investigator’s written report and will advise the concerned parties of the investigation findings. As appro­priate, management will review and revise procedures to discourage any future harassment incidents in the future. Appropriate corrective actions will be taken within a reasonable time frame.
5. We ask that you keep written accounts of incidents to submit with any complaints. Manage­ment will keep a written record of investigations, including the findings and follow-up action taken.

Retaliation:

Workers and students will not be subjected to retribution or reprisal for filing legitimate com­plaints, participating in any investigation, or reporting any violations of law or policy. Retalia­tion of any type against any worker or other individual will not be tolerated and such conduct may result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate dismissal. Workers are encour­aged to report retaliation to their immediate supervisor and to any other appropriate manage­ment.

Victoria Academy of Ballet is committed to providing a working and learning environment in which students are treated with respect and dignity. Students are encouraged to speak with their Instructor, Head of Program and/or Director regarding concerns they may have.

We are committed to an open, collaborative approach to dealing with student concerns, and we will endeavor to resolve complaints at an informal level wherever possible. Should this not be successful, students have the option of initiating a formal complaint.

This policy is to be followed in the event of a student-initiated complaint regarding instruction, services, misleading information provided by our educational agents, or any aspect of the operations at the Victoria Academy of Ballet. A student may wish to seek advice to ensure that this policy is appropriate to the concern being raised and may wish to be represented by an agent or lawyer. The goal of the Dispute Resolution Policy is timely and successful resolution of the complaint.

Throughout this process, the student will not be discriminated against nor have adverse consequences on the status of the complainant in their program of studies because of using the Dispute Resolution Policy. All student complaints must be made in writing. For the appeal of student marks specifically, please see the Grade Appeal Policy.

GUIDELINES

The Head of Program will serve as the initial point of contact for students seeking to use the institution’s resources and will provide guidance about what dispute resolution alternative may work best to settle a particular dispute.

The Head of Program will be available to assist a student wishing to initiate formal proceedings should the foregoing choices prove unacceptable or unsatisfactory.

If the Head of Program is absent or is named in the complaint, the student must provide the complaint to the Academy Director.
Victoria Academy of Ballet will ensure the rights of both the complainant and respondent are respected.

This policy honors the following principles:

• The complainant has the right:
  •  To file a complain
  • To full disclosure of the respondent’s statements and any supporting documents
  • To a fair hearing
• The respondent has the right:
  • To know who is making the complaint
  • To full disclosure of the substance of the complaint and any supporting documents
  • To a fair hearing

POLICY & PROCEDURE

1. This policy governs complaints from students respecting Victoria Academy of Ballet and any aspect of its operations.
2. A student who makes or is otherwise involved in a complaint will not be subject to any form of retaliation by the institution at any time.
3. The process by which the student complaint will be handled is as follows:
   • The student should first communicate directly with the individual involved and present their grievance in a fair and constructive manner.
   • Failing a satisfactory settlement of the issue, a student must file a formal, written complaint. The process by which this will be handled is as follows:
     • The student must outline, in writing, the nature of the complaint on the Dispute Resolution Policy Form or by email.
     • The written complaint must include:
       • A description of what occurred, where, and when it took place.
       • Those involved, including the name and email of the individual responsible for taking the complaint and the individual who the complaint is about.
     • The name, title, and email of the individual making the determination and reconsideration (if applicable) must be identified following submission of the written complaint.
     • The written complaint must be made and submitted within ten (10) days of the occurrence of the problem/situation.

Following the written complaint, the Head of Program, or Academy Director if the Head of Program is absent or named in the complaint, will:

• Consider the students’ concerns and outline their understanding of the situation.
• Ask both parties to clarify their perspectives to ensure a complete understanding of the complaint.
• Arrange a meeting with the student within two (2) days of the initial contact with the student.
• Require all concerned to make a good faith effort to resolve the problem.
• Make a determination about the complaint.
• In writing, provide the reasons for the determination and the reconsideration (if any) to the student within 30 days after the date on which the student made the formal, written complaint.

This step resolves most student/client concerns in the initial meeting. Students, Employees and Contractors are encouraged to pursue this dialogue to reach a successful resolution. If the parties are unwilling or unable to resolve their dispute even with the assistance of the Head of Program the matter should be referred to the Academy Director, if the Academy Director is not absent or named in the complaint, within five (5) days from the meeting with the Head of Program. The Academy Director will assist both parties to try to resolve the dispute through mediation.
The written reasons will advise a student, that if the student is dissatisfied with the determination, and has been misled by the institution regarding any significant aspect of that program, the student may file a complaint with the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) (www.privatetraininginstitutions.gov.bc.ca). Complaints must be filed with PTIB within one year of the date a student completes, is dismissed from, or withdraws from the program.

4. The student making the complaint may be represented by an agent or a lawyer.

Policy Statement

This policy was developed to:

• • Provide all students, staff, faculty and visitors information on how to report a critical incident and for students in crisis and urgent situations to receive a timely and coordinated response, and support.
  • Create an evaluation process for critical incident response and make changes to the response process as necessary.
  • While implementing our policy, we aim to approach this with trauma-based understanding and consideration of the pervasive nature of trauma and promoting an environment of healing and recovery rather than practices and services that may inadvertently re-traumatize.

Critical Incident and Crisis Management Evaluation Process

Definition

Critical incidents and urgent situations are those that have potential for serious injury, significant property damage, or major disruptions to operations.

• • Accidents or injuries
  • Attempted violence
  • Drug/alcohol abuse
  • Missing students
  • A significant security threat onsite

A crisis is usually a critical incident that has escalated, affecting more people and on a larger scale. 

• • Accidental deaths
  • Violence or abuse
  • Natural disaster
  • Data breach

Roles and Responsibilities

Designated individuals and teams responsible for incident management:

Building Security/Facilities: to assess and advise on the state of the building and any issues that may affect the safety of staff or students, including student security within the building.

Senior Artistic Staff: designated experienced instructors onsite who would assume the role of Crisis Incident Lead. These persons are Emergency First Aid certified, are responsible for the safety of the students onsite, and work closely with the rest of the Critical Incident Response Team providing leadership and guidance to the team.

Critical Incident Response Team:

Building Security/Facilities

Senior Artistic Staff

Student Support Services: to provide emotional support to students affected by the incident. May coordinate post-incident recovery and well-being services.

Operations/Administrative: to provide communication with students and staff during and after the incident, and ensures that clear, accurate information is shared promptly.

1. Incident assessment – the Crisis Lead onsite will be identified and they will assess the incident and its severity.
2. Action/Intervention – The Crisis Lead communicates with Building Security/Facilities and the Crisis Incident Response Team, if necessary.
   1. Administer First Aid and/or provide emotional support
   2. Call 911 for emergency responders if needed
   3. Communicate with Student Services and CIR Team
   4. Initiate safety protocols, lockdown or evacuation procedures if required
3. Secondary response – in the case of escalation, additional resources will be contacted such as Police/Emergency Mental Health Response, calling 911.
   1. Evacuation or lockdown protocol initiated
4. Case management – during the incident
   1. Crisis Lead and Building Security/Facilities assess damages and determine to resume classes if it safe and practical to do so.
   2. Student Services provide support to students, staff and parents (if needed). Provide recommended resources and facilitate counselling sessions and support to affected individuals.
   3. Operations/Admin to provide updated internal communication to staff and students (parent if necessary) as well as external communication to those not onsite, including parents.
5. Follow-up reporting – after the incident
   1. Crisis Lead and Building Security/Facilities to create a document that summarizes the incident; the cause, the actions that took place to resolve the situation and people that were involved no later than one week after the incident.
   2. Student Services to provide recommended resources, facilitate counselling sessions and support to affected individuals if needed minimum two days after the incident and no later than one week after the incident.
   3. Operations/Admin to provide updated internal communication to staff and students as well as external communication to those not onsite, including parents minimum two days after the incident and no later than one week after the incident.
6. Post-incident analysis and responsibilities – The Crisis Lead and Building Security/Facilities will conduct a post-incident debrief with the CIR Team and any other relevant staff. Any changes made to the policy and/or procedures will be documented and communicated to all onsite staff and students within two weeks of the incident.

 This policy and its procedures will be reviewed annually and included in staff and student orientations with our Safety Policies and Procedures.

Examples of a Critical Incident:

• A person from the general public, who appears to be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol gets into the building and is disrupting classes is considered a security threat onsite.
• A student has a serious fall requiring an ambulance is considered a medical emergency.
• A student has not checked in for their regular classes, is unreachable after a number of attempts at Student Services trying to contact them throughout the day, friends are not receiving communication, parents are not able to get in touch. Can be considered a missing student.
• Physical, mental abuse, and bullying (including online) towards someone that has continued over time. Is considered

Examples of a Crisis:

• A natural disaster
• A data breach that has affected all stakeholders and the business.
• A serious fall causing death