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Non-Academic Leave Policy

Effective Date: January 1, 2025
Downloadable Version: PDF ICON Non-Academic Leave Policy
Related Procedure(s): PDF ICON Non-Academic Leave and Appeal Procedure
  This document is available in alternate format on request.

Purpose/Rationale:

The Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning operation as Humber Polytechnic and the University of Guelph-Humber (hereafter referred to as “Humber”) are committed to fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment that promotes the intellectual and personal growth of all students. The goal and responsibility of Humber is to provide an academic community that is caring, respectful, safe, inclusive, and welcoming for all members. We recognize the importance of offering appropriate support and resources to students facing challenges that may affect their ability to fully engage in their curricular and co-curricular pursuits, and know this may sometimes mean taking a temporary leave, voluntary or involuntary, from Humber. Students are encouraged to prioritize their health and safety, even if it means that academic progress is delayed.

The purpose of this policy and associated procedure is to:

  • Provide a clear process for requesting a leave from Humber.
  • Provide a clear process for requiring a leave from Humber.
  • Provide the student with appropriate supports, resources, and referrals.
  • Facilitate a risk/threat assessment with a student of concern.
  • Mitigate risk to the student and the community.
  • Minimize potential long-term risks for international students associated with immigration regulations.

The CARE Team, defined below, shares responsibility for supporting holistic student wellness and campus safety through collaborative decision making and assessment, involving the student of concern where possible and/or appropriate. Where concerns are raised and/or patterns of concerning behaviour is identified, the CARE Team operates on behalf of Humber to engage the student(s) in processes to assess their ability to engage effectively in a post-secondary setting, taking into account their emotional, physical, and psychological wellbeing, and to mitigate risk and impact on themselves and the Humber community. The CARE Team works collaboratively with other departments at Humber (e.g., Academic Division, International Centre, Equity Hubs, etc.) to provide wrap around support and resources for students.

Scope:

This policy and associated procedures apply to all students, defined below, in relation to student behaviour, academic or non-academic, where activities or actions are a component of the relationship between the student and Humber, on or off-campus, including members of the Humber community such as faculty, staff, other students, and community members at large. Humber will work with other academic institutions where students are cross registered to facilitate the application of this policy and procedures.

This policy, and associated procedure, is separate from Humber’s Academic Regulation 5.2, Denied Admissions.

Other Applicable Policy & Procedures Documents:
In addition to this policy, there are a number of academic programs, departmental, and institutional codes, policies, and regulations that may apply, and which may be administered by the Faculties or area where the policy originates. These include, but are not limited to, Academic Regulations (including academic placement and workplace regulations), Code of Student Community Standards, Sexual Violence Policy and Procedures, Human Rights and Harassment Policy and Procedures (in addition to codes and policies which strive to protect and enhance the safety and security of a specific group of community members), health and safety policies, CARE Team Procedure Manual, professional suitability and standards policies, and Immigration considerations. For a list of related and applicable policies, please see the Related Policy section.

Definitions:

Care Coordinators: Humber staff who assist students by coordinating various supports and resources both on-campus and in the community. Care Coordinators help students navigate policy and process, provide referrals, act as a support person during meetings, and assist with a variety of student concerns (e.g., academic considerations, financial/food insecurity, housing instability, recently impacted by a tragic circumstance, violence, and more). They are the first point of contact for students disclosing impacts of sexual violence and can provide support through the many pathways that a survivor may choose. Care Coordinators engage with students from a trauma-informed, survivor-centric, and anti-oppressive framework.

Coordinate, Assess, Respond, and Educate (CARE) Team: A multidisciplinary team that addresses holistic student wellness and student behaviour concerns through assessment, engagement, and outreach to maintain a safe and supportive environment for the Humber community. The CARE Team membership includes staff from Student Connection & Community Care, the Department of Public Safety, Residence Life, Student Wellbeing, and other areas of Humber as required. Their goal is to provide proactive support to students demonstrating concerning behaviours, and to streamline institutional supports and responses to complex behavioural concerns. The Team accepts referrals from faculty, staff, students, and community members.

Community Member: Any individual affiliated with Humber/UofGH who is involved in the learning community or in providing a service that contributes to the operation of Humber/UofGH. Community members include, but are not limited to, students, faculty, staff, administration, contracted service providers, and guests.

Faculties: Any of the formalized academic units or business units of Humber/UofGH that provide courses or programs in which students enroll.

Interim Measures: A temporary action or solution implemented to address a situation or problem until a more permanent solution can be reached. While every effort is made to limit the academic impact on the student(s), interim measures are assigned in an effort to protect the wellbeing and/or safety of community members, including the student of concern, and may include a no-contact directive, a registration hold on a student’s account, ban from campus property, removal from on-campus housing, and/or other necessary measures. Interim measures are in place temporarily until an assessment of the student’s ability to engage effectively in a post-secondary setting can be made.

International Student Advisor & Immigration Specialist/International Graduate Student Advisor & Immigration Specialist (ISAIS/IGSAIS): Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) or Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) who are uniquely authorized to provide immigration advising to international students for whom taking a voluntary/involuntary leave may have consequences for: their legal status in Canada, their maintained relationship with Canadian immigration, and any future immigration application made under the Immigration & Refugee Protection Act or Immigration & Refugee Protection Regulations.

Involuntary Leave: Through support and consultation with the CARE Team and its members, and after all other resolution options with the student have been explored, a decision may be made to place the student on a leave from the institution. The goal of an involuntary leave is to provide support and resources to the student while also ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the Humber community. This may involve connecting the student with mental health services, academic support, or other resources to help them overcome their challenges. Involuntary leave is only considered after careful assessment and due process, with the utmost consideration for the wellbeing of the student involved, and where other resolutions are not possible. An involuntary leave is not meant to be punitive, but rather to provide appropriate support and care for the student in question and to maintain the safety of our campuses. The student will be supported in navigating policies and processes related to the leave and can access support services upon their reapplication to Humber, if desired.

Professional Suitability and Standards: A document relating to a school or career that explains the characteristics required of an individual that would allow them to participate in that school or career.

Risk: The potential to cause harm to self, others, or the Humber community. Harm may be physical, psychological, emotional, or reputational. This includes the potential to cause harm to one’s own ability to succeed academically while at Humber.

Senior Administration: A member of the Humber Polytechnic Executive Team and/or the Vice-Provost or Assistant Vice-Provost for the University of Guelph-Humber.

Student: An individual assigned a student identification number, prospective or confirmed, taking courses at either Humber Polytechnic or the University of Guelph-Humber, including through Continuous Professional Learning and/or Education & Training Solutions. Individuals who are not enrolled in the current semester, but have shown academic progress toward a credential and may be between periods/terms of actual enrollment, are also considered students. All other individuals will be treated as community members or visitors to Humber.

Student of Concern: Refers to any student who demonstrates behaviours that indicate they may be a risk to themselves, others, the educational process, or the Humber community. These behaviours typically interfere with a student’s ability to function on a day-to-day basis in the post-secondary setting and/or disrupt the learning environment and/or operations of Humber.

Support Person: An individual that may attend any meetings including those associated with an assessment, investigation, hearing, or appeal, to provide personal support to a student. The support person may not speak on behalf of the student but may offer support and guidance to the student in the presentation of their case.

Risk Assessment: A research-based system/framework to review documents and/or complete a structured interview(s) that is used to assess and determine the level of risk/threat an individual poses to themselves, others, and/or the Humber community. The authority to require an assessment comes through the CARE Team and requires an elevated level or above on the NABITA Risk Rubric (National Association for Behaviour Intervention and Threat Assessment).

Voluntary Leave: A student may choose to take a voluntary leave from Humber for a variety of reasons including personal/family obligations, medical concerns, complex personal challenges, and/or to engage with appropriate resources to support their overall wellbeing and ability to engage effectively in a post-secondary environment. The student will be supported in navigating policies and process related to the leave, will be connected with a Care Coordinator and/or International Student Advisor & Immigration Specialist, and can access support services upon their reapplication to Humber, if desired.

Policy: 

  1. At times, there may be situations whereby a student is not able to effectively engage in a post-secondary setting due to their emotional, physical, and/or psychological wellbeing, or poses a significant risk to themselves or others. The CARE Team will engage with the student to provide support, resources, referrals, and may conduct risk assessments as appropriate in accordance with the CARE Team Procedures. This may involve connecting the student with a Care Coordinator, mental health services, academic support, the International Centre or other resources to help develop a personalized collaborative student success plan.
  2. The CARE Team, acting on behalf of Humber, may impose Interim Measures to ensure the wellbeing and/or safety of community members including the student of concern, while a review of the student’s case is ongoing and an appropriate and supportive response is being formulated.
    1. A student has the right to appeal Interim Measures as explained in Section 2 of the Non-Academic Leave and Appeal Procedure.
  3. A student may decide to take a voluntary leave from Humber, for a period of time, for their own wellbeing, to manage personal challenges, and/or to engage with external supports and resources. The student will be supported through this process by a Care Coordinator and, where relevant, by an International Student Advisor & Immigration Specialist or International Graduate Student Advisor & Immigration Specialist. Return to study protocols and conditions to be met prior to re-admittance are co-constructed with the student following the guidelines in Section 2 of the Non-Academic Leave and Appeal Procedure.
  4. In very rare circumstances, and after careful consideration and due process, the CARE Team may determine that a student is unable to effectively participate in a post-secondary environment due to complex challenges, refusing to participate in necessary processes or assessments to lessen harm or risk, and/or the risk cannot be eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level through supports. The CARE Team may then recommend to the Associate Vice-President, Learner & Career Success and Dean of Students that the student be placed on an involuntary leave from the institution. Return to study protocols, and conditions to be met before re-admission, are determined as per Section 1 of the Non-Academic Leave and Appeal Procedure.
  5. A student has the right to procedural fairness throughout this review process, including the following components:
    1. The right to know and respond; being made aware of and given an opportunity to respond to, correct, or contradict any information available, in person/virtual meeting and/or in writing.
    2. The right to reasons; a rationale for any decisions made under this Policy.
    3. The right to request a decision review based on the conditions explained in Section 3 of the Non-Academic Leave and Appeal Procedure.
    4. The right to have a support person of their choice accompany them at any stage of the process, if desired.
  6. The decision to place a student on involuntary leave will be made by the Associate Vice-President, Learner & Career Success and Dean of Students, or designate, based on the recommendation of the CARE Team and after careful review of the information provided.
  7. If the decision is made to place a student on an involuntary leave, the decision, including rationale, will be communicated to the student in writing. The letter will include the earliest date by which the student may apply for re-admission, the process for applying for re-admission, any conditions for re-admission, and any on-going conditions if re-admitted. Please refer to Section 2 of the Non-Academic Leave and Appeal Procedure for more information.
 

Related Policies:

CARE Team Procedure Manual

Code of Student Community Standards Policy/Procedures

Humber Human Rights & Harassment Policy

Sexual Violence Policy/Procedures (Employees)/Procedures (Students)