Children in the Learning Environment

1. Introduction and Purpose

Loyalist College encourages safe, supervised campus visitations by students making decisions about their academic future; attending lessons; developmental and cultural activities; and sporting events and day camps.

Loyalist College recognizes the challenges that parents/guardians may face when balancing their family and work life and/or education. The College’s goal is to support its community while preserving the learning environment to ensure students can obtain a quality education. This policy sets out alternative access to instruction to support family emergencies.

2. Application

This policy applies to all Loyalist College students and employees.

The scope of this policy is children in the learning environment during instructional time, field trips or learning activities and during work placements.

NOTE: This policy does not apply to children who are on campus (in or out of the learning environment) for camps, organized events or as clients/customers in the College’s commercial establishments.

3. Definitions

Student: An individual registered in a Loyalist College program.

Child: A child who is under 16 years old.

Employee: The instructor or facilitator in a learning environment.

Learning Environment: Any physical space that is used for instruction (e.g., classrooms, labs, kitchens, tech shops).

Learning Activities: On- and off-campus activities that supplement instruction in the learning environment (e.g., field trips or excursions).

Placements: Are learning environments at external agencies that support authentic work environments associated with their respective programs.

Organized Events: In the case of this policy, organized events mean supervised events that invite individuals who are not current students into the College’s learning environment (e.g., high school tours, Take Our Kids to WorkTM Day).

Exceptional Circumstances/Emergencies: In the case of this policy, exceptional circumstances mean unexpected, temporary events or problems that are out of the control of the parent.

4. Policy Statement

The Loyalist College campus grounds and infrastructure are designed to provide areas that are conducive to learning and working activities performed by its students and employees. Consequently, the College takes the position that children should not be brought into the learning environment in lieu of having a regular childcare provider.

Access to the learning environment is restricted to enrolled students, instructors, program participants or others who are authorized by Loyalist College to use or access the space.

• 4.1 Human Rights Accommodation – Alternative Forms of Instruction
  • As per the Ontario Human Rights Code, Loyalist College has a duty to accommodate an individual’s family needs with dignity and to the point of undue hardship. As such, employees and students may seek accommodation to allow them the time to attend to family responsibilities.
    • Faculty will provide students with ways to compensate for missed instructional time if required.
    • Deans will work with employees to determine the best manner to provide alternative forms of instruction, when necessary.
• 4.2 Placements, Field Trips and Learning Activities
  • Under no circumstances are children permitted during learning activities, placements or field trips.

5. References

• Ontario Human Rights Code
• Child and Family Services Act