Introduction

The following policies and procedures apply to all de Souza Institute courses.

Glossary of Terms Used in this Policy:

Course start date: The date a course begins as posted in de Souza Institute course catalogue, and/or posted on the de Souza website. The Institute reserves the right to make adjustments to course dates.

Incomplete/Fail: The final grade given to a participant who has failed to meet course requirements. No tuition refunds will be issued.

Pending: No grade assigned in My Account as yet.

No Show: A participant who registers for the course but does not engage with the content (i.e. does not log in to the eLearning centre, and has not responded to the reminders issued by the Institute). After 5 business days from the course start date, the participant will be removed from the course and no tuition refunds will be issued.

1. Registration and Fees

a. Course fees may be paid by cheque, Visa, MasterCard or American Express. Post-dated cheques are not accepted. Credit card payments must be made online through My Account. Course fees are listed in the Course Calendar. For international student pricing, please see the International Student Fees article

b. If payment is not received 5 business days prior to the course start date, participants will be automatically removed from the course.

c. Cheques must be made payable and sent to:

de Souza Institute

c/o Toronto General Hospital

200 Elizabeth Street

RFE 3-440

Toronto, ON

M5G 2C4

d. Course fees less than $100 are non-refundable.

e. Discounts cannot be combined. The highest single percentage or dollar discount available to you is applied to your purchase.

f. Participants must apply for special pricing or discount that they may be eligible for before paying for any course. The discount portion will not be refunded after payment of the course fee. For more information, read our article on Special Pricing for CANO/ACIO Members and Students and other savings opportunities.

g. Access codes purchased under group pricing must be used within two years of the payment date.

2. Learning Agreement

Course participants are required to read and accept the learning agreement at the start of the course in order to proceed with the course sections and modules.

3. Late Cancellation and Withdrawal

a. A full refund of course fees will be granted if participants formally withdraw by requesting to drop the course in My Account before the course start date.

b. A 50% refund will be granted if participants formally withdraw by requesting to drop the course in My Account within 5 business days of the course start date. The course will not appear on the transcript if participants withdraw from the course prior to the withdrawal deadline.

c. No refund will be granted for withdrawals 5 business days past the course start date and requests to drop a course without academic penalty will not be approved. A failed credit will appear on the transcript if participants drop the course after the deadline, or fail to meet the course requirements by the course end date.

d. No requests to drop the IPODE courses are permitted once it begins due to the nature of live participation. Do not enroll in these courses unless you are available for the entire duration and live participation sessions. A failed credit will appear on the transcript if participants drop the course after the deadline, or fail to meet the course requirements by the course end date.

e. Refund for courses paid via group pricing: if any group participants withdraw within the timeline indicated above, a refund will be granted. However, if the withdraw or cancellation results in the group being reduced to less than 3 individuals or less than 3 courses, the group pricing will be invalidated and the refund will be adjusted based on the full course fees for the remaining participants. Please contact de Souza Institute for further details.

4. Failure to Complete Course Requirements for Paid Courses

a. To promote self-directed learning and accountability, all participants must complete all course requirements as outlined in the course syllabus to receive de Souza credit. No refund will be granted if the participant fails to complete all course requirements.

5. Failure to Complete Course Requirements for Sponsored (Free) Courses

a. All participants must complete all course requirements as outlined in the course syllabus to receive de Souza credit.

b. If the course is sponsored by an organization, their policy applies. If the participant does not attempt any of the course activities or withdraws from the course more than 5 business days after the course start date, the sponsoring organization will be notified.

c. If a free course is not completed before the end date, unless it is because of a special situation such as a medical condition, the participant will receive a fail grade as per de Souza Institute policy “Late Cancellation and Withdrawal Policy".

6. Extensions and Vacation Accommodation

a. Specific course timelines may vary; however, the Institute will endeavour to adhere to the original posted schedule. In the event that dates change, the Institute will provide ample notice via e-mail and/or an announcement in the de Souza Institute My Account. It is recommended that participants check the de Souza Institute website regularly for updates related to their registered courses, and ensure that their contact information is up to date.

b. The Institute does not allow extensions of deadlines for course requirement completion; it is the responsibility of participants, when registering for a course, to be fully aware of their ability to meet course expectations and deadlines.

c. Exemptions will be considered at the Institute's discretion. Supporting documentation, such as a medical note, will be requested. For special accommodation to minimize the impact of a physical or mental challenge/disability that impedes the student’s ability to learn or to write an examination, please refer to de Souza accommodation policy.

d. Extensions will not be granted due to absence during the course because of vacation. It is strongly recommended that you do not plan a vacation during the course offering period. Prior to taking a course, the participant should check the course schedule to make sure there is no conflict. If there is a conflict, the participant should register for an alternate offering of the course. In the event that a vacation takes place in the middle of a course, and the participant cannot make another plan or choose another course offering, the participant should notify the educator at the beginning of the course. The educator will review the situation and provide approval and/or guidance on how best to post assignments/discussions before, during, or after the vacation to minimize interruption to the course and maximize learning.