The academic year is divided into three Sessions: autumn, winter, and summer. Autumn and winter are full semesters. Courses in the summer session are limited.

Academic Year

Registration

Students are required to register for their courses in person on the dates announced by the Registrar. Specific appointments are arranged through the College Office after payment of the registration fee.

All students are required to sign a contract for educational services, which consists of information regarding course selection. A student who misses a course selection appointment will be placed at the end of the appointment list. The Registrar will assist the student in course selection.

Part-time Students

A part-time student who wishes to become a full-time student in a subsequent semester must re-apply to the College. The application fee is not required unless the student is not currently enrolled. Admission to courses by part-time students is granted only after all full-time students have been accommodated and as space allows unless they are in their final semester of studies. Final semester students are treated as full-time students.

Course Loads

Full-time students must take between four and seven academic courses in each session. The normal course load in Social Science and Social Science–Commerce varies between six and seven academic courses each semester. In addition, three courses in physical education are required to complete the diploma. Permission to exceed seven courses must be obtained from the Registrar. Such requests will be assessed on the basis of past academic performance and need.

First Day of Session

Students are required to be present at the first day of classes as indicated in the College Calendar. Students who arrive late without permission of the Director of the College or Registrar may be automatically de-registered from some or all of their courses, their contract annulled, and their place given to someone else.

Course Change

Students who wish to withdraw from a course and replace it with another may do so on the specific dates posted. This may be done only if the course desired has space and if the change can be accommodated in the student's schedule. Following the posted dates, a course may only be dropped without being replaced, up to the course withdrawal date.

Course Withdrawal

At the beginning of a semester, up to the date indicated on the Academic Calendar, a student may drop or withdraw from a course without it appearing on the transcript. All withdrawals must be done in writing and with the approval of the Registrar. Appropriate forms are available at the Registrar's Office. Failure to withdraw formally from a course by the posted date will result in a grade appearing on the transcript.

If course withdrawals would change the student's status from full-time to part-time, the request may be denied and the student will be given the choice of remaining full-time or completely withdrawing from the College.

Withdrawal from College

Students who wish to withdraw from the College during a session must do so formally in writing to the Registrar. The deadline for doing so without record is the same as for course withdrawal. Failure to notify the Registrar in writing means that no fees can be refunded and that all courses must be listed with a grade on the transcript.

Students who have been out of the College for a full session or who have withdrawn from the College must re-apply for admission to the Registrar.

The College reserves the right to request the withdrawal of any student whose conduct or academic standing is considered unacceptable for a member of the College.

Transcripts

College-level institutions in Québec all issue a Bulletin d'Études collégiales (B.E.C.). This is a transcript of grades which lists all the courses a student has taken, whether at Centennial or another college. The official transcript lists courses by number and title, indicates in which session the course was taken, the credits acquired, the class average, and the student's own grade.

Official transcripts are sent directly to universities or other institutions which require them. They must be requested by the student in writing, using the appropriate form available at the Registrar's Office. Students may themselves receive an unofficial copy.

The grades of a student are his or her property and are confidential. No information (other than that required by law) will be released without the written permission of the student. Nevertheless, faculty and administration within Centennial College have access to the student's academic record.

Transcript Errors or Omissions

The transcript (B.E.C.) is issued to each student at the end of each session. It is the responsibility of the student to report any errors or omissions to the Registrar's Office within three weeks of the issuance of transcripts.

Commandites

Students are not allowed to register in more than one college at the same time, or to take a course in another institution for credit without permission. A commandite is a letter, which allows a student to take a course in another college and is issued by the Registrar. Generally, these are issued for courses in the Summer Session if the course is not offered at Centennial or if there are conflicts in the student's schedule.

Letters of Permission

A student who wishes to take a course at another college or university must request a “Letter of Permission” from the Registrar before registering in that course. To receive approval, the course must closely correspond to an equivalent course in the Québec college system. Upon completion of the course, the student must request the other institution to send an official transcript to the Registrar of Centennial College to be credited towards the diploma. The grade received will not be incorporated into the Centennial transcript, but will be replaced by an EQ (equivalence).

Diplomas

Students who complete a prescribed pre-university program are granted the Diploma of Collegial Studies (Diplôme d'Études Collégiales) by the Ministry of Education. Students are ultimately responsible for their course selection and should be completely familiar with the course requirements for their program as outlined in the College Calendar. They should also make themselves aware of any specific prerequisites for admission to university programs.

At the time of admission to the College and to a program of studies, the Registrar verifies the presence of a completed Secondary V Certificate (D.E.S. or D.E.P.) or documentation attesting to what the College considers equivalent. Prerequisites for the student's program are checked at this time and again at the moment of registration for courses. These documents are deposited in the student's file.

The College, following Ministry of Education regulations and guidelines, establishes a list of learning activities (courses) and evaluations, which are published in the annual College Calendar. Students are required to complete their program in accordance with the regulations in force at the time of their entry into the College system unless they apply in writing to the Registrar to be brought under the rules of the current program. Notwithstanding the above, the College may refuse admission into an old version of a program by new applicants or students who have been out of the College for a semester or more. Full documentation is kept in the student's file.

During each session, the Registrar produces a list of students likely to receive the Diploma of Collegial Studies (Diplôme d'Études Collégiales) in the following semester so that they may register for the course containing the comprehensive assessment, register for the ministerial English examination, and register for any other ministerial examinations that may be required. At this time students who are not on the list, but believe that they are potential graduates may request a review of their file.

Again, at the end of the session in which the student is expected to graduate, the student's file is examined to ensure that the student has been granted a Secondary V Certificate or what the College deems as equivalent; grades are examined to ensure that the student has passed all required courses, acquired the credits, and met the requirements for the diploma in his or her program, and that any examinations or assessments required for the diploma have been successfully passed. When a student is considered eligible for the diploma, his or her name is added to the list of graduates by the Registrar. This list, when made final, is presented by the Director General to the Board of Directors for approval. Once approved by the Board, the College requests these diplomas from the Ministry of Education and changes the notation at the end of the transcript from "sans verdict" to "oui" indicating that all requirements for the diploma have been met.