Policies and Procedures

Access and Equity

The Instructor College promotes, encourages and values diversity and providing out students will a learning environment that fosters success. We strive to meet the needs of our community and of individuals and/or groups who might be otherwise disadvantaged. This includes providing equitable access to learning and development resources and equal opportunity to access training services with flexible delivery and assessment arrangements and LLN support where necessary.

The Instructor College will work to meet the needs of the community and individuals and/or groups who might be otherwise disadvantaged. This includes providing fair allocation of resources and equal opportunity to access training \ services. The Instructor College prohibits discrimination based on factors including:

• Gender
• Race
• Age 
• Ethnicity
• Marital Status
• Religious Background
• Sexual Orientation
• Parental Status

The Instructor College will work to ensure all students have the right resources available to allow successful completion of course requirements. This includes flexible delivery and assessment arrangements where necessary and LLN support.

Complaints and Appeals

Student Complaints

Throughout your learning program, if you have a concern about your course, your trainers, other staff, students or the Instructor College policies and procedures, we recommend you speak with someone as soon as the situation arises.

In the first instance we recommend students discuss the situation with the people who are directly involved and give them the opportunity to respond. If you then feel that the situation or complaint has not been dealt with, you can contact the Consumer Protection Officer or by emailing support@theinstructorcollege.com.au.

[Company Name] will ensure that our complaints process is accessible, transparent, fair and equitable and that any complaint or appeal is treated privately and in a timely manner.

Assessment Appeals

As our student, you have the right to appeal an assessment decision where you feel the assessment process was unfair or that the decision made by the assessor does not accurately reflect your competence. Any assessment appeal must be lodged within two (2) weeks of being formally notified of the result of the assessment.

Grounds for appeal may include the Instructor College’s failure to:

• Provide appropriate advice before and during the assessment
• Provide reasonable adjustment where necessary
• Take literacy, numeracy and language requirements into consideration
• Consider all available evidence and make an assessment decision consistent with
  the evidence provided.

Additional Options

If in the instance of an appeal or complaint not being resolved, there other avenues of complaint. These include:

• The Office Fair Trading for complaints regarding non-training issues such as disputes over refunds or charges - www.qld.gov.au/law/fair-trading
• The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is the national regulator of training and assessment delivery - www.asqa.gov.au
• WorkSafe QLD is the point of contact for any Work Health and Safety issue - www.worksafe.qld.gov.au
• The relevant State Training Authority

Consumer Protection

The Instructor College provide protection for our consumers as part of our provision of quality training and assessment products and services. The Consumer Protection Policy Procedure advises our prospective and current students and customers on their rights and obligations as consumers. Under this policy, we provide:

• Accurate information about our services and fees
• Information about student rights and responsibilities
• Training and support necessary to allow achieve of competency
• Quality training and assessment experiences
• Clear and accessible feedback and a consumer protection system including an identified consumer protection officer
• A complaints and appeals procedure
• Procedures for protecting personal information

Course Information

Courses will be advertised on the Instructor College Website where course information will be made available to students prior to their enrolment.

Once your enrolment has been accepted and the course commences, the trainer/assessor will be provided with a copy of your student’s training plan which must be used to monitor and record your progress.

Fees and Charges

Course Fees

Several factors will determine how much students will pay for their program. This includes things like:

• The course or program and its duration
• Study load and mode (full time, part time, face-to-face, online etc.)
• Any credits that may be applied through direct credit transfer, recognition of prior learning
• Any previous qualifications held
• Student eligibility for subsidies or concessions

Irrespective of the availability and receipt of government subsidies by an employer, school, or student, it is a requirement of the Instructor College that where enrolment fees, administrative charges or other charges are applicable, these must be paid upfront before or at the time of enrolment.

The Instructor fees and charges are reviewed on a yearly basis and are subject to change.

Fee Protection

The Instructor College is aware of its obligation as Registered Training Organisation to protect student fees paid in advance. To this effect, it has the following fee protection policy in place:

Additional Fee Information:

Prior to enrolling into your chosen program, you will be informed of any additional costs for equipment, textbooks or field trips that may be required. 

Students must have paid the relevant fees in full to receive any credentials. If fees are not paid in full, the Instructor College will not issue Certificates or Statements of Attainment and, in certain circumstances, will refer student debt to a debt collection agency.

In some circumstances (i.e. under certain Awards) an employer or support agency will pay the fee on behalf of the student, however, no credentials will be issued to this payer.

No additional fees will be incurred by the student if a third party is delivering training and assessment on our behalf (known as a Third-Party Arrangement).

Skills Recognition or Credit Transfer approvals will incur a fee adjustment.

A processing fee applies if past students request a re-issue of a document that has been previously issued. Document re-issue fees apply to:

• Statement(s) of Attainment
• Certificates and Diplomas
• Record of Results

Payment Options

Payment of course fees can be made to the Instructor College via EFTPOS, direct bank deposit or credit card.

Failure to Make Payment

All fees and charges must be paid by the due date. Failure to pay fees and charges may result in any or all of the following, until the full amount is paid:

• suspension from attending or participating in the course.
• exclusion from assessment activities.
• withholding of qualification and academic record.
• termination of the enrolment.
• exclusion from any future enrolments at the Instructor College.

Other Fees

Replacement of Training Materials

The Instructor College will charge a fee to replace any lost training and/or assessment materials that have been previously issued.

Fees for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) or Credit Transfer (CT)

Student Fees will be adjusted if when granted RPL or Credit Transfer for any units in the Training Program.

Re-issue of Transcripts
An administration fee of $60 applies if students require a re-issue of a document that has already provided. Document re-issue fees apply to:

• Statement(s) of Attainment
• Testamur
• Record of Results

Cancellation Fee

If students withdraw their enrolment prior to the commencement of their course they may be entitled to receive a refund of monies paid, however, the Instructor College will retain the non-refundable administration fee of $450. This fee covers the costs that the Instructor College has already incurred in processing the application, enrolment, resources and payments.

If students withdraw from the course after the scheduled start date, no refund is applicable, and they may be required to pay any outstanding balance.

To apply to withdraw, students must complete the Application for Withdrawal / Deferral Form which can be download from the Student Portal. It is advisable that the student first contact front office prior to submitting the form.

Privacy

The Instructor College strongly supports the privacy and confidentiality of our students. Information is collected, used and stored in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld) and the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) and the National Privacy Principles.

Certain general, non-specific information such as location, sex, age and results may be passed on to other agencies to inform future funding arrangements and/or statistical data gathering requirements. These agencies may include the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT) and the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).

We will not share personal information to any person or agency without a student’s permission, unless required to do so by law. Information is not given to any other agency, organisation or anyone else unless one of the following applies:

• You have given us permission.
• You would reasonably expect, or has been told, that information of that kind is usually passed to those individuals, bodies or agencies.
• it is required or authorised by law; or
• it will prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to somebody's life or health.

Records and Information Management

The Instructor College is committed to maintaining and safeguarding the accuracy, integrity, confidentiality and currency of all records and responding in a timely manner to requests for information or access to records by past or current students.

All hard copy records including personnel files and student records are stored in a locked secure office area. Electronic records are saved on a password protected computer system and training records are stored in our AVETMISS Data Entry Tool. We protect records by maintaining up to date virus, firewall and spyware protection software.

Refunds

The Instructor College maintains a fair and equitable refund policy that outlines the concurrences for which we would grant a refund of fees paid. If a student withdraws from their learning program, they must discuss this with their trainer to determine if a full or partial refund may be applicable.

1. If a student withdraws prior to the scheduled start of the training program to which they are enrolled, a refund will be granted less a non-refundable Administration fee of $450.
2. If a student withdraws after the course commences, no refund will be granted, and the student may be required to pay any outstanding balance.
3. If the Instructor College cancels a training program before it commences, a full refund of fees paid will be made.

Information below outlines some of the circumstances under which a refund may be granted.

Third-Party Arrangements

If your course includes delivery by a Third-Party Provider, the Instructor College will advise you of the arrangement prior to the program commencing.

You will also be advised of:

• The name and contact details of any third party that will provide training and/or assessment, and related educational and support services to you on our behalf; and
• Your rights, including: if the Instructor College, or a third-party delivering training and assessment closes or ceases to deliver any part of the training product that you are enrolled in;
• any changes to Third Party arrangements.