The terms and conditions (the “Terms and Conditions”) contained in this agreement are designed to comply with the requirements of BC’s Freedom of Information and Privacy Act. It reflects your right to privacy and permits the UBC Science Co-op Program (the “Co-op Program”) to disclose relevant information about you to current and potential Co-op employers. The Terms and Conditions also stipulate Co-op regulations and expectations. It is intended to ensure a procedural fairness for individuals by establishing a set of principles governing all Co-op students administered by UBC Science Co-op Program. These Terms and Conditions are in addition to those regulations listed in the University of British Columbia Calendar.
The UBC Science Co-op Program reserves the right to update, modify, or revise these Terms and Conditions.
Questions about the collection of this information may be directed to the Program Director, Dr. Javed Iqbal at iqbal@phas.ubc.ca.
1. INFORMATION RELEASE
| 1.1 | That the Co-op office will access my academic records for the purposes of the Co-op Program. |
| 1.2 | To permit UBC to release information about me including my résumé, cover letter, transcripts, contact information, citizenship status, and other relevant information to prospective employers to secure employment for Co-op work terms while I am in the Co-op Program. |
| 1.3 | To keep the Co-op job posting information, employer lists, contacts, passwords to the Science Co-op Program database (SCOPE) confidential. |
2. COMMUNICATION WITH THE CO-OP OFFICE
| 2.1 | To respond promptly to all messages from Co-op staff. |
| 2.2 | To notify Co-op staff, in writing, of any changes regarding my work eligibility, work status or current contact information. |
| 2.3 | To inform Co-op staff as soon as reasonably possible of any inappropriate, unsafe, and/or unethical behaviour or treatment during my participation in the Co-op Program, including during the recruitment process, in an interview, or in the workplace. |
3. ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE & STUDENT CONDUCT
| 3.1 | To maintain good academic standing in order to remain in the Co-op Program. |
| 3.2 | To behave appropriately and according to all UBC policies, procedures and guidelines for the duration of my participation in the Co-op Program, whether on an academic term at UBC or on a Co-op work term. |
| 3.3 | That any disciplinary action imposed on me by the University, whether for academic or non-academic misconduct, may result in me being no longer eligible to continue in the Co-op Program. |
4. CO-OP WORKSHOPS / PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRAINING
| 4.1 | To pay the Co-op administration & workshop fee at time of admission to the Co-op Program, by the deadline set by the Co-op Program, and understand that this fee is non-refundable. |
| 4.2 | To attend all required Co-op workshops on pre-employment training. |
5. JOB SEARCH PROCESS
| 5.1 | That the Co-op Program does not, and cannot, guarantee Co-op employment. I will be actively engaged in the job search, through positions posted on SCOPE and through my own endeavours. It is ultimately my responsibility to secure Co-op work term employment. |
| 5.2 | To review and discuss my self-directed job search with a Coordinator and keep them updated on my application and work search progress. |
| 5.3 | To allow the Co-op Program to solicit positions on my behalf. |
| 5.4 | That I will not solicit positions from a Co-op employer directly on my own without prior permission from Co-op staff. |
| 5.5 | To provide the Co-op Program and prospective employers with accurate and appropriate information regarding my qualifications and interests. |
| 5.6 | That I will provide truthful and accurate information in my application packages, during interviews or meetings with prospective employers. |
6. INTERVIEWS
| 6.1 | To attend all interviews with employers who have selected me as a candidate, and to conduct myself professionally throughout the process. |
| 6.2 | That the Co-op staff may, if necessary, select interview times on my behalf. |
| 6.3 | That interviews will only be rescheduled at the sole discretion of the employer for exams, health reasons or emergencies, and I will notify Co-op staff immediately of any interviews I am unable to attend for any reason. |
| 6.4 | To notify Co-op staff of the details of all interviews an employer arranges directly with me. |
| 6.5 | To contact a Coordinator as soon as possible after an interview if I do not want to accept the position if offered. |
7. JOB OFFERS
| 7.1 | That I will accept or reject all job offers through a Co-op Coordinator or designated Co-op staff. I will consult with a Coordinator before accepting a job offer and allow them to contact this employer to ensure the position satisfies the criteria of a Co-op work term and to inform the employer of the Co-op guidelines. |
| 7.2 | That I will be required to pay the necessary travel, relocation, or any other expenses (if not subsidized by the employer), when accepting any Co-op positions. |
| 7.3 | To respond to a Co-op job offer, indicating whether I will accept or decline the offer within 2 business days, unless a shorter period is specified by the employer. |
| 7.4 | To accept the salary offered by employers, understanding that the work terms are paid employment and reflect the organization’s salary scale and my level of training and experience. I will not negotiate the salary offered unless I have spoken with my Co-op coordinator and received permission to do so. |
| 7.5 | That once I have signed an offer of employment (or equivalent) and/or agreed to a verbal offer of employment, I have a professional and ethical obligation to satisfy the requirements of my employment contract. If I cannot honour my contract of employment, for a position secured through Co-op or via my self-directed job search efforts, I will not be satisfying the conditions of the Co-op Program and may be assigned a fail standing for the Co-op course and may no longer be eligible to continue in the Co-op Program unless I have obtained permission to breach the contract from the Co-op Program prior to doing so. In exceptional circumstances permission to breach the contract (or equivalent) may be granted retroactively, but only where it is impractical to obtain permission prior to breaching the contract and where Co-op staff is notified of the breach as soon as reasonably possible following the breach of the employment contract. |
| 7.6 | That once I have accepted an offer (either verbally or in writing), I will not accept any other offers or requests for interviews for the work term(s) covered by the employment contract. |
| 7.7 | That if I return to a Co-op employer for any subsequent Co-op work term, whether consecutive work terms or not, I will be registered in the Co-op course and pay the Co-op course fee. |
8. REGISTRATION
| 8.1 | To be registered by the UBC Science Co-op office administration in one Co-op course for each four-month work term period when I have secured Co-op employment. |
| 8.2 | To pay the Co-op course fee for every Co-op work term (consecutive or not) by the due dates specified in the UBC Academic Calendar applicable to my campus whether I secure a Co-op work term through the Co-op Program or through my self-directed job search and will not de-register myself from the Co-op course. |
| 8.3 | I will disclose any job opportunity I secure that starts after I am admitted into the Co-op program to determine if it is eligible to be counted as a Co-op work term. |
9. THE WORK TERM
| 9.1 | That I am responsible to ensure I have the appropriate documentation, e.g. work permit, visa, Social Insurance Number (SIN), health insurance, and so forth, prior to commencing the work term. |
| 9.2 | That while on a Co-op work term I am an employee of the employer and not an employee or agent of the University. In all matters related to work activities, I am under the supervision and direction of the employer and not under the supervision and direction of the University. |
| 9.3 | That employment during each Co-op work term must be full-time, supervised, and remunerated. |
| 9.4 | To discuss with my employer or Co-op staff as soon as reasonably possible of any inappropriate, unsafe, and/or unethical behaviour or treatment during a Co-op work term. |
| 9.5 | To comply with all policies and procedures of my employer, including policies regarding use of social media, cell phones, company vehicles, and confidential/proprietary information, both during and after a work term. |
| 9.6 | To follow the procedures as outlined in the UBC Science Co-op Work Term Checklist and the guidelines outlined on the UBC Science Co-op website. In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of the Co-op website or Co-op Term Checklist and these Terms and Conditions then the provisions of these Terms and Conditions shall prevail. |
| 9.7 | That I will limit my enrollment in academic courses, delivered outside of my/my employer’s business hours, to one course per work term. That if I wish to take more than one academic course outside of my scheduled work hours or to enroll in a course during regular business hours, I will obtain permission from both my employer and a Co-op Coordinator prior to commencing the course(s). |
| 9.8 | That I am required to submit a Work Term assignment for every Co-op work term (whether or not my employment spans multiple consecutive work terms) and that I am aware that each assignment is due as outlined by the Co-op Program. A late Work Term assignment may result in being assigned a fail standing for the Co-op course. |
| 9.9 | That I need to receive a “Satisfactory” or better assessment on my employer’s evaluation and a passing assessment on my Work Term assignment(s) in order to receive a ‘Pass’ (P) standing for the Co-op work term. An unsatisfactory assessment on my employer’s evaluation may result in being assigned a fail standing for the Co-op course. |
| 9.10 | That if I am unable to complete a Co-op work term for medical or compassionate reasons, I am eligible to be withdrawn from the Co-op course without penalty after:
I may be eligible to receive a ‘Pass’ (P) standing for the work term at the discretion of the Co-op Program, if I have completed all of the above and all of the following occur:
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10. COMPLETION OF THE CO-OP PROGRAM
| 10.1 | To graduate with Co-op designation on my degree parchment, I must successfully complete the minimum number of work terms required by the respective Co-op programs and obtain a “Pass” (P) standing for each work term, and complete all work terms over more than one season of the year. |
| 10.2 | To follow the Co-op work term schedule; except where changes to the Co-op schedule have been discussed and approved by a Coordinator. |
11. SEQUENCE CHANGE AND WITHDRAWAL FROM THE CO-OP PROGRAM
| 11.1 | That any requests to withdraw from a job search term, to deviate from the Co-op work term sequence, or to fully withdraw from the Co-op Program must be: a) Formally communicated prior to accepting Terms & Conditions on SCOPE for each job search term. b) After accepting the Terms & Conditions, if I wish to withdraw from the Co-op Program, approval must be obtained from their Co-op Coordinator. |
| 11.2 | That I will not be permitted to withdraw from the Co-op Program:
Enrolment in the Co-op course(s) will be maintained and I will be responsible for all assessed fees for the duration of the employment contract. |
12. WORK TERM FAILURE
| 12.1 | That I may be assigned a fail standing in a Co-op course for any of the following reasons including:
Prior to the assignment of a fail standing in any Co-op course, the Co-op Program will notify the student that they are at risk of failure and the basis for that risk, and provide the student a reasonable opportunity to provide information regarding the circumstances underlying the risk of failure. |
| 12.2 | That acceptance of a job offer spanning multiple consecutive Co-op work terms necessitates my completion of all requirements for each work term and that if I terminate the work agreement early without the consent of the Co-op Program, I may be assessed a fail standing for the current work term and any future work term(s) covered by the original employment offer. |
| 12.3 | That if I fail to comply with the policies on Student Conduct and Discipline as outlined in the UBC Academic Calendar, or any of these Co-op Terms and Conditions, I may be assigned a fail standing for the Co-op course and/or may no longer be eligible to continue in the Co-op Program. |
13. STUDENT APPEALS PROCEDURES
| 13.1 | I understand that I may, at any time, request a meeting with a Coordinator to discuss concerns over a decision made pertaining to my academic standing in the Co-op Program. |
| 13.2 | I understand that if I am unable to reach an agreement with a Coordinator, I may appeal their decision directly through written communication to the Program Director. |
| 13.3 | I understand that if a satisfactory resolution cannot be achieved within the Co-op Program, I may formally appeal the decision to the Associate Dean Students, in the Faculty of Science. |
| 13.4 | I understand that if a satisfactory resolution cannot be reached with the Associate Dean Students, Faculty of Science, I may appeal the decision of the Associate Dean to the University Senate, Committee on Appeals on Academic Standing in accordance with the procedures listed in the University Calendar. |
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ONLY (Students attending UBC on a Study Permit)
| I.1 | That I must obtain a Co-op work permit from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) prior to commencing my first Co-op work term and ensure my Co-op work permit and study permit are valid for each subsequent work terms. |
| I.2 | That I must apply for a Social Insurance Number (S.I.N) from a Service Canada Centre and provide my valid S.I.N to the employer each work term. |
| I.3 | That if my immigration status changes during my participation in the Co-op program, I will notify the Co-op office immediately as this may affect my eligibility for employment. |
| I.4 | That as an international student I may be ineligible to apply for some jobs within Canada due to citizenship requirements or funding restrictions. |
By accepting this Terms & Conditions via SCOPE, I am confirming that I have read and understand the Terms and Conditions and agree to comply with them.
Last updated: October 2023