Policy

1. The College may award an Ontario certificate, diploma, advanced diploma, degree, or Ontario graduate certificate to a deceased student at the discretion of the Senior Vice President, Academic and Student Success (SVPASS) if:
   1. the immediate family requests or wishes that the credential be awarded and,
   2. the student, at the time of death, had successfully completed 50% or more of the program requirements, had been active in the program within the past 24 months, and was in good academic standing.
2. In the event that a student does not meet the criteria of the credential for their program of study, a Certificate of Academic Achievement-in memoriam may be issued, which shall also be at the discretion of the Vice President Academic and Student Success.
3. Upon learning of the death of a current student, the Dean of the student's program will, through consultation with the Registrar, determine if the student is eligible for a posthumous awarding of a credential and, if the student is eligible, inform the office of the SVPASS which who will inform the immediate family of the opportunity for the awarding of the credential, if the family has not already made such a request.
4. The immediate family may also initiate the request for the posthumous awarding of the credential, in which case the Dean will proceed as above.
5. The Registrar will review the student file, in consultation with the Dean of the student's program, and make the determination if the requirements for the posthumous awarding of the credential have been met. For courses in which the student was enrolled at the time of death, a credit grade (CR) will be awarded if the student had successfully completed the minimum requirements for passing the course. The notation ‘posthumous’ will be recorded on the student’s transcript but will not appear on the credential. The decision will be conveyed to the family by the office of the SVPASS as described above.
6. If the credential is normally awarded at Convocation, the family may choose to have the credential of the deceased awarded at the next Convocation, in a manner approved by the Registrar. Otherwise, the credential will be forwarded to a family member designated by the next of kin in a manner determined by the Registrar.
7. If the family of the deceased student attends the convocation ceremony at which the credential is posthumously awarded, the Dean of the student's program should meet with and attend to the family in an appropriate manner.