Skip to main page content

Policy Details

2000-1-19 International Education Marketing, Recruitment, Admission & Advising

Responsible Executive Senior Vice-Presdient, Academic & Student Success
Senior Dean, International Education & Computer Studies
Issue Date December 16, 2021
Last Review December 16, 2021
Upon request, the college will provide a copy of this policy in an alternate format.

Lambton College seeks to attract and retain international students who will be successful in their studies at Lambton College. In keeping with Lambton College’s mission, vision and core values, this policy will be used as a Code of Ethics for all Lambton community members engaged in International Education.

This Code of Ethics applies to the entire Lambton community, which includes but is not limited to:

  • Lambton College employees,
  • Lambton College students,
  • Members of the Board of Governors,
  • Volunteers which include Professional Advisory Council members, and
  • Any person or entity either inside or outside of Canada carrying on business with Lambton regarding international education including private career college partners.

Definitions

Code of Ethics
The defining values and/or principles agreed upon by the Lambton community that its employees, students, academic and/or business partners will rely upon and adhere to, to guide their actions in international activities.
International Activities
Activities undertaken by, or with, students, faculty members and employees at Lambton College that may require one or more of the following activities:
  • international travel for marketing, recruitment, admissions, orientation, partnership, exchange and/or other education-related endeavours.
  • formulation of international agreements, including (but not limited to) exchange agreements, partnership agreements, memoranda of understanding, training agreements, vendor agreements (for services such as purchasing, provision of support for Lambton in a country other than Canada, etc.)
International Student
A foreign national who is authorized under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) to enrol as a student in an educational institution in Canada
Recruitment Agent
An individual, company or other organization that renders services and recruits, on a commercial basis or not, prospective international students desiring to pursue studies at Lambton College. The term “agent” does not mean a person in a legal agency relationship with Lambton; agents are always independent contractors. The use of the term “agent” in this agreement refers to the term in international education commonly used to describe recruitment agents.

Policy

International Marketing, Advertising & Promotion

  1. Lambton College shall comply with the MCU College Advertising and Marketing Guidelines within the Framework for Programs of Instruction.
  2. This includes ensuring that international marketing, advertising, and promotion:
    1. Does not contain or convey inaccurate or deceptive claims, statements or illustrations with regard to its academic programs or services;
    2. Does not omit relevant information in a manner that is deceptive;
    3. Is supportable both in principle and practice and that all supporting information is kept on file and is readily available for review.
    4. Does not include deceptive claims regarding academic costs, work permits, study permits or immigration possibilities; and
    5. Does not offer any guarantees of post-graduate employment.

Agent Management Practices

  1. All educational agent agreements shall be processed and managed centrally by the International Education Department at the main campus in Sarnia for all study locations.
  2. All Recruitment Agents engaged by Lambton to recruit international students shall:
    1. Abide by the conditions outlined in their agency agreement with Lambton College;
    2. Conduct themselves ethically and professionally; and
    3. Ensure that international students under their influence pay the costs of studies and admission fees directly to Lambton College.
  3. Lambton College’s responsibilities shall include:
    1. Ensure that all new and amended recruitment agent relationships are defined by legal agreements outlining the terms of the relationship and the length of the relationship.
    2. Ensure that all recruitment agents are provided with appropriate, up-to-date knowledge and materials sufficient to counsel prospective and current students, and
    3. Evaluate the success of the relationships with recruitment agents using defined quality measures to monitor commitment to student success and integrity of the recruitment process. This evaluation shall take place on an annual basis.
  4. Lambton College shall use the following criteria for the selection of new educational agents:
    1. References from two Canadian educational institutions,
    2. Maintain a professional website and physical office in the cities they operate in,
    3. Submit a completed agent profile application on the Lambton College admission portal including copies of Business License, Owner’s Photo ID and other supporting documents,
    4. Demonstrated success with respect to recruiting international students to Canada, and
    5. Evidence that they have at least three years of experience as an educational agency.
  5. Lambton College may use the following criteria/reasons for the removal and cancellation of existing educational agents:
    1. Failure to abide by any of the requirements and responsibilities in the signed agency agreement,
    2. Submission of applications that are consistently of poor quality or do not meet the minimum admission requirements as communicated by the International Education Department,
    3. Failure to complete one virtual training session per year, and
    4. Failure to recruit more than two students within a twelve-month period
  6. All agent cancellations must abide by and respect the termination clauses and rights of their Agency Agreement.

International Admissions

  1. Admissions for all Lambton College programs, at the Sarnia campus or partner locations, shall be managed from the Sarnia location’s International Education Office. Private colleges involved in partnerships with Lambton are not permitted to engage in the admissions and assessment of new international students.
  2. Admissions practices will:
    1. Ensure consistent and coherent criteria for the admission of international students,
    2. Ensure that admissions staff have competency in evaluating academic credentials from abroad and establishing equivalencies, and remain up to date,
    3. Provide realistic descriptions of tuition and other costs and provide this information to applicants before or upon acceptance to a program of study,
    4. Provide clear and transparent information on language proficiency requirements, and
    5. Exercise due diligence when working with agents to recruit international students, endeavouring to ensure that these agents have the appropriate knowledge to advise students regarding their academic options.

International Student Advising & Services

  1. Lambton College will:
    1. Ensure that international students have access to support services that promote their adjustment to life and study in Canada, and to assist in areas that could affect their programs, including physical and mental health services.
    2. Promote the interests of international students in the institutional community and provide meaningful opportunities for interaction that promotes intercultural and mutual understanding between international students and other members of the institutional community and, to the extent possible, the surrounding community.
    3. Promote understanding among staff and faculty of the special academic, social and cultural needs of international students, with emphasis on the needs of vulnerable groups.
    4. Appoint advisers, counsellors, and other representatives who have the requisite competencies, training and experience to offer support services, and provide them with appropriate resources and opportunities for professional development activities to update and enhance their intercultural competencies, and their knowledge of regulations and regulatory practices.
    5. Ensure support to international students facing stress or crisis due to personal issues in Canada or in their home country, or due to national issues such as civil unrest and natural disaster in their home country.
    6. Respect and maintain the rights and confidentiality of international students in all matters including health, personal circumstances, and academics, providing information only as required by law to the competent authorities, or in the event of a risk to the safety and security of the student or others; and
    7. Have appropriate quality assurance processes and procedures in place to assess and ensure compliance with student service principles at all Lambton College locations.

International Student Credentialing

  1. The Academic Record of all International student, regardless of study location, will be audited by the Sarnia location Registrar’s Office to ensure academic requirements for graduation are met.
  2. After verification of eligibility, the Credential is awarded by Lambton College’s Registrar’s Office in accordance with the Progression & Graduation from a Program (2000-1-5) policy.

Complaints Process

  1. Complaints about this policy or actions that may have violated this Code of Ethics should be directed to the Director, Institutional Intelligence and College Registrar at Lambton College.
For questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact the Policy Sponsor by phoning our main line 519-542-7751.