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Student Services

A lab is a three-hour block of time allotted for you to complete class assignments and to practice the skills you are developing. Not every class has a lab, so please refer to your schedule for details. Labs are considered mandatory and therefore your attendance is required, no different than for other courses.

It may also help to know that there are two types of labs; “Scheduled” (SCH) and “Offsite Eligible” (OE). SCH labs can occur throughout your program, whereas OE labs usually only occur in Quarter 2 onwards. Here’s a few more details on SCH and OE labs, but if you still have questions, please see our Scheduling and Academic Records Department.

SCH Labs:

• You have a scheduled day, time and location (on-campus) for your lab.
• You may have more than one scheduled lab per week. You must enter attendance for each lab, per week.
• Login to your student portal at online.digitalartschool.com to record your attendance.
• You must log in as soon as you start your lab, not after you have completed it.
• If you choose to do your lab in a different classroom or during another day/time within the school week, you must log in as soon as you start your lab and select the lab you want credited.
• All missed labs must be made-up within the same school week (Monday-Sunday).

OE Labs:

• You must opt-in for Offsite-Eligible labs by signing the OE Lab Acceptance form sent to you during your first quarter.
• You must maintain a grade average of 70% or higher in each quarter to remain eligible for OE labs in the following one.
• An off-site eligible lab does not need to be done on the assigned day or time, nor does it need tobe done on campus. You may choose another day or time within the school week.
• Attendance is counted automatically. You do not need to login to record your attendance.
• If you wish to do your OE lab on-campus rather than off-campus, you must see Scheduling & Academic Records before the end of Week 1 of each quarter (Q2 onwards). This lab will then be changed to a SCH lab.

You are always welcome to stop by Student Services in person, but if you’d like to pre-book an appointment with either Trisha or Randal, you can do so using the buttons below:

Meet with Randal

Meet with Trisha

On Orientation Day, on- campus students will have their photo taken and in a few short days, you’ll receive a shiny, new student ID card. It’ is important that you keep your ID with you at all times while on campus. Your ID card will permit you to sign out equipment from the Equipment Cage and use the facilities here at the Centre. Your card also allows staff to quickly identify you as one of our students for easy access to any of our services. If you lose your Student ID card, you can stop by the Equipment Cage at any time for a replacement.

You’re in luck! There is a photocopier for student use on campus. If you need assistance, please stop by the main Reception Desk or Equipment cage. Please note the photocopier should be used sparingly (save a tree or two!) and only for educational use. Lastly, we ask that you use only the black and white setting.

The fitness facility on the lower level of Landmark III is not a CAT facility, however you are free to purchase a membership to use the space. You can obtain a membership from Al Stober Contruction in the Landmark VI building. Make sure to bring your Student ID and banking information as these will be required for membership sign up.

We love that you’re excited to show off your campus and your guest is welcome, so long as you followa couple simple guidelines. 

1. All guests must check in at reception and obtain a 1 hour guest pass.
2. An adult must accompany children under the age of 18 at all times.
3. Visitors are only allowed in the common spaces on campus, no guests are permitted in classrooms or lab on campus. If arranged prior to visit day, guests artists may have access to the recording studio and/or production studio at a scheduled time.

Report a Problem or Ask for Assistance

Life definitely has its ups and downs and we’re sorry to hear that your current circumstances are affecting your attendance. Consistent attendance is very important to your success as a CAT student andas a future animator/photographer/graphic designer…fill in the blank…and we want to help you succeed! It is important to note that if you are on Student Loans, you must keep your attendance above 60% in order to avoid losing your funding.

Depending on the nature of your challenge, our Student Services Department is often the best place to ask for help. You can book an appointment with Randal or Trisha through the buttons below.

Meet with Randal

Meet with Trisha

We get it, life happens, and in this instance, we encourage you to communicate your challenges to your course Instructor. Depending on the course, instructor, and assignment, extensions may be provided in the case of illness, bereavement, etc.

Without prior communication with your Student Services and your course instructor, assignments submitted late will be subject to the following penalties:

• Up to 24 hours late (5% late penalty)
• 24 to 48 hours late (15% late penalty)
• 48 to 72 hours late (25% late penalty)
• After 72 hours late (assignment receives a “zero“)

You heard right! Students who regularly attend classes and labs but require additional assistance, qualify for school – sponsored tutoring; twelve hours in their first quarter and seven in each following quarter. Tutors are typically students who have distinguished themselves in particular classes. Tutoring requests are made in Student Services and then reviewed for approval by the Department Head.

If you feel that you already possess the knowledge and skills offered in a particular course, there are two possible ways that you may receive credit for a course. Complete details on these two methods can be found in your Student Handbook, but we’ve given a few details below. Before proceeding, please note that the following courses are not eligible to be challenged:

• All Professional Development courses
• Portfolio Production Workshops (PPW) in the last two quarters of the program
• Any course for which the prerequisite course has already been taken
• Courses at a 3rd quarter level or greater

COURSE CHALLENGE

This is credit granted based on previous academic course work and must have a course outline accompany the transcript submission. Courses that have been previously taken and failed cannot be used as a challenge. Students who believe they have the academic background to challenge a course may request to do so through the Director of Education. Challenges will only be accepted prior to starting the course or within the FIRST 3 WEEKS OF CLASSES (e.g. after the 2nd class but before the 3rd). No challenges will be accepted without post-secondary transcripts/documents. The cost associated with a challenge is $75.00. Extra fees may apply if any information provided is incomplete. The results of yourchallenge will be emailed to you.

PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT (PLA)

This is a waiver from taking a required course based on related life or work experience. Courses that have been previously taken and failed cannot be used for PLA. Students who believe they can demonstrate that they have already obtained the knowledge and skills of a course through life or work experience may request a PLA by submitting a written application to the Director of Education. A PLA application will only be accepted prior to course start or within the FIRST 2 WEEKS OF CLASSES. The initial minimum assessment fee is $75.00 per course and must be paid upon submission of the PLA application. The full assessment fee to be charged will vary depending upon the method of assessment and will be determined by the Director of Education. It will be the responsibility of the Department Heador senior education official to assign the best method of assessment for each case. Results of your PLA will be emailed to you.

While not every schedule change request will be granted, we do aim to be as accommodating as possible. During the first week of each quarter, students may request changes to their schedule through the Scheduling and Academic Records Manager. Until a decision is made on your request, you are required to attend your regularly scheduled classes and labs.

Good question! In the event of a particularly intense storm day and how it relates to class cancellations, we have chosen to follow UBC Okanagan’s cancellation decisions. The cancellation noticesare usually broadcast on local radio stations and posted on the UBC Okanagan website by 6:30 am.

At CAT, we recognize the individuality of every student and embrace diversity in learning abilities. As an inclusive educational institution, CAT welcomes students from all backgrounds to join our community. If you wish to share any learning challenges during program enrollment, our Education team will collaborate with you to ensure appropriate academic accommodations are provided whenever feasible.