Code of Conduct, Petitions, and Admission Conditions

As a co-op student at Laurier, I will be accountable, treat people with dignity, and act with integrity. I recognize the importance of conducting myself professionally and ethically during the job search process and in the workplace.

 
Job Applications
I will:

• provide factual and accurate information in my application documents.
• submit an accurate record of marks (prepared by the Registrar’s Office) and not amend any information on the record.

Interviews and Selection Process
I will:

• attend all interviews for which I am selected and provide employers with factual and accurate information.
• refrain from communicating with any employer after an interview, until results of the matching process have been released to students.
• accept any position I obtain through the employer ranking process.
• honour my commitment to an employer upon accepting any approved position.

Work Terms
I will:

• work for my co-op employer throughout the entire work term, starting and ending my work term on the dates specified.
• meet my employer’s requirements regarding working hours, including start and end times.
• contact my employer immediately if I will be late for, or absent from, work.
• refrain from asking my employer for vacation time.
• use discretion when discussing my employers, their business, clients, customers and suppliers, and not disclose any confidential or sensitive information.
• inform my employer of any situation where there may be a conflict of interest, and not use my position, or knowledge gained through employment, for private or personal advantage.
• abide by rules, regulations, and policies set by the Co-op Office and my employer.
• abide by ethical and legal guidelines, including but not limited to those concerning use of information technology.
• treat every person equally, without discrimination. I understand that offensive remarks, jokes, and materials are inappropriate.
• develop learning objectives, work hard, and do my best to complete my responsibilities and meet my employer’s expectations. I understand that I must obtain an overall rating of at least “satisfactory” on each performance evaluation to remain in co-op.

Failing to Comply with Conditions
I understand:

• the Co-op Office will review my status and I may be withdrawn from co-op if I am dismissed by my employer or fail to comply with any of the conditions outlined above and in my offer of admission. 

Please review the co-op admission conditions for your program carefully.

You may initiate a request for an exception to co-op requirements or regulations through the petitions process outlined below.

If your request is due to illness or a medical condition, we will ask you to provide supporting documents.

If you contravene co-op requirements and regulations, we will review your eligibility to remain in the program. We will require you to submit a petition to explain your circumstances, unless you wish to withdraw from co-op.

This is the formal process for a) considering student requests for exceptions to co-op requirements or regulations and b) investigating contravention of co-op requirements:

• If you request an exception to co-op requirements, your co-op consultant will provide you with the co-op petitions form and a deadline for submitting your petition to the Director, Co-operative Education & Workplace Partnerships.
• Your co-op consultant will inform you of any allegations that you have contravened co-op requirements or regulations, and will respond to your questions.
• You will be required to provide documentation of any requests for exceptions related to a medical condition.
• The Co-op Office will solicit information from your co-op employer and your co-op consultant about any circumstances related to your performance during a work term.
• We may arrange for you to discuss your petition with the Director and Associate Director, Co-operative Education & Workplace Partnerships.
• After reviewing your circumstances and supporting documentation, the Director and Associate Director will exercise their discretion to decide whether to grant you an exception, and will notify you through your Laurier email address.
• There is no guarantee you will receive approval for your request.
  
• You may appeal the committee's decision to the Assistant Vice-President: Experiential Learning and Career Development; the AVP's decision is final.

• issue a warning or impose restrictions on your participation in co-op.
• deem you to have failed your work term, which will delay your completion of co-op requirements and your graduation.
• decide to withdraw you from co-op.
  Note: If you are a double degree student at Waterloo and Laurier, you may not continue in the double degree program after being withdrawn from co-op.

Note: The petitions process outlined above is for exceptions to co-op requirements and regulations. You will find the process for investigating cases of academic misconduct outlined in the Student Code of Conduct: Academic Misconduct.  

You must be eligible to work in Canada.

If you are at Laurier on a study permit, you are responsible for obtaining a co-op work permit and for ensuring that your visa documents, including passport and entry, study and work permits, remain valid for the duration of your co-op program.

Note: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada takes at least four months to process applications for work permits. Please apply, or re-apply, for a work permit, as early as possible.

Co-op Job Posting Eligibility

To be eligible to apply to co-op job postings, you must:

• Provide the Co-op Office with documents showing that you have a valid work and study permit or clearance. (If you do not have a valid work permit, please provide evidence that you submitted your application for a permit at least four months before the start of the work term.)
• Notify the Co-op Office of your location, if you reside outside of Canada during the term before your work term.
• Notify prospective employers whether you have received a work permit.

If you reside outside Canada in the study term before your work term, there is no guarantee that you will be allowed into the country before first work term. For this reason, please identify where you are located when applying to co-op job postings and during interviews:

• Include your current address in cover letters and mention you are abroad during interviews. (Some employers can hire only students who reside in Canada, so cannot let you work remotely if you are not allowed to enter Canada.) 
• If your employer wants you to work on site, but you are unable to relocate to Canada, we will check whether you informed the employer of your location during the recruiting process and, if you did not, we reserve the right to remove you from co-op.

Taking a term off can have a negative impact on the status of your Canadian study and work permit.

• Before deciding to defer a work term or take any term off, please consult with both Laurier International and the Associate Director of External Relations.
• If you are not employed by the time your work term is scheduled to begin, please consult with both Laurier International and the Associate Director of External Relations.

Work Permit Requirements

You are required to do the following:

• Review the process for obtaining a co-op work permit on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website.
• Complete any forms required to request the work permit within two weeks of your admission to co-op (and at least four months before your work term.) If you have not applied for your work permit within this timeframe, you must submit a petition to the Director of Co-operative Education asking for permission to participate in recruiting.
• Submit proof of your application to the Co-op Office.
• Pay any costs that may be associated with requesting or obtaining the work permit.
• Accept the terms of the work permit.

Work Term Requirements

• You must possess a valid work permit to begin your work term.
• You may not begin working (or even volunteering) for your co-op employer until you have your work permit.
• If your lack of a work term permit delays the start of your work term, your employer has the right to rescind your offer of employment.
• You must return to Canada before your work term is scheduled to begin. (If your employer has agreed to let you work abroad due to extenuating circumstances, please consult with your co-op consultant.)

Working While Abroad

While you reside in your home country you may ask the Co-op Office for permission to work for an employer in your home country. 

Restricted Industries

Your country may restrict admittance to citizens who have worked in certain industries related to cannabis or liquor or other substances. It is your responsibility to check into the restrictions in your country and to seek legal advice if applicable.
 

Meeting Academic Requirements

• You must meet all academic requirements of your honours program(s) as specified in Laurier’s undergraduate calendar.
• You must meet all requirements of the Co-op Office, as outlined in this document.
• You must continue to be enrolled full-time in your honours program(s) to remain in co-op. If you are enrolled in fewer than four courses in a term, you must notify the Co-op Office immediately, and you may be removed from co-op.
• You must resume your full-time academic studies directly after each work term, including after your final work term, in accordance with your program's sequence of work and study terms.
• If you are a UXD student, you must complete your fourth-year capstone project courses and enrol in full-time studies following your last work term.
• You must complete the number of work terms required for your program and meet all the requirements of co-op and of your program before graduating to receive the co-op or PEP designation on your degree.
  • Arts Co-op students admitted to co-op in 2023 or earlier complete two four-month work terms. (Faculty of Arts students admitted to co-op in 2024 or later complete three four-month work terms. Please see the admission conditions for Faculty of Arts Co-op.)
  • Water Science and Environmental Health students complete two eight-month work terms.
  • Computer Science and Data Science students complete three four-month work terms.
  • Science Co-op students complete two four-month work terms.
  • UXD and PEP students complete one work term of 12 or 16 months.

Removal from Co-op

• You will be removed from co-op immediately if course failures prevent you from being able to meet the progression requirements specified in the undergraduate calendar(s) for your program(s), even if you have completed all of your work terms.
  • Exception: If you have accepted an approved work term position before failing courses, the Co-op Office expects you to honour your commitment to the employer. Your status, however, will be under review until your academic department has determined whether you may continue.
• If the university finds you guilty of academic misconduct, the Co-op Office will remove you from co-op and you will not be eligible for any refund of the co-op fee.
• Your employer may choose to release you if the Co-op Office removes you from co-op because of your grades or academic misconduct.

Field Placements

• You may not count course requirements such as field placements, archaeological digs and participation hours as co-op work terms, just as you may not count work terms as course requirements. (There may be exceptions granted by the Co-op Office and the department.)

Leave of Absence

• If you wish to take a leave of absence, you must seek approval from both the Co-op Office and your academic department. We normally approve leaves of one full year for co-op students. This allows you to return at the same point in your sequence of academic and work terms. On your return to campus after your LOA, you must honour any commitments you had made to an employer.

Record of Marks

• You must allow the Co-op Office to review your academic record, monitor your academic performance and obtain a record of your courses for employers.
• You must authorize the Co-op Office to disclose any information related to your marks to employers.
• You will not amend any of the grades listed in your record of marks.
• You will not misrepresent yourself by submitting an inaccurate record of marks.
• The Co-op Office will report any infractions to the dean(s) of your department(s.)
• Enrolment Services uploads marks to the Navigator database through LORIS.
• Employers will have access to your marks as they appear on LORIS.
• Only Enrolment Services can make changes to your grades; changes made on LORIS will appear on Navigator.

Exception for Transfer Students

• If you are a transfer student, you must scan a copy of your marks from your previous institution.
• You must include this version of your record of marks with your résumé when applying to co-op job postings

Exchanges

• Participating in co-op may limit your ability to participate in international academic exchanges.
• You may not vary the duration and timing of your work terms to accommodate international academic exchanges where the dates of terms differ from those at Laurier.
• You will maintain communication with the Co-op Office while abroad and be available for interviews by telephone or video calling when selected by employers.
• You must ensure you have access to Navigator and MyLearningSpace while abroad.
• You understand that this may involve personal expenses.
• All co-op regulations, including those regarding ranking and matching, still apply.

 Scholarships and OSAP

• Please visit the Student Awards website to check whether your scholarship requires a minimum course load per academic year and, if so, to learn whether your co-op work terms will have an impact on your eligibility for the scholarship.
• Information on OSAP eligibility and processes for co-op students is available through the Financial Aid Office. You are responsible for ensuring that you have submitted all information required to complete your OSAP submission and to maintain interest-free status on OSAP loans.

Courses During Work Terms

• You may not register for more than two half-credit courses, or more than 1.0 credit in total, for any term scheduled as a work term for you.
• If you enrol in more than two half-credit courses you will be required to de-register and will be charged a late fee.
• You may enrol in electives only; you may not enrol in required courses during a work term.
• Taking courses must not limit your participation in co-op by restricting the geographic location of your job search or your availability during business hours.

Participation

• You will consult MyLearningSpace and Navigator regularly for instructions on participating in co-op.
• You must participate in COOP-000 Fundamentals of Co-operative Education and you must meet the deadlines for completing the assignments for all modules.
• You must participate in the job posting and interview process, work term visits and back-to-campus meetings.

Academic Credit

• Enrolment Services will enrol you automatically in COOP-000 Fundamentals of Co-operative Education, and you must complete this half-credit course before your first work term.
• You may not resign from a work term unless you have received approval from the Co-op Office.
• If you fail the Fundamentals of Co-operative Education course, the Co-op Office may remove you from co-op.
• If you do not complete the modules of the Fundamentals of Co-operative Education up until and including the Rank & Match module before the Primary Round, you may have your access to Recruitment paused and your status in co-op may go under review.
• Co-op credits will not take the place of any other courses and are in addition to the course total required for your academic program.
• You must continue to be enrolled full-time in your honours program(s) to remain in co-op. If you are enrolled in fewer than four courses in a term, you must notify the Co-op Office immediately, and you may be removed from co-op.
• While you are required to pay co-op fees, there is no separate tuition fee for the co-op course.
• Credits are awarded on a pass or fail basis and the marks are therefore not included in your GPA or your total credit count.
• You must pass the Fundamentals course and complete two work terms (or one work term of 12 to 16 months for PEP, or three work terms for Computer Science and Data Science) to obtain the co-op designation on your degree.
• The co-op credit will not count toward the GPA or credit count requirements of any scholarship or funding program.
• You may appeal assessments of your grade for co-op credit; all decisions made through the co-op petitions process are final.

Communication

• You agree to check Navigator regularly for notices, appointments, job postings and interview schedules.
• You will use only your Laurier email account when communicating with the Co-op Office, check this account regularly and list your Laurier email address on your résumé.

Release of Identity and Personal Information

• You authorize Laurier to use photographs of you and information about your work terms when promoting co-op or the university.
• You authorize the Co-op Office to post your name or student identification number on bulletin boards and Navigator when notifying you about interviews, appointments and other matters.
• You allow the Co-op Office to release information about your academic program, record of marks, application documents, availability for employment, and employment performance to employers.

Approved Positions

• You must obtain a work term position approved by the Co-op Office to continue in co-op.
• The Co-op Office will approve only paid positions offering full-time hours.

Participating in the Co-op Recruiting Process 

• You must be attending classes full-time on the Waterloo campus (or if you are a UXD student, on the Brantford campus) to participate in the job posting and interviewing process during the academic term preceding your next work term. (Exceptions: You may attend classes remotely during an approved international academic term, and when the university offers courses primarily online due to a significant public health threat, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Independent Job Search

• The Co-op Office recommends that you conduct an independent job search in addition to applying to co-op job postings.
• The Co-op Office will not, however, include in the ranking and matching process any jobs you find independently.
• You will inform your co-op consultant about your progress during the job posting process.
• When you receive a job offer you wish to accept, you will provide a job description and contact information.
• You will state in your message that you wish to accept the position, and that you understand that you are committed to honouring your commitment to work for the employer during your next work term, once a co-op consultant has approved the position.
• You will honour the dates set by the Co-op Office, usually coinciding with the primary recruiting period, during which you may not accept jobs that are not part of the match.
• You will not accept a position before a co-op consultant has approved the job.
• Once you have accepted a job offer, it is a binding agreement and the Co-op Office will consider you as employed for the work term.
• The Co-op Office may indicate to any employer that you are no longer available for a position.
• You will not attend any interviews after accepting a co-op job offer.
• The co-op recruiting process takes precedence over your personal job search.
• During the primary recruiting period, the Co-op Office will set a date by which you must have submitted by intention to participate in recruiting, return to a previous employer, or accept a job offer through your personal job search.
• If the Co-op Office approves your job before the intention deadline, you will accept the offer and stop participating in the recruiting process.
• If you receive a job offer through your personal job search after the intention deadline, you may not accept it until we have announced the results of the ranking and matching process, unless you did not apply to a single job posting.

Job Postings

• The Co-op Office will obtain and post positions and help you conduct a job search.
• When you apply to job postings through the co-op office, employers are provided with the application documents that you have uploaded.
• The co-op office shares with employers your record of marks, work term evaluations, and information about your availability for co-op employment.
• There is no guarantee that you will obtain an approvable position or that positions will meet your expectations.
• You must apply actively to co-op job postings each work term until you have secured employment.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to establish a minimum number of co-op job postings to which you must apply and a maximum number of postings to which you may apply.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to limit the types or locations of job postings to which you may apply, if you have declined to rank or interview for similar positions or locations.
• If you fail to secure employment, you will be ineligible to continue in co-op.

Applications

• You will not provide false or misleading information in your application documents.

• You may accept only one job offer for a work term.
• Once you accept an offer, whether verbally, in writing, or by ranking an employer, you are committed working for the employer. 
• By accepting a job offer, you are entering a binding agreement and acknowledging that you understand and accept the terms of the offer. (A subsequent written document from the employer may fine-tune the details, but does not create the contract.)
• Once you accept an offer, the Co-op Office may inform employers that you are no longer available for the work term.

Employers

• You must obtain permission from your co-op consultant before contacting any employer who appears in the co-op database.
• You will not provide anyone with access to Navigator or to co-op employers or to co-op job postings.
• You will not refer anyone directly to participating co-op employers for any type of positions that might have an impact on opportunities for co-op students.

Interviews

• You must remain available for interviews throughout each term, including during the fall Reading Week before any winter work term during which you are scheduled to work.
• You will attend all interviews for which you are scheduled.
• You must send your co-op consultant details of any interviews that employers arrange with you directly for jobs that were posted on Navigator during the primary recruiting period.
• If you fail to notify the Co-op Office of an interview for a job that was posted on Navigator, the employer will not be able to rank you. (The Co-op Office prefers to schedule interviews on behalf of employers during the primary interview period, but makes some exceptions.)
• Interviews for jobs that were posted on Navigator take precedence over interviews through your independent job search; you may be required to reschedule any independent interviews that conflict with interviews for posted jobs during the on-campus interview period.
• You will provide employers with factual and accurate information during interviews.

Screening Requirements

• Some employers make their job offers conditional upon reference checks, drug tests, security clearance, or a vulnerable sector police check.
• You are responsible for following the employer's instructions regarding screening requirements in a timely manner and for any associated costs.
• A security clearance may reveal that you were charged with an offence, even if the charges were dropped, or that a peace bond was issued against you even if it expired.

Health Requirements

• Some employers will require you to have an immunization or TB test or to obtain personal protective equipment.
• You are responsible for following the employer's instructions in a timely manner and for any associated costs.

Rank/Match Process (Employer Ranking Process)

• You agree not to communicate with any employer between an interview and the time results of the match have been released to students.
• You agree to notify your co-op consultant if an employer contacts you after the interview by any means of communication, including e-mail, text, and auto-generated message.
• You will submit your completed employer rankings through Navigator by the deadline. If you fail to do so we will remove you from the match and we may review your co-op status. 
• If you are matched with a job through the employer ranking process, the Co-op Office considers you employed.

Intentions

• You agree to let the Co-op Office know whether you intend to return to your previous employer or participate in the recruiting process for the next work term by the deadline we set.

Honouring Commitment

• You may accept only one job offer for a work term.
• When you accept a job offer, you have entered a binding agreement, and the co-op office will consider you as having confirmed co-op employment for the work term. 
• You will honour your commitment to the employer upon accepting any approved position, whether you applied through Navigator or independently.
• You are bound to honour your commitment to an employer whether you accepted an offer verbally, in writing, or through the employer ranking process.
• You may not resign from a co-op position until you have reviewed your situation with a co-op consultant and petitioned for permission.
• Resigning may require you to withdraw from co-op.

Salary

• The Co-op Office approves only those positions that pay at least the minimum wage.
• The Co-op Office cannot guarantee the accuracy of salary data it receives from employers.
• Employers may base salary on factors such as their organization's policies, the number of academic or work terms the student completed and the type of position.
• Salary is set by the employer; you may not negotiate your own terms after accepting a position.

For Students with a Disability

• You must inform your employers of any accommodations you need.

Length and Hours of Work Term

• The Co-op Office requires you to work full-time for your co-op employer throughout the entire work term.
• You will start and end your work term on the dates specified in the Laurier undergraduate calendar at the beginning and end of term, unless your employer requested alternative dates in the offer.
• You must obtain approval from the Co-op Office before attempting to vary these dates.
• You may have to delay graduation to meet your work term requirements if the Co-op Office gives you approval to leave a work term early due to extenuating circumstances such as a death in your immediate family or a serious health issue.

Vacation

• You will not ask employers for vacations during work terms.
• Many employers include vacation pay as part of their compensation so it may be included in wages you are offered.

Length of Work Term (PEP and UX Design)

• We expect you to complete a 16-month work term beginning in May, following your third year, and continuing through August of the following year.
• If you are not successful in securing a 16-month work term beginning in May, you may petition the Co-op Office to allow you to seek a 12-month work term from September through August.
• The Co-op Office will not permit you to combine shorter work terms into one; you may not, for example, combine a work term of four months with one of 12 months.

Housing

• You are responsible for obtaining housing if you need to relocate for a co-op position.

Work Term Reports

• You must meet the deadline for submitting your work term report, and you must achieve a rating of at least “satisfactory” each term to be eligible for course credit. (You will find instructions on MyLearningSpace.)
• If your report has been rated “unsatisfactory,” you must submit a revised report.

Performance Evaluation Forms

• Employers will provide information about your performance to the Co-op Office.
• You authorize the Co-op Office to release information from your performance evaluations, including overall ratings of your performance, to prospective employers at their request.
• You must obtain an overall rating of at least "satisfactory" on each performance evaluation to remain in co-op.
• The Co-op Office will review your status if you quit, or if your employer dismisses you, or if you receive an overall rating that is less than “satisfactory,” and that you may be withdrawn from co-op as a result. (If the Co-op Office allows you to continue in co-op, and this requires you to complete another work term, you will be responsible for paying an additional co-op fee.)
• You may be withdrawn from co-op even if you have completed the minimum number of weeks required for a work term before your employer dismissed you.

Liability

• It is ultimately your responsibility to obtain work term positions.
• The university will not be held liable if you do not obtain an approvable position.
• The university will not be held liable for any agreements established or breached with your employer, including salary, benefits or a job offer.
• The university will not be held liable for any expense, personal injury or loss or damage of personal property arising while seeking employment or during a work term.

Conditions

• Once you have accepted an approved position, all conditions apply whether you obtained the position through your own efforts or through a referral from the Co-op Office.

Varying or Deferring Work Terms

• You may not seek a work term after the last academic term, unless the Co-op Office approved an exemption. (The Co-op Office may approve exemptions for students with extenuating circumstances related to a serious health issue or a death in their immediate family.)
• Completing a work term after your last academic term will delay your graduation.
• You may not complete more than one four-month work term after your last academic term.
• If you receive approval to vary your work term sequence, it is your responsibility to contact the appropriate departments to pre-register for courses.
• Varying your sequence may place restrictions on your participation in co-op and may limit your course selections.
• Note: If you are in Computer Science or Data Science, you may not vary your sequence of work and study terms.

• Once you have confirmed your admission to co-op, you are registered in co-op and are responsible for co-op fees.
• You will pay the co-op fee for each academic term, according to the fee schedule on the co-op website and MyLearningSpace.
• You agree to pay the first term fee at Service Laurier by the deadline on your bill.
• You will pay an additional co-op fee if the Co-op Office allows you to pursue an additional work term after having to leave an employer.
• Service Laurier will bill you for interest charges if you fail to meet these deadlines.
• The co-op fee is not an employment fee, and you must pay it regardless of whether you obtain an approved position.
• You must submit a co-op withdrawal form to avoid additional charges. (You are financially indebted to the university according to the fee schedule and until you have cancelled your registration in writing.)
• The refund schedule applies even if you have not made a payment and/or the payment deadline has not passed.
• Failure to attend the co-op fundamentals course or to apply for co-op jobs is insufficient grounds for a fee appeal.
• If you are temporarily suspended or removed from co-op for contravening academic or non-academic policies or co-op regulations, the university will not refund any portion of your co-op fee.
• If you choose to withdraw or are removed from co-op for reasons other than contravening academic or non-academic policies or co-op regulations, Service Laurier will refund the fee on a pro-rated basis as outlined on the co-op website.

Code of Conduct

• You will abide by the Co-op Student Code of Conduct found on MyLearningSpace and by the student academic and non-academic codes of conduct.
• You will comply with all required health and safety standards, any intellectual property policy, standards of workplace behaviour, including but not limited to harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct, and abuse.
• You will conduct yourself appropriately by treating people equally, without discrimination, by being professional and courteous and by meeting attendance requirements.
• You agree to conduct yourself and ethically and with integrity during the job search process and in the workplace.

Discretion and Confidentiality

• You agree not to reveal the names or identifying information of co-op employers, employees or their business, clients, customers and suppliers in discussion or in writing with anyone other than Laurier's co-op staff members without specific permission from the employer.
• You will not disclose any confidential or sensitive information about co-op employers to anyone.

Conflict of Interest

• You will not use your position, or knowledge gained through employment, for private or personal advantage.
• You will inform your employer immediately about any situation where there is a conflict of interest or a potential conflict of interest.

Withdrawing from Co-op

• Once you have withdrawn from co-op at Laurier, you are not eligible to enroll again in co-op at Laurier.

Waiver of Intellectual Property Rights

• You waive and release all right, title, interest and ownership to all intellectual property rights and moral rights that you may have in any materials you created in whole or in part through your participation in a co-op job.

• You understand that despite its efforts, the University may not be able to ensure your safety at all times and from any and all risks and dangers.
• You agree to take all reasonable protections to ensure your personal welfare.
• You acknowledge that the University does not carry any insurance for your benefit and this it your sole responsibility to acquire insurance.
• You agree to be accountable for your own actions and will not ask the University or its employees to accept the consequences thereof.
• You acknowledge that that University discourages participants from working alone while completing fieldwork or remote activities and that you are responsible for letting others know your location at all times while participating in such activities, and that you understand you have the right to refuse assignments that you consider unsafe.

Overall Conditions

• You will abide by rules, regulations and policies set by the Co-op Office and your employers.
• You will abide by ethical and legal guidelines, including but not limited to those concerning use of computers.
• You will abide by university policies, including the academic and non-academic codes of conduct.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to restrict your participation in co-op if you contravene co-op requirements or university policies.
• The Co-op Office will review your status if you fail to comply with any of the conditions in this offer and the maximum penalty for failing to comply is your removal from co-op.

• If the Government of Ontario again declares a province-wide state of emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to reduce the spread of a virus such as COVID-19, you will be required to follow all applicable legislation and Public Health measures and guidelines for your work term.
• It is your responsibility to ensure you learn and follow all health, safety and other rules, directions, policies and procedures implemented by the University or your co-op employer.
• Any behaviour on your part that places others at risk could result in immediate termination of your co-op work term and your removal from co-op.
• While the University is committed to protecting your health and safety, neither the University nor your co-op employer can protect you against all risks or guarantee that any individual attending the University’s facilities, or participating in activities organized by the University, whether on-campus or off-campus, will not become infected with a virus such as COVID-19. Further, attending the University or the work term to participate in co-op opportunities could increase the risk of contracting a virus such as COVID-19. 

• If you do not understand all the terms of participation, please ask a co-op consultant to clarify before accepting admission to co-op online through Navigator.
• The co-op website contains the most current, official version of this admission agreement.

Accepting Admission

Declining Admission

By declining admission online, you understand that you will not be admitted to co-op.

You must be eligible to work in Canada.

If you are at Laurier on a study permit, you are responsible for obtaining a co-op work permit and for ensuring that your visa documents, including passport and entry, study and work permits, remain valid for the duration of your co-op program.

Note: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada takes at least four months to process applications for work permits. Please apply, or re-apply, for a work permit, as early as possible.

Co-op Job Posting Eligibility

To be eligible to apply to co-op job postings, you must:

• Provide the Co-op Office with documents showing that you have a valid work and study permit or clearance. (If you do not have a valid work permit, please provide evidence that you submitted your application for a permit at least four months before the start of the work term.)
• Notify the Co-op Office of your location, if you reside outside of Canada during the term before your work term.
• Notify prospective employers whether you have received a work permit.

•  Include your current address in cover letters and mention you are abroad during interviews. (Some employers can hire only students who reside in Canada, so cannot let you work remotely if you are not allowed to enter Canada.) 
• If your employer wants you to work on site, but you are unable to relocate to Canada, we will check whether you informed the employer of your location during the recruiting process and, if you did not, we reserve the right to remove you from co-op.

Taking a term off can have a negative impact on the status of your Canadian study and work permit.

• Before deciding to defer a work term or take any term off, please consult with both Laurier International and the Associate Director of External Relations. 
• If you are not employed by the time your work term is scheduled to begin, please consult with both Laurier International and the Associate Director of External Relations.

Work Permit Requirements

You are required to do the following:

• Review the process for obtaining a co-op work permit on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website.
• Complete any forms required to request the work permit within two weeks of your admission to co-op (and at least four months before your work term.) If you have not applied for your work permit within this timeframe, you must submit a petition to the Director of Co-operative Education requesting permission to participate in recruiting.
• Submit proof of your application to the Co-op Office.
• Pay any costs that may be associated with requesting or obtaining the work permit.
• Accept the terms of the work permit.

Work Term Requirements

• You must possess a valid work permit to begin your work term. 
• You may not begin working (or even volunteering) for your co-op employer until you have your work permit.
• If your lack of a work term permit delays the start of your work term, your employer has the right to rescind your offer of employment.
• You must return to Canada before your work term is scheduled to begin. (If your employer has agreed to let you work abroad due to extenuating circumstances, please consult with your co-op consultant.)

Working While Abroad

While you reside in your home country you may ask the Co-op Office for permission to work for an employer in your home country. 

Restricted Industries

Your country may restrict admittance to citizens who have worked in certain industries related to cannabis or liquor or other substances. It is your responsibility to check into the restrictions in your country and to seek legal advice if applicable.

You must meet all academic requirements of your honours program(s) as specified in Laurier’s undergraduate calendar (and in the University of Waterloo’s undergraduate calendar if you are enrolled in a double-degree program at both schools).

• You must meet all requirements of the Co-op Office, as outlined on this page.
• You will be removed from co-op immediately if course failures prevent you from being able to meet the progression requirements specified in the undergraduate calendar(s) for your program(s), even if you have completed all of your work terms.
  • Exception: If you have accepted an approved work term position before failing courses, the Co-op Office expects you to honour your commitment to the employer. Your status, however, will be under review until both the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, and your other department (if you are in a double degree program) or the department of Business Technology Management (if you are in the BTM program) have determined whether you may continue. 
• If the university finds you guilty of academic misconduct, the Co-op Office will remove you from co-op and you will not be eligible for any refund of the co-op fee.
• You must remain enrolled full-time in your honours program(s) to remain in co-op. If you are enrolled in fewer than four courses in a term, you must notify the Co-op Office immediately, and you may be removed from co-op. (Note: The Fundamentals of Cooperative Education course does not count toward your total credits.)
• You must resume your full-time academic studies directly after each work term, in accordance with your program's sequence of work and study terms.
• Your employer may choose to release you if the Co-op Office removes you from co-op because of your grades or academic misconduct.
• You must complete the required number of work terms and meet all the requirements of co-op and of your program(s) before graduating to receive the co-op designation on your degree.

Changing and/or Transferring Programs (Students in Double Degree Programs)

The only entry point for co-op is at the beginning of the fall term in Year 2. If you have withdrawn or have been removed from a double degree program and you register in the BBA program at Laurier, you may not continue in co-op, or graduate with the co-op designation, unless you are successful in the competitive co-op admission process at the beginning of second year, as outlined in the applicable Co-operative Education section of the calendar. If you have completed at least one work term and you transfer to a single degree program other than the BBA program, you need to consult with the Co-op Office about your eligibility to continue in co-op.

Leave of Absence

If you wish to take a leave of absence, you must seek approval from both the Co-op Office and your academic department. We normally approve leaves of one full year for co-op students. This allows you to return at the same point in your sequence of academic and work terms. On your return to campus after your LOA, you must honour any commitments you had made to an employer.

Record of Marks

• You must allow the Co-op Office to review your academic record, monitor your academic performance and obtain a record of your courses for employers.
• You must authorize the Co-op Office to disclose any information related to your marks to employers.
• You will not amend any of the grades listed in your record of marks.
• You will not misrepresent yourself by submitting an inaccurate record of marks.
• The Co-op Office will report any infractions to the dean(s) of your department(s.)
• Enrolment Services uploads marks to Navigator (the co-op database) through LORIS.
• Employers will have access to your marks as they appear on LORIS.
• Only Enrolment Services can make changes to your grades; changes made on LORIS will appear on Navigator.

Exception for transfer students:

• You must scan a copy of your marks from your previous institution.
• You must include this version of your record of marks with your résumé when applying to co-op job postings.

Exchanges

• Participating in co-op may limit your ability to participate in international academic exchanges.
• You may not vary the duration and timing of your work terms to accommodate international academic exchanges where the dates of terms differ from those at Laurier.
• You will maintain communication with the Co-op Office while abroad and be available for interviews by telephone or video calling when selected by employers.
• You must ensure you have access to Navigator and MyLearningSpace while abroad.
• You understand that this may involve personal expenses.
• All co-op regulations, including those regarding ranking and matching, still apply.
• Students in double degree programs may be limited to three work terms when pursuing an academic exchange.

Scholarships and OSAP

• Please visit the Student Awards website to check whether your scholarship requires a minimum course load per academic year and, if so, to learn whether your co-op work terms will have an impact on your eligibility for the scholarship.
• The Financial Aid Office provides information on OSAP eligibility and processes for co-op students. You are responsible for ensuring you submit all information required to complete your OSAP application and to maintain your interest-free status on OSAP loans.

Electives

• Participating in co-op may limit your choice of electives during the spring terms of third and fourth years.

Courses During Work Terms

• You may not register for more than two half-credit courses, or more than 1.0 credit in total, for any term scheduled as a work term for you. (Note: The work term course does not count toward this maximum.)
• If you enrol in more than two half-credit courses you will be required to de-register and will be charged a late fee.
• You may enrol in elective courses only; you may not enrol in required courses during a work term. 
• Taking courses must not limit your participation in co-op by restricting the geographic location of your job search or your availability during business hours.

Graduate Recruiting

• Participating in co-op may limit your ability to participate in the on-campus graduate recruiting program during the fall or winter term of your final year.

BBA Students: Co-op Sequence

BBA Students Enrolled in Sequence One, BBA/Financial Math Students, and BBA/Computer Science (WLU) Students

• The Co-op Office expects you to meet requirements for progression to third year by April 30 of second year; if you fail to do so, the Co-op Office requires you to meet them no later than Aug. 31.
• If you need to complete more than two half-credit courses to meet requirements for progression to third year as of April 30 of second year, you will not be able to continue in co-op.

BBA Students Enrolled in Sequence Two

• You need to complete the required and elective credits required for progression to third year by April 30 of second year in order to enroll in 3A during the spring term.
• You will be eligible to apply for work term positions for the fall term only if you remain enrolled full-time in 3A during the spring following second year.
• You need to complete 3A during the spring following second year.
• You are not eligible to pursue concentrations in human resources, international business, or business and sustainability because certain required courses of 4B are available only during the winter, when you will be on a work term.
  Exception: If you completed your first four-month work term in the fall after 3A and secured an eight-month work term beginning in the spring after 3B, you may be exempt from this rule. You may be able to pursue one of the concentrations above because you met all co-op work term requirements before 4A commences in the winter. Please check with Undergraduate Academic Advising to determine whether this exception will enable you to meet the requirements for the concentration you wish to pursue.
• If you withdraw from co-op, you will return to a fall and winter academic schedule.
• If you withdraw from co-op before the end of the spring term following second year, the university may remove you from 3A until the fall.

If you are enrolled in Sequence Two and fail to meet requirements for progression to third year by the end of April, we will allow you to remain in co-op only if you meet the following conditions:

• You do not need to complete more than two half-credits to meet requirements for progression to third year by the end of the winter term.
• You will complete requirements for progression to third year by the end of August.
• You will complete 3A during the fall term, your first work term during the winter term, and 3B during the spring term.
• You will complete your second work term during the fall term before fourth year.
• You will compete 4A during the winter term and 4B during the spring term.
• You will complete your final work term after 4B, thereby delaying your graduation until the following spring.
• You understand that the Co-op Office will not grant any further extensions.

Honours Economics Students

• You must meet requirements for progression to third year by April 30 of second year.
• You must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 7.0 in your major (either Economics or Economics and Business), along with a cumulative GPA of 6.0 overall, in order to be eligible to continue in co-op.
• You must complete 5.0 credits by August 31 of each year in the program.

BTM Students

• You must meet requirements for progression to third year by April 30 of second year.
• You must meet any additional requirements stipulated for students in the BTM program.
• If you fail to meet progression requirements, the Co-op Office will withdraw you from co-op, even if your faculty permits you to continue in the BTM program. There is only one entry point for co-op; we will not permit you to enrol a second time.
  

• ENTR 310 is a BU elective that Business, Economics and double degree students can use as program requirements for third or fourth year.
• ENTR 310 conflicts with many co-op requirements, so options for enrolment are limited. The ideal time for most Business and Economics Co-op students to enrol in ENTR 310 is during the spring term of 4B, while the spring term of 5B may be better for students in double degree programs. (If you are a double degree student who is considering enrolling in this course during the spring academic term of 3B or 4B, please contact academic advising and the Co-op Office.)
• The Co-op Office will not give you approval to complete the course during any term during which we have scheduled as a work term for you.
• If you are in Sequence One or in Economics, you may enrol in ENTR 310 during the spring academic term of 3B before your third work term. However, if you are on a spring academic term, ENTR 310 will conflict with the exam period and you will need to petition as noted in the last bullet below.
• If you are in Sequence Two, you may either enrol in ENTR 310 during the spring academic term of 3A before your first work term or complete an eight-month work term beginning in the fall after 3A, before enrolling in ENTR 310 during the spring academic term of 3B. If you do this, ENTR 310 will conflict with the exam period of your spring academic term and you will need to petition as noted in the last bullet below.
• You must secure your work term before you depart for Israel in August.
• The ENTR 310 Israel trip will conflict with the final exam period for spring academic terms, so you will need to file petitions for each conflicted exam before your trip to defer each conflicting exams to the deferred exam period at the end of September. You will need to obtain approval in advance from your employer and your co-op co-ordinator to attend the deferred exams during the September deferral period. Please see an academic advisor to discuss the implications for any spring academic term and for related progression decisions.

Participation

• You will consult MyLearningSpace and Navigator regularly for instructions on participating in co-op.
• You must participate in COOP-000 Fundamentals of Co-operative Education and you must meet the deadlines for completing the assignments for all modules.
• You must participate in the job posting and interview process, work term visits and back-to-campus meetings.

Academic Credit

• Enrolment Services will enrol you automatically in COOP-000 Fundamentals of Co-operative Education, and that you must complete this half-credit course before your first work term.
• Each time you begin a work term, Enrolment Services will automatically enroll you in a half-credit work term course, starting with COOP-001: Co-operative Education Work Term 1.
• You may not resign from a work term unless you have received approval from the Co-op Office; if you leave a work term without approval, you will receive a grade of “F” on the work term course.
• If you fail the Fundamentals of Co-operative Education course or any work term course you may be removed from co-op.
• If you do not complete the modules of the Fundamentals of Co-operative Education up until and including the Rank & Match module before the Primary Round, you may have your access to Recruitment paused and your status in co-op may go under review.
• You must complete at least three work term courses; if you are in a double degree program with an optional fourth work term you may complete four courses.
• Co-op credits will not take the place of any other courses and are in addition to the course total required for your academic program.
• You must continue to be enrolled full-time in your honours program(s) to remain in co-op. If you are enrolled in fewer than four courses in a term, you must notify the Co-op Office immediately, and you may be removed from co-op.
• While you will be required to pay co-op fees, there is no separate tuition fee for the co-op courses.
• Credits are awarded on a pass or fail basis and the marks are therefore not included in your GPA or your total credit count.
• You must obtain at least four half-credits by passing the Fundamentals course and three work term courses to obtain the co-op designation on your degree.
• To pass each work term course, you must receive a rating of at least satisfactory on the work term report and performance evaluation.
• Co-op credits will not count toward the GPA or credit count requirements of any scholarship or funding program.
• You may appeal assessments of your grades for co-op credit; all decisions made through the co-op petitions process are final.

Communication

• You agree to check Navigator regularly for notices, appointments, job postings and interview schedules.
• You will use only your Laurier email account when communicating with the Co-op Office, check this account regularly and list your Laurier email address on your résumé.

Release of Identity and Personal Information

• You authorize Laurier to use photographs of you and information about your work terms when promoting co-op or the university.
• You authorize the Co-op Office to post your name or student identification number on bulletin boards and Navigator when notifying you about interviews, appointments and other matters.
• You allow the Co-op Office to release information about your academic program, record of marks, application documents, availability for employment, and employment performance to employers.

Approved Positions

• You must obtain a work term position approved by the Co-op Office to continue in co-op.
• The Co-op Office will approve only paid positions offering full-time hours.

Participating in the Co-op Recruiting Process

• You must be attending classes full-time on the Waterloo campus (or Brantford campus if you are in the BTM program) to participate in the job posting and interviewing process during the academic term preceding your next work term.  (Exceptions: You may attend classes remotely during an approved international academic term, and when the university offers courses primarily online due to a significant public health threat such as the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Independent Job Search

• The Co-op Office recommends that you conduct an independent job search in addition to applying to co-op job postings.
• The Co-op Office will not, however, include in the ranking and matching process any jobs you find independently.
• You will inform your co-op consultant about your progress during the job posting process.
• When you receive a job offer you wish to accept, you will provide a job description and contact information.
• You will state in your message that you wish to accept the position, and that you understand that you are committed to honouring your commitment to work for the employer during your next work term, once a consultant has approved the position.
• You will honour the dates set by the Co-op Office, usually coinciding with the primary recruiting period, during which you may not accept jobs that are not part of the match.
• You will not accept a position before a co-op consultant has approved the job.
• Once you have accepted a job offer, it is a binding agreement and the Co-op Office will consider you as employed for the work term.
• The Co-op Office may indicate to any employer that you are no longer available for a position.
• You will not attend any interviews after accepting a co-op job offer.
• The co-op recruiting process takes precedence over your personal job search.
• During the primary recruiting period, the Co-op Office will set a date by which you must have submitted by intention to participate in recruiting, return to a previous employer, or accept a job offer through your personal job search.
• If the Co-op Office approves your job before the intention deadline, you will accept the offer and stop participating in the recruiting process.
• If you receive a job offer through your personal job search after the intention deadline, you may not accept it until we have announced the results of the ranking and matching process, unless you did not apply to a single job posting.

Applications

• You will not provide false or misleading information in your application documents.

Job Postings

• The Co-op Office will obtain and post positions and help you conduct a job search.
• When you apply to job postings through the co-op office, employers are provided with the application documents that you have uploaded.
• The co-op office shares with employers your record of marks, work term evaluations, and information about your availability for co-op employment.
• There is no guarantee that you will obtain an approvable position or that positions will meet your expectations.
• You must apply actively to co-op job postings each work term until you have secured employment.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to establish a minimum number of co-op job postings to which you must apply and a maximum number of postings to which you may apply.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to limit the types or locations of job postings to which you may apply, if you have declined to rank or interview for similar positions or locations.
• If you fail to secure employment, you will be ineligible to continue in co-op.

Employers

• You must obtain permission from your co-op consultant before contacting any employer who appears in the co-op database.
• You will not provide anyone with access to Navigator or to co-op employers or to co-op job postings.
• You will not refer anyone directly to participating co-op employers for any type of positions that might have an impact on opportunities for co-op students.

Interviews

• You must remain available for interviews throughout each term, including during the early capital markets interviews held in September and the fall Reading Week before your winter work term(s).
• You will attend all interviews for which you are scheduled.
• You must send your co-op consultant details of any interviews that employers arrange with you directly for jobs that were posted on Navigator during the primary recruiting period.
• If you fail to notify the Co-op Office of an interview for a job that was posted on Navigator the employer will not be able to rank you. (The Co-op Office prefers to schedule interviews on behalf of employers during the primary interview period, but makes some exceptions.)
• Interviews for jobs that were posted on Navigator take precedence over interviews through your independent job search; you may be required to reschedule any independent interviews that conflict with interviews for posted jobs during the on-campus interview period.
• You will provide employers with factual and accurate information during interviews.

Screening Requirements

• Some employers make their job offers conditional upon reference checks, drug tests, security clearance, or a vulnerable sector police check.
• You are responsible for following the employer's instructions regarding screening requirements in a timely manner and for any associated costs.
• A security clearance may reveal that you were charged with an offence, even if the charges were dropped, or that a peace bond was issued against you even if it expired.

Health Requirements

• Some employers will require you to have an immunization or TB test or to obtain personal protective equipment.
• You are responsible for following the employer's instructions in a timely manner and for any associated costs.

Rank/Match Process (Employer Ranking Process)

• You agree not to communicate with any employer between an interview and the time the Co-op Office has released results of the match to students.
• You agree to notify your co-op consultant if an employer contacts you after the interview by any means of communication, including e-mail, text, and auto-generated message.
• You will submit your completed employer rankings through Navigator by the deadline. If you fail to do so we will remove you from the match and we will review your co-op status. 
• If you are matched with a job through the employer ranking process, the Co-op Office considers you employed.

Job Offers

• You may accept only one job offer for a work term.
• Once you accept an offer, whether verbally, in writing, or by ranking an employer, you are committed working for the employer. 
• By accepting a job offer, you are entering a binding agreement and acknowledging that you understand and accept the terms of the offer. (A subsequent written document from the employer may fine-tune the details, but does not create the contract.)
• Once you accept an offer, the Co-op Office may inform employers that you are no longer available for the work term.

Intentions

• You agree to let the Co-op Office know whether you intend to return to your previous employer or participate in the recruiting process for the next work term by the deadline we set.

Honouring Commitment

• You may accept only one job offer for a work term.
• When you accept a job offer, you have entered a binding agreement, and the co-op office will consider you as having confirmed co-op employment for the work term. 
• You will honour your commitment to the employer upon accepting any approved position, whether you applied through Navigator or independently.
• You are bound to honour your commitment to an employer whether you accepted an offer verbally, in writing, or through the employer ranking process.
• You may not resign from a co-op position until you have reviewed your situation with a co-op consultant and petitioned for permission.
• Resigning may require you to withdraw from co-op.

Salary

• The Co-op Office approves only those positions that pay at least the minimum wage.
• The Co-op Office cannot guarantee the accuracy of salary data it receives from employers.
• Employers may base salary on factors such as the type of position, their organization's policies, and the number of academic or work terms the student completed.
• Salary is set by the employer; you may not negotiate your own terms after accepting a position.

For Students with a Disability

• Please inform your employers of any accommodations you need.

Length and Hours of Work Term

• The Co-op Office requires you to work full-time for your co-op employer throughout the entire work term.
• You will start and end your work term on the dates specified in the Laurier undergraduate calendar as the beginning and end of term, unless your employer requested alternative dates in the offer.
• You must obtain approval from the Co-op Office before attempting to vary these dates.
• You may have to delay graduation to meet your work term requirements if the Co-op Office gives you approval to leave a work term early due to extenuating circumstances such as a death in your immediate family or a serious health issue.

Vacation

• You will not ask employers for vacations during work terms.
• Many employers include vacation pay as part of their compensation so it may be included in wages you are offered.

Eight-Month Work Terms

• If eligible to complete an eight-month work term, you must stay with the same employer for the entire eight months.
• You are not eligible for two consecutive four-month work terms with different employers.

Housing

• You are responsible for obtaining housing if you need to relocate for a co-op position.

Work Term Reports

• You must meet the deadline for submitting your work term report, and you must achieve a rating of at least “satisfactory” each term to be eligible for course credit. (You will find instructions on MyLearningSpace.)
• If your report has been rated “unsatisfactory,” you must submit a revised report.

Performance Evaluation Forms

• Employers will provide information about your performance to the Co-op Office.
• You authorize the Co-op Office to release information from your performance evaluations, including overall ratings of your performance, to prospective employers at their request.

Performance

• You must obtain an overall rating of at least "satisfactory" on each performance evaluation to remain in co-op and to qualify for course credit.
• The Co-op Office will review your status if you quit, or if your employer dismisses you, or if you receive an overall rating that is less than “satisfactory,” and that you may be withdrawn from co-op as a result. (If the Co-op Office allows you to continue in co-op, and this requires you to complete another work term, you will be responsible for paying an additional co-op fee.)
• The Co-op Office may withdraw you from co-op even if you completed the minimum number of weeks required for a work term before your employer dismissed you.

Liability

• It is ultimately your responsibility to obtain work term positions.
• The university will not be held liable if you do not obtain an approvable position.
• The university will not be held liable for any agreements established or breached with your employer, including salary, benefits or a job offer.
• The university will not be held liable for any expense, personal injury, or loss or damage of personal property arising while seeking employment or during a work term.

Conditions

• Once you have accepted an approved position, all conditions apply whether you obtained the position through your own efforts or through a referral from the Co-op Office.

BBA Students

• By accepting an offer of admission to co-op, you are also accepting the work/study sequence you have been assigned.
• You may not switch to another sequence.
  • Exception: The Co-op Office will permit you to switch if the CPA firm that hires you through the early CPA recruiting process in January requires you to switch.
• Accepting Sequence Two may preclude you from participating in certain international academic exchanges.

Varying or Deferring Work Terms (All students except those in BTM)

• You may obtain a co-op job during only one spring (May to August) work term.
• You may not hold all your co-op jobs in the same season.
• You may not seek a work term after the last academic term, unless the Co-op Office approved an exemption. (The Co-op Office may approve exemptions for students who have extenuating circumstances related to a serious health issue or a death in their immediate family.)
• Completing a work term after your last academic term will delay your graduation.
• You may not complete more than one four-month work term after your last academic term.
• If by deferring a work term you will be pursuing a CPA designation and completing the graduate diploma in Accounting during the fall term following 4B, you acknowledge that you may participate in either CPA recruiting for graduating students or in CPA recruiting for co-op students, and that you may not participate in both.
• If the Co-op Office approves your request to vary your work term sequence, it is your responsibility to contact the appropriate departments to pre-register for courses.
• Varying your sequence may place restrictions on your participation in co-op and may limit your course selections.
• If you are in Honours Economics, course schedules make it difficult for you to vary the order of your work and study terms sequence; if you wish to vary the order, you must first receive approval from the Economics undergraduate programs director.

Varying or Deferring Work Terms (Students in double degree programs with University of Waterloo)

• You must choose and follow one of the sequences of work and study established for your double degree program. (The Co-op Office may approve exemptions for students who fail to secure a position in the first work term, despite having applied actively to job postings, or who have extenuating circumstances related to a serious health issue or a death in the immediate family; in most cases this means that students graduate with three work terms.)
• If you choose to pursue a fourth work term, but fail to secure employment, you may not try to seek employment for a later term.

BTM Students

• Your first and second work terms will be comprised of eight consecutive months, from September through April, with one employer.

Varying Final Work Term (Students enrolled in a single degree program at the Waterloo campus)

• If you wish to complete your last work term in the winter after term 4A instead of in the fall before term 4A, you must seek approval from the Co-op Office and the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics.
• The university allows a limited number of students per term to vary the order of their work and study terms. (To learn about the deadline and process, request a varied work term form during the winter work term before 3B.)
• The Co-op Office gives priority to varsity athletes whose primary season is in the fall and to students with firm job offers for the next winter work term, primarily students whose CPA firms ask them to return for a second tax season. 

• Once you have confirmed your admission to co-op, you are registered in co-op and are responsible for co-op fees.
• You will pay the co-op fee for each academic term, according to the fee schedule on the co-op website and MyLearningSpace.
• You agree to pay the first term fee at Service Laurier by the deadline on your bill.
• You will pay an additional co-op fee if the Co-op Office allows you to pursue an additional work term to make up for a term the Co-op Office permitted you to leave due to extenuating circumstances.
• Service Laurier will bill you for interest charges if you fail to meet these deadlines.
• The co-op fee is not an employment fee, and you must pay it regardless of whether you obtain an approved position.
• You must submit a co-op withdrawal form to avoid additional charges. (You are financially indebted to the university according to the fee schedule and until you have cancelled your registration in writing.)
• The refund schedule applies even if you have not made a payment and/or the payment deadline has not passed.
• Failure to attend the co-op fundamentals course or to apply for co-op jobs is insufficient grounds for a fee appeal.
• If you are temporarily suspended or removed from co-op for contravening academic or non-academic policies or co-op regulations, the university will not refund any portion of your co-op fee.
• If you choose to withdraw or are removed from co-op for reasons other than contravening academic or non-academic policies or co-op regulations, Service Laurier will refund the fee on a pro-rated basis as outlined on the co-op website.

Code of Conduct

• You will abide by the Co-op Student Code of Conduct found on MyLearningSpace and by the student academic and non-academic codes of conduct.
• You will comply with all required health and safety standards, any intellectual property policy, standards of workplace behaviour, including but not limited to harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct, and abuse.
• You will conduct yourself appropriately by treating people equally, without discrimination, by being professional and courteous and by meeting attendance requirements.
• You agree to conduct yourself and ethically and with integrity during the job search process and in the workplace.

Discretion and Confidentiality

• You agree not to reveal the names or identifying information of co-op employers, employees or their business, clients, customers and suppliers in discussion or in writing with anyone other than Laurier's co-op staff members without specific permission from the employer.

• You will not disclose any confidential or sensitive information about co-op employers to anyone.

Conflict of Interest

• You will not use your position, or knowledge gained through employment, for private or personal advantage.
• You will inform your employer immediately about any situation where there is a conflict of interest or a potential conflict of interest.

Withdrawing from Co-op

• Once you have withdrawn from co-op at Laurier, you are not eligible to enroll again in co-op at Laurier.

Waiver of Intellectual Property Rights

•  You waive and release all right, title, interest and ownership to all intellectual property rights and moral rights that you may have in any materials you created in whole or in part through your participation in a co-op job.

Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risk

• You understand that despite its efforts, the University may not be able to ensure your safety at all times and from any and all risks and dangers.
• You agree to take all reasonable protections to ensure your personal welfare.
• You acknowledge that the University does not carry any insurance for your benefit and this it your sole responsibility to acquire insurance.
• You agree to be accountable for your own actions and will not ask the University or its employees to accept the consequences.
• You acknowledge that that University discourages participants from working alone while completing fieldwork or remote activities and that you are responsible for letting others know your location at all times while participating in such activities, and that you understand you have the right to refuse assignments that you consider unsafe.

Overall Conditions

• You will abide by rules, regulations and policies set by the Co-op Office and your employers.
• You will abide by ethical and legal guidelines, including but not limited to those concerning use of computers.
• You will abide by university policies, including the academic and non-academic codes of conduct.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to restrict your participation in co-op if you contravene co-op requirements or university policies.
• The Co-op Office will review your status if you fail to comply with any of the conditions in your offer and the maximum penalty for failing to comply is your removal from co-op.

• If the Government of Ontario again declares a province-wide state of emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to reduce the spread of a virus such as COVID-19, you will be required to follow all applicable legislation and Public Health measures and guidelines for your work term.
• It is your responsibility to ensure you learn and follow all health, safety and other rules, directions, policies and procedures implemented by the University or your co-op employer.
• Any behaviour on your part that places others at risk could result in immediate termination of your co-op work term and your removal from co-op.
• While the University is committed to protecting your health and safety, neither the University nor your co-op employer can protect you against all risks or guarantee that any individual attending the University’s facilities, or participating in activities organized by the University, whether on-campus or off-campus, will not become infected with a virus such as COVID-19. Further, attending the University or the work term to participate in co-op opportunities could increase the risk of contracting a virus such as COVID-19. 

If you do not understand all the terms of participation, please ask a co-op consultant to clarify before accepting admission to co-op online through Navigator.

The co-op website contains the most current, official version of this admission agreement.

Accepting Admission

By accepting admission, you confirm that you have read the conditions of admission to co-op, understand them and agree to meet the conditions.

Declining Admission

You must be eligible to work in Canada.

If you are at Laurier on a study permit, you are responsible for obtaining a co-op work permit and for ensuring that your visa documents, including passport and entry, study and work permits, remain valid for the duration of your co-op program.

Note: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada takes at least four months to process applications for work permits. Please apply, or re-apply, for a work permit, as early as possible.

Co-op Job Posting Eligibility

To be eligible to apply to co-op job postings, you must:

• Provide the Co-op Office with documents showing that you have a valid work and study permit or clearance. (If you do not have a valid work permit, please provide evidence that you submitted your application for a permit at least four months before the start of the work term.)
• Notify the Co-op Office of your location if you reside outside of Canada during the term before your work term.
• Notify prospective employers whether you have received a work permit.

If you reside outside Canada in the study term before your work term, there is no guarantee that you will be allowed into the country before first work term. For this reason, please identify where you are located when applying to co-op job postings and during interviews:

•  Include your current address in cover letters and mention you are abroad during interviews. (Some employers can hire only students who reside in Canada, so cannot let you work remotely if you are not allowed to enter Canada.) 
• If your employer wants you to work on site, but you are unable to relocate to Canada, we will check whether you informed the employer of your location during the recruiting process and, if you did not, we reserve the right to remove you from co-op.

Taking a term off can have a negative impact on the status of your Canadian study and work permit.

• Before deciding to defer a work term or take any term off, please consult with both Laurier International and the Associate Director of External Relations. 
• If you are not employed by the time your work term is scheduled to begin, please consult with both Laurier International and the Associate Director of External Relations.

You are required to do the following:

• Review the process for obtaining a co-op work permit on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website.
• Complete any forms required to request the work permit within two weeks of your admission to co-op (and at least four months before your work term.) If you have not applied for your work permit within this timeframe, you must submit a petition to the Director of Co-operative Education requesting permission to participate in recruiting.
• Submit proof of your application to the Co-op Office.
• Pay any costs that may be associated with requesting or obtaining the work permit.
• Accept the terms of the work permit.

Work Term Requirements

• You must possess a valid work permit to begin your work term. 
• You may not begin working (or even volunteering) for your co-op employer until you have your work permit.
• If your lack of a work term permit delays the start of your work term, your employer has the right to rescind your offer of employment.
• You must return to Canada before your work term is scheduled to begin. (If your employer has agreed to let you work abroad due to extenuating circumstances, please consult with your co-op consultant.)
• Students are not able to vary the sequencing of their academic and work terms.

Working While Abroad

While you reside in your home country you may ask the Co-op Office for permission to work for an employer in your home country. 

Restricted Industries

Your country may restrict admittance to citizens who have worked in certain industries related to cannabis or liquor or other substances. It is your responsibility to check into the restrictions in your country and to seek legal advice if applicable.

Meeting Academic Requirements

You must meet all academic requirements of your honours program(s) as specified in Laurier’s undergraduate calendar 

You must meet all requirements of the Co-op Office, as outlined on this page.

• You will be removed from co-op immediately if course failures prevent you from being able to meet the progression requirements specified in the undergraduate calendar(s) for your program(s), even if you have completed all of your work terms.
  • Exception: If you have accepted an approved work term position before failing courses, the Co-op Office expects you to honour your commitment to the employer. Your status, however, will be under review until Faculty of Science have determined whether you may continue. 
• If the university finds you guilty of academic misconduct, the Co-op Office will remove you from co-op and you will not be eligible for any refund of the co-op fee.
• You must remain enrolled full-time in your honours program(s) to remain in co-op. If you are enrolled in fewer than four courses in a term, you must notify the Co-op Office immediately, and you may be removed from co-op. (Note: The Fundamentals of Cooperative Education course does not count toward your total credits.)
• You must resume your full-time academic studies directly after each work term, in accordance with your program's sequence of work and study terms.
• Your employer may choose to release you if the Co-op Office removes you from co-op because of your grades or academic misconduct.
• You must complete the required number of work terms and meet all the requirements of co-op and of your program(s) before graduating to receive the co-op designation on your degree.

Leave of Absence

If you wish to take a leave of absence, you must seek approval from both the Co-op Office and your academic department. We normally approve leaves of one full year for co-op students. This allows you to return at the same point in your sequence of academic and work terms. On your return to campus after your LOA, you must honour any commitments you had made to an employer.

Record of Marks

• You must allow the Co-op Office to review your academic record, monitor your academic performance and obtain a record of your courses for employers.
• You must authorize the Co-op Office to disclose any information related to your marks to employers.
• You will not amend any of the grades listed in your record of marks.
• You will not misrepresent yourself by submitting an inaccurate record of marks.
• The Co-op Office will report any infractions to the dean(s) of your department(s.)
• Enrolment Services uploads marks to Navigator (the co-op database) through LORIS.
• Employers will have access to your marks as they appear on LORIS.
• Only Enrolment Services can make changes to your grades; changes made on LORIS will appear on Navigator.

Exception for transfer students:

• You must scan a copy of your marks from your previous institution.
• You must include this version of your record of marks with your résumé when applying to co-op job postings.

Exchanges

• Participating in co-op may limit your ability to participate in international academic exchanges.
• You may not vary the duration and timing of your work terms to accommodate international academic exchanges where the dates of terms differ from those at Laurier.
• You will maintain communication with the Co-op Office while abroad and be available for interviews by telephone or video calling when selected by employers.
• You must ensure you have access to Navigator and MyLearningSpace while abroad.
• You understand that this may involve personal expenses.
• All co-op regulations, including those regarding ranking and matching, still apply.

Scholarships and OSAP

• Please visit the Student Awards website to check whether your scholarship requires a minimum course load per academic year and, if so, to learn whether your co-op work terms will have an impact on your eligibility for the scholarship.
• The Financial Aid Office provides information on OSAP eligibility and processes for co-op students. You are responsible for ensuring you submit all information required to complete your OSAP application and to maintain your interest-free status on OSAP loans.

Courses During Work Terms

• You may not register for more than two half-credit courses, or more than 1.0 credit in total, for any term scheduled as a work term for you. (Note: The work term course does not count toward this maximum.)
• If you enrol in more than two half-credit courses you will be required to de-register and will be charged a late fee.
• You may enrol in elective courses only; you may not enrol in required courses during a work term. 
• Taking courses must not limit your participation in co-op by restricting the geographic location of your job search or your availability during business hours.

Graduate Recruiting

• Participating in co-op may limit your ability to participate in the on-campus graduate recruiting program during the winter term of your final year.

Participation

• You will consult MyLearningSpace and Navigator regularly for instructions on participating in co-op.
• You must participate in COOP-000 Fundamentals of Co-operative Education and you must meet the deadlines for completing the assignments for all modules.
• You must participate in the job posting and interview process, work term visits and back-to-campus meetings.

Academic Credit

• Enrolment Services will enrol you automatically in COOP-000 Fundamentals of Co-operative Education, and that you must complete this half-credit course before your first work term.
• Each time you begin a work term, Enrolment Services will automatically enroll you in a half-credit work term course, starting with COOP-001: Co-operative Education Work Term 1.
• You may not resign from a work term unless you have received approval from the Co-op Office; if you leave a work term without approval, you will receive a grade of “F” on the work term course.
• If you fail the Fundamentals of Co-operative Education course or any work term course you may be removed from co-op.
• If you do not complete the modules of the Fundamentals of Co-operative Education up until and including the Rank & Match module before the Primary Round, you may have your access to Recruitment paused and your status in co-op may go under review.
• You must complete three work term courses.
• Co-op credits will not take the place of any other courses and are in addition to the course total required for your academic program.
• You must continue to be enrolled full-time in your honours program(s) to remain in co-op. If you are enrolled in fewer than four courses in a term, you must notify the Co-op Office immediately, and you may be removed from co-op.
• While you will be required to pay co-op fees, there is no separate tuition fee for the co-op courses.
• Credits are awarded on a pass or fail basis and the marks are therefore not included in your GPA or your total credit count.
• You must obtain four half-credits by passing the Fundamentals course and three work term courses to obtain the co-op designation on your degree.
• To pass each work term course, you must receive a rating of at least satisfactory on the work term report and performance evaluation.
• Co-op credits will not count toward the GPA or credit count requirements of any scholarship or funding program.
• You may appeal assessments of your grades for co-op credit; all decisions made through the co-op petitions process are final.

Communication

• You agree to check Navigator regularly for notices, appointments, job postings and interview schedules.
• You will use only your Laurier email account when communicating with the Co-op Office, check this account regularly and list your Laurier email address on your résumé.

Release of Identity and Personal Information

• You authorize Laurier to use photographs of you and information about your work terms when promoting co-op or the university.
• You authorize the Co-op Office to post your name or student identification number on bulletin boards and Navigator when notifying you about interviews, appointments and other matters.
• You allow the Co-op Office to release information about your academic program, record of marks, application documents, availability for employment, and employment performance to employers.

Approved Positions

• You must obtain a work term position approved by the Co-op Office to continue in co-op.
• The Co-op Office will approve only paid positions offering full-time hours.

 Participating in the Co-op Recruiting Process

• You must be attending classes full-time on the Waterloo campus to participate in the job posting and interviewing process during the academic term preceding your next work term.  (Exceptions: You may attend classes remotely during an approved international academic term, and when the university offers courses primarily online due a significant public health threat, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Independent Job Search

• The Co-op Office recommends that you conduct an independent job search in addition to applying to co-op job postings.
• The Co-op Office will not, however, include in the ranking and matching process any jobs you find independently.
• You will inform your co-op consultant about your progress during the job posting process.
• When you receive a job offer you wish to accept, you will provide a job description and contact information.
• You will state in your message that you wish to accept the position, and that you understand that you are committed to honouring your commitment to work for the employer during your next work term, once a consultant has approved the position.
• You will honour the dates set by the Co-op Office, usually coinciding with the primary recruiting period, during which you may not accept jobs that are not part of the match.
• You will not accept a position before a co-op consultant has approved the job.
• Once you have accepted a job offer, it is a binding agreement and the Co-op Office will consider you as employed for the work term.
• The Co-op Office may indicate to any employer that you are no longer available for a position.
• You will not attend any interviews after accepting a co-op job offer.
• The co-op recruiting process takes precedence over your personal job search.
• During the primary recruiting period, the Co-op Office will set a date by which you must have submitted by intention to participate in recruiting, return to a previous employer, or accept a job offer through your personal job search.
• If the Co-op Office approves your job before the intention deadline, you will accept the offer and stop participating in the recruiting process.
• If you receive a job offer through your personal job search after the intention deadline, you may not accept it until we have announced the results of the ranking and matching process, unless you did not apply to a single job posting.

Applications

• You will not provide false or misleading information in your application documents.

Job Postings

• The Co-op Office will obtain and post positions and help you conduct a job search.
• When you apply to job postings through the co-op office, employers are provided with the application documents that you have uploaded.
• The co-op office shares with employers your record of marks, work term evaluations, and information about your availability for co-op employment.
• There is no guarantee that you will obtain an approvable position or that positions will meet your expectations.
• You must apply actively to co-op job postings each work term until you have secured employment.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to establish a minimum number of co-op job postings to which you must apply and a maximum number of postings to which you may apply.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to limit the types or locations of job postings to which you may apply, if you have declined to rank or interview for similar positions or locations.
• If you fail to secure employment, you will be ineligible to continue in co-op.

Employers

• You must obtain permission from your co-op consultant before contacting any employer who appears in the co-op database.
• You will not provide anyone with access to Navigator or to co-op employers or to co-op job postings.
• You will not refer anyone directly to participating co-op employers for any type of positions that might have an impact on opportunities for co-op students.

Interviews

• You must remain available for interviews throughout each term, including during the fall Reading Week before any winter work term during which you are scheduled to work.
• You will attend all interviews for which you are scheduled.
• You must send your co-op consultant details of any interviews that employers arrange with you directly for jobs that were posted on Navigator during the primary recruiting period.
• If you fail to notify the Co-op Office of an interview for a job that was posted on Navigator the employer will not be able to rank you. (The Co-op Office prefers to schedule interviews on behalf of employers during the primary interview period but makes some exceptions.)
• Interviews for jobs that were posted on Navigator take precedence over interviews through your independent job search; you may be required to reschedule any independent interviews that conflict with interviews for posted jobs during the on-campus interview period.
• You will provide employers with factual and accurate information during interviews.

Screening Requirements

• Some employers make their job offers conditional upon reference checks, drug tests, security clearance, or a vulnerable sector police check.
• You are responsible for following the employer's instructions regarding screening requirements in a timely manner and for any associated costs.
• A security clearance may reveal that you were charged with an offence, even if the charges were dropped, or that a peace bond was issued against you even if it expired.

Health Requirements

• Some employers will require you to have an immunization or TB test, or to obtain personal protective equipment.
• You are responsible for following the employer's instructions in a timely manner and for any associated costs.

Rank/Match Process (Employer Ranking Process)

• You agree not to communicate with any employer between an interview and the time the Co-op Office has released results of the match to students.
• You agree to notify your co-op consultant if an employer contacts you after the interview by any means of communication, including e-mail, text, and auto-generated message.
• You will submit your completed employer rankings through Navigator by the deadline. If you fail to do so we will remove you from the match and we will review your co-op status. 
• If you are matched with a job through the employer ranking process, the Co-op Office considers you employed.

Job Offers

• You may accept only one job offer for a work term.
• Once you accept an offer, whether verbally, in writing, or by ranking an employer, you are bound to honour your commitment to the employer by working for them.
• Once you accept an offer, the Co-op Office may inform employers that you are no longer available for the work term.
• By accepting a job offer, you are entering a binding agreement and acknowledging that you understand and accept the terms of the offer. (A subsequent written document from the employer may fine-tune the details but does not create the contract.)

Intentions

• You agree to let the Co-op Office know whether you intend to return to your previous employer or participate in the recruiting process for the next work term by the deadline we set.

Honouring Commitment

• You may accept only one job offer for a work term.
• When you accept a job offer, you have entered a binding agreement, and the co-op office will consider you as having confirmed co-op employment for the work term. 
• You will honour your commitment to the employer upon accepting any approved position, whether you applied through Navigator or independently.
• You are bound to honour your commitment to an employer whether you accepted an offer verbally, in writing, or through the employer ranking process.
• You may not resign from a co-op position until you have reviewed your situation with a co-op consultant and petitioned for permission.
• Resigning may require you to withdraw from co-op.

Salary

• The Co-op Office approves only those positions that pay at least the minimum wage.
• The Co-op Office cannot guarantee the accuracy of salary data it receives from employers.
• Employers may base salary on factors such as the type of position, their organization's policies, and the number of academic or work terms the student completed.
• Salary is set by the employer; you may not negotiate your own terms after accepting a position.

For Students with a Disability

• Please inform your employers of any accommodations you need.

Length and Hours of Work Term

• The Co-op Office requires you to work full-time for your co-op employer throughout the entire work term.
• You will start and end your work term on the dates specified in the Laurier undergraduate calendar as the beginning and end of term unless your employer requested alternative dates in the offer.
• You must obtain approval from the Co-op Office before attempting to vary these dates.
• You may have to delay graduation to meet your work term requirements if the Co-op Office gives you approval to leave a work term early due to extenuating circumstances such as a death in your immediate family or a serious health issue.

Vacation

• You will not ask employers for vacations during work terms.
• Many employers include vacation pay as part of their compensation so it may be included in wages you are offered.

Housing

• You are responsible for obtaining housing if you need to relocate for a co-op position.

Work Term Reports

• You must meet the deadline for submitting your work term report, and you must achieve a rating of at least “satisfactory” each term to be eligible for course credit. (You will find instructions on MyLearningSpace.)
• If your report has been rated “unsatisfactory,” you must submit a revised report.

Performance Evaluation Forms

• Employers will provide information about your performance to the Co-op Office.
• You authorize the Co-op Office to release information from your performance evaluations, including overall ratings of your performance, to prospective employers at their request.

Performance

• You must obtain an overall rating of at least "satisfactory" on each performance evaluation to remain in co-op and to qualify for course credit.
• The Co-op Office will review your status if you quit, or if your employer dismisses you, or if you receive an overall rating that is less than “satisfactory,” and that you may be withdrawn from co-op as a result. (If the Co-op Office allows you to continue in co-op, and this requires you to complete another work term, you will be responsible for paying an additional co-op fee.)
• The Co-op Office may withdraw you from co-op even if you completed the minimum number of weeks required for a work term before your employer dismissed you.

Liability

• It is ultimately your responsibility to obtain work term positions.
• The university will not be held liable if you do not obtain an approvable position.
• The university will not be held liable for any agreements established or breached with your employer, including salary, benefits or a job offer.
• The university will not be held liable for any expense, personal injury, or loss or damage of personal property arising while seeking employment or during a work term.

Conditions

• Once you have accepted an approved position, all conditions apply whether you obtained the position through your own efforts or through a referral from the Co-op Office.

Varying or Deferring Work Terms

• If you are in Computer Science or Data Science, you may not vary your sequence of work and study terms.

• Once you have confirmed your admission to co-op, you are registered in co-op and are responsible for co-op fees.
• You will pay the co-op fee for each academic term, according to the fee schedule on the co-op website and MyLearningSpace.
• You agree to pay the first term fee at Service Laurier by the deadline on your bill.
• You will pay an additional co-op fee if the Co-op Office allows you to pursue an additional work term to make up for a term the Co-op Office permitted you to leave due to extenuating circumstances.
• Service Laurier will bill you for interest charges if you fail to meet these deadlines.
• The co-op fee is not an employment fee, and you must pay it regardless of whether you obtain an approved position.
• You must submit a co-op withdrawal form to avoid additional charges. (You are financially indebted to the university according to the fee schedule and until you have cancelled your registration in writing.)
• The refund schedule applies even if you have not made a payment and/or the payment deadline has not passed.
• Failure to attend the co-op fundamentals course or to apply for co-op jobs is insufficient grounds for a fee appeal.
• If you are temporarily suspended or removed from co-op for contravening academic or non-academic policies or co-op regulations, the university will not refund any portion of your co-op fee.
• If you choose to withdraw or are removed from co-op for reasons other than contravening academic or non-academic policies or co-op regulations, Service Laurier will refund the fee on a pro-rated basis as outlined on the co-op website.

Code of Conduct

• You will abide by the Co-op Student Code of Conduct found on MyLearningSpace and by the student academic and non-academic codes of conduct.
• You will comply with all required health and safety standards, any intellectual property policy, standards of workplace behaviour, including but not limited to harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct, and abuse.
• You will conduct yourself appropriately by treating people equally, without discrimination, by being professional and courteous and by meeting attendance requirements.
• You agree to conduct yourself and ethically and with integrity during the job search process and in the workplace.

Discretion and Confidentiality

• You agree not to reveal the names or identifying information of co-op employers, employees or their business, clients, customers and suppliers in discussion or in writing with anyone other than Laurier's co-op staff members without specific permission from the employer.
• You will not disclose any confidential or sensitive information about co-op employers to anyone.

Conflict of Interest

• You will not use your position, or knowledge gained through employment, for private or personal advantage.
• You will inform your employer immediately about any situation where there is a conflict of interest or a potential conflict of interest.

Withdrawing from Co-op

• Once you have withdrawn from co-op at Laurier, you are not eligible to enroll again in co-op at Laurier.

Waiver of Intellectual Property Rights

•  You waive and release all right, title, interest and ownership to all intellectual property rights and moral rights that you may have in any materials you created in whole or in part through your participation in a co-op job.

Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risk

• You understand that despite its efforts, the University may not be able to ensure your safety at all times and from any and all risks and dangers.
• You agree to take all reasonable protections to ensure your personal welfare.
• You acknowledge that the University does not carry any insurance for your benefit and this it your sole responsibility to acquire insurance.
• You agree to be accountable for your own actions and will not ask the University or its employees to accept the consequences.
• You acknowledge that that University discourages participants from working alone while completing fieldwork or remote activities and that you are responsible for letting others know your location at all times while participating in such activities, and that you understand you have the right to refuse assignments that you consider unsafe.

Overall Conditions

• You will abide by rules, regulations and policies set by the Co-op Office and your employers.
• You will abide by ethical and legal guidelines, including but not limited to those concerning use of computers.
• You will abide by university policies, including the academic and non-academic codes of conduct.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to restrict your participation in co-op if you contravene co-op requirements or university policies.
• The Co-op Office will review your status if you fail to comply with any of the conditions in your offer and the maximum penalty for failing to comply is your removal from co-op.

• If the Government of Ontario again declares a province-wide state of emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to reduce the spread of a virus such as COVID-19, you will be required to follow all applicable legislation and Public Health measures and guidelines for your work term.
• It is your responsibility to ensure you learn and follow all health, safety and other rules, directions, policies and procedures implemented by the University or your co-op employer.
• Any behaviour on your part that places others at risk could result in immediate termination of your co-op work term and your removal from co-op.
• While the University is committed to protecting your health and safety, neither the University nor your co-op employer can protect you against all risks or guarantee that any individual attending the University’s facilities, or participating in activities organized by the University, whether on-campus or off-campus, will not become infected with a virus such as COVID-19. Further, attending the University or the work term to participate in co-op opportunities could increase the risk of contracting a virus such as COVID-19. 

If you do not understand all the terms of participation, please ask a co-op consultant to clarify before accepting admission to co-op online through Navigator.

The co-op website contains the most current, official version of this admission agreement.

Accepting Admission

By accepting admission, you confirm that you have read the conditions of admission to co-op, understand them and agree to meet the conditions.

Declining Admission

By declining admission, you understand that you will not be admitted to co-op.

• You must meet all academic requirements of your program as specified in Laurier’s graduate calendar.
• You must meet all requirements of the Co-op Office, as outlined in this document.
• You will be withdrawn from co-op immediately if course failures prevent you from being able to meet the progression requirements specified in the graduate calendar for your program, even if you have completed all of your work terms.

  • Exception: If you have accepted an approved work term position before failing courses, the Co-op Office expects you to honour your commitment to the employer. Your status, however, will be under review until your academic department has determined whether you may continue. 

• If the university finds you guilty of academic misconduct, the Co-op Office will remove you from  co-op and you will not be eligible for any refund of the co-op fee.

• You must continue to be enrolled full-time in your program to remain in co-op. If you switch to part-time studies, you must notify the Co-op Office immediately, and you may be removed from co-op.
• You must resume your full-time academic studies directly after a work term, in accordance with the sequence of work and study terms for your program.
• Your employer may choose to release you if you are not allowed to continue in co-op because of your grades or academic misconduct.
• You are responsible for informing the Co-op Office of any change to your academic status, including being on probation, changing programs, or switching to part-time.
• You must complete the required number of work terms and meet all the requirements of co-op and of your program before graduating to receive the co-op designation on your degree.

Leave of Absence

Record of Marks

• You must allow the Co-op Office to review your academic record, monitor your academic performance and obtain a record of your courses for employers.
• You must authorize the Co-op Office to disclose any information related to your marks to employers.
• You will not amend any of the grades listed in your record of marks.
• You will not misrepresent yourself by submitting an inaccurate record of marks.
• The Co-op Office will report any infractions to the dean of your department.
• Enrolment Services uploads your Laurier marks to Navigator (the co-op computer system) through LORIS.
• Employers will have access to your marks as they appear on LORIS.
• Only Enrolment Services can make changes to your grades; changes made on LORIS will appear on Navigator.

MFin Students:

• Before your first work term, it is your responsibility to include your record of marks from your previous institution with your resume, every time you apply to a co-op job posting.
• For your second work term, Enrolment Services uploads your Laurier marks to Navigator (the co-op computer system) through LORIS.

Courses During Work Terms

• You may not register for more than two half-credit courses, or more than 1.0 credit in total, for any term scheduled as a work term for you.
• If you enrol in more than two half-credit courses you will be required to de-register and will be charged a late fee.
• You may enrol in elective courses only; you may not enrol in required courses during a work term.
• Taking courses must not limit your participation in co-op by restricting the geographic location of your job search or your availability during business hours.

Graduate Recruiting

• Participating in co-op may limit your ability to participate in the on-campus graduate recruiting program during the fall or winter term of your final year.

Participation

• You will consult MyLearningSpace and Navigator regularly for instructions on participating in co-op.
• You must participate in the job posting and interview process, work term visits and back-to-campus meetings.

Communication

• You agree to check Navigator regularly for notices, appointments, job postings and interview schedules.
• You will use only your Laurier email account when communicating with the Co-op Office, check this account regularly and list your Laurier email address on your résumé.

Release of Identity and Personal Information

• You authorize Laurier to use photographs of you and information about your work terms when promoting co-op or the university.
• You authorize the Co-op Office to post your name or student identification number on bulletin boards and Navigator when notifying you about interviews, appointments and other matters.
• You allow the Co-op Office to release information about your academic program, record of marks, application documents, availability for employment, and employment performance to employers.

Approved Positions

• You must obtain a work term position approved by the Co-op Office to continue in co-op.
• The Co-op Office will approve only paid positions offering full-time hours.

Participating in the Co-op Recruiting Process

• You must be attending classes full-time on the Waterloo campus to participate in the job posting and interviewing process during the academic term preceding your next work term. (Exceptions: You may attend classes remotely during an approved international academic term, and when the university offers courses primarily online due to a significant public health threat such as the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Independent Job Search

• The Co-op Office recommends that you conduct an independent job search in addition to applying to co-op job postings.
• The Co-op Office will not, however, include in the ranking and matching process any jobs you find independently.
• You will inform your co-op consultant about your progress during the job posting process.
• When you receive a job offer you wish to accept, you will provide a job description and contact information.
• You will state in your message that you wish to accept the position, and that you understand that you are committed to honouring your commitment to work for the employer during your next work term, once a consultant has approved the position.
• You will honour the dates set by the Co-op Office, usually coinciding with the primary recruiting period, during which you may not accept jobs that are not part of the match.
• You will not accept a position before a co-op consultant has approved the job.
• Once you have accepted a job offer, it is a binding agreement and the Co-op Office will consider you as employed for the work term.
• The Co-op Office may indicate to any employer that you are no longer available for a position.
• You will not attend any interviews after accepting a co-op job offer.
• The co-op recruiting process takes precedence over your personal job search.
• During the primary recruiting period, the Co-op Office will set a date by which you must have submitted by intention to participate in recruiting, return to a previous employer, or accept a job offer through your personal job search.
• If the Co-op Office approves your job before the intention deadline, you will accept the offer and stop participating in the recruiting process.
• If you receive a job offer through your personal job search after the intention deadline, you may not accept it until we have announced the results of the ranking and matching process, unless you did not apply to a single job posting.

Applications

• You will not provide false or misleading information in your application documents.

Job Postings

• The Co-op Office will obtain and post positions and help you conduct a job search.
• When you apply to job postings through the co-op office, employers are provided with the application documents that you have uploaded.
• The co-op office shares with employers your record of marks, work term evaluations, and information about your availability for co-op employment.
• There is no guarantee that you will obtain an approvable position or that positions will meet your expectations.
• You must apply actively to co-op job postings each work term until you have secured employment.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to establish a minimum number of co-op job postings to which you must apply and a maximum number of postings to which you may apply.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to limit the types or locations of job postings to which you may apply, if you have declined to rank or interview for similar positions or locations.
• If you fail to secure employment, you will be ineligible to continue in co-op.

Employers

• You must obtain permission from your co-op consultant before contacting any employer who appears in the co-op database.
• You will not provide anyone with access to Navigator or to co-op employers or to co-op job postings.
• You will not refer anyone directly to participating co-op employers for any type of positions that might have an impact on opportunities for co-op students.

Interviews

• You must remain available for interviews throughout each term, including during the fall Reading Week before any winter work term during which you are scheduled to work.
• You will attend all interviews for which you are scheduled.
• You must send your co-op consultant details of any interviews that employers arrange with you directly for jobs that were posted on Navigator during the primary recruiting period.
• If you fail to notify the Co-op Office of an interview for a job that was posted on Navigator, the employer will not be able to rank you. (The Co-op Office prefers to schedule interviews on behalf of employers during the primary interview period, but makes some exceptions.)
• Interviews for jobs that were posted on Navigator take precedence over interviews through your independent job search; you may be required to reschedule any independent interviews that conflict with interviews for posted jobs during the on-campus interview period.
• You will provide employers with factual and accurate information during interviews.

Screening Requirements

• Some employers make their job offers conditional upon reference checks, drug tests, security clearance, or a vulnerable sector police check.
• You are responsible for following the employer's instructions regarding screening requirements in a timely manner and for any associated costs.
• A security clearance may reveal that you were charged with an offence, even if the charges were dropped, or that a peace bond was issued against you even if it expired.

Health Requirements

• Some employers will require you to have an immunization or TB test or to obtain personal protective equipment.
• You are responsible for following the employer's instructions in a timely manner and for any associated costs.

Rank/Match Process (Employer Ranking Process)

• You agree not to communicate with any employer between an interview and the time results of the match have been released to students.
• You agree to notify your co-op consultant if an employer contacts you after the interview by any means of communication, including e-mail, text, and auto-generated message.
• You will submit your completed employer rankings through Navigator by the deadline. If you fail to do so, we will remove you from the match and we may review your co-op status.
• If you are matched with a job through the employer ranking process, the Co-op Office considers you employed.

Job Offers

• You may accept only one job offer for a work term.
• Once you accept an offer, whether verbally, in writing, or by ranking an employer, you are committed working for the employer. 
• By accepting a job offer, you are entering a binding agreement and acknowledging that you understand and accept the terms of the offer. (A subsequent written document from the employer may fine-tune the details, but does not create the contract.)
• Once you accept an offer, the Co-op Office may inform employers that you are no longer available for the work term.

Intentions

• You agree to let the Co-op Office know whether you intend to return to your previous employer or participate in the recruiting process for the next work term by the deadline we set.

Honouring Commitment

• You may accept only one job offer for a work term.
• When you accept a job offer, you have entered a binding agreement, and the co-op office will consider you as having confirmed co-op employment for the work term. 
• You will honour your commitment to the employer upon accepting any approved position, whether you applied through Navigator or independently.
• You are bound to honour your commitment to an employer whether you accepted an offer verbally, in writing, or through the employer ranking process.
• You may not resign from a co-op position until you have reviewed your situation with a co-op consultant and petitioned for permission.
• Resigning may require you to withdraw from co-op.

Salary

• The Co-op Office approves only those positions that pay at least the minimum wage.
• The Co-op Office cannot guarantee the accuracy of salary data it receives from employers.
• Employers may base salary on factors such as the type of position, their organization's policies, and the number of academic or work terms the student completed.
• Salary is set by the employer; you may not negotiate your own terms after accepting a position.

For Students with a Disability

• It is your responsibility to inform your employers of any accommodations you need as a result of your disability.

Length and Hours of Work Term

• You are expected to work full-time for your co-op employer throughout the entire work term.
• You will start and end your work term on the dates specified in the Laurier graduate calendar as the beginning and end of term, unless your employer requested alternative dates in the offer.
• You must obtain approval from the Co-op Office before attempting to vary these dates.
• You may have to delay graduation to meet your work term requirements if you are approved to leave a work term early due to extenuating circumstances such as a death in your immediate family or a serious health issue.

Vacation

• You will not ask employers for vacations during work terms.
• Many employers include vacation pay as part of their compensation so it may be included in wages you are offered.

Eight-Month Work Terms

• If eligible to complete an eight-month work term, you must stay with the same employer for the entire eight months.
• You are not eligible for two consecutive four-month work terms with different employers.

Housing

• You are responsible for obtaining housing if you need to relocate for a co-op position.

Work Term Report/Presentation

• You must meet the deadline for submitting your work term report slides, and you must achieve a rating of at least “satisfactory” on your presentation. (Instructions are provided on MyLearningSpace.)
• If your report has been rated “unsatisfactory,” you must submit a revised report.

Performance Evaluation

• Employers will provide information about your performance to the Co-op Office.
• You authorize the Co-op Office to release information from your performance evaluations, including overall ratings of your performance, to prospective employers at their request.
• You must obtain an overall rating of at least "satisfactory" on each performance evaluation to remain in co-op.
• The Co-op Office will review your status if you quit, or if your employer dismisses you, or if you receive an overall rating that is less than “satisfactory,” and that you may be re,pved from co-op as a result. (If the Co-op Office allows you to continue in co-op, and this requires you to complete another work term, you will be responsible for paying an additional co-op fee.)
• You may be removed from co-op even if you have completed the minimum number of weeks required for a work term before being dismissed by your employer.

Liability

• It is ultimately your responsibility to obtain work term positions.
• The university will not be held liable if you do not obtain an approvable position.
• The university will not be held liable for any agreements established or breached with your employer, including salary, benefits or a job offer.
• The university will not be held liable for any expense, personal injury or loss or damage of personal property arising while seeking employment or during a work term.

Conditions

• Once you have accepted an approved position, all conditions apply whether you obtained the position through your own efforts or through a referral from the Co-op Office.
• You may not seek a work term after the last academic term, unless the Co-op Office approved an exemption. (Exemptions may be approved for students who fail to secure a position in the first work term and who have extenuating circumstances related to a serious health issue or a death in their immediate family.)
• Completing a work term after your last academic term will delay your graduation.
• You may not complete more than one four-month work term after your last academic term.
• If you receive approval to vary your work term sequence, it is your responsibility to contact the appropriate departments to pre-register for courses.
• Varying your sequence may place restrictions on your participation in co-op and may limit your course selections.

• Once you have confirmed your admission to co-op, you are registered in co-op and are responsible for co-op fees.
• You will pay the co-op fee for each academic term, according to the fee schedule on the co-op website and MyLearningSpace.
• You agree to pay the first term fee at Service Laurier by the deadline on your bill.
• You will pay an additional co-op fee if you are allowed by the Co-op Office to pursue an additional work term after having to leave an employer.
• Service Laurier will bill you for interest charges if you fail to meet these deadlines.
• The co-op fee is not an employment fee, and you must pay it regardless of whether you obtain an approved work term position.
• The refund schedule applies even if you have not made a payment and/or the payment deadline has not passed.
• You must submit a co-op withdrawal form to avoid additional charges. (You are financially indebted to the university according to the fee schedule and until you have cancelled your registration in writing.)
• Failure to apply for co-op jobs is insufficient grounds for a fee appeal.
• If you are temporarily suspended or required to withdraw from co-op for contravening academic or non-academic policies or co-op regulations, no portion of your co-op fee will be refunded.
• If you choose or are required to withdraw from co-op for reasons other than contravening academic or non-academic policies or co-op regulations, Service Laurier will refund the fee on a pro-rated basis as outlined on the  co-op website.

Code of Conduct

• You will abide by the Co-op Student Code of Conduct found on MyLearningSpace and by the student academic and non-academic codes of conduct.
• You will comply with all required health and safety standards, any intellectual property policy, standards of workplace behaviour, including but not limited to harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct, and abuse.
• You will conduct yourself appropriately by treating people equally, without discrimination, by being professional and courteous and by meeting attendance requirements.
• You agree to conduct yourself and ethically and with integrity during the job search process and in the workplace.

Discretion and Confidentiality

• You agree not to reveal the names or identifying information of co-op employers, employees or their business, clients, customers and suppliers in discussion or in writing with anyone other than Laurier's co-op staff members without specific permission from the employer.
• You will not disclose any confidential or sensitive information about co-op employers to anyone.

Conflict of Interest

• You will not use your position, or knowledge gained through employment, for private or personal advantage.
• You will inform your employer immediately about any situation where there is a conflict of interest or a potential conflict of interest.

• Once you have withdrawn from co-op at Laurier, you are not eligible to enroll again in co-op at Laurier.

Waiver of Intellectual Property Rights

• You waive and release all right, title, interest and ownership to all intellectual property rights and moral rights that you may have in any materials you created in whole or in part through your participation in a co-op job.

Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risk

• You understand that despite its efforts, the University may not be able to ensure your safety at all times and from any and all risks and dangers.
• You agree to take all reasonable protections to ensure your personal welfare.
• You acknowledge that the University does not carry any insurance for your benefit and this it your sole responsibility to acquire insurance.
  You agree to be accountable for your own actions and will not ask the University or its employees to accept the consequences thereof.
• You acknowledge that that University discourages participants from working alone while completing fieldwork or remote activities and that you are responsible for letting others know your location at all times while participating in such activities, and that you understand you have the right to refuse assignments that you consider unsafe.

Overall Conditions

• You will abide by rules, regulations and policies set by the Co-op Office and your employers.
• You will abide by ethical and legal guidelines, including but not limited to those concerning use of computers.
• You will abide by university policies, including the academic and non-academic codes of conduct.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to restrict your participation in co-op if you contravene co-op requirements or university policies.
• The Co-op Office will review your status if you fail to comply with any of the conditions in this offer and the maximum penalty for failing to comply is your removal from co-op.

• If the Government of Ontario again declares a province-wide state of emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to reduce the spread of a virus such as COVID-19, you will be required to follow all applicable legislation and Public Health measures and guidelines for your work term.
• It is your responsibility to ensure you learn and follow all health, safety and other rules, directions, policies and procedures implemented by the University or your co-op employer.
• Any behaviour on your part that places others at risk could result in immediate termination of your co-op work term and your removal from co-op.
• While the University is committed to protecting your health and safety, neither the University nor your co-op employer can protect you against all risks or guarantee that any individual attending the University’s facilities, or participating in activities organized by the University, whether on-campus or off-campus, will not become infected with a virus such as COVID-19. Further, attending the University or the work term to participate in co-op opportunities could increase the risk of contracting a virus such as COVID-19. 

If you do not understand all the terms of participation, please ask a co-op consultant to clarify before accepting admission to co-op online through Navigator.

The co-op website contains the most current, official version of this admission agreement.

Accepting Admission

Declining Admission

You must be eligible to work in Canada.

If you are at Laurier on a study permit, you are responsible for obtaining a co-op work permit and for ensuring that your visa documents, including passport and entry, study and work permits, remain valid for the duration of your co-op program.

Note: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada takes at least four months to process applications for work permits. Please apply, or re-apply, for a work permit, as early as possible.

Co-op Job Posting Eligibility

To be eligible to apply to co-op job postings, you must:

• Provide the Co-op Office with documents showing that you have a valid work and study permit or clearance. (If you do not have a valid work permit, please provide evidence that you submitted your application for a permit at least four months before the start of the work term.)
• Notify the Co-op Office of your location, if you reside outside of Canada during the term before your work term.
• Notify prospective employers whether you have received a work permit.

If you reside outside Canada in the study term before your work term, there is no guarantee that you will be allowed into the country before first work term. For this reason, please identify where you are located when applying to co-op job postings and during interviews:

• Include your current address in cover letters and mention you are abroad during interviews. (Some employers can hire only students who reside in Canada, so cannot let you work remotely if you are not allowed to enter Canada.) 
• If your employer wants you to work on site, but you are unable to relocate to Canada, we will check whether you informed the employer of your location during the recruiting process and, if you did not, we reserve the right to remove you from co-op.

Taking a term off can have a negative impact on the status of your Canadian study and work permit.

• Before deciding to defer a work term or take any term off, please consult with both Laurier International and the Associate Director of External Relations.
• If you are not employed by the time your work term is scheduled to begin, please consult with both Laurier International and the Associate Director of External Relations.

Work Permit Requirements

You are required to do the following:

• Review the process for obtaining a co-op work permit on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website.
• Complete any forms required to request the work permit within two weeks of your admission to co-op (and at least four months before your work term.) If you have not applied for your work permit within this timeframe, you must submit a petition to the Director of Co-operative Education asking for permission to participate in recruiting.
• Submit proof of your application to the Co-op Office.
• Pay any costs that may be associated with requesting or obtaining the work permit.
• Accept the terms of the work permit.

Work Term Requirements

• You must possess a valid work permit to begin your work term.
• You may not begin working (or even volunteering) for your co-op employer until you have your work permit.
• If your lack of a work term permit delays the start of your work term, your employer has the right to rescind your offer of employment.
• You must return to Canada before your work term is scheduled to begin. (If your employer has agreed to let you work abroad due to extenuating circumstances, please consult with your co-op consultant.)

Working While Abroad

While you reside in your home country you may ask the Co-op Office for permission to work for an employer in your home country. 

Restricted Industries

Your country may restrict admittance to citizens who have worked in certain industries related to cannabis or liquor or other substances. It is your responsibility to check into the restrictions in your country and to seek legal advice if applicable.

Meeting Academic Requirements

• You must meet all academic requirements of your honours program(s) as specified in Laurier’s undergraduate calendar.
• You must meet all requirements of the Co-op Office, as outlined in this document.
• You must continue to be enrolled full-time in your honours program(s) to remain in co-op. If you are enrolled in fewer than four courses in a term, you must notify the Co-op Office immediately, and you may be removed from co-op.
• You must resume your full-time academic studies directly after each work term, including after your final work term, in accordance with your program's sequence of work and study terms.
• You must complete the number of work terms required for your program and meet all the requirements of co-op and of your program before graduating to receive the co-op designation on your degree; Faculty of Arts students admitted to co-op in 2024 or later complete three four-month work terms.

Changing Programs

• The only entry point for co-op is at the beginning of the fall term in year 2.
• Before changing programs or majors, please ask your co-op consultant whether you will be eligible to continue participating in co-op.
• You will not be eligible to continue participating in co-op if you change to an Arts major other than than French, Languages, Sociology, Communication Studies, Global Studies, or Political Science.

Removal from Co-op

• You will be removed from co-op immediately if course failures prevent you from being able to meet the progression requirements specified in the undergraduate calendar(s) for your program(s), even if you have completed all of your work terms.
  • Exception: If you have accepted an approved work term position before failing courses, the Co-op Office expects you to honour your commitment to the employer. Your status, however, will be under review until your academic department has determined whether you may continue.
• If the university finds you guilty of academic misconduct, the Co-op Office will remove you from co-op and you will not be eligible for any refund of the co-op fee.
• Your employer may choose to release you if the Co-op Office removes you from co-op because of your grades or academic misconduct.

Field Placements

• You may not count course requirements such as field placements, archaeological digs and participation hours as co-op work terms, just as you may not count work terms as course requirements. (There may be exceptions granted by the Co-op Office and the department.)

Leave of Absence

• If you wish to take a leave of absence, you must seek approval from both the Co-op Office and your academic department. We normally approve leaves of one full year for co-op students. This allows you to return at the same point in your sequence of academic and work terms. On your return to campus after your LOA, you must honour any commitments you had made to an employer.

Record of Marks

• You must allow the Co-op Office to review your academic record, monitor your academic performance and obtain a record of your courses for employers.
• You must authorize the Co-op Office to disclose any information related to your marks to employers.
• You will not amend any of the grades listed in your record of marks.
• You will not misrepresent yourself by submitting an inaccurate record of marks.
• The Co-op Office will report any infractions to the dean(s) of your department(s.)
• Enrolment Services uploads marks to the Navigator database through LORIS.
• Employers will have access to your marks as they appear on LORIS.
• Only Enrolment Services can make changes to your grades; changes made on LORIS will appear on Navigator.

Exception for Transfer Students

• If you are a transfer student, you must scan a copy of your marks from your previous institution.
• You must include this version of your record of marks with your résumé when applying to co-op job postings

Exchanges

• Participating in co-op may limit your ability to participate in international academic exchanges.
• You may not vary the duration and timing of your work terms to accommodate international academic exchanges where the dates of terms differ from those at Laurier.
• You will maintain communication with the Co-op Office while abroad and be available for interviews by telephone or video calling when selected by employers.
• You must ensure you have access to Navigator and MyLearningSpace while abroad.
• You understand that this may involve personal expenses.
• All co-op regulations, including those regarding ranking and matching, still apply.

 Scholarships and OSAP

• Please visit the Student Awards website to check whether your scholarship requires a minimum course load per academic year and, if so, to learn whether your co-op work terms will have an impact on your eligibility for the scholarship.
• Information on OSAP eligibility and processes for co-op students is available through the Financial Aid Office. You are responsible for ensuring that you have submitted all information required to complete your OSAP submission and to maintain interest-free status on OSAP loans.

Courses During Work Terms

• You may not register for more than two half-credit courses, or more than 1.0 credit in total, for any term scheduled as a work term for you.
• If you enrol in more than two half-credit courses you will be required to de-register and will be charged a late fee.
• You may enrol in electives only; you may not enrol in required courses during a work term.
• Taking courses must not limit your participation in co-op by restricting the geographic location of your job search or your availability during business hours.

Participation

• You will consult MyLearningSpace and Navigator regularly for instructions on participating in co-op.
• You must participate in COOP-000 Fundamentals of Co-operative Education and you must meet the deadlines for completing the assignments for all modules.
• You must participate in the job posting and interview process, work term visits and back-to-campus meetings.

Academic Credit

• Enrolment Services will enrol you automatically in COOP-000 Fundamentals of Co-operative Education, and that you must complete this half-credit course before your first work term.
• Each time you begin a work term, Enrolment Services will automatically enroll you in a half-credit work term course, starting with COOP-001: Co-operative Education Work Term 1.
• You may not resign from a work term unless you have received approval from the Co-op Office; if you leave a work term without approval, you will receive a grade of “F” on the work term course.
• If you fail the Fundamentals of Co-operative Education course or any work term course you may be removed from co-op.
• If you do not complete the modules of the Fundamentals of Co-operative Education up until and including the Rank & Match module before the Primary Round, you may have your access to Recruitment paused and your status in co-op may go under review.
• You must complete  three work term courses.
• Co-op credits will not take the place of any other courses and are in addition to the course total required for your academic program.
• You must continue to be enrolled full-time in your honours program to remain in co-op. If you are enrolled in fewer than four courses in a term, you must notify the Co-op Office immediately, and you may be removed from co-op.
• While you will be required to pay co-op fees, there is no separate tuition fee for the co-op courses.
• Credits are awarded on a pass or fail basis and the marks are therefore not included in your GPA or your total credit count.
• You must obtain at least four half-credits by passing the Fundamentals course and three work term courses to obtain the co-op designation on your degree.
• To pass each work term course, you must receive a rating of at least satisfactory on the work term report and performance evaluation.
• Co-op credits will not count toward the GPA or credit count requirements of any scholarship or funding program.
• You may appeal assessments of your grades for co-op credit; all decisions made through the co-op petitions process are final.

Communication

• You agree to check Navigator regularly for notices, appointments, job postings and interview schedules.
• You will use only your Laurier email account when communicating with the Co-op Office, check this account regularly and list your Laurier email address on your résumé.

Release of Identity and Personal Information

• You authorize Laurier to use photographs of you and information about your work terms when promoting co-op or the university.
• You authorize the Co-op Office to post your name or student identification number on bulletin boards and Navigator when notifying you about interviews, appointments and other matters.
• You allow the Co-op Office to release information about your academic program, record of marks, application documents, availability for employment, and employment performance to employers.

Approved Positions

• You must obtain a work term position approved by the Co-op Office to continue in co-op.
• The Co-op Office will approve only paid positions offering full-time hours.

Participating in the Co-op Recruiting Process

• You must be attending classes full-time on the Waterloo campus to participate in the job posting and interviewing process during the academic term preceding your next work term.  (Exceptions: You may attend classes remotely during an approved international academic term, and when the university offers courses primarily online due to a significant public health threat such as the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Independent Job Search

• The Co-op Office recommends that you conduct an independent job search in addition to applying to co-op job postings.
• The Co-op Office will not, however, include in the ranking and matching process any jobs you find independently.
• You will inform your co-op consultant about your progress during the job posting process.
• When you receive a job offer you wish to accept, you will provide a job description and contact information.
• You will state in your message that you wish to accept the position, and that you understand that you are committed to honouring your commitment to work for the employer during your next work term, once a consultant has approved the position.
• You will honour the dates set by the Co-op Office, usually coinciding with the primary recruiting period, during which you may not accept jobs that are not part of the match.
• You will not accept a position before a co-op consultant has approved the job.
• Once you have accepted a job offer, it is a binding agreement and the Co-op Office will consider you as employed for the work term.
• The Co-op Office may indicate to any employer that you are no longer available for a position.
• You will not attend any interviews after accepting a co-op job offer.
• The co-op recruiting process takes precedence over your personal job search.
• During the primary recruiting period, the Co-op Office will set a date by which you must have submitted by intention to participate in recruiting, return to a previous employer, or accept a job offer through your personal job search.
• If the Co-op Office approves your job before the intention deadline, you will accept the offer and stop participating in the recruiting process.
• If you receive a job offer through your personal job search after the intention deadline, you may not accept it until we have announced the results of the ranking and matching process, unless you did not apply to a single job posting.

Applications

• You will not provide false or misleading information in your application documents.

Job Postings

• The Co-op Office will obtain and post positions and help you conduct a job search.
• When you apply to job postings through the co-op office, employers are provided with the application documents that you have uploaded.
• The co-op office shares with employers your record of marks, work term evaluations, and information about your availability for co-op employment.
• There is no guarantee that you will obtain an approvable position or that positions will meet your expectations.
• You must apply actively to co-op job postings each work term until you have secured employment.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to establish a minimum number of co-op job postings to which you must apply and a maximum number of postings to which you may apply.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to limit the types or locations of job postings to which you may apply, if you have declined to rank or interview for similar positions or locations.
• If you fail to secure employment, you will be ineligible to continue in co-op.

Employers

• You must obtain permission from your co-op consultant before contacting any employer who appears in the co-op database.
• You will not provide anyone with access to Navigator or to co-op employers or to co-op job postings.
• You will not refer anyone directly to participating co-op employers for any type of positions that might have an impact on opportunities for co-op students.

Interviews

• You must remain available for interviews throughout each term, including during the fall Reading Week before your winter work term.
• You will attend all interviews for which you are scheduled.
• You must send your co-op consultant details of any interviews that employers arrange with you directly for jobs that were posted on Navigator during the primary recruiting period.
• If you fail to notify the Co-op Office of an interview for a job that was posted on Navigator the employer will not be able to rank you. (The Co-op Office prefers to schedule interviews on behalf of employers during the primary interview period, but makes some exceptions.)
• Interviews for jobs that were posted on Navigator take precedence over interviews through your independent job search; you may be required to reschedule any independent interviews that conflict with interviews for posted jobs during the on-campus interview period.
• You will provide employers with factual and accurate information during interviews.

Screening Requirements

• Some employers make their job offers conditional upon reference checks, drug tests, security clearance, or a vulnerable sector police check.
• You are responsible for following the employer's instructions regarding screening requirements in a timely manner and for any associated costs.
• A security clearance may reveal that you were charged with an offence, even if the charges were dropped, or that a peace bond was issued against you even if it expired.

Health Requirements

• Some employers will require you to have an immunization or TB test or to obtain personal protective equipment.
• You are responsible for following the employer's instructions in a timely manner and for any associated costs.

Rank/Match Process (Employer Ranking Process)

• You agree not to communicate with any employer between an interview and the time the Co-op Office has released results of the match to students.
• You agree to notify your co-op consultant if an employer contacts you after the interview by any means of communication, including e-mail, text, and auto-generated message.
• You will submit your completed employer rankings through Navigator by the deadline. If you fail to do so we will remove you from the match and we will review your co-op status. 
• If you are matched with a job through the employer ranking process, the Co-op Office considers you employed.

Job Offers

• You may accept only one job offer for a work term.
• Once you accept an offer, whether verbally, in writing, or by ranking an employer, you are committed working for the employer. 
• By accepting a job offer, you are entering a binding agreement and acknowledging that you understand and accept the terms of the offer. (A subsequent written document from the employer may fine-tune the details, but does not create the contract.)
• Once you accept an offer, the Co-op Office may inform employers that you are no longer available for the work term.

Intentions

• You agree to let the Co-op Office know whether you intend to return to your previous employer or participate in the recruiting process for the next work term by the deadline we set.

Honouring Commitment

• You may accept only one job offer for a work term.
• When you accept a job offer, you have entered a binding agreement, and the co-op office will consider you as having confirmed co-op employment for the work term. 
• You will honour your commitment to the employer upon accepting any approved position, whether you applied through Navigator or independently.
• You are bound to honour your commitment to an employer whether you accepted an offer verbally, in writing, or through the employer ranking process.
• You may not resign from a co-op position until you have reviewed your situation with a co-op consultant and petitioned for permission.
• Resigning may require you to withdraw from co-op.

Salary

• The Co-op Office approves only those positions that pay at least the minimum wage.
• The Co-op Office cannot guarantee the accuracy of salary data it receives from employers.
• Employers may base salary on factors such as the type of position, their organization's policies, and the number of academic or work terms the student completed.
• Salary is set by the employer; you may not negotiate your own terms after accepting a position.

For Students with a Disability

• Please inform your employers of any accommodations you need.

Length and Hours of Work Term

• The Co-op Office requires you to work full-time for your co-op employer throughout the entire work term.
• You will start and end your work term on the dates specified in the Laurier undergraduate calendar as the beginning and end of term, unless your employer requested alternative dates in the offer.
• You must obtain approval from the Co-op Office before attempting to vary these dates.
• You may have to delay graduation to meet your work term requirements if the Co-op Office gives you approval to leave a work term early due to extenuating circumstances such as a death in your immediate family or a serious health issue.

Vacation

• You will not ask employers for vacations during work terms.
• Many employers include vacation pay as part of their compensation so it may be included in wages you are offered.

Housing

• You are responsible for obtaining housing if you need to relocate for a co-op position.

Work Term Reports

• You must meet the deadline for submitting your work term report, and you must achieve a rating of at least “satisfactory” each term to be eligible for course credit. (You will find instructions on MyLearningSpace.)
• If your report has been rated “unsatisfactory,” you must submit a revised report.

Performance Evaluation Forms

• Employers will provide information about your performance to the Co-op Office.
• You authorize the Co-op Office to release information from your performance evaluations, including overall ratings of your performance, to prospective employers at their request.

Performance

• You must obtain an overall rating of at least "satisfactory" on each performance evaluation to remain in co-op and to qualify for course credit.
• The Co-op Office will review your status if you quit, or if your employer dismisses you, or if you receive an overall rating that is less than “satisfactory,” and that you may be withdrawn from co-op as a result. (If the Co-op Office allows you to continue in co-op, and this requires you to complete another work term, you will be responsible for paying an additional co-op fee.)
• The Co-op Office may withdraw you from co-op even if you completed the minimum number of weeks required for a work term before your employer dismissed you.

Liability

• It is ultimately your responsibility to obtain work term positions.
• The university will not be held liable if you do not obtain an approvable position.
• The university will not be held liable for any agreements established or breached with your employer, including salary, benefits or a job offer.
• The university will not be held liable for any expense, personal injury, or loss or damage of personal property arising while seeking employment or during a work term.

Conditions

• Once you have accepted an approved position, all conditions apply whether you obtained the position through your own efforts or through a referral from the Co-op Office.

Varying or Deferring Work Terms

• Students admitted to Faculty of Arts Co-op beginning in fall 2024 complete three work terms.
• If you are in Faculty of Arts Co-op, you will begin your first work term in September, after completing 3A in spring; begin your second work term in May, and begin your third work term in January, before completing 4B in spring.
•  If you are in Faculty of Arts Co-op, you may not vary your sequence of work and study terms.

• Once you have confirmed your admission to co-op, you are registered in co-op and are responsible for co-op fees.
• You will pay the co-op fee for each academic term, according to the fee schedule on the co-op website and MyLearningSpace.
• You agree to pay the first term fee at Service Laurier by the deadline on your bill.
• You will pay an additional co-op fee if the Co-op Office allows you to pursue an additional work term to make up for a term the Co-op Office permitted you to leave due to extenuating circumstances.
• Service Laurier will bill you for interest charges if you fail to meet these deadlines.
• The co-op fee is not an employment fee, and you must pay it regardless of whether you obtain an approved position.
• You must submit a co-op withdrawal form to avoid additional charges. (You are financially indebted to the university according to the fee schedule and until you have cancelled your registration in writing.)
• The refund schedule applies even if you have not made a payment and/or the payment deadline has not passed.
• Failure to attend the co-op fundamentals course or to apply for co-op jobs is insufficient grounds for a fee appeal.
• If you are temporarily suspended or removed from co-op for contravening academic or non-academic policies or co-op regulations, the university will not refund any portion of your co-op fee.
• If you choose to withdraw or are removed from co-op for reasons other than contravening academic or non-academic policies or co-op regulations, Service Laurier will refund the fee on a pro-rated basis as outlined on the co-op website.

Code of Conduct

• You will abide by the Co-op Student Code of Conduct found on MyLearningSpace and by the student academic and non-academic codes of conduct.
• You will comply with all required health and safety standards, any intellectual property policy, standards of workplace behaviour, including but not limited to harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct, and abuse.
• You will conduct yourself appropriately by treating people equally, without discrimination, by being professional and courteous and by meeting attendance requirements.
• You agree to conduct yourself and ethically and with integrity during the job search process and in the workplace.

Discretion and Confidentiality

• You agree not to reveal the names or identifying information of co-op employers, employees or their business, clients, customers and suppliers in discussion or in writing with anyone other than Laurier's co-op staff members without specific permission from the employer.
• You will not disclose any confidential or sensitive information about co-op employers to anyone.

Conflict of Interest

• You will not use your position, or knowledge gained through employment, for private or personal advantage.
• You will inform your employer immediately about any situation where there is a conflict of interest or a potential conflict of interest.

Withdrawing from Co-op

• Once you have withdrawn from co-op at Laurier, you are not eligible to enroll again in co-op at Laurier.

Waiver of Intellectual Property Rights

•  You waive and release all right, title, interest and ownership to all intellectual property rights and moral rights that you may have in any materials you created in whole or in part through your participation in a co-op job.

Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risk

• You understand that despite its efforts, the University may not be able to ensure your safety at all times and from any and all risks and dangers.
• You agree to take all reasonable protections to ensure your personal welfare.
• You acknowledge that the University does not carry any insurance for your benefit and this it your sole responsibility to acquire insurance.
• You agree to be accountable for your own actions and will not ask the University or its employees to accept the consequences.
• You acknowledge that that University discourages participants from working alone while completing fieldwork or remote activities and that you are responsible for letting others know your location at all times while participating in such activities, and that you understand you have the right to refuse assignments that you consider unsafe.

Overall Conditions

• You will abide by rules, regulations and policies set by the Co-op Office and your employers.
• You will abide by ethical and legal guidelines, including but not limited to those concerning use of computers.
• You will abide by university policies, including the academic and non-academic codes of conduct.
• The Co-op Office reserves the right to restrict your participation in co-op if you contravene co-op requirements or university policies.
• The Co-op Office will review your status if you fail to comply with any of the conditions in your offer and the maximum penalty for failing to comply is your removal from co-op.

• If the Government of Ontario again declares a province-wide state of emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to reduce the spread of a virus such as COVID-19, you will be required to follow all applicable legislation and Public Health measures and guidelines for your work term.
• It is your responsibility to ensure you learn and follow all health, safety and other rules, directions, policies and procedures implemented by the University or your co-op employer.
• Any behaviour on your part that places others at risk could result in immediate termination of your co-op work term and your removal from co-op.
• While the University is committed to protecting your health and safety, neither the University nor your co-op employer can protect you against all risks or guarantee that any individual attending the University’s facilities, or participating in activities organized by the University, whether on-campus or off-campus, will not become infected with a virus such as COVID-19. Further, attending the University or the work term to participate in co-op opportunities could increase the risk of contracting a virus such as COVID-19. 

If you do not understand all the terms of participation, please ask a co-op consultant to clarify before accepting admission to co-op online through Navigator.