INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS
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Assessments are conducted every Friday and test students’ Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing skills. Remember: Students are expected to spend a minimum of 10 weeks at each General English level and EAP courses
When you start your English studies at IESC, you complete a Placement Test and do an interview with the Director of Studies. We then put you in a class to match your English language level, e.g. Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, etc.
You must complete 10 weeks of study at each level:
Students can ‘move up class’ if:
A student cannot ‘move up class’ if they do not meet these requirements.
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Students are not expected to use any other language in class other than English unless permitted to do so by their teacher. Please remember that everyone in the class has paid to study and practise English. Teachers will expect you to participate co-operatively and thoughtfully in order to improve. Use your class as an opportunity to practise your English skills all the time
Your phone must be switched off while you attend lessons. At times your teacher will allow students to use their phone as a reference device e.g. to look up meanings and information. If you are expecting a call for employment, family illness or any other call which is considered critically important, you should inform the teacher before class and take the call outside the classroom and return promptly.
Students are not permitted to receive mobile calls during class. A warning letter will be issued if this rule is ignored. The teacher will mark students absent for long phone calls.
On your first day of class at IESC, you will be allocated a class suited to your English level and based on the results of your placement test and oral interview.
International students typically hold a subclass 500 Student Visa which entitles them to study for the duration of their course(s).
When you commence your studies IESC notifies the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) automatically via PRISMS.
You can then study and work in Australia throughout the duration of your course. You are entitled to work 40 hours per fortnight (2 weeks) during your studies, and full-time during your school breaks.
Under no circumstances must any international student undertake work unless they have applied to DHA to have visa condition 8101 (no work condition) removed from their visa.
A focus on study is important but we recognise that you may want or need to work part-time. If you choose to work remember that working arrangements need to be fitted in and around your study commitments.
Your study should always come first.
The College is located in the Central Business District of Sydney with quick access to trains and buses. The College has modern classrooms, a well-equipped computer laboratory with wi-fi access and an attractive kitchen/dining area.
The College also has library resources that can be accessed by students. Please enquire at Student Services Reception if you would like to borrow any books. The College should re-locate to new premises students will be advised at least 20 working days before re-location.
The College has documented attendance policies and procedures to ensure that students are aware of their attendance requirements as follows:
Teachers record student attendance at each scheduled class. The daily attendance record is passed to the Student Services Officer who monitors attendance. Teachers must report to the Student Services Officer the details of any student who has missed 5 consecutive days.
Students whose attendance falls below 90% or who are absent for 5 consecutive days may be required to attend counselling to determine the reason for their extended absence.
One of the conditions of your student visa is that you show good academic performance.
Compassionate or compelling circumstances are generally those beyond your control and they have an impact on your capacity and/or your ability to progress through a course. These could include:
The above examples are provided by the Department of Education as to what may be considered as compassionate or compelling circumstances.
Please refer to complaints and appeals policy.
Procedures
You are required to advise the College of your residential address and telephone number and of any subsequent changes to your residential address and telephone number whilst enrolled in a course within 7 days of the change. It is your responsibility and in your own interests to ensure that you always update your address details at the College to ensure you receive important information that the College may send to you from time to time.
On commencement and at least every six months whilst you are enrolled at the College you will be asked to review and update your contact information with the College.
Students may initiate a request to defer commencement of studies or suspend their studies. Students wishing to defer the commencement of studies or suspend their studies must apply to do so in writing to the College using the student deferral, suspension or cancellation application.
When the College receives an application to defer or suspend enrolment, it informs the student that deferment, suspension or cancellation of enrolment may affect his or her student visa.
IESC may grant deferral of commencement of studies or suspension of studies for students who request such a change to their enrolment status on the grounds of compassionate or compelling circumstances.
Judgement has to be exercised in determining what the compassionate or compelling grounds are and documentation of the details and evidence must be retained in the student’s file. As a guide, some examples of compelling or compassionate grounds are:
Cancellation of enrolment will trigger the refund arrangements in the agreement between the College and the student. Students who cancel their enrolment and think a refund is due must apply for a refund. Refund applications must be made in writing to the College Student Services & Administration Manager. The refund application form, available from the College, may be used as the written application. Written applications for refunds will also be accepted by mail or by email. Refunds will be made within 28 days of receipt of a written application. Please refer to the Refund Policy for the refund arrangement.
The College may decide to suspend or cancel a student’s enrolment on its own initiative as a response to breaching the student code of behaviour through misbehaviour, a poor academic record or poor attendance by the student. Should the College initiate the suspension or cancellation of a student’s enrolment, it must notify the student of its intention and allow the student 20 working days to access the College’s internal complaints and appeals process, unless extenuating circumstances relating to the welfare of the student apply. If the student appeals the decision to defer, suspend or cancel his or her studies, the College must not notify Department of Home Affairs of a change to the enrolment status until the internal complaints and appeals process is completed.
The College informs the Department of Education via Provider Registration and International Student Management System (PRISMS) when a student’s enrolment is deferred, suspended or cancelled.
The College may also decide to defer the commencement of a course. If the College defers the commencement of a course the provider default conditions in the agreement between the College and the student will be triggered and the College will be obliged to repay any unspent prepaid fees received by the College in respect of the student within 14 days of the date of deferral unless alternative arrangements can be made which are acceptable to students.
Students can access personal information held by the College and may request corrections to information that is incorrect or out of date. Apply to the Student Services & Administration Manager using the Student Records Request form if you wish to view your own records. Once the request has been approved the Student Services & Administration Manager will arrange a time for you to view your own records. You must view your records at the College and you cannot take records away from the College.
All students are required to attend Orientation Day, the first day of your enrolment. This is usually on a Monday. Students must arrive by 8:30am on the Monday of their first week of study. Students join their classes following Orientation. It is important that you attend the orientation program otherwise you may miss out on information that affects your study.
The purpose of the orientation session is to fully inform new students of most aspects of life at the College and to provide an introduction to studying at the College.
Below is an outline of what happens during Orientation of new students:
The Principal Executive Officer, Director of Studies and Student Services & Administration Manager can be contacted as indicated below to provide further assistance and support during your study at IESC:
Address | Level 2, 56 – 58 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000 | ||
Phone | 61 2 8068 4336 | ||
admin@iesc.nsw.edu.au | Web | www.iesc.nsw.edu.au |
The fees applicable to each course and category of student and fee payment schedules are detailed in the applicable Student Written Agreement. Contact the College to obtain details.
List of all applicable and possible fees under the Student Written Agreement
1 | Tuition fee and Material fee paid prior to the course commencement date will only be refunded as detailed below. Refund applications must be made in writing to the College. The student refund application form, available from the College, must be used as the written application. The College will accept requests by mail or email to have the student refund application form sent to them. Refunds will be made within 28 days of receipt of a written application and include a statement explaining how the refund was calculated. | ||
2 | An overseas student or intending overseas student “defaults”, in relation to a course at a location, if:
a) the course starts at the location on the agreed starting day, but the student does not start the course on that day (and has not previously withdrawn); or |
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3 | Refund Amounts for Student Default | ||
a) | Visa rejected (Offshore or onshore student before commencement of the course) Visa rejected (Onshore student after commencement of the course) |
Refund of tuition fee less $250 Admin. Processing fee. 100% refund of material fee |
Charged according to the study period and No refund of Material fee.
bWWithdrawal notified in writing and received by the College 28 days or more prior to the course commencement date70% refund of Tuition Fees.100% refund of material fee. c)Withdrawal notified in writing and received by the College less than 28 days prior to the course commencement date and before the course
commencement date50% refund of Tuition Fee.100% refund of material fee. d)Withdrawals notified in writing and received by the College on the course commencement date or after the course commencement dateNo refund of Tuition Fees. e)Student breach of visa conditions, non-payment of fees, suspension or cancellation of enrolment by the InstituteNo refund of Tuition Fees. f)Student default except if written notice is given as indicated in items a), b) and c) aboveNo refund of Tuition Fees.4In the case of Provider Default and Student Visa Cancellation students will receive refunds in accordance with the Australian Government Education Services for Overseas Students (Calculation of Refund) Specification 2014. Copies of the calculation method are located on the College website and can be requested from Reception at IESC The refund will be paid to you within 14 days of the day on which IESC defaults on the commencement or delivery of the course.
If IESC is unable to provide a refund or place you in an alternative course the Tuition Protection Service will be responsible for providing refunds or providing assistance to locate an alternative. However, students are primarily responsible for finding another college which will accept them into an alternative course.5Prior to a student enrolling fees may be altered without notice. Once a student has completed enrolment, fees will not be subject to change for the normal duration of the course. If a course length is extended by the student then any fee increases will be required to be paid for the extended component of the course
Students who do not make instalment payments by the due date will be excluded from attendance and have their enrolment suspended for the lesser of one week or until the missed instalment payment is made. If the missed instalment payment has not been made at the end of the one week suspension the student will have their enrolment cancelled.
Prior to a student enrolling fees may be altered without notice. Once a student has completed enrolment, fees will not be subject to change for the normal duration of the course. If a course length is extended by the student then any fee increases will be required to be paid for the extended component of the course.
The Tuition Protection Service (TPS) is an initiative of the Australian Government to assist international students whose education providers are unable to fully deliver their course of study. The TPS ensures that international students are able to either:
The Tuition Protection Service website is https://tps.gov.au/
Students must notify the College of changes of address, telephone number, email address and fax number within 7 days of the change. This is required so that students can be contacted and receive important information which may affect their course or their enrolment.
On commencement and at least every six months whilst you are enrolled at the College you will be asked to review and update your contact information with the College.