The in-class and virtual instruction options for CIP courses are offered through local institutes and chapters of the Insurance Institute. Courses include approximately 36 hours of instruction. During the term students should expect to complete assignments, quizzes, and a proctored mid-term examination. Students must also write the National Exam at the end of the semester.

A specific schedule is established offering varying courses each semester. Due to the availability of instructors, and the number of interested students, not all courses will be offered every semester, however distance learning is available for courses not offered locally.

The policies listed below apply to all CIP courses offered by a local chapter of the Insurance Institute of Ontario. If you have any questions regarding current course offerings, or the policies listed below, please contact your local chapter office.

Students who register early are ensured a spot in the course of their choice. To give students every chance of being successful in their CIP classes, the Institute limits class sizes and allows registration up to the deadlines listed below. These deadlines are subject to space availability.

From time to time, students who have already registered in a course may discover the course is also being offered at a time or location that better suits their schedule. Students wishing to transfer to an alternate class (same course) may do so with no penalty before the deadlines. Transfers from in-class or virtual to distance learning is not permitted.

Class withdrawals are accepted before the deadlines listed below. Students who withdraw from a course will receive a refund for tuition and exam fees, minus any paid membership and the current administration fee of $55.00 plus HST ($62.15).

Current edition textbooks may be returned for refund ONLY if they are returned in perfect and unmarked condition. All textbook shipping fees are the responsibility of the student.

Despite our best efforts, there are occasions when course registration does not warrant running a class. The Insurance Institute reserves the right to withdraw, limit, cancel, adjust or relocate any class due to insufficient enrollment. When it is necessary to cancel or change a class, we will make every effort to contact registrants. It is important that the student provides us with up-to-date contact information at time of registration.

If you register for a course that is subsequently cancelled, you may transfer to another course (space permitting) or choose to receive a full refund for course fees paid (memberships are non-refundable; textbook fees can be refunded if the book has not been received by the student at time of cancellation, or is returned to the institute in perfect saleable condition).

Notice to Employers: Please contact your local chapter manager to determine if you have enough people to warrant a course running.

Students who wish to withdraw from or transfer classes (same course) will be subject to a shipping fee if the textbook has been sent to them. The current shipping fee is $18.00 plus HST ($20.03).

All students in the Insurance Institute’s CIP courses are expected to abide by the provisions in this section.

CONFIDENTIALITY

In your courses, you will be in regular contact with other insurance professionals. From time to time, some students may use real-world examples in their course work and online discussions that could include details of the day-to-day operations of their employers. All such information must be kept strictly confidential. At the same time, you should respect the confidentiality of your own organization’s information and refrain from sharing anything you are not authorized to reveal.

COPYRIGHT

Except where otherwise indicated, CIP course materials are copyright of The Insurance Institute of Canada. You may not disclose, reproduce, publish or transmit any part of the online or hard-copy course materials, in any form, by any means or for any purpose, without the express written permission of The Insurance Institute of Canada. Any violation of the above may result in disciplinary and/or legal action by the Insurance Institute.

You are also expected to similarly respect the copyright of other authors and publishers whose writing you read (whether in print or online) during your course.

PLAGIARISM

All students taking the Insurance Institute of Ontario’s courses, midterms and examinations are expected to abide by the provisions in this section and are required to abide by the rules, regulations and policies applying to Institute exams.

Reproducing content from the textbook, or from any other source without crediting that source is considered plagiarism and is a violation of the program's academic integrity. Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s work, in whole or in part, as one’s own. It includes the verbal or written submission of another work. Students are expected to provide content written in their own words on assignments, midterms and exams.

For midterm examinations, reproducing content from the textbook, or any other source, is strictly prohibited. Students found to be in breach of this policy will be subject to academic penalty such as a grade penalty, course failure, withdrawal of academic privileges, suspension, or legal action taken against the student, if warranted.

ONLINE DISCUSSIONS

In many Insurance Institute courses, students are encouraged to discuss course content in online discussion boards. You are expected to adhere to the following guidelines when posting in the course discussion forums:

• You are expected to respect the principles of confidentiality and copyright and to avoid plagiarism in your postings.
• You are expected to treat other participants with courtesy and respect at all times.
• Posts that respectfully praise or criticize an idea are acceptable if they add to the discussion at hand.
• Personal attacks and inflammatory behaviour are not tolerated. • Use of foul language and/or obscene images is not tolerated.
• The Insurance Institute course websites are to be used for academic purposes only.
• Public forum posts should be reserved for matters of interest to the general course community. Private discussions should be taken off-line.
• Threads or posts perceived to have been made with the intent of promoting a commercial endeavour will be deleted.
• Posting the same message repeatedly or posting an unsolicited commercial message, either to one or multiple topics or boards, is considered spam. Duplicate messages may be deleted or consolidated by Institute representatives, and posting privileges may be revoked.
• Responses to a particular thread should pertain to the discussion at hand. Posts on a new topic should be started in a new thread.
• Any messages posted in a discussion forum will remain available to other class participants for as long as that particular discussion board is accessible online. Please post carefully and with due consideration to the content of the post.

VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES

Suspected violations of any of the above principles of academic integrity and student conduct should be brought to the attention of The Insurance Institute of Canada.

Suspected violations will be examined on a case-by-case basis. Anyone found to have violated one or more provisions will be subject to disciplinary action, which may include a grade penalty, course failure, academic suspension, or other disciplinary action.