Robertson Micro-Course Student Guide

ROBERTSON MICRO COURSE STUDENT GUIDE _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Contents *Robertson College reserves the right to change the information outlined in this guide at any time.

Robertson: We are the School of New Work Welcome to Robertson

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Land Acknowledgement

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Robertson’s Micro-course Approach

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Regulatory Information

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Robertson Campuses

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Student Resources

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Online Micro-course Learning at Robertson

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Responsibility for Learning

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Your Micro-course and Course Access

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Hardware Requirements

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Software Requirements

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Online Learning Management System (LMS)

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Course Materials/ebooks

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Communication with Instructors

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Micro-course Evaluation Surveys

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Netiquette

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Writing Guide

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Attempts

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Failure of a Micro-course

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Retaining Assignments

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Academic Disputes

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Refunds

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How to Get Started in Your Micro Course

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Confirmation of Completion Letter and Transcript Requests

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Academic Support

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Policies

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Contact Information

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ROBERTSON MICRO COURSE STUDENT GUIDE _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Robertson: We are the School of New Work Welcome to Robertson Welcome to Robertson! We are pleased you have chosen us for your micro-course studies!

The simple formula for success of ‘go to school and get a good job’ isn’t so straightforward anymore. Society’s expectations of what defines a good job are changing, which is why at Robertson, we want our students to find opportunities to contribute to the world and their workplaces in a meaningful way.

To learn, be valued and be valuable – this is our mission for our students.

Our micro-courses are: ● ● ● ●

aligned with in-demand careers facilitated by industry experts (Note: Only micro-courses with a fee attached are facilitated by industry experts) designed to help learners tailor their education to their specific goals. learning experiences that support industry expectations

Robertson’s repertoire of micro-courses are organized into four schools: ● ● ● ●

School of Business School of Technology School of Community Services School of Health

Land Acknowledgement At Robertson College, we acknowledge that we work, study and live: In Winnipeg on Treaty 1 territory, the traditional lands and waters of Anishinaabe [AH - NISH AH - NAH – BAY], Ininiwak, Anishininiwak, Dakota, and Dene (DEN-EH) peoples, and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. We acknowledge that our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation.

In Edmonton on Treaty 6 territory, a traditional gathering place, traveling route and home for many Indigenous Peoples including the Nehiyawak/Cree, Tsuut’ina, Niitsitapi/Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Haudenosaunee/Iroquois, Dene Suliné, Anishinaabe/Ojibway/Saulteaux, and the Inuk/Inuit.

In Calgary on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

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ROBERTSON MICRO COURSE STUDENT GUIDE _____________________________________________________________________________________________

We acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past, and dedicate ourselves to raising awareness and working in collaboration with Indigenous partners in the spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.

As part of our commitment to ensuring an inclusive, culturally rich learning and working environment, Robertson is a member of the Indigenous Accord and is committed to working alongside community partners and stakeholders to support the vision and principles of the accord, which is outlined on the Winnipeg Accord website.

Our Self-declared goals statement that describes our commitment as an institution and The Call(s) to Action/Call(s) for Justice is as follows: Robertson College will build a learning environment that embodies and instills Indigenous values, knowledge, worldviews, histories, and realities. We are committed to holding ourselves accountable in continuous learning and reflecting on the truth and demonstrating impactful actions in reconciliation in our community in partnerships with Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and Elders. We will draw upon the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples to ensure our learners and staff have access to appropriate spiritual healing.

Robertson’s Micro-course Approach In the dynamic landscape of education, traditional teaching methods are undergoing a transformation to better cater to the demands of modern students and employers. A pioneering solution that has emerged in response to this shift is the introduction of microcourses.

These innovative courses are tailored to enable students to delve into subjects that ignite their interest while equipping them with essential skills required to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving job market and digital era.

Micro-courses offer a unique learning experience by breaking down the course into manageable modules which allow students to focus on specific areas of interest or skill development. With their bite-sized format, these micro-courses provide a flexible and accessible means for individuals to enhance their knowledge and expertise in a convenient, self-paced manner.

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ROBERTSON MICRO COURSE STUDENT GUIDE _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Regulatory Information Robertson is a registered PVI (Private Vocational Institution) in both Alberta and Manitoba.

Robertson Campuses Robertson College operates in three different physical locations- Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton. However, students are welcome to participate in micro-courses from anywhere in the world.

Robertson policies apply to micro-courses which can be accessed here: Robertson Policies Micro course guidelines and policies apply to all micro-course students, despite your location.

Student Resources Students may access additional resources through the Student Resources Widget in Brightspace (as per the image on the right). Students can also reach out via email at upskill@robertsoncollege.ca (Note: It is possible that resources might be added or removed in the future. Thus, the contents of the widget are subject to change and may look different from the image below.)

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ROBERTSON MICRO COURSE STUDENT GUIDE _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Learning at Robertson Online Micro-course Learning at Robertson Where life and learning happen together.

Robertson is dedicated to offering flexible learning that meets the needs of our students.

Online micro-course learning at Robertson allows learners to study anywhere. With microcourses, you choose where you learn. Our flexible course format gives you the freedom to study where, when, and how it works best for you by setting your own schedule.

To complement means to bring together to make something complete.

Brightspace is Robertson College’s Learning Management System. You will use Brightspace to access your course content with 24/7 access. Pick up your coursework when it makes sense for you 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Responsibility for Learning As a student, you have a role to play in shaping your experiences in your micro-course studies.

Your instructor should always be the first point of contact for any questions you have regarding your course content. If there are other questions about your program or Robertson in general, you can reach out through the Robertson student support system. The student support system can be found in Brightspace in the Resources widget. When you do reach out, it is beneficial to be specific and clear about what your question is. There are a number of other ways that you can take responsibility for your learning including: ●

Reading the course outline for the micro-course and asking questions about the course outline at the beginning of the course.

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Reading assignment instructions and asking questions about the assignment.

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Asking for clarification of concepts, terminology, and activities as needed. This might mean emailing your instructor to ask a question.

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Engaging in your learning by asking your instructors questions in Brightspace. This might mean clarifying a concept or asking for another demonstration/example of the concept at hand.

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Use a planner or calendar to keep track of your Course Access Duration to ensure you submit all assignments before your access ends. Please review the section below; Your micro course and course access for more details.

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ROBERTSON MICRO COURSE STUDENT GUIDE _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Your Micro-course and Course Access The Robertson micro course are made up of modules that break down the course content into easily manageable pieces of information to access.

Students may access their micro-course anytime during their course access duration period.

There are no set class times as micro-courses are fully self-paced.

Micro-courses course access duration time frame is communicated in the micro-course completion policy. The micro course completion policy states the following:

Micro Course Hours

Micro Course Duration

1 - 10 Hours

Three Months Course Access

11 - 100 Hours

Six Months Course Access

Please note there is an exception for the Keyboarding micro-course (20 Hours) and three months course access.

Hardware Requirements All students must have a PC laptop or desktop computer and a reliable internet connection before the start of their micro-course. Macs are accepted for some programs but not others (see note below). Tablets and mobile devices are not sufficient to complete required coursework.

Students should also ensure they are running the most current version of their browser for an optimal experience. Students must ensure that they have a minimum of 4GB Memory and up to 2GB of free hard drive space NOTE: Students taking Bookkeeping or Quickbooks micro-courses must have a windows-compatible (PC) computer or laptop, as the software required for these programs is not compatible with a Mac, Chromebook or other devices.

Software Requirements All students at Robertson should sign up for a free Microsoft 365 account. Students will require Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook for their programs; therefore, the Microsoft 365 Family Account or Microsoft 365 Personal Account will suffice. 2016 and 2019 versions of MSO software are acceptable. Students can sign up for their Microsoft account at https://www.office.com/.

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ROBERTSON MICRO COURSE STUDENT GUIDE _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Online Learning Management System (LMS) All micro-courses at Robertson are hosted by our Learning Management System Brightspace (D2L). The Brightspace Working Group is responsible for Brightspace administration, enhancement, and strategy. Brightspace offers: ● Tools to communicate with instructors through email. ● Student progress tracking capabilities through Brightspace. ● Students have access to Brightspace Help under the My Tools tab in Brightspace, which serves as a Brightspace hub where students can find specific help articles and resources ● READSPEAKER: Readspeaker is a text-to-speech software integrated into Robertson’s LMS, Brightspace. It facilitates content interaction on a personal level and offers learning tools that help understanding by making it easier to access online content.

Readspeaker is accessible to all students.

Course Materials/eBooks Course materials in the form of eBooks, or other electronic materials, software, and/or media will be provided to students by Robertson in the applicable courses. eBooks are accessible and support learning in a variety of ways such as: ● ● ● ● ● ●

ReadAloud feature highlights and notes search capabilities adjust font size automatic generation of citations and references Bookshelf applications (to read ebooks without wifi)

Communication with Instructors Students provide an email address when they register with Robertson. Robertson will use this email address to communicate with students. Students may contact the micro-course Team to change their email address.

All communications with instructors should be through official Robertson channels.

Students may contact instructors in Brightspace through the email provided by the instructor in the micro-course. Students are asked to contact their instructor directly if they have any questions related to their course content. Instructors are expected to respond to student emails within 24 hours. Instructors may post news, information and updates for students in their Brightspace course offering.

The College will provide each student with a Brightspace email address. Instructors will use this Brightspace email address for communication about course or operational matters and should check their personal and Brightspace email for communication. Note: Please note that there are no instructors for free micro-courses.

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ROBERTSON MICRO COURSE STUDENT GUIDE _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Micro Course Evaluation Surveys Micro-course Students are encouraged to complete the Course Evaluation Survey at the end of their course. Evaluations are available in Brightspace following the micro-course Modules in the classroom. The micro-course Evaluation Survey is intended to provide feedback and improve the quality of course materials.

Netiquette Students, faculty, and staff of Robertson are expected to respect the general rules of online etiquette when participating in courses via Brightspace, Robertson’s online learning platform.

In doing so, users are expected to: ● ● ● ● ●

Use positive, professional language when communicating on online platforms.

Avoid sharing your username/password with others.

Cite sources when using materials from the internet, books, magazines, journals, and other forms of media.

Avoid sharing Robertson curriculum and information with others.

Avoid conduct such as harassing, spamming, copying information, storing obscene/offensive materials, accessing others’ accounts, damaging other users’ files or other forms of network abuse.

Writing Guide The Writing Guide is designed to assist micro-course students with their studies. Specifically, the Writing Guide provides information on what constitutes plagiarism, what information should be referenced, and how to cite the work of others. The Writing Guide can be found in Brightspace under Student Resources.

Attempts Assignments in Micro-courses must be submitted before the course access end date.

Students do not have to pass all assignments in a micro-course to pass the course. As long as a student obtains the minimum passing grade of 70% as the final cumulative grade in the course, the student will pass the course. These details are communicated for each course on the course outline.

Students who do not achieve the minimum passing grade as posted in a course outline may be permitted to rewrite or redo an assessment. A rewrite can occur at any time during the course; it does not have to be at the end of the course (thus, any time when it is clear that the minimum passing grade has not been reached).

Quiz Attempts: You will have two attempts for each quiz. If you do not pass a quiz on the first attempt, or if you feel unsatisfied with your grade, you may take the quiz a second time. Your

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ROBERTSON MICRO COURSE STUDENT GUIDE _____________________________________________________________________________________________

highest grade from your two attempts will count toward your final grade in the course.

Limits: Over the duration of a program, there is no limit to the number of individual quizzes,, tests, or assignment rewrites. There is a limit of one rewrite for each individual quiz, test, or assignment.

Written assessments: Can be re-written at the instructor’s discretion and with a clear timeline for the submission of the rewrite Grades: Grades: On all rewrites, the recorded grade will be the one that the student earns on the rewrite, or the higher of the two marks Please note a Confirmation Letter of Completion or Transcript will only show the most recent attempt of the course. If the course is retaken, the new grade will place the old grade.

Failure of a Micro-course Micro-course Student’s Confirmation Letter of Completion or Transcript will only show the most recent attempt of the course. If the course is retaken, the new grade will place the old grade.

A grade under 70% is considered a failing grade for Robertson College micro -courses. Failure to complete the course will show a status of ‘Incomplete’ on your transcript/confirmation of completion letter. An ‘incomplete’ status is also equivalent to a failing grade.

Retaining Assignments Students are encouraged to keep an electronic copy of all assignments they submit during their micro-course studies. Students must submit all assignments through the Assignment Dropbox in Brightspace. Assignment feedback and grades will be returned by instructors through the Assignment Dropbox in Brightspace.

Academic Disputes Students are able to access their grades on course assignments in Brightspace through the Brightspace Gradebook. If a student notices a grade on an assignment or exam that they believe is incorrect, they are to approach the instructor to inquire. In most instances, the discrepancy is resolved in this way. If a student is unable to resolve the issue with their instructor, they are to submit a help ticket at upskill@robertsoncollege.ca. The situation will then be addressed by the Teaching & Learning Team.

In situations where a student disagrees with the grade they receive on a course assessment or final grade in a course, they are to refer to Robertson’s Student Appeal Policy.

Refunds

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ROBERTSON MICRO COURSE STUDENT GUIDE _____________________________________________________________________________________________

At Robertson we strive to give learners the opportunity to explore and be empowered by educational experiences through our micro-courses.

We understand that circumstances may arise where a student needs to request a refund for a micro course. Please review our refund policy below for your reference.

Refund Eligibility Refunds will only be considered when requested within two weeks of the date of registration and for learners who have completed less than 25% of the course. ● Days 1-7 after registration; learners will be eligible for a full refund if they have completed less than 25%. ● Days 8-14 after registration; learners will be eligible for a refund minus $50.00 administration fee if they have completed less than 25%. ● No refund will be issued for learners who have completed more than 25% within two weeks following their registration. ● No refund will be issued for learners after the two weeks following their registration. ● To be eligible for a refund, students must submit an email request to the Micro Course Team at upskill@robertsoncollege.ca within the specified timeframe.

Refund Process ●

Email micro-course team at upskill@robertsoncollege.ca include the following: ○ First Name & Last Name ○ Micro-course ○ Upon receiving a refund request it will be reviewed and eligibility assessed based on the criteria outlined in the refund policy.

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ROBERTSON MICRO COURSE STUDENT GUIDE _____________________________________________________________________________________________

How to Get Started in Your Micro Course The below mentioned steps describe how to Get Started in Brightspace, our Learning Management System which hosts your online Micro Course content.

Step 1: Log into Brightspace with your username and password.

Step 2: After logging in, you will be directed to the main Brightspace home page. Here you can find important information about a number of different topics. Your main focus will be on the ‘My Courses’ section. In this section, you will see all the courses that you are enrolled in.

Select the course you would like to access by clicking on it.

Step 3: Once you are in the course, you can access the news feed by scrolling down, and you can find important resources related to micro-courses on the right side of the page.

Note: As you scroll, you will notice the ‘Activity Feed’ where you can create a post. Please note that this feed is not monitored by the micro-course team. This space is meant for interacting with other students only. If you wish to connect with the micro-course team, please connect directly at upskill@robertsoncollege.ca.

In the top you will find a red menu bar with the following fields: ● ‘Classroom’ will give you direct access to the modularised course content. ●

Under ‘Assessments’ you can find discussion posts in the course (if any), course quizzes, assignment dropbox, and your grades.

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‘Communication’ offers many different fields but the one you will find the most useful is ‘Email’ where you can find any emails being sent to you within Brightspace, or where you can connect with your instructor regarding course questions.

Similarly, ‘Tools’ provides many different options but you will find the following most useful: ○ Awards: This is where you will find any Brightspace Digital Badges that you have earned in your learning journey and/or your Course Completion E-Certificate. ○ Class Progress: You can visit this webpage to see your progress in the course.

This might be a good tool to plan your course depending on how much you have left to do. ○ Surveys: If your course has a survey, you will be able to access it here.

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‘Resources’ is a quick access to Brightspace Tutorials for anytime you want to learn or need a refresher on how to navigate in Brightspace.

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ROBERTSON MICRO COURSE STUDENT GUIDE _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Step 4: Navigating ‘Classroom’. ● You will find yourself using the ‘Classroom’ menu the most. So let’s take a deeper look at it. Select the ‘Classroom’ menu to begin your course. ●

When you are inside the classroom, on the left you will find a number of different fields. It is recommended that you work through these fields in the order that they are provided. (Note: If your course has a ‘Student Resources’ field, you can skip this. The ‘Student Resources’ contains a list of resources that are used throughout the course.

Thus, you will find yourself accessing the resources as you go through the course.)

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Under ‘Start Here’ you will find a number of important resources which will help you succeed in the course. Here you can find things like your course outline, instructors information, textbook Info (if there is a textbook in your course), etc.

Note: There are no instructors for free micro-courses.

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‘New to Brightspace’ will provide you with information on how to move through Brightspace such as participating in discussions, taking a quiz, and assignments.

Now, you may begin with the course content by going through each module and completing it as necessary. It is important to note that every module is a combination of both content to learn and some activity to demonstrate your understanding (such as a discussion post, a quiz, or an assignment). Make sure you complete each element.

Anything ‘non-graded’ is optional but strongly recommended to further your understanding.

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Step 5: Once all Modules have been completed successfully, you can find your course completion certificate under My Tools > Awards, as described above. ● In order to receive your E-Certificate you must have a final grade of 70% or higher. ●

If you wish to receive further documentation for completing a micro-course, please email the Micro Course Team directly.

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ROBERTSON MICRO COURSE STUDENT GUIDE _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Confirmation of Completion Letter and Transcript Requests The following includes information on Confirmation of Completion Letter and Transcript requests along with payment steps.

Letter of Completion & Transcript Options 1.

For all micro-courses that do not transfer into Robertson Diploma programs students can request a Letter of Completion which they will receive by email (includes microcourse name, start date, end date, cost, and grade).

2. For micro-courses - Guiding Children’s Behavior 1 & Child Development 1; micro-course students can request an unofficial Transcript to be emailed to them which will assist with tuition reimbursement.

3. A student can request an official copy of their transcript to be emailed to a third-party post-secondary school upon request.

4. A student can request an official physical copy of their transcript which will be mailed to them for personal records or can be mailed to a third-party upon request.

Fees 1.

2.

Emailed Confirmation Letter of Completion - $0.00 Emailed Unofficial Transcript for Guiding Children’s Behavior 1 & Child Development 1 $0.00 3. Emailed Official Transcript sent to st\third-party post-secondary school - $0.00 4. Mail Official (physical copy) sent to student or third-party post-secondary school $20.00

To Request ●

Visit: Requesting Micro Course Records

Confirmation of Completion Letters and Transcripts will be provided upon request.

Any change in the student’s name, address or telephone number must be communicated to the college. Documentation will be required as proof of a name change. This information is considered confidential and is used for Robertson College use only.

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ROBERTSON MICRO COURSE STUDENT GUIDE _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Academic Support Robertson is committed to creating an accessible, welcoming, barrier-free, and inclusive learning environment that accommodates students with disabilities and protected characteristics. Students who have documented disabilities, temporary or chronic medical conditions and who may therefore require academic accommodations for online navigation and assessments are encouraged to complete an Accommodation Request Form and provide documentation of their disability from a health care professional.

After doing so, the Academic Support Team collaborates with the student to put an individualized accommodation plan in place. With consent, the Academic Support Team shares the plan with the student's instructors and provides instructors with support to enact the plan.

Please see the Accessibility and Accommodations Policy in this Student Guide for more information.

Policies Students are expected to read and understand the policies so that they are informed about College expectations, processes, and requirements. All Policies can be found on the College website: https://www.robertsoncollege.com/help/policies/

Micro Course Contact Information Email: upskill@robertsoncollege.ca

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