College Policies
Every stage of your college journey is guided by policies and procedures. These policies serve to protect you and inform you of your rights and responsibilities. You should broadly familiarise yourself with these documents.
Those policies are summarised in alphabetical order with a link to the full policy under each summary.
Academic Misconduct Procedure
City of Dublin FET College, Ballyfermot Road Southwest Campus takes academic integrity seriously. Academic misconduct includes cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, collusion, using unauthorised devices, and submitting work that is not your own. All suspected cases are investigated fairly, following natural justice and due process. Students may be invited to a “courageous conversation” with an Academic Integrity Advisor before any formal investigation. Sanctions range from formal reprimands to reduced marks, resubmissions, or repeating assessments, depending on the severity of the misconduct. More serious breaches can result in the student being marked as unsuccessful. Students have the right to appeal decisions. Maintaining honesty and trust is vital to achieving qualifications and ensuring a fair learning environment for all.
Academic Misconduct Procedures
Access to Education for All
This policy aims to underpin the college’s commitment to a learning environment in which all students have equal opportunity to take full advantage of pursuing their further education while accessing courses in the college. The college is committed to providing additional and reasonable accommodations that will help to remove potential barriers that could prevent some students from equitable participation in their studies while in the college. The college strives to ensure no student is disadvantaged over another while pursuing their studies in the college and that their achievement can be compared fairly to the achievement of their peers. The college offers equity of access to its courses regardless of gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability, learning difficulty, race, ethnicity, or socio-economic background. The college is committed to ensuring that equity, diversity, respect, and inclusion are firmly at the forefront of access to education for all.
Administration of Medication
This policy has been prepared with reference to best practice in managing chronic health conditions as prepared by the Asthma Society of Ireland, Diabetes Federation of Ireland, Brainwave the Irish Epilepsy Association and Anaphylaxis Ireland. This policy aims to meet the needs of students, who require administration of essential medications during the college day, in compliance with legislation and in line with best practice. This policy also seeks to protect the college representatives by ensuring that any involvement in medication administration complies with legislation and best practice guidelines.
Admissions
This policy clarifies the procedure involved in applying to undertake a course in the college and the steps that must be taken before you become a fully registered student. It also outlines the application procedure you must follow to defer, delay course completion, repeat or apply to complete the second year of your course.
Anti-Bullying Policy
The Anti-Bullying Policy ensures all students at City of Dublin FET College, Ballyfermot Road Southwest Campus, learn in a safe, respectful environment. It defines bullying, including online and identity-based abuse, and applies to all students both on and off campus. The College promotes prevention through education, awareness, and a culture of respect. Bullying incidents are addressed quickly, with sanctions aligned with the Student Code of Conduct. Support is available for those affected, including counselling and external referrals. The College is committed to monitoring incidents, restorative outcomes, and ongoing review of its policy.
Antibullying Policy (Subject to ratification of BOM in September 2025)
Attendance, Retention and Fitness to Practice Policy
Attendance, Retention and Fitness to Practice Policy: As a registered fulltime student, you must participate fully on your course. Full attendance is desirable for your sequential learning and award success whether you are in-class or online. Each class builds on the knowledge, skills, and competencies of the previous class. Vital information about subject assessment, course and college activities are delivered in class and unless you attend you will miss this information. Your course will train you for the workplace, and in the workplace, absenteeism will not be tolerated.
Students undertaking a programme in the college must have the skills, knowledge, health and character necessary to undertake and complete a programme effectively. This is defined as a students’ fitness to practice as part of a programme. These requirements are especially important in programmes that involve contact with the general public, patients, children and vulnerable adults.
The college is aware that students can face considerable challenges when they commence a course of study. The aim of this policy is to encourage and support students to complete their course. This includes providing course induction, supports (where applicable) and providing options to assist students in completing their award. Students will be asked to complete the Student Participation form. This form identifies how you can successfully participate in your course of study to achieve your full award. This form brings together all aspect of college life and clearly lays out the standards expected of you during your time in the college.
The college monitors subject and daily attendance. Students who are not attending specific subjects could run the risk of not having assessments accepted and students who are not attending the daily timetable will be deemed to have opted out of the course. In general, a minimum of 75% attendance is required in all subjects.
It is a legal requirement that the college monitors and records your attendance. The collegeuses a software programme called VSware to do so. Every teacher is required to complete attendance at each class. The college is then obliged to report this attendance to SUSI, the Department of Employment and Social Protection (DEASP) or SOLAS for Traineeship allowances upon request. Poor attendance will therefore affect your grant, DEASP allowance or Traineeship allowance.
Those students who provide a medical certificate will be marked accordingly on VSware, however those students who are on long term sick leave will have their position on the course reviewed after 1 month and could be asked to withdraw for academic reasons.
CCTV
Ballyfermot Road Southwest Campus, as a constituent college of City of Dublin ETB, is bound by its CCTV Policy. This policy supplements the CCTV privacy notice in the college and the City of Dublin ETB Data Protection Policy. This policy outlines the reasons why CCTV is used and what CCTV data is collected.
Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct sets out the standards of behaviour that the college expects of you. You should familiarise yourself with these expectations as understanding your responsibilities will help you to make the most of your experience and gives you the opportunity to contribute to a positive learning environment for others while you are a student in the college. The primary aim of this Code of Conduct is to create an inclusive learning environment. The college upholds to administer this Code of Conduct fairly and consistently and is required to record all incidents on individual student profiles where necessary. All students are given every opportunity to engage with students supports (internal and external referral) throughout the entire process.
Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment
The college prioritises the safety and well-being of all students but especially students under the age of 18. Guided by the Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment (2025–2027), the College operates under the Children First Act 2015 and Child Protection Procedures for Schools 2025, ensuring a safe, respectful environment for all. All teaching staff are vetted, trained, and adhere to policies addressing identified risks such as online safety, supervision, and appropriate teaching practices. A Designated Liaison Person and Deputy oversee safeguarding. The College promotes a culture of care, providing supports and acting promptly to protect students from harm.
Child Protection Safeguarding Statement and Procedures policy document
Complaint Procedure
A procedure for processing complaints made by parents/guardians of students OR adult student(s) currently enrolled in a City of Dublin ETB school/centre against a staff member employed by City of Dublin ETB. This procedure outlines the informal and formal approaches to resolution that must be undertaken.
Complaints Procedure: Students & Students
This policy is to provide a system which allows students participating in college courses to make complaints in respect of students who are also attending the college. The purpose of this policy is to establish a protocol for dealing with complaints. It is the college’s policy to keep a record of all complaints received for a fixed period, in accordance with City of Dublin Record Retention Schedule, and to endeavour to respond to complaints as quickly as possible. This procedure applies to all students in the college.
Computer Usage
City of Dublin ETB has developed a clear and comprehensive policy in relation to ICT usage. As a student in the college you will
- receive a college email address,
- have access to ICT equipment, and
- you may have a device on loan such as a laptop.
This policy governs use of that equipment and ICT access and especially refers to email, the internet, use of social media, software, mobile devices and displaying material of an obscene or offensive nature.
Critical Incident
This policy aims to protect and provide support to the entire community in the event of a Critical Incident. Most incidents are managed on a day-to-day basis with a natural informed response. However, situations may arise of an overwhelming nature which require an exceptional, planned and coordinated response. Therefore, a Critical Incident is defined as any incident or sequence of events that overwhelms the normal coping mechanism of the college. Within the college there is a Critical Incident Management Plan and a Critical Incident Team in place to respond to and support the entire college community.
Data Processing Policy
This City of Dublin ETB policy clearly sets out the college’s approach to Data Protection, Data Processing and GDPR. This policy outlines the college’s responsibilities regarding the capture, retention and sharing of your data.
Dignity and Respect Policy
The college is committed to promoting dignity and respect and facilitating the right of you and every other member of the college’s community to study and work in an environment, real or online, which is free from bullying, harassment, or discrimination.
This policy aims to:
- Clearly establish that the college does not tolerate any form of bullying, harassment, or discrimination.
- Raise awareness of the prevention of bullying, harassment, or discrimination.
- Empower you as a student to ensure that your rights are respected and to also have responsibility for your own actions, ensuring they do not infringe others’ rights
- Clearly outline the steps you must take if you feel that you are being bullied, harassed, intimidated, or discriminated against. These steps include informal and formal approaches to resolution and will uphold the rights of both the complainant and the person against whom the allegation is made.
- Use existing policies and procedures, wherever appropriate to ensure that problems can be addressed effectively and quickly.
Gender Identity and Expression
The college is committed to providing a welcoming, gender-inclusive working and learning environment where every member of the campus community will be treated with respect and dignity irrespective of their gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics.
Changing recorded name and/or gender
As you know, students must provide proof of identity at registration and this is then matched to official SOLAS, DEASP and DFHERIS records. If you wish to change your gender and/or your name/email address on official college systems and Certification the following documents are needed.
- Gender Marker, check your document Certificate for Gender Change
- Deed Pole for Name change
You will also need to alert your Course Co-ordinator to your preferred name. This will be recorded on the college’s Student Management Database Systems (VSware) beside your birth name. This is so that te college staff can respect your preferred name.
Life Drawing Protocols
Life Drawing plays an important role in the development of students’ drawing skills across the majority of programmes being run in the Art department of the college. The life drawing protocols outlines the procedures, protocols and responsibilities of all participants involved in the life drawing classes.
Out of College Activities Policy
The college provides students with opportunities to participate and engage in a range of Out of College Activities (OCAs) such as social, sporting, educational, training, and cultural activities. OCA’s provide significant learning opportunities to complement the classroom learning experience. This policy governs all aspects of OCAs.
Smoking or tobacco products and use of electronic cigarettes
Smoking or tobacco products and use of electronic cigarettes: the college campus is designated as a no smoking and no vaping campus. This means that you cannot smoke tobacco products or electronic cigarettes in any of the three buildings, in the front of the buildings, in the car park or in the environs of either building. As you know the smoking of tobacco products on college premises is prohibited under the Tabacco Smoking (Prohibition) Regulations 2003. This was extended in 2023, by City of Dublin ETB, to prohibit the use of e-cigarettes and all other electronic smoking and vaping products on campus. The college, in line with the 2003 Regulations, has designated places for staff and students to smoke and vape.
Smoking or tobacco products and use of electronic cigarettes policy document
Student Sign-In / Sign-Out Procedure during Non-Teaching Periods
During non-term times, students accessing the college must sign in and out using a QR code, providing their name, course title, and purpose of visit. This procedure ensures accountability, promotes safety, and complies with fire and data protection regulations. Students must remain in authorised areas, respect campus policies, and follow emergency procedures. Failure to adhere to these requirements may result in restricted access. The college monitors sign-in records and retains data securely.
Student Sign-In / Sign-Out Procedure during Non-Teaching Periods