2021-22 Animal Health Technology Handbook - updated Sept. 11, 2021

Animal Health Technology Student Handbook – 2021/2022 Lakeland College

Animal Health Technology Student Handbook – 2021/2022

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Welcome to Lakeland College!

Congratulations on choosing a career as an Animal Health Technologist and for being admitted to the Lakeland College Animal Health Technology program.

Lakeland College’s AHT program is fully accredited by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). The CVMA and Lakeland College expects that all graduates of our program will have the highest standards of achievement and professionalism.

Be proud of what you have accomplished thus far to get admitted to the program and make every effort to maximize your experience and knowledge while you are here.

By enrolling in the AHT Program, you have agreed to the terms and conditions explained in this handbook.

Professionalism Upon entering the program of Animal Health Technology, you have become a professional member of the veterinary profession. As such, there are professional standards, which are expected both within the program and within the industry.

As per the ABVMA bylaws, all students registered in an Alberta Animal Health Technology program must be student members of the ABVMA.

Professional and Academic Dishonesty Professional and academic dishonesty, such as: ❖ Cheating or plagiarism on academic work (grade of zero) ❖ Lying to a staff member ❖ Failure to provide required kennel or nursing care to an assigned patient or falsifying medical records will result in a written letter of reprimand. A second offence within the program duration will result in course failure, or potential suspension from the program, and the student will be required to fill out an incidence report for the Animal Care Committee.

Plagiarism is the use of unoriginal work in assignments and papers. All assignments will be run through Grammarly to verify originality. Anything more than 10 percent unoriginal work is considered academic dishonesty.

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Classroom Conduct An atmosphere of respect and tolerance is expected towards your peers and your instructors.

Unprofessional conduct, such as texting, sleeping in class or disruptive talking, will not be permitted.

Refer to https://www.lakelandcollege.ca/campus-life/rules-regulations-forms/policies-procedures/.

Cell phone use is prohibited in labs, unless specified by the instructor.

Without prior notification to the instructor, late entry to class is not permitted. When the classroom door is closed, there will be no further entry and the student will be recorded as “absent.”

Pictures and recordings cannot be taken during lectures whether they are in-person or online.

Online lectures may be recorded by the instructor. Students will be notified before recording begins.

For online lectures, it will be required to have a computer with a functioning camera and microphone.

When face-to-face instruction is not possible or practical, Lakeland College will use online learning tools, such as Microsoft Teams. In such circumstances, your image, voice and other personal information shared by you, other students or instructors may be recorded and will be seen by other students in your class. By enrolling in courses and/or programs at Lakeland College, participating in required online learning activities, and through the use of online learning tools, you are providing consent to Lakeland College to record your image and voice and other personal information that may be revealed by you, and/or fellow students, or instructors. The recorded videos and class presentations are not intended for public viewing, but there may be circumstances in which people outside your courses have access to them (i.e. someone watching over the shoulder of a student viewing a recording, or if someone is provided access to a student’s account).

The personal information that may be recorded is collected under the authority of Section 33(c) of the Act and will be protected under Part 2 of that Act. If you have any questions about the collection or use of this information, please contact the Chief Financial Officer at (5707 College Drive, Vermilion AB, T9X 1K5, 780-853-8524, FOIP@lakelandcollege.ca ).

Absences Labs Missed labs are often impossible to make up or reschedule and will result in a zero. The only excusable absence for a lab is notification of an illness with a doctor’s note, a funeral card or a College-sanctioned event. Students are responsible for material missed during the absence. Twenty percent (20%) absence in both lecture or lab could result in removal from the program.

Exams Once dates and times are set, final exams will not be moved. Midterms will be set by the instructor.

Students are expected to write on the date that exams are set. The only excusable absence for an exam is with prior notification of illness with a doctor’s note, a funeral card or a College-sanctioned event. If a student is approved by the instructor to be able to write a make-up exam, the alternate date will be determined by the instructor to write the “excused” exam.

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Late Assignments We have a consistent procedure within the program regarding the handing in of assignments or projects: ❖ Assignments/projects are due on the deadline set by the instructor ❖ Late assignments/projects will not be accepted and will result in a grade of zero (0) ❖ Students are responsible to ensure that assignments are submitted on time following the directions that were provided by your instructor

Exam Policy During the writing of any exam or quiz, students will not be permitted to: ❖ Wear hats, hoodies or sweatshirts that have a front “bunny pouch/pocket” or wear a coat of any kind ❖ Have drinks or food of any kind, with the exception of a transparent water bottle ❖ Have backpacks or pencil cases beside their desk (must be left at the front of the room) ❖ Cell phones and Smart watches are not permitted Be advised that assigned seating for exams may also be implemented.

Field Trips and Guest Speakers Professional conduct (as outlined in classroom conduct) is expected from all students. ❖ Please be aware that you are representing Lakeland College, as well as the AHT profession during these times ❖ Dress appropriately – sweats and hats (toques and ball caps) are not considered professional attire ❖ No alcohol consumption or drug use during business hours

Social Media/Online Posting of Pictures from Lakeland College AHT Lecture or Labs The AHT profession follows a Code of Ethics to promote professionalism and confidentiality. The posting of pictures on internet websites and social media from laboratories at Lakeland College is considered unprofessional and will not be tolerated.

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Clothing and Footwear Proper Clothing and Footwear must be worn to participate in all labs Farm Clothing For all large animal labs, the following clothing must be available to be worn: ❖ One pair of coveralls, but we recommend that you have two pairs of coveralls ➢ Students are required to have a pair of long-sleeved coveralls. Bib-style overalls are NOT permitted. All street cloths must be covered.

▪ Coveralls must be washed if visibly dirty and coveralls should be cleaned or changed between animal units; failure to do this may result in you being asked to leave the lab ❖ Boots – washable steel-toed, rubber boots must be worn when working with large animals ➢ Boots must be cleaned and disinfected after every lab

Surgery Clothing ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

Clean scrubs (pants and tops), which are worn only in the surgery labs Lab coat/scrub jacket is required Ensure you have a watch that counts seconds; no cell phones Surgery footwear ➢ A separate pair of indoor shoes that are worn only in surgery is required (no heels, open toes or boots)

Clinical Labs Refer also to individual/course handouts. ❖ Lab coats or scrub tops ➢ Must cover all shirts worn underneath ❖ Indoor lab footwear ➢ No open toes (crocs, sandals or boots), must have one pair of indoor shoes (ie. running shoes) to be used only in the clinic

Student Rabies Immunization Rabies is a disease that can be transmitted from unvaccinated animals to humans. There is no effective treatment for rabies. The AHT program at Lakeland College uses cats and dogs from humane societies and rescue organizations in teaching labs that may not be vaccinated against rabies or that have an unknown vaccine status. It is a requirement of the program that all students be vaccinated against rabies at the beginning of their first year to insure protection against rabies.

Arrangements to have this done will be set up by the AHT program and you will be notified in early September of the dates and times. Rabies immunization consists of a series of three vaccine injections.

The first two are one week apart with the third vaccine being two weeks after the second one.

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Vaccinations will be administered by a Public Health nurse at Lakeland College. You will then be required to have a rabies titre done three weeks after the last vaccine to confirm protection against rabies. There is no cost to the student for any of this.

Students that have been previously immunized against rabies will need to have antibody titres done or provide a copy of their last antibody titre to ensure they still have protective levels of antibodies.

AHT Student Pregnancy Policy The potential for human injury always exists in the practice of veterinary medicine, and it increases whenever the person is pregnant. Possible hazards to the pregnant woman and/or her unborn child include physical trauma as well as exposure to toxic drugs, infectious agents, inhalation anesthetics, radiation and other agents.

It is recognized that a pregnant woman has rights for decisions concerning her pregnancy. At the same time, all students are expected to complete all requirements of the Animal Health Technology curriculum in order to graduate.

Student Responsibilities The pregnant student is advised to: ❖ Contact her program head and individual instructors for specific information on the types of toxic, infectious, radiation and other hazards to which the student may be exposed. ❖ Contact her treating physician/obstetrician to obtain recommendations for a plan to minimize exposure to the hazards that may be associated with being an Animal Health Technology student. ❖ Provide a signed statement from the treating physician/obstetrician that defines any required limitations during the pregnancy.

Options for The Student ❖ Continue as a student with no necessary schedule or assignment changes. ❖ Continuation as a regular student with some possible schedule and assignment changes. This option may not delay the time of graduation. ❖ Medical leave of absence: A student who needs time off but does not want to withdraw and reenter with the next graduating class, may be able to obtain a medical leave of absence for the time period deemed medically necessary by her physician. It will be the student’s responsibility to make up assignments or courses missed during the leave of absence and may depend on the ability of the program to provide access to missed essential skills. ❖ Withdrawal as a student: The pregnant student may consider withdrawing as a student and reapply to return the following year, space permitting in the program, to graduate with the next class. This option minimizes risks, but delays graduation.

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Animal Care Expectations We expect animals, which are under our care at Lakeland College, to receive the highest quality of care and attention. See Kennel Care booklet.

Failure to provide required kennel or nursing care to an assigned patient or falsifying medical records will result in a written letter of reprimand. This letter will remain on file until graduation. A second offence within the program duration will result in course failure, or potential suspension from the program, and the student will be required to fill out an incidence report for the Animal Care Committee.

Boarding of Privately-Owned Animals The Animal Clinic facility is here for the use of the AHT program for teaching purposes. ❖ Permission must be obtained from an AHT staff member prior to bringing the animal ❖ Must be an AHT student’s animal ➢ And is an SPCA adoption or an animal that is used in a lab ➢ Space must be available ➢ Time limit – 7 days maximum ❖ No other boarding of animals will be permitted

Veterinary Care for Student Animals Drugs and Supplies We cannot sell any veterinary drugs or supplies.

Professional Veterinary Service Due to the large number of students in the program, and in the interest of fairness, we cannot provide any professional veterinary services for student-owned animals, unless requested by instructor for use in a lab. Must be student’s own animal.

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AHT Course Requirements for Graduation CVMA accreditation standards are higher than the School’s minimum requirements for courses.

Requirement for Successful Completion of Course and Competencies All courses require a minimum of 60% (C) in lecture and a 70% (B-) in lab and successful completion of competencies.

Students must successfully complete all courses in a semester before advancing to the second semester and must complete all of the first-year courses before advancing to second year. Failure to do so will result in suspension from the program for one semester. Students will be required to reapply if they wish to return to the program.

It is the student’s responsibility to know their marks.

Failure to achieve the minimum requirements in either lecture or lab will result in the course mark being recorded as a “D.” Grade Strip Grade

F

D

D+

C-

C

C+

B-

B

B+

A-

A

A+

% Range

0-49

50-52

53-56

57-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84

85-89

90-94

95-100

Points

0.00

1.00

1.30

1.70

2.00

2.30

2.70

3.00

3.30

3.70

4.00

4.00

Course Failure If a student does not achieve the minimum passing grade or successfully complete a competency, they have one of two options: Rewrite A rewrite may be granted if the student is within 2 percent of the minimum passing mark for that class or lab. A rewrite shall replace the student’s final exam. The student is expected to reach the minimum pass for the class or lab after the completion of the rewrite.

Special Project A special project may be granted if the student has failed the class or lab by more than 2 percent, but no more than 5 percent. A special project is a supplemental project that replaces the course. The student is expected to reach the minimum pass for the class or lab after completing the special project. The criteria and expectations of the special project will be determined by the instructor. **Students are permitted only ONE rewrite OR special project per year, and upon successful completion, the maximum mark that can be achieved for the course is a passing grade (C).

In the event that a student does not meet this requirement, they will be suspended from the program for one semester.

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As an over-subscribed program, students who do not meet this requirement after Semester 1 will be required to re-apply for the following academic year and repeat all deficient course work from Semester 1. Students who fail Semester 2, 3 or 4 must reapply for that semester the following year, with approval for entry dependent on available space. All deficient course work from that semester must be repeated.

Although it is not mandatory, we strongly suggest repeating all courses in the semester for continuity and student success.

Students must complete all courses in any given semester before proceeding to the following semester.

Students must complete the AHT diploma within three (3) years from their date of entry in order to remain relevant with industry standards and curriculum changes.

Course requirements are outlined in Appendix A.

Practicum Completion According to Lakeland College Student Procedure 5.89, a student may attempt a practicum twice.

Students successfully completing a practicum may not attempt it again.

VTNE Exam Graduates of a CVMA-accredited Animal Health Technology program are eligible to write the VTNE Exam and become registered veterinary technologists. All provinces in Canada require technologists to be registered in order to practise veterinary medicine (except in Ontario).

Students will register for the VTNE Exam on their own in April. Registration is done on-line through AAVSB and a credit card payment of $330 US is required.

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Appendix A These are the course requirements for AHT courses Students must complete all courses in a given semester before proceeding onto the next semester.

First Year AHT Courses All courses require a “C” in the lecture portion and a “B-” in the lab portion in order to move onto the next level: Semester 1 VS 101 – Anatomy and Physiology VS 102 – Animal Behavior and Handling VS 103 – Animal Care and Nursing I VS 104 – Communications I VS 105 – Surgery I

Semester 2 VS 106 – Laboratory Procedures I VS 107 – Animal Care and Nursing II VS 108 – Anesthesia and Analgesia VS 109 – Nutrition VS 110 – Animal Disease I

Second Year AHT Courses All courses require a “C” in the lecture portion and a “B-” in the lab portion in order to move onto the next level: Semester 1 VS 202 – Surgery, Dentistry and Pain Management VS 203 – Laboratory Procedures II VS 205 – Diagnostic Imaging VS 207 – Animal Diseases II VS 220 – Student-Led Clinic I ** VS 210 – Practicum is a pass/fail course

Semester 2 VS 204 – Pharmacology VS 206 – Animal Care and Nursing IV VS 208 – Emergency Medicine and Critical Care VS 210 – **Practicum VS 221 – Student-Led Clinic II

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Appendix B Staff Directory Staff Member Elaine Suddaby, BSc, RVT Tracy Quinton, BA, Ag (dip) Brianne Bellwood, RVT Melissa Hall, RVT Pamela Barmentloo, DVM Kim Eremko, RVT Robyn Rodgers, DVM Amy Cusack, RVT Tamara Martin, RVT Tracey Allen, RVT Allan MacMillan, BEd Stacey Barber Karen Harris

Title Program Head Chair, Agriculture Instructor Instructor

Office Phone Number

Email Address

Office Location

780 853 8614

elaine.suddaby@lakelandcollege.ca

AC 108

780 853 8612

tracy.quinton@lakelandcollege.ca

BB 209

780 853 8788 780 853 8487

brianne.bellwood@lakelandcollege.ca melissa.hall@lakelandcollege.ca

AC 114 AC 102

Instructor

780 853 8654

pamela.barmentloo@lakelandcollege.ca

AC 106

Instructor Instructor Ed Lab Tech Ed Lab Tech Ed Lab Tech Academic Advisor Accessibility Advisor Learner Success Strategist

780 853 8626 780 853 8611 780 853 8631 780 853 8622 780 853 8476

kim.eremko@lakelandcollege.ca robyn.rodgers@lakelandcollege.ca amy.cusack@lakelandcollege.ca tamara.martin@lakelandcollege.ca tracey.allen@lakelandcollege.ca

AC 109 AC 107 AHC 109 AHC 109 AHC 109

780 853 8580

allan.macmillan@lakelandcollege.ca

BB 213

780 853 8438

stacey.barber@lakelandcollege.ca

AH 026

780 808 9623

karen.harris@lakelandcollege.ca

(Student Services)

Legend for Office Locations: ❖ AHC – Animal Health Clinic ❖ AC – Small Animal Clinic ❖ BB – Bentley Building ❖ AH – Alumni Hall

AH