Student Code of Conduct

The Student Code of Conduct establishes the standards of conduct expected of students while they are enrolled in an IFSE Institute course or program. Students must always act in a courteous, respectful, and ethical manner that adheres to the principles of the Institute.

Honesty

Students shall be honest and truthful in all their interactions with IFSE staff, fellow students, regulators, and employers.

Integrity

Students shall hold themselves accountable to the highest standards of ethical behaviour while studying with IFSE Institute and as they pursue a career as a financial professional.

Professionalism

Students must never engage in any activities or actions that may disparage the reputation of IFSE Institute, their fellow students, or the financial services industry.

“Relativity applies to physics, not ethics”

Albert Einstein

Misconduct

Students are expected to behave honourably and professionally and are prohibited from committing acts of academic dishonesty. Examples of misconduct include but are not limited to:

Plagiarizing or stealing IFSE course content

Copying or removing exam materials from the test environment

Disclosing contents of an exam to others (i.e. discussing exam questions)

Cheating or colluding on an exam (e.g. cheat sheets, banned devices)

Failing to abide by the rules of an exam (e.g. refusing to present identification, talking during the exam)

Having someone impersonate the student at an exam (i.e. proxy test taker)

Forging, altering, and misusing IFSE documents (e.g. transcripts, certificates, diplomas)

Presenting falsified documents (e.g. government-issued photo ID, physicians’ letters)

Sharing login credentials

Creating a disturbance during a class or exam

Aggressive or abusive behaviour towards others

Theft, damage, or destruction of property while on IFSE premises

Students engaging in prohibited behaviour or misconduct may be subject to disciplinary action. The penalties vary depending on the severity of the misconduct. They may include but are not limited to any or all of the following:

A formal warning.

Forfeiture of the exam attempt and any applicable fees

A Ban from retaking the/any exam for 6 months or longer.

Termination from a course

Expulsion from an in-class training session or online webinar

A letter notifying employers, prospective employers, and/or regulatory authorities of the misconduct

The process for investigating an incident of misconduct is as follows:

1. The Manager or Assistant Manager of Customer Service will be appointed investigator and initiate the collection of information regarding the incident. IFSE complies with its obligations under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). All correspondence and conversations are conducted in a private and confidential manner.

2. The investigator will gather and review all relevant information and conduct interviews with all individuals involved.

3. The investigator will notify the student of the allegation without delay and give them an opportunity to provide a statement or explanation. If more than one student is involved, notification will be provided to each individual. A written response may be required.

4. The investigator will submit their findings to the Senior Management Team and/or Managing Director.

5. The Senior Management Team and/or Managing Director will assess the information provided and render a decision on whether the behavior violates IFSE’s terms and conditions, policies, or student code of conduct. If the violation is found to have occurred and there is sufficient justification to levy a penalty, it shall be proportional to the seriousness of the offence.

6. All decisions will be relayed to student(s) in writing.

7. Applicable penalties will be enforced, and the investigation will be closed.