Policies and Key Information
Here you'll find key information and policies relevant to your experience with us here at the Dublin Cultural Institute.
Admissions Policy
Students, irrespective of race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation are welcomed to the Dublin Cultural Institute Limited. All applications are dealt with case by case and it is rare that students may not be accepted.
The school may refuse should there be suspicion that documents presented to GNIB/INIS or Embassy are not genuine or if there is suspicion that the student will not comply with the visa requirements.
Should the school and premises be unable to meet the needs of a student on medical or disability grounds the school may not be able to accept the student. All applicants must inform the school correct information regarding full personal information, course requested, special requests allergies or illness.
Mission Statement
Dublin Cultural Institute Limited aims to provide quality English language courses to students in a friendly and welcoming environment.
We aim to help students achieve their educational and career goals and be there to support our students during their time in Ireland.
The Dublin Cultural Institute Limited Emergency Number is 087 666 0500
In Ireland, for a medical, police or fire emergency, call 999.
To notify the school of an emergency or accident, please call 087 666 0500.
To contact this number from abroad you need to add the (+353) international dialing code for Ireland and drop the 0. The number from outside Ireland is as follows +353 87 666 0500 or 00 353 87 666 0500.
Students are advised to keep this number with them at all times prior to and during their travel to Ireland and for the duration of their stay.
Attendance
To guarantee the achievement of the learning outcomes DCI requires 100% attendance on all programmes. Attendance is recorded daily by the teachers and monitored by the Director of Studies. Attendance is particularly important on the Academic Year programme. Visa-requiring students are required to demonstrate a minimum of 85% attendance in compliance with INIS regulations.
Attendance in a language course implies active participation in the lessons and a willingness to follow the teacher’s instructions. Behaviours such as eating, sleeping, using electronic devices such as mobile phones, acting in a passive-aggressive manner, or other anti-social or distracting behaviour are unacceptable, and will result in the student being asked to leave which will affect his/her attendance.
Attendance Rules
-
An absence is defined as non-attendance for any reason.
-
All absence needs to be explained to the school by email to reception@dublinci.com.
-
Each day consists of two sessions. There are 8 or 10 sessions a week in the Morning programme and 8 sessions a week in the Afternoon Programme. If you miss one session you will receive only 50% attendance for that day.
-
A one- or two-day absence needs also to be explained in writing in the form of a note to the teacher on your return.
-
An absence of three days or more requires a phone call or email during the absence, and a meeting with the Director of Studies upon your return.
-
If your attendance falls below 80% over a two-week period, you will receive a first written warning.
-
If you have already received a first warning and your attendance period again falls below 80% over a two-week period, you will receive a second written warning.
-
If you have already received a second warning and your attendance again falls below 80% over a two-week period, you will receive a final written warning.
-
If you have received a final warning and continue to have unwarranted absences your enrolment will be terminated. You will be reported to INIS and rendered ineligible for a refund.
-
If you miss the first 10 consecutive days of your course without informing the school your enrolment will be automatically terminated with or without a warning.
-
If you have already received a first warning and subsequently miss 10 consecutive days, your enrolment will be terminated with or without further warnings.
-
In the case of verified illness or emergency, the school may determine not to terminate your enrolment, you but will report the attendance figures to the INIS.
Absence and Sick Leave
All absence from class, including sick leave, must be explained by the student to the school. The student must both notify the school during the absence and provide further explanation upon return. The student must notify the school of his/her absence, or arrange notification of same, to the Director of Studies by emailing info@dublinci.com on the day of absence and each subsequent day of absence. Upon return the student must submit an Absence Letter to reception. One Absence Letter should be completed for each absence period, whether it consists of a half day, full day, or extends over two or more days. If sick leave extends for more than two consecutive days, a medical certificate is required.
Punctuality
All students are requested to be in class at the scheduled time of commencement. You will not be admitted to class if you arrive more than 15 minutes late and will have to wait until the second session. If you regularly arrive late, you may not be admitted to class even if you are less than 15 minutes late.
Students who cannot remain for the entire session should not start the session. Students who leave the classroom during the session, whether on their own decision or because they are instructed to do so by the teacher, will also lose attendance. Students leaving the class before the scheduled end of class will be marked absent for the period.
Holidays and Breaks
There are no holidays or breaks outside the published calendar for long term students. Request for extraordinary or additional holidays cannot be entertained. In individual cases personal circumstances may arise to make an enforced break from classes necessary. Examples include a court appearance or the serious illness or bereavement of a close family member. In such cases the school will support the student in every way possible but still must record the student as absent for every day that he/she is away from class. It is important to stress that absence is a statement of fact. It is unalterable record of lack of presence in the classroom, often for unavoidable reasons. Marking a student as absent does not automatically confer censure. The school has no option but to record the statement of fact accurately. For this reason, the school encourages 100% attendance when possible as it allows for a generous 15% cushion of absence in the event of such unavoidable illness or absence. The student must also inform the school of unavoidable breaks when they occur.
Short Term Students
With the exception of three weeks’ Christmas closure, there are no scheduled holidays for students on programmes for less than 25 weeks. You may apply to break your studies with a holiday week, once it is compliant with the rules governing your immigration status. For EU student and Non-EU students on tourist visas of a maximum of 90 days, you may wish to make two separate bookings to allow for free time between bookings.
Academic Year Holidays
Students on Academic Year Programmes of 25 weeks are entitled to an additional 8 weeks of holiday. For every three weeks of studies you complete, you accrue one week of holiday. For example, a student who has completed 9 weeks of studies, has accrued three weeks of holiday. The minimum number of holidays to be taken at one time is one week. You should confirm holiday intentions before the start of your course. You must keep at least four weeks of holiday to use at the end of your course. Students on courses which overlap with the Christmas closure must take three weeks of their holiday weeks at this time.
End of Course Exams – Non-EAA Nationals Information Sheet
Students end of year course Exams are managed by the Director of Studies and Examinations Officer.
Students will receive assistance in registering for exams.
DCI requires copies of student exam results be shared with the school. The records of results will only be shared with DCI staff, GNIB/INIS or Embassies should they be requested.
Medical Insurance
It is mandatory that all non-EEA students who require a visa be in possession of private medical insurance for the duration of their course. Students can take out their own medicover prior to arrival or DCI can arrange it through Arachas Ltd. European Students should carry their E128 card with them.
DCI cannot be held accountable for medical expenses incurred if a student fails to take medical insurance cover.
Complaints
In the event that you are unhappy with any aspect of your experience at DCI please register a complaint. This can be done in person or in writing to our Customer Service Manager, Siobhan Smith: ssmith@dublinci.com. You will be contacted by an officer of the school within three working days with a view to resolving the issue.
