Co-op courses: A work term fee is levied by the University for each Co-op work term with designated co-op employers, or for any self-directed co-op that will be used as a Co-op work term. Consult the SFU Calendar regarding fee requirements before registering.
Dropping courses: If you are placed after the tuition refund deadline has passed, only the co-op office can drop or add courses without penalty. To drop courses and add a work term after the deadline, send your request by e-mail to your co-op coordinator. Please include your student name, student number, courses to drop, and work term number to add.
Taking additional courses: Students may request to take a maximum of one additional course during their work term semester, but a co-op work term is considered full-time status as an SFU student, and you must ensure that your co-op job will be given top priority, time, and attention. Requests will be reviewed by your coordinator on a case-by-case basis, but you must provide the co-op supervisor and course professor's approval by email. The Co-op office will not drop you from your course at a later time in the semester.
UPass: If you are placed outside of Metro Vancouver, you may be eligible for a U-Pass exemption. Your co-op mailing address (including postal code in go.sfu.ca) must be outside Metro Vancouver AND remain outside for the entire term (Sept 1 – Jan 1, Jan 1 – May 1, or May 1 – Sept 1). If you do not yet have an "out of town" address, you must use your workplace address. U-Pass BC eligibility can be checked online. If you have questions, please email upass@sfu.ca or phone their office at 778-782-6805.
The course will be offered through Canvas and Co-op Coordinators will work with you to successfully complete your work term.
BOL II and/or Bridging International Learning (BIL): Please register and complete BOL II just before you begin your Co-op work or within the first weeks of your placement. Students placed outside of Canada will also need to complete BIL. Instructions will be sent to you from the International Co-op office.
Expectations: When hiring co-op students, employers expect productive work and professional behaviour in exchange for salary and training time. As a co-op student, we expect you to be an ambassador for SFU in the community. This means that you will be expected to adhere to company policies and seize the opportunity to learn. You should be courteous and respectful of all co-workers, arrive and leave work according to the norm set by the company, and dress appropriately. If problems involving work arise, you should contact a coordinator for assistance. Employers also expect students to work full-time, and you may be required to work overtime. If you plan on getting or keeping a part-time job or taking courses while on a work term, the employer and co-op office should be notified of the situation and must agree to it.
Confidentiality: If your project involves any degree of confidential information, your employer and the School expect you to respect their policies on confidentiality and proprietary information.
Pre-Departure: Before you begin your work term, there will be a Pre-Departure session held. At this session, you will learn more about expectations on the work term, work term requirements, and the site visit. You will also be offered a Co-op log book for use in documenting your work on your co-op term.
A coordinator will visit students and supervisors on the job. The purpose of the visit is to discuss the student's progress, performance, work report, and future plans. The coordinator will also wish to learn more about current developments within the company and to explore possible university/industry research links.
A telephone interview or email may be substituted for a site visit if an in-person visit is not feasible. Students working internationally will get an email site visit or a visit from another SFU representative.
Since work term placements are short term, employers do not expect to provide time off. Therefore, any request for time off should be discussed with the employer prior to the start of the work term. Generally, students will receive vacation pay (at a current rate of four percent) as part of salary and will be paid for statutory holidays following a thirty-day employment period. Sick leave or any absence due to illness may mean a loss in pay. If the nature of your illness is such that it will interfere with your work term, notify a Coordinator immediately.
Are you starting your first work term soon? We have six tips to help you transition from school to work smoothly and successfully, improving your work performance and professionalism.
One of our Co-op coordinators put together a list of 10 ways to make a great first impression based on her stories from Co-op students and employers.
You start your new job next week, but you have no idea what to wear. While we can't take you shopping, we can help you decide what's appropriate - and what's not.