Process College manager pleads guilty to failure to ensure refunds & proper records

The manager of a local private college has pleaded guilty to breaching regulations for private education. 

Duclos Hazel Margaret of Process College admitted that she failed to ensure that the college refunded students and kept proper records of their contracts. 

Process College had collected course fees of about $190,000 between January and April 2010 from 30 students who had enrolled in the Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Hotel Management programmes. 

In late 2010, the Council for Private Education (CPE), which is a statutory board regulating the private education industry, acted on complaints from students. 

It directed Process College to refund the course fees to students as these courses were not conducted. 

The CPE was informed by the students through their representative that an agreement had been reached between Duclos and the 30 students to refund the fees in instalments.
However, the instalment payments were not made. 

The CPE filed charges against Duclos in June this year.

Under the Private Education Act, the manager of a registered private education institution must ensure that proper records of students and course administration are kept and updated. 

Duclos, 64, will be sentenced on 27 December for the two charges. 

A third charge of failing to obtain permission from the CPE before relocating will be taken into consideration during sentencing. 

Under the law, the punishment for each of the three offences is a fine of up to $10,000 or a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.