FAQs

• On-line: Click here to complete our online registration form.
• By phone: Call 613-233-2175 and ask to speak to our administrative officer.
• By fax: Click here to access and print our registration form. Fax your completed form to 613-233-7617.
• By email: Send your registration details (course title and date, your name, department, section, phone number, complete mailing address and e-mail address) to registration@comcec.com.

Once your registration has been received and processed by the CEC, we will confirm your registration via email. This email will contain a PDF attachment of your confirmation of registration and an invoice. The original documents will be sent to you via regular mail. Please allow 1-2 business days for processing upon submitting your registration. Approximately one week prior to the workshop you will be sent an email indicating the workshop location and asking you to confirm your attendance. A follow-up call will be made to you at least two days prior to the course to confirm your attendance if you have not responded to our email.

Our accepted methods of payment are by credit card (VISA, MasterCard, American Express) and cheque. Credit card payments should be phoned in to our administrative officer for processing. Cheques should be made payable to The Centre for Excellence in Communications and mailed to 223 Colonnade Road South, Suite 214, Ottawa, ON K2E 7K3.

Course fees are due within thirty days of attending a workshop. Interest will be charged on unpaid accounts after thirty days.

A refund will be issued provided notification of a cancellation is submitted to us in writing at least six business days prior to the workshop you are scheduled to attend. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made during the six business days prior to the workshop.

If you are unable to attend a workshop for which you are registered, the CEC will transfer your registration to the next available offering of the same workshop at no cost to you provided you inform us in writing at least six business days prior to the event.

Substitutions can be made without penalty provided notification is provided to us in writing at least 6 business days prior to the event. If you make a substitution during the six business days, there will be a $50 administrative charge added to the course fee.

Please provide us with the following information for the person who will be taking your place:

• Name
• Title
• Organization, Department
• Mailing Address
• Phone Number
• Email

If you do not show up for a workshop for which you are registered, you are liable for the entire registration fee.

If a workshop is cancelled, you will be asked to choose one of the following:

1. Transfer your registration to the next available session of the same workshop;
2. Transfer your registration to another workshop offered by the CEC;
3. Cancel your registration and CEC will issue you a refund (if applicable).

Workshops are generally held at the CEC's training facility located at 223 Colonnade Road South, Ottawa, ON (in the Merivale Business Park). From time to time we are required to move our workshops off-site to a downtown Ottawa location. Should this occur, you will be informed of the new location via the email sent to you approximately one week prior to the workshop.

Courses normally start at 08.45 AM (refreshments available from 08.30 AM) and end at 4.30 PM.

Free parking is available at the Centre's premises. Parking is not provided when a course is held at a downtown Ottawa location.

A continental breakfast, including muffins, croissants, yogurts, fresh fruit, coffee, tea, and various juices is available to participants upon arrival and during the morning break. Beverages are readily available throughout the day, and a light snack is offered in the afternoon.

Lunch is provided only when a course is given at the CEC training facility due to the absence of easily accessible restaurants at this location. Lunch is not provided when a course is delivered elsewhere.

The CEC will make every reasonable effort to accommodate food allergies and dietary requirements provided notice is submitted to us in writing at least 72 hours in advance of the workshop you are scheduled to attend.

You will receive a course workbook, handouts and any other materials provided as part of the course.

Any CEC course can be delivered in-house. To obtain information or discuss your requirements, call Josef Jurkovic at 613 233 2175 or email josefjurkovic@comcec.com.

If you notify us by email or fax of cancellation two weeks or more prior to the agreed date(s) of the course, you will be charged 50% of the agreed-upon price. If you notify us less than two weeks prior to the agreed date(s), you will be charged 100% of the price.

We customize existing courses and we develop new courses to meet our clients' requirements. To obtain information or discuss your requirements, call Josef Jurkovic at 613 233 2175 or email josefjurkovic@comcec.com.

We offer various regularly scheduled open-registration courses in French and we can provide just about any of our range of courses in French.

You can ask the instructor questions after the course through the CEC by emailing them to information@comcec.com.

If you need advice, confirmation of a decision, or someone to discuss ideas with call us at 613 233 2175 or email information@comcec.com.

Business casual. Room temperatures can vary so you might want to bring a sweater or a jacket.

You will receive a certificate upon completion of the course.

We will do whatever we can to assist participants with disabilities. Simply let us know and we'll be happy to provide a disabled participant an additional seat in the classroom and an additional set of course materials for an Auxiliary Aide. The employer of the participant is responsible for all other costs of any necessary accommodation. We normally ask for two weeks notice in advance of the workshop so we can do everything possible to assist the participant.

Any information received from CEC workshop registrants is exclusively for CEC administrative and instructional purposes and not shared with any outside organization.

All copyrights, patents, designs and other intellectual property rights in or relating to any course materials provided or made available in connection with our courses remain the sole property of the CEC and its associates . No part of any course materials may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or translated into any language, without the prior written permission of the CEC.

Course particpants are asked to complete an evaluation questionnaire at the conclusion of the course.

The CEC approach to learning is practical - a solid conceptual understanding combined with how-to training and tools for performance enhancement. Learning builds upon individual experience and a high level of interaction among participants and trainers - we assume everyone brings experience that can be leveraged to achieve a synergy with what is being presented.

The focus is on key issues and their impact on people who need to understand and apply concepts and techniques that provide concrete and effective solutions. Our courses, in an adult education framework, employ combinations of the following learning methods in an informal, workshop context:

• Conceptual awareness and knowledge building via direct transmission of information/explanation of concepts in presentations by instructors, and the use of concrete examples from organizations
• Skill building and skill practice through application of concepts and techniques via small group exercises to develop responses to scenarios (instructors both work directly with groups as needed and facilitate guided discussions/critiques of groups results);
  
  

During their own presentations, instructors use less formal question and answer routines and other techniques designed to involve participants in discussion and maintain a high energy, dynamic and enjoyable learning environment. The basic framework is one of facilitation. Instructors often work in teams of two, with one principal and one secondary instructor who provides support and additional commentary. This approach increases the dynamic of the training and adds value for participants.

The CEC supports the International Association of Business Communicators and the Canadian Public Relations Society.

We have a network of experienced trainers and subject-matter experts we can access. Our people can work in several languages, including English, French, German, Spanish and Czech.