Grading and Academic Standards
Refer to Grades and Grading Schemes within the
Academic Information section of this Calendar for general information.
Alternative Grading Option (Pass/Fail)
Students in good standing may, after successfully
completing 24 credits, enrol in up to 12 credits on an ungraded
(pass/fail) basis. Courses taken on an ungraded basis may not be
used to satisfy major, minor, general education or certificate requirements.
Courses taken on an ungraded basis are recorded as P (pass) or F
(fail), and neither grade is included in the calculation of grade
point averages.
To designate a course as ungraded, a student
must complete an application form available at the Office of the
Registrar, and submit it to that office before the end of the second
week of classes in the course.
It is possible to revert to the regular grading
scheme after choosing the alternative grading option. The Office
of the Registrar must be notified of this decision no later than
the last day to withdraw from the course without academic penalty.
Grading Policy
a. Within the first two classes, a written course
outline must be provided to each student. Such an outline should
announce the means of determining the final grade in a course. Such
information must include the kinds of assignments, essays, examinations
and other components which make up the grade; their relative weights;
and any other procedures which enter into the determination of the
final grade.
b. In exceptional circumstances, a previously
announced marking scheme for a course may be changed; the new marking
scheme must also be distributed in written form. Any changes to
a previously announced marking scheme must have the consent of all
students registered in the course, such consent to be signified
by their signatures.
c. Feedback during course: Instructors are obligated
to provide a mechanism by which students can be apprised of their
progress in a course; in particular, students must be able to make
an informed decision on whether to withdraw from a course. This
will normally mean that students will receive graded feedback on
work worth at least 15 per cent of the course grade before the deadline
to withdraw from that course.
d. No examination or test worth more than 20
per cent of the course grade may be scheduled during the last two
weeks of class time, but must be scheduled during the formal exam
period.
e. Grades submitted by an instructor are subject
to review by the teaching unit in which the course is offered, and
by the Faculty of Fine Arts Committee on Administrative Affairs.
Grade Reappraisals
Students may, with sufficient academic grounds,
request that a final grade in a course be reappraised. Further information
may be obtained from the Student and Academic Services Office, Faculty
of Fine Arts or from the unit offering the course. Students applying
to have a grade reappraised in a Faculty of Fine Arts course should
note the following:
a. Deadlines: Requests for reappraisal
must be filed within three weeks of the release of grade reports
for the term.
b. Reassessable Work: Students may question
the overall course grade or the marking of the specific pieces of
work. For reassessment of specific projects or assignments, tangible
evidence of the original submitted work must be provided. Written,
graphic, modelled, video recording or audio recording are acceptable
formats for reassessment.
c. Possible Grade Changes: When a student
asks for a reappraisal of a grade or assignment, an original grade
may be raised, lowered or confirmed.
d. Faculty Appeal Procedures: The decision
of the department or division may be appealed to the Faculty of
Fine Arts Committee on Administrative Affairs only on grounds of
procedural irregularity or new evidence. Appeals to CAA must be
submitted to Student and Academic Services, Faculty of Fine Arts.
Deferred Standing
Deferred standing may be recorded and in effect
in the following cases:
a. If a student has missed an examination, or
has not completed the course work due to sickness or other misfortune,
it is the student's responsibility to make arrangements with the
instructor to complete the course and to file a deferred standing
agreement with the department by the specified deadline.
b. If the nature of the academic exercise precludes
the completion of certain course requirements before the grading
deadlines, it is the instructor's responsibility to provide a written
rationale to the Committee on Administrative Affairs.
Aegrotat Standing
In cases where deferred standing is not possible,
students may be granted aegrotat standing (AEG) on the grounds of
sickness, accident or family misfortune. Aegrotat standing excuses
students from completing the remaining and required work for a course
or courses although course credit is granted. The notation AEG is
recorded on the transcript in place of a final grade. Aegrotat standing
is normally dependent upon the student's having completed 75 per
cent of the required course work at a minimum C+ level. Requests
for aegrotat standing will not be considered before the final date
for withdrawal from a course.
Petitions for aegrotat standing must be submitted
to the Office of the Registrar with documentation substantiating
the misfortune and written support from the instructor(s). The petition
will then be considered by the Faculty Committee on Administrative
Affairs.
Aegrotat standing is seldom granted and will
not be granted for more than one academic session prior to the completion
of a degree.
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