Academic Penalties

Students whose academic record does not meet Faculty standards are subject to the academic penalties of academic warning, required withdrawal, debarment warning, debarment and academic probation.

Academic Warning

Students whose cumulative grade point average falls below 4.00 (C) at the end of any session or who enter the Faculty with a grade point average equivalent to less than 4.00 (C) on the York University undergraduate grading scheme, receive an academic warning. Students who receive an academic warning must achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 4.00 (C) within the next 24 credits taken or must earn a sessional grade point average of at least 5.00 (C+) in the session in which the 24th credit is completed and in each subsequent session until the cumulative average reaches 4.00 (C) or be required to withdraw.

Required Withdrawal

Students whose academic record show marked weaknesses may be required to withdraw from their studies for one year, during which time they are encouraged to identify and remedy any problems which may have contributed to their failure to perform up to their potential, and to reflect on their reasons for pursuing a university education. The following regulations apply to required withdrawals:

Grade Point Average Below 3.00 (D+)

Students whose cumulative grade point average on at least 24 credits is below 3.00 must withdraw for 12 months.

Grade Point Average Below 4.00 (C) and Greater than 3.00 (D+)

Students who have received an academic warning for a cumulative grade point average below 4.00 (C) must achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 4.00 (C) within their next 24 credits taken or earn a sessional grade point average of at least 5.00 (C+) in the session in which the 24th credit is completed and in each subsequent session until the cumulative average reaches 4.00 (C); otherwise, they must withdraw for 12 months. Should the student's cumulative grade point average fall below 3.00 (D+) at any time after completion of 24 credits, they will be required to withdraw.

Petition to Continue Without Interruption

Students who have been required to withdraw may submit a petition to the Faculty of Environmental Studies Petitions (BES program and Admissions) Committee requesting permission to continue their studies without interruption. For further information, contact the undergraduate program administrative and records assistant in the Office of Student and Academic Services, 137 HNES.

Reactivation After Required Withdrawal

Students who have been required to withdraw may apply for reactivation (to continue their studies) after the requisite period of absence by submitting a form obtainable from Student Client Services or online at the Current Students Web site (http://www.yorku.ca/yorkweb/cs.htm). Students who return to their studies after such a required withdrawal (as well as those who have been allowed to continue their studies by virtue of a petition to the FES Petitions Committee) will receive a debarment warning.

Debarment Warning

Students who have been required to withdraw from the Faculty of Environmental Studies or from another Faculty at York or elsewhere receive will a debarment warning upon returning or continuing their studies in the Faculty of Environmental Studies. Students on a debarment warning must achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 4.00 (C) within the next 24 credits taken or earn a sessional grade point average of at least 5.00 (C+) in the session in which the 24th credit is completed and in each subsequent session until their cumulative average reaches 4.00 (C), and must then maintain this average. Students who do not fulfill these conditions will be debarred from the University. Students whose cumulative grade point average falls below 3.00 (D+) at any time while on a debarment warning will be debarred.

Debarment

Students who have already been required to withdraw because of their unsatisfactory academic record and whose record does not show improvement will be debarred from the University. Debarment, the minimum period for which is normally two years, means that a student is no longer a student at York University.

Petition to Continue Without Interruption

Students who have been debarred may submit a petition to the Faculty of Environmental Studies Petitions Committee requesting permission to continue their studies without interruption. For further information, contact the undergraduate program administrative and records assistant in the Office of Student and Academic Services, 137 HNES.

Reapplying After Debarment

Students who have been debarred and who wish to resume their studies must apply for admission through the Admissions Office and must provide persuasive evidence that they are ready and able to complete a degree program.

Academic Probation

Students who have been debarred and who subsequently resume their studies in the Faculty of Environmental Studies - by petitioning to continue without interruption or by reapplying for admission - receive an academic probation. The conditions for continuing on an academic probation are the same as those for a debarment warning.

Breach of Academic Honesty

Conduct that violates the ethical or legal standards of the University community is a serious matter. In particular, any breach of academic honesty is a most serious offence to both the University community and the academic enterprise. Therefore, all faculty members are required to treat any breach of academic honesty, no matter how small the breach may appear, as a most serious matter demanding most thorough investigation. The rules embodied in the University Senate Policy on Academic Honesty and the Procedures Governing Breach of Academic Honesty apply to all BES students and are described in the University Policies section of this publication.

In the Faculty of Environmental Studies it is a serious offence against academic honesty, among other things, to cheat, to impersonate, to plagiarize or misappropriate the work of others, to practice improper research procedures, to be dishonest in publication, to aid and abet academic misconduct or to undertake any other action that runs counter to academic honesty. In addition, some forms of breach of academic honesty might constitute offences under the Criminal Code of Canada. While the pressures of school may be such that a student may feel pressured to breach academic honesty, students must completely resist such pressures. Students who are unsure of what may constitute a breach of academic honesty should consult with the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty (in the University Policies and Regulations section) or with the Faculty of Environmental Studies Office of Student and Academic Services.