Regulations Overview
This information is intended to provide you with a brief overview of the University and Faculty regulations which govern your progress through your degree program.
University Letter Grades and Associated Grade Points
| A+ | 4.0 |
| A | 4.0 |
| A- | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B- | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C- | 1.7 |
| D+ | 1.3 |
| D | 1.0 |
| F | 0.0 |
Measurement of Course Weight
Any course that is a required core course in any engineering degree program has its course weight measured in engineering units. This applies to engineering students only and students from other Faculties taking the same course will have the course weight measured in university course weights. All courses taught within the Faculty of Engineering have course weight measured in engineering units. The engineering unit value for a course is the number of lecture hours per week plus one half the number of seminar hours per week plus one half the number of lab hours per week. Generally university course weights represent the number of lecture hours per week only.
Grade Point Average and Academic Standing
Grade Point Average (GPA) is the weighted average of your course grades over Fall and Winter terms where the weighting factor is the course weight.
GPA of 3.5 or greater - First Class Standing*
GPA of 2.0 or greater - Satisfactory Standing
GPA of 1.7 to 1.9 (inclusive) - Marginal Standing places you on Academic Warning
GPA of 1.6 or less - Unsatisfactory Standing and results in a Requirement to Withdraw
* Requires a minimum Fall/Winter course load of 35.0 units
GPAs are calculated to one decimal place, the calculation truncates after the second decimal and the final GPA is calculated by rounding up on the second decimal. Example: 2.449 is 2.44 which is a GPA of 2.4 while 2.357 is 2.35 which is also a GPA of 2.4.
Decisions by the Faculty, Departments and Instructors
Each of these entities is empowered to make certain types of decisions with the Faculty having the ultimate authority to approve or change decisions made by Departments within the Faculty and Instructors. Decisions are made on the basis of published regulations, any compelling and special circumstances and fairness and equity not only to you but for all other students. If a decision were to provide a student with an unwarranted advantage over others then this is unacceptable.
Decisions in Other Faculties
For courses that are offered in a Department in a Faculty other than Engineering (chemistry, mathematics, psychology, etc), decisions are governed by the regulations of that Department and Faculty.
Course Registration Issues
Course schedules and enrolment limits are established by the Department, within the Faculty of Engineering or within another Faculty, offering the course. Students with questions regarding the schedule for a specific course, lecture, seminar or lab, or enrolment in a course must contact the Department offering the course. In the case of ENGG 130 this is the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. EN PH 131 is managed through the Department of Physics. ENCMP 100 is managed through the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Program Advising
For qualifying year students, all advising with respect course selection, is done through the Dean's Office. The advising for students who are in a specific program specialization, second year and beyond, is done through the Department offering the degree program.
Withdrawal From Courses
You can drop a course without any cost through Bear Tracks up to the point when the on-line registration system closes (Add/Drop Deadline). After that date, you must complete a course withdrawal form. As withdrawal falls in the category of program advising, see the previous item to determine who the appropriate advisor is. Any withdrawals done prior to a deadline approximately one month into the term will result in 50% refund (Term Refund Deadline). After that date full fees are payable. There is a withdrawal deadline approximately one month before the end of the term. After this date you will be assigned a course grade based on the work you have completed in the course.
The specific cut off dates for each of these stages in a given term can be found in the University Academic Schedule. See Section 11.1 of the current University Calendar.
Scheduling of Midterm and Final Exams
Midterm exams, except courses which have consolidated midterm exams, are scheduled by the course instructor and must appear on the course syllabus. Some courses will have consolidated midterm exams for all sections. Please consult your course syllabus. Final examinations are scheduled by the Registrar's Office and the schedule for your final exams is available through your Bear Tracks account. In planning trips and purchasing airline tickets you must ensure that your departure date is after your last final exam.
In the absence of compelling personal circumstances, students are responsible to show up at the indicated time and place and write the midterm and final exams as scheduled. Personal travel plans are not considered a compelling personal circumstance.
If you have two exams on one day or two or more exams on successive days, this is not a reason to receive permission to write one or more of the exams at a later time. You can be assured that a number of other students have the same exam schedule.
Missed Midterm Exams
If there are compelling reasons for a student missing a scheduled midterm exam, with appropriate documentation the instructor at their discretion may roll the value of the midterm exam on to the final exam. See Section 23.5.6(1) of the current University Calendar. There is no opportunity to write a makeup or "deferred" midterm exam in any course offered in the Faculty of Engineering.
Missed Final Exams
If there are compelling reasons for a student missing a scheduled final exam, there are formal procedures for applying for a deferred exam. The granting of an official deferred exam is dependent on supplying appropriate documentation and following the required procedures. The entire process is explained in Section 23.5.6(2) in the current University Calendar. Instructors are not permitted to grant "unofficial" deferred exams. It should also be noted that eligibility for a deferred exam requires that you have completed (attempted) at least one half of the term work in the course. The midterm exam is part of this term work.
Re-Examinations
If you failed a course you may qualify for a re-examination. See Section 23.5.5 of the current University Calendar. To qualify for a re-examination, the course must have been failed. Therefore this is not a mechanism to raise your grade in a course which you passed, regardless if you feel you deserved a higher grade. Only one re-examination is permitted over Fall/Winter. Eligibility for a re-examination in a Fall term course requires a Fall term GPA of 2.0 or above including the failed course. In the Winter term, the eligibility is based on a Fall/Winter GPA of at least 2.0 including the failed courses. Application for a re-examination must be made through the Department offering the course within 10 days of the posting the final course grades.
Policies with respect to all of these topics are part of the Faculty of Engineering's Academic Regulations which appear in Section 83.3 of the current University Calendar.
Academic Integrity
The Faculty is committed to maintaining academic integrity within the engineering program. The Code of Student Behaviour is published in Appendix A of the current University Calendar. As the Code is reviewed and updated periodically, please consult the GFC Policy Manual for the most current information. Academic offences such as plagiarism, cheating, misuse of confidential materials, research and scholarship misconduct, misrepresentation of facts and participation in an offence are taken very seriously and can result in significant sanctions which range from grade reductions to suspension or expulsion.
Plagiarism (copying or unauthorized collaboration on assignments, projects, lab reports or other coursework) can be a difficult offence for students to understand in that the rules may vary from one course to another. As policies on collaboration can vary from course to course you must consult your instructor.
Students who commit academic offences or aid others in committing academic offences create a situation where one or more students gain an academic advantage over other students. This is unfair and is not tolerated. Student(s) who are found to have committed such offences are dealt with severely through the formal discipline process outlined in the Code of Student Behaviour.