Undergraduate Calendar 1998-1999
Undergraduate Calendar 1998-1999 | |
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These regulations apply to all engineering students entering in the Fall
of 1997 or later.
The Faculty constitutes the examining body for all examinations and is
responsible for all decisions on grades, promotions, failures, deferred
examinations, appeals, and recommendations for the granting of degrees.
The Faculty of Engineering delegates its authority in these matters to
the Engineering Examinations and Promotions Committee. Students are examined
and grades are set for individual courses on the completion of work for
those courses. Upon examination of the student's performance at the end
of each term, the Engineering Examinations and Promotions Committee assigns
an academic decision.
The 1A Term is a transition term and has its own unique promotion rules described in the section entitled 1A Term Rules. The discussion starting in the next paragraph applies to promotion decisions for the 1B and subsequent terms.
The primary factor in academic decisions in engineering is the term average. The minimum passing average is 60%. The minimum average to remain in the engineering program is 50%. A secondary factor in academic decisions in engineering is the course grade. The minimum passing course grade is 50%. A course for which the grade is below this is a failed course. The term 'required courses' will be used to denote those courses which are required for the degree. Required courses that are failed must be successfully passed, or approved replacement courses passed, prior to graduation. All courses not included in term averages (this includes all courses taken on work terms) are extra courses. It is not necessary to pass failed extra courses unless they are required courses for the degree. The minimum requirements (except in the 1A term or in a repeat term) for an academic decision which permits a student to proceed to the next term, are a passing term average of 60% and fewer than three cumulative uncleared failures in courses included in the term average of that term and all previous terms except the 1A term.
If a term is being repeated, the minimum requirements to remain in the engineering program are a term average of at least 60% and no grades below 50% for courses included in the term average.
Failed required courses may be passed by one of the two actions enumerated
below. The department/board responsible for the student's program will
decide which mechanism is appropriate on a case-by-case basis. The two
mechanisms are:
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All failed required courses, must be passed prior to graduation. It is in the best interests of students to pass failed required courses as soon as possible because students may not accumulate more than two uncleared failed courses and continue in the program. A student who obtains a passing term average but has accumulated three or more uncleared failed required courses will not be permitted to proceed to the next term; normally, he or she will be required to register instead for a non-degree term to pass some or all of the failed required courses. Only after the number of failed required courses still uncleared is reduced to one or none will the student be permitted to proceed to the next degree term.
The possible academic decisions and their effect on the student's progress
in the program are as follows:
At the end of each term, the examining faculty members submit grades for
that term's courses. Each department or board then reviews the performance
of its students and makes recommendations to the Engineering Examinations
and Promotions Committee. The Engineering Examinations and Promotions Committee
then considers the evidence on which the recommendations have been made
and assigns the official academic decision. An appeal or petition relating
to an assigned academic decision, grade, or other evaluation, or relating
to other decisions based on University policies, may be made by following
the procedures outlined in the Appeals
and Petitions section of this chapter. All academic decisions and grades
are reported to the student through the Registrar's Office. All recommendations
to award degrees must be approved by the Senate of the University.
The following rules are applied when the student's performance is assessed,
except in the 1A term (see 1A rules below):
| Program requirement, included in average | blank |
| Program requirement, not in average | X |
| Not required for program, in average | E |
| Not required for program, not in average | N |
With the exception of work term reports (see
Rule 16), a mixture of courses of type X and courses of type E will
not be permitted in a single term. Grades for courses that are not included
in the term average or not required for the program will be reported on
the student's transcript. The Faculty of Engineering does not permit undergraduate
Engineering students to register in any courses in an "audit"
category, and does not permit other undergraduate students to register
in Engineering courses in an "audit" category.
| AEG | Aegrotat. The student was ill according to medical evidence but has satisfactory understanding of the course. |
| CR | Credit granted. Performance was satisfactory. |
| DNW | Did not write. The student did not withdraw from the course and was not eligible for an Incomplete grade. The student did not complete a sufficient proportion of the assignments, tests, and examinations for an evaluation to be made. |
| INC | Incomplete. The course work is incomplete and the student has permission to extend the work beyond the term. If the work is not completed within six months from the end of the term, a grade of NCR will be assigned. |
| IP | Course in progress, no grade assigned at this time. |
| NCR | No credit granted. Performance was unsatisfactory. |
| UR | Grade under review, decision pending. |
In cases where students take courses in a Faculty where letter grades are assigned, the letter grades will be converted for the purposes of reporting and averaging according to the following table:
| A+ | 95 | B+ | 78 | C+ | 68 | D+ | 58 | F+ | 46 | ||||
| A | 89 | B | 75 | C | 65 | D | 55 | F | 38 | ||||
| A- | 83 | B- | 72 | C- | 62 | D- | 52 | F- | 32 |
Work term reports are required to be submitted in specific terms, as identified
in the table below, and form part of the academic program for the corresponding
term. The work term reports are identified as WKRPT 100, WKRPT 200, WKRPT
300, and WKRPT 400, respectively, on all grade reports and transcripts.
| Report |
Stream 4 |
Stream 8 |
| WKRPT100 |
1B |
2A |
| WKRPT200 |
2B |
3A |
| WKRPT300 |
3A |
3B |
| WKTPR400 |
4A |
4A |
Work term reports are due seven days after the first official day of lectures
of the academic term in which the report is required. Reports not submitted
before the deadline will receive a grade of Unacceptable. Reports
submitted after the deadline will be carried forward to the following academic
term for evaluation, and are not eligible for prizes.
Work term reports are considered to be required courses of type X; failed work term report evaluations contribute to the accumulated failed course count (see Rule 7). For failed work term reports, the original grade will appear in the grade field and a credit (CR) will appear in the sup' field after the failure has been cleared.
When a work term report has been submitted but the grade obtained is Resubmit, the student must provide any subsequent submissions before the date 'Final Examinations Begin' for that term, as specified in the calendar, in order for those submissions to be considered in that term. Failure to clear a Resubmit by the above date will result in a grade of Unacceptable. Any submissions after that date will be deemed to be new submissions and to have been submitted for consideration in the following term.
| 1A.1 | In the preceding rules, all except rules 3, 4, and 5 apply to the program of 1A students. Rules 14 and 15 may be of particular interest. |
| 1A.2 | All 1A students are expected to register in those courses specified in the Calendar for the 1A term of their program. These are the courses used to calculate the term average which is used in making promotion decisions. |
| 1A.3 | A student who achieves a term average of 60% or better with no course grade below 50% will be Promoted. |
| 1A.4 | A student who achieves a term average of 50% or better (but less than 60%) with no more than two course grades below 50% or a term average of 60% or better with only one or two course grades below 50% will Proceed to 1B Term. |
| 1A.5 | A student with a term average below 50% or with more than two course grades below 50% will be Required to Withdraw after 1A Engineering. The student may request a Qualifying Program for Readmission and on successful completion of the Program will be readmitted to Engineering at the 1B level. |
A student may voluntarily withdraw from the term within the first five
weeks of classes by submitting a "Notice of Withdrawal" form
to the Registrar. See the "Fees and Registration"
chapter with respect to eligibility for refund of fees paid for the term.
After five weeks of classes, but before four weeks prior to the date "Final
Examinations Begin", as specified in the Calendar, a student can
voluntarily withdraw from the term only under extenuating circumstances
and with the permission of the Department. Up to four weeks prior to the
date "Final Examinations Begin" a student may voluntarily withdraw
from Engineering by notifying his/her department and submitting a "Notice
of Withdrawal" form to the Registrar. After four weeks prior to the
date "Final Examinations Begin", students will normally not be
allowed to voluntarily withdraw from the term or from Engineering; in the
1A term, however, a student may withdraw voluntarily from the term or from
the program at any time before the date "Final Examinations Begin",
as specified in the calendar, by submitting a "Notice of Withdrawal"
form to the Registrar.
A student who does not register for the term to which he or she would normally be expected to return and who does not submit a "Notice of Withdrawal" form or otherwise obtain the permission of the department, prior to the "Final Registration Date" as defined in the "Fees and Registration" chapter of the calendar, will be deemed to have withdrawn from Engineering.
A student who voluntarily withdraws from the term is expected to return to his/her program of studies within one year from the beginning of the term from which he/she is withdrawing. After this period, if the student has not registered in Engineering, he/she will be deemed to have withdrawn from Engineering.
A student who withdraws from Engineering, or is deemed to have done so, will be required to apply for re-admission to Engineering in order to be considered for continuation of his/her program of studies.
For completeness, the following information is extracted from Chapter 5
of this calendar. For additional information please refer to that chapter.
Upon entry to a Co-op program, a student is expected to follow the work-term/academic-term
sequence which corresponds to that particular program. A student may, for
one reason or another, fail to satisfactorily complete the full complement
of work terms. For these students and for students given advanced admission
to a Co-op program, a certain minimum number of satisfactory or better
work terms must be completed before graduation. For students in Engineering
programs, this minimum number of satisfactory or better work terms is normally
five.
Allowance can be made for personal considerations, educational opportunities, and other "On Own" conditions with prior approval from the Department of Co-operative Education & Career Services. However, "On Own" conditions do not normally count toward the minimum requirements for graduation.
Evaluation grades are recorded on the "Employer Evaluation of Co-operative
Student" form or on a special form developed in conjunction with a
professional licensing body. The student should ensure that the employer
has sent a completed evaluation to the University.
The Student Academic Record for the student's last academic term will be
sent to the Co-operative employer unless the student notifies the Department
of Co-operative Education and Career Services to the contrary prior to
the commencement of each work term.
Failure to report to an employer will be recorded on the Co-operative Student
Record as "Failed work term -- refusal to honour previous agreement".
Withdrawal from the program may also be required.
Terminating employment without prior approval from the Department of Co-operative
Education and Career Services may result in the Co-operative Student Record
having the notation "Failed work term -- terminating employment without
prior approval". Withdrawal from the program may also be required.
It is each individual student's responsibility to decide whether or not
to cross a picket line in the case of a strike. The role of the Co-ordinator
in this situation is to inform the student of the potential results of
either decision.
Dismissal of a student by an employer will be investigated by the student's
Co-ordinator and will normally be recorded on the Co-operative Student
Record as "Failed work term -- dismissed with cause".
A minimum of two consecutive work terms with an employer is expected. However,
provision is allowed for such situations as one-term jobs and economic
uncertainty. In all cases, failure to obtain approval from the appropriate
Co-ordinator to not return for a second consecutive work term will normally
be recorded on the Co-operative Student Record as "Failed work term
-- refusal to honour previous agreement".
Unsatisfactory performance by a student on a work term is investigated
by the student's Co-ordinator. If benefits from further professional training
are questionable, the student may be Required to Withdraw from Engineering.
This condition, as recorded on the Co-operative Student Record, does not
count towards the minimum requirements for graduation. This terminology
is used to denote the following conditions:
On Own -- Self Imposed: The student has been granted a term off by the Department of Co-operative Education and Career Services for personal reasons. This condition may be changed on the Student Record should the student find suitable employment through her/his own efforts.
On Own -- University Imposed: This notation normally indicates that a student has not complied with a program regulation or procedure. Reasons for this notation include, but are not restricted to, missing interviews without just cause and failure to obtain approval to sign off a job.
On Own -- Non-Credit Term: The student was unable to obtain suitable employment through the normal interview process. If suitable employment is subsequently found, Student Records will be altered accordingly.
Each student is expected to maintain communication with the Department
on all matters pertinent to participation in the Co-operative program.
Consultation with the appropriate Co-ordinator, Program Administrator or
Placement Advisor is essential when regulations and procedures for Co-operative
programs are an issue. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that
her/his student file is updated and accurate.
The Ontario Human Rights Code indicates "Every person who is an employee
has the right to be free from harassment in the workplace". The University
has a commitment to its students while engaged in University related activities
on and off campus. Should harassment occur in a Co-op workplace, contact
a Harassment Advisor in the Co-operative Education and Career Services
Department.
Applicable to information regarding "Seeking Employment and Employer
Interviews" and above. The Department of Co-operative Education and
Career Services which administers these Regulations and Procedures will
first present any notation of "Failed Work Term", "On Own
-- University Imposed", or "Required to Withdraw" (as a
result of unsatisfactory work-term performance) to the Faculty Examinations
and Promotions Committee for a decision. The student is notified by letter
of the final decision made by the Committee. The decision may be appealed
through the normal appeal channels within the Faculty.
Two distinct situations in which a student may wish to approach the Faculty
with a request are the following: an appeal of an academic grade
or decision, and a petition for special consideration. In the case
of an appeal, the student is disputing the grade or decision for reasons
which must be provided; in the case of a petition, the student agrees that
the rules have been applied fairly and is not disputing grades but, rather,
is requesting special consideration because of extenuating circumstances.
The procedure by which such requests will be considered is described in
the following paragraphs. The University policy on student grievances and
associated procedures is summarized in Policy '70' and copies of the complete
Student Grievance Policy, UW Policy '70'
, are available from the Associate Deans, the Registrar's Office, the
University Graduate Office, the University Secretariat, and the Ombudsperson.
Petitions apply in those instances where a student acknowledges that the
rules and regulations of the University have been applied fairly but is
requesting that an exception to the regulations be made because of special
circumstances. A petition is launched by submitting a Petition for Exception
to Academic Regulations form to the Assistant Registrar for Engineering,
Registrar's Office, University of Waterloo. Reasons for such requests for
special treatment as well as supporting documentation, including medical
certificates and similar documents, must be provided with the petition.
If a successful petition would reverse an academic decision, the petition
must be received prior to four weeks after the date of issue of the marks
for the corresponding term in order to facilitate entry into the immediately
following term if so desired by the student. Petitions which are launched
later than six months after the end of the term for which the decision
would be affected normally will not be considered.
All petitions are considered by the Faculty Examinations and Promotions Committee. This committee will also acquire and consider the recommendation made by the student's home department, and by the Department of Co-operative Education and Career Services if the petition concerns work term considerations, before making its decision. Students normally do not appear in person before the committee at the meeting at which the case will be considered; only if such an appearance will provide relevant information that cannot be communicated through the written petition and supporting documents will such an appearance be granted. Requests for personal appearances will be considered by the Associate Dean of Engineering for Undergraduate Studies.
Since a Petition for Exception to Academic Regulations does not dispute an academic evaluation or application of the rules and regulations of the University, the decision of the Examinations and Promotions Committee with regard to petitions is final; there is no appeal of an unsuccessful petition. The Assistant Registrar for Engineering shall notify the student in writing of the outcome of the petition within two weeks of the Examinations and Promotions Committee meeting at which the petition was considered.
If the student believes that a decision or action is unfair, or
that the student has been otherwise treated unfairly, or if the student
believes that an academic evaluation or judgment is incorrect, that student
may launch an Appeal. All appeals normally must be launched within
two months either of being notified of an adverse decision or from the
end of the term in which the alleged event(s) occurred. The first step
of an appeal is always an informal inquiry. This may be followed
by a formal review, which may be followed by a hearing, if
warranted.
A student shall initiate an informal inquiry by going directly to the appropriate instructor, officer, or University authority. The appeal will proceed beyond the informal inquiry stage only after evidence has been presented to the Associate Dean that a direct discussion between the student and the instructor, officer, or University authority has failed to produce agreement.
Within 10 working days of receiving the response to the informal inquiry, or if there is no timely response, the student may submit a Request for a Formal Review form to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies. The Request for a Formal Review is used both to appeal decisions and actions and to request a Formal Re-Read of a piece of work (e.g. an examination, thesis, project, work term report, course assignment, essay, laboratory report, etc.) in which the mark or assessment is questioned. The Associate Dean shall submit a copy of the Request for a Formal Review form to the Associate Chair of the department involved who shall conduct an investigation and submit a written report to the Associate Dean. The Associate Dean shall communicate the results of the Formal Review to the student. In the case of a Formal Re-Read, the Associate Chair shall select a qualified new reader or readers who shall provide an assessment of the work using the marking scheme of the original instructor. The Associate Chair may decide that a re-read is not appropriate and shall so inform the Associate Dean, with reasons; otherwise, the Associate Chair shall determine from the evidence available, including the results of the re-read, the assessment that will be given to the work. The result can be a raising, lowering, or maintaining of the student's grade. The Associate Dean shall notify the student of the decision in writing and with reasons.
The next step, and the final one for appeals concerning academic judgment or assessment of a student's work, is the Hearing. Within 10 working days of receipt of the decision of the Formal Review, the student shall submit a Request for a Hearing form to the University Committee on Student Appeals Chair or the appropriate Faculty Committee on Student Appeals Chair. For details, the student is directed to the University Student Grievance Policy, UW Policy '70'.
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The Undergraduate Calendar is published by the
Office of the Registrar, University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada
Inquiries: infoucal@www.adm.uwaterloo.ca
Revised February 1998