OCAD University Undergraduate Academic Regulations & Procedures
OCAD University Undergraduate Academic Regulations & Procedures
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Enrollment Status Repeat Courses Defining Year of Study Course Weight Choice of Major/Program in First-Year Change of Major/Program Transfer from Diploma to Degree Program Graduation Requirements Maximum Credit Attempts Graduation with Distinction Credit Requirements and Limits for Alumni in Degree Programs Grading Scheme Incomplete Grades Course Grading Scheme Student Petition Grade Appeal Attendance Policy Final Tests, Examinations and Critiques Deferred Final Examination Policy Student Access to Final Examination Materials Academic Considerations for Religious Observances Religious Observance Dates
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1|Page Revised August 2011 All content is subject to revision without notice. For the most current information, please go to OCAD University’s website: www.ocad.ca/students
OCAD University Undergraduate Academic Regulations & Procedures Enrollment Status Academic Year The academic year begins in may and consists of the spring/summer, fall and winter semesters. Full-time Status To maintain full-time status, students must register for a minimum of 2.0 credits in each of the fall and winter semesters. Students normally take 2.5 credits in each semester in order to complete their program in four years. The maximum course load permitted is 3.0 credits per semester. Requests for a change from part-time to full-time status must be supported by the student’s Associate Dean (or designate) and submitted to the Office of the Registrar prior to the start of the fall or winter semester. Application forms are available from the Office of the Registrar. Part-time Status Part-time program students may register for up to 3.5 credits over the fall and winter semesters, with up to 2.0 credits in one semester. Summer Semester The maximum course load for all students during the summer semester is 2.5 credits.
Repeat Courses Courses may not be repeated for credit. Students have three attempts to pass a course. If the failed course is a program requirement, the student will not be permitted to continue in that program after the third failure. With the approval of the student's Dean (or designate), a passed course may be repeated once to raise a low pass grade. The most recent grade will be included in the calculation of averages. If the student's Dean approves a repeat course for reasons other than to raise a low pass grade, the first recorded grade will be used in the calculation of averages. All credit attempts are recorded on an academic transcript.
Defining Year of Study The progress of students is measured in terms of credits completed. Year level equivalents are as follows: Year One: 0 to 4.75 completed credits Year Two: 5.0 to 9.75 completed credits Year Three: 10.0 to 14.75 completed credits Year Four: 15.0 or more completed credits
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OCAD University Undergraduate Academic Regulations & Procedures Course Weight The majority of the courses offered at OCAD U have a course weight of 0.5 credits. This usually indicates that classes will meet the equivalent of three hours per week over the course of a 12-week semester. A 0.5-credit course is the equivalent of 36 faculty/student contact hours. Courses with a weight of 1.0 credit normally meet six hours per week for one semester.
Choice of Major/Program in First Year Students are admitted either to the Faculty of Art or to a specific program in the Faculty of Design. Firstyear students who wish to change Faculty or change program within the Faculty of Design at the end of their first semester of study must submit a change of program application by the first business day in November. Approval is granted by the Dean (or designate) of the new area of study and is subject to space availability. All first-year BFA students must submit a Program Major Request by the first Friday in February. Approval is granted by the Dean of the Faculty and may be based on grades, portfolio interviews and space availability. Application forms are available from the Office of the Registrar.
Change of Major/Program Students may apply to change their major/program with the support of the Dean (or designate) of their new area of study. Students entering or currently in their fourth year are not normally eligible for change of major/program. Applications must be submitted by the first Friday in February for the following academic year. Approval may be based on grades, portfolio interviews and space availability in the requested program. Successful applicants must complete all requirements of their new program. Application forms are available from the Office of the Registrar.
3|Page Revised August 2011 All content is subject to revision without notice. For the most current information, please go to OCAD University’s website: www.ocad.ca/students
OCAD University Undergraduate Academic Regulations & Procedures Transfer from Diploma to Degree Program Faculty of Art diploma students who have completed at least 5.0 OCAD U credits and have an overall evaluation average of 60% are eligible to transfer to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree program. Faculty of Design diploma students who have completed at least 5.0 OCAD U credits and have an overall evaluation average of 60% are eligible to transfer to the Bachelor of Design (BDes) degree program. Students with 15.0 or more completed credits as of May 2003 are required to complete their original diploma program, including the liberal studies requirement, as well as an additional 2.0 credits in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences. At least half of these additional credits must be completed in residence at OCAD U. The liberal studies courses completed for the diploma and the 2.0 additional credits for the degree must together include a minimum of 5.0 credits designated for the BFA or BDes as outlined below, with at least 2.0 credits at the year three and/or year four level. Students with fewer than 15.0 completed credits as of May 2003 are required to complete all of their program requirements including at least 5.0 credits in liberal studies designated for the BFA or BDes as outlined below, with at least 2.0 credits at the year three and/or four level. In addition to their year 2, 3 and 4 requirements, students must complete 0.5 credit English requirement for first year. Students admitted to OCADU prior to September 2003 may submit a request to transfer liberal studies credits from an accredited post-secondary institution if these credits were not previously eligible for transfer. Transfer of credit requests must be submitted at the same time as the application to Transfer to Degree. Transfer of Credit is subject to OCAD U's residency requirements. Application to Transfer to Degree must be made before the first day of classes of the fall or winter semesters or the start of the summer session. Application must be made before graduation with the AOCAD diploma. A $100 non-refundable application fee is payable at the time of application. Students may not transfer from a degree program to a diploma program.
Graduation Requirements All students must complete program requirements as published at the time of their admission to the program. Where program requirements have changed or previously required courses are no longer offered, students must complete courses appropriate to their year level requirements as approved by their Dean.
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OCAD University Undergraduate Academic Regulations & Procedures Maximum Credit Attempts Students require a minimum number of credits as follows: • A student admitted to first year must pass at least 20 credits to graduate, within a maximum of 25 credit attempts. • The number of credit attempts will be prorated for students admitted with advanced standing or granted other transfer credits. For example, a student who has been awarded 10 transfer credits must pass at least 10 credits for a total of 20 credits to graduate, within a maximum of 12.5 credit attempts. Failed and repeat credits are recorded as credit attempts. The number of attempts and may be adjusted by the Registrar for students who receive approval to change their major/program. Students are eligible to graduate if they: • have fulfilled all program requirements • are in good academic standing • have an overall average of at least 60% • have an average of at least 65% in the designated courses of their major/program • have no outstanding accounts at the university. Students who have completed their graduation requirements must submit an application to graduate. Fall and spring graduation application deadlines are published annually (see Dates & Deadlines). Fall graduates normally participate in the following spring convocation ceremony.
Graduation with Distinction Students in undergraduate degree programs who have achieved an overall average of 80% and no grade lower than 70% will graduate with distinction. This status will be recorded on the student's academic transcript and diploma.
Credit Requirements and Limits for Alumni in Degree Programs Alumni admitted to a degree completion program require a maximum of 5.0 credits in the Faculty of Liberal Studies, with at least 2.0 of these credits at the third- and/or fourth-year levels. Alumni who completed degree-eligible Liberal Studies courses in their diploma program at OCAD U may apply a maximum of 2.5 of these credits towards their degree requirements. Alumni who completed equivalent courses at a recognized, accredited university may apply for Transfer of credit for up to half of the requirements as determined at the time of admission. All transfer of credit must be processed and awarded at the time of admission, prior to registration • Alumni admitted to the degree completion program who require 5.0 credits must complete all of these requirements within a maximum of 6.5 credit attempts. • The number of credit attempts will be prorated for students granted transfer credits. For example, alumni granted 2.5 transfer credits must pass at least 2.5 credits to graduate, within a maximum of 3.5 credit attempts.
5|Page Revised August 2011 All content is subject to revision without notice. For the most current information, please go to OCAD University’s website: www.ocad.ca/students
OCAD University Undergraduate Academic Regulations & Procedures Grading Scheme For administrative purposes and for the purpose of designating final grades, OCAD U uses a numerical grading system based upon percentages. However, for the purposes of faculty/student communication, numerical grades may be translated into letter grades as outlined in the following scale. For averaging purposes in determining a student’s overall standing, fail grades are calculated as 45%. 90-100% A+ Exceptional Exceeded expectations in demonstrating knowledge of concepts and/or techniques, and exceptional skill in their application in satisfying the requirements of a course. 80-89% A Excellent Demonstrated a thorough knowledge of concepts and/or techniques, and with a very high degree of skill in their application in satisfying the requirements of a course. 70-79% B Good Demonstrated a good knowledge of concepts and/or techniques, and considerable skill in their application in satisfying the requirements of a course. 65-69% C Satisfactory Demonstrated a satisfactory level of knowledge of concepts and/or techniques and competence in their application in satisfying the requirements of a course. 60-64% C- Low Satisfactory Demonstrated a level of knowledge of concepts and/or techniques and their application to the requirements of the course that was minimally satisfactory in an elective or non-major subject, but unsatisfactory in a core course of the student's major subject. 50-59% D Poor Demonstrated minimal knowledge and ability to apply concepts and/or techniques in satisfying the requirements of a course. 0-49% F Fail Failure to meet course requirements.
Incomplete Grades At the discretion of the teaching faculty and at the request of the student, an incomplete grade may be assigned when the student has not completed sufficient course requirements. It is accompanied by a minimum default grade, which becomes the final grade when no additional work is accepted by the faculty within deadlines set by the university. Teaching faculty are not authorized to extend OCAD U deadlines. Incomplete grades must be completed and a revised grade submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the published deadlines (see Dates & Deadlines). The default grade submitted becomes the final grade if work is not completed by the published deadline.
6|Page Revised August 2011 All content is subject to revision without notice. For the most current information, please go to OCAD University’s website: www.ocad.ca/students
OCAD University Undergraduate Academic Regulations & Procedures Course Grading Scheme: Guidelines for Teaching Faculty and Students 1. On or before the first class, the teaching faculty must provide students with a written course outline. This outline must specify the following: the methods by which student performance will be evaluated; the relative weight in the final grade of these methods, including any discretionary factor; the due dates of all assignments, tests, exams and critiques; and the penalty for late submission of assignments. A copy of the course outline must be filed in the appropriate faculty office. As well, the teaching faculty must inform the students about both the university’s academic misconduct policy and the participation and attendance policy. 2. To obtain “pass” standing in a course, a student must complete required and assigned course work, as described in the course outline, to the satisfaction of the teaching faculty. 3. Evaluation of student performance in both studio and Liberal Studies courses is based upon a reasonable diversity of methods. 4. No assignment can count for more than 40% of the final grade. Where peer or self-evaluation is used, that component cannot count for more than 25% of the final grade. In courses with multiple sections, the number and weighting of individual assignments shall be reasonably consistent in order to ensure fairness to students in all sections of the course. 5. The grading criteria outlined in each course syllabus indicates the percentage of the final grade assigned to participation. Normally, participation accounts for no more than 15% of the final mark. Participation includes some or all of the following: • arriving on time and listening to lectures and instruction • being prepared and working in class time • sharing ideas, concepts and creative exploration • sharing conceptual development in progress with other students • cooperating in group projects • analyzing and offering opinions about work in progress • listening to and being an active participant in critique discussions. 6. After the course outline has been presented, no change in grade weighting may take place unless there is unanimous consent of all students present. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, notice must be given at a regularly scheduled class meeting previous to the class at which the issue is to be decided. 7. In all twelve week course durations, teaching faculty must provide students with a written numerical interim grade based on work to date at least one week prior to the final deadline to withdraw from a course without academic penalty. 8. Students are strongly advised to keep rough and draft work and copies of their essays and assignments, as these may be required by the teaching faculty or in the event of a petition or grade appeal. 9. All work that has been evaluated as per the course outline should be returned and time made available for discussion of it. Any student inquiry about a graded piece of work must be made within one month of the return date of the work.
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OCAD University Undergraduate Academic Regulations & Procedures Student Petitions A petition is a written request from a student seeking exception to or relief from OCAD U rules and regulations with respect to deadlines, fees and refunds because of extenuating circumstances such as illness or family bereavement. Procedure Students may use the petition process to request relief from fees, deadlines, or refunds within 20 working days of the deadline or as soon as practicable, within reason, after a student becomes aware that a deadline has lapsed. Students must contact the Office of the Registrar for the Student Petition form and pay the applicable petition fee. The petition may be approved administratively by the Registrar. If approved, the student will be advised of the petition decision, in writing, within 20 working days of the date that the student filed the petition. If the petition is not approved by the Registrar, the Registrar will consult with the Dean (or designate) of the Faculty in which the student is registered and/or the Dean of Faculty offering the course. Where the petition is denied by the Dean of Faculty, and only if there was procedural irregularity, the student may appeal the decision to the Student Appeals Committee. A written request must be received within 15 working days of the student receiving the petition decision.
Grade Appeals A grade appeal is a written request from a student that an academic decision be changed, based on evidence supplied by the student. A student may appeal the grade received in a course. An appeal may be filed because the student questions the grade assigned, the student believes that the method of evaluation was not valid or reasonable in the circumstances, or that the evaluated material or content deviated substantially from the course outline without reasonable notice, or that the university’s regulations governing evaluation were misapplied. Procedure Informal Stage: The student must speak directly to the teaching faculty and attempt to resolve the matter informally before proceeding with a formal grade appeal. Formal stage: If the matter is not resolved informally, the student may submit a letter of appeal within the published deadlines, to the Office of the Registrar. Students must contact the Office of the Registrar for the Grade Appeal form and pay the applicable fee. Student Petitions and Appeals: Catherine Magowan, Records Administrator Office of the Registrar 115 McCaul Street, Level 2 Tel: 416-977-6000, Ext. 498 Fax: 416-977-4201
8|Page Revised August 2011 All content is subject to revision without notice. For the most current information, please go to OCAD University’s website: www.ocad.ca/students
OCAD University Undergraduate Academic Regulations & Procedures Attendance Policy The university expects students to attend classes and participate in them by the standards established by the teaching faculty and as stated in the Grading policy. Students’ full participation in OCAD U's studio and academic classes is essential to their education. Given that students benefit from an active involvement with faculty and with their fellow students in classes, the university requires that students attend classes on a regular basis and that they participate fully in them. Please note: a student with three or more unexcused absences may be assigned a failing grade for that course.
Final Tests, Examinations and Critiques Final tests, examinations and critiques (including self-directed studies) are normally held during the Final Examination and Critique Period as published in the current Dates & Deadlines. If additional critique time is required for studio courses, the previous week may be used for final examinations and critiques. Examinations for third and fourth year level liberal studies courses, if required, are normally held in the last scheduled class.
Deferred Final Examination Policy Students are notified well in advance of the dates of final examinations through the course outlines handed out by teaching faculty at the beginning of a course. If a student does not attend the final examination, he/she will be assigned a mark of zero for that portion of the final course grade. When a student is not able to write a scheduled final examination for exceptional medical or compassionate reasons or because of religious obligations, he/she may appeal to write a deferred examination. (Please refer to Religious Observance Dates) A student who requests deferment of examinations on the basis of religious obligations must notify his/her teaching faculty and make a request in writing to the appropriate Faculty Office within 15 working days of the beginning of the semester. Deferment will not be granted on the basis of scheduling conflict arising from a student’s personal commitments, including employment and travel. A fee of $70 is charged for writing a deferred examination.
Student Access to Final Examination Materials All work submitted to teaching faculty for the purpose of evaluation is promptly returned to students with the exception of final examinations. Final examinations are retained by the appropriate Faculty office, with strict regard for principles of confidentiality, for a period of 90 days from the end of the semester. Upon submission of a written request to the appropriate Dean/Associate Dean, students may receive a copy of their final examination, including any related printed material and their own written response to the examination questions. Students must discuss any concerns they may have with the teaching faculty involved prior to initiating a grade appeal. Students appealing their final grades based upon a request for a rereading of their final examinations must do so by the published deadline (see Dates & Deadlines) and in accordance with the published guidelines for Student Petitions and Appeals.
9|Page Revised August 2011 All content is subject to revision without notice. For the most current information, please go to OCAD University’s website: www.ocad.ca/students
OCAD University Undergraduate Academic Regulations & Procedures Academic Considerations for Religious Observances OCAD U acknowledges the pluralistic nature of its university community and agrees that accommodation will be made to students who experience a conflict between a religious obligation and scheduled tests, mid-term examinations, final examinations, or requirements to attend classes and participate in project presentations or critiques. The type of accommodation will vary depending on the nature, weight and timing of the work for which accommodation is sought. Accordingly, the request for alternative arrangements normally must be submitted to the instructor in charge of the course within two weeks of the distribution of the course outline, that is, at the beginning of the semester. The instructor has a responsibility to provide reasonable alternative arrangements that do not put the student at an academic disadvantage. In the case of a conflict with a final examination or final critique, the instructor should reschedule the examination/critique to another time during the examination/ critique period taking care that the new date and time do not put the student at an academic disadvantage. In the event that a student is not satisfied with the accommodation offered by the instructor, he/she may appeal to the appropriate Associate Dean who may grant alternative accommodation. A student who remains dissatisfied with the outcome of his/her request may seek the assistance of the Diversity & Equity Office to facilitate a resolution. Instructors who anticipate a conflict between a religious obligation and scheduled course responsibilities should discuss the situation with their Dean/Associate Dean.
Major Religious Observances Recognized by OCAD U (Dates Vary Annually) Holy Day (Faith) Ramadan (Islam) Rosh Hashana (Judaism) Id al Fitr (Islam) Yom Kippur (Judaism) Sukkot (Judaism) Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah (Judaism) Diwali (Hinduism, Sikhism) Id al-Adah (Islam) Hanukkah (Judaism) Passover (Judaism) Shavuot (Judaism)
10 | P a g e Revised August 2011 All content is subject to revision without notice. For the most current information, please go to OCAD University’s website: www.ocad.ca/students