EXAMINATION AND GRADING PROCEDURES TESTING PROCEDURE The following applies to all undergraduate programs except in the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Education. It is expected that all courses will have some type of non-optional, meaningful, final testing procedure (written test, oral interview, essay, take-home test, etc.) during the examination period. Three-hour evaluation periods will be scheduled in the formal final examination periods in each term of the regular year for all courses which terminate in that term. All final testing procedures as indicated above will take place or fall due during the three-hour period so scheduled. The actual duration of testing procedures during the scheduled period may be less than three hours at the discretion of the individual instructor. If oral or other special types of examinations can not be accommodated in the three-hour period, notice will be given to the Registrar by the Dean (or delegate) of the Faculty involved, and special arrangements will be made. The Office of the Registrar will complete the foregoing scheduling for the Fall term prior to September 1, and for the Winter term prior to January 1, so that it is available to students before they finalize their course selections. The last week of lectures in each term must be free from any type of testing procedures. This regulation does not apply to routine laboratory tests or normal field work evaluations which are part of a series. Courses that are presented by a specialized teaching method such as self-paced methods or modularized methods where the testing procedures are an integral part of the instructional process shall be exempt from this regulation subject to approval of the Dean of the Faculty in which the course is given. If the final testing procedure takes the form of an oral interview, a take-home test, an essay, etc., it must take place or become due during the examination period. It is left to each academic area to set the range of the weights of the final testing procedures. The following applies to all undergraduate faculties. Each instructor must inform his or her students, by the end of the second week of each course, concerning the following: (a) all procedures for determining the final grade in a course, including those for the conversion of raw scores into letter grades and the procedures by which students are evaluated by observers or supervisors, rather than by written examinations or submitted assignments; (b) the approximate dates for tests, essays, etc. Alterations of the announced dates under (b) above may be made by the instructor with the consent of the majority of the registered class. Instructors may not alter the date of final examinations if scheduled by the Office of the Registrar. OFF-CAMPUS EXAMINATIONS A student with a cogent reason may be granted permission to write an examination at an off-campus centre. Application forms are available in the Registrar's Office. To allow sufficient time for arrangements and mailing, approved applications must be submitted, along with the appropriate fee, to the Registrar's Office at least one month prior to the date on which the examination is to be written. GRADING Grades assigned and their significance are as follows: A+, A, A- B+, B, B- C+, C, C- D+, D, D- F, F- Inc IP NR Excellent Good Fair Pass No Credit Incomplete In Progress No Report For the purpose of calculating a grade point average, the following numerical equivalents are used: A+ B+ C+ D+ F 13 10 7 4 1 A B C D F- 12 9 6 3 0 A- B- C- D- NR 11 8 5 2 0 A student's progress within a program will be evaluated on the basis of the grade point average. For purposes of calculation, the grade point earned in a 6.00 credit hour course will be double the weight of that earned in a regular 3.00 credit hour course. A grade point earned in a 1.50 credit hour course will be given one-half the weight earned in a 3.00 credit hour course. Example: Letter Grade Grade Points Credit Weight A B B- C+ F- 12 9 8 7 0 x x x x x 1.5 3 6 3 1.5 = = = = = 18 27 48 21 0 15 114 Average: (114/15) = 7.6 Some programs calculate weighted averages based upon the number of contact hours for each course. In these programs, the average is calculated as follows: Letter Grade Grade Points Credit Weight A B B- C+ F- 12 9 8 7 0 x x x x x 2.50 3.00 4.25 6.00 8.00 = = = = = 30.00 27.00 34.00 42.00 0.00 23.75 133.00 Weighted Average: (133.00 / 23.75) = 5.6 Courses in which an F or F- grade is received will be recorded on the student's transcript and may be factored into the Grade Point Average but will carry no credit toward a degree. A grade of IP is recorded at the end of the first term of a two-term course. A grade of NR is assigned to students who although registered in a course have neither attended regularly nor submitted assignments. In computing a student's average, NR is equivalent to F-. Subject to regulations laid down by the faculty or school, a grade of "Incomplete" may be assigned to a student who so requests at the discretion of the instructor and academic unit head. Such a grade may be granted to a student who has not been able to complete all course requirements by the date of the final evaluations. The grade of "Incomplete" could be used in situations such as: (i) the missing of an examination or test for a valid reason, (ii) the failure to complete required projects or assignments in the allocated time owing to circumstances beyond the student's control. A grade of "Incomplete" must be changed to a letter grade not later than six weeks after the last date of the examination period. If no grade has been assigned by that date, a final grade of F is automatically entered in the student's record by the Office of the Registrar. CALCULATION OF AVERAGES The marks obtained in all courses taken at the University of Windsor are used to calculate a cumulative average. Similarly, all marks obtained in courses in the major area of study are used to calculate major averages. Provided that the course is available in a subsequent registration period, a student may repeat a course only once for purposes of upgrading a major or cumulative average. Both the original mark and the upgraded mark obtained will remain on the student's official record. However, except in the Faculty of Engineering, only the mark received in the second attempt is used in calculating the cumulative and major averages. In the Faculty of Engineering both the original mark and the upgraded mark will be used to compute the cumulative average. APPEALS Before exercising their right of appeal against a grade, students should consult Senate By-Law 51, Examination Procedures, copies of which are available at the Office of the Registrar or at the University website. Students registered in the LL.B. program should consult the Academic Status regulations of the Faculty of Law. All appeals must be made in writing to the appropriate Faculty through the Office of the Registrar, no later than three weeks after the final mark has been released by the Registrar. The official release dates are posted on the web. The appeal must be accompanied by a $20 fee which will be refunded to the student if the appeal is successful. Students must submit a letter of rationale for the appeal, including relevant supporting documents. Aegrotat Standing: A student who wishes to receive consideration on medical or compassionate grounds should communicate with the Office of the Registrar as soon as possible. A letter of rationale and supporting documents (e.g., the attending physician's letter) must be submitted to the Registrar forthwith.