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Calendars > Faculty of Engineering > Academic Regulations - Requirements related to courses
Faculty of Engineering
REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO COURSES
a) EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE
Course attendance
Attendance at courses of instruction, laboratory periods and
discussion groups is mandatory. At the beginning of each session,
the professor must indicate, on the course outline, his policy
regarding absences and may exclude from the final examination
any student who has not complied.
Attendance
To be admitted to the final examination in a subject, a student
must attend a minimum of 80% of classes and must not have more
than five unauthorized or unjustified absences in that subject.
Methods of evaluation
1. Course work for the year or the session (tests, term papers and
other course work) carries a weight determined by the
professor and approved by the academic unit.
2. At the beginning of a course, professors shall inform students
about course requirements, delivery and evaluation methods,
and the nature and timing of assignments, projects and
examinations.
3. Professors may refuse to accept any assignment or
examination that is not written legibly.
b) EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS
Final examination
Except in certain rare cases authorized by the department,
there is a final examination or its equivalent in each course.
The final examination or its equivalent should be completed
during the examination period. The professor, with the
approval of the academic unit, determines the format of the
final examination (written examination, oral examination, final
essay, take-home examination, or other form of examination).
Written final examinations are either two or three hours long.
Professors must inform their students of the nature of the final
examination when informing them of the marking system.
All students have the right to see their examination booklets
after they have been marked.
Official examination period
No final examination of any kind may be given outside of the
official examination period.
No test with a value exceeding 10 per cent of the final grade
may be given during the last week of classes in any session.
Examination attendance
To be admitted to a final examination, students must have
complied with the professors attendance requirement.
The following items are prohibited during an examination or
test: cameras, radios, devices with earphones, tape recorders,
pagers, calculator watches, cell phones or any other
communication device that has not been approved beforehand.
It is the students responsibility to verify if the type of
calculator is permissible for the examination. Any deviation
from the above will be considered academic fraud.
Students will not be permitted to enter an examination room
later that thirty minutes after the beginning of the examination,
nor to leave except under supervision until at least half an hour
after the examination has begun.
Absence from a midterm examination
Absence from midterm examination or test, or late submission of
assignments due to illness, must be justified; otherwise, a penalty
will be imposed.
a) Students who do not consider their reasons confidential may
advise their professor directly and, if necessary, submit a
medical certificate from the attending physician. Before
accepting deferral of the examination or the assignment, the
professor has the right to request that the medical certificate be
validated by the University of Ottawa Health Services.
b) Students who prefer to keep their medical reasons confidential
must submit to the professor a medical certificate issued by
Health Services.
c) If the medical problem is foreseeable, students must advise the
professor before the examination or before the date and time
the assignments are due.
d) If the medical problem is not foreseeable, students who do not
write an examination or who do not hand in an assignment on
time must submit, if requested by the professor, a medical
certificate validated by Health Services within five working
days after the date of the examination or the date the
assignment is due.
e) The professor who accepts the reasons given by a student
with or without a certificate issued by Health Services must,
in consultation with the academic unit, either set a date for a
special examination (or for handing in the assignment), or the
mark entered for that examination will be the same as for the
final examination.
f) If a professor requests a medical certificate issued by Health
Services, the student must comply even if other professors do
not ask for a medical certificate.
g) Students who write an examination during the period of
invalidity specified on the medical certificate or application to
defer examination form may not plead illness to appeal their
examination results.
Absence from a midterm examination for any other reason must
be justified in writing no later than five working days after the
examination. The professor reserves the right to accept or reject the
reason presented. Reasons such as travel, employment and
misreading the examination schedule are not accepted.
Absence from a final examination
a) Absence for reasons of serious illness must be justified by a
certificate from the University of Ottawa Health Services. The
certificate must be submitted to the Undergraduate Office of the
Faculty within the week following the date of the examination.
Students who write their examination during their period of
illness cannot appeal their results on the grounds of their
sickness. It is essential that the ill student consult a doctor
before the examination.
b) Leaving the examination room for any reason (even a medical
reason) after receiving the questionnaire will require an appeal
to the committee on academic standing.
c) Absence for other serious reasons must be justified in writing,
with supporting documents, within the week following the date
of the examination. The faculty reserves the right to accept or
refuse the reasons put forth. Reasons such as travel,
employment and errors in reading the examination timetable
are not accepted.
d) A student who has been excused from a final or supplemental
examination for a valid reason will be allowed to write a
deferred examination during the next examination session for
which the examination is scheduled. A deferred examination
cannot be deferred for more than one academic year. In the
courses where the final mark is not exclusively the final
examination mark, the mark obtained on the deferred
examination will be used to replace only that of the final
examination.
Procedure on cancellation or postponement of
examinations
1. If the University must cancel all examinations on a given day
The Vice-Rector, Academic, may authorize the cancellation of
all examinations on a given day. If so the following will take
place:
the decision must be made by 8 a.m. on the day;
the decision is relayed immediately;
examinations are usually rescheduled automatically for the
same time either on the following Sunday or on the final
day of the official examination period; in extraordinary
situations, the first Saturday after the start of classes in
January can also be used for rescheduling for fall-session
examinations;
students whose examinations were cancelled will be
informed of the make-up date by e-mail.
2. Examinations disrupted because of exceptional circumstances
and recognized as such by the Vice-Rector, Academic.
a) Students who are present at the examination must be
permitted to write the examination. The invigilator should
be tolerant if some students arrive late.
b) For those students who have missed the examination, the
Faculty must determine, in consultation with the professor,
the arrangements for a special examination. The students
must then be informed (preferably by e-mail) as soon as
possible.
3. For bomb scares or fires
The decision to evacuate examination rooms and the signal to
re-enter those rooms must come from Protection Services.
Decisions on the fate of the examination are made on location
where possible. Authorities may decide to continue the
examination as soon as everyone is allowed to re-enter the
building, or to stop the examination; if the examination is
suspended, the Faculty decides on its rescheduling and
students are notified (preferably by e-mail).
Supplemental examinations
Supplemental examinations are offered at the 1000-level in the
faculties of Engineering and Science only.
1. A supplemental examination is allowed for students who
obtain a mark of E.
2. Students who are eligible for a supplemental examination and
want to write that examination must register at the office of
undergraduate studies - Faculty of Engineering. There are fees
for writing a supplemental examination.
3. Students who have registered for a supplemental examination
must write it; otherwise they will receive the grade INC (equal
to a failing grade) for the examination unless they cancel their
registration by informing the Faculty no later than the day
before the examination.
4. In the courses where the final mark is not exclusively the final
examination mark, the mark obtained on the supplemental
examination will be used to replace only that of the final
examination.
5. The supplemental mark and the previous final mark appear on
the transcript. Starting in the fall 2002 session, only the
supplemental grade will be used for grade point calculations.
6. Additional fees are applied when students write supplemental
examinations at another institution. No student is allowed to
write supplemental examinations outside of Canada.
Conservation of final examinations
The University reserves the right to destroy examination booklets
and other written work six months after the grade has been
communicated to the students.
c) UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA GRADING SCALE
The following is the grading scale for all courses.
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Failure
1. Students who do not obtain the minimum grade in a
compulsory course taken for the first time must repeat the
course successfully. Otherwise, they must withdraw from the
program or faculty in which they are registered.
2. In the case of an elective, students may repeat the failed course
or substitute another elective that meets the requirements of
their program.
d) RE-REGISTRATION TO A COURSE
In any undergraduate program requiring 90 credits or more, it is
permitted to take a certain number of courses again (to a
maximum of 16 credits) whether the course was passed or failed.
This is normally done to raise a students average or reinforce their
knowledge in the subject matter. For all courses taken a second
time within the 16-credit maximum, only the second grade will be
calculated in the average. However, both grades appear on the
official transcript. In the case of a compulsory course, students
must repeat the course successfully. Otherwise, they must
withdraw from the program or the faculty in which they are
registered.
e) CUMULATIVE GRADE POINT AVERAGE (CGPA)
The cumulative grade point average (CGPA) represents a students
performance in all courses that have been taken. The CGPA is
calculated at the end of each session and includes all courses
followed at the University of Ottawa, Saint Paul University and
Carleton University.
Calculation of the cumulative grade point average
Prior to the fall session 2002.
The CGPA is calculated in the following manner.
The grade point for each course is weighted by multiplying the
point value of the letter grade obtained by the number of credits
for the course. The CGPA is calculated by dividing the sum of the
weighted grade points by the total number of credits. In the case of
a course with a supplemental examination, both the mark received
for the supplemental examination, whether passed or failed, and
the final mark received for the course, are included in the
calculation of the CGPA.
Example:
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Starting in the fall session 2002
In the case of a course with a supplemental examination, only
the supplemental grade will be calculated in the CGPA. Both
grades (before and after the supplemental examination) appear
on the official transcript.
For a passed or failed course taken a second time within the
16-credit limit permitted, only the second grade will be
calculated in the CGPA. Over the 16-credit limit permitted, all
grades will count in the CGPA and in the number of courses
failed.
Example:
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f) ANNUAL GRADE POINT AVERAGE (AGPA)
The annual grade point average (AGPA) is calculated by dividing
the grade points earned during the academic year (from May to
April) by the total number of credits carried by courses taken and
counting in the average during that period of time.
g) DIPLOMA GRADE POINT AVERAGE (DGPA)
The diploma grade point average (DGPA) is calculated the same
way as the CGPA, but uses only 3000-level courses and above. In
order to obtain a baccalaureate, a minimum DGPA of 4.5 is
required for students registered in an engineering program or in
the Computer science honours program. (See also Section 8 a
Degree requirements.)
h) MINIMUM GRADES AND AVERAGES REQUIRED
1. Courses at the 2000-level or above with codes CEG, CHG, CSI,
CVG, ELG, GNG, MCG and SEG require a minimum mark of D+.
2. All other courses, at all levels, require a minimum mark of D.
3. For 3000- and 4000-level courses taken outside the University
of Ottawa for which the student requests advanced standing,
the minimum passing mark is a C or 60 per cent.
i) REVISION OF MARKS AND APPEALS
The University recognizes the right of every student on request to
see any test, assignment or examinations of his or hers after it has
been marked.
Students can view their grades by using their password to access
InfoWeb. The date on which final grades are officially posted on
the Web site is indicated in the sessional dates calendar. The
appeal procedure for the Faculty concerned starts on that date.
Appeal Procedure for the Revision of Marks
1. A student may appeal the assignment of any mark with which
he or she is dissatisfied, provided that he or she submits to the
faculty a written request for revision within four weeks of the
first communication of the mark in question.
Such a request shall include:
a) the title of the course, an identification of the assignment,
test or examination in question, the mark obtained and the
name of the professor(s) whose mark is in question; and
b) a statement of the grounds for the appeal
2. A copy of the students request shall be forward to the
professor(s) who may submit written comments to the faculty
respecting the students appeal.
3. Within two weeks of the receipt of the students request, the
faculty shall appoint one or two qualified evaluators to reassess
the assignment, test or examination in question. Except when
circumstances make it desirable or necessary, the original
examiner(s) will not normally be appointed.
4. The evaluator(s) will be provided with a copy of the students
request and comments of the professor(s). The evaluator(s)
shall review the examination in question and inform the
faculty as soon as possible of the result of their individual
evaluation.
5. The revised mark, which may be identical to, lower than or
higher than the original one, shall be assigned by the faculty in
the light of all evaluations.
6. The Faculty shall inform the student by letter of the result of
the appeal within a reasonable time of receiving the report of
the evaluator(s), and a copy of the letter shall be sent to the
professor(s) whose mark was appealed.
7. A student cannot withdraw an appeal once a revised mark has
been assigned.
8. An appeal from the mark assigned pursuant to article 5 may be
made to the Executive Committee of the Senate, either by the
student or by the professor whose mark is in question on the
grounds that the re-evaluation was not properly carried out.
Unless exceptional circumstances are shown, such an appeal
must be made within two weeks of the date of the letter
informing the student of the mark assigned as the result of the
re-evaluation. If the appeal is successful, the faculty will be
directed to proceed to a new evaluation, the results of which
shall be final and binding.
9. Nothing in this procedure prevents a student from discussing
examination questions, including the type of answers expected,
with the professor and/or the department concerned (or its
equivalent). Such a consultation is not prerequisite to, nor can
be used to extend, the time limit of four weeks provided for in
article 1.
EVALUATION OF ACADEMIC STANDING
At the end of each academic year, the faculty will assess the
academic results of all students and recommend one of the
following:
permission to continue in the program of studies;
inclusion on the deans honour list;
placement on probation;
removal from probation;
withdrawal from the program or withdrawal from the Faculty.
a) ACADEMIC STANDING (AVERAGES REQUIRED)
1. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point
average (CGPA) of 3.5 to be in good standing.
2. Students must maintain a diploma grade point average (DGPA)
of 4.5 in honours programs
3. Students registered in co-op must maintain a CGPA of at least
6.0 in CEG, CSI, ELG and SEG programs and of at least 4.5 for
CEG, CSI, ELG and SEG programs.
4. To pursue studies in a given program without special
conditions, every student must be in good standing. The
students official record must therefore indicate a cumulative
grade point average equal to or greater than the required
minimum for the program.
5. All students must be in good standing to obtain a degree and
therefore must have the minimum grade point averages
outlined above at the end of their program.
6. If a student has not attained the minimum CGPA and/or DGPA
for honours programs upon completing the program, it is
possible to enrol in additional courses, to a maximum of 24
credits (at 3000 level or above for the DGPA), to reach the
required CGPA or DGPA. These courses must be completed at
the University of Ottawa.
b) DEAN'S LIST
See Section 10 Prizes, medals and scholarships.
c) PROBATION
1. Second-, third- and fourth-year students whose cumulative
grade point average is below 3.5 will be immediately placed on
probation; such students must without delay consult the
academic assistant of their academic unit, who will prescribe
the appropriate arrangements. First-year students whose
cumulative grade point average is below 3.5 are automatically
required to withdraw from the faculty without being placed on
probation.
2. At the end of each academic year, the faculty will reassess the
status of all students under probation who have completed 24
credits. Those showing improvement by achieving a cumulative
grade point average of at least 3.5 may be returned to normal
status on recommendation of the major department. Those
showing insufficient improvement will be kept on probation.
Probation will never be extended beyond two consecutive
academic semesters; the applicant who may not then be
reinstated to normal status will be forced to withdraw from the
faculty (see Withdrawal). Note that in programs with limited
enrolment, additional conditions may be imposed in order that
students maintain normal status or remain in the program.
d) WITHDRAWAL
Mandatory withdrawal from a program of studies or from the
faculty may be the result of a case of academic standing below the
minimum required or from a case of fraud.
Reasons for withdrawal:
a) first year students whose cumulative grade point average is
below 3.5 will be required to withdraw from the faculty;
b) second-, third- and fourth-year students must withdraw from
the faculty if, during a given school year:
they have failed to obtain a passing grade in four or more
subjects;
they have failed to obtain a CGPA above 2.5 after the final
examination period at the end of the academic year; or
they have not succeeded in raising their average to 3.5
after two consecutive periods on probation;
c) failure in at least four courses during one academic year
d) failure in courses totalling 18 credits;
e) second failure in a compulsory course;
f) failure to reach the required minimum grade point average
required for the degree after having attempted 24 credits of
additional courses;
g) failure to reach the minimum cumulative grade point average
required for good standing after two probationary full-time
sessions, or after 24 course credits for part-time students;
h) failure to reach the minimum diploma grade point average
required after 24 additional level 3000 or higher courses;
i) failure in a compulsory course in a co-op program if this
compulsory course is a prerequisite for a course offered during
the following study session (withdrawal from the co-op
option).
e) READMISSION
a) Students who are required to withdraw from a program of
studies or from the Faculty must remain out of their program
for one academic year from the date of withdrawal. In case of
withdrawal from the Faculty, students who wish to re-register
after the stated period must submit a new application for
admission and meet the admission requirements then in effect.
The faculty strongly recommend that such students upgrade
their academic record by taking at least four courses in math
and science subjects and that they obtain an overall average of
at least 4.5 in all courses taken after their withdrawal.
b) Students required to withdraw from the faculty may not
register in courses of the faculty as a special student.
GRADE REPORT, TRANSCRIPT AND CONSERVATION OF RECORDS
a) GRADE REPORT
The University prepares a grade report that presents academic
results obtained by a student during the preceding session. The
grade report is available on InfoWeb as soon as grades become
official and the academic evaluation is complete. Students must use
their password to access InfoWeb to consult their grade report.
If the grade report contains errors or omissions, the student should
notify the Faculty within 60 days following the date that grades
become official (see sessional dates).
Symbols used on grade reports and transcripts:
ABS (absent, no work submitted) used when a student has
not attended the course and has not informed the
University thereof in writing, within the time limits
specified in the sessional dates section of the Web site.
This symbol is equivalent to a failing grade (F).
ADD (additional) used when the course is taken outside of a
students program. As opposed to an extracurricular
course, the result of an additional course is included in the
cumulative grade point average calculation.
AUD (auditor) used when a student has registered to audit a
course.
CR (credit) used when a course is taken in another
institution through a letter of permission. The course grade
is not included in the cumulative grade point calculation ;
only the credits are indicated on the transcript.
CTN (continuing) used for activities that continue during the
following session.
DFR (deferred) used whenever, in the judgment of the
responsible authority, a student presents a valid reason for
being unable to satisfy the course requirements. In such a
case, the student must complete all requirements within
the time limit determined by the professor. The limit may
not exceed 12 months. (See also the regulation concerning
absence from examinations.)
In order to obtain an extension of the time limit for
completing the requirements of a course, a student must
fill in the appropriate form, available at the secretariat of
the Faculty or department. The student must then have
this form signed by the professor of the course and by the
chairperson of the department concerned.
If no mark has been received by the Faculty within the
limit determined by the professor, the grade DFR will be
replaced by INC. (Students registered for the spring or fall
convocation should see the section concerning registration
for degree.)
DR (drop) used when students withdraw from a course
within the time limit specified in the sessional dates
section of the University Web site.
HP (extracurricular) used when the course is taken outside
of a students program of study. As opposed to an
additional course (ADD), the result of an extracurricular
course is not included in the grade point averages
calculation.
INC (incomplete) used when at least one of the course
requirements has not been fulfilled. This symbol is
equivalent to a failing grade (F).
NNR (mark not received) used when the Office of the
Registrar has not received a mark in time for production of
reports.
NS (not satisfactory) used for a failed course that is not part
of the grade point averages calculation.
P (pass) used to indicate that a student has passed the
second language proficiency test, or certain activities such
as fieldwork, internships and comprehensive
examinations. Does not count in the grade point average.
S (satisfactory) used for a passed course that is not part of
the grade point average calculation.
T (test) used when a student has taken the second
language test.
b) TRANSCRIPT
A transcript is an official and confidential document issued by the
University of Ottawa at the students request. A students written
authorization must accompany a request made by a third party.
There are two ways a student can obtain a transcript: he or she can
submit a request either through InfoService or online using the
InfoWeb option DocuNet.
In courses where there are at least six registered students, the
group average and the number of students is indicated on the
official transcript (as of May 2004) and on the grade report. A
transcript issued by the Office of the Registrar indicates all courses
and corresponding results for which a student is officially
registered at the University. The University does not issue partial
transcripts.
A student who has a debt toward the University cannot obtain a
transcript.
Conservation and destruction of records
The students written file as established by the Faculty is deemed
to constitute the official file. Documents contained in this file are
kept for the duration of the students enrolment at the Faculty.
After seven consecutive sessions following the departure of a
student from the University (as a result of graduation or
withdrawal), the file is destroyed, unless the student has enrolled
again in another program in the same Faculty or has provided a
valid reason why the file should be preserved for a longer period.
No corrections can therefore be made to the official transcript after
this period. Only the official electronic record is retained.
Confidentiality
The University takes all necessary precautions to protect the
confidential and private nature of personal information contained
in a students academic file. The University does not, unless
legally-bound, divulge personal information found in an academic
file to parties outside the University without written consent from
the student.
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