Course Evaluation
2.0 Course Evaluation
2.1 Credit
To obtain credit in a course, students must meet all the course requirements for attendance, term work and examinations as published in the course outline.
2.2 The Course Outline
The instructor is required to provide to the students of each course a formal statement called the Course Outline. The course outline must be given to the students on or before the first teaching day of the course that term, in a document distributed in class or posted electronically.
The course outline must specify all the elements that will contribute to the final grade, as well as the overall grade breakdown for the course.
The course outline may specify requirements that must be satisfied for the student to be eligible to write the final examination or a deferral of the final assignment/examination. If no such conditions are explicitly mentioned in the course outline, all students are eligible to write the final assignment/examination or, where circumstances warrant, to apply to the Registrar's Office for deferral of the final assignment/examination.
The course outline may also specify the requirements for those auditing a course, including attendance, to successfully complete the audit.
2.2.1 Early Feedback Guideline
Providing feedback to students on academic work, completed or in progress, is an integral part of teaching and learning in that it allows students to measure their understanding of material, the success of their learning strategies, and their progress on learning objectives. While the nature and frequency of such feedback will vary with the course and level, Carleton University is committed to providing students with appropriate and timely feedback on their work. Accordingly, wherever possible, and especially in first and second year courses, instructors are urged to include academic work that is assigned, evaluated and returned prior to the 25th teaching day of each term. More generally, all instructors are urged to include academic work that is assigned, evaluated and returned prior to the 40th teaching day of each term.
The spirit of this guideline should be followed during the summer term. In particular, all instructors are urged to include academic work that is assigned, evaluated, and returned at least two days prior to the last day to withdraw from the course in Early Late, or Full Summer term.
Course outlines should provide an indication of approximately when the first graded piece of work will be returned to students. In cases where a course does not lend itself to early feedback, this should be clearly noted on the course outline.
2.3 Standing in Courses/Grading System
Standing in a course is determined by the course instructor, subject to the approval of the faculty Dean. Standing in courses will be shown by alphabetical grades. The system of grades used, with corresponding grade points is:
| A+ | 12 |
| A | 11 |
| A- | 10 |
| B+ | 9 |
| B | 8 |
| B- | 7 |
| C+ | 6 |
| C | 5 |
| C- | 4 |
| D+ | 3 |
| D | 2 |
| D- | 1 |
| F |
Grade points indicated above are for courses with 1.0 credit value. Where the course credit is greater or less than one credit, the grade points are adjusted proportionately.
The following percentage equivalents apply to all final grades at Carleton:
| A+ | 90-100 |
| A | 85-89 |
| A- | 80-84 |
| B+ | 77-79 |
| B | 73-76 |
| B- | 70-72 |
| C+ | 67-69 |
| C | 63-66 |
| C- | 60-62 |
| D+ | 57-59 |
| D | 53-56 |
| D- | 50-52 |
| F | 0-49 |
Other grades and notations in current use by the university are as follows:
| F | Failure. The grade of F is assigned when the student has failed to meet the conditions of “satisfactory performance” defined in the Course Outline. F carries 0.0 grade points. |
| FND | Failure with no deferred final examination allowed. The grade FND is assigned only when the student has failed the course on the basis of inadequate term work as specified in the Course Outline. FND carries 0.0 grade points. |
| ABS | Absent from a required final examination. ABS is assigned only when the student is absent from the required final examination and has achieved satisfactory performance during the term as specified in the course outline. ABS is equivalent to an F and it carries 0.0 grade points. |
| AEG | Aegrotat. Pass standing is granted under special circumstances by an academic appeal committee, in response to an application from or on behalf of a student, on the basis of course work when no further assessment is considered feasible. AEG has no impact on the CGPA calculation. |
| AUD | Audit. No academic credit. Indicates the course was not taken for academic credit, but that the student has the permission of the instructor to audit the course and has satisfied the conditions for successful audit of the course. AUD has no impact on the CGPA calculation. |
| DNC | Did not complete the course. No academic credit or impact on the CGPA calculation. In credit courses, the notation DNC is assigned by the appropriate appeal committee in the case of a student, who, having achieved satisfactory performance during the term, and has been granted a deferred final examination in the course then is unable to write the deferred examination due to continued and documented personal or medical reasons. In the case of audited courses, DNC is assigned by the instructor when the student has registered to audit the course and has not satisfied the requirements for successful audit. |
| CTN | Continuing. This notation is assigned by the Registrar's Office only to the first half of a course taught as consecutive sections over two terms. |
| WDN | Withdrawn. No academic credit. WDN has no impact on the CGPA calculation. |
| CH | Credit granted under challenge for credit policy. CH has no impact on the CGPA calculation. |
| UCH | Unsuccessful attempt for CH. UCH has no impact on the CGPA calculation. |
| SAT | Satisfactory performance in an ungraded program requirement, option or course taken on Letter of Permission or International Exchange. SAT has no impact on the CGPA calculation. |
| UNS | Unsatisfactory performance in an ungraded program requirement, option or course taken on a Letter of Permission or International Exchange. UNS has no impact on the CGPA calculation. |
| CUR | Current registration. This interim notation is assigned only by the Registrar's Office, and indicates that the student is currently registered in this course. |
| GNA | Grade not available. This interim notation is assigned only by the Registrar's Office, and indicates that the grade for this course is not available. GNA is replaced with the appropriate grade for the course as soon as it is available. The following are interim notations that are, after due process, replaced with one of the grades above. |
| DEF | Final grade deferred for documented personal or medical conditions. DEF is an interim notation assigned by the Registrar's Office. DEF must be replaced by a grade within the prescribed time or it is replaced with an F. (See 2.5, Deferred Final Examinations.) |
| IP | In Progress. This interim notation is assigned only with the permission of the Registrar's Office when the final grade in a research thesis or project is not available before the deadline for grade submission. IP must be replaced by a grade within the prescribed time or re-registration in the course will be required, or the IP is replaced with an F. |
The following notations are no longer in use by the University:
| FNS | Failure without access to a supplemental examination because of incomplete term work or unacceptably low standing. No academic credit. |
| FWS | Failure with access to supplemental examinations. |
2.3.1 A course is considered to be completed when the course registration results in a notation or grade other than WDN, DNC, IP, CTN, CUR or AUD.
2.3.2 A course is considered to be successfully completed if the course is completed with a passing grade, SAT, CH, or AEG.
2.4 Examination Regulations
Students writing tests and examinations should be aware of the rules governing examination conduct. These rules include those listed in the Academic Integrity section of this Calendar and information about policies and procedures for writing examinations posted on the Scheduling and Examination Services website and distributed at the final examination.
For examinations scheduled during the official examination period, it may be necessary to schedule examinations during the day for classes held in the evening and vice versa, or on Saturday and Sunday.
All tests and examinations, except laboratory examinations, oral and slide tests and other particular tests, are subject to the following rules:
- Tests or examinations given in class may not exceed the time allotted for the class;
- Final examinations in the summer term will be held in official examination periods;
- In courses numbered below the 2000-level, if there is a final examination or an end of term examination in a multi-term course, this examination will be held in the official examination periods;
- In courses numbered below the 4000-level, no tests or examinations may be held during the last two weeks of fall, winter or summer terms, or between the end of classes in a term and the beginning of formally scheduled examinations; the time period is reduced to one week for courses taught over a six-week period;
- In courses below the 4000-level, take-home examinations may not be assigned before the last day of classes and are due on the last day of the official examination period;
- In courses at the 4000-level, arrangements for examinations outside the official examination period are at the instructor's discretion but must be announced at least three weeks in advance.
2.5 Deferred Final Examinations
Students who do not write/attend a final examination because of illness of other circumstances beyond their control may apply to write a deferred examination.
The application for a deferral must:
- be made in writing to the Registrar's Office no later than three working days after the original final examination or the due date of the take-home examination; and
- be fully supported by appropriate documentation and in cases of illness by a medical certificate dated no later than one working day after the examination or by appropriate documents in other cases. Medical documents must specify the date of the onset of the illness, the (expected) date of recovery, and the extent to which the student was/is incapacitated during the time of the examination. The University's preferred medical form can be found at: carleton.ca/registrar/forms/Med_Cert_Carleton_University.pdf
The granting of a deferral also requires that the student has performed satisfactorily in the course according to the evaluation scheme established in the Course Outline, excluding the final examination for which deferral privileges are requested. Reasons for denial of a deferral may include, among other conditions, a failure to (i) achieve a minimum score in the course before the final examination; (ii) attend a minimum number of classes; (iii) successfully complete a specific task (e.g. term paper, critical report, group project, computer or other assignment); (iv) complete laboratory work; (v) successfully complete one or more midterms; or (vi) meet other reasonable conditions of successful performance.
Students will not be given a deferral of a deferred examination. Students granted a deferred final examination who are then unable to write the deferred final examination due to properly documented personal or medical conditions will receive one of the notations Aegrotat (AEG), Did Not Complete (DNC) or a grade of F for the course as assigned by the appropriate appeal committee.
Aegrotat standing may be considered for applicants for deferred finals but will be granted only if a substantial proportion of the term work has been completed and is of high quality. AEG denotes a pass standing.
Did Not Complete (DNC) denotes that the course has been neither passed nor failed and is assigned when satisfactory performance has been achieved during the term. In all other cases, the grade F is assigned. (see Standing in Courses, Section 2.3).
Students who have obtained approval for a deferred examination in a Carleton University Online (CUOL) course will have access to course materials after the end of the academic term of the original course.
Deferred final examinations are scheduled in the time period approved by Senate. Please refer to the Academic Schedule for deferred examination dates.
2.5.1 Early Departure from Final Examinations
Students are expected to assess their medical situation/ability to write an examination prior to entering the examination room. Students who do not write a final examination because of illness or other circumstances beyond their control may apply to write a deferred examination. Section 2.5 of this calendar outlines the regulations governing deferral of final examinations.
Students are expected to complete a final examination once begun. If the student experiences a significant deterioration of her/his health while the examination is in progress, it may be possible to submit a petition to apply to write a deferred examination.
A significant deterioration during an exam is a situation whereby the student requires immediate and/or emergency medical attention. In such circumstances, a student will be required to seek appropriate documentation to confirm that the medical situation caused significant, acute symptoms during the examination that completely prohibited the student from completing the exam, describing the specific impacts on the student’s ability to continue the exam.
A student must then petition to the Registrar’s Office within three (3) business days of the examination with appropriate supporting documentation.
Minor illnesses and ongoing chronic illnesses under medical management will normally not be considered valid grounds for granting a deferred final examination.
2.6 Deferred Term Work
In some situations, students are unable to complete a significant term assignment because of illness or other circumstances beyond their control, which forces them to delay submission of the work. If this happens late in the term, it may be necessary for the due date to be delayed beyond the deadline for reporting the course grades. The student should, in the first instance, consult with the course instructor. If a student is unable to submit an essential piece of term work in time for the determination of the final grade, the student may apply for a deferral of the assignment deadline. The application for deferred assignment must:
- be made in writing to the Registrar's Office no later than three working days after the last day of classes; and
- be fully supported by appropriate documentation and in cases of illness by a medical certificate dated no later than one working day after the assignment due date, or by appropriate documents in other cases. Medical documents must specify the date of the onset of the illness, the (expected) date of recovery, and the extent to which the student was/is incapacitated during the time the assignment was due. The University's preferred medical form can be found at: carleton.ca/registrar/ccms/wp-content/ccms-files/med_cert.pdf
- Be supported by official confirmation of the assignment due date; for example, a copy of the course outline specifying the due date and any documented extensions from the course instructor.
If the deferral of the assignment is approved, the student will receive the interim notation DEF, which will be replaced when the assignment been submitted and graded. The final dates for submission of deferred term assignments are the following, unless alternate arrangements are made with the instructor:
Fall-term courses: January 15
Fall/winter- and winter-term courses: May 15
Summer-term courses ending in June: July 15
Summer term courses ending in August: September 15
2.7 Informal Appeal of Grade
There may be a number of circumstances in which students will have questions regarding their grades. These questions may be about understanding the grading scheme; about the grade awarded for a specific piece of work, including work that has not been returned; or about the determination of the final grade. Wherever possible, both during the term and after, concerns about the grading of student work should be settled informally between the student and the instructor. As a result of this informal appeal process the original grade may be raised, lowered or left unchanged.
Students have the right to have questions regarding their grades addressed and to view all material, including material that has not been returned such as final examinations. In some cases, the original submitted work will remain in the possession of the University and the viewing of this work may be supervised. In cases where a student has concerns regarding the determination of their final grade, the student will be provided with a list of their grades on all components of the course and a description of how their final grade was calculated.
Students should initiate this process within seven working days of the day on which the official grade in question was made available. The informal appeal process should address the concern within 15 working days of the day on which the grade was made available through Carleton Central.
2.8 Formal Appeal of Grade
A student may submit a formal appeal of grade when the informal appeal process has not addressed their concerns. The appeal must be submitted to the Registrar's Office with required supporting documentation, normally within 20 working days of the day on which the grade was made available to the student, or the informal appeal process was completed (if applicable). The resolution of an appeal of grade is the responsibility of the Dean of the Faculty offering the course. The appeal must be specific to one or more graded components of the course and/or the calculation of the final grade.
On receiving a formal appeal from the Registrar's Office, the Faculty Dean may decide not to proceed with the appeal if, in the opinion of the Dean, reasonable grounds have not been established as a basis for the appeal. Circumstances which may result in a decision not to proceed may include, for example, cases where the Dean determines that the informal process has adequately addressed the student's concerns or where the Dean determines that a reasonable expectation of error or bias in the original grade has not been established. If the Dean decides not to proceed with the appeal, the student will be informed of the reasons for the decision.
In proceeding with an appeal, the Dean may assign reassessment of the work to one or more qualified readers other than the instructor. In this case, the identity of the reader(s) will not be made known to the appellant and the identity of the appellant will not be made known to the reader(s). After due consultation, the Dean, as chief academic officer of the Faculty, will assign the grade. The decision of the Dean is final. As a result of this formal appeal process the original grade may be raised, lowered or left unchanged. The student will be given a concise explanation of the decision.
2.9 Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
Carleton University is strongly committed to providing access and accommodation for all individuals with identified and duly assessed disabilities. The University has a Senate-approved policy on academic accommodation that forms part of its Human Rights Policy. This policy should be consulted for further information and is available at: carleton.ca/equity. The policy promotes efforts to accommodate students with disabilities so that they will have the opportunity to meet learning objectives and be fairly evaluated in their performance. In no case, however, does academic accommodation negotiate away, lower, or remove the academic standards and learning objectives of any course or program, rule, regulation, or policy at the university.
The Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities is the designated unit at the University for assisting the Carleton community in integrating persons with disabilities into all aspects of Carleton's academic and community life. The Paul Menton Centre provides assessment of academic accommodation, advises students on strategies to open a dialogue with instructors and acts as consultant, facilitator, coordinator and advocate in this area for all members of the University community.
The Paul Menton Centre provides individualized support services, based on appropriate and current documentation, to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, with learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder (ADD), visual impairments, head injuries, physical disabilities including mobility impairments, or who have psychiatric, other medical or non-visible disabilities.
Students are responsible for applying for special services by making an appointment with the appropriate coordinator at the Paul Menton Centre. All requests will be considered on the basis of individual need. Students are advised to come to the Centre early in the term to discuss service requests.
Examination accommodations for all tests and examinations (in-class, CUOL, or formally scheduled) must be arranged by specific deadlines. Please consult the Paul Menton Centre for a list of deadlines. Note that it may not be possible to fulfill accommodation requests received after the specified deadlines.
2.10 Academic Accommodation for Students with Religious Obligations
Carleton University accommodates students who, due to religious obligation, must miss an examination, test, assignment deadline, laboratory, or other compulsory event. The University has a Senate-approved policy on religious accommodation that forms part of its Human Rights Policy, available at: carleton.ca/equity.
Accommodation will be worked out directly and on an individual basis between the student and the instructor(s) involved. Students should make a formal written request to the instructor(s) for alternative dates and/or means of satisfying requirements. Such requests should be made during the first two weeks of any given academic term*, or as soon as possible after a need for accommodation is known to exist, but in no case later than the penultimate week of classes in that term. Instructors will make reasonable accommodation in a way that shall avoid academic disadvantage to the student.
Students unable to reach a satisfactory arrangement with their instructor(s) should contact the Director of Equity Services. Instructors who have questions or wish to verify the nature of the religious event or practice involved should also contact this officer.
*When a student's presence is required prior to the date on which classes begin (e.g. for field trips or orientation activities), any student who cannot meet this expectation of attendance for reasons of religious accommodation should notify the Registrar's Office in advance.