Academic Plans - Departmental

• The factors considered in academic standing in Pharmacy are the term average and the number of failed courses.
• The minimum term average required for promotion in the program is 60%.
• The standard minimum passing grade in each course is 50% but a higher requirement may be set in selected courses. A number of courses will be graded on a CR/NCR basis.

Explanation of Standings:

• "Satisfactory Standing" requires that a student achieves a minimum term average of 60% with no failed courses. This entitles a student to proceed to the next term of study.
• "May Not Proceed" standing will result if a student achieves a minimum term average of 60% but fails a maximum of two term courses. The failed courses must be cleared before the student is permitted to proceed to the next academic term. 
  Note: A student with only one failure per term may be permitted to proceed to the next term; however, any failed course must be cleared. The student must make arrangements with the course instructor as to the mechanism for clearing the failed course. In the event that the failed course is a prerequisite for a course in the following academic term, and it is not cleared before the start of the term, the student must obtain the appropriate approvals by completing a Course Override Form. This form should be accompanied by a statement of the arrangements made with the instructor to clear the failed course. If the instructor of the subsequent course does not approve the course override, the student will be required to clear the failed course prior to proceeding to the next academic term. Due to the limited scheduling of Pharmacy courses, this will typically result in the student falling behind and extending the time required for program completion. In the event that the next term is a co-op work term, the student will be permitted to begin the co-op work term.  Depending on individual circumstances, the School of Pharmacy may contact the student's employer, who may elect to terminate the student's employment.  For work terms that continue to completion, the student will be required to submit the appropriate evaluations and the work term report.
• "Failed-Required to Withdraw" will result if a student fails to achieve the minimum term average of 60% or the student fails three or more courses in a term or the student leaves the program without proper notification and fails to write the final examinations. 
  Note: In the event that the student has begun or was to begin a co-op work term, the School of Pharmacy will notify the employer as well as the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) that the student is no longer enrolled as a student in the School of Pharmacy.  Accordingly, the student will no longer be a registered pharmacy student with OCP and will not be permitted to perform the controlled acts of counselling and dispensing.  The employer may elect to terminate the student's employment.

Clearing Failed Courses

1. Obtaining a minimal passing grade for the course based on the outcome of a supplemental examination or on another mechanism determined by the course instructor. There is a fee for supplemental exams. Supplemental examinations may not be available for all courses. Normally, a supplemental examination for a course may be offered if there is a maximum of 2 failed courses/term and the student is in satisfactory academic standing. If a supplemental examination is to be offered, the student will be notified regarding the supplemental examination. When a supplemental examination is passed, "Sup Satisfied" will appear on Quest and on the transcript in the "Sup" field adjacent to the original grade for the course. Only one attempt at a supplemental examination is allowed. If the student is not successful, s/he must re-take the course when it is next offered, and may not proceed to the next term.
2. Re-taking the failed course or an approved alternative and obtaining a minimal passing grade for the course. When a failed course has been successfully cleared the grade obtained in the cleared course is indicated on Quest and on the Transcript. The original course and failing grade remain on the Transcript. If a grade of less than the minimal passing grade is obtained for a repeat course, the student is given the academic decision "Failed - May Not Continue in Pharmacy Academic Plan."   Readmission into the Pharmacy program is not possible.  A student receiving this standing may, however, be considered for admission to another program in the Faculty of Science.