Faculty of Environment

The following regulations govern the practice of the Faculty of Environment concerning final examinations, standing, and make-up examinations. These regulations also apply to part-time students and special plans. Further details concerning University Examination Regulations can be found in the "Examination Regulations and Related Matters" document available at www.registrar.uwaterloo.ca/exams/ExamRegs.pdf.

Final Examinations

1. Each student is required to submit (in such form and at such time as may be determined by the instructor) evidence of satisfactory participation. In all courses, the marks obtained from course work during the term are used in part in determining standing. At the discretion of the Chair of the Department or the Director of the School, and the Dean, a student may be barred from the final examination if the course requirements are not completed to the satisfaction of the instructor.
2. Failure to write an examination is ordinarily considered a failure to pass (DNW or NMR=32). A student who defaults a final examination, except for a properly certified reason, shall have no make-up examination privileges. If a student fails to write a final examination for medical reasons, a Medical Doctor's certificate covering the precise period of absence must be provided to the instructor within one week of the examination date.
3. A student will be eligible for make-up examinations only when failure to pass is attributable to documented extenuating circumstances. In addition, students:
   • must have attended a reasonable number of lectures in the course in which they propose to write;
   • must have satisfied all course work requirements; and
   • must have secured the permission of the instructor concerned.

Petitions, Re-assessments, and Appeals

A petition involves instances where a student seeks relief from normal Faculty or University rules and regulations because of special circumstances normally beyond his or her control such as illness or bereavement. Petition forms are available at www.registrar.uwaterloo.ca/forms/Petition.pdf. Appropriate supporting documentation must accompany all petitions.

A student who believes that the grade received in an examination, essay, or other piece of academic work is unreasonable, can initiate a request for re-assessment. The first step in this process is for the student to approach the course instructor and attempt to resolve the matter informally. This step must take place within four months of the receipt of the grade. If the problem cannot be resolved, the student may submit a Request for a Formal Inquiry or for a Reassessment to the Faculty's Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies.

A student who believes that an error in academic judgment or procedure has occurred may initiate an appeal. Whenever possible, an informal approach to the person whose judgment is being questioned should precede a formal appeal. Failure to reach a mutually satisfactory solution at the informal level may result in the student submitting a Request for a Formal Inquiry or for a Reassessment to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies. A formal appeal must be submitted within six months following the action being appealed.

At the informal and formal level, students are encouraged to seek advice and assistance from the Undergraduate Associate Dean, Assistant Registrar, University Secretariat, and/or the Ombudsperson.

For more information see the Student Grievance Policy (University of Waterloo Policy #70) at www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy70.htm.

Submission of Course Material

In situations where a student wishes to submit a body of material to satisfy the requirement of more than one course, and where the courses are concurrent, the student must notify the instructors of both courses of her/his intention so that they may each decide what is appropriate for their respective courses.

When one of the courses has been taken in a previous term, the current course instructor must be informed by the student of her/his intention of submitting the same course material. The current instructor has the final decision on the extent to which the material is allowed.

Failure to comply with the above regulation constitutes an academic offence.

Standing

A maximum of 6.5 first-year units (100-level courses) will be counted towards a BES and BKI. For other requirements, see the section for your Department/School. Normally, a lecture course has a unit weight of 0.5. Students who have passed fewer than five units will be considered Year One; those who have passed at least five but fewer than ten units will be considered Year Two; those with at least ten but fewer than 15 units, Year Three; and those with 15 or more units, Year Four.

1. Standing in an individual subject is determined by combining the grades assigned for course work with those obtained in the final examination. For the purpose of grading, the University Grading System will be used. The numerical grade system is used in the calculation of averages in the Faculty of Environment. The unit weighting of courses is also taken into consideration in average calculations.
2. All courses taken are included in the cumulative overall average. Cumulative major averages are determined by using the grades of the courses in accordance to the individual plan specifications. See the plan section in this calendar for details. Cumulative averages, both major and overall are calculated using grades whether passed or failed.
3. When a course is repeated, both marks will appear on the student's record and will be included in the calculation of the cumulative overall average. If the course is part of the major requirement, both marks will be calculated in the major cumulative average.
4. Students receiving an incomplete (INC) standing in any course will be allowed four months from the completion date of the course to clear such standings. Any such standings not cleared within this period will automatically be converted to FTC (failed to complete) which calculates in the average as 32. In the School of Planning, this grade cannot be changed without a student appeal to the School. The mark of "IP" or "In Progress" may be assigned temporarily to the first half of what is essentially a year course which is listed as two courses (i.e., GEOG 490A and 490B). The mark indicates that the course is "In Progress" and that when completed, a final grade will be assigned to both the "A" and "B" halves of the course (usually the same grade).
5. Some courses which are listed under separate labels or numbers have overlapping content. Only one of these courses may be taken for credit. These are designated with notes after the course description which would indicate one of the following:
   • the courses are cross-listed;
   • the courses are listed as antireq;
   • credit will be granted only for one of a pair of courses;
   • a course was formerly designated with a different number and/or label; or
   • students should consult their Undergraduate Officer.
6. To be considered in satisfactory standing in an Honours plan, a student must maintain a cumulative overall average of at least 65% and a cumulative major average of at least 70% (75% for Planning  and Knowledge Integration). If an Honours candidate's average falls below the prescribed minimum, the individual may be given conditional standing, if in the judgment of the School or Departmental Promotions Committee, the student can attain Honours standing before graduation. An Environment Honours student, upon request, may be considered for the Three Year General Geography and Environmental Management program if the average criteria for an Honours degree are not met. Regulations in number 8 below will apply to these students.
7. To be considered in good standing in Honours Co-operative plans (in addition to maintaining the required minimum cumulative averages), students must complete and submit a satisfactory Co-op work report at the completion of each of their first four Co-op work terms. A minimum of four satisfactory work reports is required for the Honours Co-operative degree. Co-op work reports are usually due seven days after the first official day of lectures of the academic term in which the report is required.
   
   Co-op students in Environment are required to complete a minimum of five Professional Development (PD) courses, including an introductory course (PD1) that must be taken prior to the first work term. At least two other of the Professional Development courses must cover non-technical skills. Other than the initial PD course, the courses are normally taken during Co-op work terms. PD2 requires a work-term report to be written, which will be considered one of the four required work-term reports. Students are encouraged to take a Professional Development course each work term until the requirement is met.
   
   Students who fail to meet these requirements will not be permitted to continue in Co-op.
8. To be considered in  satisfactory standing in the General Geography and Environmental Management plan, a student must maintain a cumulative overall average of at least 60% as well as a cumulative major average of at least 65% in Geography (GEOG) and Environmental Studies (ENVS) courses. If at any time a student's cumulative overall average falls below 60%, or the average in the major subjects below 65%, the student may be granted conditional status, if, in the judgement of the Departmental Promotions Committee, the student will attain satisfactory standing before graduation.
9. Full-time students may be enrolled for additional or fewer courses than the normal load as required in each plan only after obtaining the approval of the appropriate Undergraduate Officer. An Undergraduate Officer may approve a maximum of 3.25 academic units per academic term.  Students wishing to take 3.5 or more units in a term must file a Petition for Exception to Academic Regulation.
10. Even while otherwise in good standing, a student who fails more than four courses (2.0 units) or the equivalent over the academic year, or who, in the opinion of the School or Departmental Promotions Committee, is deemed not to be profiting from university studies, may be required to withdraw regardless of her/his cumulative average.
11. If a student receives a "Required to Withdraw" decision, s/he is eligible to apply for re-admission after an absence of two consecutive academic terms. A Co-op work term is considered an academic term and therefore is not counted towards the two term absence. If the reasons for withdrawal include disciplinary problems, a statement will be placed in the student's file. If a student is granted re-admission:
    • the student's cumulative overall and plan averages will be cleared; that is, grades achieved in all previous course work will not count in cumulative averages;
    • all previous Waterloo course attempts and grades will remain on the student's record and transcripts;
    • courses cleared but with grades over 60% (65% for Planning and Knowledge Integration) will contribute to the total credits required up to 10.0 units for Honours and 7.5 units for three-year General students (50% of degree requirements); and
    • cumulative overall and plan averages for a degree will be based on courses taken following readmission and clearing of grades.
12. Generally, students wishing to graduate with a University of Waterloo Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES), or a Bachelor of Knowledge Integration (BKI) undergraduate degree must spend a minimum of two years or their final year in residence (full-time on campus). This does not preclude special studies approved in advance.

Term Dean's Honours List

The Faculty awards the distinction Dean's Honours List (DHL), in order to officially recognize students who have attained a consistently high degree of academic excellence during their studies. This distinction is awarded to selected students at the completion of each academic term and appears on Quest and on the Official Transcript as part of the academic decision.

To be eligible for this distinction, students must:

1. have completed a minimum of three Waterloo courses in the term under consideration for the DHL which count in the cumulative overall average for that term;
2. have a cumulative overall average of 80% or higher; and
3. have no marks of INC or NMR or failing grades in the term under consideration for the DHL.

Graduating Dean's Honours List

Students graduating with a cumulative overall average of 80% or higher, and who do not have any INC, NMR, or failing grades on their record, while enrolled in the Faculty of Environment, will have the designation, Dean's Honours List, appear on his/her graduation diploma.