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2015-2016

The Undergraduate Calendar

 

 

Faculty of Science

Faculty Information and Regulations
Rules for Students enrolled in Faculty of Science courses
  1. The Faculty constitutes the examining body for all courses. All course grades are considered by the Examinations and Standings Committee of the Faculty of Science. After the results have been considered they will be posted by the Registrar on Quest.
  2. Final examinations are held in December, April, and August. The maximum time allowed for each examination is 2 1/2 hours.
  3. In the Faculty of Science, Course and Unit have the following interpretations:
    • Course - A course may refer to a lecture course, a laboratory course, or a lecture-laboratory course which includes both lecture and laboratory. Most laboratory courses are designated by the letter L following the course number.
    • Unit - Unit weights are assigned for lecture and laboratory courses as designated in the course descriptions. Courses are given unit weights which vary from 0.00 to 2.50. Most courses have a 0.50 unit weight and are of one-term duration.
      Course unit weights are used to calculate weighted grade averages. Unit weights are also used in calculating tuition fees. Part-time students, especially, should be aware of this fact when choosing courses.
  4. Grades in individual courses will normally be reported as numerical grades on the scale 0 to 100. In exceptional circumstances, an instructor may report a non-numerical grade. (see item #7 below.)
  5. To obtain credit for a course, a student must normally obtain a minimum grade of 50%. Course instructors are responsible for indicating clearly the grading practices in their courses, and students have a responsibility to understand the criteria used in determining final grades for a course.
  6. If a student fails to complete a required part of the course for health reasons, a University of Waterloo Verification of Illness form, covering the precise period of absence, must first be registered with the Faculty of Science and then presented to the course instructor within forty-eight (48) hours. The instructor will take into account the information on the Verification of Illness form when deciding how to handle the absence.
    Unless the course instructor states otherwise, the following rules apply:
    (i) For an approved absence of a student during the term, the instructor will transfer the weight of missed term work to the final examination.
    (ii) When a student misses a final examination for valid reasons, the instructor must report a grade of INC (incomplete) for the student.
  7. If appropriate, an instructor may report one of the following non-numerical grades for a student:
    • DNW (did not write) - Final examination not written in a course that has not been dropped officially whether the course has been attended or not. For averaging purposes, and in the determination of academic standing, DNW counts as a grade of 32 and a failed course.
    • INC (either term work, lab work, examination, etc., is/are incomplete) - A course for which the grade designation INC has been given must be completed within two terms of taking the course or the INC automatically becomes a grade of FTC (failed to complete). The instructor must notify the Registrar as soon as possible if the INC is to be extended beyond two terms. If an INC has been assigned because a student did not write the final examination then the student will normally write a make-up examination in the examination period of the term in which the course is next offered, unless the instructor explicitly states otherwise. A student should not re-enrol in a course for which a grade of INC was given. For averaging purposes, INC is ignored and in the determination of academic standing, the course counts as a course attempted but not as a course failed. FTC is treated as a grade of 32 and a failed course. If a graduating student has an INC, it will be recorded as FTC on the transcript.
    • IP (course in progress) - No grade assigned at this time and no credit granted. For averaging purposes, and in the determination of academic standing, IP is ignored and does not count as a failed course or as credit granted.
    • NMR (no mark recorded) - Will count as a failure and will be counted as a grade of 32 for averaging purposes.

    In exceptional circumstances, the instructor and Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies) may decide that one of the following non-numerical grades may be appropriate.

    • AEG (aegrotat) - signifies the student's work or examination was incomplete because of illness and the instructor is satisfied that the student should receive credit for the course but a numerical grade could not be set. Credit granted but no grade in average.
    • CR - Credit granted where performance was satisfactory but no specific grade is given and AEG is not appropriate. Will not count in the cumulative averages.
    • NCR - Credit is not granted where performance was unsatisfactory but no specific grade is given - failure reported. Will not count in the cumulative averages.
    • UR - Grade under review, decision pending. Where failure in a course is part of a disciplinary penalty, the maximum course grade will be 32%.

Office of the Registrar
University of Waterloo
2nd Floor, Needles Hall
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
519 888 4567