I am enrolled in a suspended course. What options will be available to help me complete my courses when classes resume?

Students enrolled in Y and W courses that are suspended are assured that they will have options for completing their courses and finalizing grades.  They can move forward with work, study, travel and other plans with confidence that opportunities will be provided at a later date to complete the suspended courses.

This may not happen until the strike by CUPE 3903 has ended – but it will happen:

• for some classes, there will be a remediation period when make-up classes, labs, group assignments and examinations are held.
• for some classes, assignments will be modified in number, weight and kind.
• instructors will work with students to ensure that courses are completed.
• in all scenarios, students will be immune from penalty and provided with reasonable access to material covered in their absence.
• graduating students can be provided with transcripts that have attested or provisional grades recorded pending the completion of coursework.

Information about Assessed Grades is also available through York’s Assessed Grades landing page.

What other course completion options are available during the labour disruption?

Please see below for information about Assessed Grades.

As a result of the labour disruption, students in most scenarios (there are a few exceptions outlined below) may choose assessed grades, along with the other course completion options listed below. There are also several other options available to students whether or not there is a labour disruption, but some may have altered requirements or dates as a result of the disruption.

Pass/Fail grading option: Senate has a Pass/Fail Grades Policy that allows students to elect to earn a limited number of credits on a pass/fail basis in some courses. The following conditions apply only for full-year Fall/Winter 2017-2018 and Winter 2018 Term courses:

• Students are permitted to add 6 credits above the normal maximum for both 90 (normally 6 credits) and 120 credit (normally 12 credits).
• Graduating students and those otherwise in their last termat York may elect a Pass/Fail grade for General Education courses, including Core Science requirements that are part of the BSc General Education requirements.
• Graduating students and others in their final termat York may, in exceptional circumstances, request a Pass/Fail grade in major or minor courses (not including for-credit practica) and outside-the-major required courses, at the discretion of Associate Deans.
• Non-graduating students in good standingmay, in exceptional circumstances, request to have General Education courses evaluated as Pass/Fail, not including Core Science requirements that are part of BSc General Education requirements for the BSc.

Normally, students must select a Pass/Fail grade in the first two weeks of classes. However the deadline to select the option has been extended to the last day of classes on the original schedule for courses that continued or the revised schedule following the disruption.

This option is very limited and can only be implemented by means of a formal request. Moreover, students are advised to consider this option with great care before electing it. A Pass/Fail notation on a course may have a negative impact on applications to graduate and professional programs.

For more information and to retrieve the necessary forms, see the Registrar’s Office website.

Note: Information on the Credit/No Credit option at the Osgoode Hall Law School is posted on MyOsgoode.

Deferred Standing: Students always have the option to seek a deferral of an assignment, test, exam, or other evaluation. Students must make a formal request to their course instructor or course director for deferred standing, and are not automatically entitled to this relief.  Senate Executive urges instructors to deal with requests generously. For more information on deferred standing refer to the Deferred Standing web page.

Appeals, Petitions and Concerns: Normal appeal and petitions procedures remain in place. Students who have concerns about any aspect of course relief options should take them up with their instructors in the first instance. If they are unable to connect with instructors or are hesitant to do so, or if they are not satisfied with an outcome, they should, as always, communicate their concerns to the applicable department or Faculty office.

Accommodations on Religious Grounds or for Students with Disabilities: All normal accommodations for persons with disabilities and for religious reasons remain in place and must be respected.

Course Evaluations: The Senate Policy on the Student Evaluation of Teaching continues to apply. Surveys may be conducted for all courses to ensure that students can provide faculty members with important feedback. Faculties should develop the means by which faculty members may communicate their desire to have evaluations conducted for their courses. The results of the evaluations conducted are to be used at the discretion of individual instructors.

For courses that were suspended or did not meet during the disruption, or students who have chosen not to participate in active courses during the disruption: Students whose courses were suspended or did not continue to meet during the disruption, and students who chose not to participate in active courses, are entitled to complete the course after the disruption is over.

I am a student who has decided not to participate in academic activities during the disruption. What are my rights and responsibilities, and how will I complete the course material?

Students who chose not to participate in academic activities during the labour disruption have the right to immunity from penalty, reasonable alternative access to materials covered during your absence, reasonable extensions of deadlines and such other remedy as Senate deems necessary and consistent with the principle of academic integrity.

These rights do not relieve students of the responsibility for mastering materials covered, nor guarantees students the same learning experience that they would have received. There should be no dilution of standards normally expected of students, and there will be as little reduction in the instructional or supervisory support given to students as possible.

Students who made the choice to not participate should contact their instructor/professor now, or once the strike is over, to discuss completion of the material covered.  If there is an exam for the course, the exam can be written during the rescheduled examination period.  Students should refer to the Completion of Courses and Finalization of Grades options available. These options are designed to promote flexibility while adhering to the principles of academic integrity and fairness to students.

I am a student enrolled in courses that continued during the labour disruption but chose not to participate in academic activities. What course completion options will be made available to me?

Students who have chosen not to participate in academic activities during the disruption have several options for completing courses. Among these options are:

• Completing the course according to the original course syllabus when classes resume;
• Submitting an Assessed Grade form if you have submitted or completed a minimum of 70 percent of coursework from the original course syllabus and would like your final grade to be based on this work; and
• Submitting a Course Dropform to withdraw from your course without receiving a grade

If you chose to complete the course according to the original course syllabus when classes resume:

Once the labour disruption ends, a modified term schedule will be announced for courses that have been suspended/ students who have chosen not to participate in academic activities. There will be a minimum of a one week reduction in the length of the term. This means that once the strike ends, there will be 24 additional days of class, plus an examination period. An examination schedule for suspended courses/ students who have chosen not to participate in academic activities will be posted on the Registrar’s Office website.

When classes resume, instructors will help re-orient students to their studies and discuss options and possible changes to the number, kind or weight of assignments before and/or during the first class. Further, there will be a “cushion period” before assignments are due and tests are re-set.  The teaching term has been shortened by one week.  Alternative scheduling of presentations, performances, labs, practica (that is, outside of regularly scheduled class meets) will also be arranged at a time that is convenient for instructors and students.

If you choose to complete the course and feel your performance has been negatively impacted due to the disruption you may choose to drop the course with no academic penalty.

Will there be a delay in getting marks without teaching assistants to grade midterms/exams?

Updates regarding any implications for exam/midterm marking or grading will be posted on the Labour Update website once the information is confirmed.

What will happen during the labour disruption to tests and exams that were scheduled with the Alternate Exams Office?

If you have tests or exams scheduled with the Alternate Exams Office, they will contact you with updates and information regarding your tests or exams. You can also check the Alternate Exams booking site to review the status of your tests or exams with the Alternate Exams Office. 

What will happen to my course placement, practicum, senior project or directed reading(s) during the labour disruption?

During the labour disruption, please consult with your department or Faculty for information regarding your course placement, practicum, senior project or directed reading(s).

Is there a limit on the worth of tests in the final two weeks of classes?

Senate has a policy on the Limits on the Worth of Examinations in the Final Classes of a Term. This policy stipulates that no examinations or tests collectively worth more than 20% of the final grade in a course will be given during the final 14 calendar days of classes in a term.

For courses that have continued, this policy remains in force. Only in exceptional circumstance can this be waived.

For courses that resume on a revised class schedule, the policy may be waived to provide instructors with more flexibility to allow students the possibility of completing courses as quickly as possible while also ensuring that course learning objectives have been assessed.

Information About Assessed Grades

As a result of the labour disruption, students in most scenarios (there are a few exceptions outlined below) may choose assessed grades, along with other academic remediation options. Students may request to opt for assessed grades by filling out the Assessed Grade form on the “My Courses” section of my.yorku.ca or yorku.ca/coursestatus.

Please review the following frequently asked questions to learn more about the assessed grade option, including information about eligibility, the Assessed Grade form and the Assessed Grade Attestation form. For more information about additional academic remediation options, please review the Assessed Grades information page on the Current Students website.

Students whose courses were suspended or did not continue to meet during the disruption, and students who chose not to participate in active courses, are entitled to complete the course after the disruption is over.

ASSESSED GRADE REQUEST FORM

UPDATED: What are assessed grades and am I eligible for this option?

Assessed grades are final grades based on work completed that comprises a defined proportion of the assignments in a course syllabus. Students may choose to opt for an assessed grade if they have completed a minimum of 70 percent of the coursework from the original course syllabus. Students do not need approval from their course director to choose the assessed grade option as long as 70 percent of the coursework has been completed. The assessed grade option can be chosen if coursework has been submitted but the grade is not yet known or received by students. Assessed grades will appear as normal on transcripts.

Students can decide whether they want to opt for the assessed grade option. Students always have the choice to complete all of the original assignments.

Please note that the assessed grade option is not available for students enrolled in the following:

• Graduate programs
• Osgoode Hall Law School JD program
• Lassonde School of Engineering: B Eng, B Sc, and the BA in Computer Science and Computer Security
• Schulich School of Business: 3rd and 4th level Accounting Classes
• B Com: ADMS courses identified as necessary for accreditation in addition to ADMS courses which will have not achieved 70 percent of assessments by the end of classes

The online Assessed Grade form will filter out ineligible courses.

How do I use the Assessed Grade form?

An Assessed Grade online form was made available on Monday, April 2, 2018. The purpose of the form is to indicate your choice to opt for an assessed grade. If your course director has already provided an alternative way to request assessed grades there is no need to also request this through the form.  Please note that students need to submit this form individually for each course for which they are choosing the assessed grade option.

Please be aware that your submission of this form is not a guarantee that you are eligible to opt for an assessed grade. Students are responsible for confirming their eligibility to opt for assessed grades. Students can choose to opt for an assessed grade if they have completed or submitted 70 percent of coursework from the syllabus: if you are unsure if you have completed or submitted 70 percent of coursework, please check your syllabus.

To access the Assessed Grade form, navigate to my.yorku.ca. Log in to view the “My Courses” section to see your course status. If your program or courses are not eligible, the option will not appear. Click on each eligible course to be directed to the Assessed Grade form. Complete and submit a form for each eligible course for which you would like to choose an assessed grade.

Once you submit the form, you will receive an email notification confirming your submission and providing access to your Assessed Grade status page, where you can review the status of your submissions. An email will also go to your course director (if you provided their email address) and they will be able to view your assessed grade request. Course directors will then ensure you have met the minimum thresholds and confirm your eligibility.  If not, they may suggest an alternate remediation option. If your course directors are not available due to the labour disruption, the requests will be available to Deans’ offices and other administrators to address students with exceptional circumstances. Note that for those courses, final grades will not be submitted until after the end of the labour disruption.

Please note that you can submit an Assessed Grade form only once per course; you cannot make edits to forms once they have been submitted.

When do I have to submit the Assessed Grade form?

Students participating in continuing courses must exercise this option by the deadline of Monday, April 9.

Other students must exercise this option by the first day of final examinations in the revised schedule after the disruption ends (date to be determined).

What if I have not met the 70 percent threshold but have completed or submitted 60 percent of coursework?

If students have completed or submitted 60 percent of the coursework, course instructors are permitted to make changes to the number, kind, and weight of assignments (including tests and examinations) to help students meet the 70 percent threshold, provided that this will not disadvantage students. Instructors can make no more than a 10 percent change to the collective weight of assignments. Course directors will determine if minor adjustments to the value of graded components can be made so that the 60 percent can be raised to meet the 70 percent threshold. Course directors will communicate the re-weighted assignment scenarios to students.

Participation grades can be applied in order the meet the 70 per cent threshold.

Students can decide whether they want to opt for the assessed grade option. Students always have the choice to complete all of the original assignments.

I have not completed 70 percent of the coursework on the original course syllabus, but due to exceptional circumstances would like to request assessed grades. Am I eligible for the assessed grade option?

Students in exceptional circumstances may request assessed grades on the basis of work that falls below the 70 per cent threshold. Such requests are dealt with on a case-by-case basis by individual course instructors in the first instance. Students with exceptional circumstances who want to opt for an assessed grade should submit the Assessed Grades Request form on the “My Courses” section of my.yorku.ca.

Examples of exceptional circumstances include but are not limited to:

• Students who have applied to graduate in June 2018
• International and exchange students facing the expiration of visas
• Students who have an offer of admission to another institution commencing in the summer
• Students who have firm travel plans that do not allow them to commit to an extended term date
• Students who have employment which does not allow them to commit to an extended term date
• Students who are participating in an exchange program that commences in summer
• Students whose housing/living arrangements expire at the end of April

There may be other extenuating circumstances that can be provided on the form.

Can I revoke the assessed grade option?

Students who opt for an assessed grade by the deadlines specified above, but later decide to sit the final examination or submit the final assignment, will be deemed to have revoked (invalidated) the assessed grade.

Students can choose to write the final exam if that was part of the original grading scheme for the course included in the syllabus. If students decide to complete the course according the original grading scheme, they may not retroactively choose an assessed grade past the deadline and after writing the final exam.

Is the decision to revise the grading scheme to meet 70 percent completion made by the student or the instructor?

Instructors have the discretion whether to re-weight assignments, and how it should be done in order to preserve the academic integrity of the course. In some cases the nature of the course and the timing of the tests / assignments within the term will mean that it is not feasible to revise the grading scheme and conclude the course with only 60 percent of it completed.

I did poorly on the assignment that my professor has decided to re-weight. What are my options?

If a revised grading scheme is made available for courses where 60 percent of the work has been completed, a student may opt for an assessed grade using that revised scheme. If the assessed grade based on the revised scheme is not favourable, the student may complete the course on the basis of the original syllabus.

If I have a final worth 50 percent, will I be eligible for re-weighting of my assignments?

No. Re-weighting of assignments is only an option for courses where 60 percent of the coursework has been completed prior to the last day of classes (for courses that continued during the disruption).

Can I opt to write a final exam even if my course instructor has indicated that the class doesn’t have to?

Yes, you can choose to write the final exam if that was part of the original grading scheme for the course included in the syllabus. If you decide to complete the course according the original grading scheme, you may not retroactively choose an assessed grade past the deadline and after writing the final exam.

ASSESSED GRADE ATTESTATION FORM

What if I am enrolled in a suspended course and my instructor cannot confirm that I have met the 70 percent threshold to request an assessed grade?

To assist students whose courses have been suspended to access the assessed grade option, the University is providing an Assessed Grade Attestation form as of April 30. At this time, this form is only available to students who have applied to graduate in June 2018 to enable these students to complete their courses for convocation.

An Assessed Grade Attestation is based on students’ own confirmation of work done in the course and can include grades already received on assignments and estimates of grades to be granted on assignments submitted but not returned.  Your attestation may be used to inform decisions regarding provisional grades.  If assigned, provisional grades will be subject to review.   Verification could result in an adjustment to provisional grades and any related academic standing.  This can include GPA, degree progression or degree completion decisions.

The Attestation form can be accessed by students planning to graduate in June 2018 via my.yorku.ca or yorku.ca/coursestatus as of April 30. Note that you will need to complete an Assessed Grade Attestation for each course you are confirming 70 percent completion of coursework on the original course syllabus.

Who is eligible for the Assessed Grade Attestation form?

At this time, the Assessed Grade Attestation form is only available to students who have applied to graduate in June 2018.

Please note that if you have already received a final grade for the course, no attestation is required. If your course is not eligible for an assessed grade, the Assessed Grade Attestation is not applicable to your situation. In either case, a link to the attestation form will not be visible.

How do I use the Assessed Grade Attestation form?

Please note that you will need to complete an Assessed Grade Attestation for each course for which you are confirming 70 percent completion of coursework on the course outline or syllabus.

The Assessed Grade Attestation form can be accessed via my.yorku.ca and yorku.ca/coursestatus. Once you log in using your Passport York credentials, you will see a list of your courses and the status of your Assessed Grade Request form(s). As of April 30, you will also see an “Attestation” column: if your course is eligible for an assessed grade, you will see a red “Add” button in the “Attestation” column.

To submit an Assessed Grade Attestation form, click “Add” for the course(s) for which you need to attest your course grade and enter the following information:

1. Type of graded component or assignment: Enter the name of the graded component/assignment/test for which you are entering a grade (e.g. “Test 1”, “Essay 2”).
2. Status of mark: Select from a drop-down menu whether the grade for this component has been received from your instructor or if it has been submitted and you are awaiting a grade.
3. Percentage weighting of course mark: Enter the percentage weight of this component of your final grade (e.g. if the assignment is worth 20% of your final grade, enter 20). You can find the percentage weight of graded components on your course syllabus or course outline.
4. Grade earned: Enter the grade type of this component to identify whether it was a numeric grade, a percentage, a letter grade or pass/fail.
5. Explanation (optional): If you are providing an attestation for a graded component that was submitted but has yet to be marked, you may choose to add an explanation to that component (e.g. to clarify what grade you expect to receive). You are not required to complete the “Explanation” section.

Once you have completed your attestation for a graded component, click the green “+” button to add another grade component section. You will need to provide the above information for each grade component on the syllabus for which you are attesting to have completed 70 percent of coursework. Once you have completed your attestation, click the “Submit Attestation” button. After submitting your attestation, you will be able to view your information.

Please note that attested grades are not final.  Any grade assigned based on an attestation is provisional and will be reviewed and verified. You must complete your Assessed Grade form prior to submitting your Assessed Grade Attestation.

I need to change my Assessed Grade Attestation form after it has been submitted. How can I change it?

Once you have submitted an Assessed Grade Attestation form, you will be able to view the information you submitted but you will not be able to edit it. However, you may cancel your Assessed Grade Attestation form after it has been submitted by clicking the “Cancel” button on your Assessed Grade Form homepage. You will then be able to submit a new attestation for your course.

How can I determine the weight of my grade components to complete the Assessed Grade Attestation form?

Please consult your course outline or syllabus that you received at the beginning of your course to determine the weighting of assignments. You may also utilize the optional “additional information” section of the Assessed Grade Attestation form to add clarifications or further information regarding grade components. If you have submitted an assignment but your instructor cannot confirm your grade, indicate the mark you expect to receive on the Assessed Grade Attestation form.

Why isn’t the Assessed Grade Attestation form appearing on my Assessed Grade status page?

If you do not see the Assessed Grade Attestation form when logging into the Assessed Grade status page, you are not presently eligible to submit an Assessed Grade Attestation form. At this time, the Assessed Grade Attestation form is only available to students who have applied to graduate in June 2018.

If you have already received a final grade for your course or if your course is not eligible for an assessed grade, you do not need to submit an Assessed Grade Request form.

Where can I review the status of my Assessed Grade form and my Assessed Grade Attestation form?

You will be able to review the status of your Assessed Grade Attestation by checking your Grade Report.

Are assessed grades final grades?

No. After you submit your Assessed Grade Request and Assessed Grade Attestation forms, they will be reviewed by your program and Faculty to verify your results. You can check your Grade Report to see your final grade.

Who do I contact if I have questions about the assessed grade option and my course status?

If you have questions about the assessed grade option or your eligibility to opt for an assessed grade, please contact your Faculty representative listed below. As this is a course-specific issue, Registrarial Services will be unable to assist with inquiries about the assessed grade option.

Arts, Media, Performance & Design
Office of Advising and Integrated Student Services
416-736-5135

Education
Laura Crane
416-736-2100, ext. 20053

Environmental Studies
416-736-5252

Glendon
416-487-6715

Health
Associate Dean for Students
Parissa Safai
416-736-2100, ext. 20896

Lassonde School of Engineering
ask@lassonde.yorku.ca
416-650-8215

Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
apcourse@yorku.ca
416-736-5220

Osgoode Hall Law SchoolAssistant Dean, Students
Mya Rimon
mrimon@osgoode.yorku.caAssociate Dean (Students)
Benjamin Berger
ads@osgoode.yorku.ca

Schulich School of Business
Student & Enrolment Services
studentservices@schulich.yorku.ca
(416) 736-5303

Science
Student Academic Services
416-736-5085