Based on a student’s academic achievement and following the promotion guidelines of the program, an academic decision is assigned to the student record indicating progress/promotion at the end of each unit/module/ semester or at the end of the academic year.

The following is a list of the Academic Decisions with explanations.
Graduate
Student is allowed to graduate.
Met Requirements
Met requirements of program
Eligible to Continue
Student is promoted to the next academic level of the program.
Incomplete
Program is not complete
Must Repeat
Must repeat level
Special Timetable – Same Level
Student is not promoted, or allowed to graduate due to missing/failed course(s). However, student is allowed to return to the program to repeat/ complete the missing/failed course(s).
Academic Probation
Promoted to next level with a special timetable and academic conditions.
Decision Pending
This is a temporary decision, pending receipt of final marks.
Discontinued
Student may not continue or graduate due to failure to meet program objectives or non-payment of fees.

Achievement Report [Back to Top]

An Achievement Report, indicating interim/final marks and academic decisions, is distributed to students from the Registrar’s Office approximately six weeks after the end of each unit/module/semester. This informs the student of achievement and progress in the program (if applicable). A report is issued each time there is an update to the student’s academic record.

Depending on the program, the official documents awarded by the Board of Governors in recognition of successful completion of a program are:

Certificate	Ontario College Advanced Diploma
Ontario College Certificate	Ontario College Diploma
Applied Degree	Ontario College Graduate Certificate

Other documents include:
Student Achievement Report
The Student Achievement Report includes all courses with or without a formal assessment component. Marks are considered confidential information and, therefore, are not given out over the telephone under any circumstances. When inquiring about your mark, you must provide your Student Identification Number.
Affirmation
You may obtain an Affirmation for courses with a formal assessment component by requesting one, in writing or in person, from the Registrar’s Office. You must provide information regarding the course title and the semester in which you attended the course. This document is suitable for framing. Applicable fee will apply.
Statement of Participation
Upon request, the College will issue a Statement of Participation to indicate the student’s attendance and participation in a course in which there is no formal assessment, provided the course is eligible. This document is suitable for framing. For some courses, the College issues no document. Confirm with your instructor. Applicable fee will apply.

Adding a Course[Back to Top]

Full-time students may, with approval, take a course over and above what is normally studied during the semester in which they are enrolled.

To add a course:
1. Refer to ‘Academic Dates’ for the deadline to add a course.
2. With the approval of the Program Co-ordinator, a full-time student may register for extra course(s) in a semester. See the Co-ordinator for approval and to discuss your course load. The Course Add/Drop Form, available from the Program Co-ordinator, must be completed (with all the required signatures) and forwarded to the Registrar’s Office via
the Program Co-ordinator. Courses may also be added on the Student Enrollment Form during Registration Week, which will require the Program Co-ordinator’s signature to approve the added course. A copy must be forwarded to the Registrar’s Office.
3. Check with the Registrar’s Office at a later date to ensure that your records have been updated.
•Note: Fees will apply if extra course is not part of your current year's Program Design. Please check “Adding a Course” in the Fees section of this Guide. By adding courses, the status of a part-time student may change to full-time and fees will be adjusted.

Advanced Standing[Back to Top]

The admission of a student into a program in a semester beyond semester one of that program based on previous post-secondary learning and/or life and work experience.

Auditing a Course[Back to Top]

Audit status must be clearly specified at the time of registration in the course.
Students auditing a course are restricted solely to the role of observers in the class. They must not write examinations, have course evaluations performed for them, or make comments during class. A credit standing will not be granted for an audited course.
Permission to audit a course will not be granted until the number of students taking the course for credit is known. Priority must always go to students taking a course for credit. Names of students auditing a course will appear on class lists.
Audit students must pay the full course fee, unless they have previously completed the course successfully for credit. In this case, the audit fee as determined under the College Fee Schedule will apply.

To audit a course:
If you are registered in a full-time program:
1. Complete an Audit Form (available in the Registrar’s Office).
2. Review with program co-ordinator and obtain approval.
3. Submit the completed Audit Form and fee to Registrar’s Office.
If you wish to audit a course and are not registered in a full-time program:
1. Complete a Course Registration Form and put a checkmark in the audit check box.
2. Submit the completed Course Registration Form and appropriate fee to the Registrar’s Office.

Confidentiality/FOI [Back to Top]

See FOI/Confidentiality

Completion of Forms/Verification Letters [Back to Top]

If you require a form completed or a letter produced verifying your acceptance, or current or previous enrolment at the College, to be used for purposes other than income taxes:
1. Complete the Request for Letter Form, available from the Registrar’s Office,
or
2. Bring the form requiring verification to the Registrar’s Office for completion.
Note: This letter/form is usually used for items such as insurance, day care, credit card application, job application, or scholarship purposes. Allow 3 to 5 days for processing.
Applicable fee will apply.

Convocation [Back to Top]

Official graduation ceremonies usually take place in June at the Recreation Centre and feature presentation of Diplomas and Certificates, conferment of the Conestoga College Liripipe (a ceremonial shoulder sash representing successful completion of program studies) and presentation of special College-wide awards.
To be eligible to participate, you must have successfully completed all program requirements by a specific date (which permits the Registrar’s Office to process your records). If you do not complete the program requirements until after the date set, you are eligible to participate in the next scheduled Convocation. Information on Convocation is mailed to all eligible students.
If you are eligible, but have not received information, please contact the Registrar’s Office. Applicable fee will apply. Students with a promotion decision Met Requirements are not eligible for convocation ceremonies.

Co-requisite [Back to Top]

A co-requisite is a course which must be taken together with another course.

Course [Back to Top]

A course is a unit of study on a particular subject or topic in accordance with approved curriculum.

Discontinuance [Back to Top]

The College may discontinue a registered student from a program based on course failures, misconduct, irregularities, medical criteria not met/ maintained, failure to pay fees or, in some sponsored programs, for lack of attendance. The action is initiated by the College.

Dropping a Course/Course Withdrawl [Back to Top]

The course drop deadline is based on the start and end date of the course section. Students may drop a course without academic penalty before 75% of course has been delivered.
To drop a course:
1. You must see your Program Co-ordinator/Chair for approval and to discuss your course load. The Course Add/Drop Form, available from the Program Co-ordinator/Chair, must be completed (with all the required signatures) and forwarded to the Registrar’s Office via the Program Coordinator/ Chair.
2. Check with the Registrar’s Office at a later date to ensure that your records have been updated.
Note: By dropping courses, the status of a full-time student may change to part-time. Fees will be calculated on an hourly basis and other fees may apply. If you are receiving financial aid, a status change may affect your entitlement. Consult the Financial Aid Office for clarification.

Exemption/Transfer of Credits [Back to Top]

i) Advanced Standing
The admission of a student into a program in a semester beyond semester one of that program based on previous post-secondary learning and/or life and work experience.

ii) Exemption
Exemption is the waiving of a course for students who have proven that they have comparable or equivalent learning. Course learning outcomes will be the criteria for determining exemptions. The notation of “G” is used for the grade.
Comparable learning denotes that the learning outcomes of the course in question are equivalent to the course under review. Equivalent learning denotes that the learning outcomes in one course are comparable to the learning outcomes in another course.
Exemptions are not granted to Information Technology (IT) courses completed more than two years previously. For all other courses the time limit is seven years, unless otherwise noted in the Program Data Pack under Admission Requirements.
The maximum credit allowed through Transfer of Credits and credits obtain through PLAR (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition) is 75% of the program credits. Therefore, at least 25% of the program credits must be taken under the direct supervision of Conestoga College faculty.

iii) Transfer of Credits
The granting of course credits (exemptions) to students who have previously achieved the learning outcomes through learning obtained at another post-secondary institution or another post-secondary program within Conestoga College.
Note: When a student moves from one Conestoga College program to another and where course numbers are identical, automatic credit is given if program passing grades are met. The course grade from the original course will stand.

Applicants from Other Nursing Degree Programs
Applicants who are enrolled in a Nursing degree program at anohter university or college/university consortium program may apply to transfer to the McMaster, Mohawk or Conestoga site to earn a McMaster B.Sc.N. degree. There is limited enrolment for the program. Possession of the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee an offer of admission.
Please refer to the McMaster Nursing admissions website, Section III, 'Collaborative B.Sc.N. Program (D) Stream' at registrar.mcmaster.ca/CALENDAR/year2006/sec_258.htm for details.

Completing an Exemption Request Form
When a course number is not identical, exemption(s) may be requested using an Exemption Request Form.
• Students submit an Exemption Request Form and the required documents to the Co-ordinator of the program in which the exemption(s) are requested. If the request is for non-specified general education courses, the form should be forwarded to the Chair or designate of the School of Liberal and Media Studies.
• The Program Co-ordinator and/or Chair of the School of Liberal and Media Studies makes a determination and signs the Exemption Request Form and forwards it with the official documents to the Associate Vice President/Chair’s office of the program in which exemptions are requested.
• The Associate Vice President/Chair of the School in which the exemption(s) are requested signs the form and forwards it with the official documents to the Registrar’s Office, where the documents will remain on file.
• Registrar’s Office will send a revised Achievement Report to the student.

(FOI) Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act/Confidentiality [Back to Top]

Under current provincial law, a student’s records are considered confidential and will be released to a third party only upon the written authorization of the student or by exception as noted under the Release of Information section of this Guide. Information collected in student records will be used to administer the programs and activities of the College. While student records are the property of the College, students have the right to view their own records upon request. Student records may include personal academic and non-academic information (for example, identification photographs).

Full-Time, Part-Time Status [Back to Top]

A full-time student is one enrolled for at least 70 per cent of the hours, or 66 2/3 per cent of the courses in the current registration period of the Program Design. Students not meeting these criteria are considered part-time. Course changes may affect your status, which is determined each registration period by the Registrar’s Office and may impact OSAP eligibility.

Grade Point Average[Back to Top]

The detailed grading systems may be found on the College website
From September 2005
Grade Grade Point Range
A+ .......................... 4.0 ................ 90-100%
A .......................... 3.75 .............. 80-89%
B+ .......................... 3.50 .............. 75-79%
B .......................... 3.0 ................ 70-74%
C+ .......................... 2.5 ................ 65-69%
C .......................... 2.0 ................ 60-64%
D .......................... 1.0 ................ 55-59%
F .......................... 0 ................... Below passing grade for the course
EX ................................................ Advanced Standing/Exemption
I ................................................ Incomplete
P ................................................ Passed
AU ................................................ Audit
AT ................................................ Attended an ungraded course
W ...................................................Withdrawal from course (before the drop deadline)
Y ................................................ Discontinued by the College
DNA ............................................... Registered but did not attend
I/P ................................................ Course remains in process at end of term

The minimum passing grade for a course is 55% unless otherwise stated on the course outline or College calendar. Conestoga College Academic policies are available on the internet at http://www.conestogac.on.ca.
Grade Point Average
The calculation will be the product of averaging the grades achieved and weighting that by the credits assigned to each. At the end of each academic period, the Cumulative GPA will also be calculated. The Cumulative GPA will reflect the average of grades achieved in the program curriculum completed to date. (Effective September, 2005.)
Pass/Fail
Some courses and programs may also record achievement as:
Pass (P) The course outcomes are satisfactorily met in a course which uses the pass/fail grading system
Fail (F) Failure to meet course outcomes in an acceptable manner
Ungraded courses
Some courses are ungraded and these will record that a student/participant either:
AT attended an ungraded course
DNA registered but did not attend
Grade Point Average
At the end of each academic period for which a student is registered, the semester/term Grade Point Average (GPA) will be calculated. The calculation will be the product of averaging the grades achieved and weighting that by the credits assigned to each course. At the end of each academic period, the Cumulative GPA will also be calculated. The cumulative GPA will reflect the average of the grades achieved in the program curriculum completed to date.
Only the grades of A+, A, B+, B, C, D and F will be used in the calculation of GPA. Both the Term and Cumulative GPA will be recorded on the student transcript.
Cumulative GPA may be used to determine academic standing.
When a student re-takes a course, the best grade achieved will be used in calculating the cumulative GPA.

Part Time Status [Back to Top]

An individual who is not in a program and is interested in registering for a course will be able to do so if the course has been identified in SIS (The College’s Student Information System) as being available for Part-time Studies Registration and if he/she meets the prerequisites (if applicable).

PLAR – Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition [Back to Top]

Mature students with significant life and work experience may wish to pursue course credits through Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR). PLAR offers an opportunity to have knowledge and skills assessed against course learning outcomes. A variety of assessment methods, such as tests, demonstrations, or the development of a portfolio, are used. For more information about PLAR and the costs involved, register for a free two-hour PLAR Orientation Workshop offered every semester through the Continuing Education division.
The maximum credit allowed through PLAR is 75% of program credits.
Therefore at least 25% of the program credits must be taken under the direct supervision of Conestoga College faculty.

Prerequisite [Back to Top]

A prerequisite is a condition that must be met before enrolling in a course or program.

Program [Back to Top]

A program consists of a specific set of courses leading to a Diploma, Certificate or Degree, according to a Program Design, which the student must successfully complete in order to graduate.

Re-Admission to a Program [Back to Top]

A student who withdrew or was discontinued from a program may apply for re-admission to a previously studied program. Students must complete and submit to the Registrar’s Office the Conestoga College Application Form. Re-admission is conditional on program suitability and space availability. Courses successfully completed will be considered, and credit exemptions granted; however, the requirements of the current Program Design must be met. In many programs, students are not allowed to re-register to the program, and in some cases to the academic School, for one year following discontinuance. Check with your School for specific policies on readmission.
Applicable fee may apply.

Repeating a Course [Back to Top]

A course may be repeated in the case of a failure or to improve your competency or upgrade a mark. However, the original mark remains on the student record.
See “Adding a Course” for details.

Student ID Cards [Back to Top]

Students are required to have their photographs taken by the Registrar’s Office, as the College needs the photographs to administer academic programs, courses and activities that require student identity. For example, the College uses the photographs for student ID cards that students use to pick up OSAP funds, write tests/exams, receive course marks, borrow materials from the Learning Resource Centre, use the College Recreation Centre, and which may be required for access to open computer labs. This card is issued in your first semester and is valid for your entire college enrolment. Validation stickers are issued for subsequent semesters. An additional fee for a replacement student card is payable in advance at the Registrar’s Office. The photographs will also be used for other administrative purposes of the College, such as class pictures to assist teachers in identifying students in their courses, in field placements, and for security and emergency situations.

Student Record [Back to Top]

The term “student record” refers to the collection of data dealing with an individual who is associated with a program or course of study at the College.
Most of the data is categorized as academic, personal and/or financial and is maintained by the Registrar’s Office.
Academic Record: is a record of academic activity and achievement at the College. It reflects the basis upon which the individual entered, proceeded in and left the College.
Personal Record: consists of biographical data and may include previous educational achievements such as secondary school records.
Financial Record: is a record of financial transactions with the College relating specifically to tuition and incidental fees.
Official College Record: The Registrar’s Office retains the Official College Record for each student. This is a permanent record consisting minimally of the student’s name, student number, personal data, achievement, and academic decisions and should be maintained for a minimum of 55 years.
Accuracy of Your Student Record: You are personally responsible for the completeness and accuracy of your Student Record, which is maintained by the Registrar’s Office. This includes mailing address, personal data and achievement. It is also your responsibility to ensure that your program requirements are being met.

Only one address is maintained on the student record. Please ensure that the address in the Registrar’s system is the correct one for mailing purposes. All correspondence will be sent to this address. Contact the Registrar’s Office to request a Personal Data Information Change Form to change your address or update other personal data on your Student Record.

Supplementals [Back to Top]

In some programs, a student who has failed a course may be granted the privilege of completing a supplemental examination within four weeks of the end of the semester. If the student is successful, the failure can be upgraded only to the minimal passing grade for the program of study. To register for a supplemental, the student must have an Authorization for Supplemental completed and signed by the Program Co-ordinator and submit fee to the Registrar’s Office. Applicable fee may apply.

Tax Receipt - (T2202A) Tuition and Education Credit Certificate [Back to Top]

Each winter, the Registrar’s Office distributes a Tuition and Education Credit Certificate (T2202A) to each eligible student. A fee is charged if duplicate certificates are required. The following fees are tax deductible: program tuition, course tuition, graduation/alumni services fee, administration fee, recreation/athletics fee, technology enhancement fee, student priority fee,
and program services fee. Students who pay the supplemental fee must retain their payment receipt for tax purposes.

Transcript [Back to Top]

Official transcripts prepared by a university or college Registrar that contain the academic achievements of a student and which bare the official stamp of the educational institution. Applicable fee will apply.
Note: Allow at least two weeks for processing. Due to volume, the College will not fax or make special arrangements for delivery. Official transcripts will not be issued to students with outstanding tuition, residence or incidental fees.

Transfer of Credits[Back to Top]

See Exemptions/Transfer of Credits

Withdrawal from a Full-time Certificate or Diploma Program [Back to Top]

If you are a registered student and wish to terminate studies, you must initiate a request to withdraw from the program.
Students who do not officially withdraw are still liable for outstanding fees and may not be eligible for a refund (see Refunds). Non-attendance does not constitute official withdrawal and your records may reflect failures. Reporting your departure will be considered if readmission is requested at a later date. If you withdraw from your program by the date for drop without academic penalty (see the Schedule of Dates), a grade of Q will be indicated for each course. After the date for drop without academic penalty, an F will be indicated for each course where there is no final mark.
Prior to the start of classes, withdrawal from a program must be submitted in writing to the Registrar’s Office. After the start of classes, completion of the program withdrawal form is required.
To Withdraw from a Program:
1. Complete a Withdrawal Form available in the Chair’s or Registrar’s Office.
2. See your Program Co-ordinator/Chair to discuss your situation, if possible.
3. Return your Withdrawal Form to the Registrar’s Office.
The effective date of withdrawal is the date the form is received in the Registrar’s Office.
Note: The College may initiate a student’s withdrawal from a program for outstanding fees.