Missed Compulsory Evaluations Policy

AC-REG-POL-015 Missed Compulsory Evaluations Policy
Department	Academic
Creation Date	March 28, 2011
Approval Date	June 25, 2020
Effective Date	September 8, 2020

Organizational Scope

The Policy applies to all full-time and part-time students enrolled in programs* offered in The Michener Institute of Education at UHN (“Michener”).

*Students in joint programs must refer to their program handbook.

Purpose

• To establish clear standards, expectations and procedures for missed compulsory evaluations.
• To promote the principle of procedural fairness in a transparent, respectful and confidential manner.

Definitions

Compulsory evaluations: Assessments described within a course outline (e.g. assignments, projects, tests, laboratory exercises, clinical evaluation, simulation, or examination) that contribute to more than 5% of the overall/ final course mark or are required in order to pass the course.

Unavoidable Cause: Where it is beyond the student’s control to attend a compulsory evaluation. This may include serious illness or injury supported by a medical certificate submitted to the Michener Health Nurse on day of return to school or death of a member of the immediate family, supported by reasonable evidence.

Policy

Students are expected to be present and on time for scheduled assessments/evaluations. Students who are late for an assessment can be refused entry to the assessment (Please refer to the Examination Invigilation Policy) and may be assessed as if they are absent depending on the type of evaluation.

Except where substantiated with appropriate and timely documentation supporting unavoidable cause, absence from an evaluation will result in a mark of zero for that evaluation and may, if required to pass the course, result in a course failure.

Where appropriate and timely documentation of unavoidable cause is provided the course faculty member may determine whether to assign a grade value of zero to that evaluation, or provide an alternate evaluation for the full or partial grade value. If the evaluation contributes to 5% or less of an overall final course mark and is not required to pass the course the student can elect to take the alternate evaluation, if and as offered, or accept a grade value of zero.

Students should be prepared to take an alternate evaluation on the first or second day of return to class, however, the timing of any alternate arrangement of evaluation is at the discretion of the faculty member overseeing the course.

Grades for alternate evaluations provided will not be released or included in the grading scheme for the course mark until such time as appropriate documentation of unavoidable cause for the missed evaluation is received.  If the student fails to provide the required documentation the grade for the evaluation will remain zero regardless of the actual grade achieved in the evaluation and may result in a course failure if the evaluation is required to pass the course as defined in the course outline.

Missed final exams – due to unavoidable cause – are to be made up during the supplemental exam period immediately following the semester in which the absence occurred.

Determination of unavoidable cause is at the discretion of the faculty member in consultation with the Academic Chair.

It is expected that absence due to unavoidable cause will not occur more than once during a program of study. Students anticipating they may need an extended period of absence due to unavoidable cause should refer to the:

• Leave of Absence Policy, once academic standing has been established, or
• Withdrawal Policy when no academic standing has been established (or if they do not meet the criteria for a Leave of Absence).

Students who may need special accommodation for evaluations should refer to the Accessibility & Accommodation Policy.

Associated Documentation

• Accessibility & Accommodation Policy
• Examination Invigilation Policy

Revision History