Academic Rights and Responsibilities

Academic Rights and Responsibilities

Those rights conferred upon students by the policies and practices of the University. Section 1 deals with rights within a classroom or academic setting. Section 2 deals with the rights students have with regard to appealing decisions or filing grievances. Section 3 deals with the rights associated with providing a campus free of physical, social, and other barriers. Section 4 deals with general rights that can to be expected by students as well as those rights and responsibilities related to certain administrative functions pertaining to study, evaluation and review of curricular materials.

Section 1: The Classroom

Students have a right to expect that:

1 they be treated fairly and equally in a classroom/lecture/seminar/ laboratory setting

In return, students are expected to act in a collegial and respectful manner at all times and at no time can belligerent, aggressive or abusive behaviour be tolerated

2 they shall on the first day of class receive a course syllabus which shall be in accordance with Academic Regulation 4 and shall include how the grading system is distributed over tests, assignments etc. Any and all changes to this system must be made available to all students whom it affects and be approved by and filed with the Dean of the Faculty. This syllabus constitutes a binding agreement between students and instructors.

3 each instructor (refers to any person responsible for the delivery of course material as described in the Academic Calendar and includes, but is not limited to, professors, of any rank, sessional instructors, teaching/laboratory assistants, tutors and/or writing assistants) will place a copy of the original course syllabus on file with the Dean of the Faculty before the commencement of classes and that this copy is easily accessible.

4 no “in-class” test be scheduled outside of class time unless approved by the Dean of the Faculty, appropriate spacing is available, and where written notification is given during the first regularly scheduled class. (Regulation 4c)

5 the method of evaluation of a student’s performance be fair and reasonable, shall be reflective of the course content, and be made known to the student via the course syllabus on the first day of class.

6 where participation, attendance or any related intangible component of the grading system is used to calculate a student’s final mark, this assignment of marks shall not be arbitrary but rather derived from a system which is free from bias, the possibility for bias, and can be, at any specified point in time, proven and explained to be objective and free from subjectivity. A detailed explanation of how these marks are assigned shall be declared as a part of the course syllabus.

7 reasonable accommodation when such things as (but not limited to) injury, sickness, death or other unexpected grievous circumstances should arise. Supporting documentation and/or honest and timely communication should be expected from the student before any entitlement to accommodation be granted.

In return the University can expect students to attend all lectures, seminars and
workshops etc. for which the student is enrolled. If attendance is not possible, it is the responsibility of the student to make herself /himself aware of what has been missed.

8 request for information on his or her standing in a course, while it is being taught, be honoured except where the method of evaluation renders such a determination impossible.

9 academic advising be made available in accordance with Academic Regulation 3.

While the University will make every reasonable effort to give guidance, assistance and counseling when and where appropriate, ultimately the student alone is responsible for his or her academic progress and success/failure.

10 except in cases where operational variables such as sabbaticals or funding cuts preclude the possibility of specific course offerings that they not be denied access for any reason to any required course (as defined in Section 3 of the Academic Calendar) for which all prerequisites have been fulfilled.

11 the method(s) for communicating class cancellations be clearly defined on the first day of class, with reasonable effort made to accommodate those for whom this method is not adequate.

12 instructors must provide feedback to students regarding their progress in the course prior to the final date by which a student may cancel the course without academic penalty (see regulation 16). Normally for undergraduate courses, this feedback must equal a minimum of 15% of the final grade (Regulation 4d).

Section 2: Appeals and Grievances

All Students have the right to:

1 appeal a final grade if they think they have been subject to mistaken,
improper or unjust treatment and to expect cooperation from all faculty and administration in launching a grade or non grade appeal in keeping with Academic Regulations 11 and 12.

In return the University can expect open and fully truthful statements of fact and not simply those of injured feelings when dealing with appeals

2 consult the SMUSA VP Academic for advice and assistance over and above that which the University provides in attempting to make
themselves familiar with the appeals process and how best to
present their individual case.

3 expect that all academic work submitted for credit or otherwise be treated as original work unless evidence can prove otherwise. No student shall face any charge of academic dishonesty without first being given an opportunity to rebut such charges nor shall any student be presumed guilty of an offence of cheating, plagiarism etc. if evidence can not, at any specified point in time, be provided upon request.

In return, The University can expect that all students make themselves aware of,
understand and comply with Academic Regulation 19 (Academic Integrity) as this is the essential and definitive regulation in terms of the relationship between the student and Saint Mary’s.

4 the entitlement to make mistakes, and be given an opportunity to learn from these mistakes.

5 be informed of both the informal and formal appeal processes as noted in Appendix A.

Section 3: Accessibility

All Students have the right to:

1 access to buildings, doorways, walkways, common space, green space,
residence rooms, offices, and classrooms which are reasonably accessible to all without undue difficulty in accordance to the hours promulgated as being open.

2 reasonable access to financial aid, awards and bursaries provided that
necessary qualifications have been met.

3 expect that academically qualified individuals not be denied access for
financial reasons and that a sufficient amount of funding be available so that any student who is eligible to attend the University (as per their
admission status) can do so.

4 be given equal opportunity and notice to participate in or apply for opportunities such as, but not limited to: on campus jobs, volunteer positions, representative positions, new and existing services and programs and any and all other activities of the normal operation of the University and of the Association.

Section 4: General and Administrative

All Students have the right to:

1 a quality education where students achieve an adequate level of competence in their respective field(s) of study and where the University makes every effort to maintain and improve the quality of the education that it dispenses.

2 sufficient course and instructor information to allow students to make as informed a decision as possible. Such information can and should include but is not limited to:
a. Pre-requisites for courses
b. Course descriptions for a course to be offered in the coming academic period and, correspondingly, an absence of a description for those courses which are not to be offered in the coming academic period.
c. Course availability and up-to-date enrollment numbers for each section of a course offering.
d. Qualitative descriptions of an instructors’ general style and methods as well as other relevant and public information to encourage better teaching learning style matches in the classroom.

3 expect that registration packages include classroom numbers and instructor names and that any yet to be announced notation (i.e. “TBA”) be accompanied by an explanation or that one be readily available for any person who wishes to inquire.

4 the University has an obligation to provide adequate research supervision for graduate work taking into account and giving due regard to the interests and wishes of the student