Assessment and Grading

Centennial College

Assessment and Grading

Course Assessments

All credit courses have a formal method of evaluation and assessment. Your course outlines will communicate the evaluation scheme for each course, identifying assessment methods (assignments, projects, tests, etc.) that contribute to the final grade. Assessments are designed to evaluate the level at which you demonstrate the established course learning outcomes.

Assignments

ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE WHEN THEY ARE DUE!

An assignment is to be submitted before, or on the specified date and time as determined by the professor.

If a student cannot submit an assignment on the due date for any reason, he/she must notify the professor in advance and request an extension giving reasons for the delay. If an extension is not granted, the student is expected to have the assignment completed by the specified date.

In exceptional circumstances, if a student cannot submit an assignment on the date for any reason, they must notify the appropriate professor at least 48 hours in advance or as soon as possible and request an extension giving reasons for the delay. When an extension is granted, the student will receive full consideration for the assignment. Assignments with extensions are due at a specific date and time as arranged with the professor. Penalties will be applied to extended assignments. In certain instances, with late, makeup or remedial work, assignments may be marked as pass/fail (i.e. minimum/ maximum 60%) only.

Due Dates

Discussion Boards

All discussion boards will be open for a minimum of 7 days beginning at 08:00 hours on the scheduled class day and will close at 23:59 on the due date.

Example: Your class is Mondays from 08:30 to 11:20. The discussion board will open for that week at 08:00 on Monday and will close the following Monday at 23:59.

Once a discussion board is closed it will not be reopened. If a student has not contributed to the discussion by the time it closes, they will be assessed a grade of zero automatically.

Assignment Drop Box

All assignments are to be submitted to the corresponding electronic drop boxes on eCentennial. No hard copy assignments will be accepted if submitted to the drop box outside of room E2-11 unless pre-authorized by the professor of that course.

Drop boxes are for assignments and can open at any time during the semester. The professor will advise you in class, by email and/or Newsfeed on eCentennial when a drop box is open and available for assignment submission. Drop boxes will close at 23:59 on the due date for each respective course.

Note: Drop boxes may remain open for up to 3 days past the due date to accept late submissions. A penalty of 5% per day will apply at this time. See below for details.

Late Assignment Submissions

Late assignments, including assignments that may be handed in on the due date but past the time assigned by the professor, will result in a loss of 5% per day up to 3 days including weekends (for a total of 15%). After the 3rd day, the assignment will not be accepted and will be assessed a grade of zero automatically.

Requesting an Extension

If a student is unable to submit an assignment on the due date and wishes to request an extension to the deadline, they must discuss the reason for this extension, either in person or by phone, (sending an email advising the professor it will be handed in late is not acceptable and the late submission policy will be applied) at least 48 school hours in advance of the due date.

If an extension is granted, the date given by the professor is the new due date for that student only. If the assignment that has been granted an extension is submitted past the new due date, it will not be accepted and will be assessed a grade of zero automatically.

*Written documentation is required to support claims of exceptional circumstances, i.e. illness or death of a family member, car accidents, etc.

Grading Scheme

The standard grading scheme for most courses is a letter grade ranging from A to F with each letter representing the equivalent percentage grade achieved in the course. Some courses have a Pass/Fail grading scheme. For these courses, a Pass does not impact your GPA but a Fail will. There are also other special grades that can be used for specific purposes.

Grading Scheme
Letter Grade	Grade Description	Numerical Equivalent	Grade Point
A+	Outstanding	90-100%	4.5
A	Excellent	80-89%	4.0
B+	Very good	75-79%	3.5
B	Good	70-74%	3.0
C+	Satisfactory	65-69%	2.5
C	Satisfactory	60-64%	2.0
D+	Minimal*	55-59%	1.5
D*	Minimal*	50-54%	1.0
F	Failure**	0-49%	0
FNA	Failure non-attendance
P	Pass**
I	Incomplete
AEG	Aegrotat standing
AUD	Audit status
CIP	Course in progress
TCR	Transfer credit
NGR	No grade required
In courses in some programs, these grades may not be considered a passing grade, and a higher passing grade may be required. The minimum required GPA for graduation is 2.0 and may be higher for some programs. *May be used in a course where a percentage grade is inappropriate.

Accommodations

Centennial is committed to providing the best possible education for all of our students. This includes meeting the needs of students who may require adjustments or accommodations to equalize their opportunities to meet the essential requirements of achieving the learning outcomes in a course or program.

Tests

Your myCard ID may be required when you write your tests.

In-Class Tests & Quizzes

no unauthorized materials may be brought into the room where the test or quiz is taking place
no communication during tests or quizzes with other students
all mobile communication devices (cell phones, iPads, iPods, lap tops, etc.) must be turned to vibrate mode or off and must be put out of sight prior to the start of class—under NO circumstances are students to be wearing ear buds, ear phones, Bluetooth, etc. during the test or quiz
students are not permitted to return to the room where a test or quiz is taking place once they’ve left
all accommodation requests must be discussed with, and approved by, the course professor at least 1 week prior to the start of the test or quiz
it is up to the professor monitoring the test or quiz to allow a student who is late to enter and begin writing the test once it has already begun—no additional time will be granted to a student who begins a test or quiz late to make up for missed time
once the first student to complete the test or quiz has been permitted to leave the room, no late students will be allowed to enter and begin writing—NO EXCEPTIONS!
no eating is permitted during tests or quizzes—students may be permitted a beverage only
no headgear may be worn during tests or quizzes (e.g. head scarves, baseball caps, visors, etc.) unless the headgear is a recognized religious dressing and a discussion has taken place with the professor prior to the test quiz date
faculty reserve the right to assign seating prior to or at any time during a test or quiz
provide appropriate photo ID upon request by the professor or invigilator

Missed In-Class Tests or Quizzes

If a student is going to miss an in-class test or quiz for a bona fide reason, they must notify the professor of the course prior to the start of the test or quiz (on the day of or sooner if there is a known conflict for the student). Notification must be in writing to the professor. Bona fide reasons may include, but are not limited to, jury duty, sudden death in the family, serious medical emergency, etc.

On-Line Tests and Quizzes

All on-line tests and quizzes will be open for a minimum of 7 days. Tests and quizzes will open at the beginning of the scheduled class day and will close at 23:59 the following scheduled class day.

Example: Your class is Mondays from 08:30 to 11:20. The test or quiz will open for that week at 08:00 on Monday and will close the following Monday at 23:59.

All accommodation requests for on-line tests and quizzes must be received by the professor at least one week prior to the test or quiz opening.

Missed On-Line Tests or Quizzes

All close dates for on-line tests and quizzes are final. Once an on-line test or quiz closes it will NOT be re-opened under any circumstances. If a student does not complete an on-line test or quiz within the time period it is available a grade of zero will be automatically applied.

*Written documentation is required to support claims of exceptional circumstances, i.e. illness or death of a family member, car accidents, etc.

Failure to provide such documentation in a timely fashion will result in no make-up opportunity and a grade of zero will be automatically assessed.

Consequences for Breach of Test & Quiz Policy

Any dishonest and fraudulent behaviour, cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, and/or misrepresentation in any form will not be tolerated and will be assessed serious consequence. See below for more details:

a failing grade (zero) on the test or quiz in question
a warning, verbal and/or written
a meeting with the individual professor
a meeting with the department chairperson
a behavioural contract
assigned seating for all future tests and quizzes
temporary dismissal from the classroom and/or academic probation

At every stage of a disciplinary matter, students are encouraged to refer to the Student Guide on myCentennial for information about their rights and responsibilities

*Written documentation is required to support claims of exceptional circumstances, i.e. illness or death of a family member.

Grade Appeals

You may appeal a grade received in a course only on one of the following grounds:

A clerical error has resulted in a miscalculation of the grade.
The grade awarded did not fairly reflect your academic performance and/or the stated requirements for the course.

Grade appeals cannot be based on a complaint that the nature and standard of evaluation was too onerous. i.e., you cannot claim that your professor marked too hard or that the assignment/test was too difficult. Follow the procedures for appeal in the Grade Appeals Policy and Procedures. Grade appeals must be made within ten (10) business days of the release of the grade.