Academic Policies

McMaster University Policy for Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities (Excerpt)

  • McMaster University is committed to excellence in teaching and learning. The University strives to ensure every student is afforded an academic environment that is dedicated to the advancement of learning and is based on the principles of equitable access and individual dignity. At McMaster we nurture and support a culture of acceptance, inclusion and the celebration of diversity. Creating a learning environment that is accessible to all students is a value embedded within the University’s fabric as well as our policies, services and practices.
  • Students must meet University and program/degree requirements, including participation in classes, tutorials, group work, presentations, etc. Students seeking an Academic Accommodation are required to participate fully in the Academic Accommodations process.
  • This participation includes:
    • a) when the student is aware of their disability and the need for Academic Accommodation, contacting Student Accessibility Services Office before classes or academic work begins;
    • b) providing the information required so that Student Accessibility Services can assess the duty to accommodate and develop Accommodation Plans;
    • c) after the approval of the Accommodation Plan, should the student have any questions they may choose to speak with their instructor, SAS advisor or Student Experience Office to review steps for the implementation of the Accommodation Plan;
    • d) notifying Student Accessibility Services of any changes that may impact already established Accommodation Plans in a timely fashion.
  • Student Accessibility Services requires adequate time to review requests and coordinate needed arrangements. Some accommodations take longer to arrange than others (e.g. sign language interpreters and transcriptions), and students with these types of requests should be particularly cognizant of the timing of their requests. Failure to make a request or supply the required documentation in a timely manner may delay the approval and/or implementation of the requested accommodation.
  • New students are encouraged to contact Student Accessibility Services and submit their accommodation request as soon as possible after they receive their offers of admission, or by August 1st of the academic year, whichever comes first.
  • The complete Academic Accommodation of Student with Disabilities Policy, which includes Roles & Responsibilities, Guidelines and Procedures, Appeals and related legislation can be found here.
  • Workplace Accommodations for graduate students who have Teaching Assistantships and other campus employment are processed through Human Resources. For the related policy, requests, and procedures, refer to Human Resources. For more information visit the SAS Website.

Use of Test Accommodations at McMaster University’s Burlington Campus, Ron Joyce Centre 

  • Whereas Student Accessibility Services (SAS), on Main Campus, determines all MBA student accommodations, the MBA Faculty Office manages the coordination of accommodations for tests, midterms, and exams at the Ron Joyce Centre in Burlington.
  • Students must activate their accommodation(s) (e.g., extra-time, memory aid, etc.) for each upcoming test, midterm, or exam, at least two weeks in advance. Students can do this by emailing their Instructor and the DeGroote MBA SAS scheduling office at DSBSAS@mcmaster.ca. If a student cannot meet this deadline, they should contact DSBSAS@mcmaster.ca to discuss alternative arrangements. The program is committed to exploring flexibility where possible to support students.
  • All tests, midterms, and exams are booked synchronously with the class’s start time. Any deviations from the start time (e.g. start earlier than the class to enable completion at the same end time) requires a discussion with their instructor on protocol at the time of accommodation activation.
  • Students will leverage the accommodation (e.g., extra-time, memory aid, etc.), in a designated testing room. Rooms will be booked according to the student’s SAS accommodation. Unless the accommodation states otherwise, students should expect that they will be writing in a room with other students. One or more invigilators will always be in the room.
  • Following the request to activate the accommodation(s), dsbsas@mcmaster.ca will reach out to the student with their test, midterm, or exam details, including the date, time, and room number. As there may be other students writing tests in the room, we ask that students enter the room quietly and leave all personal items at the front of the room.
  • All policies and procedures, including restroom access, how extra-time is allocated for assessments under Universal Design, and the submission of memory aids in advance, are consistent with those of SAS on Main Campus. The only variance in procedure is communication around, and physical location of, assessment. There is not a dedicated testing space at RJC. Existing classrooms and lecture halls will be used for most testing. All SAS-approved accommodations will be honored by our staff; however, core testing elements are not eliminated in alternative testing formats. Students should expect and plan for invigilation, incidental noise, and other potential distractions.

Failing Grades & Continuation

  • All MBA programs follow McMaster’s policy on Failing Grades and Incomplete Grades (section 2.6.8 of the Graduate Calendar).
  • “The minimum passing grade for a graduate student in any course taken is a B-.  Failure in either a course or a milestone is reviewed by the appropriate Faculty Committee on Graduate Admissions and Study or the Associate Dean. The Faculty Committee on Graduate Admissions and Study or the Associate Dean acting on its behalf requests a departmental recommendation regarding the student, and this recommendation is given considerable weight. In the absence of a departmental recommendation to allow the student to continue, the student will be required to withdraw. Those allowed to remain in the program must either repeat or replace the failed course or milestone. A failing grade in a Certificate, Diploma, Master’s or Doctoral course remains on the transcript. Students who fail a second course or milestone will not normally be allowed to continue in the program”.
  • Students experiencing difficulty with the program or having personal concerns which are interfering with their studies should seek counselling from an MBA Academic Advisor or the Manager, Student Experience – MBA Programs.

Graduation

  • Graduation from the MBA program requires that a student successfully complete all course requirements as stipulated for their program.

Appeal Procedures

  • The University has a responsibility to provide fair and equitable procedures for the lodging and hearing of student complaints arising from University regulations, policies, and actions that affect them directly.
  • Students are strongly encouraged to pursue any complaint or grievance through informal channels, before following formal procedures. Experience has shown that many complaints can be resolved satisfactorily through informal communication.
  • Formal student appeal procedures are intended to provide a mechanism to remedy injustices and may culminate in a hearing before the Senate Board for Student Appeals. Students should seek remedies for their grievances as promptly as possible and must do so within the time limitations set out in the Student Appeal Procedures.
  • MBA students wishing to address a specific concern relating to a course are encouraged to:
    • Speak privately with their professor to express their concern and offer possible informal resolutions
    • If the matter is not resolved, you may contact an Academic Advisor in the Student Experience – MBA Programs office to discuss formal options for resolution
    • Students are requested to speak with the University Secretariat regarding a complaint before submitting an application.
For more information, review the full Student Appeal Procedure.

Academic Integrity

The Academic Integrity Policy explains the expectations the University has of its scholars. Breaching academic integrity is destructive of the values of the University. It is personally damaging for the individual, will jeopardize your standing in the MBA program, and negatively impact your employability. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to those students who pursue their studies with integrity.

 

  • Breaches of academic integrity fall into two general categories:
  1. A disregard for the norms of scholarly integrity, without necessarily intending to deceive
  2. Academic dishonesty, which is an intentional disregard for the norms of scholarly integrity
  • Academic dishonesty is to knowingly act or fail to act in a way that results or could result in unearned academic credit or advantage.
  • Wherever in this policy an offence is described as depending on “knowingly,” the offence is deemed to have been committed if the person ought reasonably to have known.
  • Students and applicants to graduate programs are responsible for being aware of and demonstrating behaviour that is honest and ethical in their academic work. Such behaviour includes:
    • adhering to the principles of academic integrity when submitting application materials
    • following the expectations articulated by instructors for referencing sources of information and for group work;
    • asking for clarification of expectations as necessary;
    • identifying testing situations that may allow copying;
    • preventing their work from being used by others, e.g., protecting access to computer files; and
    • adhering to the principles of academic integrity when conducting and reporting research.
  • Students are responsible for their behaviour and may face penalties under the Academic Integrity or Research Integrity policies if they commit academic dishonesty or research misconduct.
  • Graduate students, having been deemed admissible to higher studies, are expected to be competent in the acknowledgement of other people’s work, whether that work is in print or electronic media.
  • Graduate students are expected to understand the demands of ethical conduct of research and reporting research results and behave ethically and responsibly in conducting and reporting research. All graduate students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the definition of research misconduct in the University’s policy, namely, “a researcher must be honest in proposing, seeking support for, conducting, and reporting research; a researcher must respect the rights of others in these activities.”
  • Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by other fraudulent means. In an academic setting, this may take any number of forms such as:
    • Copying or the use of unauthorized aids in tests, examinations, and laboratory reports
    • Plagiarism – the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which previous credit has been obtained, unless the previously submitted work has been presented as such to the instructor of that course and has been acceptable for credit by the instructor of that course
    • Improper collaboration of group work
    • Aiding and abetting another student’s dishonesty
    • Giving false information for the purpose of gaining admission or credits
    • Giving false information for the purposes of obtaining deferred examinations or extensions of deadlines
    • Forging or falsifying McMaster University documents
  • The Academic Integrity Policy defines academic dishonesty and specifies the procedures to be followed in the event that a student is charged with breach of academic integrity. Penalties may include expulsion from the University. Copies of the Academic Integrity Policy may be obtained from the University Secretariat.

Withdrawal and Leaves

Students may experience unforeseen circumstances during their time in the program that requires them to leave their studies for a period of time. Depending on these circumstances, there are various options available:

Withdrawal from Courses after Registration

  • Withdrawals from individual courses, subject to course load requirements for full-time and Co-op students, or from all courses in which a student is registered for a given term, will be approved during the first three weeks of that term without question.
  • After this point and up to the end of the ninth week of the term, withdrawals may be permitted if one of the following applies and appropriate documentation is submitted:
    • a) Medical issues (doctor’s certificate required)
    • b) Changes in the student’s employment (part-time students only): e.g., transfer, promotion, extraordinary overtime requirements unanticipated at the time of registration (required documentation: letter of explanation from immediate supervisor on company letterhead)

Under special circumstances, students may submit a Petition for Special Consideration to request a late withdrawal.

Leave of Absence

  • A Leave of Absence is normally granted on a term-by-term basis. Whenever possible the leave should start and end at the beginning of a term (i.e. January 1, May 1, or September 1). During the period of a leave, the student is not entitled to use the University’s facilities.
  • During a leave of absence, no tuition will be charged, nor will the student be eligible for any scholarship support.
  • Students applying for a leave of absence for personal reasons must normally have completed at least one year of full-time graduate studies.
  • It is understood that when a student takes a LOA, the duration of the leave will not be counted as time towards the time limits in which the student is required to complete or make progress in his or her graduate studies program. On occasion a student may take a leave of absence starting mid-term. This may have impacts on tuition, pay and term count, students should contact their program office or the School of Graduate Studies for more information. If a leave begins after the drop and add period of the term, the MBA Cancellation Schedule will be followed.
  • Students should be aware that a leave of absence may affect scholarship eligibility including external funding.
  • LOA affecting Teaching Assistantship duties are covered by the Collective Agreement with Local 3906 (Unit 1) of the Canadian Union of Public Employees. Please refer to the collective agreement for additional information.
  • Students should be aware that a leave of absence may affect their eligibility for co-op work terms.

Reasons for a Leave of Absence

  • A leave of absence for up to one year is permitted for reasons of illness, provided that the request is supported by adequate medical documentation
  • Students who have successfully completed at least one full year in a graduate program may apply for a leave of absence once for up to one year for other personal circumstances, with the approval of an Academic Advisor in the Student Experience – MBA Programs office
  • A leave of absence will not be granted to pursue another program of study
  • Students requesting a leave of absence from the MBA program should submit the Petition for Special Consideration form to the Student Experience – Academic office prior to the start of term
  • Completion of the Accelerated MBA program is limited to four years.
  • A full description of the Policy is available in the School of Graduate Studies Calendar (Section 2.5.7)

Maternity or Parental Leave Policy

  • The Maternity or Parental Leave Policy (the “Policy”) is intended to assist parents in successfully combining their MBA studies and family responsibilities with minimum financial and/or academic impact
  • A full description of the Policy is available in the School of Graduate Studies Calendar (Section 2.5.7)
  • MBA students wishing to take a Maternity or Parental Leave are encouraged to submit a Maternity or Parental Leave form and consult with an Academic Advisor in the Student Experience – Academic office to review the details of the Policy

Withdrawal from the MBA Program

  • Students whose circumstances require a leave for longer than one year or students that opt to withdraw from the program should submit a Request for Change of Status form to the Student Experience – MBA Programs office change in status (mcmaster.ca).
  • Students who have withdrawn from the program may petition for readmission, provided they do so within five years of the date of withdrawal (Co-op excluded).
  • Students who have not completed courses within two academic terms and have not been approved for a leave of absence or have failed to return from a leave of absence will be withdrawn from the MBA program.

Fee Refund Schedule (Full-term courses)

  • If you are forced, by illness or other personal reasons to withdraw from courses, you will be charged a partial fee. The charge is determined by the date on which notices of withdrawal in writing are received at the Student Experience – MBA Programs office. A full refund will be given for courses dropped until the end of the Drop and Add period. Please refer to the Financial Services website for details.

License

MBA Handbook Copyright © by Mahak Arya. All Rights Reserved.

Share This Book