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.

Journalism Program Policies

Accuracy and timeliness are important attributes of good journalism.

They speak to your credibility and responsibility, not just as a Centennial College journalism student, but also as a journalist.

The following penalties will be formalized across most Centennial College Journalism and Contemporary Journalism courses.

– 10 per cent deduction for an incorrectly spelled name

– 10 per cent deduction, per day, for late assignments, to a maximum of seven days. After the seventh day, the assignment will not be accepted and the student will receive a grade of 0.

Exceptions:

– students may negotiate an extension to their assignment deadline by talking with their instructor a reasonable time (at least two days) before the assignment is due. An extension will be granted at the discretion of the instructor.

– no assignments will be accepted after the end of a semester without the prior approval of the instructor. Assignments due late in a semester will only be eligible for extensions beyond the end of the semester with the approval of the instructor.

See your instructor or program co-cordinator if you have any questions.

Plagiarism

Students in the Centennial College Journalism program are expected to strive for academic integrity by submitting their own work, be it written, oral, or visual journalism.

Plagiarizing is presenting someone else’s words, images or other work as your own without credit or attribution.

Plagiarism includes:

1. The verbatim presentation of someone else’s work without proper credit or attribution;
2. A paraphrased version of someone else’s work without proper credit or attribution;
3. A combination of (1) and (2) without proper credit or attribution.

Lifting or copying material from others or from other sources including the internet, broadcasts or print without proper attribution, according to journalistic requirements, is considered plagiarism.

Students who plagiarize or otherwise fabricate material, misrepresent themselves, or commit other forms of academic dishonesty, will face serious consequences under the College’s policies.

Professors are entitled to ask for sources, check sources, and/or require that students submit source information in all assignments. Breaches of academic honesty may result in a failing grade on the assignment/course, suspension or expulsion from the college.

Family and friends

Journalism students will challenge themselves as reporters and photographers/videographers in real-world experiences. They will strive to find legitimate sources and subjects to lend credibility to their work. As such, interviews with family members, friends or acquaintances, or using them as subjects for photography or video assignments, will not be accepted unless approved in advance by the Journalism course instructor. Failure to seek approval may result in a zero grade on the assignment.

For more information on these and other policies, please review the section earlier in this document and visit www.centennialcollege.ca/about- centennial/college-overview/college-policies.

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.

Note that JO-350 Field Placement is graded as pass/fail.

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.

Grade Appeals