Regulations

Highlights of Academic Regulation A-8 are presented below:

Providing students with feedback on their academic work is a key part of learning because it allows them to assess their progress in a course. Therefore, professors should assign, evaluate and return academic work that is worth at least 25% of the final course mark no later than one week prior to the deadline for withdrawal without academic penalty. When feedback cannot be provided before this date, due to the nature of the course, this should be clearly indicated in the course syllabus. The deadline for withdrawal without academic penalty can be found in the academic calendar.

With the exception of practical laboratory examinations, project presentations and assignments having required several weeks of preparation, no assessment with a value exceeding 10% of the final grade may be given during the last week of classes in a term.

Unless otherwise authorized by the Academic Unit, all courses, whether at the undergraduate or graduate level, include a final examination or its equivalent. The final exam must take place during the official examination period. The nature of this assessment (written exam, oral exam, year-end essay, take-home exam, etc.) is determined by the professor, with the approval of the Academic Unit, and as indicated in the course outline.

A written final exam will be of a minimum duration of one hour and of a maximum duration of three hours.

The final examination, or its equivalent, cannot count for more than 60% or less than 30% of the final grade. Therefore, at least two evaluations are mandatory in each course.

In addition, according to the Faculty of Engineering Academic Regulations:

1. Mid-term exams, if any, are scheduled and administered by the professors. They must be scheduled during regular course hours, except when it is more practical to have only one exam for several course sections at once. The date and time of the mid-term exams must be communicated to the students at the beginning of the term.
2. Assistance from the Undergraduate Studies Office is available to professors for administering final timed assessments or exams, as well as deferred final timed assessments or exams in undergraduate courses.
3. Deferred final timed assessments or exams for engineering and computer science courses take place during the period specified in the “Important academic dates and deadlines” of the academic calendar.

Finally, for exams in courses with French and English sections, the guidelines are as follows, guided only by common sense: the exams in both languages need to cover the same material, but one doesn’t have to be translation of the other, and the exam in one language should not be easier than that in the other language. Therefore, profs teaching both sections are strongly encouraged to collaborate on the creation of the exams, but at the end of the day, they are responsible only for the exam that they give to their students.

Justification of absence from an examination (mid-term, final, supplemental or deferred) or from a test, or of late submission of assignments – Academic Regulation A-8.6

A note from the Vice-Provost Academic Affairs: The 2023-2024 academic year saw the introduction of the Declaration of Absence form. Unfortunately, this led to a sharp increase in the number of deferred exams, and with this, a sharp increase in expenses associated with the management of many additional deferred exams. To address this unsustainable increase, the Board of Governors approved a $60 student fee for each use of the form. To minimize the impact on students, the Senate approved, at its June meeting, a modification to Academic Regulation A.8.6 that now restricts the use of the Declaration of Absence form to midterm exams and final exams. For all other evaluations that go towards the calculation of the final grade, we are returning to our approach prior to Fall 2023. Therefore, for all other absences from an evaluation, the student must communicate with the professor of the course. In such cases, professors and academic units are allowed (but not required) to ask for appropriate documentation justifying an absence, and all justified absences must be accommodated (for example, by extending a deadline, displacing the weight of the evaluation to other evaluations, or any other appropriate method). If a professor wishes, they may create a class policy that simplifies the need to accommodate (for example, the automatic transfer of the evaluation’s weight to a cumulative final exam or a forgiveness policy for the late submission of a limited number of assignments). For more information on the use of the Declaration of Absence from an Examination form, please visit the following site: https://www.uottawa.ca/about-us/policies-regulations/academic-regulations/a-8-evaluation-student-learning. 

Given the impotance of Academic Regulation A-8.6, it is reproduced here in its entirety:

Absence from any examination or test, or late submission of assignments on medical grounds or due to exceptional personal circumstances, must be reported by submitting the online Declaration of Absence from an Evaluation form within three (3) working days of the examination date or the assignment deadline, except if extenuating circumstances prevent the student from doing so; these circumstances must be documented. (Note that there is a $60 fee for each use of the form.)

For all other evaluations, as per the conditions listed above, students must follow the procedures outlined in the course syllabus. Documentation justifying the absence may be requested, and all justified absences must be accommodated.

The Declaration of Absence from an Examination form does not apply to thesis defences or doctoral comprehensive exams.

If a deferred evaluation is granted for the final graded component of a course, the evaluation must take place as soon as possible, but no later than six (6) months of the end of the term for undergraduate studies and no later than three (3) months for graduate studies.

1. Medical grounds

A medical certificate is not required for a first absence from an examination (mid-term or final) in a course, unless the absence occurs during an examination that has begun. In the case of a second absence, a medical certificate is required with the submission of the online form, and the academic unit and the faculty may investigate the validity and applicability of the medical certificate. A medical certificate must include the student’s name, the date of both the absence and the return to studies and the medical consultation date. The certificate does not require mention of the medical condition. A second absence to an examination in the course, supported by evidence and a justification of exceptional circumstances, may lead to an accommodation other than a deferred assessment (e.g., a retroactive withdrawal).

Students should not participate in oral or written examinations during the period of disability indicated on the form. Students who participate in an oral or written examination during the period of disability indicated on the form cannot appeal their results on the basis of health reasons.

2. Exceptional personal circumstances

It is not required to attach a justification to the form for a first absence from an examination (midterm or final) in a course. In the case of a second absence, justification is required with the submission of the online form, and the academic unit and the faculty concerned reserve the right to accept or reject the reasons presented.  Reasons such as travel, work and misreading of examination schedules are not accepted. A second absence to an examination in the course, supported by evidence and a justification of exceptional circumstances, may lead to an accommodation other than a deferred assessment (e.g., a retroactive withdrawal).

Other conditions

If the student requests a retroactive accommodation following an evaluation and because of an episode of illness – physical or mental – that is unforeseeable or recurrent, and related to a known or revealed chronic illness, this case will be examined considering the student’s needs and the particular circumstances duly documented by a medical certificate.

Official final examination period

The schedule for the final exams is set by the University’s Registrar’s Office several weeks into the term. The exam schedule will first show up in uoCampus, alongside the information about official enrolment. Final exams must be held during the periods specifically reserved for this purpose in the academic calendar.

Checklists for in-person final exams in undergraduate courses

Before an exam:

During the pick-up period that will be inidcated to you:

After the exam:

Proctoring in-person final exams

During the official examination period, professors are responsible for proctoring their examinations. If you cannot be present due to extenuating circumstances, you must find a replacement (other professor) and notify the Undergraduate Studies Office at once.

Once in the examination room, the professor must ensure that all students must sign the attendance sheet provided by the Undergraduate Studies Office.

It should be noted that the teaching assistants assigned to your course will not necessarily be among the final exam proctors.

If you notice a student cheating during an exam (whether final or not):

• record the name of all students involved and document what happened as well as the time of the incident and any other relevant information
• confiscate the material being used to cheat (notes, data and other information, formulas, etc.) as proof
• it is best to let the student finish the examination to avoid disrupting the other students
• submit an allegation of academic fraud

Examination booklets (in-person exams)

Whenever possible, examination booklets should be used for exam answers. Exam booklets are costly. Students should be encouraged to use both sides of each page in their examination booklets.

Conduct of the examination – Academic Regulation A-8.5

• Students are expected to assess their health situation and ability to write an examination prior to entering the examination room. Students who do not write a final examination because of illness or other circumstances beyond their control may apply for a deferred examination.
• Please refer to academic regulation I-9.5 Justification of absence from an examination or of late submission of assignments for more information on deferring an examination.
• Students are expected to complete a final examination once begun. If the student experiences a significant deterioration of health while the examination is in progress and has to leave the room, it may be possible to submit a request for a deferred examination.
• A significant deterioration of health during an examination is a situation whereby the student requires immediate and/or emergency medical attention. In such circumstances, a student will be required to provide appropriate documentation to confirm that the medical situation caused significant, acute symptoms during the examination that prohibited the student from completing the examination. The student must then fill out the deferred examination form within five (5) business days of the examination with appropriate supporting documentation.
• Minor illnesses and ongoing chronic illnesses under medical management will normally not be considered valid grounds for granting a deferred final examination.
• Silence is compulsory in the examination room.
• Students must present their student identification cards upon request by the examination monitor.
• Students who arrive more than thirty (30) minutes after the examination has begun will not be allowed to write the examination.
• Students may not leave the examination room until one hour after the examination has begun.
• Students may not bring into or take away from the examination room any examination booklets.
• The only time students may leave the examination room with the intention of returning is to use the washroom. To do so they must leave their examination materials, student identification card and any electronic communication device to the designated sign out staff person.  They must also sign out and sign back in, on the sheet provided.
• Students cannot receive a religious accommodation during the examination. (For religious accommodations, please consult Academic Regulation A-5)
• Unless otherwise indicated in writing, the use of books, notes, mathematical tables, dictionaries or any other reference tools is not allowed.
• Students are prohibited from using electronic devices or any other communication tool that has not been approved beforehand.
• It is the student’s responsibility to verify which electronic devices or tools (e.g. calculators) are permissible for each examination.
• Any unauthorized electronic device or communication tool must be shut off, stored and out of reach.
• Anyone who fails to comply with these regulations may be subject to an academic fraud allegation.
• Students have the right to see, upon request and after they have been marked, their own examination booklets. This consultation must be done under supervision. Students shall not retain the original examinations or the examination booklets.

Deferred evaluations

As of September 2024, students can request a deferred mid-term or final exam, and this evaluation must be taken as soon as possible and within six (6) months after the end of the term.

At the Faculty of Engineering, professors are responsible for handling deferred assignments other than final exams as they see fit. One best practice for a missed mid-term is to simply report its weight to the final evaluation, but professors are welcome to arrange for a deferred mid-term if they prefer. If the weight of a missed mid-term can be reported to the final exam, it should be indicated in the course syllabus.

Students’ requests for deferred final exams are managed by the Undergraduate Studies Office. If students provide valid justifications, they will be granted deferred final exams automatically. This is why it is important that professors communicate with the Undergraduate Studies Office (at operations.engineering@uottawa.ca) about students who have not completed enough assessments in the term to actually be eligible to take the final exam, or who were already granted one deferred evaluation in the course by the professor, so that they are not granted deferred final exams.

Best practices

It is often desirable to assign regular, small value assignments to encourage students to work regularly during the term. Sometimes, students are warned that late submission, for any reason, will result in a grade of zero for the assignment. Please be aware that if a student is unable to meet the deadline due to illness or other exceptional circumstance out of their control, and this claim is supported by appropriate justification, then your policy will be overturned if they challenge a zero grade at the Senate Appeals Committee. It is recommended to simply let students take a ‘free pass’ on one of the assignments.

Supplemental exams

According to Academic Regulation A-8.7, the Faculty of Engineering allows students to write a supplemental exam in courses if:

• the student is in their final year, and
• the student has failed only one course during their final year, and
• the failed course is a course offered by the Faculty of Engineering.

At the Faculty of Engineering, the grade obtained on the supplemental exam replaces the grade obtained on the final exam.