Resources

Grades

Our instructors do not grade to a pre-established curve and there are no set requirements for the distribution of grades in any course. See UVic’s grade ranges. 

Grades must be approved by the chair before they are available to students. If your grades are not available online, it means that they haven’t been approved by the chair yet. Grades posted elsewhere, such as on Brightspace, are unofficial and subject to change.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is intellectual honesty and responsibility for academic work that you submit or work on with others. We expect students to respect these ethical values in all activities related to learning, teaching, research and service.

The department adheres to UVic's policy on academic integrity in the academic calendar. We work to help students meet the requirements of that policy and we deal fairly and strictly with violations. Be sure to study the policy and discuss any questions you have about appropriate use of sources with your instructor.

You must not submit the same paper (or substantially similar papers) to more than 1 course without advance permission of the instructors of both courses.

Learn about appropriate use of sources and citation practices.

Plagiarism

Cheating and plagiarizing are serious academic offenses. Depending on the severity of the case, penalties include a warning, a failing grade, a record on your transcript or a suspension. The Office of the Ombudsperson has some examples of academic integrity and what to do if you’re accused.

Plagiarism sometimes happens due to ignorance or confusion, but it is your responsibility to know the rules. Ask your instructor if you’re not sure about standards for citations or for referencing your sources.

Attendance & absences

If you are registered in a course, you are expected to attend all the classes.

Some instructors take attendance every class and assign a portion of the overall grade to attendance. This policy must be specified in the course outline and applied in accordance with university policy on attendance.

Instructors can state that students who fail to attend a specified minimum number or portion of class sessions will not be permitted to write the final exam or get credit for the course.

Illness, accident or family affliction

You must notify your instructor if you’re absent from more than 1 class due to illness, accident or family affliction. If this causes you to miss an exam during the term, or to be late submitting a course assignment, contact your instructor to request a deferred exam or due date. The instructor will usually require documentation from a health professional.

If illness, accident or family affliction causes you to miss the final exam or to fail to complete any assignment by the end of the term, you must submit a request for academic concession to Undergraduate Records. The form must be accompanied by documentation from a health professional.

If deferral is granted, all work for the course must be completed by the end of the following term.

Academic concession

If you miss substantial portions of a course due to illness, accident or family affliction you may request an academic concession. This will permit you to withdraw from the course without academic penalty rather than be granted a deferral. It is up to the instructor to confirm that you have missed too many classes to be granted credit for the course.

Travelling during exams

You are expected to be available for exams and other course assignments throughout the term, including to the end of the exam period. You must not make travel plans for the end of term until the date of the final exam for the course (if any) is known.

Instructors will not normally re-schedule examinations for students who wish to be away from campus at the time scheduled for an exam, whether that exam is held in class during the term or during the exam period.