Faculty of Applied Science &
Engineering: Information
for Undergraduate
Instructors
Published September 2014
Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 5
1. Course Overview .......................................................................................................................... 5
1.1. Communicate Course Information ....................................................................................... 5
1.2. Course Objectives ................................................................................................................. 5
1.3. Course Contact Information ................................................................................................. 5
1.4. Office Hours .......................................................................................................................... 5
1.5. Blackboard Information ....................................................................................................... 6
1.5.1. Downloading Class Lists from Blackboard..................................................................... 6
1.6. Relevant Dates ...................................................................................................................... 6
1.7. Composition of Final Mark & Grading Policies .................................................................... 6
1.8. Assignment Submission Policy............................................................................................. 9
1.9. Online Automated Plagiarism Detection Service ................................................................. 9
1.10. Late Penalty Policy .............................................................................................................10
1.11. Re-marking/Re-checking Policy ........................................................................................10
1.12. Accommodations for Disability.......................................................................................... 11
1.13. Online Communication Policy ........................................................................................... 11
1.14. Academic Integrity Message .............................................................................................. 11
1.15. Course Business, Required Text, Weekly Readings, etc. ................................................... 11
1.16. Submitting Final Marks ..................................................................................................... 11
2. Enrolment in Courses ................................................................................................................ 12
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2.1 Enrolment in Your Course .................................................................................................... 12
2.2. Changing Courses................................................................................................................ 13
2.3. Dropping Courses................................................................................................................ 13
2.4. Repeating Courses ............................................................................................................... 13
2.5. Auditing Courses ................................................................................................................. 13
3. Classroom Procedures ............................................................................................................... 14
3.1. Setting Expectations ............................................................................................................ 14
3.2. Attendance & Participation Policies.................................................................................... 14
3.3. Use of Electronic Devices in Class (Laptops, iPods, iPads, phones, etc.) ........................... 14
3.4. Questions in Class ............................................................................................................... 14
3.5. Taping/Recording/Photographing Lectures etc. ................................................................ 15
3.6. Talking in Class ................................................................................................................... 15
3.7. Dealing with Disruptive Students ....................................................................................... 15
4. Term Work ................................................................................................................................. 16
4.1. Tutorials............................................................................................................................... 16
4.2. Designing Assignments & Tests .......................................................................................... 17
5. Term Tests.................................................................................................................................. 17
5.1. Administration of Tests ....................................................................................................... 17
5.2. Testing Space ....................................................................................................................... 17
5.3. Scheduling Tests Outside Class Hours ................................................................................18
5.4. Contingencies for Emergencies ...........................................................................................18
5.5. Conduct During Tests ..........................................................................................................18
6. Missed Term Work or Tests – Term Work Petitions ................................................................. 19
6.1. Accommodating Legitimate Absences................................................................................. 19
6.2. Timelines ............................................................................................................................. 19
6.3. Documentation................................................................................................................... 20
6.4. Missed Tests ....................................................................................................................... 20
6.5. Religious Obligations .......................................................................................................... 21
7. Extensions and Late Term Work ............................................................................................... 21
7.1. Late Penalties ....................................................................................................................... 21
8. Final Examinations ................................................................................................................... 22
8.1. Faculty Final Exams & the Final Examination Period ....................................................... 22
8.2. Specifications for Final Exams ........................................................................................... 22
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8.3. Final Exam Texts: Preparation & Deadlines ...................................................................... 22
8.4. Publication of Exams ......................................................................................................... 23
8.5. Absent Students & Missing Exams .................................................................................... 23
8.6. Marking Deadlines & Accounting ...................................................................................... 23
8.7. Bell Curves, Quotas, etc. ..................................................................................................... 24
8.8. Failing Marks or Marks Just-under-grade Thresholds ..................................................... 24
8.9. Instructor’s Course Records............................................................................................... 25
9. Petitions & Appeals ................................................................................................................... 25
9.1. Petitions for Term Work ..................................................................................................... 25
9.2. Petitions for Final Examinations ....................................................................................... 25
9.3. Petitions for Special Consideration .................................................................................... 25
9.4. Academic Appeals .............................................................................................................. 26
9.5. Pedagogical or Grade-based Disputes................................................................................ 26
10. Academic Integrity .................................................................................................................. 27
10.1. Rules ................................................................................................................................. 27
10.2. Information & Help .......................................................................................................... 27
10.3. Promulgation of the Rules ................................................................................................ 27
10.4. Prevention ........................................................................................................................ 27
10.5. Incidents & Reporting ...................................................................................................... 28
10.6. Outcomes .......................................................................................................................... 28
11. Accessibility/Disability Issues ................................................................................................. 29
11.1. Essentials ........................................................................................................................... 29
11.2. Resources Available .......................................................................................................... 29
11.3. Registration with Accessibility Services ............................................................................ 29
11.4. Accommodated Tests & Exams ......................................................................................... 29
11.5. Standard for Accommodations ......................................................................................... 30
12. Students in Difficulty............................................................................................................... 30
12.1. Academic Advising ............................................................................................................ 30
12.2. Students in Crisis .............................................................................................................. 30
13. Resources & Contacts ............................................................................................................... 31
13.1. Teaching Resources............................................................................................................ 31
13.2. Engineering Staff Contacts ................................................................................................ 31
13.3. Undergraduate Academic Counselling ............................................................................. 32
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13.4. Administrative Support for Committees of Faculty Council ............................................ 32
13.5. University Offices for Student Services ............................................................................ 33
13.6. Online Resources .............................................................................................................. 33
13.7. FIPPA Resources............................................................................................................... 34
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Introduction
The purpose of this guide is to provide instructors with an overview of policies and procedures
relating to undergraduate studies in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and to
provide instructors with lists of available resources. More detailed information can be found in
the current Academic Calendar.
This guide is provided for your convenience. The Faculty’s official regulations can be found in
the Academic Calendar. If there is any discrepancy between the content provided within and the
Academic Calendar, the Academic Calendar will be considered the final authoritative source for
academic regulations.
Instructors have a number of professional resources available to assist them to be effective
teachers, most notably the suite of resources provided by the Centre for Teaching Support &
Innovation (CTSI). You will find an annotated list near the end of this Handbook, and guidance
on where to direct questions.
1. Course Overview
1.1. Communicate Course Information
Include the basic Calendar and timetable information on your syllabus, including your name,
contact information, office hours, course code, course title and the times and locations of any
lectures/labs/tutorials/practicals.
1.2. Course Objectives
It is recommended that you articulate the learning objectives for the course (e.g., what learning
outcomes you expect of your students by the end of the course). These objectives may serve as a
reference point throughout the course, allowing students to track their progress towards
mastery of the course material. If your course has labs/tutorials/practicals, you should explain
the purpose of them and how they will contribute to the learning objectives.
1.3. Course Contact Information
Your contact information should be given in conjunction with an explanation in class about your
expectations regarding communicating with you. If you do not want to receive phone calls about
late assignments, etc., you should not include your number. If you expect communication to be
done through TAs or only through email, make that clear.
1.4. Office Hours
All instructors are required to hold office hours throughout the term. The number and
distribution of these hours are not specified in policy; however, they should be arranged to
facilitate interaction with students. Best practices point to a minimum of two to three hours per
week. You should keep in mind that many students have work or family obligations off-campus
and so may be most available in hours adjacent to the class hours.
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1.5. Blackboard Information
Students are generally used to using Blackboard for their courses, and so you should make your
course page available if you are using one and explain what they should expect to find there and
what use you expect them to make of it.
1.5.1. Downloading Class Lists from Blackboard
In Blackboard your CLASS LIST is available through the GRADE CENTER. CLASS LIST
information is downloaded directly from ROSI. Enrollment information is updated in ROSI as
students add or drop courses, however, it takes 24-48 hours for those enrollment changes to be
reflected in Blackboard.
The CLASS LIST can be viewed within your Blackboard course and can be downloaded to your
computer or to the Content Collection within Blackboard.
To download your class list:
1. Go to the Control Panel. Click Grade Center and select Full Grade Center.
2. On the Grade Center screen, select Work Offline from the right-hand side of the screen
and then select Download from the drop down menu.
3. Under Data, select User Information Only option.
4. Under Options select how you would like the data to appear:
a. Select the Delimiter Type: Tab-delimited (recommended) can be opened directly
as an Excel (or compatible) spreadsheet.
b. Select whether to include Hidden Information: This refers to the columns and
users, if any, that have been hidden on the Grade Center view.
5. Choose to save the file to your computer or to the Content Collection in Blackboard.
6. Click Submit.
7. If you have chosen to download the file to your computer, click the Download button
and save the file to your computer.
1.6. Relevant Dates
You will find the Faculty’s sessional dates in the Calendar; you are advised to include dates that
impinge on yoru course on your syllabus. Sessional dates are also listed on the current
undergraduate website.
1.7. Composition of Final Mark & Grading Policies
The following is excerpted from the Academic Calendar. “Academic Regulations” chapter,
section: “XI. Grading Policies.” See the Calendar for complete details.
“1. The instructor in each course shall announce, at a regularly scheduled class meeting held as
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early as possible in the session but before the final date to add or substitute courses, the details
of the composition of the final mark which applies to the course, the exam type, the timing of
each major session evaluation and the type of electronic calculators which will be permitted on
session tests and final examinations. This information shall also be submitted to the Committee
on Examinations via the Registrar of the Faculty, specifying the weighting of each component of
the final course mark.
2. After the final date to add or substitute courses, the composition of the final mark in a course
cannot be changed without the consent of a simple majority of students attending the class,
provided the vote is announced no later than in the previous class. Any changes must be
reported to the Committee on Examinations. The only exception to this is in the case of the
declaration of a disruption.
3. Instructors shall submit course results as percentages.
4. a) All written session work must normally be returned to students after evaluation with what
the instructor considers to be appropriate commentary. At least one piece of session work worth
at least 10% of a student’s performance, whether lab report, assignment, essay, etc., shall be
returned to the student prior to the last day for withdrawal from the course without academic
penalty.
b) After evaluating and returning items of session work, the instructor or the teaching
assistant(s) shall be available as appropriate to meet with each student who wishes to discuss
the work and/or the commentary offered.
c) Final examination papers are not returned to students. The instructor shall deliver the
marked examination papers in alphabetical order to the Office of the Registrar for storage. The
papers will be stored until February 15 or October 15 (whichever comes first) following the
session in which the course was offered, after which they will be destroyed.
5. The following rules and guidelines apply to the evaluation of student performance in all
courses offered within the Faculty. Where appropriate, however, an instructor may apply to the
committee on Examination for permission to deviate from the rules.
a) The composition of final marks may be based upon
i) a final examination
ii) independent term work performed under supervision, i.e. session tests or any other work
which, in the judgment of the instructor, is a reliable measure of the performance of the student
evaluated, and
iii) session work not closely supervised
b) The dates of session tests should be announced in advance. Unannounced session tests, if
used, should not count for more than a minor fraction of the total mark for independent session
work, and the value of this fraction should be specified early in the session when the details of
the composition of the final course mark are announced in class.
c) A final examination, conducted under the jurisdiction of the Faculty Council and counting
for at least 35% of the final mark shall be held in each lecture course.
d) No one essay, test, examination, etc. should have a value of more than 80% of the final grade.
e) A component of the final course marks must be derived from session work, and the final
examination must not count for all of the final mark, unless the Committee on Examinations
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approves other arrangements on an annual basis.
f) The portion of marks for lecture courses which is derived from not closely supervised work
shall not exceed a total of 25% of the final mark in a course unless the Committee on
Examinations approves other arrangements. Work included in this category shall normally be
accompanied by a sign-off statement attesting to the fact that the work being submitted either
by an individual student or a group of students is their own work. The proportion of marks
which can be derived without a sign-off statement, where students are free and encouraged to
work together, is to be limited to 5% of the final course mark.
g) Each instructor must specify on session test and final examination papers the type of
calculator permitted (see X (2) (c) above).
h) The only aids which a candidate may bring to the final examination and use, other than
those which may be provided by the examiner or specified on the examination paper, are pen
and pencil, a bilingual dictionary (for students having difficulty with the English language) if
presented to the presiding examiner for inspection and approval prior to each examination at
which its use is proposed, and drafting instruments without their carrying cases.
i) The following five types of final examination papers are approved for use in examinations
conducted under Council’s jurisdiction. The relative value of each part of the examination must
be indicated on all final examination papers. Further, unless otherwise specified, the only aids
permitted are those outlined in the Academic Calendar.
Type A Papers for which no data are permitted other than the information printed on the
examination paper.
Type B Papers for which separate special aids or data, as specified at the top of the
examination paper, are provided by the examiner for distribution to the candidates by the
Registrar of the Faculty.
Type C Papers for which the candidate may prepare, bring to the examination and use, a single
aid sheet, such aid sheet being on a standard form supplied to the examiner by the Registrar of
the Faculty. Students may enter on both sides of the aid sheet any information they desire,
without restriction, except that nothing may be affixed or appended to it.
Type D Papers for which the candidate may bring to the examination and use such aids (in the
form of printed or written material) as the examiner may specify. The nature of the permitted
aids must be clearly specified at the top of the examination paper, and must be announced to the
class by the examiner in advance of the examination.
Type X Papers for which the candidate may bring to the examination and use, any books, notes
or other printed or written material, without restriction.
j) Any variation from the normal Faculty examination procedures (e.g. take-home
examinations, pre-distribution of examination questions, zero-weight, low-weight, or no
examinations in lecture courses, oral examinations, confidential examinations, multiple
examinations in multi-section courses, examinations which are not of the standard 2.50-hour
duration) requires on an annual basis the prior approval of the Committee on Examinations.
Requests for approval of special examination arrangements should be made as early as possible
in the session, and announcement to the class may not be made until the approval of the
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Committee on Examinations is obtained.
k) Normally multiple-choice questions are not used in final examinations conducted in the
Faculty. In any event the Committee on Examinations must give its prior approval if the value of
multiple choice questions exceed 25% of the total marks for any examination.
l) Group Evaluation
(i) In situations where a student’s performance is evaluated by a student peer group, the
results of such evaluation shall not constitute more than 25% of the final course mark.
(ii) In courses in which group work or group assignments are performed, the proportion of a
student’s final mark derived from undiscriminated evaluation of such group work or submission
shall not exceed 25%, unless the Committee on Examinations has granted approval for a higher
weighting of the undiscriminated group component. When such approval has been granted it
shall remain in force so long as there is no change in the circumstances on which the original
application was based or until the instructor requests approval for the arrangements.
m) Under no circumstances will students be permitted to evaluate their own work for credit in
a course.
6. Instructors are responsible for the grading of the final exam and are expected to exercise their
best judgment in assessing answers to examination questions and in determining final course
marks. Any assessment of the performance of students is not to be based on any system of
quotas or predetermined arbitrary limits.
7. a) Instructors shall submit their final course marks to the Committee on Examinations via
the Registrar of the Faculty in conformity with a prescribed deadline.
b) The Chair of each department or division of the Faculty may elect to appoint a departmental
marks review committee, to review results in courses offered by the department. If such a marks
review procedure is carried out, instructors, after having submitting their marks to the Registrar
of the Faculty, shall also report their results to the departmental committee. The departmental
marks review committees are not authorized to make recommendations directly to instructors
but may make recommendations to the Faculty’s Committee on Examinations.
c) A student’s final course mark is unofficial until approved by the Committee on
Examinations.”
The full text of the University’s Assessment and Grading Practices Policy is available at the
following link: http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/policies/uniassgpp.htm.
1.8. Assignment Submission Policy
If you have specific directives for your class about how they should submit assignments (e.g.,
electronically, in person, at the departmental office), you should spell those out clearly in your
syllabus. Many departments have a protocol for students submitting assignments at the
departmental office, and you should take those into account.
1.9. Online Automated Plagiarism Detection Service
If you intend to use an online automated plagiarism detection service (e.g. turnitin.com) as your
method for receiving written assignments, you must inform students of this at the beginning of
your course.
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Please consult the Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation (CTSI) regarding parameters for
communicating this to your students.
1.10. Late Penalty Policy
If you intend to accept assignments late and apply penalties, you must spell out the rules in your
syllabus, such as: whether or not you require prior notification of impending lateness; the
penalty that will be applied per unit of time; maximum possible penalty; ultimate deadline when
work will no longer be accepted; documentation required, if relevant; etc. Late penalty policies
vary widely among instructors, given the diversity of subjects and modes of assessment. Your
associate chair, undergraduate, can offer advice if you have questions.
1.11. Re-marking/Re-checking Policy
With these in mind, you may wish to lay down your re-marking procedures and set the
expectations for your students in order to head off frivolous or blanket requests that you or your
TAs re-mark assignments that have presumably already received your best attention. If you
become aware of a calculation error in grading term work or final exams once final grades are
submitted, please see Vanessa Andres in the Office of the Registrar for an amended marks form.
If a student notices a calculation error, they may order a final mark re-check through the Office
of the Registrar’s post-exam student services.
Within the period ending February 15 or October 15 (whichever comes first), following the term
in which the course was taken, a student may have the final mark in any course listed in the
Faculty calendar rechecked by writing to the Faculty Registrar and enclosing a fee of $13 for
each course to be rechecked. Mark re-check submissions may be made through the Engineering
Portal. Payment, processing and pick up are arranged by the Registrar's Office (GB 157).
After a student has submitted a mark re-check form, the form is logged into a database and then
the exam is pulled and is mailed to the course instructor. The instructor will review the student’s
examination paper (if a final examination was held in the course) to ensure that all questions
were properly marked in accordance with the marking procedure used for the entire class, that
the addition of marks was correct, that the term marks were correctly compiled, and that the
clerical operations involved in the computation and reporting of the final mark were correct.
Mark adjustments based upon lenient reconsideration of the student’s work should not be made
and if an adjustment is required it may be positive or negative. If the instructor finds an error
that results in any change in the student’s final mark, the fee for rechecking the mark will be
refunded.
Students may also request final exam copies through the Engineering Portal. Please direct them
to the Office of the Registrar for any inquiries.
The Office of the Registrar has also begun to offer periods of supervised Final Exam viewing
which achieve the same purpose.
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1.12. Accommodations for Disability
In your syllabus, you can signal that you recognize the need for such accommodations and point
out the University’s requirement that students register with Accessibility Services in order to
receive such accommodations. You may wish to include this text, provided by Accessibility
Services:
“Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you
have a disability/health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to
approach me and/or Accessibility Services at (416) 978 8060; accessibility.utoronto.ca”
If approached, you should definitely refer the student to Accessibility Services and indicate that
you will work with the Service on any needed accommodation.
1.13. Online Communication Policy
If you are using Blackboard or a course website as your primary “official” vehicle to
communicate with your students, you should specify that students are responsible for checking
it regularly. For students, the University has a policy requiring that they have a U of T email
address and check it regularly, as it is the only address to which official University business will
be sent.
The Faculty does not specify that instructors have any particular email policy for their
courses. However, if you do have a policy, you should communicate it clearly. It is also wise to
set expectations for students at the outset so they can govern their communication with you or
your TAs accordingly. For example, you should indicate when you will and will not respond to
email (on weekends, just before class, etc.), how long students should expect to wait for a
response (24 hours, 2 days, etc.), what you will and will not discuss by email (subject content
reserved for office hours and lecture, non-course business, marking appeals to be sent to TAs,
etc.), and any protocols that will help you sort your email (course number in subject line, e.g.
CIV100H).
1.14. Academic Integrity Message
You are advised to put text into your syllabus regarding plagiarism and inappropriate
collaboration, giving enough detail to guide students’ behaviour rather than simply alluding to
the terms on the assumption students will know what they mean in the context of your
course. Students often plead ignorance, which is more easily countered if the rules and
expectations are clearly spelled out in your syllabus.
1.15. Course Business, Required Text, Weekly Readings, etc.
The syllabus is the appropriate place to outline what students should be doing each week to
prepare for or follow up from class.
1.16. Submitting Final Marks
Final course marks are due one week after the examination date. Fall exams held during the
second week will be due immediately following the winter break. We realize that comparatively
little time is allowed for marking, but the Registrar's Office is working on a very tight schedule
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governed by the dates for Winter Session continuation and convocation. Results will be released
to students via ROSI . A student's final course mark is official when approved by the Committee
on Examinations.
Instructors shall submit course results electronically through the e-Marks
system: http://www.apsc.utoronto.ca/timetable/emark.pdf. Note that results in a course are
reported on grade reports and transcripts both as percentages and as equivalent letter grades.
Under no circumstances should students be permitted to evaluate their own work for credit in a
course.
The Chair of each department or division of the Faculty may elect to appoint a departmental
marks review committee, to review results in courses offered by that department. If such a
marks review procedure is carried out, instructors after having submitted their marks to the
Registrar of the Faculty, should also report their results to the departmental committee. The
departmental marks review committee is not authorized to make recommendations directly to
instructors but may take recommendations to the Faculty’s Committee on Examinations.
The Committee on Examinations meets after each term in order to review student petitions and
review all the submitted marks. “Unofficial” grades are posted on ROSI in order that students
can know whether or not they are allowed to proceed to the Winter Session.
2. Enrolment in Courses
2.1 Enrolment in Your Course
Enrolment in Engineering courses is administered by the Office of the Registrar under direction
of the department offering the course. Certain “core” or required courses are pre-loaded into a
student’s schedule based on their program and year of study. Elective courses are added by
students electronically via ROSI (Repository of Student Information). Students are not enrolled
in a course unless they are enrolled on ROSI. Instructors do not have control over this
process. Under no circumstances should you tell students they are enrolled or will
be enrolled in your course if they are not enrolled in ROSI, nor should you make
any promises about enrolment. You must not mark assignments or tests for
students who are not officially enrolled in your course. If there is a dispute over a
student’s enrolment in your course, please see your department’s undergraduate academic
counsellor.
Note: A student may have enrolled on ROSI in your course after your copy of your class list was
printed; your Blackboard class list does not have a live connection to ROSI and so a lag may
occur before your list is updated. Note also that adding students to your Blackboard class list
does not enrol them or guarantee enrolment. Have the student enrol by contacting his/her
department’s academic undergraduate office if the course is core or on ROSI if it is an elective
and ROSI will update your Blackboard class list.
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2.2. Changing Courses
Students have a brief interval at the beginning of the course when they may still add a course
that is underway, provided there is space available. The Faculty’s processes are set up to allow
you to begin teaching in earnest right from the beginning of the course, and you should expect
students who join the course in that brief interval to catch up on what they have missed.
2.3. Dropping Courses
Students may cancel their enrolment in a course “without academic penalty” in a number of
ways, depending on the timing. This is normal practice in the Faculty and should cause you no
special concern. Withdrawing from a course in Engineering may affect a student’s ability to
continue to the next session or year of study and almost always has financial implications. A
student considering dropping a course should speak to his/her undergraduate academic
counsellor.

Cancel: Students may drop a core course with permission of his/her undergraduate
academic counsellor or an elective on ROSI and have it disappear from their academic
history up to the “last day to drop a course,” a deadline that is roughly 3/4 of the way
through the course. The deadline to drop courses appears in the Academic Calendar.
After this date, any student enrolled in the course will earn a course grade except under
the following circumstances:

Late Withdrawal (LWD): After the drop deadline, until the last day of lectures in the
Arts & Science Calendar, a student may request LWD from Arts & Science electives being
taken as HSS/CS/Free electives. The student’s undergraduate academic counsellor or
staff from the Office of the Registrar can assist the student in filling out the necessary
paperwork.
2.4. Repeating Courses
Although there are some specific exceptions, the general rule in the Faculty is that students may
not repeat courses or sessions in which they have already achieved a passing mark. If a student
approaches you about this, refer them to their undergraduate academic counsellor or the Office
of the Registrar. More information on repeating a course can be found in the current Academic
Calendar, in the section, “Academic Regulations, VIII. Promotion Regulations.”
2.5. Auditing Courses
Auditing of a course (attending the course without grade- or degree-earning notation recognized
on a student’s transcript) may be possible in some instances. Instructors may grant current U of
T students permission to audit their course. Non-current U of T students, or persons outside the
U of T community may audit a course for a fee (40% of the course fee), administered by the
Office of Engineering Undergraduate Admissions. In all audit requests, you, as an instructor,
will have final say over allowing a student to audit your course. The instructor is not required to
grade an auditor’s work but should agree on parameters of assessment with the auditor at the
start of the class. You may ask an auditor if he/she is seeking an Auditor’s Certificate. If so, the
Faculty will need to confirm the auditor’s attendance so please track it.
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In general, if you agree to allow an auditor, you should make clear what the expectations and
limits are: Are they permitted to sit in and listen only? Are they allowed or expected to
participate in discussion? Will they be expected to submit assignments and write tests that will
be marked? Some instructors do not mind an additional listener in a lecture course if there is
space, but few allow more participation than that.
3. Classroom Procedures
3.1. Setting Expectations
Students, particularly first-year students new to university, may be uncertain about appropriate
behaviour in your class and will appreciate you making your expectations clear. CTSI has a very
helpful Tip Sheet on “First Class Strategies.”
If you have preferences or requirements on such matters, you should take the time to describe
and explain them. Most are not worth the trouble of making full-blown rules or policies about,
as most students will comfortably abide by your preferences if they know what they are. If you
intend to enforce any of these with course marks, then you must be explicit at the outset.
3.2. Attendance & Participation Policies
If you think there is a specific pedagogical need for an attendance requirement in your course,
you must be mindful of what such a rule requires: i) you must be prepared to take reliable
attendance at each class; ii) you must articulate how you will address exceptions, illnesses,
documentation, etc.; iii) you should consider that the only real way to enforce such a policy is to
designate some portion of the course mark to reflect this requirement; and iv) you should always
take into account the possibility that some student may have a disability affecting attendance.
Best practice suggests you design the workings of any such policy precisely to achieve your
pedagogical objectives. In doing so, you may wish to reflect on the difference between active
participation and presence. If you do have a participation mark, you have a responsibility for
designing it to fit with regulations concerning composition of final marks.
3.3. Use of Electronic Devices in Class (Laptops, iPods, iPads,
phones, etc.)
Instructors should clearly state their expectations on how and when electronic devices may be
acceptably used in the classroom. Be mindful that students with both declared and undeclared
disabilities may need such devices to function in your class. Design a policy that does not make
any disabled student feel self-conscious or conspicuous.
3.4. Questions in Class
Different subjects, modes of teaching and classroom environments mean the appropriate time
and place for questions vary widely. You should indicate that you are indeed interested in
questions, and offer them some guidance by explaining at what time or place you would find
them most welcome. Some instructors with large classes have found it well received by students
when they schedule one or more Q&A sessions outside class, perhaps in lieu of an office hour or
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two at some time during the term. Students often appreciate the opportunity even if they may
not use the opportunity themselves.
3.5. Taping/Recording/Photographing Lectures etc.
Lectures and course materials prepared by the instructor are considered by the University to be
an instructor’s intellectual property covered by the Canadian Copyright Act. Students wishing to
record lecture or other course material in any way are required to ask the instructor’s explicit
permission, and may not do so unless permission is granted. This includes tape recording,
filming, photographing PowerPoint slides, Blackboard materials, etc. Such permission is only
for that individual student’s own study purposes and does not include permission to “publish”
them in any way. It is absolutely forbidden for a student to publish an instructor’s
notes to a website or sell them in other form without formal permission. If you have strong
opinions about this happening in your class, you should state the Faculty’s policy at the
beginning of the course, and reiterate it when needed to individual students. If you find your
copyrighted material on a website, you should contact the site administrator, notify them of the
copyright violation, and ask that the material be removed immediately.
In the matter of taping lectures etc., you should keep in mind that a number of students with
disabilities have been granted the taping of lectures as an appropriate accommodation for their
disability. For this reason, it is best to speak privately with any student you think may be
contravening the policy so you do not put a student with a disability – or yourself – in an
awkward position in front of the whole class. Note, however, that it is still the case with
accommodations that tapes are only for that student’s exclusive study use and may not be
shared without permission. (See also CTSI’s Tip Sheet on this topic.)
3.6. Talking in Class
Students often come from high schools where “classroom chatter” is tolerated or even taken as a
sign of active learning. In a lecture setting, even a modest amount of chatter can disturb
everyone else in the room. Subtle classroom management techniques are usually enough to
correct this: stop speaking momentarily, look directly at those chattering, wait for them to stop,
then proceed. In large classes, it may be necessary to remind students and verbally caution the
class. It is never a good idea to “dress down” or humiliate a student, even an offending one, in
front of classmates or to allow other students to do so.
3.7. Dealing with Disruptive Students
Occasionally, you may encounter a student whose behaviour is a real problem – anything from
monopolizing the discussion to being repeatedly or intensely disruptive. It is best not to
confront such a student in front of other students. Low-grade repeated behaviour may be
addressed in a private conversation after class to point out that you are not finding the
behaviour helpful. This is usually enough. Try to present it as being about the other students’
learning rather than your own comfort level. Students sometimes don't know how their
behaviour looks to others.
If subtler techniques are ineffective, or if the behaviour is intensely disrupting, you can adjourn
the class momentarily, ask to speak to the student aside from the class, and make it clear that
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the problematic behaviour disturbs the business of the class. Direct the student clearly and
definitely to stop the behaviour. If the disruptive behaviour persists or escalates, you can end the
class session and consult the undergraduate academic counsellor or the Faculty Registrar.
If at any time you believe your safety, the safety of the other students and/or the disruptive
student is in jeopardy, end the class immediately and contact Campus Police. Notify the
undergraduate academic counsellor or the Faculty Registrar as soon as possible. If the behaviour
occurs outside the classroom setting, you should definitely alert the undergraduate academic
counsellor or the Faculty Registrar to it. In such circumstances, it is best not to meet the student
without another person present. This provides a safer environment for the instructor, makes
available another potential witness for anything that happens, and demonstrates that the
problem has reached another level. It is important to remember that there may be an underlying
health issue contributing to the student’s behaviour; by alerting others in the university to the
disruptive behaviour, you ultimately may be helping a student in difficulty.
The University has resources and policies to support you in dealing with disruptive or students
with serious on-going problems that make them a problem in your class. The Crisis Retention
team (416-946-7111) or Campus Police (416-978-2222) will intervene as necessary to assist you
or protect the learning environment in your course. No one expects you to tolerate disruptive or
abusive behaviour, but note that you yourself do not have the authority to “evict” duly-enrolled
students from your course. If you run into a problem of this sort, it is always best to seek help
from the undergraduate office of your department, the Faculty Registrar or the Vice-Dean,
Undergraduate. See Section 13 for contact information.
4. Term Work
Other than the specific rules arising from University policies and the Faculty’s regulations on the
composition of final marks, term work is an academic matter under the instructor’s purview.
You are allowed wide flexibility as a matter of academic professionalism in the way you manage
term work – as opposed to final exams etc., which are administered by the Faculty and
surrounded by many Faculty-level rules. The general principle about term work is that if you are
going to enforce a rule or policy, you must tell the students about it at the outset so they
understand what is expected of them in your course.
4.1. Tutorials
Students sometimes find tutorials less than satisfying even though surveys show they prefer
small-group experiences. Given the number of TA hours available to you in your course, it may
not be possible to have your TAs attend lecture to better prepare them to relate your lecture
material to their tutorial. A number of best practices can help make your tutorials as effective as
possible under the circumstances:

Communicate explicitly to the students – and your TAs – the goals for the tutorials
within the context of the course, e.g., supplementary to lectures, review, discussion, new
material, skills training.

Articulate the connection between tutorials and the lecture material.
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
Consider communicating an objective for each tutorial session in relation to what is
going on in the course/lecture.

Before an assignment or test, focus the tutorials on preparation for that assessment.

Clarify and communicate the role of the TA, e.g., necessary first contact for questions on
grading, initial contact for assignment extensions, etc.
4.2. Designing Assignments & Tests
Good pedagogy normally includes providing students with regular assessment and meaningful
feedback about their grasp of the material and their standing in the course. While instructors are
the best judges of what kind of assignment or test is most appropriate for their pedagogical
objectives and subject matter, two observations may be useful:

The complaint most often heard from students is that the assignments or tests in a
course were not clearly related to the course material as it was presented in lecture. It
could be that they just do not see the connection, or that the assignment was meant to
assess only a particular part of the material, but students tend to extrapolate from even
limited assignments to the course as a whole. It may help to explain your assignment’s
objective so they may interpret their results appropriately.

A well-designed assignment is often the best pre-emptive defense against plagiarism or
other forms of misbehaviour.
See Section 10 for more on academic integrity, including the Code of Behaviour on Academic
Matters. Other U of T resources on assessment and designing assignments can be found on the
CTSI website and on the Writing website.
5. Term Tests
5.1. Administration of Tests
The administration of tests during term is the responsibility of the instructor, the course
coordinator or the academic unit, depending on the unit and/or course. The administration of
final examinations is the responsibility of the Office of the Registrar, except for summer session
courses which are administered by the academic unit (First Year Office, Cross-Disciplinary
Programs Office, etc.)
5.2. Testing Space
Most term tests take place in your regular class space. If your regular classroom is inadequate
for tests, e.g. it may have tiered seating or not allow sufficient spacing between students to
prevent cheating, you may request additional or alternative space through the Scheduling Office
in the Office of the Registrar (bookings@ecf.utoronto.ca).
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5.3. Scheduling Tests Outside Class Hours
To the extent possible, you should schedule term tests your during normallyscheduled class hours to prevent conflicts with students’ other obligations and other
colleagues’ courses. If necessity requires you to schedule your test outside the normal meeting
hours of one or all of your course’s sections, you may book classroom or testing space through
the Scheduling Office in the Office of the Registrar (bookings@ecf.utoronto.ca). Consult your
department’s undergraduate academic counsellor before scheduling any different times or
classrooms.
The Faculty has a number of guidelines for scheduling term tests outside your normallyscheduled class hours:

You must announce such test dates and times at the beginning of the course
to allow a student to make arrangements to accommodate this extra obligation.

If a student has a conflict between a course holding a test outside its normal class hours
and a test or required obligation for a class regularly scheduled into that hour, the
regularly-scheduled academic obligation has precedence. The course with the
irregularly-scheduled test must accommodate the student in some
appropriate way.
The student may be given access to a test make-up opportunity, as relevant. Or the instructor
with the irregularly-scheduled test may allow the student to start early or finish late to
accommodate the regularly-scheduled test, or the instructors in the two courses may work out a
reasonable compromise by staggering the start and end times of both tests to allow the student
to go directly from one to the other and not lose the full time needed for both tests. In a multiparty arrangement, it is important that all parties be aware of any agreement between
instructors and the student. The Office of the Registrar does not intervene with term test
conflicts and expects all instructors to follow the above guidelines.
5.4. Contingencies for Emergencies
If you are conducting a formal test in your course, you should prepare in advance for some
possible emergencies, such as: a fire alarm, a disruptive or ill student, a temporary external
disruption, a power failure. The aim is to handle the emergency in an orderly way by minimizing
the opportunities for collusion or copying, so you don’t have to discard the test.
5.5. Conduct During Tests
How you conduct your term tests is left to your discretion. The protocols used by the Faculty for
final examinations may provide you with some useful guidance.:
At a U of T exam, it’s not just a cell phone, it’s an unauthorized aid. Unless otherwise stated,
electronic devices are not allowed at U of T exams. Possession is punishable under the Code of
Behaviour on Academic Matters. Once turned off, cellphones may be placed in a bag (paper,
transparent plastic or non-transparent plastic) under the candidate’s desk.
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
All books, bags and backpacks to be left to the side of the room or under desks, not in or
on desks.

No unaccompanied washroom breaks.

Disruptions from invigilators moving about or chatting kept to a minimum.

No leaving the exam room during the interval before the end of the exam.

No writing beyond the signal to stop.

Clear instructions about bringing tests forward or waiting to have them picked up.
A calm, orderly, secure testing room is the best environment for all concerned. Clear, definite
instructions, sensibly enforced, are one of the best ways to ensure that this occurs.
You should also warn students about securing their personal effects during tests, such as purses,
wallets and laptops. Such things have been stolen from test and exam rooms in the past, and so
some reasonable protocol is advised that allows the students to protect their property but
ensures no access to unauthorized aids, for example placing personal effects face down under
the seat.
6. Missed Term Work or Tests – Term Work Petitions
6.1. Accommodating Legitimate Absences
Managing your courses will be much easier if you have a clear, well-thought-out policy on
excusable absences and any relevant documentation required of students, policies that you
communicate clearly to your students in your syllabus. You should apply these consistently and
fairly; however, this does not mean you are not able to make exceptions in individual cases for
legitimately exceptional circumstances. There are some limits to the range of your own course
policies, as will be explained below.
It is the Faculty’s policy that students who miss classes, for legitimate reasons or otherwise, are
responsible for making up the missed material. They should not expect you to re-teach them the
material.
6.2. Timelines
A student who misses a test, lab or assignment deadline should come forward to
the instructor or course coordinator in person as soon as possible, and no later
than one week after returning to class. Normally, this means within one week of the test,
lab or deadline; however, the student’s reason for absence may extend beyond one week, and so
the student is expected to come forward as soon as possible. The student should notify the
instructor by email if the absence is extended in this way.
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If the student does not come forward with one week, the instructor may consider a request to
extend the deadline, but is under no obligation to do so.
6.3. Documentation
You should require documentation that verifies the legitimacy and severity of absences from
class for medical, personal, family or other unavoidable reasons. You should publish your
expectations in your syllabus. The following documents should be expected for the vast majority
of medical or disability-related absences:

U of T Verification of Student Illness or Injury form: This form is widely
available to students and prompts the medical practitioner to answer the relevant
questions about the absence.

Student Health or Disability Related Certificate: A streamlined variant of the
Verification of Student Illness or Injury form provided by our own internal doctors who
can vouch for health problems without so many details.

Accessibility Services Letter: This sort of letter may address needed
accommodations or document on-going disability issues that have made absence or
lateness unavoidable. Instructors should assume students presenting such a letter are
being advised by Accessibility Services staff on managing their workload appropriately.
Any policy you articulate should at least cover the range of problems and circumstances any
group of decently conscientious students might be expected to encounter, and you are entitled to
expect your students to behave responsibly, especially if you tell them what you expect. Please
consult with the undergraduate academic counsellor in your department or the Faculty
Registrar if you are concerned about assessing the standard of “reasonableness” for any rule or
practice with respect to term work petitions.
Some departments now coordinate the collection of term work petitions through their
undergraduate offices. Please consult your department’s undergraduate academic counsellor to
inquire about how they prefer term work petitions are handled.
Important Note: If you do require and collect documentation, remember that these contain
sensitive personal information collected under FIPPA rules, and so must be treated as
containing confidential information, stored securely for one year and then destroyed.
6.4. Missed Tests
If a student misses a test for reasons acceptable to the instructor, the instructor may allocate the
percentage weight of the test to any combination of the remaining term work and/or the final
exam. However, instructors should be mindful that the University Assessment and Grading
Practices Policy indicates that final exams worth more than 80% of a student’s course grade are
discouraged when practicable. If the final examination must be made to be worth more than
80% of the student’s grade, instructors are encouraged to advise the student to seek assistance
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in developing strategies for handling such a heavily-weighted exam, either by the instructor, a
TA, or the undergraduate academic counsellor.
6.5. Religious Obligations
The University has a general policy on accommodating absences for reasons of religious
obligation, strongly articulated on the Provost’s webpage:
“Please note that the obligation not to discriminate on the basis of religion (“creed”) is a
statutory duty arising from the Ontario Human Rights Code. It carries with it the obligation to
accommodate religious requirements where doing so does not cause undue hardship to the
University. For example, accommodation normally requires that scheduled graded term work or
tests conflicting with religious requirements be adjusted by providing similar evaluation on
alternate dates. ”
The policy does not differentiate among religions or single out particular dates as the only ones
to accommodate, although some commonly-observed dates are given as examples on the
Provost’s site. As noted above, since it is based on the Human Rights Code, the standard for
reasonable accommodation is higher in these cases than with other absences such as medical
ones, for which one might shift the weight of the test to another assessment under the usual
principle of “academic reasonableness.” (In fact the standard of “undue hardship” generally
means that the University would go bankrupt if it complied – a difficult position to maintain.) A
student may accept a lesser accommodation, but cannot be required to accept less than the Code
obliges us to provide.
Students are expected and may be required to give reasonable advanced notice of their absence,
since the dates for observances are usually predictable. Instructors may handle the
accommodation by providing the same test or a different test at a time that does not conflict
with the obligatory absence. The standard likely to be applied to the timing is what is “fair and
reasonable.”
7. Extensions and Late Term Work
7.1. Late Penalties
Instructors are not obliged to accept late work, except where there are legitimate, documented
reasons beyond a student’s control, such as medical issues. In such cases, a late penalty is
normally not appropriate. However, many instructors are willing to accept late work provided a
penalty is applied to the mark. If this is your intention, you must publish your late
penalty policy in your syllabus so students can guide themselves accordingly.
A clear extension/late penalty policy appropriate to the course, communicated to students on
the syllabus and consistently applied, is a best practice. You are allowed wide latitude in how
you handle this, subject only to the usual academic appeal standard of “fair, equitable and
reasonable.”
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Students will be expecting to hear your rules and expectations on late work, penalties, absolute
deadlines, etc. You will find it helpful later if you can connect these to your pedagogical
objectives in the explanations you provide at the beginning of the course. This is particularly the
case should you have an absolute deadline beyond which you will not accept work, even with a
penalty.
You may certainly make exceptions to your own rules, i.e. you needn’t be inflexible or rigidly
consistent for lateness you think is justified or excusable, particularly for lateness beyond a
student’s control. However, fairness to students usually includes appropriate consideration for
those other students who have exerted themselves to meet your deadline. Also, multiple
extensions tend to create a pile-up of outstanding work for a student, and so may not be as
helpful as the student thinks. A student encountering trouble completing assignments may
benefit from some advising from their undergraduate academic counsellor or from the Academic
Success Centre. Feel free to make a referral if the student appears not to be handling things well.
8. Final Examinations
8.1. Faculty Final Exams & the Final Examination Period
Final exams in courses, i.e., formal examinations held within the final examination period after
classes finish, are scheduled, conducted and invigilated by the Faculty through the Office of the
Registrar. (The exception is Summer Session exams, which are handled by the department and
instructor.) Instructors may not schedule their own tests or “exams” during this
final exam period. The only exception is that Engineering design courses, such as
Engineering Strategies and Practices and Praxis may have presentations during the final exam
period.
8.2. Specifications for Final Exams
For instructions on forming final exams and following Faculty “exam types” review Section 1.7.
The Examination Committee may request a supplemental final examination for administration
based on the outcome of a petition where a student misses the exam due to documented
reasons. For more information, see Faculty Council Report #3287(.pdf) If a student in your
course is registered with Accessibility Services, please consult Test and Exam Services:
http://www.osm.utoronto.ca/tes/guides.html
Test and Exam Services Frequently Asked Questions:
http://www.osm.utoronto.ca/tes/qa_instructors.html
8.3. Final Exam Texts: Preparation & Deadlines
The Office of the Registrar has a firm deadline for final exam question papers to be
submitted. This deadline is approximately one week before the exam period begins or two
weeks for first-year courses. There must be enough photocopies of the examination for every
registered student plus three extra copies. See your department’s office for information on
copying services (first-year examinations will be copied by the Office of the Registrar.) The
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Office of the Registrar recognizes that such deadlines can be burdensome for instructors;
however, preparations for students writing exams at alternative locations must be made in
advance of the final exam period. Your cooperation is appreciated in respecting these deadlines.
8.4. Publication of Exams
As per the U of T Grading Practices Policy, normal Faculty practice is to offer past final exams
to the Engineering Society to be used as study aids. Note that the exam question papers are not
forwarded for posting until any subsequent deferred exam session has passed.
If you have concerns about this policy, please consult the undergraduate academic counsellor in
your department or the Office of the Registrar.
8.5. Absent Students & Missing Exams
When you retrieve your final exams before the exam starts, the Office of the Registrar will
provide you with term work reports to be filled out for any registered student who does not write
the exam. These reports should be returned with marked exams. These reports will list the
student’s earned grades divided into categories of the composition of the final marks: closely
supervised term work, not-closely supervised term work and final examination mark (which
would presumably be “0”) and then the class averages in those categories. You may be asked to
complete term work reports for other students as a result of a petition.
Be mindful when collecting and returning final examinations. There have been instances when
exam booklets have gone missing and such matters are extraordinarily difficult to resolve when
procedures have not been scrupulous. Students are required to number their booklets (i.e., 1 of
3, 2 of 3, etc.), but some do not. If you note any anomalies in the count of booklets, report them
to the Office of the Registrar immediately.
8.6. Marking Deadlines & Accounting
To review marking deadline procedures, please see Section 1.7.
The Committee on Examinations meets after each term in order to review student petitions and
review all the submitted marks. “Unofficial,” initially reported grades are posted on ROSI in
order that students can know whether or not they are allowed to proceed to the next session.
Grade reports are distributed to students via the Engineering Portal after all of the marks and
petitions for the fall/winter session have been reviewed. This normally happens in mid-June.
When preparing your final marks, you may find that some elements of a student’s body of work
remain incomplete or undone. You should put in a mark of 0% for any missing element and then
calculate and submit the final mark accordingly. Do not leave the final mark blank for
incomplete work or put in a final course grade of 0% (unless nothing has been assessed)
or try to signal “incomplete” or some other non-percentage element. Note in the appropriate
place in your records what elements are missing and whether any informal extensions were
given before the end of the course (and provide it to the undergraduate academic counsellor in
your department if that is the practice in your unit). This information will be valuable should the
student petition later. Also, should a petition for an extension beyond the course be granted and
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the student still does not complete the work, a correct default final mark will be available on the
record without the need for further action on your part.
If a student has an outstanding allegation of academic misconduct that is being reviewed, the
same protocol applies. Put in a 0% only for the assignment being reviewed, not for the entire
course mark, and calculate and submit the final mark using the remaining completed portions.
Under no circumstances may instructors release final marks to students before
they have gone through this approval process and been posted on ROSI by the
Office of the Registrar. This means that instructors should not add in the “overall
assessment” portion, “participation mark,” or the final exam mark to the Blackboard gradebook
and then open it for viewing by students.
As per the policy, where marks have been adjusted before approval, the students and the
instructor shall be provided upon request with the reason for the adjustment, the methodology
used, and a description of the divisional grades review process.
Given this review process and the fact that marks are not official until approved and posted on
ROSI, instructors may not release “recommended” or provisional final marks to
students. Again, this means instructors should not display all elements of the recommended
final mark including the final exam mark for viewing by students on Blackboard. You may think
releasing recommended marks inappropriately early is helpful to students, but you may simply
be creating unnecessary problems for both the students and yourself by doing this. Students
should be told to check ROSI for their official final marks.
8.7. Bell Curves, Quotas, etc.
Students and even instructors sometimes misconstrue the University’s policies as putting a
restriction or limit on the number or percentage of students who can get any given course grade,
or even enforcing a specified distribution of marks. Both University and Faculty policies
explicitly prohibit such arbitrary limits. The Faculty policy is stated in the Calendar: “Grades,
as an expression of the instructor’s best judgement of each student’s overall
performance, will not be determined by any system of quotas.” Students often have a
sense that their marks are being artificially depressed in some way. If you are calibrating or
adjusting marks, it is not helpful to refer to “belling” or “curving” marks, even if students use
these terms.
8.8. Failing Marks or Marks Just-under-grade Thresholds
There are a number of percentage marks where one more percent would shift the student up to
the next range. Some of the more significant ones are 49%, 59%, 69%, 79% and 84%. You may
want to give special attention to marks just below these thresholds; they are often contentious
and you may expect to hear from a number of students who receive such marks in the form of a
final mark re-check. It is reasonable to take some extra time to reflect on whether the mark,
especially a marginal failure, is a complete and fair reflection of overall performance.
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8.9. Instructor’s Course Records
If you use an electronic marks record, e.g. the Blackboard grade centre, you should regularly
back up this information off-line and also save it at the end of the course, since Blackboard does
not archive this information automatically or indefinitely.
At the end of the course, you should also retain a complete copy of your records for
the course. Later appeals, petitions or disciplinary proceedings may require specific
information about a student’s participation or performance in a course. Records should be as
complete as possible and contain at least the number and type of required assignments, in
addition to the weighting and the actual marks given for them. Class records must not be
destroyed at the end of the year but kept by you or your UG Administrator for at least one year,
and preferably two years.
9. Petitions & Appeals
There are three types of petitions in this Faculty:
9.1. Petitions for Term Work
A student who is unavoidably absent at any time during the term, and consequently misses any
graded work, should discuss the matter with the instructor or the course coordinator, if
applicable, and, if necessary, submit a Petition for Consideration in Term Work. Methods to
accommodate these petitions are discussed in section 6.
9.2. Petitions for Final Examinations
A student who believes that his/her academic performance has been adversely affected by severe
illness, injury, bereavement or mishap during the term or the examination period should submit
a Petition for Final Examinations. Such petitions must be submitted to the Office of the
Registrar within one week of the date of the student’s last examination. Late petitions and
requests for deferred examinations based on travel, employment or personal plans will not be
considered. Petitions must be accompanied by appropriate documentation. Information on
deferred exams can be found online. For medical circumstances, the U of T Verification of
Student Illness or Injury form (medical form) must confirm the student’s inability to attend an
examination and the dates of the illness, and must show the physician was consulted at the time
of the illness.
When a student misses a final examination, the instructor should expect to complete the Term
Work report, as discussed in section 8.5.
9.3. Petitions for Special Consideration
Students may petition with respect to the applicability to them of an academic regulation of the
Faculty, excluding the manipulation of earned grades. These petitions must show the grounds
on which they believe that the regulation should be waived or altered. Students should consult
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the Office of the Registrar or their undergraduate academic counsellor before submitting a
petition to determine whether their request is petitionable.
Requests for Petitions for Final Examinations and Petitions for Special Consideration will be
processed through the Engineering Portal. Students can issue a petition through the portal then
submit supporting documents (such as the U of T Verification of Student Illness or Injury form)
to the Office of the Registrar (GB 157).
Petitioning students are responsible for learning the procedure to submit petitions, found here:
http://uoft.me/petitions
9.4. Academic Appeals
Students seeking corrective action for a missed examination or an exception to a Faculty rule or
regulation who are not awarded relief by the Committee on Examinations due to insufficient
evidence or a perceived lack of severity may appeal their case to the Faculty’s Academic Appeals
Board. If the case falls into their terms of reference and intervention is allowed, the Board will
invite students to appear before a hearing and make their case. Further to the Academic Appeals
Board, a student may be able to appeal their case to the Governing Council’s Academic Appeals
Committee (the highest academic appeals body in the university).
There is no formal appeals process for term work petitions; however, if a student is not given
consideration for missed term work by the instructor, there may be grounds for the student to
petition the Committee on Examinations for late withdrawal.
9.5. Pedagogical or Grade-based Disputes
The assigning of grades is often a contentious issue for students. The Faculty does not have a
formal appeals process for disputing the content of course work or the grading of individual
students’ work (unless it violates U of T Grading Policy). The Faculty suggests students seek
support through the “academic route.” The Department Chair is responsible for the quality of
the academic program and, therefore, the Chair or Chair’s designate should be available to
review any perceived inconsistencies with marking or syllabus execution.
The default assumption with such disputes is that the instructor knows the subject material of
the course. Those reviewing the matter should recognize that a wide range of pedagogical
practice can fall into what might be called the “acceptable” or “normal” range The test usually
applied to appeals is “reasonableness”: whether the treatment or assessment was fair, whether
it was applied equitably, whether a rule was clear and announced in advance, whether a penalty
was appropriate, etc.
When a student disputes a grade, a best practice is to invite them to appear at your office hours
with their written complaint. Consider it carefully. If the original mark is correct, explain the
reasons for the student’s mistake and suggest strategies for correcting it in the future.
Remember that these grades can determine a student’s ability to continue in the program,
attend graduate school or obtain employment and these high stakes can bring out strong
emotions in students. However, you should not listen to “begging” for marks and if that case
arises, refer the student to their undergraduate academic counsellor.
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10. Academic Integrity
10.1. Rules
The primary set of rules in this regard is the University’s Code of Behaviour on Academic
Matters. The most common offences are plagiarism, cheating on tests and exams, fraudulent
medical documentation and improper collaboration on marked work. The primary criterion is
that a student is seeking unfair academic advantage in the behaviour.
10.2. Information & Help
The Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI) provides many helpful suggestions on
how to use preventive strategies when designing your course materials. The Vice-Dean,
Undergraduate can also provide information and advice regarding academic integrity.
10.3. Promulgation of the Rules
While a few students are simply dishonest, most fall into difficulty through ignorance or bad
choices made under pressure. The standard of enforcement for the rules is that “students ought
reasonably to have known” what they were doing was against the rules. This is much easier if
you have been explicit in your syllabus and lectures about the rules, including putting text and
links on Blackboard. You should not rely on “the obvious” or a student’s prior educational
experiences to have taught them these principles. Concrete examples should be provided
indicating what is considered as plagiarism and where cooperation becomes cheating. Many in
the university work hard to introduce new students to the culture of integrity specific to
universities, but initial cultural assumptions vary and so it is best to be explicit about your
expectations and requirements in your class.
Students should be reminded that offenders are caught, and sanctions can be severe—zero in the
course with annotation on the transcript for several years; suspension for a year; even expulsion.
10.4. Prevention
Many cases have arisen as a consequence of “insecure” procedures in respect to the submission
and return of assignments. Instructors should not have students hand in assignments to
unsupervised open mailboxes or drop them off on their desk during a lecture or tutorial period.
Avoid leaving marked assignments outside an office, or on desk tops during a lecture or tutorial
period for pickup by students. It is too easy for the unscrupulous to “borrow” another’s
assignment. The safest policy is to accept or return assignments individually, or with a
Departmental Secretary for personal submission or pickup by students (they should show their
T-Card and sign for work being submitted or returned).
Maintain security in major tests and exams by using checks of student T-cards and signatures
especially if classes are large.
If it is suspected that a student or students may be cheating on a term test or examination, the
instructor or proctor should note the test or exam question number reached by the student(s) at
the time. Suspected students should be moved to a different part of the exam room. These kinds
of cases can in some instances be difficult to prove, therefore, such documentation can mean the
difference between a “good” or “poor” case particularly if it reaches the Tribunal level.
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It is recommended that a fraction of tests or other high-stakes assignments be photocopied or
scanned before being returned to students in order to decrease the likelihood that papers will be
improved and resubmitted for marks. Communicating such a policy to your students at the
outset of the term may help to deter dishonest behaviour.
10.5. Incidents & Reporting
If you suspect that a student has committed an offence, you should look into it and not let it
slide. It is no kindness to students to let them proceed as though there was nothing wrong with
something they may repeat later. Also, it is unfair to all those students who sacrifice marks or
work diligently rather than taking improper short-cuts. And what may seem a minor
misdemeanor may in fact be the latest in a string of repeated offences. No one likes to get
bogged down in these kinds of proceedings, but following through is the best way to ensure
consistency in applying our principles, and fairness to all the students who behave responsibly.
The Faculty has introduced an online Academic Offence Tracking Tool, found at
www.apsc.utoronto.ca/AOTT/, which instructors are expected to use to report academic
offences. When an instructor believes an offence has occurred, they should create a report by
filling in the form at the link. The AOTT has been designed to notify the appropriate parties who
will be involved in the investigation of the offence. The instructor should then submit any hardcopy evidence to the departmental academic counsellor. This tool allows the Faculty to better
investigate, track and record cases of academic misconduct.
Please note that under the Code the instructor is not allowed to settle a case or give a sanction,
even where there is clear evidence, or an admission of guilt from the student. Even reducing a
mark for an academic offence below the academic value of an assignment constitutes a sanction
and is not permitted.
Instructors should always follow the procedures surrounding academic offences as outlined in
the Calendar. Instructors should read this section before the start of term so they will be familiar
with the Code in case any such occurrence may arise.
10.6. Outcomes
As mentioned, the process is designed to enforce responsibility but also to educate. Under the
Code, a sanction may be imposed below the level of the University Tribunal only if the student
admits responsibility for the offence. Sanctions tend to be serious but not onerous for first
offences. The sanctions escalate steeply if the offence is truly egregious or part of a pattern of
repeated offences. At the departmental level, the maximum penalty is a ‘0%’ for the assignment;
at the divisional level, the maximum is a one-year suspension (rare) but more commonly ‘0%’
for the assignment and a further reduction in course mark leading to a failed course; at the
Tribunal level, longer suspensions or expulsions are applied to sufficiently serious offences.
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11. Accessibility/Disability Issues
11.1. Essentials
The University provides academic accommodations for students with disabilities in accordance
with the terms of the Ontario Human Rights Code and the AODA legislation (Access for
Ontarians with Disabilities Act). Under the legislation, responsibility for ensuring accessibility
is shared among all the players in the University: Accessibility Services, instructors, academic
units and staff. Beyond our legislative obligations, the U of T takes pride in its serious
commitment to those with disabilities. Our objective is an accessible learning environment that
both meets the needs of students and preserves the essential academic integrity of the
University’s courses and programs.
11.2. Resources Available
Accessibility Services staff are mandated to review medical documentation, and to authorize and
determine the nature of accommodations for students with disabilities. The staff are happy to
work with instructors to ensure that students with disabilities have an equal and a fair chance to
learn and demonstrate their learning. If you have questions, you should feel free to contact them
directly. If you don’t know the student’s advisor at Accessibility Services, you can call (416) 9788060.
11.3. Registration with Accessibility Services
To receive accommodations, students must register with Accessibility Services. If students
approach you regarding a disability, you should ask if they are registered with the Service and
refer them there immediately if they are not.
Accessibility Services is permitted to disclose the impact of the disability on the student’s
learning and is happy to discuss with you how specific accommodations may relate to the
requirements in your course. Faculty members and their academic units determine what
students must demonstrate in a course; Accessibility Services acts as a resource on alternate
ways by which students might demonstrate their knowledge. Note that most students registered
with Accessibility Services have invisible disabilities. Confidentiality guidelines prevent
Accessibility Services from disclosing the student’s diagnosis or specifics of the disability
without the student’s permission.
In all your interactions, please keep a student’s registration with Accessibility Services
confidential. This is especially important when interacting in class.
You may certainly be considerate in responding to students, but it is inadvisable “to just work
something out on your own” with a student who discloses a disability. When the Final
Examination Period arrives and the student is not registered with Accessibility Services, both of
you may find your “kindness” was unhelpful and the student is disadvantaged.
11.4. Accommodated Tests & Exams
Some students with disabilities require accommodations to write tests and exams. On the St.
George campus, this is done by Test & Exam Services, located in the Exam Centre on McCaul
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Street. You will be notified by Test & Exam Services if a student in your course will be writing
with them. Be assured that, regarding the storage of tests and the training of their invigilators,
the staff at Test & Exam Services follow the same procedures and maintain the same strict
standards as the Office of the Registrar, which handles all other final exams.
Such accommodations may require that your test questions be formatted in a special way
through adaptive technology and may require the exam be submitted to a different location. For
these reasons, it is important that you adhere to the strict deadlines Test & Exam
Services specifies for providing your test question papers. Meeting our legal
obligations to accommodate requires that test papers be prepared and delivered in a timely way.
This may sometimes differ from your pedagogical preferences or personal way of working, but it
is necessary.
11.5. Standard for Accommodations
Most accommodations can be managed through an adaptation to allow the student to undergo
the same mode of assessment as other students in the class. It is worth noting, however, that
while maintaining consistency of assessment methods across all students is normally a
pedagogical goal, achieving the necessary accommodation for a student may make it impossible
to have perfect consistency of method in assessment, e.g., instructors may be asked to devise
alternate means of assessment. The legal standard applied under the Act for accommodation is
very high: as with Human Rights Code cases it is “undue hardship” to the organization, i.e.,
bankruptcy. The University is obliged to meet this standard, and instructors as employees of the
University are likewise so obliged. Accessibility Services will communicate to you the
recommended accommodation and cooperate with you to implement it. If you have specific
questions or concerns, contact the student’s advisor at Accessibility Services at (416) 978-8060.
12. Students in Difficulty
12.1. Academic Advising
Undergraduate academic counsellors (in the First Year Office, for first-year students;
department’s undergraduate offices for upper-year students) can consult on general academic
advising, problem-solving, program and curriculum management and referrals to other
university resources. Problems with adding or dropping courses, fees, etc. can be dealt with at
the Office of the Registrar. When in doubt, the counsellor or the Office of the Registrar are good
places to direct a student.
12.2. Students in Crisis
You also have resources available to you if a student’s problems are more extreme and
immediate. You may never encounter such a student, but if you are dealing with a student who
is overwhelmed or may possibly harm him- or herself, or is in an acute crisis situation that can’t
wait for a referral, or shouldn’t depend on the student following through, you can call Student
Crisis Response at (416) 946-7111 (This line is for faculty to call directly, not to give to students.)
If the situation is truly an urgent emergency, call 911 or the Campus Police at (416) 978-2222.
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13. Resources & Contacts
13.1. Teaching Resources
Audio/Visual: Audio-Visual services and equipment are provided by the Academic and
Campus Events. Access to audio-visual equipment/instructional technology varies across the
campus. Some buildings house electronic classrooms which offer a wide range of equipment
(from data projectors, screens, sound systems, internet access) whereas other classrooms offer
only basic facilities (screens and overhead projectors). In addition, your access to audio visual
equipment and classroom technology support is linked to the department/division/college with
which you are associated. There may be costs associated with some A/V equipment bookings so
have your departmental account numbers ready when booking. For A/V bookings, call OSM at
416 -978-6544.
13.2. Engineering Staff Contacts
Tom Nault
Faculty Registrar
Tel: (416) 978-5894
tom@ecf.utoronto.ca
Room 157, Galbraith Building
Dan Pettigrew
Associate Registrar & Director of Administrative Information Systems
Tel: (416) 946-5872
dan@ecf.utoronto.ca
Room 157, Galbraith Building
Helen Bright
Acting Associate Registrar, Admissions
Tel: (416) 946-7115
helen@ecf.utoronto.ca
Room 153, Galbraith Building
Khuong Doan
Associate Registrar, Student Services
Class lists, mark re-checks, student records
Tel: (416) 978-2976
kdoan@ecf.utoronto.ca
Room 157, Galbraith Building
Terry Bullen
Academic Scheduling Officer
Courses, exams
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Tel: (416) 946-0618
sched@ecf.utoronto.ca or terry.bullen@ecf.utoronto.ca
Room 157, Galbraith Building
Office of the Registrar Information Desk
Tel: (416) 978-5896
registrar@ecf.utoronto.ca
Room 157, Galbraith Building
Engineering Undergraduate Admissions Office
(for questions about auditing or special, non-degree student enrolment)
Tel: (416) 978-0120
apscadm@ecf.utoronto.ca
Room 153, Galbraith Building
First Year Office
Tel: (416) 978-4625
firstyear@ecf.utoronto.ca
Room 170, Galbraith Building
Final Examinations Coordination
Vanessa Andres
Tel: (416) 978-3134
vandres@ecf.utoronto.ca
Classroom Bookings
Dianne Stathopoulos
Tel: (416) 978-7034
bookings@ecf.utoronto.ca
13.3. Undergraduate Academic Counselling
Contact information for undergraduate academic counsellors.
13.4. Administrative Support for Committees of Faculty Council
Admissions Committee
John Ng (416) 946-7117
Tel: johnng@ecf.utoronto.ca
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
Jan Haugan
Tel: (416) 978-1904
vicedean@ecf.utoronto.ca
Committee on Examinations
Khuong Doan
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Tel: (416) 978-2976
kdoan@ecf.utoronto.ca
Committee on Graduate Education
Laura DeBartolo
Tel: (416) 946-3038
laura.debartolo@utoronto.ca
Committee on Research
Laura DeBartolo
Tel: (416) 946-3038
laura.debartolo@utoronto.ca
Committee on Scholarships and Awards
Pierina Filippone
Tel: (416) 978-4159
pierina@ecf.utoronto.ca
Committee on Teaching Methods and Resources
Dani Couture
dcouture@ecf.utoronto.ca
13.5. University Offices for Student Services

Academic Success Centre

Accessibility Services

Community Safety Office

Health & Wellness (Health Services & CAPS)

WalkSmart Program
13.6. Online Resources

Academic Calendar

Course Timetables

Office of the Registrar

Engineering Computing Facility Website

Blackboard

Composition of Final Mark Website
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
Electronic Mark Submission Website (Status Only)
13.7. FIPPA Resources
FIPPA Q&A (Advice on Academic Matters in light of the Freedom of Information
and Protection of Privacy Act)
The Office of the Vice President & Provost offers answers to frequently asked questions for
instructors about adhering to FIPPA.
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