S.07-151

t

MEMO

Dean of

Graduate Studies

STREET ADDRESS

Maggie Benston Student

Services Centre 1100

Burnaby BC V5A 1A6

Canada

TO ?

Senate ?

I

TEL 24255

FROM

Jonathan Driver. Dean of Graduate Studies

RE ?

Graduate General Reulation 1.5.1 (G52007.29)

DATE

November 15, 2007

MAILING

8888 University

ADDRESS ?

Drive

?

I —

TIME 12:58 PM

Burnaby BC V5A 1T'6

Canada

?

Currently the Calendar states the folloving egarding DE notations under?

Graduate General Regulation 1.5.1:

'\

In exceptional circumstances, the grade for a course rnay"h eferred for a specified period determined by the

course instructor. This shall be entered as DE in the student's record. If the grade is not received by the

director, graduate records, admissions and registration by the last day

of the first month of

the next semester,

the DE grade will automatically be converted to an F.

At the 10th September 2007 meeting of SGSC a motion was approved to insert

some additional wording in the Calendar to clarify that a DE grade cannot be

extended, and to deal with situations in which a student receives a DE grade

and then is unable to complete the work due to illness. The revised paragraph

would be:

In exceptional circumstances, the grade for a course may be deferred for a specified

period determined by the course instructor. This shall be entered as DE in the

student's record. If the grade is not received by the director, graduate records,

admissions and registration by the last day of the first month of the next semester,

the DE grade will automatically be converted to an F. DE grades may not be

extended beyond this time limit. A DE grade may be changed to a WE

if

the

student can provide medical documentation that they were unable to complete the

work within the extended period because of illness. A DE grade can be changed to

a grade of IP and the course requirements completed in a subsequent term of

registration upon request to the Dean of Graduate Studies.

I recommend that Senate approve a motion to change the wording of GGR

1.5.1

• ?

Senators wishing to consult the documents concerning this item

should contact Bobbie Grant, Senate Assistant (bgrant0sfu.ca or

778.782.3168)

SIMON 1

:

11ASER UNIVERSIrY ?

THINKING OP INS WORIC

---

GS2007. 29

S

To:

SGSC

From:

Jonathan Driver, Dean of Graduate

Studies

Subject:

GGR 1.5.1 language change

Date:

25th

July 2007

cc:

?

UCurrently the Calendar states the following regarding DE notations:

'-

In exceptional circumstances, the grade for a course may be deferred for a specified

period determined by the course instructor. This shall be entered as DE in the student's

record.

If

the grade is not received by the director, graduate records, admissions and

registration by the last day

of

the first

month

of

the next semester, the DE grade will

automatically be converted to an F.

However, the Calendar does not state that DE grades cannot themselves be deferred and this has

caused difficulties among some departments and faculties as they try to deal with students who

• ?

could not complete their courses because of illness. Extending a DE grade beyond the end of the

first month of the next semester creates several problems, the most serious being that, as the

transcript is changed once the final grade is submitted, there is no record that the student was given

substantial extra time to complete the required work. In instances where two students are being

considered for an award, this is unfair and does not indicate commensurate work in the same

timeframe. We do have a notation that addresses the issue of illnesses and emergency family

situations—WE—which gives a much clearer indication of what actually did happen during the

semester while not disadvantaging a studentacademically.

Therefore, I suggest that we insert some additional wording in the Calendar to clarify that DE

cannot be extended, and to deal with situations in which a student receives a DE grade and then is

unable to complete the work due to illness. The revised paragraph would be:

In exceptional circumstances, the grade for a course may be deferred for a specified

period determined by the course instructor. This shall be entered as DE in the student's

record

If

the grade is not received by the director, graduate records, admissions and

registration by the last day

of

the first month

of

the next semester, the DE grade will

automatically be converted to an F. DE grades may not be extended beyond this time

limit. A DE grade may be changed to a WE

if

the student can provide medical

documentation that they were unable to complete the work within the extended period

because

of

illness. Upon request to the Dean

of

Graduate Studies a DE grade can be

changed to a grade

of

IP and the course requirements completed in a subsequent term

of

registration.

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

?