...................... SENATE ........................................................ ................................ 

.From ....... ... B. 

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G.

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W.IT..SQN,...ACAD.MICVICE-PR.E..IDENT 

AND CHAIRMAN, SENATE UNDERGRADUATE 

ADMISSIONS BOARD 

COURSE ... cHALLENG.E.., .... S . 

FEB.RUARY...,8 

"That Senate approve the proposal contained 

in Paper S.71-37 for Course Challenge for a 

one-year trial period, and for the courses 

indicated." 

TO: ALL MEMBERS OF SENATE 

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FROM: DR. B. WILSON 

ACADEMIC VICE-PRESIDENT 

AND

CHAIRMAN, S.U.A.B. 

SUBJECT: COURSE CHALLENGE 

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DATE: FEBRUARY 8, 1971 

During its consideration of the Ellis Report, Senate approved 

in principle a programme of Course Challenge. The Senate 

Undergraduate Admissions Board were directed to develop, with 

interested Departments, a detailed proposal which would be 

submitted to Senate for approval. It was suggested in the 

Ellis Report that it be implemented initially for a one-year 

trial period. 

The Senate Committee on Undergraduate Admissions and Stand- 

ings developed a proposal which was forwarded to Departments 

for their comments. The Departments were asked if they would 

participate, what courses would be available for Course 

Challenge, and what assessment procedures would be used. 

Only a limited number of replies were received, and not all 

supported the idea of Course Challenge. 

MOTION: ? 

That Senate approve the attached proposal for 

Challenge for a one-year trial period, 

and for the courses indicated. 

Other Departments wishing to participate could do so by sub- 

mitting details to the Senate Undergraduate Admissions Board. 

The attached proposal was approved unanimously by the Senate 

Undergraduate Admissions Board. 

The following comments, which do not form a part of the motion, 

are given for the information of Senators. 

1.  Restriction of number of credits that may be taken 

by Course Challenge is recognition that university 

experience involves more than accumulation of credit. 

2.

The freedom to elect to offer or not to offer the 

opportunity for Course Challenge should be left 

entirely to the department involved. There is no 

indication in the Ellis Report that Course Challenge 

is to be forced on all departments in the University. 

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3.

Revoking a student's Course Challenge privilege 

after he has had two unsuccessful challenges is 

to prevent frivolous abuse of the Course Challenge 

procedure. 

4.

An examination fee appears to be in order. It is 

proposed that this be equal in magnitude to the 

regular per unit fee for registration. If this is 

not done, Course Challenge may be abused for the 

purpose of avoiding fees. 

5.

Course Challenge credit should not be involved in 

semester load, or semester or cumulative grade 

point average. This would cloud scholarship, 

Canada Student Loan and other matters related to 

semester load. 

End. 

COURSE CHALLENGE 

Course Challenge is a method by which a student may obtain 

credit for course material which he has learned elsewhere 

(i.e., outside the University). Course Challenge credit is 

not normally available for courses which a student audits 

and subsequently decides to take for credit. 

IMPLEMENTATION 

Immediately on approval by Senate. (If approved at the 

March meeting of Senate, students would first be able to 

challenge courses during the Summer Semester). 

COURSES AVAILABLE 

Course Challenge is available on any course so designated 

by a Department and approved by the Senate Undergraduate 

Admissions Board. The following courses are available 

initially:-- 

Department ? 

Courses ? 

Availability 

Biology ? 

All courses, except 

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Every semester. 

research courses. 

Chemistry ? 

1049 105. ? 

Summer, 1971. 

Geography ? 

All courses. 

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Every semester. 

Mathematics ? 

141, 151, 152. ? 

Any semester in 

which they are 

offered. (Cur- 

rently, every 

semester). 

Modern ? 

French 151, 152 ) 

Languages 

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201, 202 ) 

German 102, 103 ) 

201, 202 ) 

Russian 102, 103 ) 

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Every semester. 

201, 202 ) 

Spanish 102, 103 ) 

201, 202 ) 

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Notes on Modern Language Challenges:- 

1.

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Only 8 semester hours of course challenge credit would 

be allowed in any language. 

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2.

A student who by reason of his native or near-native 

fluency, would automatically be given 8 hours of 

unassigned credit in that language, if he is excluded 

from courses below the 300 level (see Calendar, 

Page 132). 

3.

A student would be given full credit for the course 

successfully challenged, plus the course immediately 

preceding, assuming that this has not already been 

taken in the regular manner. 

METHOD OF ASSESSMENT 

Assessment is to be by an examination equivalent to the 

final examination for the course, plus an interview which 

may include an oral and/or a practical examination, all to 

be arranged and approved by the Chairman of the Department 

involved. 

RULES 

1.

A maximum of 60 semester hours of credit may be 

obtained by the combined mechanisms of Course 

Challenge and Transfer Credit. 

2.

A student is not entitled to register for Course 

Challenge credit if he has previously applied 

unsuccessfully for Course Challenge credit in two 

courses. 

3.

A student must register for Course Challenge credit 

before the last day to add courses in a particular 

semester. 

4.

The statement of the final disposition of the 

Course Challenge attempt must be submitted to the 

Registrar on or before the last day for submission 

of regular grades in the same semester. 

PROCEDURE 

1.

Student obtains Course Challenge Registration Form 

(CCR) from Registrar's Office. 

2.

Student seeks approval of Department Chairman to 

register for a course challenge in that Department. 

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Approval indicates willingness of the Department to 

administer the qualification procedure. 

3.

Student returns CCR to Registrar's Office. Fees will 

be assessed as if he were registering in the course 

in the normal way (that is on the total number of 

hours for which he is registered, both normally and 

for course challenge). 

4.

Student attempts qualification procedure. If he fails 

to obtain the minimum satisfactory standard, a nota- 

tion to that effect is conveyed to the Registrar for 

inclusion in his dossier. No notation appears on the 

student's transcript. If he fails to undertake the 

qualification procedure, that information is conveyed 

to the Registrar and the result is the same. 

5.

If the student is successful in the qualification 

procedure, the department forwards the notation to 

that effect to the Registrar for inclusion in normal 

fashion in his transcript entry for that semester. 

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The grade should be signed by the examiner and the 

Department Chairman. The entry "CC" goes into the 

grade column, with an explanatory note on the trans- 

cript. Grade points are not calculated, nor are units 

used in the computation of grade point averages. 