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TO: All Members of Senate 

I M

' L

^R

q e. 

V

FROM: 

S- 177 (a) 

H.M. Evans, 

Secretary of Senate and 

Registrar. 

.

December 2, 1968. 

Re: REPORT ON REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION 

AND THE

CALCULATION OF 

THE GRADE POINT AVERAGE FOR HONORS AND HONORS FIRST CLASS DEGREES.

?

1. ? 

At its meeting on October 7, 1968, Senate passed motions as 

follows: 

(a)

"that (1) 

for

the First Class Honors Degree a Grade Point 

Average of 

3.5

be required and that the 3.5 Grade Point 

Average be calculated from the Cumulative Grade Point Average 

based on the entire 132 semester hours required for the 

degree or on the 60 semester hours of 300 and 400 level courses 

included in the degree requirements, whichever is the higher 

Grade Point and (2) that the same procedure be followed for 

calculating the Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0 

required for an Honors Degree as pertains in calculating the 

3.5 Grade Point Average for 

the

First Class Honors Degree." 

(b) "that there be no distinction in the General Degree between 

different classifications" 

It was noted that the result of this vote would provide for the 

First Class Honors Degree, an Honours Degree 1 

arid a General Degree which 

would not carry indication of any classification of First Class Standing.. 

?

2. ? 

The question was raised at the meeting of November 12th, by 

D. Sullivan, Dean of Arts, concerning the method of calculating the Grade 

Point Average referred to in item (1) above. Extract from the minutes 

of November 12th follows: 

'lei 

"D. Sullivan referred to the last item on page 6 of the 

minutes of the Open Session of October 7 stating that there was 

some misunderstanding and disagreement concerning the interpretation 

of the statements pertaining to the calculation of averages 

required for the First Class Honors Degree and for the Honors 

Degree. Question concerned grades of 'N' and 'F' as to whether 

these were to be dropped in the calculation of the averages as 

outlined on page 6 or whether they,were to be-included, and 

asked the Secretary to comment. 

'f)t

Th.e Secretary indicated that it was his interpretation that the 

average would be calculated on the courses "used for credit 

towards the degree" and that on this basis the grades of 'N' 

and 'F' would not be included in the particular calculation for 

the average to which reference was being made. He explained. 

that there would be available to departments and faculty a 

semester Grade Point Average which would include such gradings, 

that there would be available also a Cumulative Grade Point 

Average which would be based on all courses undertaken thereby 

including grades of 'N' and 'F', and that there would be an 

additional calculation which would not include such gradings 

but which would be in keeping with the intent of the motion 

of page 6 

under interpretations as made by the Registrar's 

Office. 

The Secretary noted that at present the minimum requirement 

for graduation on the General Program is a grade point average 

of 2.0 computed on the courses used for the degree and 

enquired whether it was proposed to continue with this regulation 

based solely on the 120 semester hours or whether an alternative 

average could be utilized calculated on the 60 semester hours 

taken in the upper years; of which 45 must be upper division 

courses number 300 or above. 

3. ? 

Attention is drawn to Page 47 of the 1968-9 Calendar as follows: 

Graduation

General Degree

The minimum requirement for graduation on the General pronm

isa Grade Point Average of 2.0, computed on the courses used for credit

towards the degree.

Honors Degrcc

Faculty of Arts: For graduation on the honors program a student will

normally be expected to achieve a cumulative Grade Point Average of

not less than 3.0 at all levels in the honors field

nr

acumulative Grade

Point Avera

e of not less than 3.0 in all courses covering the 72 hours of

upper level work.

Faculty of Education: For graduation on the Honors program a stu-

dent will normally be expected to meet the requirements as specified by

the Faculties of Arts and Science and in addition obtain a cumulative

Grade Point Average of not less than 3.0 in the Professional Develop-

ment Program.

Faculty of Science: For graduation on the honors program a student

will be expected to achieve

cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0.

Honors First Class Degr

Faculty of Arts: For the award of the Honors First Class degree the

Grade Point Average should normally be not less than 3.5. Some de-

•

p.L

rtnients may set greater emphasis on the Honors essay.

Faculty of Education: For the award of the Honors First Class degree

a student will normally be expected to meet the requirements as

spcciJ.c_

by the Faculties of Arts and Science and in addition obtain a cumulatEve

Grade Point Average of not less than 3.5 in the Professional Develop-

ment Prozram.

:09 rA

—3--

Faculty of Science: For the award of the Honors First Class degree a

minimum Grade Point Average of 3.5 is required.

Each candidate for a degree must make formal application for gradua-

tion at least seven weeks before the end of the semester in which he will

complete the requirements for the degree. Special forms for this purpose

are

provided

by the Registrar's Office. Final dates for submission of

applications are shown on the Academic Calendar of Events (pages 9

to 12).

The list of successful candidates will be

released upon

approval by the

Senate.

Page 63 of the 1968-69 Calendar for the B.A. Degree indicates

that for the General Program "a total of 120 semester hours of credit is

required"and that for the Honors program "a total of 132 semester hours

of credit is required". It further indicates "for the award of the

Honors First Class Degree the Grade Point Average should normally not be

less than 3.5. Some Departments may set greater emphasis on the Honors

essay.

The credit requirements for the B.A. Degree are outlined on Page

65 as follows:

Credit Requirements for the B.A. Degree

I ?

General and Honors Program

Sixty semester hours of which no more than 15 may be'

First ?

in courses numbered 300 and above.

I. Pre-requisites to majors are included in this total.

Four ?

2. No more than 24 hours may be required by any de-

partment.

Levels 3. No student may register for courses for credit total-

ling more than 16 hours without permission of the

Dean of Arts.

General Program

Last ?

At least 60 semester hours of which at least 45 must be

in courses numbered 300 and above.

Four ?

1. At least 30 hours must be in one subject.

2. No student may register for courses for credit total-

Levels

ling more than 18 hours without permissiofl of the

Dean of Arts.

Honors Program

Last

At least 72 semester hours of which at least 60 must be

Four ?

in courses numbered 300 and above.

Levels

1. At least 50 hours must be in one subject.

Course Requirements

• In the interest of assuring that students in the Faculty of Arts have a

reasonably well rounded program of courses, the disciplines in this and

other Faculties have, for advisement purposes, been divided into four

groups:

Group

A - Departments of English

6.

Similar types of statements appear for the Bachelor of Education 

Degree and for the Bachelor of Science Degree. 

7.

I am assurred that insofar as the office of the Registrar is 

concerned the average which has been used in determing the student's 

average for graduation purposes has been that based on the passing 

grades of the courses used for credit towards the degree, as outlined on 

Page 47 of the Calendar with reference to the General Degree. The same 

procedure has been utilized insofar as the Registrar's Office is 

concerned in calculating the average for the Honours Degree and for 

Honours First Class -- namely the average based on courses needed to 

complete graduation requirements. In those instances where a student 

has failed a course, or passed a course and the course is later taken 

and passed, the highest passing grade has been utilized in calculating 

the Grade Point Average for graduation purposes. 

In order to graduate a student must have fulfilled the appropriate 

Majors or Honours requirements and elective requirements and the 

courses needed for these purposes only would be used in determining 

whether or not requirements for graduation, for Honours graduation or 

for first class Honours graduation have been fulfilled. 

I am further informed that the previous Registrar had Data Processing 

runs completed to give information based on the Grade Point Average only 

on courses passed and that these were discussed where necessary with 

Departments. Apparently there were but few persons graduating at that time. 

Information has also been provided that such a Data Processing 

run was not prepared in the Spring Semester 1968. Reference has been made 

to a case from one of the faculties specifically referred to Senate 

wherein the Cumulative Grade Point Average based on all courses undertaken, 

whether passed or failed, was significantly less than 2.0 but that the 

candidate on the basis of the minimum 120 semester hours needed for the 

degree did achieve a Grade Point Average of 2.0 or higher. Graduation 

was awarded. 

8.

Under the interpretations of the Calendar as has been applied by 

the Registrar's Office a student who has taken 120 semester hours of 

work or more, with passes in the necessary subjects needed to fulfil 

major and elective requirements who obtains a Grade Point Average of 2.0 

or higher counting only courses passed would fulfil graduation requirements. 

Similarly a student who undertook 132 semester hours or more of 

on Honors program , who completed the necessary Honours courses and 

electives and who achieved a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or higher would be 

considered as having fulfilled the requirements for Honours standing. 

A similar process pertains to Honours first class standing. 

imim

9.

Under these conditions Grades of 'F' and 'N' would not be 

included in determining whether or not graduation requirements had 

been completed, unless certain special courses needed for graduation 

had not been. passed. 

10.

The alternative suggestion and interpretation to which reference 

was made at the Senate Meeting of October 7th apparently would be based 

on a cumulative Grade Point Average based on all courses undertaken, 

whether or not such courses might be extra to the minimum requirements 

of the Degree. 

A further alternative could be suggested which would consider only the 

minimum courses needed for the degree but in the event a course were used and 

a student had failed the course but later passed it, both the failure grade 

and the passing grade would be included in calculating the Grade Point 

Average or alternatively, if a student passeda course with a relatively 

low grading and later raised the grading both gradings would be utilized 

in calculating the Grade Point Average for Graduation or Honours or 

Honours First Class purposes. 

NOT

This would/be in keeping with the intepretation and practice which 

I have been assurred has been followed within the Registrar's Office. It 

seems possible that it may have been followed within certain Departments 

but full data is not currently available. 

11.

It will be noted with the utilization of a cumulative grade Point 

Average including 'F's' and 'N'S' and lower passing gradings,where higher 

gradings later have been achieved), would reduce the Grade Point Average obtained 

by a student if compared with the Grade Point Average based soley on 

passing inarks(or higher passing marks)in the minimum subjects needed to 

fulfil graduation requirements 4 or Honors 

1

or First Class Honours requiremeqts - 

in the case of any single student. 

12.

A number of universities utilize the interpretation as applied by 

the Registrar's Office to the Simon Fraser University Calendars -- and 

a number of universities elsewhere utilize the cumulative Grade Point 

Average including passes and failures based on courses undertaken. 

Clear decision is required of the interpretation to be used. 

13. ? 

Attention is again drawn to Page 47 of the University Calendar 

"General Degree -- the Minimum requirement for graduation on the General 

Program Is a Grade Point Average of 2.0 computed on the courses used for 

credit towards the degree". The principle established for General 

graduation in calculating averages has been followed through in calculating 

averages for Honours standing or for First Class Honours standing -- using 

the gradings obtained on courses needed to fulfil minimum requirements for 

the particular degree. 