ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
It is the policy of the College that upon the successful completion of a program of studies, students will be awarded one of four parchments:
- A Certificate in (Program Title)
- A Diploma in (Program Title)
- An Advanced Diploma in (Program Title)
- A Certificate in Continuing Studies in (Program/Course of Study)
Qualifications for a Diploma, an Advanced Diploma, a Post Diploma or a Certificate
To qualify for a diploma, an advanced diploma, a post diploma or a certificate, students must meet the following requirements:
- Meet all the requirements as prescribed in the program of studies;
- Obtain a mark of not less than 50 % in every course in the program unless otherwise specified;
- Attain a minimum grade point average of 2.0;
- Obtain 25% or more of their credits from the College.
Students who do not complete their diploma program
in the prescribed time frame from first registration, may
complete the program by following the regulations in
effect at the time of first registration provided the program
is completed in not more than three years beyond
the regular date of completion. A Student who does not
complete a program within these prescribed time limits
may be required to complete additional courses or to
repeat certain courses before being deemed eligible to
receive the diploma.
Students who return to complete a Diploma in Technology may not receive credit for courses that were completed more than five years prior to the date of readmission.
Students enrolled in accredited Health Sciences programs will be permitted a maximum of one additional year to complete their program of studies.
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Advanced Standing
Students may receive advanced standing for up to 75% of the content of the program to which they have been admitted on the basis of successful completion of this content in the same or similar programs at another college and as assessed by the College.
Applicants who wish to be considered for advanced standing should submit an application with the following documents:
- Proof of high school completion
- Official transcript(s)
- Calendar description of the courses claimed for credit.
Deadline for receipt of applications by the Registrar is four weeks following registration date.
Students seeking advanced standing will not be excused from any course until written authority has been received from the office of the Registrar.
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Transfer of Credit Status
Transfer of credit status is awarded for any course completed at the Marine Institute or at any one of the former Colleges provided that the course uses the same course description and course number. When Transfer of Credit is awarded, the College will accept the passing grade as awarded by the institution and this mark will be used in the calculation of the G.P.A. [TOP]
Exemption Status
Exemption status is granted if the course has a minimum of 70% equivalency in the course material required. When exemption status is awarded, no mark is reported on the transcript and the G.P.A. is not affected. The College will consider exemptions for courses if the student received a passing grade. The College will accept any credit course from a recognized public post-secondary institution as an exemption for an elective even if that course is not offered at the College. For example, a course in Linguistics from MUN would be considered to have equivalent value to any other “elective” and, on request, could be granted exemption as a general elective. In some programs electives must be chosen from a designated group of courses, in which case a general elective cannot be used as a substitute.
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Credit for Prior Learning
It is the policy of the College that students will be given every opportunity to receive credit for past learning experience through a comprehensive systematic process of evaluation referred to as Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition.
Credits awarded for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition will be recorded on the student transcript as an exemption or as a mark.
There will be no charge for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognitiof for students who are enrolled in a college program. The maximum number of credits that can be awarded through the Prior Learning Assessment process is 75% of the number required to complete the certificate/diploma.
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Block Transfer / Advanced Standing
The College will recognize course work completed in other programs/courses that fulfill the requirements for a designated percentage of the program in which the student is now applying. When students are granted a block transfer, their academic grades will be calculated beginning at the point of entry to the program.
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Credit System
A credit is a weighted value of a course based on the depth and breadth of the learning objectives.
For the purpose of assigning credit values, the measurement of learning objectives is usually accomplished by equating the value with the period of time scheduled to deliver the content in the conventional lecture methodology as follows:
Learning Objectives scheduled for delivery in a one hour period per week per semester constitutes a one credit value; therefore a course that is scheduled for three hours per week per semester represents a three credit value. However, a recognized laboratory experience is usually measured in the following manner:
- 2 - 4 hrs. of lab/week/semester is equivalent to one credit
- 5 - 7 hrs. of lab/week/semester is equivalent to two credits
- 8 - 10 hrs. of lab/week/semester is equivalent to three credits
However, the actual process in achieving competency in specified learning objectives can be accomplished via a second equally legitimate and pedagogically sound methodology; that is, individualized, student-centred. In this latter methodology which embraces distance delivery, time is a flexible factor, fixed schedules do not apply and the process is student driven. This is in contrast to the conventional lecture mode which is teacher-directed with fixed learning times and schedules. The one constant for both modes is the set of learning objectives. Therefore, credit value is assigned by determining the equivalent time required if the learning objectives were delivered in the conventional mode and applying the formula as described under the definition of a credit.
Grade Point Marking System
The percentage mark in any course is converted to a grade point according to the following table:
- 80% and over 4
- 70%, 75% 3
- 60%, 65% 2
- 50%, 55% 1
- Below 50% 0
The grade point average is obtained by multiplying the credit value of each course in the program by the grade point obtained in that course. The sum of all the products is then divided by the total number of credits.
When a course is repeated or a supplementary examination is written, the highest mark attained will be used in the calculation of the grade point average.When students complete more than the minimum number of electives, students are able to select which electives will be used in the calculation of the G.P.A. by making application at the Registrar’s Office. Without such application the Registrar will select for calculation purposes the required number of electives as recorded chronologically on the transcript.
Grades for the failed courses which have been waived under the one-time forgiveness policy will not be calculated in the cumulative Grade Point Average.
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Academic Status
Clear Standing
- Students are in clear standing when they have passed all courses and have attained a grade point average of at least 2.0.
- In Diagnostic Ultrasonography, Medical Laboratory Sciences II and III, Medical Radiography II and III, Respiratory Therapy II and III programs the pass mark is 60%.
- In Industrial Trade programs, the pass mark is 70%.
- In Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Technician and Aircraft Structural Repair the passing grade is 70%.
- In Primary Care Paramedicine, the pass mark is 80%.
Conditional Status
Students are classified as conditional when: they have a cumulative grade point average between 1.00 and 1.99 in any semester; or when they must clear course deficiencies in order to graduate (eg., students who must successfully complete a failed course through supplementary examinations or repetition).
Students are expected to attempt courses from previous semesters (if available), before registering for any new course, and must consult with a faculty advisor and/or counsellor on or before registration.
Academic Dismissal
Students will be academically dismissed if their cumulative grade point average is less than 1.0 and/or they have not passed a minimum of 40% of the credits attempted in the semester.
One-Time Forgiveness
The College will waive the academic dismissal policy on a “one-time forgiveness” basis as per the following:
Students, who, for the first time fail to meet the minimum re-admission requirements will be given an academic warning and will be permitted to register for the next semester provided:
- Those students are referred to a Student Services Counsellor and will participate in a review of their career/academic goals and will develop learning strategies that will lead to success.
- An appropriate course load will be developed by the student in consultation with the academic advisor/counsellor. The maximum course load will not exceed the normal semester workload for the program
Students will be permitted to register only for those courses for which prerequisites have been successfully met.
Academic Dismissal
Students who have availed of the “one-time forgiveness” policy and who fail to meet the re-admission requirements for a second occasion will be academically dismissed.
Students who have been academically dismissed will not be accepted to return until a period of six months has elapsed.
Students who have been academically dismissed will be permitted to register for one course for credit in a certificate or diploma program, or any number of courses for credit in the Adult Basic Education program.
Academically dismissed students are not eligible to write supplementary exams.
Students in the Health Sciences programs will be required to withdraw from their program of study at the point in their program where it is determined that the one additional year (maximum) will not be adequate for them to complete all the requirements of the program.
Students who have been academically dismissed on two or more occasions will not be eligible for readmission for a peroid of two years from the date of dismissal.
Promotion Denied (General)
Students who do not achieve a pass in all courses and a G.P.A. of 2.0 or better may not be able to continue with their program but may return to the College to complete deficiencies.
Promotion - Engineering Technology Programs from First Year
To qualify for the technical session, at the end of the first two semesters students must normally have successfully completed all prescribed courses and attained a minimum overall G.P.A. of 2.00. Students who have a G.P.A. between 1.00 and 1.99 at the end of the second and subsequent semesters may, with the permission of the College, be conditionally admitted to the next semester if there is a determination that the students are capable of attaining clear standing by the end of the subsequent semester.
Promotion -- Medical Sciences
Promotion from Semester 2 to Semester 3 will be governed by the following:
- Students will compete for places in the third semester of the programs.
- Competition will be based on academic standing in Semesters I and II of the program. Students must pass all first and second semester courses (minimum of 50%) and have a minimum GPA of 2.00 to be eligible for promotion from second to third semester.
- Students’ weighted averages at the end of the second semester will be used to calculate academic standing for purposes of competition.
Promotion from second technical year (6th semester)
For Medical Laboratory II, Respiratory Therapy II and Medical Radiography II Students must have passed all courses in semesters 1 to 5 and have a minimum G.P.A. of 2.00 to be promoted to the sixth semester (start of the clinical year).
Promotion in Food Services and Nutrition Management
Students must pass all first and second semester courses (minimum of 50%) and have a minimum G.P.A. of 2.00 to be eligible for promotion from Semester 2 to Semester 3.
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Co-op Regulations
- Work term learning is integral to co-operative education, and a co-op diploma will be awarded to students who successfully complete work terms as articulated in their program structure.
- To be eligible for a work term, a student must have “clear standing” for all courses prescribed in the program to the point where the work term marketing occurs; or be able to attain clear standing by writing one supplementary or one upgrading supplementary.
Since work term arrangements are often made in advance of the commencement of the work term and before current academic assessments are available, eligibility will be based on the most recent transcript. Once a student has been confirmed for a work term, this arrangement shall be honored regardless of academic standing.
- The co-op term mark will result from both employer and institutional evaluation. Students must achieve a minimum of 50% in each of the work term performance evaluation and the work term report, and must achieve a combined grade of 60%. The work term mark will be recorded on the student transcript.
- Work term performance is evaluated by the employer and monitored by the College.
- The work term report is validated by the employer and graded by faculty/coordinators. A student receiving a 40% or 45% grade on the work term report will be eligible to resubmit the report. The report must be re-submitted no longer than four weeks after receipt of the work term evaluation.
- Students are encouraged to obtain their own work terms. Such work terms must be confirmed by letter from the employer and approved by the coordinator on or before the first day on which the student commences work.
- Students are required to sign a waiver giving permission to the College to supply students’ resumes and transcripts to potential employers.