Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies is looking once again at reforming WE policies and procedures. Comments on this draft are welcome. WE PROPOSAL: DRAFT # 4 I CRITERIA It is not possible to lay down clear rules specifying precisely how applications for course withdrawal under extenuating circumstances (WE) will be assessed because the reasons for such requests are so varied. However, the following criteria are stated in a manner intended to help students determine whether they are eligible to apply for a WE. a. Medical Grounds Students have grounds for a WE request if they suffer a medical condition during the semester which so impairs their ability to study that course requirements cannot be satisfied. Hospitalization for a week or more is almost certain to be regarded as sufficient evidence, while the sort of minor transient ailment that many students experience is most likely to be insufficient. b. Employment Grounds Students have grounds for a WE request if they experience an unexpected change in conditions of employment that is so disrupting that course requirements cannot be completed. Transfer to a remote location is almost certain to be regarded as sufficient evidence, while a requirement to work occasional overtime is most likely to be insufficient. c. Compassionate Grounds Students have grounds for a WE request if they have a traumatic experience that renders them unfit to complete course requirements. An extended period of intense grief following the death of an immediate family member is almost certain to be seen as sufficient evidence, while short-term anxiety associated with a friend's illness is most likely to be insufficient. d. Other Grounds It is unusual for students to apply for a WE on grounds that are not medical, employment-related or compassionate. II GUIDELINES Compassion and Equity The dominant principles governing the WE process are compassion and equity. The university is prepared to help students who experience unexpected and uncontrollable events that seriously threaten their academic studies. But in doing so it must be careful not to disadvantage students who continue their studies when faced with similar circumstances. In practice, this means that WE requests are approved only when there is compelling evidence that the student really has no alternative to withdrawal. Students who do not take reasonable steps to resolve existing problems before the end of Week 5 will have difficulty meeting this standard. Selective vs. Complete Withdrawal Since the reasons for a WE request are likely to have a pervasive influence on a student's academic performance, they will typically affect all the courses in which a student is enrolled. For this reason, most WE requests are for complete withdrawal from all courses in a semester. Occasionally, however, circumstances may be such that not all courses are affected, in which case the request is for selective withdrawal. A student applying for selective withdrawal must specify the reasons why one course is affected but another is not. Poor Course Performance Although most students requesting a WE have experienced academic difficulties in the course in question, the fear of a poor grade is not, in and of itself, acceptable as a basis for granting withdrawal. The assessment of a WE request is based on the nature and severity of the reasons for the poor performance. It is important for students requesting selective withdrawal to keep this point in mind, particularly where performance is weak in the course from which withdrawal is sought and noticeably stronger in courses in which the student wishes to stay registered. Medical Documentation Students with a medical condition severe enough to warrant a WE request will normally have consulted a medical practitioner and can document that consultation. Such documentation must be attached to the WE application. Students who did not see a doctor at the time of the accident or illness are advised not to seek medical documentation at a later time. Little useful information can be gained from retrospective medical notes written by health care professionals who were not consulted at the time the student was experiencing poor health. Employment Documentation Students appealing on employment grounds should submit a letter from their employer that supplies such information as the nature of the changes in their conditions of employment, their date of onset and duration, and where relevant, their impact on the student's ability to maintain academic commitments. Covering Letter WE applicants should state their reasons clearly but succinctly in a covering letter. They may do so in the knowledge that the letter will be read only by the staff and faculty members who are responsible for assessing the application. The letter should link as clearly as possible the claimed causes (e.g., health problems) and effects (e.g., missed assignments). This may include setting out a chronology specifying the dates of relevant events. The more complete the documentation and the clearer the covering letter, the more likely the application is to be decided promptly. Transcript A WE application must be accompanied by a transcript showing the courses in which the student is registered. An unofficial copy is acceptable. III PROCEDURES A. Instructor Review Selective Course Withdrawal Application for selective withdrawal (from some but not all courses) must be reviewed by the instructor of each course for which a WE is sought. The application with instructor recommendations is then submitted to the chair of the student's declared or intended department (in Arts, Science, and Applied Science) or to the dean's office (in Education and Business Administration). Full Course Withdrawal Application for withdrawal from all courses in which a student is registered does not require review and recommendation by course instructors. However, WE applicants in this category must notify instructors of their intentions. An application for withdrawal from all courses in a semester is submitted directly to the department chair or dean's office. B. Departmental Approval Both selective and full course WE applications from students in Arts, Science and Applied Science may be decided at the departmental level provided that the WE application is submitted in a timely fashion (semester weeks 4-12). Applications submitted after week 12 and applications for retroactive withdrawal require approval by the faculty dean (or designate). In cases where an applicant for full or selective withdrawal has made a number of previous WE applications, the department chair may forward the application to the dean's office for adjudication. C. Dean's Approval A WE application from a student in Arts, Science or Applied Science requires approval at the dean's level if it is late (after week 12) or retroactive, and if it has been submitted for adjudication by a department chair. D. Appeals WE decisions, whether at the department or dean's level, may be appealed to the Senate Appeals Board. COMMENTS This differs from the previous draft in the following ways: · Previous text on criteria and guidelines is now included. · A transcripts is explicitly required as part of the documentation of a WE application. · A previous WE does not automatically move approval to the decanal level. · However, a history or pattern of previous WEs may be the basis for a chair's decision to send an application to the dean's office for approval. · The distinction between procedures in departmentalized and non-departmentalized faculties is made clear. · Selective WE applicants are now required (not just expected) to notify their instructors of their intentions. · The only avenue of appeal is to the SAB.