New WE Proposal
Rob Cameron (cameron@cs.sfu.ca)
Wed, 20 Sep 2000 09:50:39 -0700 (PDT)
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.