Policies & Procedures
These policies and procedures are for Professional Development courses other than Master of Education courses. Either click on one of the items on the list below, or scroll through the entire document.
Academic Changes and Withdrawals
Academic Dishonesty
Associate Teacher Tuition Credit
Attendance
Auditing
Class Hours
Confirmation of Registration
Course Cancellations
Course Evaluations
Course Identification
Course Load
Distribution of Course Packages
Early Registration Discount
Finance Service Charges
French as a Second Language Testing
Grades
Graduation Procedures
Incomplete Grades
Instructors
Payment Information
Private Study Courses and Modes of Delivery
Recommendations to the Ontario College of Teachers
Release of Final Grades
Student Identification Card
Textbook Ordering
Transcript of Records
Waiting List Policy
Writing Competency Requirement
ACADEMIC CHANGES AND WITHDRAWALS
Students wishing to withdraw must submit a letter of withdrawal to the Office of the Registrar prior to the deadline date (see Academic Withdrawal Schedule). After this request has been processed by the Registrar, the student is then officially withdrawn and may be eligible for a credit of a portion of his/her fees (see Tuition Refund Schedule).
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
The University takes a very serious view of such offenses against academic honesty as plagiarism, cheating, and impersonation. Penalties for dealing with such offenses will be strictly enforced. Read the complete policy on Academic Dishonesty.
ASSOCIATE TEACHER TUITION CREDIT
Teachers who have served as Associate Teachers for Nipissing University’s Bachelor of Education candidates during their practica, are given tuition credit vouchers in appreciation for their support. If a teacher wishes to use the tuition credit voucher toward an Additional Qualification course, they must submit the voucher with their registration form in order to have the credit applied.
ATTENDANCE
Punctual and regular attendance is essential for the successful completion of a course. When absenteeism exceeds 20%, the student may be excluded from writing the final examination or otherwise completing the course.
AUDITING
Auditing of Extension Education courses will not be permitted.
CLASS HOURS
Six-credit courses (full courses) require a total of 125 hours of work. Three-credit courses (half courses) require a total of 63 hours of work.
CONFIRMATION OF REGISTRATION
A letter of confirmation of registration will be sent from the Office of the Registrar, stating the course(s) into which you have been accepted and registered. The letter will also specify what additional documentation, if any, is required.
CORRESPONDENCE COURSES (also known as Private Study courses)
Correspondence courses allow students the benefit of completing courses in the comfort of their own home. Students who register for courses with print delivery are sent a course package shortly before the course start date which provides information on how to proceed through each lesson and assignment. Students may also be asked to access and use additional course resources such as textbooks, articles, curriculum documents, etc. Students enrolled in correspondence courses should have access to a computer as well as the Internet.
COURSE CANCELLATIONS
In the event that a course is cancelled by the University, registered students will receive a full refund of their fees or may be placed in an alternate course if one was indicated at the time of registration.
COURSE EVALUATIONS
Course evaluations are distributed to students in all extension education courses. This is your opportunity to provide feedback to the University regarding individual courses. Although completion of the questionnaire is voluntary, we would appreciate students taking the time to complete and submit this questionnaire. The data gathered from these evaluations is treated very seriously and allows us to assess and improve our courses and instruction. The questionnaires are anonymous and results are not shared with instructors until the final grades have been submitted. Evaluation results are processed and summarized one month following the completion date of the course so students should ensure that they are submitted within that timeframe. Please note that the comment sheets that are completed by students remain sealed and are not viewed by the Office of the Associate Dean. They are sent to the instructor once their grades have been submitted. If you would like to make a comment about the course to the attention of the Associate Dean of Education, you may do so by sending a separate letter to the In-Service Education Office to the attention of the Associate Dean.
COURSE IDENTIFICATION
Unless otherwise designated in the course description, a course whose fourth digit is 0 or 5 will have the value of six credits, and courses whose fourth digit is a 1, 2, 6, or 7, will have the value of three credits.
COURSE LOAD
Course load is not restricted. Students who choose to take multiple courses simultaneously should make themselves aware of the workload that will be expected. Students will be expected to meet all course expectations and deadlines for each course.
DISTRIBUTION OF COURSE PACKAGES
Course packages for distance education courses are mailed out after the final registration deadline for the course, normally during the two week period preceding the official course start date.
Packages with
It is the students' responsibility to ensure that the university is provided with the correct, current, and complete mailing address. For courier packages a street address and telephone number is required. We strongly recommend that students who have moved since they last took a course from us update their address and other contact information on WebAdvisor.
Inquiries relating to course packages should be directed to the In-Service Education Office. If you do not receive your package by the course start date, please contact us.
EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNT
Students who register early are eligible for an early registration discount.
FINANCE SERVICE CHARGES
Any student who issues a cheque for payment to
Credit card payments that cannon be processed for any reason (e.g., declined, invalid number, expired card, etc.) will be subject to a processing fee of $20.
Late payment service charges of $35 will be levied on all outstanding balances.
FRENCH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE TESTING
All course candidates for French as a Second Language Part I, or the Intermediate or Senior Basic Qualifications in French, must successfully complete an oral and written French language proficiency test as an entrance requirement. The test assures that candidates possess a minimum competency in oral and written French. Candidates may be exempted from the test by submitting to the Office of the Registrar either a Certificate of Bilingualism from a recognized university or a transcript from a Francophone Faculty of Education.
The French language proficiency test has two components: an oral exam, and a written exam. In the oral exam, each candidate will have an oral interview that lasts approximately 15 minutes. After candidates read a written passage silently, they read it out loud. They then answer comprehension questions based on the test. Finally, they answer general, open ended questions. Two evaluators mark the candidate out of 100. The marks are averaged. The pass mark is 70%. In the written exam, each candidate answers 75 grammar questions that include fill in the blanks, multiple choice questions, a "cloze" section (weighting 75%), and a written paragraph or letter (weighting 25%). The test is one hour in length and is marked out of 100. The pass mark is 70%. Candidates must pass both the oral and written portions to be successful.
Each year, test dates are published indicating the dates and times of the test. Candidates who fail either the oral or written portions of the test are allowed to take a retest once in a calendar year. If candidates pass the test but do not enroll in courses immediately, their test results will be valid for two calendar years.
A non-refundable fee of $32 will be charged for testing. The retesting fee is $48. This fee must be paid prior to the test. Summer session testing dates have been arranged for
Test Registration Form
Additional Information
GRADES
Student grades in each course will be based upon the coursework and the final examination (if applicable). The course instructor will inform students of the basis of assessments specifying the relative weight of each examination, assignment, test, and essay. The instructor will also specify which assignments must be completed in order to receive a grade in each course. The final marks used by
A |
80% - 100% |
B |
70% - 79% |
C |
60% - 69% |
D |
50% - 59% |
F |
0% - 49% |
GRADUATION PROCEDURES
Students must complete an Application for Graduation with the Office of the Registrar at Nipissing when they are taking their final course(s). Forms are available from the Office of the Registrar and must be returned before the deadline specified in the Academic Year section of the Nipissing University Academic Calendar. Applications received after the deadline will be applied to the following graduation.
INCOMPLETE GRADES
In exceptional circumstances, a student may request consideration for an Incomplete grade (I). Such request must be submitted in writing, through the instructor to the Associate Dean, together with the reasons for the request. Any student assigned an Incomplete grade must complete all course requirements within one month after the end of the examination period. If after that period the course is not completed or an extension has not been granted by the Associate Dean, a grade “F” will be recorded on the student’s academic record. In order to be considered for an extension of the completion date beyond the normal one-month period, a student must submit a written request to the Associate Dean, through the instructor, explaining the reasons for such an extension. Under no circumstances may a completion date exceed six months from the end of the examination period.
INSTRUCTORS
Multiple sections and instructors may be established for courses based on anticipated enrolment and the established enrolment cap of 20 - 22 students for distance education courses and 36 - 40 students for on-site courses. Students are placed in courses in the order in which their registrations are received. Due to the volume of registrations received by the university, and the established enrolment caps, it is not possible for students to request a specific instructor.
PAYMENT INFORMATION
On-line Registration
Students who register on-line will be required to pay by credit card, at the time of registration.
Registrations sent by fax, mail, or delivered in person
Enclose the full payment with your registration. Payment may be made by cheque, money order or by using MasterCard or VISA credit cards. Faxed registrations will only be accepted if accompanied by MasterCard or VISA payment.
To pay by credit card, please complete the payment form at the back of the registration form. Candidates must provide the full card number, expiry date and sign the form. This information cannot be accepted by telephone. Credit cards payments that cannot be processed for any reason (e.g., declined, invalid number, expired card, etc.) will be subject to a processing fee of $20.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE ONTARIO COLLEGE OF TEACHERS
Upon successful completion of courses, with a minimum grade of 60%, students who are certified teachers will be recommended to the Ontario College of Teachers for the appropriate additional qualification or additional basic qualification. To be recommended, students must have submitted all required documentation and must not be in financial arrears to the university. Students must provide an OCT registration number and a date of birth in order to have their course recommended to the Ontario College of Teachers. The Ontario College of Teachers also recommends that you provide an SIN number.
Recommendations are sent in a batch file to the Ontario College of Teachers usually between four to six weeks after the end date of the course. Sufficient time is required for all grades for the session to be submitted by the instructors, signed off on by the Associate Dean, and verified by the Office of the Registrar. Individual recommendations will not be sent to OCT in advance of the batch recommendation submission.
Recommendations will not be sent until after the official completion date of the course even if all course requirements are completed at an earlier date. Students should inform the In-Service Education Office if the course does not appear on their Certificate of Qualification within three months of the official course completion date. Although rare, there are occasions when recommendations get missed. It is possible in those situations to manually send the recommendation to the Ontario College of Teachers.
RELEASE OF FINAL GRADES
Final marks are withheld from students who have an outstanding account at the University or Library, and such students will forfeit their right to appeal grades. In addition, recommendation to the Ontario College of Teachers will be withheld for those students who are in financial arrears to the University, who have not submitted the required admission documentation, or who have not returned borrowed University course material.
Final grades will not be released by the university until after the official completion date for the course, even in situations where coursework has been completed prior to that date. Students can access their grades, once approved by the Associate Dean and verified by the Office of the Registrar, on WebAdvisor.
STUDENT IDENTIFICATION CARD
Each candidate who wishes to purchase a Nipissing Student ID Card must pay an additional $4.25 to cover the cost of a student card. This card entitles Nipissing students access to the facilities at the Nipissing University Education Centre Library, the on-campus computer labs, and university library facilities at most
TEXTBOOK ORDERING
A list of textbook requirements for each course is located on our the website and is updated regularly. Textbooks, if required, are available from the University Campus Shop and may be ordered by fax, mail or phone. Telephone orders are only accepted during normal business hours (
TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDS
A transcript processing fee is included in the course registration fee for AQ courses and one official transcript will be mailed to students once the recommendation to the Ontario College of Teachers has been sent. Requests for additional official transcripts must be made through the Office of the Registrar. The fee for a transcript is $8, payable before the request is processed. Transcripts must be requested in writing or in person; telephone requests will not be accepted.
WAITING LIST POLICY
Course enrolment limits are of two basic types:
- The first type is simply the capacity of the lecture room/classroom in which the class is scheduled to meet and can only be increased by relocating, if possible, to a larger room.
- The second type is one which has been approved by the Associate Dean for pedagogical reasons. Approval is required from the In-Service office in order to raise the limit and authorization will not exceed an increase of 2 students.
Students who attempt to register for a course and discover that it has reached full enrollment may, if they desire, may be placed on a waiting list which will be established by the Office of the Registrar. Students will be placed on the list on a first come – first served basis. If a space becomes available, the vacant position will be offered to students in the order in which they appear on the list. No student will be offered a position who is not on the waiting list, and instructors cannot supersede the waiting list.
WRITING COMPETENCY REQUIREMENT
All students admitted to the Diploma in Education Program must achieve a score of "1" or "2" on the Writing Competency Test within the first 12 credits. Click here for more information on the Nipissing University Policy on English Writing Competency and Writing Competency Test Grading.
