For FASS undergraduate students

Calculate your expected grade in your courses. Make sure you understand any changes to the weighting of each assignment since we moved to remote teaching. Consult CANVAS for your marks on assignments that have been completed. Use the weighting to calculate your grade to date. You may want to consider a strategy for each course across your full credit load to maximize your GPA, and solutions may differ.

If your grade is less than a D or you have too much work not yet completed, you are likely to fail the course. You can choose to withdraw (WD on goSFU) or to receive an F. Your CGPA will not be affected in either case, nor will you accrue credit to your degree. While you will not receive a tuition refund if you withdraw, your transcript will simply show WD.

If you have serious compassionate or other grounds, ask your instructor if you can receive a deferred grade (DE) which involves an extension for completion of the remaining work. The deadline for the change of the DE to a letter grade is normally by the first week of the next semester (extended to deadline of no later than May 25 this term) and must be justified on exceptional compassionate or other grounds.

On receipt of your final grade in goSFU, decide between your letter grade obtained or switch to a P (Pass). To be eligible for a P, students will need to have achieved a “D” or higher letter grade.  

All requests to change to a “P/F” basis will be centrally received at a helpline to be posted and processed by the Registrar to be consistently applied across multiple programs, departments and faculties. See https://www.sfu.ca/students/support/withdrawal-grading-policies.html. Note P grades do not count towards the GPA, but do count as a credit to the degree, including for prerequisite courses and WQB requirements.

This P option is of particular use to those students with D to C+ grades if they will drag down the CGPA: ask your advisor which grade to opt for to understand the impacts on calculation.

Please consult the following resources as needed before making your decisions:

• Academic Advising
• Financial Aid and Awards
• International Services for Students

Our view is simple. A lot of investment in effort by both students and instructors and in tuition by students has gone into the semester so far, and we do not think those investments should be written off.  Letter grades are far more meaningful on the transcript for students. They help students in assessing their progress, and show that progress clearly to employers, as well as in applications for post-graduate study. At the same time, we want to uphold a tradition of reasonable accommodation.  

We believe students and instructors in FASS share the ingenuity and compassion to find the best solution for students in completing their semester. In addition, SFU policy already has provisions for accommodating unexpected illnesses and family burdens which the petition overlooked, and these policies emain in effect.

Yes. But SCUS went one step further. Students can make individual decisions about which option they prefer. Unlike usual policy, Pass/Fail option for this semester is not for the whole class. Moreover, students can wait until they receive the final grade to make an informed decision about whether they want to take the Pass/Fail option. Students also have the security of knowing that all Fails (Fs) have been given amnesty for this semester. F grades, whether Pass/Fail or as a graded course, will not affect your GPA. Instructors submit your final grade in goSFU, you can check it, and then you can request a PASS/Fail if you have at least a D.

Yes. In addition, please note that existing policy allows students the option of requesting a Deferred Grade (DE) for the semester. There can be pros and cons to requesting a DE, so think through your decision and consult an advisor.

No. FASS supports the SCUS decision. Before we explain, let us make one thing clear.

We understand this demand to arise from individual needs to cease further work during this semester due to the unforeseen Covid-19-related circumstances. We are encouraging instructors in FASS to recognize existing policy and to support individual student requests for reasonable accommodation of their particular needs.

The SCUS decision against a freeze weighed several factors: (a) the need for flexibility to accommodate individual needs in difficult circumstances, such as this one; (b) the percentage of work completed; (c) the student’s grade to date; (e) the need to preserve the integrity of students’ academic experience. 

We also needed to recognize that different disciplines have different modes of assessing whether students have learned the course material and are adequately prepared to move on to the next level of courses in the curriculum. Some disciplines have demands from external accreditation bodies as well.

SCUS, and FASS, made a decision based on evidence we gathered. In FASS alone, in the over 1200 courses across the Faculty enrolling 11,000 students, there is currently too much of a variance in the actual work completed to date to allow a blanket freeze and proration of the grade obtained.

At the start of the transition to remote instruction (announced on March 13 in the 9^th week of the semester), students in many courses had completed 50% or less of the work to be evaluated for a grade in the course.

During the transition, FASS instructors were asked to consider changing assignments, shifting weight of future assignments, and suspending participation grades, in accordance with departmental practices.

In FASS, Chairs, Directors and Instructors are aware of a rule of proportionality: completion of at least 75 %-80% of the grade, across a number of different modes of assessment gives the most reliable evaluation of an individual’s work.

In the event that none of the above options work, SCUS has extended the withdrawal (WD) deadline to April 9. This allows students to decide to withdraw from a class submit their request in goSFU and out of courtesy, you may inform their instructor up to April 9, the last day of classes. This is helpful for students who are unable to complete additional work this term in a particular course or courses, or who are struggling with their academic performance, without withdrawing from all courses this semester.

There is no tuition refund for students who choose to Withdraw (WD) from one or more courses up to the extended deadline of April 9.

If you are one of the majority of students, who have completed nine weeks of in-person instruction, and are being given at least some flexible means to complete your classes remotely for the balance of the semester, a tuition refund is not possible.

Please check back on this topic.  Normally, students may apply for a WE as outlined on the WE website and in some cases, may then also be eligible for a tuition refund in part. However, due to the COVID-19 situation, further information will be forthcoming on the evidence you will need to support such an application for the Spring 2020 term. The definition of extenuating refers to the set of circumstances or facts that explain non-completion of your course. These circumstances must be exceptional in exceptional times. So ordinary circumstances (bad weather, inconvenient time) or personal opinion (class too hard) do not justify a WE.

In a regular semester, the Registrar’s Office considers medical, employment, compassionate and other grounds. In this semester in the COVID-19 pandemic, exceptional conditions include direct personal diagnosis as presumed or confirmed COVID-19 (which may not necessarily include medical corroboration), family care or duties with a sick family member, work in an essential service, pre-existing health condition, or acute need for strict self-isolation or quarantine and so on may all qualify.  Obviously, rules of natural justice apply. Personal hardship, lack of access to a computer, wi fi, or other circumstance may also weigh in the ultimate decision, especially for those registered with the Centre for Accessible Learning (https://www.sfu.ca/students/accessible-learning.html)

Decisions may be appealed, by applying to the Senate Appeals Board (SAB). For impartial and confidential assistance on the appeals process, contact the University Ombudsperson at www.sfu.ca/ombudsperson.

https://www.sfu.ca/students/appeals/withdrawals/withdrawals-extenuating-faq.html

http://www.sfu.ca/ombudsperson/writing_an_effective_appeal_letter.html

First, contact your instructor and set out your reasons via SFU email. Allow 10 weekdays for a reply. If that reply is not satisfactory, contact either the Undergraduate Chair or Chair of the Department in which the course was taken.  You may also seek the advice of the advisor in the instructor’s department. 

If then you are still not satisfied, you may appeal the Chair’s decision by going to the FASS Associate Dean Undergraduate. That decision is final (see www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/teaching/t20-01.html)

The office of the Ombudsman is jointly funded by the Student Society SFSS, GSS and SFU. Support may be found here: www.sfu.ca/ombudsperson.html. SFU is committed to the fair and just treatment of every member of the University.

SFU is preparing guidelines for students. FASS will continue to provide supporting guidance once the university information is available.

FASS has a reputation for high levels of satisfaction with the quality of instruction according to SFU Student Surveys and we aim to keep it. These measures are intended to protect the integrity of grading, and thus your degree, while recognizing these are times for extraordinary and reasonable accommodation of student needs.

In-person final exams are cancelled as SFU is observing the Provincial Health regulations on social distancing to help stop the spread of the virus. Email your department chair or director immediately if your instructor requests an in-person exam.

Some instructors are arranging final exams on-line. Your instructor should clarify whether or not your course will have a final exam online.

We will have further information about how this will work shortly.

In-person classes on campuses are cancelled and instructors are changing the mode of delivery.

The week of March 16-20, 2020 is a transition week. Instructors will be contacting their students with plans about how to complete the course, including covering the remaining course material, assignments and exams.

Starting the week of March 23, 2020, all instruction will be conducted remotely. All universities in Canada are doing the same (although each is doing it in its own way). Please stay connected.

Your instructor is your first point of contact about ways to complete your course remotely.

If you have not heard from your instructor by March 20, 2020, you can email the advisor of the unit offering the course.

If you do not hear back in one business day, you can follow up with the undergraduate program chair or department chair of the unit offering the course.

If you don’t hear back by March 24, 2020, you can contact Arts Central.

1. SFU’s COVID-19 website. It is a good source of information and is updated regularly with answers to your questions, including new ones. www.sfu.ca/covid19
2. Your SFU email account. Check it regularly. SFU email is the only secure and approved email for academic purposes. Use Gmail only if SFU mail is down or inaccessible.
3. This FASS FAQ page for students. We will update this page with new information as our units and instructors keep us posted about questions they are receiving.

If you are concerned that you may have COVID-19, try the BC government COVID-19 self-assessment tool to help guide you on what to do. Students who are looking for advice or support around coping with a diagnosis of COVID-19 should visit Student Services' support page. You can also email student_support@sfu.ca.

As you would if you were sick with a regular illness that was affecting your coursework, report health issues to your instructor. You and your instructor will consider how to accommodate your illness. You may be well enough to complete the work for the semester, or alternative arrangements may need to be made. Talk with your instructor to make those alternative arrangements.

Note: to ensure that physicians are available to treat the critically ill, you will not need to provide a doctor’s note to your instructor.

We hope that this process will be straightforward. If it is not, there is an appeals process to which you can turn. See Teaching Policy T20.01.2.4.

If you are experiencing stress, or family/caregiver pressures, consult these resources: http://www.sfu.ca/students/support/support-covid19.html

We expect an extraordinarily high volume of queries from students. We are committed to providing support to our students and ensuring continuation of academic programs during these challenging times.

We will prioritize inquiries from students who are in one of the following categories:

• Students who are close to graduation
• Students who are at risk of being required to withdraw
• First year students uncertain of how to transition into the second year.

Once we have a better sense of volume, we will post the time frames in which you can expect a response.

We recognize that students who do not have access to a home computer, Wi-Fi, or a reliable internet connection may now be unable to access the internet in public places (due to the recommended social isolation). These students will be eligible for special accommodation and SFU is working on solving this problem.

If you have a laptop or tablet, SFU Wi-Fi on campus remains active and accessible. If you are off campus:

• Shaw is now providing complimentary and unrestricted access to network hotspots regardless of whether or not you are a Shaw customer.
  
• TELUS also has free Wi-Fi hotspots

Those who are visually or otherwise impaired and are already registered with the Centre for Accessible Learning may consult https://www.sfu.ca/students/accessible-learning.html.

Instructors are working to ensure that you can complete this semester to allow you to make progress towards your degree. We also recognize that there will be individual student issues that have to be resolved. We are asking instructors to be aware that these problems may arise and to work with students to find alternatives.

We recognize that different individuals have different levels of comfort with technology. We are encouraging instructors to keep it simple in this unexpected move to remote teaching.

If you are not tech-savvy, don’t panic. Ask questions. Ask your peers on-line through Canvas how to trouble-shoot. Talk to a friend on the phone. Talk to your instructor. Remember, right now we are all improvising and trying to make it work, so you are not alone.

If you are a tech wiz, do not expect high tech, gaming visuals or live-streaming, interactive technology. We are striving to use the most reliable and accessible platforms, but also to protect privacy, not relying on a US-based service. Be patient if this is too low tech for you.

Please try to appreciate the extraordinary circumstances we are in. Because face-to-face instruction is no longer possible and in-person exams are cancelled, your instructor has to adjust their plan for the rest of the semester and to improvise alternative ways of achieving the educational goals of the course.

Your overarching aim in taking the course was to learn the course material (although we know you also wanted to accrue credits and make progress towards your degree). Does the alternative grading scheme do a reasonable job of meeting the course goals? The new plan is reasonable if it tracks the goals of the course.

On March 25, the Vice President Academic published the revised grading policy, setting out new options for students this semester only, including WD, P/F and other provisions outline above.

If, upon reflection, you are still dissatisfied, there is an appeals process to which you can turn. See Teaching Policy T20.01.2.4, Sections 2.4 and 2.5.

SFU and FASS are committed to helping students complete this semester and for those students in their final courses, to complete their degrees.

Update: On April 2, sadly, SFU has announced that June Convocation will not take place. See President Petter's announcement.

We acknowledge that the expectations for both students and instructors were changed mid-stream, and any evaluation of courses cannot be independent of this shift in expectations. Therefore, it was decided that student experiences with teaching and courses (SETC) evaluation will not occur this term.

Your instructor may ask for feedback via Canvas, SurveyMonkey, or SFU Websurvey. The university is committed to understanding the student experience during these unprecedented times, and we are considering ways to gather that information from our students.