Faculty of Fine Arts | Handbook: Grading

Department Handbooks: Fine Arts

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Grading & Academic Standards

Admission to an Honours BA, Honours BFA and Honours BDes
Transferring from an Honours BA, Honours BFA to a BA Program
Averages Required to Maintain Honours Standing
Admission to a BA
Transferring/Re-applying to Honours
Courses Taken Beyond the Normal Maximum
Academic Standing
Grading Scheme
Grade Point Average Calculations
Alternative Grading Option (Pass/Fail)
Grading Policy
Grade Reappraisals
Deferred Standing
Aegrotat Standing

Admission to an Honours BA, Honours BFA and Honours BDes

Students with no previous post-secondary education: Students who enter the Faculty of Fine Arts with no prior experience at a post-secondary educational institution (such as university or college) are automatically admitted to an Honours program.
Transfer students: Students who enter with prior experience at a post-secondary educational institution are admitted to an Honours program if their prior overall grade point average (including failed courses) is at least the equivalent of 5.0 (C+) on the York scale.

Transferring from an Honours BA or Honours BFA to a BA Program

Ineligibility to continue in Honours: Students whose overall and/or major GPA falls below the progression requirements may continue their studies only in a BA degree program. Honours BA students will automatically be placed in the BA program. Honours BFA students must fill out a change of degree form if they wish to continue their studies.

Students who have been transferred to the BA program because of a GPA which falls below the requirements to maintain Honours status, may re-enter Honours if they raise their overall and major grade point averages to the requirements or above as specified in each year level, by the session in which they have successfully completed their 90th credit. Students who have not reached 5.0 (C+) in the session in which they successfully complete their 90th credit may request to graduate with a BA degree if they fulfill the BA degree requirements, or may continue in a BA program until those requirements are fulfilled. Students in this situation may petition for an Honours waiver.

Averages Required to Maintain Honours Standing
The following minimum grade point averages are required to continue and graduate with an Honours degree in the Faculty of Fine Arts:

An overall grade point average of 5.0 (C+);
A major grade point average of 5.0 (C+).
To graduate, students must also have successfully completed (passed) at least 120 credits which meet the Faculty of Fine Arts and program requirements.

Admission to a BA
Students who enter with prior experience at a post-secondary educational institution are admitted to a BA program if their prior overall grade point average (including failed courses) is at least the equivalent of 4.0 (C) on the York scale.

Transferring / Re-applying to Honours

Continuing Students: Students in a BA program whose overall and major GPAs are at least 5.0 (C+) are automatically transferred to a BA Honours program. Students who wish to transfer from the Honours BA to the Honours BFA must apply on a change of degree form and fulfill any evaluation or audition requirements.
Graduating Students: Students who have completed a York University BA degree (90 credit program) in the Faculty of Fine Arts may continue, after graduation, in a BA Honours program in the same subject area or in a BA Honours Double Major or Honours Major/Minor program including the same subject area, provided the cumulative and major grade point averages are those required for the Honours program.

A student who wishes to pursue a BFA Honours in the same field of study, may continue in the second degree, subject to the approval of the Faculty of Fine Arts, by submitting a change of degree form to the Registrar's Office. Please note that students who are approved by the Faculty to proceed, would normally receive 90 credits towards the BFA Honours in the same subject area.

A student who wishes to pursue a second BFA Honours or BA Honours in a different field of study must apply to the Admissions Office for admission as a second degree candidate.

Courses Taken Beyond the Normal Maximum in Order to Raise Cumulative and/or Major Grade Point Average

Students in a BA program who have passed 90 credits in accordance with Faculty and program requirements, but whose overall and/or major grade point average is below 4.0 (C) may attempt to raise their average to 4.0 (C) by taking up to 12 additional credits, to a maximum of 102 credits. These courses must be above the 1000 level and must be taken at York; regulations on equivalent and excluded courses apply.

Academic Standing
Academic standing depends on several factors including the number of courses a student has completed, the overall grade point average, the sessional grade point average and the major grade point average.

Grade reports include notice of Academic Standing and eligibility to proceed in Honours or BA programs.

Advancement into second-year and upper-year studio/performance course in some programs may be determined by the designated departmental committee.

Grading Scheme
Undergraduate courses are graded according to the following scale. The numerical grade point values are used to compute averages.

A+	9	Exceptional
A	8	Excellent
B+	7	Very Good
B	6	Good
C+	5	Competent
C	4	Fairly Competent
D+	3	Passing
D	2	Barely Passing
E	1	Marginally Failing
F	0	Failing

Grade Point Average Calculations
There are three different grade point averages (GPAs) calculated for Faculty of Fine Arts students:

Overall grade point average
All courses (passed and failed) that the student has completed at York.
Sessional grade point average
All courses (passed and failed) that the student has completed in the current session at York.
Major grade point average
All courses (passed and failed) which count towards the major that the student has completed at York.

All courses taken at York, including failures, are included in grade point average calculations. Course completed outside York University are not included in grade point averages at York. Use the Faculty of Fine Arts GPA calculator to monitor your grade point average.

Alternative Grading Option (Pass/Fail)
Students in good standing may, after successfully completing 24 credits, enroll in up to 12 credits on an ungraded (pass/fail) basis. Courses taken on an ungraded basis may not be used to satisfy major, minor, general education or certificate requirements. Courses taken on an ungraded basis are recorded as P (pass) or F (fail), and neither grade is included in the calculation of grade point averages.

To designate a course as ungraded, a student must complete an application form available at the Office of the Registrar, and submit it to that office before the end of the second week of classes in the course.

It is possible to revert to the regular grading scheme after choosing the alternative grading option. The Office of the Registrar must be notified of this decision no later than the last day to withdraw from the course without academic penalty.

Grading Policy

Within the first two classes, a course outline must be provided to each student. Such an outline should announce the means of determining the final grade in a course. Such information must include the kinds of assignments, essays, examinations and other components which make up the grade; their relative weights; and any other procedures which enter into the determination of the final grade.
In exceptional circumstances, a previously announced marking scheme for a course may be changed; the new marking scheme must also be distributed in written form. Any changes to a previously announced marking scheme must have the consent of all students registered in the course, such consent to be signified by their signatures.
Feedback during course: Instructors are obligated to provide a mechanism by which students can be apprised of their progress in a course; in particular, students must be able to make an informed decision on whether to withdraw from a course. This will normally mean that students will receive graded feedback on work worth at least 15 per cent of the course grade before the deadline to withdraw from that course.
No examination or test worth more than 20 per cent of the course grade may be scheduled during the last two weeks of class time, but must be scheduled during the formal exam period.
Grades submitted by an instructor are subject to review by the teaching unit in which the course is offered.

Grade Reappraisals
Students may, with sufficient academic grounds, request that a final grade in a course be reappraised. Further information may be obtained from Fine Arts Student & Academic Services or from the unit offering the course. Students applying to have a grade reappraised in a Faculty of Fine Arts course should note the following:

Deadlines
Requests for reappraisal must be filed within three weeks of the release of grade reports for the term.
Reassessable Work
Students may question the overall course grade or the marking of the specific pieces of work. For reassessment of specific projects or assignments, tangible evidence of the original submitted work must be provided. Written, graphic, modeled, video recording or audio recording are acceptable formats for reassessment.
Possible Grade Changes
When a student asks for a reappraisal of a grade or assignment, an original grade may be raised, lowered or confirmed.
Faculty Appeal Procedures
The decision of the department or division may be appealed to the Faculty of Fine Arts Committee on Administrative Affairs only on grounds of procedural irregularity or new evidence. Appeals to CAA must be submitted to Student & Academic Services, Fine Arts.

Deferred Standing
Deferred standing may be recorded and in effect in the following cases:

If a student has missed an examination or has not completed the course work due to sickness or other misfortune, it is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with the instructor to complete the course and to file a Deferred Standing Agreement with the department by the specified deadline.
If the nature of the academic exercise precludes the completion of certain course requirements before the grading deadlines, it is the instructor’s responsibility to provide a written rationale to the Committee on Administrative Affairs.

Aegrotat Standing
In cases where deferred standing is not possible, students may be granted Aegrotat Standing (AEG) on the grounds of sickness, accident or family misfortune. Aegrotat Standing excuses students from completing the remaining and required work for a course or courses although course credit is granted. The notation AEG is recorded on the transcript in place of a final grade.

Aegrotat Standing is normally dependent upon the student’s having completed 75 per cent of the required course work at a minimum C+ level. Requests for Aegrotat Standing will not be considered before the final date for withdrawal from a course.

Petitions for Aegrotat Standing must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar with documentation substantiating the misfortune and written support from the instructor(s). The petition will then be considered by the Faculty Committee on Administrative Affairs.

Aegrotat Standing is seldom granted and will not be granted for more than one academic session prior to the completion of a degree.

For further information on admission, transferring between degrees, Dean’s Honour Roll, Graduation Honours and Academic Penalties please refer to the York University Undergraduate Calendar.