Committee members will receive Ethics Review forms by email from graduate students, and must provide a digital signature on the PDF form or an accompanying email attachment stating “I have read and approved this submission.”
Graduate Program Assistants must submit received documentation to their Graduate Program Director by email. Approval is required either through a digital signature on the PDF form or an accompanying email attachment stating “I have read and approved this submission.” Graduate Program Assistants must then submit completed approval forms and relevant appendices to their appropriate Graduate Milestones & Progression Coordinator by email. Please contact the Graduate Milestones and Progression Coordinator by visiting our FGS Staff Directory.
Further information can be found on the Research Ethics page.
Please note that, subsequent to obtaining ethics approval, prior to commencing any research activities, researchers are advised to review the latest updates on research involving human participants at the Office of Research Ethics' Frequently Asked Question page.
Note: Graduate Students are asked to inform the appropriate Graduate Milestones and Progression Coordinator of any delay or hiatus in research by email. Required information includes the following: name, student number, graduate program, research ethics certificate number, research stop date, and the expected start date for research to resume. For more information on research ethics submissions, please visit the Office of Research Ethics’ Frequently Asked Questions page.
The Faculty of Graduate Studies will continue to encourage electronically mediated options, particularly when arrangements have already been made to use this format and students have already been informed. However, since physical distancing is no longer required by the province in both instructional and non-instructional spaces, and since the University has returned to some in-person activity, defences may be held in person.
Please consult our comprehensive guide to scheduling Zoom defences (.pdf).
Please notify FGS of any upcoming defences that graduate students have requested to cancel, specifying relevant details including student name, number and defence date and time. Please contact the Graduate Milestones and Progression Coordinators to convey this information by visiting our FGS Staff Directory.
The Faculty of Graduate Studies supports Zoom as the only authorized cloud video conferencing tool to use for defences. Please arrange Zoom defences for both graduate students wishing to move scheduled defence dates online or for booking new online defence dates. Zoom information and resources can be found here: yorku.zoom.us/. For assistance with this technology, contact the above staff.
Oral Exam Reports will need to be signed electronically upon the completion of a Zoom defence and submitted directly to your Graduate Milestones and Progression Coordinator. Please communicate in advance with the supervisor and members of the supervisory committee to facilitate the collection of electronic signatures. Please note that the “Revisions Approved Memorandum” can also be signed electronically and submitted to your Graduate Milestones and Progression Coordinator. Please find your Graduate Milestones and Progression Coordinator by visiting our FGS Staff Directory. Signatures can be collected over email, either through a digital signature on the PDF form, or an accompanying email attachment stating “I have read and approved this submission.”
The Faculty of Graduate Studies will continue to encourage electronically mediated options, particularly when arrangements have already been made to use this format and students have already been informed. However, since physical distancing is no longer required by the province in both instructional and non-instructional spaces, and since the University has returned to some in-person activity, comps/qualifying exams may be held in person.
Note: Pass/Fail is applicable to FW ’19-20 and W’20 courses, with a deadline for students to choose the pass / fail grading option by February 5, 2021.
Can a student opt for pass/fail after they see their grades?
Yes. Students are encouraged to speak with their advisor when making the decision about pass/fail.
Note: Courses counted towards the BEd degree are not eligible for pass/fail but the other degree courses for students concurrently registered with Education may be eligible.
Can a student decide to cancel the pass/fail option when they find out their actual grade?
Yes. Students will be able to fill in a form requesting to revert back to the graded option on the student site. In the past, sometimes the Registrar’s Office works with the student who achieves a surprisingly good grade and will contact them to see if they still wish to have the pass applied.
Can a student who dropped the course be re-enrolled when they learn of the expanded pass/fail option?
The Registrar’s Office will re-enroll a student who dropped a course and asks to be added back in a 24 hour period. In addition, in exceptional circumstances and on the recommendation of the professor/department, the student may be added back. However, if there is an extended period between the drop and the request to be added back, students may have missed too much of the course to catch up
Some of my students opted for deferred exam in my course. Can students still opt for pass/fail?
Yes. Students must request the pass/fail option by the deadline. When their final grade is available to them, they will have the option to revert to the actual grade or remain on the pass/fail grading scheme.
How will the pass/fail option impact a student’s ability to continue in their program?
All students will be permitted to continue after this term. This includes programs with gateway courses that require a specific grade in order to continue in their program. Students are being encouraged to speak with their academic advisor to talk through how taking a pass/fail may affect their future plans (i.e. professional schools, graduate schools). Advising offices will work closely with the Registrar’s Office and students who may be negatively impacted by the use of a pass/fail to ensure minimal or no impact.
How will pass/fail grades be used in determining university awards?
The following will apply and is similar to how renewable awards are calculated for exchange students.
- Students enrolled in all full-year (Y) courses and take P/F option on all courses — must have met the required GPA requirement in FW18 (if applicable; won’t apply to 1st yr students) and receive a passing grade (P) on all FW19 courses
- Students who have final marks for F term courses and elected to take a P/F option on all or some Y and/or W term courses – must meet the required renewal GPA on all graded FW19 courses and receive a passing grade (P) on all other applicable courses
- First-year students who take all full-year (Y) courses and take P/F option on all courses – must receive a passing grade (P) on all courses (This is a new piece to the approach and would likely be very rare.)
Please consult the comprehensive resource site BOLD—Going Remote for support with remote teaching.
Teaching Commons @ York has curated resources and contact information to support course directors in ensuring continuity of courses and to support faculty and students to complete the term. Please refer to the Course Continuity page for more information.
Moodle has been amended to include all instructor information. This negates the need for a request to create a course on Moodle and will facilitate setup for next week. Courses will appear on instructor dashboards along with all of someone’s existing courses. Instructions can be found on UIT's eClass support pages.
Other information which might be helpful:
Please reach out to us or your Faculty support colleagues with any questions you may have. Learning Technology Service can be reached at lts@yorku.ca.
Teaching Commons — Course Continuity — An overview of teaching tips and resources covering a variety of delivery methods and modes of assessment.
Learning Technology Services — Moving Courses Online — Instructions for course delivery using Moodle, holding office hours over Zoom, etc.
LA&PS — Going Digital — Resources addressing delivering virtual lectures, communication with students off-campus, and engaging students in virtual participation.
Lassonde — Teaching Anywhere — Key ideas to consider when transitioning to online delivery.
Zoom @ YorkU — Overview of York’s cloud video conferencing tool to conduct online learning and meetings.
Cybersecurity Best Practices for Working Remotely — Steps to ensure cyber security while working from home.
Health, Safety and Well-Being Resources — Working from Home — Ergonomics resources.
Key Contacts
- Teaching Support — Teaching Commons (teaching@yorku.ca); Natasha May, Educational Developer (maynat@yorku.ca).
- Technical Support — University Information Technology (askit@yorku.ca) and Learning Technology Services (lts@yorku.ca).
Graduate Studies Considerations
Let us know about particular concerns or questions that arise as distinct to your disciplines and field. Please contact the Associate Director, Graduate Student Affairs by visiting our FGS Staff Directory.
External Links and Resources shared by the Teaching Commons
- Duke University — Building Community in Asynchronous Online Courses
- Academica Forum — Teaching Online for the First Time
- Minnesota State — What Makes a Successful Online Learner?
- Teaching in the Context of COVID-19 — An evolving, co-authored resource featuring several contributors
Collectively guided by the Senate legislation in determining appropriate remedial actions during a disruption, it is the decision of Senate Executive that effective for the Summer 2021 term and for the duration of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that:
- any form of technology-enabled invigilation (also known as “online proctoring”) by instructors, which includes the use of proctoring software or video conferencing software, such as Zoom, used for proctoring purposes, not be used except in exceptional circumstances; and
- authorization for the use of online proctoring in exceptional circumstances is required by the Dean / Principal of the Faculty / School / College in question and the Vice-Provost Academic.
The Teaching Commons and Learning Technology Services offer “virtual” one-on-one consultation meetings with instructors to directly support them in adopting alternative methods of assessment and adapting their curriculum to support a high-quality, online learning experience for students. One-on-one consultations with course directors with expertise in online delivery is another resource that can be facilitated for faculty seeking greater facility with the use of the technology.
For more information, please visit the Secretariat website.
The Bookstore has returned to normal operations.